Starblack (Giovanni Grimaldi, 1966)

Database page: Starblack - The Spaghetti Western Database

A Zorro type masked vigilant solves every problem in the world. Returning home he finds and kills the murderer of his father.
Forthcoming possible relation problems with his love interest he gets early enough out of the way by riding into the sunset (with his friend and his horse).

Starblack is a rather old fashioned adventure yarn, which could also had been filmed 10 years earlier. Only the SW typical violence points at 1966, the year of its release.

The simplicity of the film is remarkable and in odds with several of the violent outbursts in the action scenes.
But I have to admit that Giovanni’s directing is often done with a refreshing verve, which makes the film in defiance of the general naivety in parts entertaining.

4/10

I agree.

I am not sure if the mask Robert Woods wears is more creepy or goofy.
And he wrote and sings the title song!
Hope he got paid extra.

On the other hand, after hearing the song, maybe not…

I keep seeing the soundtrack to this but i’ve never seen the film.

Funny scene where Woods breaks into song :smiley: !

One of Woods’ better movies (I think it was his first SW !? At least he looks very young in this one) but still far from Pecos, Black Jack or El Puro. The story isn’t very original and you know from the start who’s Starblack and who’s the real villain.

4.5/10

Woods appeared in Spags since 1964.

Starblack was his 5th SW.

Does Woods sing a song in this one ?

[quote=“Romaine Fielding, post:2, topic:1403”]…he wrote and sings the title song!
Hope he got paid extra.

On the other hand, after hearing the song, maybe not…[/quote]

He sure does ! :smiley:

Thanks ;). Missed that post.

The plot of the film is laughable, like Bluntwolf said you can guess from the first minute who’s Starblack, who’s the villain and what’s the part of the deaf-mute.

But the film is really entertaining anyway, I especially liked the shoot out in the end which was very well made.

btw, check out the villain with 8 shots in his 6-shooter in the end.

6/10

1 Like

I feel especially obliged to add my two cents about this one!

It’s been years since I’ve seen it but I remember it as a surprisingly quaint vigilante/revenge film, with, as others have mentioned, some grisly violence to make it more palatable to a mid-Sixties audience.

My favourite moment is when Woods’ character digs up his late father’s skull -which has a huge bullet hole in the cranium - to disprove the official verdict of accidental death by horse fall. Then again, you’d fall off your horse if somebody shot you in the head.

[quote=“Starblack, post:10, topic:1403”]My favourite moment is when Woods’ character digs up his late father’s skull -which has a huge bullet hole in the cranium[/quote]hmm, i think this scene was cut from the version I saw.

To offer people something completely different, there’s a review available on the oddest of all spaghettis:

http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Starblack_Review

I have not seen this one but that’s a great review Sherp.

I liked this one. Like the song too.

Scherp does a great job of summing up this peculiar film. I am similarly receptive to its charms, even though it’s so divided against itself, it threatens to sunder at any moment (or perhaps that’s why I like it…).

If I’m not mistaken (something that happens a lot), it was on the set of this film that Woods first met Elga Andersen, who became his girlfriend. I’d have to check my old interview notes to confirm it.

He surely does.

The same here
Great review of an unusually western

Here’s the cover of the old german cine film ( Super 8 )
It’s nearly similar to the cinema poster,but the title is different.
What a surprise,it’s a …

[url]http://img23.imageshack.us/i/starblack.jpg/[/url]

Really good movie thanks to great direction, don’t think it would have been as good with another director… as the story isnt that strong

Does this one bare even a tincy bit of similarity to Wanted Johnny Texas? I ask since Starblack has been compared to old serials and I thought Wanted JT was like a serial too. A Spaghetti serial.