Yesterday: One After Another (Nostro, 1968). I liked this one! You can see that it had been made with care and craft. It’s very twisty-turny as many Spags tend to be but, somewhat refreshingly, that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to follow; in fact it’s to the film’s credit that it spins quite a few plates without feeling convoluted at all. I wasn’t convinced at all by the choice to make the taciturn anti-hero gunman a bespectacled fellow - it looked strange - but as the film went on Richard Harrison really sold the role well and they even managed to fit in an amusing “bit” concerning the glasses, a barfight, and a rack of spares concealed in his coat.
Wasn’t expecting anything at all from One After Another; there are no real star-power names in the cast, the director isn’t one of the more compelling names one finds within the Spag genre and I don’t recall hearing the name of this film bandied around here… well, ever. It must just not have been too widely viewed I guess, because the forum thread for this movie is largely full of love. It’s a bit of an undiscovered gem. “A ruby in the dust” as they say.
Today: Shango (Mulargia, 1970). Grim and serious stuff, but I found it very enjoyable. Very Spag (in the good way), what with entire lines of people going down acrobatically to a “six” shooter as though they’re under heavy machine gun fire. I find Anthony Steffen to be extremely uncharismatic for a leading man and, although he was pretty wooden here too, it seemed a better fit for the role (actually I really like Steffen in another Mulargia pic, W. Django!). Some fantastic set pieces in here too: shooting the bad guys out of the trees, Steffen hanging in his cage at the start, the women buried up to their necks and surrounded by fire… oh, and the main antagonist (checks his name) Eduardo Fajardo was very good indeed.
With this and One After Another yesterday, that’s a couple of decent new entries into my personal ever-shifting Spag Big 40.
[quote=“Reverend Danite, post:11433, topic:141”]After hearing of James Garner’s sad demise last month, I revisited A Man Called Sledge recently and thoroughly enjoyed it again… But, I followed that with a long awaited rewatch of A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die - but this time it was Brother Autephex’s brilliant version - and what a difference! I loved it (and although I can see Phil’s point about the very end bit being a bit talky) and really appreciated this darker take.
So, when I can be arsed to get around to a new top 20 - AMCS will certainly be replaced by AMTP,ASTD.
Top job Aut, thanks Phil, and I hear ya scherp! ;)[/quote]
I feel the same - certainly a movie that will edge into the Top 20 whenever I get around to updating it; it’s a Spaghetti Western that (in Autepehex’s version) seemingly just works like a well-oiled machine, a feeling I get from the Ringo films and Guerrieri’s films too.
Nice looking modern western with nice cast. Ed Harris is a natural for a western, but Jeremy Irons in a western role was a surprise, but he was good, kind of doing his Sam Shepard. Movie takes some ideas form Rio Bravo and in the end centers around love story (or was that anti-love). Beginning of the movie made me expect little bit more than what I got in the end.
For the first time, so yes, it delivered its punch.
For the way it was filmed, this movie reminded me of movies commonly placed in exploitation category, like Flavia the Heretic which I have mentioned on another tread or Mark of the Devil. All three movies are filmed in a way that can be called exploitative, but are dealing with real horrific episodes in human history. So because they catch unprepared viewer who thinks he is watching something completely different or is unsure what exactly is he watching, argument can be made that these movies make the point far more stronger than “serious” movies dealing with similar subjects, with which you know exactly what you’re in for from the begging.
[quote=“titoli, post:11450, topic:141”]Soldier Blue (1970)
For the first time, so yes, it delivered its punch.
For the way it was filmed, this movie reminded me of movies commonly placed in exploitation category, like Flavia the Heretic which I have mentioned on another tread or Mark of the Devil. All three movies are filmed in a way that can be called exploitative, but are dealing with real horrific episodes in human history. So because they catch unprepared viewer who thinks he is watching something completely different or is unsure what exactly is he watching, argument can be made that these movies make the point far more stronger than “serious” movies dealing with similar subjects, with which you know exactly what you’re in for from the begging.[/quote]
Soldier Blue made its point, but as far as I know Nelson saw it as a “serious” movie, not as an exploitation movie. His movie was accused of being exploitative, but he denied and said the story couldn’t be told otherwise. I think there are better movies about the subject, the plight of the Indians, but what Nelson says does make sense.
Many directors wouldn’t call their work exploitative, but in the end it is not up to them to judge what is and what is not. It is of course one of the vague terms which meaning is open to discussion, but I deliberately wanted to draw parallels with movies that are more often commonly seen as ‘exploitative’.
Yes, the term is open to discussion. Personally I don’t see Soldier Blue as exploitation, if only because it hits you so hard in the face. I find the final attack on the village almost unwatchable, or better: unbearable. The reason for this has something to do with reality, not what’s actually shown on-screen; most exploitation movies are more graphic, more disgusting, but they usually leave me cold; they may be sickening, but aren’t really shocking.
Soldier Blue is powerful, but unfortunately the narrative structure leaves something to desire. Strauss and Bergen aren’t bad, but their romance and journey back to civilization take too much time. Donald Pleasance is great by the way.
I think that romantic part which dominates the tone of most of the run-time, was the main trick used to lull unsuspecting audience, to make the impact of the finale even more shocking and poignant. Something similar to Grande Silenzio finale I would say.
I agree, although it doesn’t look too real to modern eyes, the ending is still very hard to watch.
Both Flavia and Mark of the Devil also state that they are based on real events and real people.
Soldier Blue upon repeat viewings you know what to expect on the screen. But I have read somewhere (in a western film book I think ) that even more violent footage was shot for Soldier Blue that never made its way into any prints. How true this is I do not know.
Lee Marvin and Oliver Reed play a couple of laid back dudes who are after some payback from an old partner in the shape of Robert Culp. Pretty off the wall this comedy western at times and its just one big silly film that does not tax the brain to much. My thoughts are I wonder who was drunk the most on set …Marvin or Reed or both ;D .
[quote=“ENNIOO, post:11456, topic:141”]The Great Scout and Cathouse Thursday (1976).
Lee Marvin and Oliver Reed play a couple of laid back dudes who are after some payback from an old partner in the shape of Robert Culp. Pretty off the wall this comedy western at times and its just one big silly film that does not tax the brain to much. My thoughts are I wonder who was drunk the most on set …Marvin or Reed or both ;D .[/quote]
Never watched it, should do it one day to find out what that odd title means.
Today: The Hellbenders (Corbucci, 1967). A ripping yarn indeed. Felt to me as though it should’ve come before Django in Mr. Corbucci’s canon, in that it felt fairly standard and “American” in execution if not in story, as though Mr. Corbucci hadn’t quite found his own distinct voice yet, which patently wasn’t the case; the story itself - fantastic, tense and very episodic in nature - felt very “Spag” to me. Joseph Cotton owned every scene he was in - which of course was almost every scene in the movie - and Norma Bengell is gorgeous. An hour-and-a-half very well spent.
Sergio Corbucci (Well, what little I’ve seen of him, anyway):
The Relentless Four (1965)-Adam West (Batman) with an over sized hat and a pink shirt in pursuit of four bounty hunters who framed him for murder. Actually this wasn’t bad, it bogs down a little but some of the action is quite alright,… liked the hanging twist at the end. I’ve seen a lot worse than this for sure.5.5/10
