It is indeed … Adios Greek VHS ? 
1 Like
Spagvember Fest 2023 Day 13
First time watch
His Name Was Spirito Santo
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Uomo_avvisato_mezzo_ammazzato…_Parola_di_Spirito_Santo
*** out of *****
Don’t judge me too harshly here guys, I had a fun and good time watching this SW. Spirito Santo is no Sartana, but he’s still a suave and enigmatic figure you can get behind. Gianni Garko is good in everything I’ve seen him in and this one’s no exception. Cris Huerta made for an excellent humorous sidekick, but three of his strength feats got a little too cartoonish which resulted in a rating of only *** instead of *** 1/2.
The humor worked very well in the film, very little of the Trinity style slapstick at play, save for the Huerta stints I mentioned above. The tone is lighthearted, but the film doesn’t make light of the fact the main characters are hip deep in the Mexican Revolution, as noted by Santo mowing down a number of Federales after finding a group of Resistance fighters horribly massacred.
Plaion Pictures did an excellent job on the film’s clean up and restoration, only minute instances of age in the print itself.
Oh, and I got the Blu Ray through a trade with one of my YouTube friends from the Netherlands (thanks again buddy 
)
11 Likes
Day 14
Arriva Sabata! - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
I decided to once more turn to the faithful Tubi app for tonight’s movie and landed on this one - the first time I’ve ever watched it.
I’ve never been much of a fan overall, a few films aside, of the comedic spaghetti western. Most of them are just a bit too over the top for me but, given the cast, I had to give this one an opportunity. And it did not disappoint as Anthony Steffen, Peter Lee Lawrence, and Eduardo Fajardo make an outstanding comedy trio with their alliance first initiated by Lawrence deciding to rob the bank he works as a teller at in the middle of Steffen and Fajardo robbing it.
Admittedly, the ending isn’t nearly as much fun as the beginning but it was still worth the ride.
11 Likes
- Cicero: Time of Vultures
-A Minor favorite, Frank Wolff’s Black Tracy is one of the greatest sw characters, psychopath suffering from epilepsy. It’s too bad that the film suffers from some badly done scenes, the beginning ain’t that good and the stage robbery is just awkward. Also the music could be better. 7/10
9 Likes
- Torrado: Los cuatreros
-I watched this in spanish from youtube. It is what I expected from Torrado. It felt like tv-western from 50’s. Fernando Sancho’s brief appearance as funny mexican bandit (what else) is the highlight of the film. 2/10
8 Likes
18: El precio de un hombre (The Bounty Killer) (1966), directed by Eugenio Martín
The first foray into the Western genre by Spanish director Eugenio Martín, who died in January this year, remained his best (it’s not entirely clear who actually directed Réquiem para el gringo). There are several reasons why El precio de un hombre works so well: one of them is most likely Marvin H. Albert’s novel The Bounty Killer (1958), on which the movie is based (I assume so, as I have not read it). Albert’s books also provided the literary source for such well-known Westerns as The Law and Jake Wade (John Sturges, 1958) and Duel at Diablo (Ralph Nelson, 1966), and for the two neo-noir films about gumshoe Tony Rome (Gordon Douglas, 1967, 1968), starring Frank Sinatra.
Another reason is the strong cast Martín had the opportunity to work with: Cuban-born Tomás Milián but also English actor Richard Wyler (real name: Stapley), both in their first Western, and Halina Zalewska, who was of Polish origin, deliver atmospherically dense and rich performances. The supporting roles are excellently cast with, among others, Mario Brega, Manuel Zarzo, Tito García and José Canalejas. And yes, of course, Frank Braña also makes an appearance. The hapless gallows bird he plays doesn’t make it past the opening credits and only survives the first three minutes of El precio de un hombre. His character in Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo is given the same screen time: three minutes to die.
Operador Enzo Barboni keeps his camera moving with elegant agility and makes Wyler as cazarrecompensas, Milián as bandido and Zalewska as cantinera appear in best light and shadow. El precio de un hombre (The Bounty Killer) is “admirably cynical and distanced,” writes Alex Cox in his book 10,000 Ways to Die (p. 103 [2009], p. 113 [2019]), “a concise noir Western […] with a strong female lead.” And a great score by Stelvio Cipriani.
Next: Carlo Lizzani’s Requiescant (1967).
11 Likes
Don’t knock yourself out unnecessarily mate. Sometimes life chucks you stuff and you deal with it as you can. The good news is you’ve bounced back. And who knows? Another opportunity might present itself when you least expect it.
3 Likes
Spagvemberfest 2023
Number 3
Run Man, Run (Sollima/1968)
Lingering jet lag meant I only managed one film yesterday and my eyelids struggled a bit with just that one. No reflection on the quality of the film because Run Man, Run has some terrific sequences and is an overall enjoyable watch. It is a bit episodic though and possibly a bit overlong in places? But maybe that’s just the jet lag talking. I enjoyed it again anyway. Although sometimes admittedly through closed eyes. 
9 Likes
Grinders no. 14:
QUEL CALDO MALEDETTO GIORNO DI FUOCO
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Quel_caldo_maledetto_giorno_di_fuoco
Since there are some rumours concerning upcoming Blu Ray release in Germany I rewatched my old 1,85:1 VHS before it is going to retire.
What can I say…to me it is still a very solid Spaghetti Western with a good cast (Robert Woods, John Ireland, Ida Galli, etc.), good story, fine locations, etc.
Only the spy/agent story could have been told with a little more excitement and more straight forward. This is my only “critical point”.
But anyway…this should be a “must seen” for all of you fans
I was lucky to get a 35mm Technicolor copy some time ago but unfortunately from the 5 orignal reels only reels 3-5 are fine. Reel 1 has dozens of splices and is incomplete. Reel 2 is missing completely.
So if there`s another 35mm copy out there you know about please remember me
11 Likes
Film #14: I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death - First viewing 
out of 5
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Sono_Sartana,_il_vostro_becchino
Another one I really enjoyed. Action packed, quirky and lots of fun! The way I like my spaghettis!
6 Likes
Day 14:
Ognuno per se (Every Man for Himself)
The Ruthless Four
Sam Cooper’s Gold. (1968)
Haven’t watched this in many years, and had forgotten most of the details, except that I had enjoyed it.
What struck me this time was, that this is not really a Spaghetti Western as we know it … To me, more an adventure film that happens to occur at the same approximate time.
It has been compared unfavourably to the much more famous, ‘Treasure of the Sierra Madre’ … that I think unfair, as the two films are only similar at the most basic level.
The acting here is top notch, and the only one of the ‘Four’ who seems out of their depth is George Hilton, who throws a couple of over the top temper tantrums which are glaringly not in tune with, Van Heflin, Klaus Kinski and Gilbert Roland.
An exciting story with beautiful photography that has a unique atmosphere, although it was made in key familiar locations, including the Carlo Simi town (El Paso) it has a realism that echos more Robert Altman’s ‘McCabe & Mrs Miller’, which it precedes by nearly 3 years.
I give this a very satisfying 8/10
PS: @Hired_Peon … even Gilbert is very good in this one
10 Likes
Spagvemberfest 2023
Number 4
A Reason to Live, A Reason to Die (Valerii / 1972)
I know a lot of people don’t rate this one but it was one of the first non-Leones I saw and I’ve always been fond of it. Watched the new vanilla release Signal One Bluray and thoroughly enjoyed it. The release is a strictly bare bones thing but the picture quality is fine. I like the extra scenes which are not included in this release but, in truth, the film works fine in its shorter version and you don’t get the annoying shift in Coburn’s voice. A good way to spend a Tuesday lunch time.
10 Likes
This is a movie you rarely hear a middle of the road “meh” opinion about. It seems like most people either really enjoy it or they don’t like it at all. I’ve always been fond of it. I do prefer the longer cut, despite the Coburn issue, as I believe it offers more context to the plot.
3 Likes
I have a fondness for Ruthless Four since it was one of the first non-Sergios westerns I watched. I enjoyed the dynamics anong the four as far as who was trustworthy or not. Unfamiliar with Van Heflin at the time (c. 2016), I thought he was a German or Italian actor. I’ve since come to appreciate him in many film noir/crime movies he starred in. I agree that Ruthless Four doesn’t fit the formula of spaghettis that were out at the time.
4 Likes
I tried watching Sabata the Killer during one past SpagvemberFest, and it didn’t resonate with me at the time. But, I think I may have been at the end stretch of the Fest and was experiencing pasta fatigue. I think I’ll give it another try. Thanks for the review!
4 Likes
Spagvemberfest Day 14 - Film 6: His Name Was King
Really very ‘meh’ considering its great score and decent cast. So many bloody shots of Harrison just riding his horse, and a stupidly long sequence of some Mexicans going down a hill.
5/10
9 Likes
Spagvemberfest Day 14 - Film 7: Dead for a Dollar/Trusting is Good…Shooting is Better
These double spag days are helping me to at least make a decent dent into Spagvemberfest this year. Sadly I picked out another complete dud. So incredibly boring and such unimpressive action. Will be completely forgotten from my brain within a few hours.
4/10
9 Likes
I think the key is to approach it with a light-hearted, not expecting much state of mind. 
3 Likes
Buckaroo (1967) - Director: Adelchi Bianchi - 3/10.
Even if the motion picture incorporates certain stylistic touches which constitute a tacit nod to Leone’s classics, the work feels more like a pre-Leone oater in that it replicates most of the corny clichés one hopes not to encounter, but this is not as much of a shortcoming as film’s stodgy action, moldy drama and remarkably pedestrian writing which fling it way below the average and render the overall viewing quite listless and forgettable. The editing and overall action directing come out so inert and inanimate that following the gunfights is about as exciting as watching the mandala assembly in slow motion.
The dialogues and the dramatics prove exceedingly corny and sometimes verge on being outright cringeworthy, but what ultimately mummifies the whole narrative is the extremely lazy storyline which helplessly endeavors to combine the tale of an imperious mogul terrorizing the region with the more straightforward revenge yarn. Neither part of the equation appears to be sufficiently developed or compelling enough to stand on its own: the vendetta feels artificially appended in that following the opening scene, the motif completely ebbs away and does not resurface right until the climax. The domineering bigwig is just your customary bully conniving with a bunch of Mexican bandits in order to assert his dominance over the territory. Some other themes come to the fore en route such as the saloon girl subplot, but they all turn out so inchoate, vague and underdeveloped that they hardly merit any mention whatsoever. Subpar material executed in a substandard fashion.
8 Likes
- The Man Called Noon
Perfectly fine serviceable dish that is well marinated in film-noir ingredients, and me being sucker for genre bending pictures really ate this one up. The unique flavour aroused from joint production of UK, Spain and Italy has lent it with a very atmospheric sensibilities. The central mystery is intriguing and sort of felt like following along pretty damn good puzzle game as a hired killer with memory loss meet up with all sort of strange characters to unearth his true identity, but it wore off on me eventually and a bit nonsense by the end. Also it is too sentimental at time for some of my liking. Lots of eye catching location works here within its limited scope. I particularly like the work done in cave as well as lonely private train station in the middle of desert. This being a film-noir, Spaghetti Western really make it a good entry for this month Spagvember and Noirvember fests I guess. Great one.
10 Likes