NON ASPETTARE DJANGO , SPARA
Very simple spag in which the leading man (Sean Todd) kills his enemies one after the other and nothing else . There is more stylish gunplay than a storyline , shooting behind the back and a final duel where the loser drops dead in a rocking chair . Franco Pesce plays the undertaker and in german dubbing its put into his mouth that the worms will come for everyone . Well said and good stuff .
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Non_aspettare_Django,_spara
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Thanks for specs!
1 Like
- Cicero: Red Blood, Yellow Gold
-Another one which I had not seen in ages. Not among the classics or anything like that but watchable action flick. 5/10
That scene was hilariously absurd.
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Shhh …its just a funny shaped wagon 
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6: ¿Quién sabe? (1966), directed by Damiano Damiani
As the revolution will not be televised, we are lucky that it has been shown several times in Zapata Westerns. ¿Quién sabe? was the first of those and in my opinion the second best, behind Leone’s Giù la testa. Austin Fisher identifies Zapata Westerns within the genre as an “‘insurgency’ variant” that he describes as “a melting-pot of political and cinematic references, incongruously fusing the tropes of Italian political cinema with those of the American Western” (Radical Frontiers, p. 121). The question is to what extent these films can actually be classified as Wild West movies. Damiano Damiani, for instance, vehemently opposed the categorization of ¿Quién sabe? as a Western: “[It is] a film about the Mexican Revolution, set in the Mexican Revolution, and therefore it is clearly a political film and nothing else” (quoted in Radical Frontiers, p. 121). I can understand why Damiani, as a left-wing director, expressed this view, but I don’t share it.
3:10 to Nothing Gulch
A total of 245 films were produced in Italy in 1966, 77 more than in Hollywood (Dimitris Eleftheriotis, Popular Cinemas of Europe: Studies of Texts, Contexts and Frameworks, London: Continuum, 2001, p. 105; cited in Austin Fisher, Blood in the Streets: Histories of Violence in Italian Crime Cinema, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2020 [2019], p. 40). There are more than 80 entries on the SWDb page for the year 1966, not all of them for Italian Westerns, but the majority. Sergio Leone’s Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo is unsurprisingly at the top of the list of the commercially most successful Spaghetti Westerns that premiered in Italy that year; followed by Per pochi dollari ancora (Giorgio Ferroni), Arizona Colt (Michele Lupo), Sergio Corbucci’s Django, Sette pistole per i MacGregor (Franco Giraldi), Texas, addio (Ferdinando Baldi), Le colt cantarono la morte e fu … tempo di massacro (Lucio Fulci), Sette dollari sul rosso (Alberto Cardone), the Franco-e-Ciccio comedy I due figli di Ringo (Giorgio Simonelli), Damiani’s ¿Quién sabe?, El precio de un hombre (Eugenio Martín), Pochi dollari per Django (León Klimovsky / Enzo G. Castellari), Mille dollari sul nero (Cardone), Ringo, il volto della vendetta (Mario Caiano), Django spara per primo (Alberto De Martino) and Sugar Colt, directed by Franco Giraldi (according to “Highest Grossing Italian Westerns, 1962–1980 [Domestic Prima Visione Box-office Returns],” an appendix in Radical Frontiers, pp. 219–222). Surprisingly missing from this top 100 list are such well-known 1966 Spaghetti Westerns as Corbucci’s Johnny Oro and Navajo Joe, Per il gusto di uccidere (Tonino Valerii), Johnny Yuma (Romolo Guerrieri), Tinto Brass’s Yankee and Carlo Lizzani’s Un fiume di dollari.
The Killer Elite
The German titles of Il grande silenzio and C’era una volta il West are only two examples of the fact that well-conceived and well-made genre films (and pop culture in general) had a difficult time in German-speaking countries in the 20th century. Goethe and Wagner, Schiller and Beethoven were still at the very top (so-called Hochkultur [“high culture”], highbrow), the rest, cinema in particular, was considered (potentially dangerous) crap for the masses and treated accordingly disrespectfully. So why bother with the poetic ambiguities of those Italian film titles? “The great/big silence” and “Once upon a time there was the Wild West” became Leichen pflastern seinen Weg, “Corpses pave his path,” and Spiel mir das Lied vom Tod, “Play me the song of death,” respectively. Damiani’s question “Who knows?” was replaced by the command Töte Amigo, “Kill amigo,” without a comma, turning Amigo into an accusative, and without an exclamation mark.
A Bullet for the General belongs to those Italian Westerns you can also watch with people who aren’t aficionados. The film’s most obvious strengths are its excellent cast (Beswick, Castel, Kinski, Volonté), good screenplay (Franco Solinas), and competent direction.
Next: nothing but Searcho Leoni.
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Lo chiamavano Verità (1972) - Director: Luigi Perelli - 4/10.
I have found the movie to be largely acceptable, though I cannot put my finger on why exactly, since there is nothing really special about it and given that the camerawork turns out patricularly crude and unrefined, I should have taken exception to it, but did not; there is no denying this is one unremarkable comedy with a cheap look and a stupid storyline, but for some reason, at no point did I feel particularly distressed or wearied by it. On the contrary, it kept my attention throughout and in spite of the expected inanities, there was nothing particularly offensive about the development of the concept. My guess is that the reason why it proves mostly agreeable and does not chafe the way most of these flicks do is because it deftly balances between the two extremes, neither devolving into the orgy of slapstick nor getting enmeshed in its plot points to an excessive degree.
I had also approached this thing with zero expectations whatsoever, anticipating utter dross, but I suppose it was not so bad in the end; while the storyline may very well exhibit ephemerality in the manner in which it proceeds from one scene to another, without ever dwelling on any of the details of its trite story for too long, this is a pleasing factor in that the film seems to display some self-awareness and instead of pluming itself on its ineptitude, simply sticks to the central characters and relates the tale in a very straightforward fashion which greatly aids the narrative flow. Needless to say, it is a very cheapjack production with little in the way of actual novelty or fresh ideas, but considering how awful the rest of the field is, it could have turned out a lot worse; some of the jokes made me chuckle on a couple of occasions and the final revelation is genuinely solid, so I guess not all of it is so bad.
Sentivano uno strano, eccitante, pericoloso puzzo di dollari (1973) - Director: Italo Alfaro - 1/10.
That quacking acid synth line at the beginning makes you think this is going to to be a movie about a duck with a bad case of diarrhea peregrinating through the Wild West; this is however not the case, which is a shame, as that would have been infinitely more diverting than what is offered here. In a certain sense, this looks like a flick made by somebody trying their hand at directing in that the movie is framed in a sort of competent fashion, yet the overall decoupage, the general assembly of the narrative and the delivery of the gags all feel so thoroughly muffed that following the action is about as pleasing as seeing somebody abuse a child. The humor proves so awry and disconcertingly botched it is occasionally hard to tell whether the successive scenes are meant to provoke laughter, but fail to do so by reason of the mishandled rhythm and the badly structured, ill-conceived action, or if all of this is supposed to amuse in some post-ironic sense and the utterly fumbled and cumbrous rendition is not fumbled or cumbrous after all, but rather deliberately awkward in its final form.
The difference between comedy and non-comedy becomes blurred, engendering this bizarre melange of sequences whose intended effect comes to be basically inscrutable in the end. At the same time, there are some moments which are clearly included to prompt some chuckles, but their arrant one-dimensionality in combination with the deadpan delivery makes them essentially indigestible. None of that really matters at the end of the day though because viewing this is still quintessentially excruciating no matter how you spin it: the humor is so remarkably defective it is unbelievable it actually passes for a comedy and on top of all of the aforementioned faults, the storyline is just another derivative with no differentiating qualities whatsoever, all of which is terminally exacerbated by the fazingly impaired directing. Woah, goodness gracious, now that was really, really, reeeaaally fucking bad, indubitably one of the worst spaghetti westerns ever made.
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Sentivano uno strano, eccitante, pericoloso puzzo di dollari is such an abysmal film. When I watched it years ago, I felt really sorry for poor Rosalba Neri that she had to be in such a rotten movie, her penultimate Western. The last one, Dieci bianchi uccisi da un piccolo indiano, isn’t much better.
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Day 27. Movie 19. If You Meet Sartana Pray For Your Death.
Finally got around to watching this one. How something can be both familiar and innovative is remarkable. And with Fernando Sancho and Klaus Kinski passing through and playing, basically, themselves, makes this even more fun
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I disagree and consider it to be a little gem 7/10 even if it may give a somewhat amateurish impression.
Since there is no official DVD or Bluray release but as far as I know only a cut version on DVD-R with rather bad image quality the impression might be negatively influenced by that for some viewers.
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A couple of first time watches:
22. The Great Treasure Hunt Monta in sella, figlio di…! - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
Actually really quite enjoyed it for what it was - a silly (but not overly so) comedy, full of fun and well shot. It is one of those well done humorous spags that does not lean too far into the stupid, but rather balances it out with some good action and strongly acted characters. Mark Damon brings a lot to it, and the accompanying cast is colourful. 3 out of 5.
23. Don’t Wait, Django … Shoot! Non aspettare Django, spara - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
Pretty let down by this one. Its abysmally paced and honestly moves like treacle and induces sleep. Plot is next to non-existent and is drawn out excruciatingly slowly. It has things going for it in the actors and the way it is shot, but it is a let down and I wanted to like it more. 2.5 out of 5.
And then back to the formula of rewatching subpar middling ones in the hopes that my opinion will have changed… (not so much with this next bunch of duds).
24. Reverend Colt Reverendo Colt - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
I had a better recollection of it in my mind for some reason. Maybe I was sufficiently happy last time I watched it, but this time, well, it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen but it really does drag and it just isn’t very inspired. I think it was Guy Madison that made me enjoy it more the last time I saw it, if I remember rightly, but even though he is pretty good in it there really just is not much meat on the bones of this one. Still give it an average 3 out of 5.
25. Vengeance is a Colt 45 Figlio di Django, Il - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
Very messy from start to finish. Again, I remembered liking it more, but this just does not really seem to click with me now. Its decent, but in a run of these kinds of boring affairs now I really didn’t much enjoy it. Guy Madison is a reverend again but his character seems really out of place and surplus to requirements. The rest of the story is a couple of factions of ranchers going against each other - neither with any real stand out characters. And then it all ends abruptly. Down to a 2.5 out of 5.
26. Ramon the Mexican Ramon il Messicano - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
Really disliked this one when I first saw it, gave it another chance now some years later and it still does nothing for me. Its been said before that the male lead is a dud with zero charisma and the whole thing is pretty much a rip off of A Fistful of Dollars - right down to the names of characters. All this is still true. Not only that but the whole thing suffers from a terrible pacing issue, with each inconsequential scene being milked for all the screen time it can muster, and the dreary theme song that plays throughout is like a lullaby desperately coaxing you to close your eyes. 2.5 out of 5.
27. Dead Men Don’t Make Shadows Inginocchiati straniero… I cadaveri non fanno ombra! - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
I used to like this one, to a certain extent. Its a Fidani, but his best if you were to ask me. While I still find it to be his most coherent work, I was utterly bored this time around and even though I have a certain fondness for Hunt Powers, that didn’t save it for me this time. I don’t think I can stomach another Fidani again after going back over about 5 or 6 of his now, they are just awful and I have had enough of trying to convince myself otherwise. Down to a 2.5 out of 5 for his best of a bad bunch.
28. Two Crosses at Danger Pass Due croci a Danger Pass - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
This one, for whatever reason, never gelled with me, and it still doesn’t. There’s just something off about the whole thing and I can’t quite say what other than it is a mixture of mediocrity which is largely unenjoyable. 2.5 out of 5.
I realise there have been a lot of 2.5’s from me, but this is the middle range that I have been subjecting myself to . … and it is wearing thin. I am now longing for the best of the genre to cleanse my palette. But it has been interesting to revisit these.
8 Likes
Spagvemberfest 2023
Number 23
Here We Go Again, Eh Povidence? (de Martino / 1973)
I know quite a few prefer this to the first Providenza film but I’m not sure I agree. What it definitely is is the whackiest fucking acid trip of a movie you are ever likely to encounter. Plus kung fu of course because it was 1973 and you couldn’t not have it. Absolutely bonkers from start to finish.
10 Likes
I agree with you, Phil. The first one is enjoyable, but I really dislike this one in all honesty.
Spagvemberfest 2023
Number 24
Six Bounty Killers for a Massacre (Lattanzi / 1973)
Why did I bother watching this one again? Well, of course I’d forgotten quite how bad it was. And it really is very bad. Like, amateur bad with a few professionals thrown in to add names to the marquee but who must have been horribly desperate to take this gig under any circumstances. I mean, it’s so bad I can’t bare to talk about it.
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The Bounty Killer (Eugenio Martin, 1966)
I stumbled from a fun circus western (Sabata) to one of the genre’s more subtle, psychological entries. As you might know, this is Tomas Milians debut performance in the SW fold as well as his (possibly) most restrained one, in some ways more similar to his acting style in Italian drama films of the early sixties than what was to come - which he does great. It is, for better or worse (mostly for the better), a rather understated film overall. The deliberate pacing and sparse dialogue at times turns you off a slight bit, but it adds to the tightness and intimacy of the story. I know many people don’t like Richard Wyler as the eponymous character, but i do. He gives the impression of an everyman - not a villain, not a hero or even a clear anti-hero, just an ordinary guy good enough with a gun for the circumstances to have causes, which fits the low-key and character-based mood well. But there is hardly a weak performance by anyone involved, certainly not by Ella Karin in a strong female role that truly fills a big role in the story rather than falling into western women chichés.
What makes this film quite special for me, however, lies in the unusual depiction of bounty hunters. They’re not the cool anti-heroes of For a Few Dollars More nor the sadistic villains of The Great Silence - as i wrote about Chilson, he feels like a regular person who happens to get his cash from chasing criminals. He may not keep his hands entirely clean, but does not enjoy killing or beating and sees it strictly as a way to obtain his basic living supplies, at least (it’s implied) until he has another source of income available Real-life professional bounty hunters in the old west were rare, and mostly collected bounties as moonlighting between other jobs. Like the film depicts, they were usually regarded as the lowest type of scum by the general public, of whom many actively sympathized with the pursued criminals (who were often popular). As such, The Bounty Killer provides maybe the most realistic depiction of bounty hunting one can find in a spaghetti western, or maybe even one of them for westerns in general (insofar as the profession ever existed whatsoever). For me as a history buff that elevates the whole feature one step above the purely cinematic qualities (in a similar way, my personal affection for Death Rides a Horse which i’ve written about earlier gives it a rating of 9/10 although it’s objectively possibly might be slightly lower than that).
If you add that “historical accuracy” bonus (be it accidental or not) the grade becomes an impressive 8/10, a grade mostly restricted to top 20 material for me plus a small number of runners-up (it has been bubbling right under my list for a while, and it’s not entirely impossible it nudges its way into it someday, and in that case chiefly thanks to the said refreshing perspective on bounty hunting). Lastly, it would be interesting to read the book if i ever find it.
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This is the film that was the nail in the coffin for me regarding being a completest of the SW genre … I actually sat through the entire thing, and vowed, never again, enough is enough.
0/10 … and that’s being generous!
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Day 28
E Dio disse a Caino - The Spaghetti Western Database (spaghetti-western.net)
Back with the familiar tonight as I felt like I needed a re-watch of this one.
Ten years after being sent to prison, Klaus Kinski’s Gary Hamilton is released and sets out to get revenge upon those that wronged him at the same time a tornado is arriving.
A simple enough revenge tale to say the least but director Antonio Margheriti stirred some gothic horror into the mix and turned it into a classic. Not much more to be said.
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Fury of Johnny Kid (1967)
The Campos and Mounter family have been fighting for years. Then Senor Campos (Rufino Ingles) and Bill Mounters (Luis Induni) come to an understanding. Both families will fight in the open and a judge will decide who wins. The losers must leave California.
Rodrigo Campos (Peter Martell) and the rest of the family spring a trap and kill nearly all of the Mounters except for Bill and his son Johnny (Peter Lee Lawrence), who is captured by the Campos family and kept in jail with Lefty (Andres Mejuto), a man with a hook for a hand.
The Campos want them to fight to the death but Johnny gets them away alive. Lefty then teaches him how to survive: “Shoot first, shoot to kill. Keep an eye on the allegedly dead. Beware of spare guns. Never turn your back to another colt. Keep your eye and your hand steady if you want to live long and healthy. Always get even.”
Johnny comes back for revenge and falls for Giulietta Campos (Cristina Galbo), which should let you know that he’s the Italian Western Romeo and she’s Juliet. There’s also a saloon girl named Rosalind (Maria Cuadra) who falls for him and like all fallen women who redeem themselves in these movies, she dies to help save him. There’s also Sheriff Cooper (Piero Lulli), who is in love with Giulietta and she in no way returns his ardor.
In real life, Lawrence and Galbo fell in love and were married. Sadly, he died of brain cancer at the age of thirty, but before that, he would be in Pistol for a Hundred Coffins and she would appear in The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, The House That Screamed and What Have You Done to Solange?
This was directed by Gianni Puccini, who mainly worked as a writer. His assistant director was Paul Naschy, who also appears in a bar scene where his character loses an arm wrestling match and has his hand impaled.
I really enjoyed this movie. It takes the basics of Shakespeare and becomes its own movie. It ends — spoiler warning — with death itself killing everyone else except our young lovers, which is quite different than the classic.
It was shot by Mario Montuori, who was the cameraman on Bicycle Thieves. I also love the soundtrack, which is Gino Peguri. He also did the music for Bloody Pit of Horror and Supersonic Man.
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Thanks for the suggestion! I have seen Bandidos and I remember really liking it, but since I don’t remember the particulars, I’m sure it is time for a rewatch.
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Film 21 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
10/10
This was my first spaghetti. I got it on DVD as a Christmas gift when I was younger because I had been playing a gothic vampire western video game called Darkwatch which used the GBU theme song. So I’m thankful my folks recognized the music and surprised me. I was only mildly interested in watching it, but I was immediately and forever hooked once I did.
Film 22 - Arriva Sabata (1970)
5/10
This low budget Anthony Steffan film was both quite bad, and the kind of silly fun western you’d find on a Mill Creek set back when finding classics was hard. I’m glad I saw it once, but I hope I don’t watch it again.
Film 23 - Django Shoots First (1966)
7/10
Well-made with a catchy score by Nicolai. This one was solid and entertaining and the kind of obscure western that makes Spagvember worthwhile. The comedy almost always worked; there were some great horse-riding action scenes, and the simple “corrupt banker” and “family revenge” plot (but crucially, a plot with momentum).
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Technically, I would still rate a couple of comedies lower because of how stupid and offensive they are, but their humor or rather the delivery of it is not as arrantly hopeless. In terms of pure humor, the movie is so boneheadedly tone-deaf it is hard to wrap your head around why it got released in the theaters to begin with, it is unter-shlock.
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