Seven Dollars to Kill / 7 dollari sul rosso (Alberto Cardone, 1966)

http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Sette_dollari_sul_rosso/DVD

Thank you Bill , that is the one indeed.
I appreciate all your (and other editors) excellent work on this SW Forum/database. :slight_smile:

[quote=ā€œPhil H, post:13, topic:113ā€]Had this one on the shelf for a wee while and just got around to watching it yesterday.
On the whole an enjoyable, middle of the road kind of spaghetti for my money. Decent but not great.
The final sequences were the best in the film without doubt and really lifted it in my estimation.
Likewise, the score was excellent in places and made up for some gaping holes in the plot, continuity and editing elsewhere in the film. Another plus is the cast. Steffen and Fernando Sancho (doing some excellent over the top mugging) make it worth the entry price on their own.
Overall it gets my thumbs up as a a solid 3 star example of the genre. Nothing spectacular.[/quote]

Just watched the new Koch-Media release and must say I completely agree. Thereā€™s nothing to add ! The DVD is one fine piece, of course. Just as weā€™re used to get from KOCH ! Picture quality and audio are really good. The German dubb is, in parts, pretty cheesy though (I already knew from my tape) but I enjoyed watching it in Italian with subs (German/English). The DVD is uncut and with 96min. about 10min. longer than my old ITT Contrast videotape (excellent print). A really nice bonus is the featurette ā€œCinevento 2007 - In memory of Francesco de Masiā€ about one of my dearest SW-Composers !

BTW: The German title is ā€˜Django - Die Geier stehen Schlangeā€™ what means as much as Django - The vultures stand in line !!! ;D

Does anyone have any comparison details of how the Koch-Media release compares in quality and running time to the Japanese SPO release?

I am aware the Koch media release does not have english audio (but english subtitles), whereas the SPO one does have english audio.

I bought this film, I canā€™t believe it.
Mille dollari sul nero, which is considered as the better one or Cardoneā€™s best SW, was already an ok one, a solid and entertaining 5/10, but not more. And Sette dollari sul rosso is a weaker one, just as it was expected by me.

The Koch Media support effect, I assume. Ok, it wasnā€™t expensive and itā€™s a nice digi, so no complaints.

The film is a mixed affair in nearly every respect, like it was said in most of the before posts.

But I think meanwhile I canā€™t see Fernando Sancho as slimey grining mexican heavy anymore, only doing what he always does.

And Steffen? Here he really must be called Stiffen. There are many tragic developments in the story, but Steffen fails completely to deliver anything else than his usual expressionless mimic. Heā€™s completely unbelievable as a possessed revenger.

I am also curious to know how the new Koch Media disc compares to the old SPO release.
Iā€™ve been told that the picture quality should be betterā€¦but, no definite on that, yet.

As for the film itself, I happen to like it (mostly for the musical score)ā€”with all of its faults.

You know it always cracks me up when Spaghetti Western fans complain about Anthony Steffen being ā€œstiffā€ or ā€œwoodenā€. Often this comes from people who have no trouble with Charles Bronsonā€™s performance in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WESTā€”now thereā€™s a seriously wooden performance, in my opinion. But, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST is brilliant and so is Bronsonā€™s performance. Now, donā€™t get me wrongā€¦SEVEN DOLLARS ON THE RED is nowhere near as good as anything by Leone and Steffen is no Bronson; but, the point I am trying to make is that Steffen did exactly what I think the directors wanted him to do in the Westerns he made.

Also, I happen to think that SEVEN DOLLARS ON THE RED is one of Steffenā€™s least ā€œstiffā€ roles!
Consider his light, smiling, almost bouncing performance BEFORE he gets home to find his wife murdered and his son stolen. After that tragedyā€¦he goes around like a man in shock (which to me is quite believable). Then he goes quite emotional when everything comes to a head during the final moments of the film. I mean, Steffenā€™s method is just one way to play this type of typical roleā€“the polar opposite is the way over-the-top, close to ridiculous portrayal of a similar character by Thomas Hunter in THE HILLS RUN RED. Hunterā€™s performance is just too much, in my opinion.

I mean all of this is subjective and purely a matter of personal opinion; but, I think too many people are way too quick to jump on the cliche Steffen is wooden bandwagonā€¦just because they think it is expected of them, or something.

Like I say, though, it is all a matter of opinion.

No Chris, there is a great difference between Bronsonā€™s performance in OuTW and Steffenā€™s here.

Bronson is also a limited actor, but he could be very convincing in a certain type of role, but Steffen here lacks everything.

Compare it to John Wayne in The Searchers. Wayne was also criticised for not being good or always playing the same (himself), but today nobody would say that this wasnā€™t a very powerful performance as an angry and possessed man.

Maybe more later, maybe also about Sette dollariā€¦ , donā€™t have much time now, but Iā€™m ā€œworkingā€ in my mind on the film. Not sure about the outcome.

SEVEN DOLLARS ON THE RED 1966 EXCELLENT CAST IN TOP SW BY CARDONE

Previous postings on this forum by SDB and others have CORRECTLY exposed the

STIFF/WOODEN/DULL/TIRESOME ACTORS & ACTRESSES AS BEING THE LIKES OF

DENiro, Pacino, Streep, M.Caine, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis and similar specimens :ā€™(

THE SW LEADING ACTORS Like Anthony Steffen/Richard Harrison/Clint Eastwood are
some of the GREATEST ABILITY ACTORS with a Magnificent SCREEN PRESENCE.

I am in total agreement with the previous postings and the above facts/opinions :slight_smile:

ANTHONY STEFFEN SW Number 1 LEADING MAN (25 SWs as Leading Man)

I must say I liked Seven Dollars To Kill. The German Title: Django - Die Geier stehen Schlange is really stupid. The Quality of the Koch Media DVD is as usual perfect. Of course there are plotholes and Anthony Steffen is not the best actor for such a tragic figure, but overall it was quite entertaining. I also agree with the Review of Phil about this movie. :slight_smile:
The Story reminded me also on The Searchers with John Wayne. But besides the story of the search after a kidnapped child this two movies havenā€™t much in common. I liked the Music Score of De Masi. For me an entertaining SW and better than may others.

Not really. You can think so if you want, that is your right and I respect your opinion. But, that is all it is. Bronson has moments of barely recognizable wistfulness when he speaks with Robards; but, that is it as far as emotion goes. Steffen is just as stoic as Bronson in SEVEN DOLLARS ON THE REDā€¦with the exception that his character is somewhat exuberant in his opening scenes. I donā€™t see much difference between their performancesā€¦in the filmā€™s themselves there are miles of differencesā€¦but, in the performances none.

And I am not comparing Bronsonā€™s overall acting career to Steffens, which is how you seem to be twisting what I have said. I am just saying that Bronson is as wooden as anyone could be in OUATITWā€¦and it is perfect for that film.
Just as I think Steffenā€™s supposed tendency to woodeness is perfect for most (not all) of the Westerns he did.

Again, this is just my opinionā€¦so a NO shouldnā€™t figure in to it. A ā€œI disagreeā€ would be fineā€¦but, you canā€™t tell me NO.

Well, itā€™s always only an opinion, it canā€™t be anything else. I was only talking with you. Sorry, if it sounded like a rebuke or whatever.

The difference is that Steffen gives me nothing, and Bronson does.

But Bronson hasnā€™t to be emotional in OUTW, whereas Steffen here should deliver some emotions and doesnā€™t.
Well, he tries, but thereā€™s not much coming.

And yes, heā€™s most of the film only stoic, but thatā€™s a misconception in this film, either by him failing or by the director not guiding him. So the film doesnā€™t work for me, there is a potential, but itā€™s only partly used.

Steffen was at best in D. the Bastard, where he had nothing to act.
He was OK in several films, where he also hadnā€™t much to do.

As actor I liked him most in Last Train to Durango where he plays with a surprising self-ironic note.
He he, maybe he was miscast in all of his films.

[quote=ā€œstanton, post:31, topic:113ā€]Well, itā€™s always only an opinion, it canā€™t be anything else. I was only talking with you. Sorry, if it sounded like a rebuke or whatever.

The difference is that Steffen gives me nothing, and Bronson does.

But Bronson hasnā€™t to be emotional in OUTW, whereas Steffen here should deliver some emotions and doesnā€™t.
Well, he tries, but thereā€™s not much coming.

And yes, heā€™s most of the film only stoic, but thatā€™s a misconception in this film, either by him failing or by the director not guiding him. So the film doesnā€™t work for me, there is a potential, but itā€™s only partly used.

Steffen was at best in D. the Bastard, where he had nothing to act.
He was OK in several films, where he also hadnā€™t much to do.

As actor I liked him most in Last Train to Durango where he plays with a surprising self-ironic note.
He he, maybe he was miscast in all of his films.[/quote]

Fair enough opinion, amigo!
I canā€™t say I totally agree, or disagree with youā€¦but, that is what these sort of discussions are all about, of course!

I didnā€™t feel you were ā€œrebukingā€ me, by the way. I should have put a little smiley after my sentences about the whole NO thing. :wink:

I still havenā€™t seen TRAIN FOR DURANGO, yetā€¦am waiting for that Koch release!!

Iā€™m also waiting for the Koch DVD, cause the german version was as always cut. Considerably, about 20 min.

Well, my comments about Sette dollariā€¦ sound now all a bit to negative.

I can recommend this film (and especially the Koch DVD) to every SW fan.
Itā€™s a 4/10 film for me after the 1st watching, which means itā€™s an ok film, a watchable and entertaining film, no waste of time.

It was only that there was the potential for more.

Oh, I have just gave my vote, and Iā€™ll gave it a 3 star vote nevertheless.

So I also noticed the other votes.

It seems that SD had also given his multiple votes. I guess all 7 with 5 stars are his.

Maybe we shouldnā€™t make a mysterie about the polls. I gave it 4 Stars. :slight_smile:

Iā€™ve already given my views on this film - but for an extra two-penneth ā€¦
Although this isnā€™t a top drawer spaghetti, it does have a fabulously gothicky mud-splattered and rain-soaked ending. Many of my favourite spaghettis are often better films but with a bit of a let down with the ending. A Bullet in the Forehead is one such example that Iā€™ve seen recently that was a bit ho-hum at the end. After great finales with early viewings of Django and Silence, I initially expected more from the genre ā€¦ but it ainā€™t always the case (I still love ā€˜em thoā€™).
So ā€¦ 7 dollars is great in this respect.

I gave SEVEN DOLLARS ON THE RED a 3 star rating. There is a lot that I like about the film (the musical score is excellent, Silvana Bacci makes an appearance, and I like the finale, etc.)ā€”but, there is much that could have been handled better.

[quote=ā€œChris_Casey, post:9, topic:113ā€]I like this one quite a bit. Not anywhere near as good as Cardoneā€™s other Steffen film $1000 ON THE BLACK (aka BLOOD AT SUNDOWN) with Gianni Garko; but, it is still very enjoyable.[/quote]i agree with Chris on this, i did not at first think i was going to like it, as i feel it has a very clumsy start, but gets better as it goes along, as somebody has already mentioned, the film has large holes in the plot, and neither steffen or sancho characters grow any older over the years the film depicts as the ā€œSonā€ grows into a man( unless you count the tufts of grey on steffens hair in the latter part of the film).The ending was slightly different than i was expecting but neither the end or the film as a whole is as good or effective as Blood At Sundown. enjoyable enough though.