I watched Johnny Oro last night and Mark Damon did not disappoint. Some elements of this film were more like an American western (the squeaky clean town sheriff following his ‘principles’ and alongside him a wife and son). Also the prevalence of Native American characters was more like an American western. But, the music was all spaghetti as was the character of Johnny Oro (or Ringo as he’s called in the English dub). He reminded me slightly of Hud from The Specialist (which was also directed by Corbucci) although we don’t get any nudity or French kissing :P. The Italian trailer for this film was quite good and made good use of the big explosions and gunslinging from the movie. I give it 3.5/5.
A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe
Nothing special. Something was definitely missing. As a comedy it was not really funny and the opening Leone’s scene was better than the rest of the movie. I’d say it was passable
[quote=“alk0, post:8962, topic:141”]A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe
Nothing special. Something was definitely missing. As a comedy it was not really funny and the opening Leone’s scene was better than the rest of the movie. I’d say it was passable[/quote]
from all spaghies i´ve seen, this one is last on my spaghy chart
from time to time i decide to do a rewatch but always turn it off after 30 min
it´s like Nobody´s evil twin
[quote=“tomas, post:8963, topic:141”]from all spaghies i´ve seen, this one is last on my spaghy chart
from time to time i decide to do a rewatch but always turn it off after 30 min
it´s like Nobody´s evil twin[/quote]
I was in a mood for a SW, so it fullfiled my needs rather well. But I can recognize it for what it is - a mess. Could have been so much better if it would be the movie Leone envisioned in the first place
Death of a Gunfighter Original with nimble storytelling, the film wasnt entirely directed by Don Siegel, however it breathes the quality of a Siegel film, Richard Widmark again proves any film he’s in is worth watching…
Bianchini: Gatling Gun[url]http://www.spaghetti-western.net/index.php/Quel_caldo_maledetto_giorno_di_fuoco[/url]
yesterday i watched And God Said to Cain
well known spaghetti
i was surprised that this revenge “battle” in the night gothic town began after 30 minutes
and lasted until the end of the spectacle - unusual and refreshing
best thing about this night battle is atmosphere - Klaus Kinski is gunning down thirty henchmen of Acombar one by one -
and it all take place in a dark streets and nooks with swirling straw everywhere (you know, tornado came to town alongside with Kinski)
anyways, we have inspired scenes but also some very strangely made scenes -
for example, scene with Kinski, Indian killer and dripping water in the cave is well invented (around 35:50 min)
not so clear to me was scene where some Acombar´s henchmen are questing the town and suddenly some large blanket
bumps into them (that damn tornado) and their dear fella who was just maybe four meters in front of them, starts to shoot in these guys.(around 51:50)
Now, i started to think, why the hell he began to shoot into his comrades? It was just blanket.
Maybe he was just terrified by tense atmosphere (i was not), but to me it looked very stupid.
But, inspired scenes are more often in this flick than opposite - another one is when Acombar´s men are emerging in the streets
prepared to hunt down Kinski (with very fine music) (around 27:25)
so, enjoyable spaghetti with not everything in the right place, but…all in all, a good one
The Wild Bunch (1969) Sam Peckinpah
I always liked most of Peckinpah films he was a different director, but not just different for being different his dissimilarity had substance.
The Wild Bunch is one of his best works, it belongs to cinema’s big films, it’s a mythical work for me at least. Mostly remembered for its last scenes, true the big shootout with the machine gun stands out from the rest of the film, but this could be a great injustice in my view, the initial scene of the town bank robbery is also as great as the one I mentioned before, but then again the all film is great, and when the Bunch goes to take Angel of the general claws, you just wish you were one of them, that must have to be one of the most cool images of cinema those four guys going for the kill.
I confess that my cinema viewings are made of instinct, I’m not a very methodical cinema viewer most of the time I don’t notice important things happening underneath the films (only the little stuff that doesn’t matter) the subliminal messages just escape me most of the time, sure they must exist in the Wild Bunch, but above all it’s a great film, about a time that was ending, but we also learn that man just don’t change or want to no matter how things around do.
Peckinpah eye for detail is great, the scene where Holden and Borgnine watch Ryan posse with the binoculars, those are covered with paper to avoid the lens reflection by the sun, the comic relieves like the one with the whisky bottle is just simple perfect, examples among others that help the perfection of the film.
It’s a man’s film till a point a subtle point, the woman are portrait as whores or deceivers, one of her shoots Pike in the back, but then there’s those shoots through the film of the native woman holding their babies indifferent to the world around theme just pure maternity, its just another thing that makes the film so enormous, the way Peckinpah films all the people and puts them on screen like if they weren’t there but they are.
For me the greatest violence in the film is the way the children are presented incredible cruel stuff, the initial scene with the scorpions and the ants, the kid that delivers the telegram to the general, and the most brutal of all the way they run after Angel, when he’s being drag, we learn to be violent since young.
The film had an huge impact when I saw in my teens, now it more viewings still does, and I don’t see any immediate SW influence at least from the more usual European Westerns, maybe the way the Mexicans are presented but we have seen it before, perhaps if the SW movement (can we call it a movement?) the film would have been different, but tin the end there’s no Europe here only America, like when Angel at the crossing of the border says “ Mexico is “lindo*”, and Oates character I think, just answers, - I don’t see anything “lindo” just the same as Texas.
5 stars
*beautiful
well, i watched El Puro
an unusual drunkard western hero, but i´m sure, they were not unusual in the Wild West ;D
ending with a hero sitting in a rocking chair - just great
i liked how much they elaborate these characters, not only of El Puro, but villains also
music was very similar to Morricone, but sometimes it surprised me
this is probably my first with Robert Woods, if i´m not mistaken, but i like this guy, have to check out more movies with him
an engaging small spagh
Deaf Smith & Johnny Ears - so-so
Death Sentence - good
1950, Montana… with Errol Flynn. -Maybe the best sheepmen vs. cattlemen (woman) film, and best of the 3 Flynn/Alexis Smith outings. He’s an Australian sheepman with a large herd, loaded with cash to buy prime Montana grazing-range. But the cattlers have the land all fenced-off with anti-sheep warning-signs. Flynn hijacks a peddler, then sneaks into town masquerading as the peddler’s flunkie, to scope-out who the sheep-haters are. Then he goes about brawling and conning his way unto eventually being allowed to purchase land. -Includes great stampede action.
Zandy’s Bride.
Spent to much time in the Italian west recently, so viewed a U.S one tonight. Gene Hackman plays a proper old school man who gets a mail order style bride, which comes in the shape of LIv Ullmann. Just when you thought you could not get more of a caveman style man, wait till you meet Hackman’s dad in this one 
. Refreshing drama western which is always involving.
Watched a nice double feature: And God Said to Cain which I seem to like more after every viewing and They Call me Hallelujah, one of the best SW comedies imo…
[B]The Last Hard Men[/B] - Charlton Heston is a retired lawman who is after escaped convict James Coburn who has kidnapped his daughter to lure him into a confrontation to settle an old score. Thoroughly enjoyable film but not much different from other films of this kind.
The last I watched was The Moment To Kill, which was really top notch. It could have wrapped up a little neater, but I loved the twists and turns.
Last night I finished watching 32 Caliber Killer starring Peter Lee Lawrence. In many ways it really reminded me of the Sartana films. Good mystery plot and plenty of action, drama and many twists. I loved the opening credits sequence. This was a good one I’d say 4 out of 5 stars.
The last one I watched was WHISPERING SMITH with Alan Ladd. This is a good one! Great outdoor scennery and good action.
They don’t make them like that anymore. :’(
POSSE FROM HELL - Well, it’s a bit disappointing that our posse isn’t as hellish and bloodthirsty as one would expect, but anyway this is a decent little b western that passes the time well enough. Most memorable thing about it is the great opening scene which is probably a few years ahead of its time in terms of cruelty and viciousness.
Last film I saw was Ghost Town. Sort of a supernatural western with horror and spaghetti elements. Very basic plotting, pretty cheesy dialogue, but an enjoyable film if you like these sorts of thing.
tonight is on telly western with Robert Duvall - Broken Trail (2006), well, it looks pretty interesting but, jeez, it has three hours
fell asleep scenario is very likely
nevertheless, i love these long running western movies, so i´ll try some tricks - fortunately my starfleet replicator is in standby mode
as well as my word of command: “coffee, black, no sugar”