Spagvemberfest 2022
Day 21
Minnesota Clay (Corbucci / 1964)
Another day, another Explosive Media Bluray release. This one has the happy ending tacked on which I can always do without but apart from that is a pretty solid release of very good early Spaghetti which features a bunch of soon to be Corbucci tropes.
DAY 22:
L’uomo venuto per uccidere (1967) - Director: Leon Klimovsky - 3/10
I didn’t mind this one as much as some people seem to have, that being said, there is no point in gainsaying what has already been stated about the film, it is definitely very American in its overall disposition and completely at a loss for a style distinctive enough to distinguish it from innumerable other works of this kind. I guess it is not so hopeless because it kept my attention throughout, but Klimovsky’s simplistic craftsmanship happens to be on the nugatory side here.
The sentimentality inhering in the storyline, flabby writing and Masi’s old-fashioned score only tend to exacerbate things further and make the film feel at least ten years older than it really is, some of the film’s shootouts are edited in an incredibly cumbersome fashion too. The wimpish attitude of Wyler’s character and the banal redemption arc do not redress the situation either, so what you have here is a pretty mediocre affair with very few redeeming qualities; I suppose it moves at a somewhat steady pace and features some more character elaboration than usual even if is of the corny kind, but in all honesty, do not expect too much, this is strictly pedestrian stuff.
Alleluja e Sartana figli di… Dio (1972) - Director: Mario Siciliano - 2/10
I guess the film is not quite as much of an abject failure as Trinity and Sartana… Those Dirty Sons of Bitches, but why do these movies have to last for as long as over 90 minutes, this being almost 100 minutes long, when it is patently obvious that under no condition should their running time ever exceed the 70 minute mark? This is unacceptable and frankly speaking, should not be allowed under any circumstances. Even at the x1.25 speed the flick seems abnormally protracted and the fact that the storyline retreads most of the familiar ground does not remedy the situation to any extent either.
This is essentially about a couple of miscreants assisting a congregation of Evangelicals to ward off scoundrels who want to lay hands on their land, but in actuality, this farrago boils down to a number of really corny vignettes strung together in a largely nondescript, uncouth fashion. Some jokes sporadically provoke laughter after a fashion, but most simply fall flat and seem to prolong this folderol ad nauseam. All things considered, I suppose this could have turned out worse as evidenced by that other film, but let’s face it, the movie constitutes a substandard comedy fare with not much to offer in the way of a fully-fledged, engaging plot and most of the time, it solely presents a challenge not to space out completely whilst sitting through this dreck.
#17 Stegani: Beyond the Law
-More light hearted fun than usual spaghetti westerns of it’s time. Great cast with LVC, Sabato, Bud Spencer, Lionel Stander and Gordon Mitchell. 7/10
DAY 22
My girl drew no.27 today, and that’s early(ish) classic The Return of Ringo (Tessari, 1965), probably my favourite Giuliano Gemma picture and, I’m pretty sure, the first Gemma movie I saw. Not as mean, stripped and violent as spags would become but not as American-inspired as many of the earliest examples were, The Return of Ringo has a romantic, almost operatic feel to it. I’m not selling it very well but, for my money, it’s a gem; way, way better imho than A Pistol For Ringo and indeed one of the better movies the genre has to offer. Cracking theme song too.
It’s getting hard now. I’ll have a fresh blast of enthusiasm for the last two or three days but this week is always the toughest. The final third of SpagvemberFest always sorts the men from the boys; the hardcore @Phil_H s from the noodle-armed @Admin s. 
I intend to at least grow some Linguine, back from my vacation now and gonna pop in some Bounty Killer after finishing something else. I am joining the fray!
Reinforcements are definitely needed! 
Day 20 The price of power
Day 21 3 bullets for Ringo
Day 22 Keoma
I’ve shown Sabata to friends who aren’t SW fans and they always enjoy Wildcat’s gymnastics and Carincha’s bombastic personality!
Spagvember Fest Day 22
Sonora/Sartana Non Perdona
Rewatch. I haven’t seen this one since I bought it a couple of years ago, and boy it’s grimy and dark atmosphere is well deserved. There’s no punch pulling here, the bad guys are dastardly, the Anti-Heroes are brooding and distant, and the West is shown as a vast land of harshness and uncertainty, almost exactly like how it most likely was.
This is one of those SW’s that’s interesting to watch, but is hard to get into because of the atmosphere.
George Martin does very well in the role of the brooding loner who’s wife’s tragic death has left him nearly a schell of a human being, but he has redeeming qualities in his helping of defenseless women and saving the betrayed Jose. It’s honestly a real shame that Martin didn’t play more characters like this as he had the right face and piercing gaze for it.
Gilbert Roland gets a very interesting role with the part of Kischner. He’s probably the most morally ambiguous character to ever grace an SW as he keeps everything close to his vest, neither the audience and other characters ever really sure of what’s going on in that head of his.
Jack Elam is at his dirtiest, nastiest, and meanest in the role of Slim Kovacs, he’s an absolute scumbag. From the moment you first see him onscreen, you know he’s no good, and Elam’s wandering eye from a boyhood accident makes Slim even seedier.
The DVD from Al!ve AG Entertainment/Wild Coyote isn’t bad at all, but the film could certainly do with a 2K cleanup.
Day 22-The Ugly Ones (1966) w/Tomas Milian, Richard Wyler, and Ella Karin (A.K.A. The Bounty Killer) In this paella spaghetti, a bountyhunter (Wyler) goes after a Mexican outlaw (Milian) who has been freed from by an inn cook (Karin) who likes his bad boy ways. ‘Ugly’ has shades of the “misunderstood Mexican outlaw” from The Big Gundown and Tepepa. At first I thought it was a knockoff of both, but it is actually Milian’s very first role in the SW genre! Milian brings depth to his character and to a film that seemed to me like it didn’t know where to go and was vanilla. Wyler’s role as the Bounty Hunter was pretty one-dimensional. The director, Eugenio Martin, later directed Pancho Villa (1972) w/Telly Savalas and Horror Express (1972). Rating 2/5.
Spagvemberfest 2022
Day 22
The Great Silence (Corbucci / 1968)
A disabled hero battling corrupt town boss, a final shoot out at night and an unhappy ending (or otherwise if you want it)? And it’s Corbucci. Have I just rewatched Minnesota Clay? No, of course not. As much as I quite enjoy Minnesota this film is in a totally different league. One of the most beautiful Spaghettis with the magnificent snowbound setting. One of Morricone’s very best and most melancholic scores. Basicly, just one of the very elite group of films that transcend the genre. I never tire of watching it and, in fact, probably appreciate it more and more with every viewing. Just magnificent. And a darn fine Bluray release from Eureka too.
Day 23
Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead (1971)
Prega il morto e ammazza il vivo - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
After watching Stagecoach of the Condemned and Four Gunmen of the Holy Trinity, I decided to conclude my indoor spaghetti western tribute with this minor classic. And, also, I told @Dean I was going to watch this one. The first 50 minutes or so of this one take place inside a stagecoach station and an argument can be made that this is what makes this one so intriguing. The interaction between the characters and the atmosphere in that station more closely resembles classic noir than a typical spaghetti western. By the time the ensemble sets out from the station, the groundwork of tension has been laid for a truly satisfying conclusion only enhanced by yet another great performance from Klaus Kinsky.
DAY 23:
Domani passo a salutare la tua vedova… parola di Epidemia (1972) - Director: Juan Bosch - 3/10
More Chris Huerta, great. This one is decent I suppose, Hill fits in comedy westerns better than one would think, he was likewise pretty good in the otherwise execrable Scansati… a Trinità arriva Eldorado. This one is not as excessive as the more overzealously slapsticky outings while still maintaining a firmly tongue-in-cheek tone, so it kind of balances between the two extremes. The comedy proves okay enough, but more in the so-so way: some of the jokes fall flat, others rely on Hill’s good acting skills and on the context of the story.
There are also plenty of scenes in which Chris Huerta gads about en deshabille much to my jubilation of course, nothing makes me jump for joy more than the sight of his saggy tits, his “funny” mannerisms, giggling and and the likes. One of those flicks which are mostly fine as background noise, but nothing particularly memorable and also kind of boring when you think about it really. Only when you have ticked off most of the good genre entries, should you track this down, there is much better stuff out there to check out beforehand.
Quinto: non ammazzare (1969) - Director: León Klimovsky - 4/10
This sounds like something I should enjoy technically, but oddly enough, the solid premise is hardly put to good purpose and most of the potential evaporates by reason of some shoddy editing and somewhat flabby directing. The storyline unfolds in a pretty unremarkable, indifferent fashion without any apparent emphasis in terms of style or narrative purpose. At the very least, the basic components of the story are on the intriguing side and the whodunit mystery displays sufficient vigor, so there is still something take interest in.
With all that being said, even though the underlying idea provides a solid foundation for a juicy, pulpy kind of adventure, the directional approach completely nullifies that point of departure by opting for an almost schmaltzy, corny style of directing which cancels out the grit inhering in the tale, virtually transforming the motion picture into a trite soap opera of sorts. Likewise, Umiliani’s score is reminiscent of Francesco de Masi’s compositions, further conducing to the inordinately old-fashioned feel of the production. Though the work gets much better in the second half, it is hard to come to terms with just how featureless the final product turns out and just how bland the overall craftsmanship is here. What a major disappointment.
Spagvemberfest 2022
Day 23
Dead Men Don’t Count (Marchent / 1968)
Another excellent Explosive Media Bluray. This one in a Media Book style which would be great if my German extended beyond some basic Duo Lingo level. Anyway, a beautiful package for what is actually a pretty enjoyable film from the Steff and a super smiley Mark Damon. I’ll be nominating him again this year for the Hall of Fame by the way. With all he did in the genre it’s ridiculous he isn’t already in there.
#18 Rosso: A stranger in Paso Bravo
-Often mentioned as an inspiration for And God Said to Cain but apart from same character names there’s really no connection. I read lots of positive comments from the forum topic but I think this has to be one of Steffen worst. Finally I can agree with one of sartana1968’s legendary comments: “boring and unwatchable”. 
The music is good though 4/10
Hope you were on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Impossible not to be, during that compelling affair.
If not on the edge of my seat, at least intrigued. 
#Spagvemberfest Late-to-the-duel-Edition / No. 1
The Ugly Ones
This must have been one of the first spaghetti westerns I saw back in the early SWDb days, the all or nothing days, the Vanishing Point days. So I was looking forward to rewatch it.
Better than that old Marketingfilm DVD, I enjoyed it from the Wild East BluRay this time around (which looks okay but the encoding is quite bad and the image suffers from instability and tons of DNR, not sure if the French BluRay is better, but I would hope so). The audio is not great either and often muffled and hard to understand. All in all, it was sufficient but not what a BluRay should be like.
The movie is not bad for an early spaghetti, but it suffers a bit in execution and Milian just simply cannot save this flick as much as he is trying. Cipriani’s score is most probably among his worst, yet Barboni’s camera work very solid if not fantastic, but maybe they should’ve gone for a better director to deliver better pacing for this actually quite intriguing story. Wyler plays it cool.
The woman singing Jingle Bells… utter ear candy 
I keep mistaking it for Mozart.
She definitely had a unique interpretation.
