That’s what I call team work! ;D
I’ll have one up for Enzo Castellari in a short while. Be right back.
Enzo G. Castellari
July 29, 1938 (Rome, Italy)- Though his name may not be as synonymous with the Western genre as Sergio Leone’s, Enzo Castellari made 10 Spaghetti Westerns. Many of which are highley respected for their well staged action, swift pacing, and highly stylized nature. He started in the Western genre with the Steffen vehicle Some Dollars For Django (1966). He was the sole director but his debut is credited to Leon Klimovsky. Numerous Spaghetti Westerns hold Klimovsky’s name but do not hold his direction. Castellari went on to make the famed Johnny Hamlet (1968); an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Perhaps the one Spaghetti that holds the most typical example of Castellari’s action skills is Kill Them All and Come Back Alone (1968). A non stop action fest disliked by some but enjoyed by some as well. Perhaps his most respected and important genre entry was the post classic “Twilight” Spaghetti Western, Keoma (1976). Both the director and the film’s star, Franco Nero, claim it as their favorite of all their works. The majority of the spaghetti Western community consider it worthy of it’s top 20 position in our database. Many more Twilights were produced in it’s wake and briefly repopularized the genre with Leonard Cohen esque folk songs, dark and damp locales, and extreme yet highly stylish violence. Castellari recently came to public attention with Quentin Tarantino’s Spaghetti-esque remake of Enzo’s Macaroni combat classic, Inglourious Basterds. Castellari intends to continue in the Basterd trend with his upcoming Caribbean Basterds.
Ok, I added it.
Great bio Korano. I wouldn’t have been able to come up with so much detail myself. This seems like a good setup, with you writing the bios and me editing! Saves me the time of having to both write and edit my own bios.
I’ve edit the bio to cut down the wordage and added it to the page.
One of the most prominent genre film directors to come out of Italy, Enzo Castellari directed 10 Spaghetti Westerns, 8 of which he co-wrote. His westerns are noted for their well staged action, swift pacing, symbolic imagery, and highly stylized nature. Any Gun Can Play (1967) became a big hit at the Italian box-office. Castellari went on to film a western adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in Johnny Hamlet (1968). Perhaps his most important genre entry was the dark and atmospheric “Twilight” Spaghetti Western, Keoma (1976), a personal favorite of both the director and the film’s star, Franco Nero. Nero and Castellari are good friends and have collaborated on 7 features together. Their last western together was Jonathan of the Bears (1993). Castellari made many action-oriented exploitation films like Bronx Warriors 2 (1983), and Euro-crime classics such as The Big Racket (1976), and Street Law (1974). His best known work is the World War II actioner, The Inglorious Bastards (1978). Still active as a director, Castellari recently again came to public attention with Quentin Tarantino’s Spaghetti-esque remake of his classic, Inglourious Basterds (2009).
I have finally created links to all the films mentioned in the bio’s.
I’ve added the Giuliano Carnimeo bio.
Today I’ll try and get the 2 biggun’s out of the way: Sergio’s Corbucci and Leone and possibly Baldi.
Sergio Leone
January 3, 1929(Rome, Italy) - April 30, 1989 Without a doubt, the most famous of all Spaghetti Western directors as well as (questionably) the most talented. Sergio Leone is credited for creating the film that gave birth to our beloved genre. Though numerous Italian directors made Westerns before him (Mario Caiano most notably), it was he who created the genre’s extremely stylized nature and distinctive features with his Western debut, the famed A Fistful of Dollars (1964) which he co-wrote. It was the film, and it’s continuations that launched known and respected actor, Clint Eastwood, to international super-stardom. He continued in the Western genre with a sequel to Fistful, the aptly titled For a Few Dollars More (1965). This film proved to be an even greater success at the box office than it’s predecessor. Leone ended his working relationship with Eastwood in what some call either the greatest Western of all time and among the best films of all time, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966). Leone begrudgingly continued in the Western genre with the equally known and respected Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). This film further demonstrates Leone’s fascination with pacing, violence, and beauty, but was a failure both critically and commercially in the US (though a success both critically and commercially in Europe). Leone’s final western and penultimate film was the infamous Duck, You Sucker (1971). A film that divides fans and critics but was also a financial failure in the US. After co-directing and producing two Comedy Westerns, My Name is Nobody (1973) and Genius Two Partners and a Dupe (1975), Leone finally made his long awaited Gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in the America (1984). But the film was butchered in it’s American version (where it’s success mostly depended on) and was a failure with critics and commercially.
Nice, I’ll try to edit this later or tommorow and put it on the page.
From the look of your bio, korano, every film Leone made after 1968 was a failure in the USA!
Edited and on the page.
Sergio Leone
January 3, 1929 (Rome, Italy) - April 30, 1989 (Rome) Without a doubt, the most famous of all Spaghetti Western directors and perhaps, westerns in general. Though Italian directors had made westerns before, they were little more than imitations of their Hollywood counterparts. It was Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), a western remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo (1962) that gave birth to the genre and bestowed immeasurable influence on future filmmakers and pop culture. It propelled Clint Eastwood to international stardom. It’s sequel, the aptly titled For a Few Dollars More (1965), an even greater success, catapulted Lee Van Cleef to stardom as well. Leone then made arguably the 2 greatest Westerns of all time, The Good the Bad, and the Ugly (1966), his civil war themed final installment of the “Dollars Trilogy”, and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), a film that turned traditional western conventions on their head. Leone’s final western was the Zapata classic Duck, You Sucker (1971). After co-directing, co-writing and producing two comedy westerns, My Name is Nobody (1973) and A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (1975), Leone said goodbye to the western and made his long awaited Gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in the America (1984). Like Once Upon a Time, the film was initially butchered by American censors (and critics) but in recent years, has rightly gained acclaim as an undeniable masterpiece.
Well, frankly…they were.
None of Leone’s films after THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY made very much money here.
And a lot of the American critics didn’t like Leone’s films back in the time of their initial release.
Most American critics couldn’t be bothered with Leone until the past 20 years, or so.
I love to tell the story of how when THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY came out in the States, the American film critic Gene Shalit said it was one of the worst films ever made and only good for sadists or masochists!
Then, about 15 years later, he called it a cinema classic!
That is why I never pay much attention to what film critics, or even film scholars, have to say about any particular film. And why I rarely care if the film made money, or not.
All of that stuff is entirely subjective.
[quote=“Chris_Casey, post:332, topic:2068”]I never pay much attention to what film critics, or even film scholars, have to say about any particular film.[/quote]Same here, i judge a film by my own viewing of it.
i.e. Leonard (I look like John Landis) Maltin trashes most of the stuff i like.
[quote=“Yodlaf Peterson, post:333, topic:2068”]Same here, i judge a film by my own viewing of it.
i.e. Leonard (I look like John Landis) Maltin trashes most of the stuff i like.[/quote]
Ha ha!
Right on, brother!
Maltin is a funny guy, though. He will say one thing about a film (in print and or on a filmed review) and then turn right around and say another about it in person.
He loves Leone, by the way. Met him three times in California (once at the Autry Museum during the Leone exhibit, and two times at the Golden Boot Awards).
He will trash a Spaghetti Western in a review and then tell you he “highly enjoyed it” in a conversation (I am speaking in particular about DEATH RIDES A HORSE here).
Funny guy that Maltin (who does, indeed, look like John Landis!).
You know, I have a theory that a lot of film critics tend to say whatever they think will be bring them the most money…and not really what they truly think, or feel, about a particular film.
[quote=“Chris_Casey, post:334, topic:2068”]You know, I have a theory that a lot of film critics tend to say whatever they think will be bring them the most money…and not really what they truly think, or feel, about a particular film.[/quote]I’m with you there, i also feel that critics force themselves to like certain films, “arthouse” films for instance, i feel that they are too scared to come out and tell the truth that most of them are boring, pretentious, director is up his own arse (and probably others arses too!) pieces of shit… but “they” have to be seen to like them.
I think Maltin is slightly more accepting of Italian cult cinema than Ebert is, but only slightly.
Than again, if SW’s were loved by the critics, I probably wouldn’t like them as much. Its the stigma and guilty pleasure of viewing these films that makes them what they are and is part of the reasons why I like it.
I think Danny Peary (who himself isn’t immune to talking nonsense on occasion) says it best here:
"…out of the thousands of movies that have been made, “only an extremely small number have elicited a fiery passion in moviegoers that exists long after their initial releases.” Cult movies are defined by Peary as “special films which for one reason or another have been taken to heart by segments of the movie audience, cherished, protected, and most of all, enthusiastically championed.” He explains that “the typical Hollywood product” never attains cult status since all viewers perceive these average films in more or less the same way, with no real disagreement as to the film’s quality. But cult films “are born in controversy, in arguments over quality, theme, talent and other matters. Cultists believe they are among the blessed few who have discovered something in particular that the average moviegoer and critic have missed – the something that makes the pictures extraordinary.”
Gianfranco Parolini aka Frank Kramer
February 20, 1930 (Rome, Italy)-
Known as the man who brought “James Bond” to the Spaghetti west, Parolini, under his pseudonym of Frank Kramer, directed and co-wrote the two original westerns to feature the popular “Sartana”, and “Sabata” characters. He first hit the big-time with If You Meet Sartana, Pray for Your Death (1968), featuring a Bond-like protagonist portrayed by Gianni Garko. Like Bond, the “Sartana” character was a charming, well dressed, gambling gunfighter with an array of gadgetry. Not directing any of the sequels, Parolini instead made another western featuring a similar character in Sabata (1969), with Lee Van Cleef playing the title role. The film was an international commercial success, featuring over-the-top action and characters. Parolini went on to direct 2 follow ups including Adios Sabata (1971), starring Yul Brynner in a film originally titled “Indio Black”. Like “Django”, both “Sartana” and “Sabata” were popular enough to have spawned numerous unofficial sequels. He directed another Van Cleef western, God’s Gun in 1976. Apart from the 7 westerns that he made, Parolini also directed the WWII actioner Five for Hell (1969), as well as 5 of the Kommissar X series of Euro-spy films.
Duccio Tessari
October 11, 1926 (Genoa, Italy)- September 6, 1994 (Rome, Italy)
Tessari’s two “Ringo” films competed with Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” for Italian box-office supremacy, cementing him as arguably the second highest grossing Spaghetti Western director during the early days of the genre. Duccio directed and co-wrote A Pistol for Ringo (1964), which turned leading man Giuliano Gemma into an overnight sensation. Using largely the same cast and crew, Tessari followed up with Return of Ringo (1965), a western with an Odyssean plot which was also hugely successful, although one can hardly consider this a sequel as the plot is unrelated to that of the first. The two classic films followed a markedly different formula from that of Leone’s westerns and proved that Leone wasn’t the only Spaghetti Western director capable of creating box-office gold during the genre’s formative years. Tessari’s contributions to the genre didn’t end there however, as he went on to direct 4 other westerns including Don’t Turn the other Cheek (1971) and Zorro (1975), as well as sharing writing credits on 2 other westerns. Outside of the genre his best known directorial work are Euro-crime film Tony Arzenta (1973), and gialli The Bloodstained Butterfly (1972) and Puzzle (1974).
Sergio Corbucci
December 6, 1926 (Rome, Italy)- December 1, 1990 (Rome, Italy) Behind Leone, Corbucci is one of the most important and respected directors of Italian Westerns. He, like many others, started in Peplum. It was while filming a Peplum in Spain with Sergio Leone that the idea of the Spaghetti Western was born with both directors commenting on how the rough Spanish desert of Almeria would be a great locale for an Italian made Western. Corbucci beat Leone to the punch with Massacre at Grand Canyon (1964). But his film failed to match the impact of Leone’s Western debut. Corbucci went on to make Minnesota Clay (1965) with Cameron Mitchell. He also made the equally un-important Johnny Oro with Mark Damon. It was with the dark, atmospheric, and stunningly violent Django (1966) that Corbucci hit his stride and began to a name for himself and the genre while making Franco Nero a big box office name even to this day. He continued the success of Django with Navajo Joe (1966) starring Burt Reynolds. Corbucci’s next big success came with Mexican Revolution set The Mercenary (1968) starring Nero again teamed with Italian American actor, Tony Musante. He then made what many fans call one of the best and most important Spaghettis ever, The Great Silence (1968). With it’s snow caped locations and grisly violence, Silence further advanced the genre away from normality. Corbucci ended his “Mud and Blood Trilogy” with the controversial The Sepcialist (1969) starring French musician Johnny Halliday. After making Companeros (1970) with Nero again and Tomas Milian, his Westerns began a debatable decline. Directing only 3 more Westerns (Sonny and Jed 1972, What Am I Doing in the Middle of the Revolution 1973, and The White, the yellow and the Black 1975). None of which were as impactful as his earlier work. However, all bare Corbucci’s trademark comic strip editorial style and his knack for action. After finishing his career in Comedies, Corbucci died in Rome at 64 after reconciling with his former friend and actor, Franco Nero.
@Col.
I think Pistol for Ringo was made in 1965
[quote=“korano, post:339, topic:2068”]@Col.
I think Pistol for Ringo was made in 1965[/quote]
This is true. It and THE RETURN OF RINGO were shot within just a couple of months of each other and released the same year.
Also, if I may suggest…when mentioning Johnny Hallyday it would be best to call him a “pop star” or “pop singer”. I know a lot of musicians that don’t consider Hallyday one of them. 
And we should be careful not to use derrogatory, value-judgement statements like “un-important” when describing a director’s films.
We should be simply stating facts in relation to a director’s career, not reviewing their work. It is perfectly fine to say a film was a success or failure, financially speaking, as that is statement of fact. Judgmental comments are statement of opinion and shouldn’t have a place in these sort of entries.
Besides that, though some of these films might not have been very successful, they did have some importance in building Corbucci’s career—and there are people who are actually FANS of those films…such as me, for example! And you don’t want to alienate fans that are visiting our site by calling what may well be their favorite films “unimportant” or the like.
Just some suggestions from an old, unimportant, geezer!
;D