It is Yugoslavia, well ex-Yugoslavia. Otherwise we couldn’ disagree more. The film is in my Top 20, or just bubbling under:
https://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Pistoleros_review
Yesterday: “sotto-Django” number six, released January 27, 1968 (censura: 1968-01-25), Preparati la bara!, Terence Hill and his machine gun out of a coffin; followed by Sergio Garrone’s Django il bastardo (1969), Anthony Steffen returning from the dead, his second Django-role (my friend Compañero W. has his own thoughts about it). Today: Django sfida Sartana (1970), directed by Pasquale Squitieri and starring Tony Kendall, SpagvemberFest’s second film I haven’t watched before. The devil is my fly, my lord and lady.
Life got in the way yesterday, but I got back on track today. Decided against watching Death Rides a Horse (I already have seen it) and decided on something I haven’t seen before.
The five man army was really enjoyable, and I couldn’t get enough of Morricone’s “Muerte donde vas?” I had found the music awhile before seeing this film and I absolutely loved it. Nice to see that the film lived up to the music.
Yeah, as we move into the final third of SpagvemberFest I’m looking at the movies I’ve earmarked for the coming days and a few of them I have to say aren’t filling me with enthusiasm, so I might draft in a couple of late substitutions from my “Haven’t Seen Them Yet” pile, among which sits The Five Man Army, along with Death Played the Flute (Pannaccio, 1972), Sonny & Jed (Corbucci, 1972), Hate is My God (Giordana, 1969), A Bullet For Sandoval (Buchs, 1969) and one or two others.
Spagvemberfest 2016 Number 20
I’m trying to make sure I cover any of the Alternative Top 20 which I didn’t include in last year’s November madness so last night was Navajo Joe. A film starring Burt Reynolds but stolen by his wig and, more effectively still by Aldo Sambrell in his finest and probably most prominent role. The whole family joined me on this one last night and nobody left the room in favour of a laptop, social media or anything else so I’m taking that as a general thumbs up. It is a still very watchable film I think without troubling my top 20.
What is great, Phil, is that your whole family joined you in watching this…
As a Spaghetti afficienado, we can sometimes feel as if we are in a ‘world of our own’…
…it must have been a great experience…
‘Navajo Joe’, one of my favourites, with a main theme that would blow Granny out of her chair…'AHHHHHHHHH…!!!
Toscano.
Neapolitan director Pasquale Squitieri made two Westerns, Django sfida Sartana in 1970 and a year later La vendetta è un piatto che si serve freddo, the better one of the two. Django Defies Sartana doesn’t defy description … but I guess I’m a little exhausted. I’ve just looked at my list of films scheduled for the remainder of SpagvemberFest: among them are three directed by maestro Fidani and one by total dud Luigi Batzella. Abandon all hope, ye who et cetera.
Anyway, Django sfida Sartana might be of special interest for equestrianism devotees: it features a lot of riding around, out of town, into town and through green, green meadows (more of this soon on Planet Demofilo). Tony Kendall (Luciano Stella) rides as Django, Giorgio Ardisson as Sartana. The film’s most absurd scene occurs at the end when villainess María (assumingly) gets trampled to death in a barn by horses. María falls to the ground, starts screaming and yelling, rolling around hysterically. The horses, well, they do nothing, they continue nibbling their hay and oats.
Terror in the stable: Tania Alvarado and Adler Gray ham it up. Somebody should’ve informed the horsies that they are the terror.
Tomorrow: Hunt Powers (Jack Betts) as Django in Quel maledetto giorno di novembre … Django e Sartana all’ultimo sangue, directed by Demofilo Fidani.
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2016 - A FISTFUL OF REAPPRAISALS: DAY 21
Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Let’s have a snowy one! Today, I’m going with Taste of Death (Merolle, 1968), in which a gang of killers hide out for the Winter in a small village where they are challenged by a man who’s father the gang had killed many years earlier… or had they? I’ve only seen this once, I remember really liking it but it’s slid down my preferred list of spags ever since so hopefully this viewing will stick it up where it belongs.
I’m getting a bit behind my schedule, let’s see if I can make it to 30.
no 18. De Martino: Django Shoots First (1966)
-This one should be called Ringo Shoots First instead of Django. Glenn Saxson’s character doesn’t resemble Django at all but is similar to Gemma’s Ringo. Light and comedic film with good roles by Sancho, Galli and Lupo and there’s even a surprise appearance by Eastman. 6/10
Dove non batte il sole?
Spagvember fest 2016
Working late then out to the football tonight so had a double header yesterday which started with Number 21, Shoot the Living and Pray for the Dead.
Love the slow burn of this one. Could well be a top 20 Spag for me except it loses its way abit in the second half once they go on their trek through the sandpit.
Any way this was quickly followed by Number 22, Mannaja.
A film which I seem to enjoy more as the years go by. Always think of Merli in cop films of course but he does a decent enough job in this. A pity his popularity came at a time when the western was pretty much dead in Italy.
Bloody good double bill by the way. I’d recommend it as a combination.
Great performance from Kinski…; and, as Phil said, the film has a ‘slow burn’…but - is it too slow?
I watched this a wee while ago, and was generally impressed…but the pace is ‘sloth-like’, and the opening music, and lyrics, have always grated on my nerves…
I’m not sure what could have replaced the main theme; but a woman yapping on about a ‘Pony’ doesn’t pull my bell-rope!
no 20. Mauri: Django… Adios! (1972)
-Film famous for it’s cool poster while the film doesn’t even have a scene like that. Patchwork film recycling material from other Brad Harris films. 2/10
Man oh man, Bill. You are making life difficult for yourself. I’m personally really enjoying this Spagvemberfest but if I had to sit through any Mauri at all during the month I would probably quit.
Yeah, I wonder why I chose that one.
“Sotto-Django” 9 from Outer Space: Unspeakable Pleasures from Planet Demofilo Paralyze the Living and Resurrect the Dead! – Released on June 25, 1970, Quel maledetto giorno d’inverno … Django e Sartana … all’ultimo sangue was Demofilo Fidani’s first foray into the Django mythology. Django (Hunt Powers [Jack Betts]) and Sheriff Ronson/Sartana (Fabio Testi) reluctantly join forces against two villains who terrorize Black City. Being rather predictable and slow-paced, so to say, Quel maledetto giorno di novembre … allows for contemplative, meandering thoughts, not necessarily concerning the film itself but rather the futility of all existence. Watching trees decompose. Or so. – Domani: Arrivano Django e Sartana … è la fine.
Two Fidani’s in a row? I’d like to watch one from time … to … (a lot of) … time, but two in a row? You are a brave man
Didn’t manage yesterday’s movie and, given that the intended film was the wholly uninspiring Texas, Adios (Baldi, 1966), I’m not going to try to catch it back up. So I’m admitting defeat for yesterday and starting afresh today. I’m sure I’ll go back to it at some stage in the future.
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2016 - A FISTFUL OF REAPPRAISALS: DAY 23
Today I’m going with the always-strange (to me, at least) Four of the Apocalypse (Fulci, 1975) featuring an anachronistic, Charles Manson-like Tomas Milian in an excellent but all-too-brief role as Chaco, the vicious bandit shadowing four misfit travellers led by an impressive Fabio Testi. I really disliked this movie when I first saw it; I don’t know what I was expecting/hoping from it, but it wasn’t that, I don’t think. Still, it compelled me to watch it again which compelled me to watch it yet again and, each time, I’ve liked it a little more. Will it force its way into my Spag top 50 on this viewing? It may well do.
