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| SPAGHETTI WESTERNS ON DVD |
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Lots of spaghetti westerns out there, which reflects the huge rise in cult popularity that the genre has experienced in the last couple of years. Most of these are decent quality and well worth checking out. A lot of great films have also emerged in Japan, which I hope to get round to soon...
Acquasanta Joe
Absolutely dreadful Mario Gariazzo western, recommended for completists only. I can't really be bothered to elaborate upon this load of old rubbish. It stars Richard Harrison, Ty Hardin and Lincoln Tate. There's a substantial role for Pietro Ceccarelli, which is the best thing about it...
Any Gun Can Play
Entertaining Enzo Castellari western. See review
Badman's River
Fabulous cast, terrible movie. Still, someone out there must want to buy it. Lee van Cleef, James Mason, Gianni Garko muck around on a riverboat.
Beyond the Law
This one divides people, but I liked it. Lee Van Cleef is a crusty old outlaw who discovers his conscience thanks to idealistic Antonio Sabato. If there's one reason to buy this it's for Gordon Mitchell's bravura performance as the villain
A Bullet for Sandoval
One of my favourite westerns of all time. See the review.
A Bullet for the General
Lovely print of this classic film. Gian Maria Volante is a bandito befriended by dodgy gringo Lou Castel, who persuades him to become a revolutionary. Unfortunately, betrayal is on hand.
Comin' at Ya!
One of those many films I've never bothered seeing, and probably never will. Tony Anthony stars, Ferdinando Baldi directs.
Companeros
Superb comedy / political western directed by Sergio Corbucci and featuring Morricone's most underrated score. Tomas Milian and Franco Nero team up to free Mexican revolutionary (of the Gandhi school) Fernando Rey. Jack Palance is the one handed bounty killer tracking them down.
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Day of Violence
Not the best film in the world, but Koch have done this Alfonso Brescia western proud: it looks and sounds a million dollars. English subs.
Death Rides A Horse
Great film that deserves a better quality DVD release, but if you can't wait... John Philip Law (DIABOLIK) plays a young man gunning after the men who killed his parents. Lee Van Cleef is his mentor.
Death Sentence
One of the most sought after films of recent years, this has never been available anywhere in English language until now. Comes with a 'Making of' doc and Mario Lanfranchi commentary.
Django Boxset
Great new boxset from Koch, feauturing three films: For $100,000 per Killing, $10,000 for a Massacre and Execution. They're all good films, lovingly presented. Extras include a music CD and an interview with Gianni Garko. All have English sub options.
Django - Die Totengräber warten schon
This is one of my favourite releases of 2005. It's the best version I've ever seen of Castellari's underrated JOHNNY HAMLET. Great quality, English options, with interview from Castellari. And all for just €15.
Django Kill... If You Live Shoot
Cult favourite, a slightly weird and rather violent wetsern featuring Tomas Milian as 'Django'. Lovely quality.
Django Shoots First
Decent Alberto De Martino effort with Glenn Saxson, on UK DVD.
Find a Place to Die
Effective Giuliano Carnimeo film featuring Jeffrey Hunter and Pascale Petit. A young woman hires a bunch of untrustworthy sods to help rescue her husband, who's been trapped under some mining equipment. Much better than it sounds, and very good value overall.
Fistful of Lead
Shit quality, but - heck - it's only $5. George Hilton stars as Sartana, caught up in all kinds of machinations involving the likes of Piero Lulli, Carlo Gaddi and - yes! - Luciano Rossi!
Four of the Apocalypse
This is a tad different; a late period, mournful spaghetti that shares a similar feel to KEOMA. You'll either love it or hate it. The Forgotten Pistolero
Extremely underrated spaghetti from Ferdinando Baldi and featuring Leonard Mann and Piero Lulli. It's a German DVD with English dialogue option
Get the Coffin Ready
Another ferdinando baldi wetsern, this time featuring Terence Hill and geroege Eastman. german DVD with English language options.
God's Gun
Not very good film from the usually excellent Gianfranco Parolini. Stars Lee Van Cleef (in two roles, one of them wearing a terrible wig) and Richard Boone
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
This one obviously needs no introduction...
The Great Silence
My favourite spaghetti western, my favourite DVD! Klaus Kinski is a loopy bounty killer, making money by slaughtering harmless outlaws, Jean-Lousi Trintignant the only man who can stop him. review
Halleluja Italo-Western-Box
Another superb Koch boxset from Germany, including THEY CALL ME HALLELUJAH, THEY CALL ME CEMETARY (which is ultra rare) and RAISE YOUR HANDS DEAD MAN. Includes interviews, booklets etc etc. Well worth the €40 odd.
Keoma
Enzo Castellari's masterpiece, with Franco Nero as a halfbreed running into his evil step-brothers, plague, a witch and Ian Duncan Smith's sister on the soundtrack.
Man Called Blade, A
Excellent, late-vintage spaghetti western directed by Sergio Martino and starring Maurizio Merli. A lovely print of an entertaining film.
Massacre at the Grand Canyon
Early Sergio Corbucci effort with Jim Mitchum. It from the time before he perfected his Django style, but still well worth a look. German DVD with English subs
A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die
Good Franco Giraldi spaghetti with Alex Cord. The DVD doesn't, unfortunately, have the downbeat ending, but is still well worth a look (and cheap!) Once Upon A Time in the West
The classic spaghetti western. A glorious print, with loads of extras. Need I say more?
Pancho Villa
Telly Savalas as Pancho Villa, an inspired piece of casting! Look forward to seeing Henry (The Fonz) Winkler as Fidel Castro... Not bad.
A Professional Gun
Terrible quality DVD, but it's a good film. I wish someone would do this justice!
Run Man Run
This is a beautiful looking print of a film which has risen a good deal in my estimation now that I can finally see it properly. It's less serious than The Big Gundown, but still hugely involving. Lucinao Rossi has a nice role as well...
Sergio Sollima Boxset
All of Sollima's great westerns - Run Man Run, The Big Gundown and Face to Face - in one boxset. Essential in themselves, this also includes a bunch of supplementary material. It's from German, but all of the films have English subs.
Some Dollars For Django
Not altogether hopeless western, which was allegedly directed by Enzo Castellari rather than the credited Leon Klimovsky. Anthony Steffen is DJANGO, and he's after a bandito played by Frank Wolff. However, the bandito has a twin brother who's a law abiding citizen - or does he?
Spaghetti Western Box Set (Once Upon a Time in Italy)
Handy box with Four of the Apocalypse, A Bullet for the General, Companeros, Keoma and Texas Adios. All of these have been released seperately (and are listed elsewhere)
Sartana In The Valley Of Death
Pretty terrible Roberto Mauri effort, but the print looks lovely (despite there being some cuts and cropping) and it's dead cheap. Wiliam Berger is the stand-in Sartana, who runs into all kinds of trouble with a trio of convicts (including Wayde Preston and Aldo Berti). Beyond that, there's nothing much to remember, except for a cameo from Alan Collins (in a humpty-dumpty uniform) and a really poor 'death by scorpion' sequence.
Stranger's Gundown
aka Django the Bastard. This is arguably Anthony Steffen's best western, a gothic extravaganza that slips by like a purse snatcher. Well worth the investment.
Texas, Adios
A sturdy spaghetti which features Franco Nero and Alberto Dell'Acqua (aka Robert Widmark) having the crap kicked out of him for about an hour.
They Call Me Trinity
The film that kickstarted the comedy western genre, and sealed the popularity of Bud Spencer and Ternece Hill
Today It's Me, Tomorrow You
Good, broody film in which Brett Halsey is after revenge on the man who killed his wife. It's pretty ordinary for most of the running time, but the climax is fantastic. Bud Spencer and William Berger co-star.
Trinity Is Still My Name
Sequel to THEY CALL ME TRINITY (see above)
Vengeance
Lovely print of a very good film. Hey, and it features Alberto Dell'Acqua getting ripped to shreds this time! Richard Harrison is the glum chappie out for revenge, Claudio Camaso puts in an extraordinary performance as the Dickensian villain.
Vengeance Trail
Above average Pasquale Squitieri western also known as VENGEANCE IS A DISH SERVED COLD. Leonard Mann is the usual 'man after revenge', Ivan Rassimov and Klaus Kinski cause him problems.
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