The Deserter / La spina dorsale del diavolo (Burt Kennedy, 1970)

Have so many different copies of this film: vhs, fandub etc, but not bothered to watch it yet, must make an effort.

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You definitely should. I was the same…I’ve had the Mill Creek dvd of it for over 5 years now and I meant to watch it long before I bought that. When it finished I was thinking ā€œwhy did I wait all those years to finally watch it?ā€ :joy:

Had a look online and the location north of Malaga is El Torcal de Antequera. If the rest of the family are game we’ll take a look round :blush:I’ll add some photos I take to the ones of Almeria I uploaded if anyone’s interested?

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Always interested in SW location pics - thank you in advance :wink:

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No worries :wink:

Please do, Bill. Any location photos are always very welcome. :cowboy_hat_face:

From my online research, this Malaga location looks like a tourist spot so may be a good place for the family to visit.

I’m pretty sure they’re all game :+1:

Just been to a tourist office in Torremolinos. Should be able to get an excursion up to El Torcal de Antequerra :crossed_fingers:

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Can’t get an excursion sadly…Going to get a taxi there and back instead. It’s probably going to cost a fortune but sod it :rofl:

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In Scherpschutter’s review of this film, he mentioned that viewed a Widescreen copy of this film. Does anyone know where I could find a good widescreen copy of ā€œThe Deserterā€?

I have the Australian DVD but I’ve never actually watched it entirely (I just put it in to see how it looked) so I can’t remember if it’s widescreen or not. It may have been that he was referring to because I think it’s the only proper release the film has had. I bought mine off of eBay a couple of years ago.

Edit: Just checked and he said he watched that version online. To my knowledge there’s no way of getting that on DVD. I bought a bootleg hoping it’d be different but it was the same as my DVD if I recall correctly.

Yeah I have yet to find a Widescreen version which is disappointing!

The widescreen copies that have turned up are from TV and are in a varying degrees of not great quality.

The Spanish TV rip, which is, or was on Youtube, had been redubbed with the English audio and shared on some torrent trackers - There was a German version, which was slightly better PQ but cropped to 16.9 and still VHS-ish looking - Youtube had another TV version from South America, Brazil I think, again, a slight improvement over the former rips floating about.

It was a Paramount release in 1970/71, so what’s keeping the custodians of the film back, when we all want to see a nice copy.

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I’d love to see this get a Blu Ray release…Dead Men Ride, A Taste of Death and Red Coat too but it could take ages to happen if it happens at all.

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I’d like to think it will turn up … eventually. ā€œPositive waves, Moriartyā€

:wink:

I waited years, possibly even decades for a good release of, ā€˜Guns for San Sebastian’ (1968) … it being a childhood favorite, from many TV broadcasts in the 1970s and early 80s … I picked up a widescreen (non anamorphic) DVD in Spain which was transferred in ā€˜Fuzzavision’ , but better than nothing … there was also a TCM version about, but it too was low resolution.

By the time the Warner Archive release of this MGM picture was released on Blu Ray, the PQ was almost too good … in other words, maybe this ā€˜Hoy Grail’ want, had lost some of it’s mystique when it became readily available.

But it’s good to have new titles to look forward to, otherwise we might all become a bit blasĆ©. Anyway, fingers crossed it turns up in my lifetime ! LOL :wink:

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I’d rather just have good releases myself :joy:

I said a while ago I’d love it if Arrow did a ā€œForgotten Westernā€ box set and I stand by it. We’ve had El Puro since then and we’re getting A Taste of Violence and I’m definitely not complaining about that, but to see them release this and the other three I mentioned would be awesome though I’m still not holding my breath (with this one especially because I’d imagine they’d have a harder time getting the rights to it).

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Don’t know if it’s more or less difficult … more expensive perhaps when an interest is shown by Arrow or similar.

I think it’s just one of many forgotten movies in all genres, from this period, that no one in a position of authority even knows about.

It’s also a Dino de Laurentiis production, so no doubt his heirs and estate will want their cut too.

PS: Didn’t know about ā€˜A Taste of Violence’ … that’s the Craig Hill movie? That’s a good one … Hope it’s not accompanied by 3 dogs as in the past.

:wink:

It’s quite sad really.

Wasn’t aware of that but that could make it harder. I’d like to think not though.

No the Hossein film from ā€˜61. Sorry it’s THE Taste of Violence.

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