Dive and Shoot = 0
Roll and Shoot = 1
Slow Eye Reveal = 2
“I think I better get my gun…I Guess I better shoot someone… Bang Bang Aye Yippy, Yippy Ay”
Yes, it’s the worst godawful abomination of a theme tune and it bores like an ear worm into your head so you can’t get the fucker out! It also, keeps fooling me into remembering Arizona Colt Returns is a comedy when it is anything but. True, the song is stupid and upbeat and sure Roberto Camardial’s Double Whisky character is played for laughs. And ok, Arizona has the occasional witty quip. But for the most part it’s crucifixions and torture and murder and a ludicrously high body count with evil sexy Rosalba Neri and evil brutish Aldo Sambrell and I don’t know why I keep forgetting that. Oh that’s right. I remember now…
“Bing Bang Bing Bong Bing Bang Bing Bong Bing Bang Giddy up aye ay…Bing Bang Bing Bong…aargghh”
It has all the cliches in the book (well, almost all), still it’s some spag, and it keeps getting better with every viewing. I have the Sinister Cinema version and The Best of Spaghetti Western In the Traditions of The Good. the Bad and the Ugly box version (the same?). I should like a better release for future viewing. Any English and/or Italian audio will do. Suggestions?
The theme song has grown on me, the rest is the usual reliable great score from Bruno Nicolai. The film is probably in my top 3 Steffen (viewed the Koch disc a few times), the action is well done.
[quote=“morgan, post:624, topic:3590”]
I should like a better release for future viewing. Any English and/or Italian audio will do. Suggestions?[/quote]
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2017 - THE KILLER CALIBRE 30: DAY 19
It’s my third and final trip to Sartanaland for this Spagvember with the Confucius-laden Have a Good Funeral, My Friend… Sartana Will Pay (Carnimeo, 1970), the underrated third entry in the franchise which plays out a little like an episode of Murder, She Wrote, if there was an episode where Angela Lansbury sported a handsome blonde soup-strainer and shot half-a-dozen people every ten minutes. Gianni Garlogie really perfected the Sartana “look” in this one, I feel.
My late-night spag will be men-on-a-mission flick A Reason to Live, A Reason to Die (Valerii, 1972), featuring rare spag outings for James Coburn and Telly Savalas. Takes a while to get going but once it does it’s a hoot.
What would Spaghvember be without at least one Gemma movie? I chose this one because it’s the one from the ‘Ferroni trilogy’ that I’m the least familiar with. I know it’s about Gemma and a gang of cattle rustlers but I keep forgetting large parts of the movie and the plot. There are Mexicans, Indians, beautiful women, a grandfather and his grandchild, but what are they all doing in the movie? I guess that’s one of the problems with these episodic movies that send the hero first this way, then that way, in search of more trouble. Wanted has a running-time of 100 mns approx, but due to this episodic structure it feels longer. But that’s not really a problem, it’s always good to be in the Italian West in the company of Giuliano Gemma and there’s enough action for three movies. In the end the biggest problem might be this theme song, wanted, wanTED, WANTED, that will find its way to your ears and worm around for days …
Dive and Shoot = 2
Roll and Shoot = 3
Slow Eye Reveal = 0
Another film that can’t make up it’s mind whether it is Arthur or Martha it’s opening with the bloody car and ragtime music takes a lot of forgiving from me before it is redeemed. It does get a lot better as it goes along but then has the odd moment of silliness every now and again. Plenty of roll and shoots and these are pretty evenly distributed between the Steff and PLL (much like in Garringo) but although I found myself enjoying large chunks the overall feelings are not overly positive for this one.
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2017 - THE KILLER CALIBRE 30: DAY 20
Going for The Little Western That Wasn’t tonight, with the Franco Nero Spaniard-em-up Man, Pride and Vengeance (Bazzoni, 1967), probably the pick from my Spagvember choices with which I’m least familiar having seen it only once before, I think. I’m sure I quite liked it, though.
Dive and Shoot = 3
Roll and Shoot = 1
Slow Eye Reveal = 0
“I’ve got an appointment with a guy named Shakespeare.”
Those of you who have been around here for a while will remember that on the old platform for this forum I used to use that tag line and a shot of the Steff dragged up like King Lear as my avatar. Both were taken from Apocalypse Joe so no surprises that I think of this film fondly if critically. There’s lots wrong with it but the things which are right are so memorable and funny that I can’t help but like it and, in re-reading my old review, it would appear I keep liking it more and more with each viewing. Still not my favourite Steff but very enjoyable. The loose plank and bundle of logs scene alone is enough to make it worth seeing let alone Steff in a dress.
For some strange reason it seems I never got round to adding my old review to the DB. I must sort that out soon. Anyhow, if you’re interested you can still read it on my old, now inactive blogspot site here: Son of Django's Spaghetti Western Reviews: Apocalypse Joe
I keep meaning to reboot my review writing. Maybe one day.
18. Requiem for a Bounty Killer 19. Requiem for a Bounty Killer (Vingança Assassina) 20. Lo ammazzò come un cane… ma lui rideva ancora
That’s right, three versions of the same film.
The first the Greek VHS with English audio Greek subs, runs for 73 min 58 sec. The second is the same, only with Portuguese subs. The third with Italian audio runs for 74 minutes 12 seconds. Not the same as the English, 11 cuts, 210 seconds in all, 2 additional scenes, 190 seconds. So the two versions together run for 77 minutes 8 seconds, which corresponds to 80 min 26 sec (on my PAL speedup calculator). Compared to the original 1972 release, only 3 min are not accounted for.
The chances for so far unrevealed developments of the pink oboe scene seem dwindling. Or maybe not?
*18. Puccini: Fury of Johnny Kid
-I didn’t remember much about this film apart from the famous ending. Great spaghetti western with weird twists and characters, like the gunslinger with hooked arm and the strange bond between Martell and Lulli. Ha, there’s even a man in a dress in the stagecoach scene. Good one. 7/10
Not that exiting this one. But good feel to it, and Cristina Penz from Pray to God and Dig Your Grave, not to forget, and perhaps one of the slowest dismounting since Shane?
*19. Palli: The Price of Death
-I don’t really know what to think about this film. There’s good lead actors with Garko and Kinski but the film itself has this really cheap look. Some scenes are quite good and then there’s these totally silly moments. 6/10
Into the final third of Spagvember already, and I’m hitting up some Native Reynolds action with Navajo Joe (Corbucci, 1966) , a heap-big decent movie with an absolutely cracking Morricone score, one of his very best imo.
I have not seen this before and thought I was in for some rounds with Robert Woods at the poker table. But no such thing. Will probably give it another viewing to see where I missed out on the clues. But honestly, since when did a straight beat a full house?
I went with Bury them Deep today (will be a German review of the new Koch BluRay). My disappointment was rather big. It’s a mediocre movie, boring, with hamfisted directing that a few good moments and a decent script can’t really save.
SPAGVEMBERFEST 2017 - THE KILLER CALIBRE 30: DAY 22
Yes! It’s that time of year when I can raid the wife’s make-up bag for black mascara and eyeliner with a halfway feasible excuse for doing so: Tonight, I need it in preparation for 10,000 Dollars For a Massacre (Guerrieri, 1967) so I can watch the picture whilst looking like Claudio Camaso, caked as he is in more slap than a Bangkok chick-boy. Excellent film though, one I can see moving up my personal top 20 following this viewing.
