Vote for Our Official Top 20

Please, then do it and change your list above, then I can take it for the big forum list.

And of course you can, like everybody else, post an altered one, after having watched some more Spags.

Comin’ at Ya! got so far one vote, but at # 3 in the list by member Bible Joe. By coincidence (or fate?) he has I Want Him Dead even higher as his # 2. (And Hossein’s excellent Taste of Violence, which is not really a western imo, as # 1)

Our Tony as seen by our forum:

1 * 22 * Blindman * Baldi, Ferdinando * 339
2 * 56 * A Stranger in Town * Vanzi, Luigi * 91
3 * 77 * The Silent Stranger * Vanzi, Luigi * 56
4 * 85 * The Stranger Returns * Vanzi, Luigi * 44
5 * 119 * Comin’ at Ya! * Baldi, Ferdinando * 19
6 * 203 * Get Mean * Baldi, Ferdinando * 1

After switching the Silent Stranger with the Return, it mirrors my view on the Anthony.

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Ah, this reminds me I’ve never seen SILENT STRANGER … will have to remedy that. I’ll re-do my list as requested.

Revised top 20:

  1. FISTFUL OF DOLLARS
  2. DJANGO
  3. BLINDMAN
  4. GBU
  5. FEW DOLLARS MORE
  6. $10,000 FOR A MASSACRE
  7. THE GREAT SILENCE
  8. MINUTE TO PRAY, SECOND TO DIE (118 min. version)
  9. BULLET FOR THE GENERAL
  10. I WANT HIM DEAD
  11. STRANGER IN TOWN
  12. DEAD MEN RIDE
  13. JOHNNY YUMA
  14. SPARA, GRINGO, SPARA
  15. DEATH RIDES A HORSE
  16. COMIN’ AT YA!
  17. LIGHT THE FUSE - SARTANA
  18. KILL THE WICKED
  19. GARRINGO
  20. STRANGER RETURNS

I’ll ride with this revised list, which you’ll see I’ve tweaked a bit, beyond the addition of FAFDM.

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Some films that hover near my top 20 include: NEST OF VIPERS; LANKY FELLOW; HATE FOR HATE; ADIOS, SABATA; HALLELUJAH (first one); CEMETERY WITHOUT CROSSES; PAYMENT IN BLOOD; TIME OF VULTURES; MAN CALLED CEMETARY; FORGOTTEN PISTOLEROS; PISTOLEROS (Ghidra, Infanti); a few others that escape me at the moment. Cheers!

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Based on that I suggest you compile an Alternative Top 20 too.

Read the outline on this page before starting: Alternative Top 20 - The Spaghetti Western Database

Then post your list in this thread: Alternative Top 20

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And thanks, Stanton, for the info on “Tony Tony” - interesting to see he has some support - I know he’s divisive (and despised by Alex Cox, whose book I generally enjoy.)

I don’t think he is that divisive.
My impression is that the majority of Spag fans like him and his films, at least the Stranger trilogy and Blindman. Cox view is (just like QTs or the popes) only one of many, not better not worse than most of the views here in the forum.

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I remember Cox’s quote describing Tony Anthony:
“A derivative actor who’s only skill is hanging around for sequels.”

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More perplexing is his view on Il mercenario, especially as he wants to like Corbucci.

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[quote=“Beaumont-Adam, post:2934, topic:190, full:true”]
I remember Cox’s quote describing Tony Anthony:
“A derivative actor who’s only skill is hanging around for sequels.”

An interesting opinion, from Mr. Cox, whom I totally disagree with…

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I have not seen a Tony Anthony film yet. I cannot have a valid opinion. My copy of BLINDMAN just arrived. I am looking forward to watching it!
All I can say is I listened to Cox and missed out on some great films.

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I don’t think you’ll be disappointed…
Tony Anthony took well-worn plots, and made them special, simply because of his own unique, and highly entertaining, interpretation of the main antagonist.

Tony Anthony is ‘a fair man’… :wink:

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I love the poster!

As well as producing iconic anti-heroes, unforgettable soundtracks, arid/green locations, and a World-wide phenomenon, they also introduced us to some of the most beautiful hand-painted/drawn posters, that the cinematic community has ever beheld. Some of them really are, imo, works of art.

It would be interesting to see what a present-day artist, such as the the legendary, Drew Struzan, would have produced, had he been available at the time?

Here are a few of my favourites:



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I think that the advertising artwork for the Spaghettis was key to the international success as it gave spags their own identity. In my opinion they often captured the mood of the film and represented the film properly. The SABATA poster above is a perfect example,It captures the comic book chaos of the movie. And different to American product.

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I get what you’re saying, and I love this artwork too … but during the 60s and 70s, most action films had posters of this caliber. It was standard, and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way … in fact, as a kid interested in drawing and painting, I used to enjoy my trips to the cinema, just to marvel at posters of ‘future presentations’

It’s magnificent artwork, and now appreciated much more than it was back in it’s day.

The only movies that can afford / or are willing to pay for original painted artworks seem to be the Star Wars films.

I miss this aspect of cinema very much … and I’m sure that a tiny cut in salary would allow greedy executives a budget to pay an artist, rather than a graphic designer to produce classic posters.

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AMEN TO THAT ALDO!
The artwork for GREAT ESCAPE, WHERE EAGLES DARE and DIRTY DOZEN spring to mind when discussing the artwork of the period. Frank Mccarthy was the go to guy in the 1960s USA. AS good as he was I wasn’t fond of his Once Upon a Time in the West posters for the American release. ! [MV5BMTc5MThlMDMtNGZhNy00ZGI5LTliYjItN(upload://gqhzqHiwwSVH3WoZHTDFFVrAKJC.jpeg) the-great-escape-uk-movie-poster-1963_u-l-p9abh10 Dirty_moviep


Once_upon_a_Time_in_the_West

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I am convinced that the portraits on the Once upon a time design, are not by the same person who produced that amazing low angle shoot out scene at the bottom of the poster … that’s mind boggling work … and the 4 portraits are not in the same class.

Fonda’s eyes are wonky, plus Robards appears to be in front of Bronson, and yet his face is so much smaller … it could have been a rough layout sketch that was hurriedly painted in ? … but it’s always bothered me.

The poster was a composition of three different pieces of art. And I think you are right. I think Paramount execs wanted the ‘stars’ on an already brilliant piece of art.