Yeah, you know that one. It’s The Grand Duel. 
Spagvemberfest 2022
Day 25
My Name is Pecos (Luccidi / 1966)
It’s confession time. I’ve had the Arrow Vengeance Trails box set since it was first released but don’t think I’ve actually watched any of the discs beyond the extra features. These are all films I’ve seen so often I just haven’t bothered. So, as I’m watching new Blus during the second half of this Spagvemberfest it’s a perfect time to right that wrong. And first up is one of my favourite Robert Woods westerns. A really solid affair and fun to see some faces amongst the bad guy gang who would very soon go on to star in their own films. I’m thinking in particular of Peter Martell and George Eastman. Eastman is quite prominant but I don’t think Martell even gets a line. 
Anyway, a nice little film and the Bluray looks superb. Looks like I’ve got a nice few days ahead.
10 Likes
Day 25
I’ll Die for Vengeance
Sapevano solo uccidere - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
I felt like trying something new today, so I searched through my apps until I stumbled upon this one. Upon discovering that it was directed by Tanio Boccia I actually managed to get excited about watching it. After all, he was the director responsible for Kill the Wicked!, a movie that narrowly missed making my Alternative Top 20 list but would be a shoe in for my Alternative Alternative Top 20 list.
Unfortunately, this one didn’t meet my expectations…not even one of them…not even close. The acting was bad - the dialogue worse - and the English dub was horrendous.
Revenge spaghettis are my favorite kind but the reasons for the shootings that led to a need for revenge were so thin that there was no way to truly become invested. And lead (muscle man) actor Kirk Morris might be perfectly fine for Sword and Sandal movies but really had no business making spaghetti westerns.
The one thing positive I can say about this one? I really like the movie poster.
5 Likes
#19 Giraldi: Seven Guns for McGregors
-Light hearted fun. Mickey might find this film therapeutic as there’s nasty torture scene of Chris Huerta. As usual with this years fest I fell asleep somewhere in the middle of the film. 6/10
4 Likes
It’s not about depth, it is about the overall handling of comedy and its energy. The thing is I enjoyed Benny Hill quite a bit back in the day and I dislike this film. In order for this kind of humor to work, the movie should have been fast-paced and edited in a brisk fashion with swift cuts, multiple fast-motion sequences etc., in the same way Carnimeo did it with the Tresette series.
The work embraces neither of those elements and is spliced in the way you would expect from a regular comedy, progressing at a torturously sluggish pace. To add insult to injury, it comes up with very few original jokes, like sniffing horse farts, recycling things which had been done to death since the dawn of vulgar comedy. It is simply crude in the not so interesting fashion; it’s like looking at a mentally ill patient drooling in the corner, it is neither especially funny nor engrossing to observe.
At the end of the day, it feels lazy and low-energy. And most of Fidani’s films are less boring and infinitely funnier than this one, I’m not even joking.
Sounds mighty tempting, I don’t remember that one actually. Maybe it’s high time I refreshed my memory.
DAY 25:
In nome del padre, del figlio e della Colt (1971) - Director: Mario Bianchi - 4/10
Another one of those cheapjack, barely competent Bianchi’s productions with not too many differentiating factors other than some sporadic good ideas getting largely nullified by its paltry execuction. While the movie features an intriguing premise and has some neat ideas with a potential to animate the storyline, little of it is turned to good account on account of Bianchi’s substandard directing and his general lack of imagination, plus the shoddy production values undermine much of the originality which is to be found in the script.
It is a shame because Hill puts on another excellent performance as the sheriff’s mad twin brother and the tale as such is not bad at all and kind of kept my attention despite film’s conspicuous decrepitude. It is facile to dismiss the entry in virtue of its technical deficiencies, but I found it sufficiently diverting and I suppose others may enjoy it too providing that they approach it with due expectations and in the right state of mind even if the final revelation turns out more than just a little underwhelming and run-of-the-mill. Evidently, this is not one of the so-called hidden gems and it is nothing you should lose your sleep over not seeing, but I liked it enough and cherished its low-budget squalor, which definitely cannot be said about every cheap production out there, something to bear in mind.
5 Likes
DAY 25
YES! My girl drew no.23 out of my Spag bowl and that’s a perfect Friday night spaghetti: The actiontastic Chuck Connerthon Kill Them All and Come Back Alone (Castellari, 1968), a movie which has the added bonus to me of my only having seen it twice previously. Definitely feeling Spag fatigue (spagtigue?) now but this one is a cracking antidote to home straight burnout. I’ll be going with this year’s StudioCanal “Cult Classics” blu-ray release and I might even give a listen to the Alex Cox commentary which I haven’t heard yet.
6 Likes
Kill them All and Come Back Alone a.k.a Bang crash, bang wallop, biff bosh bash - wallop wallop, kap-ow ping, boof aghhh BANG!
4 Likes
#Spagvemberfest Late-to-the-duel-Edition / No. 3
Johnny Hamlet
My memories of this a bit out of the ordinary (for Castellari no less) spaghetti western were certainly quite positive. Upon rewatch, I still think it is a very solid movie, but I found it not as entertaining, with the style and story to be often more annoying than pleasing and the movie quite unbalanced with Castellari having more fun shooting fisticuffs than a proper drama. It is still quite a movie.
The BluRay looks excellent! A review (German) is forthcoming.
8 Likes
Day 25: God Made Them…I Kill Them (1968) w/Dean Reed and Piero Lulli. Proto-Sabata movie with Dean Reed as a hired gun by the corrupt big-wigs of a small town. The big-wigs hire Jim Corbett (Dean) to protect the town from outlaws and banditos. However, when Corbett and his tagalong, Joe witnese the town sheriff (Lulli) and his men (disguised as Mexican bandits) rob a stagecoach for its gold, a conflict of interest soon arises. God Made Them was better than I thought it would be. Reed made good leading man material in this Paolo Biachini film. Rating: 2/5.
5 Likes
Classic.
DAY 26:
Manos torpes (1969) - Director: Rafael Romero Marchent - 7/10
Moody, grim and outlandish. The movie seems to be in the same vain as other experimental spags such as El Puro or Matalo, but the experimentation here predominantly appertains to its narration as opposed to some other psychedelic touches. It is true that the storytelling exhibits a rather ephemeral disposition and may seem a bit all over the place at a glance, but in the context of this film, this characteristic appears to be purposefully utilized with a view to painting the overall picture in a certain way and enduing the canvas with a very distinctive feel.
Hence, instead of the customarily balanced narration, we get the frenzied stream of a narrative characterized by broad brush strokes and a sort of narrative expressionism denoted by its rapid edits and frenetic focus, which imparts a rather stark appearance to the tout ensemble. Aside from the somewhat unremarkable soundtrack, the motion picture displays some very stylish inclinations in spite of its salient shortcomings and sets about the tale in a manner completely divergent from other genre entries. A must-see work for any seasoned spaghetti western aficionado and another film which should have been released officially by now.
Una bala marcada (1972) - Director: Juan Bosch - 6/10
6 Likes
Spagvemberfest 2022
Day 26
Bandidos (Dallamano / 1967)
Another one from the excellent Vengeance Trails box set and another film that just keeps getting better for me with every viewing. One of the very best.
11 Likes
#20 Batzella: Paid in Blood
-Random pick from pile of dvd-r’s. Who would otherwise choose to watch willingly a Batzella film anyway? Just terribly boring film, highlight of the film must be a granny (around 180cm in height) who takes part in a fist fight. 3/10
5 Likes
Day 26
The Mercenary
Mercenario, Il - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
After yesterday’s debacle, I decided to go with something a bit more familiar today. It has been some time since I watched this one, so it was nice to experience it again. I really love the chemistry between Nero and Musante plus Palance is as creepy as you can get. The final scene in the bullfighter’s ring is one of the best in the genre. The unique camera angles (the shot of Musante waiting for the final toll of the bell from the perspective between Palance’s feet and the constant close-ups of Nero’s piercing blue eyes as examples) while Morricone’s “L’Arena” plays is truly unforgettable.
12 Likes
One of my all time favorites. I should sneak this one in, as well, even though it is not on my list of titles that I need to get watched (new discs, etc)
1 Like
You can never go wrong with Chuck Connors and action. Still need to pick up that UK release myself.
1 Like
DAY 26
No.16 came out of the bowl today, and that’s Ferdinando Baldi’s overwrought but compelling gem The Forgotten Pistolero (Baldi, 1969), one of those based-on-an-ancient-tale spags where tear-streaked revenge and burning homesteads are high on the agenda (as is one of the best - and most recognisable - scores the genre has to offer). I haven’t seen it in some time and I always find myself reluctant to give it a whirl since, on the face of it, The Forgotten Pistolero doesn’t exactly snap my radish. That said, I’ve always found myself falling under its spell once it’s on.
8 Likes
Day 23 Hate they neighbor
Day 24 Four of the apocalypse
Day 25 Minnesota clay
Day 26 If you meet Sartana…
7 Likes
Ben and Charlie - Rather long and starts out a bit heavy on the slapstick for my tastes, to the point where it seems like a movie I’m not going to like much at first, but then it turns around when the duo begin getting into trouble and becomes something else. I can appreciate the slow start now for its building of character, even if I would have preferred it to be done in a less goofy way. Its a unique entry in the genre which although it borrows from other titles in different scenes, still has a character all its own
4 Likes