Vamos A Matar, Companeros! (1970)

An arms dealer finds himself smack dab in the middle of two fighting revolutionary forces during the Mexican Revolution. In order to receive payment, he must travel to America to bring back the feuding revolutionary leader, who holds the combination to the bank safe his payment is in. Followed by a headstrong bandit and a former acquaintance looking for payback, the dealer heads for the border.

In my opinion, this has got to be Corbucci’s most subversive picture. A lot of people don’t know this, but spaghetti westerns have may archetypes. Usually the more popular one is The Man With No Name, which was started by Toshiro Mifune and was pioneered by Clint Eastwood. In this movie, you got the Budding Revolutionary, which was usually played at the time by Tomas Milian. He’s somewhat the spiting image of Che Guevara which always gives him this kind of role. You also got the Happy Go Lucky Opportunist. He’s the easy going type that always waits for a chance to fall on his lap. This was helmed by Terrance Hill, but in this movie, is played by Franco Nero. It’s really a departure of the grim characters he’s played before, usually based on Django. Also, you got to give it to Jack Palance. I never knew there was a way to play an Irish stoner mercenary with an itch for revenge. I didn’t even know it was possible. Jack pulls it off as well as he can. And of course, we have the Morricone soundtrack making it’s presence known.

I think what Corbucci was doing with this film is he was showing people the extremes o revolution and then telling us we gotta keep a level head when we want to bring forth revolution. With one side represented by Mongo, Revolution is an exploitable commodity where only the strong and the one with the most guns survive. Surviving on fear and slaughter. On the other side is Prof. Xantos who represents pacifism and a Gandhi-like non violence. This way is well intentioned, but being docile and cowardly only leaves you dead. Revolutions die quicker that way. This is greatly pointed out when Xantos scolds those who saved him from the firing squad. A very powerful scene at that.

The DVD is part of a bigger box set put out by Anchor Bay. It’s cleaned up good visually and though some parts of the audio was lost, the audio dub is well too. The disc also has a fifteen minute conversation with Nero, Milian and Morricone about the film as well as the trailer. Western fans need this movie and it will be a jewel in the collection of the regular movie fan.

4 stars.

(With Milian’s Face To Face)

Il Mio nome e Nessuno (1973)

A retired gun slinging lawman is heading for a ship to Europe. In order to get there, he must accept a request from a fanboy of his. Make a name for himself and have a showdown with 150 men.

Six words. Henry Fonda. Sergio Leone. Spaghetti Western. Even though Leone’s fingerprints aren’t on the movie (he produced), he was a large presence. Terence Hill as the easy going Nobody and Fonda as the old and wise Jack Beaumont, have a nice chemistry together and do well in this movie, which is pretty much a deconstruction of the genre in an “end of the West” motif. Morricone has batted three for three. Awesome soundtrack. Especially Nobody’s theme. Sound plays a part of the movie and should be accredited.

I think the only problem with it is that the conflict wasn’t played as hard as it was. I mean yeah, The Wild Bunch were 150 purebred sumsabitches on horses….and? They were more likely props for Jack to kill. Other then seeing them ride, what really made them onery and mean? Even though the film was about hero worship and it is set up as a deconstruction of the genre, isn’t it better to have the antagonist do something mean? Even just for a little bit? Just thought I’d point that out. A little qualm I’ve had.

Even though the DVD is barebones, the video is excellent and the audio is beyond awesome. Western fans will love this. General movie fans, get it when you can.

3 stars.

I Quattro dell’ave Maria (1968)

Two bounty hunters make the big score and are set to retire until they’re robbed by a bandit hellbent on taking revenge on those who hung him out to dry. The hunters pursue the bandit and later join his quest.

Y’know, I was sitting and watching this thing and I seem to have the feeling that I’ve seen this movie before. I couldn’t place it at first. I thought for a bit and then I figured it out. This was a bass ackward version of Da Uomo A Uomo but without the angsty young guy wanting to take revenge for his family. I guess Eli Wallach was supposed to be both Van Cleef’s and Law’s character. It just really seem to be some lazy script writing with stars in it to me.

Another thing that gets to me is that you got Terence Hill. You got Bud Spencer. You’d think they would play this as a Trinity movie, right. Nah. We got Hill doing his best Eastwood impersonation. Then I realized that this was their first collaborative effort. Even then if they were following a trend, Hill really can’t do Eastwood. Franco Nero maybe. Not Eastwood. As I’ve said already, the script is just a plagiarized version of another movie. That’s lazy. It also looks like Eli trying to pull of a Tuco-like character, but you know it’s Tuco none the less. The only bright spot in acting has to be Brock Peters who does well as Tom, the tightrope walker.

The DVD isn’t anything to write home about. The video is ok. Sound is great. Other then that, it’s pretty barebones. Not even a trailer. Get this DVD whenever you want. Not that important.

2 1/2 stars.

Il Grande Silenzio (1968)

A mute gunman with a broomstick Mauser and an unhealthy hate for bounty killers finally meets his match in a psychotic bounty killer out to get a group of exiled Mormons with a bounty on their head in the snowy mountains of Utah.

This is one, if not considered THE best spaghetti western ever made and one of Serge Corbucci’s finest works, easily edging out the other movie he’s better known for, Django. If you’re expecting tall silent man strolling into town to save the day get the girl and or large amount of moolah while smoking a whole box of cigars along the way, this is totally not the movie for you. After the first scene, it’s all down hill from there. The snowy hills and embankments easily frame the cynicism and nihilism that is the come. Klaus Kinski plays his part as Loco to a tee. Psychotic, yet practical in how matter of fact he is about the business he’s in. This is followed with the silent brilliance of Jean-Louis Trintignant as Silence. Jean-Louis does a magnificent job conveying emotion without speaking a word. Add to this Luigi Pistilli as the sinister banker, the lovely Vonetta McGee and the godly Morricone soundtrack to make this film a solid picture worthy of future showings.

A lot of films where inspired by Great Silence after it was shown. From horror movies like Bava’s Black Sabbath, De Toth’s Day of The Outlaw to some of Clint Eastwood’s movies like Hang ‘em High and Pale Rider. Corbucci’s influence stealthily reached throughout the western genre as well as others throughout the years.

The DVD is magnificent. Very good quality sound. Very crisp video. You’ve got director Alex Cox (Repo Man) doing an intro/ discussion of the movie as well as commentary over extra footage. A Real good buy for the general movie fan. A must for the collection.

4 stars.

Da Uomo A Uomo (1967)

A man who witnesses his whole family being slaughtered by bandits as a child finally gets a chance at revenge when a gunman fresh out of jail guns down one of the men and is in search of the others to get his own form of payback.

This is one of Van Cleef’s better movies. While John Law does a good job as the main character, and Luigi Pisstilli and Tony Dawson do their tings as baddies, Van Cleef really takes the show. The Morricone score always makes things great. What am I saying? Morricone would even make pornos sound great if he had the chance. He’d make adult diaper commercials awesome. Got to give credit to Giulio Petroni too. He has a very innovative style.

With all that being said, I think the film was awesome…but the DVD sucks cock. Yes, C-O-C-K cock. It was like I had ask my friend to burn me a copy of the movie. In fact, I should of asked him. Picture and sound are both bad. While the interface is simplistic, they added a voice that made me wish it had a face so I could punch it over and over and over again. Whoever made the DVD needs their balls handed to them…PERIOD!!

While again, the movie is awesome, I’d wait until a better DVD was released. Give this a wait for your collection.

Three stars.

Hell of The Living Dead (1980)

A military unit is sent to New Guinea to shut down a faulty chemical plant and run into a couple of journalists sent to cover the plant as well as flesh eating zombies.

Dubbed “the worst zombie movie ever”, it really shows. There is liberal uses of stock footage, a soundtrack ripped from Goblin’s Dawn of The Dead score as well as concepts and costumes. Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s Dawn of The Dead in New Guinea. Even the makeup fx is bad. It’s like they took a bunch of crap and just put it on their face and started to walk slow. “Look at me. I’m like walking slow with crap on my face. I’m so like a zombie!” Cut to stock footage of elephants. Oh look! Boobies! Cut to stock footage of humming birds. “AAGGHHHH! I’m Totally getting attacked by a zombie!! AAAGGGHH!!” Cut to stock footage of Batman. That’s almost the whole movie right there. Cut to stock footage of Leave It To Beaver.

Now, just by saying it’s bad, doesn’t mean it’s a complete wash. Franco Garofalo does his best to work with the material given to him and the people he’s working with, thus making him one of the more intriguing characters of the film. And there’s boobies. And….yeah. That’s it.

This movie would be good if you’re really bored or you and friends want to have a laugh or two. Otherwise, if you’re a collector, get this when your financially tight.

Two stars.