Day 23: Sartana’s Here…Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin (A Fistful of Lead) (1970) Directed by Giuiliano Carnimeo. Starring George Hilton, Charles Southwood, Piero Lulli, Carlo Gaddi, Erika Blanc, Nello Pazzafini, Luciano Rossi, and Frederico Boido. It’s almost impossible to sum up a Sartana movie in a short, concise synopsis without losing the forest for the trees with the complexities of the plot. So, I’ll be short, succinct and try not to let slip any spoilers. While attempting to get an outlaw with a bounty who is riding shotgun on a stagecoach, Sartana (Hilton) thwarts the stagecoach being robbed by Mexican bandidos for a gold shipment on board. However, the pall bearer/bounty hunter finds out that the gold were bags of sand. His investigation leads him to the town of Appaloosa. Run by ostensibly squeaky clean town boss Spencer (Lulli) who Sartana finds out is in cahoots with the My Mexicans who robbed the stagecoach. To get to the truth, he must navigate a stay with the beautiful but untrustworthy saloon owner Trixie (Blanc); the resentment of bandit leader Mantas (Pazzafini) for taking out half of his companeros; and an Oscar Wilde style foppish bounty hunter named Sabbath (Southwood).
I actually love this Sartana movie episode! I watched it a couple of years ago under the title A Fistful of Lead and the credited director Anthony Ascot. It all clicked in my mind when I watched Sartana’s Here that Ascot is Carnimeo. I think I enjoyed this movie as much as the earlier Sartana with Gianni Garko installment, Have A Good Funeral, My Friend…Sartana Will Pay. The musical score was enjoyable and Hilton proved as Hallelujah that he has the chops to be a cool and intelligent bounty hunter. Rating: 4/5.
In the Italian version, Southwood is called ‘Sabata’ and there are several jokes referencing the Sabata movie. Sabata means Sabbath or Saturday and that’s part of the double meaning of the Sabata title ‘Het amigo, it’s Sabbath/Saturday, you’re finished’ (i.e., you don’t need to work).
Saw A Train to Durango (1968) which I thought was pretty good, certainly better than some of the other comedy Zapata movies such as Long Live Your Death.
It actually seemed a precursor to the various Giuliano Gemma comedy/westerns when he plays a conman with a ‘straight’ sidekick whose schemes always fail. I think more of this is Tessari than di Leo cares to admit. Salerno has the Gemma one and Steffen the George Eastman or that boxer guy role. Salerno is very good; was he touted for the Tuco part in TGTBTU? Steffen, of course, benefits from all that comedy acting training he got from Mark Damon (yeah!). Watched the Koch DVD in Italian with English subtitles. Excellent print copy.
A French/Italian co-production with a British director and an international cast. Mifune is the stand out by far and although the film has it’s moments I’m not convinced Terence Young really got to grips with the wesetrn genre. It’s OK but nothing more. I always want to like it more than I do.
I think even the movie title wasn’t quite sure it wanted to labeled a Trinity film until the very last minute.
A man named Joe returns to the family he abandoned (in pursuit of revenge). His wife wants him to reform his violent ways, his son is estranged, and his daughter does not know him. He attempts to keep his guns put away while ruthless men try to steal the farm of his wife, Norma. Joe is also wanted, and a bounty hunter named Scott (Kinski) lurks in the background, plotting and puffing a cigar.
This one has elements of Shane and Zane Grey’s Riders of the Purple Sage (one of my favorite classic western novels). It also has really good stunt work–a barroom brawl is brutal and frenetic. It has moments where it slows but ultimately I found it enjoyable.
Really catchy theme song, too! And having Christopher Lee playing a beach-side gunsmith is a treat, even if it seems like one of El Indio’s fever dreams. Makes me want to give it another watch.
If not obvious by now, I’m an absolute sucker for a buddy comedy, and this one nails it. A super fun watch.
Favorite Scene: …when Shoshena (Steffan’s character) gets razzed for that jacket.
Biggest Nitpick: …that it was only a movie and not a full series. Would come back to watch that duo again and again.
Full thoughts: Tequila / Uno, dos, tres … dispara otra vez (Tulio Demicheli, 1973) - #16 by Plem
A smattering of unique visuals connected by (intentionally?) discomforting character choices.
Favorite Scene: …probably the early shootout, with the wagon of hay.
Biggest Nitpick: Shango seriously just willingly hands his gun away?
Full thoughts: Shango / Shango, la pistola infallibile (Edoardo Mulargia, 1970) - #129 by Plem
This one had come highly recommended, so I had been saving it; and it surpassed even those expectations. My favorite so far, by far.
Favorite Scene: It’s gotta be when they finally come back around to the standoff the movie had opened with. Now, you fully care about the characters, and seeing the way it plays out is so rewarding.
Biggest Nitpick: I kind of wanted the earpieace henchman to have more screen time, but I might love that character design decision so much just because it’s on such a minor character.
Full thoughts: Compañeros / Vamos a matar, compañeros (Sergio Corbucci, 1970) - #353 by Plem
I’m so glad you loved Compañeros, it is one of my favorites as well! Morricone’s music is great, the leads have chemistry as frenemies. Lola is one of the strongest ladies in the genre, idealistic, educated, and tough. The earpiece guy is definitely memorable, as is Palance’s hand and Marsha.
As many times as I’ve seen it, I can never tell if Tomas is really getting tortured or just tickled mercilessly. It isn’t bloody if I recall correctly, but he sure screams!
Agreed. Considering the lack of blood or any further mention to it after, I like to read it as Palance’s character pulling a Thomas Jane as Punisher popsicle torture, and Milian’s character’s just young and naive enough for it to be way too effective.
Day 24: Django Story (aka. Down with Your Hands…You Scum; Ballad of Django; Reach, You Bastard) (1971) Directed by Demofilo Fidani (aka. Lucky Dickinson). Starring Jack Betts (aka. Hunt Powers), Gordon Mitchell, Dino Strano (aka. Dean Stratford), Gerardo Rossi (aka. Jerry Ross) and Benito Pacifico. A young Wild Bill Hickock (Ross) meets Django (Betts/Powers) at a hole in the wall saloon, and listens to stories from the legendary bounty hunter’s past.
The thing I love about Demofilo Fidani’s movies are that they’re so bargain basement and his cinematic style is so distinct that I can recognize one of his movies right off. It’s kind of the same with recognizing a Scorsese, Tarantino, DePalma, Anderson or a Refn movie. Fidani movies are fun to watch if no other reason than as a cinematic curiosity. However, I don’t put much stock in them. My favorite out of all Fidani’s is Dead Men Don’t Make Shadows.
The Django Story is basically a movie made with scenes from other Fidani movies edited together. The movie’s title song was even from another Fidani movie if my memory serves me. The action scenes were entertaining, albeit with a giggle factor from the laughably bad punch sound effects. I would recommend it only for Fidani completists. Rating: 1/5.
Based on the title and poster artwork, I thought this movie was one of Demofilo Fidani’s. It turns out that it was directed by Alfonso Balcazar. I don’t think I’ve seen A Noose Is Waiting for You or its prequel Clint the Stranger . You just gave me two movies I can add to my Spagvemberfest list this year! Thanks .
I gotta admit that I have a love/hate relationship with this SW. While the overall product is very good and has a fitting, if somber and ambiguous, ending, it’s the character of Kitosch that ruffles my feathers. I mean, I get the guy got a raw deal for being a playboy and shamelessly flirting with the ranch women, bullied and practically made a criminal in his own hometown, but I gotta wonder if that was really a solid justification, even in anger, to team up with a nut like Black Tracy.
George Hilton still gives a fine performance as Kitosch, who does finally wise up after quite a bit had already happened, but that he made things right and finally got the peace he so longed for helps redeem him.
Frank Wolff, Italian Cinema’s favorite American expat, is amazing as Joshua “Black” Tracy, the sadist gunman who suffers from epileptic fits. You get a funny feeling about this guy minute one, and he soon proves that gut feeling right on the money as he goes after people for the fun of it.
Eduardo Fajardo is really good in a different kind of role as Don Jaime Mendoza. While he begins as a kind of Caesar lording over his ranch, he ends up revealing a strong compassionate side no one sees coming, ready to suffer humiliation to protect his wife and employees.
A mixed bag SW that is still enjoyable for what it is.
Haven’t had time to go for a proper run at Spagvember, but was able to watch a handful so far:
Red Sun - I liked it more than most people. My favorite side of Bronson. 4/5
Ace High - Helluva performance from Eli Wallach. Drags at times, but fun. 4/5
The Ruthless Four - I love Treasure of the Sierra Madre, so this premise was up my alley. 4/5
Adios, Sabata - Flawed, but Brynner manages to do his best Van Cleef impression and the tone worked. 3/5
A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die - Felt a bit repetitive at times, but some nice character psychology in this one. 3.5/5
Deaf Smith and Johnny Ears - good buddy team up gimmick and top quality acting under mediocre directing. Would have loved to see this under Casterelli’s direction. 3/5
I really like these east meets west hybrids. This one ist rather simple but very entertaining with violence, blood and gore. Cool guest appearences by Klaus Kinski, Gordon Mitchell, etc.
Always wish that Florio had directed more. This is a great film and you can’t help but feel he had so much more in him. Testi’s best western and Fajardo and Calvo deliver exactly what you would expect from them. The score from Bruno Nicolai is also a good one. Worthy of a nice Bluray release for sure.
1 For A Few Dollars More (Sergio Leone) music Ennio Morricone 1965
1 Once Upon A Time In The West (Sergio Leone) music Ennio Morricone 1968
9/10
3 Dead Men Ride/At The End Of The Rainbow (Aldo Florio) music Bruno Nicolai 1971
4 Django Kill If You Live Shoot (Giulio Questo) music Ivan Vandor 1967
5 The Big Gundown (Sergio Sollima) music Ennio Morricone 1967
6 A Fistful Of Dollars (Sergio Leone) music Ennio Morricone 1964
7 The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (Sergio Leone) music Ennio Morricone 1966
. You just gave me two movies I can add to my Spagvemberfest list this year! Thanks 
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