Film #19 - Bastard, Go and Kill (great title) - First viewing - 
out of 5
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Bastardo,_vamos_a_matar
From the title I went in expecting a violent, dark film BUT instead its a lighthearted humorous romp with barely any violence in at all. George Eastman is playing a Tomas Milian-esque type Mexican peon character who hams it up. Its semi entertaining but I dont think the actors quite pull it off completely and the story isnt fully baked
Spagvemberfest Day 18 - Film 9: Any Gun Can Play
I actually really enjoyed this one! A fun GBU rip-off with Hilton, Roland and Byrnes all giving pretty good performances. I even quite enjoyed the goofy fistfights! I think I’m starting to warm up to Hilton a lot more now, he always adds a bit of charm to the films he’s in and always puts in atleast some effort.
7/10
Day 18
‘Pagó Cara su Muerte’ (Pay Dearly for his Death) aka Death Knows No Time’ (1968)
Guglielmo Spoletini (William Bogart) whose SW career started playing henchmen and disreputable Mexican rogues, now has the leading role as Martín Rojas, a peasant who becomes a bandit … and apart from his extreme chauvinism, isn’t too bad a guy! 
I won’t get into the ins and outs, but this is a very fine looking film, which seems to have fallen off the radar, until showing up on youtube a few years ago in a great HD rip.
Very watchable, but a little too sentimental for some audiences I suspect. Though it has a decent story and a fair amount of action.
SW fatigue beginning to show, but I shall march on as long as possible … 
6.5/10
The really good thing about it is that it is really close to Requiem for a Gringo in terms of overall atmosphere.
Sapevano solo uccidere (1968) - Director: Tanio Boccia - 4/10.
The movie is not anything special, yet in spite of its meager resources, rather flabby narrative flow and the general somnolence of storytelling, there was still something which inexplicably kept me watching the flick. I guess part of the reason why I stuck with it might have been that the story turned out somewhat different; the original source material originating from another genre is accommodated here to fit in with the western formula which results in some bizarre blemishes and thus, a certain element of surprise in the way the whole tale unfolds.
One could say it is mediocre in the best sense of the word in that it is not going to top anybody’s list of favorites, but at the same time, it does not vex with any inordinate stupidity, may very well be used as background noise or viewed as a soothing piece of insignificant escapism in its own right, should you so wish. The acting is so wooden you could almost make a hefty cupboard out of it, but honestly, who cares, this is just another one of those two-bit productions with not a whole lot of assets or substance, it might not redefine the genre, but Boccia weaves the tale in a predominantly solid fashion, the film is framed in so munificent a manner that you can clearly make out the actors and the action; Lavagnino’s score turns out fine too and though the storyline begins to run thin towards the end, it might be reckoned not a total joke, plus badass-looking Mitchell attired in a black cape pops in just to drop dead ten minutes later. Given that some maleficent turkey might be around the corner for me, methinks I’ll take it.
Nicely described … mind bogglingly crap!
Day 18: The Grand Duel (1972) D-Giancarlo Santi. Starring Lee Van Cleef, Alberto Dentice, Horst Frank, and Dominique Darel. The haunting theme song by Luis Bacalov came to mind to mind and led me to revisit this often overshadowed spaghetti. Sheriff Clayton (Van Cleef) is en route by stagecoach to Saxontown when he crosses paths with Philipp Wermeer (Dentice), who is engaging in a gunfight with bouty hunters. Wermeer is wanted for the murder of the Saxon family patriarch (Frank). Clayton and Wermeer know the truth about what happened to the Saxon patriarch, and the three Saxon brothers, led by the eldest, David (also played by Frank), try their hardest to get rid of Clayton and Wermeer, so the truth never sees the light of day. Rating: 4/5.
Spagvember Fest 2023 Day 18
First Time watch
Matalo!
Mátalo! - The Spaghetti Western Database!
**** 1/2 out of *****
Never thought I would say this about an SW in a million years, but we’re definitely dealing with a case of style over substance, and that’s what makes the film enjoyable.
A trippy, near totally hallucinatory version of Dio Non Paga il Sabato ( Kill the Wickeds) takes the former’s plot and transports it to a surreal desert landscape where everything strange that can happen does, and the few people who get caught up in the hoopla. The cinematography has an abstract painterly quality to it, the camera engaging in quite the unusual positions and angles, the viewer’s senses and aspect of time caught in suspension.
Cast members Corrado Pani - looking like a cross between Klaus Kinski, Luciano Rossi, and even a little Scott Glenn, Luis Davila, Claudia Gravy, Antonio Salines, Ana Maria Noe all do excellent work in their respective roles as utter derelicts, sadists, and nut jobs. The only disappointment for me was Lou Castel who looked completely out of place and unsure of why the hell he was doing this.
The experimental rock score shouldn’t work in a Western, but surprisingly fits it well.
Arrow did a great job with the restoration of the film and has loads of good extras. Just wish Arrow could’ve gotten the Wild East interview with Lou Castel.
I would also highly advise against recreational drug use when watching as the film is trippy enough as is, I think adding any substances would send anyone on a total freak out.
Day 19
Une corde, un Colt - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
After exploring on Tubi recently, it was time for something a bit more familiar as I have been horseback riding all day and am completely done in. There really is no need to expound on this one much except to say Hossein should have made more westerns. While this one checks all the boxes for its place in the genre, it is also very different from the standard and in a positive way.
I will conclude by saying that very few women have ever had a man wrapped around their little finger like Michel Mercier’s Maria had Hossein’s Manuel. Her character is completely fascinating.
Day 18: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (rewatch)
Thoughts:
TIL there’s actually a comma missing in the English title.
Vengeance (1968)
Jokko Barrat (Richard Harrison, years before he would appear in so many Godfrey Ho movies), Richie (Alberto Dell’Acqua, one of the many undead in Zombi), Domingo (Luciano Pigozzi, who appears in so many movies and always gives me so much joy when he shows up) and Mendoza (Claudio Camaso, the brother of Gian Maria Volonté. Unlike his leftist brother, Claudio was ultra-fascist to the point that he may have planted a bomb at an entrance to Vatican City. He was exonerated, but years later was arrested for strangling a friend to death and then killed himself in jail) have a plan to steal gold from some bandits, but are betrayed by Domingo. Mendoza dies and Ricky is tortured before between torn apart by horses.
Jokko follows the five men and Mendoza, killing them one by one and leaving part of a bloody rope — the same that was used to kill Ricky — all while being followed by a detective (Paolo Gozlino).
As much a gothic horror film as a Western, this was directed and written by Antonio Margheriti. The end even takes place in a mine and feels like its more Italian horror than cowboy epic. I’ve seen some reviews that say that this is a typical Western, but I wonder what movie they were watching.
YANKEE
Not the first time watch , but a long time ago and nearly forgot how good it was .
These crazy and colorful camera work , this gaunt guy with the way to big hat , which seems to spring from a comic book , the simple story and whole characters , make this flic a little gem .
The Yankee (Leroy) offers the Concho (Celi) to collect the bounty of all his henchman … as he doesn’t want , lets him know - The Yankee does it alone and finishes him last
Tinto Brass unique spag is highly recommended .
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Yankee
Day 19:
Gli specialisti (The Specialists) - 1969
Haven’t watched the Eureka Blu Ray until now, as I was so peeved at their dishonest pre-sale description of this release having an English audio option … well documented on this site … so this time I went with Italian audio. The English subtitles are mainly ok … but for fuck’s sake, Eureka … we don’t need a translation of every credit in the title sequence - These releases are aimed at a cine sophisticated audience … or am I wrong?
Anyway … I hadn’t watched the film for at least 10 years and thankfully had forgotten much of the finer detail , which made this one great fun, and dare I say exhilarating - Yeah, it’s leisurely paced, but when the action kicks off, you sit up and pay attention, like I was 12 years old !
Johnny Halladay, I thought, I’m not going to like you … but he does a surprisingly good job without trying to impersonate any other genre leading men - Yes, he’s doing the stoic loner routine, but it doesn’t come off cringy, as it so easily could have.
There are some happenings in this movie that might make you think director, Sergio Corbucci was having more than a few digs at the genre itself … One telephoto shot near the end clearly aimed at a distant Italian town, which bares no resemblance or connection to the time period or plot … there after we have another long distance image of a huge setting sun, with the protagonist literally riding off into the sunset … the obnoxious and complete historically off 'anarchist /hippies are 4 real dickheads, but they’re not just there for comic relief as it turns out … so, put up with them to see the pay off. There are quite a few other bits and bobs that seem to be satirising society and politics too … So, it’s almost not a real western, but nevertheless highly entertaining.
I won’t go on any further, except to say that after nearly 3 weeks of revisiting some of these films, this is the one I’ve enjoyed most … not the best film necessarily, but right up there in top 20 land.
8/10
PS: I discovered why it’s called The Specialists, rather than The Specialist … as we automatically assume the title refers to the main character, ‘Hud’ … I don’t know if this has been discussed before, but it comes from a sarcastic comment made by Hud to the stagecoach travelers at the beginning of the film … I don’t want to spoil it by saying anymore.
Oh, I dunno, amigo…I could name a few… 
A great SW, but one that I still find difficult to watch because of the rape scene, unshown as it is…which somehow makes the defloration of an innocent girl all the more vile.
Last night, I watched not so much an SW, as a superb, and lasting tribute to the greatest of them all - ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’.
Several years ago, the restoration of ‘Sad Hill Cemetery’ was, and will no doubt always remain, the most fitting accolade to one of the SW’s most iconic, memorable, and exciting end scenes ever filmed.
My dream now? To visit the actual location…
As ‘Harmonica’ would say: “Someday…”
Spagvemberfest 2023
Number 8
A Fistful of Dynamite (1971 / Leone)
Stupid of me but I’d forgotten just how good this one is. Sure, Steiger chews scenery like he has eaten eaten in weeks but it fits the role and the character arcs of the two protagonists are a welcome and rare element in these films, Just really good on every level.
