First time watch. I’ve got mixed feelings on this 1970 SW: on the one hand it’s deserving of praise as the first in the genre to be directed by a woman in Lina Wertmuller and featuring a quite strong female lead played by a fantastic Elsa Martinelli - who at first is almost too beautiful to be an outlaw, but it also feels disjointed and pieces seem to clearly be missing.
Robert Woods was intended to have a much bigger part, but Wertmuller managed to alienate him and he left the project, and it feels like there was more to Cole Harvey than what we got, and his sudden turning on Belle just doesn’t feel right.
George Eastman was enjoyable for the most part in his role, but due to much of his dialogue and character being originally meant for Robert Woods, it feels like Larry Blackie is unsure if he’s a likable rouge with gentlemanly qualities or a smart ass chauvinist outlaw with a little too much pride to say Belle is as good as he is. The love/hate relationship between him and Belle works fine.
Martinelli as Belle has the best backstory and coherency out of all the characters, and while quite different from the real Belle Starr, is still compelling and fascinating.
Not a bad little film at all, but could’ve been better paced and fleshed out. The Blu Ray is pretty good.
Today was Robert Woods turn to be ticked off the Hall of Fame list with a another bit of Rosalba for good measure although this time she plays the tart with a heart rather than the femme fatale. As I still haven’t sat down and watched all of the Arrow Savage Guns box set I will be trying to incorporate those 4 films into the month so this seemed to be as good a place to start as any. Never seen Puro look so good and it’s nice to see it getting some proper TLC here.
And I’ve plucked another Ace out of the deck this evening in the form of For a Few Dollars More (Leone, 1965), the movie that did for pocket watches what Jaws did for sharks. Sort of.
I’m a little concerned about burning through all of the bigger movies early and leaving myself with a more brutal home stretch but, still, I’m determined to bend to the will of The Randomizer (ie the old plastic takeaway tub currently balanced on top of my Ozzy Osbourne Funko Pop with 26 more numbers still balled up inside it).
Today’s movie. I thought I’ve seen it before but I was clearly mistaken. Most likely confused with the SW title chaos. Great print shown in Portuguese TV. Spanish audio. The movie is quite bad, steals lots of ideas, specially from I Crudeli. Awful extra actors on it as well. Movies like this one make me think of giving up the marathon.
No. 4: VIVI O, PREFERIBILMENTE, MORTI
Rewatch via Explosive Media Blu Ray.
Comedy Western from Duccio Tessari with Giuliano Gemma and Nino Benvenuti as brothers.
Surely not everyones cup of tea, I like these kind of fun spaghetti western. I think there are many good gags and ironic fun moments and not completely in stupid way like later in the 70`s.
German dub from legendary Rainer Brandt seasons movie with some extra special humor.
Definetely worth a rewatch and a good film to start when investigating spaghetti western comedy sub genre.
Explosive Blu Ray has good picture quality but unfortunately only in 1,33:1 open mate aspect ratio. Cinema aspect ratio was 1,66:1 and so it should have been considered on BD…
My 2nd viewing of this Twilight Era SW was a much more entertaining experience. Beginning literally after General Lee surrenders to General Grant and ending the Civil War, viewers get a rare glimpse of life right at the beginning of Reconstruction. I have to admit that in spite of some of the Confederacy’s controversial tactics in the war, the guys who fought battles head on and sometimes ended up as POWs didn’t deserve to get treated like dirt as they went back to civilian life like we see Random and Willie get subjected to.
Giuliano Gemma is surprisingly effective in the role of Michael ‘California’ Random, a man haunted by both his past and his time in the war. Gemma shedding that single tear after finding Willie dead showed he was underestimated as a dramatic actor, he could deliver the goods when called for. While it’s strange not seeing him crack a lot of humor, the role really suited him.
This is the only film I’ve seen Raimund Harmstorf in, and wow is he an effective slimeball baddie as Rope Whitaker. This guy is a prime example of the vermin and vultures taking advantage of the Post War chaos, and lining their own pockets with blood money.
California even more surprisingly feels a little more like an American Revisionist Western than an Italian one, especially with the atmosphere, sets, and story, but this serves the new direction the filmmakers were hoping the genre could go into and revive it. While it’s strange not having the bandidos and the border towns between the States and Mexico we all love, the more traditional Western town still works well.
California should be more well known than it is, and is definitely highly recommended.
Days 3 & 4–
Day 3: Django and Sartana Are Coming…It’s the End (1970) D: Demofilo Fidani. Starring Hunt Powers, Franco Borelli (as Chet Davis), Simone Blondell, and Gordon Mitchell. Django (Powers) and Sartana (Borelli/Davis) are enlisted by a rich man named Brewster to rescue his daughter Jessica (Blondell) from the clutches of the Burt Kelly Gang, who plan to use her as hostage so they can escape across the border into Mexico. The highlight of the otherwise dull movie is Gordon Mitchell. He steals the movie as the deranged Burt Kelly who actively talks to his reflection in the mirror in front of his gang members. Rating: 1/5.
Day 4: One Damned Day at Dawn…Django Meets Sartana (1970) D: Demofilo Fidani. Starring Fabio Testi, Hunt Powers, Dino Strano, and Benito Pacifico. Jack Ronson (Testi) tries to clean up the town of Black City as the new sheriff. However, his non-violent approaches don’t work and he is soon at the mercy of outlaw Bud Wheeler (Strano) and his gang. However, Django (Powers) soon comes to town with bounty hunting on his mind. They both team up to take on Wheeler and Sanchez. Always great to see Powers in the blue cloak and hat. Rating: 2/5.
The Avenger, Zorro (1972)(orig. E continuavano a chiamarlo figlio di…) - Director: Rafael Romero Marchent - 5/10.
Though pic’s integration of the Zorro theme turns out satisfactory enough, the rest of it comes out after a fashion unfortunately. The reason why the movie isn’t as impressive as it easily could have been is because the storyline does not delve into any of its characters’ backstories to any meaningful extent: we are never really familiarized with Macaslim family’s past beyond the mere essentials pertaining to their ranch and its significance in the grand scheme of things; there is little light shed on Zorro, furnishing nothing in the way of a proper introduction as to his role in the region, failing to divulge his motives for having undertaken the path of the well-intentioned roguery and taking that part of the lore pretty much for granted.
The narration does not elaborate on the reason why Perla Dominguez and her father feel indebted to Zorro; her aversion towards gringos is articulated in analogously nebulous terms. Long story short, the tale as such appears rather flat and is unlikely to stay in memory for too long. With all that being said, there are action sequences aplenty, so while the motion picture arguably proves bland writing-wise, at the very least it titillates on the visceral level, supplying lots of turbulent shootouts, heists and the like, all of which are edited in an exquisitely snappy fashion. At the end of the day, it feels like the movie could have become a minor classic had more meticulosity been exercised in penning the overall story, instead it just makes for an agreeable, yet forgettable time-passer.
Today’s Hall of Famer is Tomas Milian and another from the Savage Guns box set. It had been longer than I thought since I watched this one and I quickly realised that all I really remembered about it was Milian’s section. As a consequence my memories of it were that it was far more brutal than it really is. Chaco aside it is largely a sad and quite gentle film in large parts with the baby delivery section really quite sentimental. I guess the 70s soft acoustic songs add to that vibe too. Anyway, it was almost like watching it for the first time for long stretches and was probably all the better for that.
Dynamite Jim is one of the SW’s I always stop after the first scene. So, I’ve always wondered if it was worth a full watch. Now I have food for thought .
Finally, some time to post! I’ve a bit behind this year, but I’ve managed a few.
Wrath of the Wind (1970) 4/5
First time viewing–I watched the Italian cut. But after reading, I wish I’d have started with the full length Spanish version. As others know, this is a politically charged period drama and action film. Is it a western? It’s intended setting is Andalusia, Spain. All the same, it is a well-crafted film, and certainly is heavily inspired by the contemporary westerns of the time… there’s a gang, a mysterious stranger, some six-shooters and horses and a lean, mean Terence Hill. I honestly enjoyed it. I like a mean Terence Hill–he can pull off a taciturn badman, though I don’t totally buy him as a romantic lead.
Four of the Apocalypse (1975) 2/5
I watched this one twice before, never liked it, but finally tried it a decade later on Blu-ray. The format doesn’t save this one. It’s just hard to sit through for me. I don’t care for the middle act. The beginning is intriguing, but there’s not going to be a payoff. I know many find the last act in the snow town endearing–and I can understand that–but this one just doesn’t hold my attention for the long runtime.
Savage Gringo (1966) 3/5
First time viewing–such a traditional spaghetti! There’s a hint of Shane, where a stranger rides in and immediately the “wife” character falls for him over her husband. Who can blame her though, when her husband is fairly shady and betrayed her father? Of course, he is protecting her from an even worse outlaw. There’s a drunk, ineffectual sheriff. Hero and heroine both have plenty of shots to show off their chests. And the hero eventually steps in to save this beleaguered woman from the gang . . . I bet it is the kind of mindless drive-in stuff that you could enjoy while eating popcorn and talking and whatnot, and still get the plot.
Has anyone here had a chance to see a spaghetti western in an outdoor, drive-in theatre? What was the audience or ambiance like?
I saw this one a few years ago and remember that it was above average. I might have to add it to the list again, thanks for putting it back on my radar!
Not outdoor but I had the chance to see Django, Keoma and The good, the bad and the ugly on proper cinema and the reactions were cool to witness. Specially on GBU which starting that day I’m fully convinced it is a western comedy based on the on-going laughs in the audience.
Django was also nice cause most of the audience was completely unaware of the movie and I saw lots of satisfaction on their faces.
No. 5: RUN MAN RUN
What can I say…16mm copy, red colours, 1,37:1 Fullscreen…but still a pleasure to watch and to listen to the great score.
For me the “weakest” of the three Sollima SW, but nevertheless still one of the best SW.
I was happy to get a 16mm copy some years ago and even with the above mentioned “low points” it has a special place in collection.
Here two pictures from screen
Even if this didn’t have some nice visual tricks, a solid Francesco De Masi score, decently constructed setpieces, and the like, and it does have these things mind;
It still has slimy bad guy Horst Frank. He rocks that green suitcoat.
.
