Maybe nor FOUR nor BEYOND are considered great spaghetti westerns, so I shouldn’t have mentioned them …
But at least it spawned some interesting posts; your comment on BEYOND could’ve been mine: the last 20 minutes or so are OK, but the first half is too slow and the tone too cute.
And still no review on you website …
Interesting remark: an offbeat feelgood movie
I never thought of it as such … offbeat, yes, but feelgood ? I’d say it’s a rather sad movie, but of course, I might have missed something. Unlike some other people, I’m not infallible.
No problem with them mentioned amigo, actually I’m interested to know if there is or has been some “following”… Yeah I agree that this has been a fruitful conversation on a difficult subject as these “don’t like” discussion board debates often lead nowhere. I love this board!
[quote=“scherpschutter, post:42, topic:893”]And still no review on you website …
Interesting remark: an offbeat feelgood movie
I never thought of it as such … offbeat, yes, but feelgood ? I’d say it’s a rather sad movie, but of course, I might have missed something. Unlike some other people, I’m not infallible.[/quote]
Yeah, I need to review it. (just like a load of other spaghetti westerns)
Anyway, these four misfits become friends, plus it’s a ‘road movie’. Hence, as far as I felt it, the feelgood tone to it. And the baby scene of course, which is almost over the top feelgood. Combined with elements that you normally don’t see in such films like cannibalism, rape etcetera it turned out to be a very hybrid film. That not everyone likes it I can therefore fuly understand.
[quote=“Bad Lieutenant, post:44, topic:893”]Yeah, I need to review it. (just like a load of other spaghetti westerns)
Anyway, these four misfits become friends, plus it’s a ‘road movie’. Hence, as far as I felt it, the feelgood tone to it. And the baby scene of course, which is almost over the top feelgood.[/quote]
Yes the title of the movie combined with the diabolical Milian-character and the ending with the coming of the baby does give one certain associations 
I understand the ‘feelgood’ idea. I think the whole film is about redemption and the strength in human ties, community. It all gets a bit overshadowed by the cannabalism and stuff but I always felt it was a film with quite a soft centre really.
Like DEATH RIDES A HORSE, BEYOND THE LAW is one of the more ubiquitous forms; Almost every fan of Westerns in general will probably have at least a dollar store type DVD of it. I also was familiar with it long before knowing what a Spaghetti was. It’s certainly not on the same level as THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY but a notch or two up the ladder from ONE DAMNED DAY AT DAWN DJANGO MEETS SARTANA. Because of the presence of Lee Van Cleef and Bud Spencer it’s perhaps more widely seen than it’s merit’s deserve rather than being an overrated “great” example of the form.
Prepare for more howls of anger: I also did not get THEY STILL CALL ME TRINITY, though THEY CALL ME TRINITY had me in stitches and made me feel that warm glow of Spaghetti Junkie fixing: THEY STILL seemed sort of like the camera was assuming we were already in on the joke and were just picking up where the last story left off. Which may have been the case, but the movie was in too big of a hurry to be charming. It’s still a better movie than BEYOND THE LAW, which is a better movie than MINNESOTA CLAY at least.
I’ve been trying to think of a SW that has been deemed “great” that didn’t deserve it…but I can’t think of any! I guess I’m easy.
I think I have stated this somewhere else on this forum…and it sometimes gets me in trouble…but, I will say it again, anyway…
I can’t say that I completely dislike it, but my least favorite of the all-time great Spaghetti Westerns is THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY.
The only thing about the movie that I never get tired of is Eli Wallach’s performance.
Perhaps it is a matter of over-saturation…or perhaps it is a sort of knee-jerk reaction to so many people telling me over and over that it is the greatest Spaghetti Western of all. I really don’t know the precise WHY of it…I only know that is just how I feel.
I found the very first post of this thread by our compadre, Lindberg, interesting…because he sums up a lot of what I feel about THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY with his remarks directed at FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE.
Personally, I think FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE is the greatest Spaghetti Western…or, at least, it is my personal favorite.
MATALO! MATALO! MATALO! Anyone who knows me knows that I hate this film. My friends Ally & Eric even dedicated their Wild East release to me as a joke. From it’s characters and wardrobe to the soundtrack to the cinematography. Ugh! Matalo is a remake of another SW - KILL THE WICKEDS which is much better and is more of a straight western. Matalo is nothing more than a Charles Manson Gang out West. A gang of hippies who like nothing more than torturing people for pleasure. A lot of younger SW fans think this film is a classic and a top 10 favorite, but you can throw it in the trash as far as a I’m concerned… a total waste of time.
I agree with you, Tom. This one was too weird for me. Charles Manson out West - not a bad way to describe it
Still, I can understand Chris, and his reserve to tell us that he doesn’t love The Good, the Bad and the Ugly wholeheartedly : the film has been declared more or less sacred. I love it, but - ironically - started to have some reserves about Eli’s performance when I watched the film recently for - I guess - the 6th or 7th time. I loved Tuco when I first saw it, but now he’s getting a bit on my nerves.
Yeah I’m not too crazy about wierd and bizarre westerns either. thats why I’m not a big fan of Matalo, Django Kill, and Blindman. They just don’t seem like real westerns to me. I know SW’s are not supposed to be historically accurate but I think Matalo takes its liberties a little bit too far.
Of course, amigo Tom, you know I agree with you completely on both MATALO! and KILL THE WICKED(S).
In fact, I am about to sit down and watch the latter, once again, as I actually enjoy it.
But, can MATALO! qualify as one of the “Great” Spaghetti Westerns?
I guess, like everything, it is a matter of opinion.
Matalo! is not a classsic, more a hot tip. (is hot tip/Geheimtipp good or bad english? )
Matalo has the potential to be fascinating, but there will always be enough people who will hate it, or are at least bored by it.
Django Kill will maybe provoke similar reactions, but this one IS regarded as classic meanwhile.
It’s surprising for me that there weren’t made more of this weird SWs.
Interesting. I’ve always preferred For A Few Dollars More to TGTB&TU as well, although I love both films. I wonder how many people feel the same.
And I really don’t know what is really considered “great” to non-enthusiasts outside of the Leone films, other than maybe The Great Silence or The Big Gundown. If the Trinity films are considered to be great, then I guess I would pick them, if only for the fact that I don’t enjoy comedy westerns (other than Blazing Saddles that is).
I like Matalo! as it is weird and different.
I don’t like Django Kill. Some reasons… too much gore, too much characters and sometimes the plot doesn’t know where it goes…
Milian in a passive role, that’s not for him… he needs to be silly-and-hyperactive mexican boy. ;D
[quote=“Chris_Casey, post:49, topic:893”]I think I have stated this somewhere else on this forum…and it sometimes gets me in trouble…but, I will say it again, anyway…
I can’t say that I completely dislike it, but my least favorite of the all-time great Spaghetti Westerns is THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY.
The only thing about the movie that I never get tired of is Eli Wallach’s performance.
Perhaps it is a matter of over-saturation…or perhaps it is a sort of knee-jerk reaction to so many people telling me over and over that it is the greatest Spaghetti Western of all. I really don’t know the precise WHY of it…I only know that is just how I feel.
I found the very first post of this thread by our compadre, Lindberg, interesting…because he sums up a lot of what I feel about THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY with his remarks directed at FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE.
Personally, I think FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE is the greatest Spaghetti Western…or, at least, it is my personal favorite.[/quote]
Couldn’t agree more! I’ve also stated this before…GBU is my least favourite of the Dollars trilogy (FAFDM being the best by far for me). GBU isn’t my least favourite of the “great” SW’s but i’m not going there again. To be totally honest, if i ever did a top 20 i don’t think that many of the “greats” would get in there at all… 
You know…a year ago i would have totally disagreed here, but having recently rewatched Matalo!, i actually found it rather boring. There’s still some interesting stuff going on, and i have to say i do like the soundtrack, but it’s definitely gone down in my estimation. I did recently see Kill The Wicked and much preferred that one.
You know you really ought to get that top 20 done, Silver. If for no other reason than for the much needed points for Return of Ringo I know you can be relied on to give. ;D