My least favourite of any film that has Leone’s name attached. Did he really direct any of it? Frankly, I don’t care. Whether he did or didn’t it just doesn’t grab me as a film and consequently it has sat on the shelf for quite a while neglected. This Spagvemberfest seemed like the best time to give it another chance but I have to say, unlike Scherps, this one doesn’t improve with more viewings for me. It’s not terrible by any means but I don’t like the comedic stuff and it just leaves me flat. Ah well.
Another Wild East disc I haven’t been back to in a while. It’s a comedy adventure with cars and motor bikes so it has to do quite a bit to win me over but, actually, it’s ok. Wallach is essentially Tuco of course and Nero is essentially the Swede (or in this case Russian) but it’s real benefit is it knows what it is and maintains the same tone throughout. Something My Name is Nobody fails to do. It’s also genuinely quite funny in places and is just harmless fun for the most part (the death of Wallach’s sister aside).Spaghettis of this type will never be favourites for me but I enjoyed it more than I remember from last time.
Yes and no, a matter of definition.
The term anti-hero refers originally to a protagonist who is really the opposite of a hero, one who is passive contrary to the SW protagonists, who are always the active winners. The SW presented indeed a new kind of hero, but despite being able to do bad things they are still the heroes of the films, they rarely lose, they always win.
Of course the protagonist of TGS loses in the end, but still he’s not the loser type of the historic anti-hero definition. That’s why plotwise TGS is so damn special.
Nowadays every genre protagonist seems to be an anti-hero, even the Bond fans think that their beloved agent is one, when he does a few things Winnetou would never do. But when even Bond is an anti-hero, which film then (apart from the Winnetou films) ever had an hero?
Being cynical or doing some bad things (as long as the baddies are doing much worse things) does not turn the hero into an anti-hero, only into a different kind of a hero.
Yesterday, I re-watched Lo ammazzo come un cane… ma lui rideva ancora (1972) and I must say I enjoyed it a whole lot more this time around. While some of my previous criticisms still stand and I continue to think certain segments of the movie are quite half-baked and incoherent in their final form and execution, I appreciate how thoroughly dark, outlandish and sinister the entirety of it feels.
Interestingly enough, the opening assault scene proves oddly disturbing and startling for something that’s ultimately quite brief and far from graphic (the crude, choppy montage turns out to be quite advantageous in this instance), the character of Whistler is possibly one of the most unlikable and repulsive protagonists to ever appear in a spaghetti western and finally, the whole film just brims over with this remarkably unnerving ambiance. It is undoubtedly one of the darkest if not the darkest spaghetti western of all time not only because of its disquieting atmosphere but also on account of its general cinematic griminess and the cheap squalor of its production, not to mention its bizarre ending. The greenery of its locations kind of reminds me of Quel maledetto giorno della resa dei conti, but here the verdancy looks somehow darker, cheaper and even more scuzzy which additionally intensifies the trashy otherworldliness. I do love the cheapish look of these ‘green’ productions and I wonder if this was shot in the Lazio region or somewhere else.
Lastly, I’ve got to say Patucchi’s soundtrack sounds absolutely fantastic and is indubitably one of film’s greatest assets and one of my big favorites. The music sounds like a cross between Lavagnino’s composing style (particularly in Requiem para el Gringo and Vendetta per vendetta) and giallo soundtracks, but with its own distinct flavor. I especially love how Patucchi processes minatory squawks through echo and then subtly modulates the delay time, thereby changing the pitch of these sounds up and down the register, which sounds very ephemeral and absolutely amazing within the context of the soundtrack. The whole score just sounds so menacing and mesmerizing, beautiful.
Overall, not one of the greatest spaghetti westerns, but something that’s a must-see particularly for seasoned aficionados of the genre. Very, very trashy, but ultimately quite unique in its own right, there is nothing quite like it. And yes, probably the gloomiest spag of them all.
Need to rewatch this, but I liked it first time, despite its trashy reputation. I might even watch it during this spagvember, oooh, but quick quick, we are running out of time…
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2019: DAY 27
Today I’m hitting up Lone and Angry Man (Caiano, 1965). Hang on, haven’t I done this one already? (checks) No, apparently not. They’re really starting to blur now! Oh well, let’s get this one out of the way and then, tomorrow, I’ll be watching Lone and Angry Man (Caiano, 1965). No, wait, hang on…
Ok, so a Eurowestern rather than a true spaghetti but it’s shot in Almeria and a man deserves at least one Raquel Welch film a year and this seemed a good enough reason to revisit my Anchor Bay release of this. Us Brits have never really had a good track record when we try our hands at westerns and this one may just be about our best. Helped by an American director of course and an almost entirely American cast but hey…we paid for it so we’re claiming it.
Welch is delicious of course and you really don’t need any other reason to watch it but you also get Strother Martin at the height of his game as one of the half-witted but rotten family of outlaws that Hannie seeks out for revenge.
Easy-going, quite well-made spagh with a good female lead (Claudia Gravy), good feel, good score (but where did I hear that theme before?) and no concessions to the spaghetti comedy craze, although with a somewhat unspaghettiish ending. The director José María Zabalza is credited with two spaghs this year, the other one being The Rebels of Arizona, it seems a sequel of some sort, starting more or less where the first ends, the two probably made back to back. (But see @JonathanCorbett’s post under the latter film’s thread.)
Planned to watch The Rebels of Arizona next, but having seen 10 min I think I’ll pass, at least for now, as I was quite happy with the first one.
Another one from my Italian box set that I haven’t watched for some time.
This one is very much of the pre-Leone school again and my thoughts haven’t changed since my review back in 2008.
Bill Il Taciturno aka Django Kills Softly (This might be the worst Django title ever, whoever came up with it, but I suspect Germans)
George Eastman in the lead role, cool. Oh my. Where to start. This could be easily a little gem, but after very good first half we got superboring second half in which not much happens, nevertheless we get a lot of dancing/singing/fistfighting no one cares about. Gunplay in the first half looks so good Leone could learn from it. Gunplay in the second? Don’t even ask. Ridiculous. Quite curious. I don’t think I’ve come across a spagh which would be great and then somewhere in the middle became lame and barely watchable. Watch for educational purposes. The final gunbattle is mostly chaotic, retarded, but with a few good stunts and kills. I don’t know what to make of this. 5/10
Same here … catching up on movies I’ve been meaning to see for ages - Checking out suggestions from others on the forum … I could probably take this on through to Spag-cember !
Nothing more I wanted to see from 1969 – 1971, so for the last three I go to 1972. Browsed through the 74 films on the Db’s page, quickly reduced to 7 that I don’t mind watching. Out of these, first The Long Cavalcade of Vengeance. Because it has Anita Ekberg in it, and I don’t want to miss something like that.
Watched Arriva Durango, Paga O Mouri (Durango’s Here, Pay or Die) tonight
While not anything spectacular or original, it’s still quite entertaining and fun, like Simon Templer The Saint in the Old West. I do wish Brad Harris had continued in Italy making the Westerns, but he still made a nice career for himself. Jose Torres gets one of his rare main role chances here, and seems to be channeling Tomas Milian for his role. He’s not as charismatic as Milian, but he’s good and believable in the part.
Two that I couldn’t sit through, so I won’t count them as part of my Spagvember fest. ‘The Dirty Outlaws’ aka ‘El desperado’ (1967) aborted because I found the Wild East transfer unwatchable !
Blurry image and jumpy picture, due to bad conversion from PAL to NTSC. Also in this English version there are long gaps between dialogue, which made it appear like the actors didn’t know what was happening next and were awaiting orders from the director. A potentially interesting story ruined from what I could tell … I watched about 45 mins, so I did try.
’Return of Sabata’ (1971) Utter shite ! Seen it before, and it hasn’t improved, so I wasn’t going to sit through this pointless and maddeningly stupid film again.
… back to business - Number 29: ‘Django Shoots First’ (1966) Nicely done by all involved. Thoroughly enjoyed this one - special mention to Ida Galli who plays one gorgeous frosty femme fatale! 7/10
Number 30: ‘Django’ (1966) I had never understood the popularity of this one, until now!
Finally got around to watching the Italian version in a good print (Blue Underground) … what a difference !!! I get it … hallelujah 8/10 This was the surprise of the fest for me.
It has a difficult to put your finger on quality, which pulls you in , like, ‘The Return of Ringo’.
Really pleased I gave this another chance, and for anyone reading, DO NOT watch the English dubbed version, it’s truly horrible.
7/10
