8 Spaghetti Westerns Movies

I came across another set of spaghetti westerns that was released this year by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment. The set was only $5.00 so I couldn't pass it up. This time around we get eight movies on two discs and all of them are spaghetti westerns.

The Cover Art

The 8 Spaghetti Westerns Movies set comes in a double disc case and features a Photoshopped movie poster for each title in the collection. It's nothing too fancy, and aside from the awkwardness of Spaghetti "Westerns Movies," it's not terrible; but it does look like a budget title.

The Discs

This set includes two double sided discs, each holding four movies.We get old parchment wanted poster type disc art that lists the titles contained on the disc.

The Menus

The menu is very basic featuring a selection of the movies only. There are no sub-menus or chapter indexes.

The Movies

All plot summaries have been taken from the back cover of the set and all reviews came from Spaghetti Westerns: The Good, the Bad and the Violent by Thomas Weisser.  As mentioned above, this collection includes only spaghetti westerns this time around.

 

Disc One

Buddy Goes West (1981)
Original Title:  Occhio alla penna
Starring:  Bud Spencer
Directed by:  Michele Lupo
Music by:  Ennio Morricone
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  ~1.85:1
Original Runtime:  97 minutes
DVD Runtime:  89 minutes

 

Synopsis:  A drifter, mistaken for a doctor, takes on his new role while also trying to protect the town of Yucca from a band of outlaws.

 
Review:  A lightweight, but entertaining western comedy from director Michele Lupo aided by a melodic Ennio Morricone score. The meandering, episodic adventures of the "big" man and his dim-lit Indian sidekick do nothing for Bud Spencer's desire to escape the stereotypical image of the likable brute.

 
Notes:  This appears to be longest version available, at least in the United States.
-----

Sartana in the Valley of Death (1970)
Original Title:  Sartana nella valle degli avvoltoi

Starring:  William Berger, Wayde Preston, Luciano Pigozzi
Directed by:  Roberto Mauri
Music by:  Augusto Martelli
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  ~1.85:1
Original Runtime:  98 minutes
DVD Runtime:  79 minutes
  

 

Synopsis:  Outlaw Lee Calloway breaks three bandit brothers out of jail in exchange for part of their stolen gold.. but is forced to fight back when they don't hold up their end of the deal.

Review:  This one is written and directed by Roberto Mauri with stately camera work from underrated Sandro Mancori (generally associated with the better productions of Frank Kramer and Sergio Garrone).

Notes:  Again, this looks like the longest version available. The movie title is misspelled on the DVD menu as pictured in the menu image above.
-----

Wanted (1966)
Starring:  Giuliano Gemma
Directed by:  Giorgio Ferroni
Music by:  Gianni Ferrio
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  ~1.85:1
Original Runtime:  104 minutes
DVD Runtime:  100 minutes

  

Synopsis:  A newly-appointed sheriff is framed for murder, forcing him to prove his innocence and fight for his freedom.

 
Review:  In a loose remake of Gemma's Adios Gringo, once again he has to clear his name by bringing in the real horse rustler.  Except for the director's affinity for violence, there's not much separating this entry from similar Hollywood efforts. 

 
Notes:  Sinister Cinema lists a widescreen version for sale with a runtime of 107 minutes.
-----

Blood Money (1974)
Original Title:  Là dove non batte il sole
Starring:  Lee Van Cleef, Lo Lieh
Directed by:  Antonio Margheriti
Music by:  Carlo Savina
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  ~1.85:1
Original Runtime:  103 minutes
DVD Runtime:  96 minutes

Synopsis:  When a scheming thief gets mixed up with a Chinese man's hidden treasure, he is recruited by a young Kung-Fu student to help hunt down the missing inheritance.

 
Review:  The "man with gunsight eyes" teams up with the star of Five Fingers of Death in an action packed, yet unconventional genre production. There's loads of fun with some beautiful stars including Erika Blanc. It's a joint Hong Kong/Italian production directed in Europe by genre favorite Antonio Margheriti.

 
Notes: This title has been released internationally with the correct aspect ratio, but I can find no information on runtimes.  This is probably the same version used in the VideoAsia release, but I haven't checked for certain.
-----

Disc Two

Sundance Cassidy and Butch the Kid (1969)
Original Title:  Vivi o, preferibilmente, morti
Starring:  Giuliano Gemma, Antonio Casas

Directed by:  Duccio Tessari
Music by:  Gianni Ferrio
Original Aspect Ratio:  1.66:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  Pan & Scan
Original Runtime:  101 minutes
DVD Runtime:  97 minutes

  

  

Synopsis:  Estranged brothers Monty and Ted Mulligan must live together for six months in order to cash in on their inheritance.

 
Review:  This film is, perhaps, the best of directors Duccio Tessari's western comedies, but not as impressive as his serious films.

 
Notes:  Wild East released an anamorphic widescreen version of this film, but not as part of their Spaghetti Western Collection series. This one was released as a double feature with the Eurospy flick Kiss Kiss Bang Bang under an alternate title of Alive or Preferably Dead; both films star Giuliano Gemma.
----- 

   

Bounty Killer (1966)

Original Title:  El precio de un hombre
Starring:  Richard Wyler, Tomas Milian, Mario Brega

Directed by:  Eugenio Martín

Music by:  Stelvio Cipriani

Original Aspect Ratio:  1.78:1

DVD Aspect Ratio:  ~1.78:1

Original Runtime:  96 minutes

DVD Runtime:  92 minutes

 

  

Synopsis:  An escaped convict and a ruthless bounty hunter face off in a dangerous and violent showdown where the fastest gun will win.
 

Review:  An interesting love triangle is the central focus of this top-notch spaghetti western, by far the best of the Eugenio Martín genre efforts (unfortunately, he is best known in the US for his stinker Bad Man's River).  For this film, he is aided by the keen eye of chief cameraman Enzo Barboni. And, it's all based on the book Bounty Killer by Marvin H. Albert. There's also an excellent musical score from one of Italy's most sought-after composers, Stelvio Cipriani.
  
Notes: This appears to be longest version available to date.
-----

Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? (1972)
Original Title:  La vita, a volte, è molto dura, vero Provvidenza?

Starring:  Tomas Milian, Horst Janson
Directed by:  Giulio Petroni
Music by:  Ennio Morricone
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime:  100 minutes
DVD Runtime:  96 minutes
  

  

Synopsis:  In this western comedy classic, an eccentric bounty hunter uses the same crook to collect rewards in each state.

 
Review:  Competent filmmaker Giulio Petroni, best known for the genre revenge pic Death Rides A Horse, has directed a comedy western that works, a rarity in the spaghetti world. But much of the credit also goes to chameleon actor Tomas Milian. 

  
Notes:  I believe this is the first DVD release of this title in the US and it's anamorphic too.
-----

Price of Power (1969)
Original Title:  Il prezzo del potere

Starring:  Giuliano Gemma, Van Johnson, Antonio Casas
Directed by:  Tonino Valerii
Music by:  Luis Enríquez Bacalov
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
Original Runtime:  113 minutes
DVD Runtime:  108 minutes
 

  

Synopsis:  Bill Willer, a former soldier and skilled gunman, discovers an assassination plot and must expose the truth to save the life of an innocent man.

 
Review:  Unconcerned with historical facts, director Tonino Valerii retells the assassination of Kennedy story with a western motif. Just to set the record straight: the Civil War ended in 1865 and there was a President Garfield, but he wasn't assassinated in Dallas. He was shot in Washington D.C. in 1881.

 
Notes:  This also appears to be the longest version available.
-----

The Bottom Line

For five dollars, this is a pretty good addition to the collection; especially if you enjoy those comedy westerns. Most of the films are almost in the correct aspect ratio, we get one that's anamorphic and only one that's pan & scan. There are no special features included, but at least we don't get yet another copy of White Commanche.

 

Westerns 10 Movie Pack

Here's another budget release from Mill Creek Entertainment, this time it's the Western 10 Movie Pack released back in 2005. This set features ten movies on three discs, six of them being spaghetti westerns.

The Cover Art

This three disc set comes packaged in a one of those double wide keep cases which features a cover image of Lee Van Cleef looking mean. The reverse gives a synopsis for each film and the runtime (which is not always accurate). No indication is given if the movies are widescreen or not.

The Discs

The Westerns 10 Movie Pack includes three single sided dual layer discs. Discs 1 and 2 each feature three movies, with the third disc holds four titles. The same image of Lee Van Cleef appears on the disc art along with titles included on it.

The Menus

The menus are very basic, to say the least. There's not much to write about them, so I'll just let the screenshots speak for themselves.

 

The Movies

This set contains ten movies, three or four per disc. They are not all spaghetti westerns, but this time, at least, they aren't being advertised as such. Again, the plot summaries will be taken from the back cover while the reviews are from Spaghetti Westerns: The Good, the Bad and the Violent by Thomas Weisser.

 

Disc One
Dead Aim (1971)
Original Title:  Arde baby, arde

Starring:  Glen Lee
Directed by:  José Antonio Bolaños
Music by:  Luchi De Jesus
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  1.33:1
Original Runtime:  98 minutes
DVD Runtime:  87 minutes

Synopsis: Raised in a quiet, yet grim lifestyle of his guardian, things get complicated for our hero when he starts to spend time with a married woman. Throw in a some stage robbers, bounty hunters and an African-American cavalryman into the mix and you have a western full of excitement and action.

 
Review: There's lots of "desert wilderness" stock footage crammed inside this witless (but bloody) Italian/Mexican production, shot in Mexico. Johnny is a notorious gunfighter, raised by an undertaker who falls in love with a beautiful woman who happens to have a very jealous outlaw husband. Obvious and predictable.

 
Notes:  There doesn't appear to be many releases of this film on DVD. The only others I was able to find also appear to be this same version. The one in this set is a VHS transfer.

-----

  

It Can Be Done... Amigo (1972)
Original Title: Si può fare... amigo
Starring: Jack Palance, Bud Spencer
Directed by: Maurizio Lucidi
Music by: Luis Bacalov
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 109 minutes
DVD Runtime: 98 minutes

Synopsis: Sonny is one very unhappy gunslinger. Coburn has seduced the gunman's sister, and now Sonny is insistent that the young punk marry her to escape the shame and stigma of their behavior.
  
Review: Director Maurizio Lucidi constructs an enjoyable parody with this film. He recreates the flavor and style of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, but substitutes slapstick for violence. Some of it works. Unlike many Spencer-tailored roles, this one allows him to be something besides a brutish clown.
 
Notes: An anamorphic widescreen disc, which clocks in at 103 minutes, has been released by Wild East as Volume 33 of their Spaghetti Western Collection.

-----

The Grand Duel (1972)

Original Title: Il grande duello

Starring: Lee Van Cleef, Horst Frank

Directed by: Giancarlo Santi

Music by: Luis Bacalov

Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Original Runtime: 98 minutes

DVD Runtime: 89 minutes

Synopsis: In one of a long series of spaghetti westerns, Lee Van Cleef stars as a hard-as-nails gunman who is pitted against an equally tough opponent.

Review: The story is an engaging whodunit. Good direction from Giancalo Santi, the initial director for Duck You Sucker before stars Rod Steiger and James Coburn demanded Sergio Leone's personal attention (is that really true?). This film features another stirring score from Django composer Luis Bacalov.

Notes: Wild East released an anamorphic widescreen version which runs 90 minutes as Volume 10 of their Spaghetti Western Collection, which is long out of print.  This was the best version available for the longest time until Mill Creek released a 94 minute version, which restores the original titles, on blu-ray as the second release in the Spaghetti Western Double Feature lineup.

-----

Disc Two
Gunfight At Red Sands (1963)
Original Title:  Duello nel Texas
Starring:  Richard Harrison
Directed by:  Ricardo Blasco
Music by:  Ennio Morricone
Original Aspect Ratio:  1.66:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  1.33:1
Original Runtime:  94 minutes
DVD Runtime:  94 minutes

Synopsis:  A Civil War fighter engages in bloody combat with the enemy, and wages a personal vendetta against his despised foster father.

 
Review:  A pre-Leone spaghetti western starring Richard Harrison with music by Ennio Morricone and written by Albert Band (who co-directed his own western with Sergio Corbucci that same year, Massacre At Grand Canyon). The plot is simple, and in actuality, a predecessor of countless similar themes spanning the next ten years.

Notes: Widescreen versions have been released in Italy, Germany and Japan. All have been uncut, including the one here. This release is a VHS dub (complete with tape rolls) from a badly damaged print.

-----

  

China 9, Liberty 37 (1978)
Original Title:  Amore, piombo e furore
Starring:  Fabio Testi, Jenny Agutter, Warren Oates & Sam Peckinpah
Directed by:  Monte Hellman
Music by:  Pino Donaggio
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  1.33:1
Original Runtime:  98 minutes
DVD Runtime: 92 minutes

  

Synopsis:  When a condemned gunfighter is reprieved by an unscrupulous railroad company, the trade off is the assassination of an unsuspecting rancher.

 
Review:  This Italian-Spanish co-production is directed by US filmmaker Monte Hellman, who, after this film, didn't make another movie for ten years. Co-star Jenny Agutter is the beauty from Logan's Run (remember the nude scene in the lake?).

 
Notes:  I couldn't find any commercially released uncut, widescreen versions of this movie. The above mentioned nude scene by the lake has been excised from this release.

----

  

White Commanche (1968)
Original Title: Comanche blanco
Starring: William Shatner, Joseph Cotten
Directed by: José Briz Méndez
Music by: Jean Ledrut
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 94 minutes
DVD Runtime: 94 minutes

Synopsis: Twin brothers battle with each other and their identity crises as they come to grips with what it means to be the children of a white father and an Indian mother. This film is notable for the early co-star role of William Shatner.

Review: This film is William Shatner's only contribution to the spaghetti western genre.

Notes: Yet another budget collection that includes White Commanche.

-----

Disc Three includes the remaining four films of the collection. None of them are spaghetti westerns and are of little interest to me.  For those that are curious, they are Kentucky Rifle starring Chill Wills from 1956, Gone With The West starring James Caan and Sammy Davis Jr. from 1975, Mohawk starring Neville Brand from 1956 and The Hanged Man starring Steve Forest from 1974.

Special Features

Like most budget collections, there are no special features.

The Bottom Line

It's safe to pass on this collection, but you can pick up brand new copies from the Amazon Marketplace for $2 if you want to add this gem your collection. 

   

Dead or Alive Western Collection

Another month is here and it's time for another budget label collection of Spaghetti Westerns. This time around it's the Dead or Alive Western Collection released by Pop Flix back in 2010. This set features five movies on two discs.

 

 

The Cover Art

This two disc set comes packaged in a standard two disc DVD keep case which features an image of actor Klaus Kinski from the His Name Was King movie poster. The reverse shows the original movie poster for each film in the set while giving it a write up which includes the running time and if the films are widescreen - all of them are.

The Discs

The Dead or Alive Western Collection includes one single sided, dual layer disc and one single sided, single layer disc. The first disc holds three movies, while the second features the remaining two. The same image of Klaus Kinski appears on the discs.

The Menus

The menu loads after the obligatory FBI warning and Pop Flix advertisement. Just like the Gunslinger Western Collection, there is a Main Menu where you can select which film you'd like to watch which leads to the film's menu which features a four chapter stops and the option to play.

 

The Movies

This set contains five movies, two or three per disc, and all of them are spaghetti westerns. Again, the plot summaries will be taken from the back cover while the reviews are from Spaghetti Westerns: The Good, the Bad and the Violent by Thomas Weisser.

  

Disc One

Black Killer (1971)

Starring:  Klaus Kinski

Directed by:  Carlo Croccolo

Music by:  Daniele Patucchi

Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1

DVD Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1 (anamorphic)

Original Runtime:  95 minutes

DVD Runtime:  95 minutes

  

  

Synopsis:  Violent outlaws overrun the town of Tombstone until a mysterious lawyer teams with a newly appointed sheriff to end their reign of terror!

  

Review:  Here's a textbook example of the spaghetti western genre, incorporating the "revenge for a slaughtered family" theme with the "evil town boss" motif. There's even a pair of mysterious gunfighting strangers, and (as a special bonus) there's a nasty gang of seven Mexican brothers discordantly named O'Hara, plus Klaus Kinski in a prominent full-length role.

 

Notes: As far as I'm aware, this is the best release of this title in the United States. It's the full film, in anamorphic widescreen and the print is pretty good too.

-----

His Name Was King (1971)
Original Title:  Lo chiamavano King
Starring:  Richard Harrison, Klaus Kinski
Directed by:  Giancarlo Romitelli
Music by:  Luis Enríquez Bacalov
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime:  96 minutes
DVD Runtime:  73 minutes

  

 
Synopsis:  Searching for the men who murdered his family, a mercenary tracks an unscrupulous sheriff and a vicious gang of gunrunners across the Mexican border.

Review:  Another variation on the revenge for a slaughtered family theme. Klaus Kinski's participation in this one clocks in at five minutes.

Notes:  This release seems to be the longest version available to date and the best version released in the US.

-----

There's A Noose Waiting For You... Trinity (1972)
Original Title:  Il ritorno di Clint il solitario
Starring:  George Martin, Klaus Kinski
Directed by:  George Martin
Music by:  Ennio Morricone
Original Aspect Ratio:  not listed
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime:  89 minutes
DVD Runtime:  80 minutes
 

  

Synopsis:  A wanted gunman with a mysterious bounty hunter on his trail returns home after five years to find his town terrorized by a gang of outlaws.

 
Review:  A particularly significant film, primarily because it is the only spaghetti western directed by a genre actor, George Martin. It's a series of episodic encounters, strongly benefiting from the participation of Klaus Kinski plus an Ennio Morricone soundtrack.

 
Notes:  Again, this would appear to be the longest version currently available. Wild East released this as a double feature with Clint the Nevada's Loner as Volume 18 of their Spaghetti Western Collection; however, the Pop Flix version is anamorphic.

-----

Disc Two

Heads I Kill You, Tailes... You're Dead... They Call Me Halleluja (1971)
Original Title:  Testa t'ammazzo, croce... sei morto... Mi chiamano Alleluja
Starring:  George Hilton
Directed by:  Giuliano Carnimeo
Music by:  Stelvio Cipriani
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime:  96 minutes
DVD Runtime:  92 minutes
 

Synopsis:  A bounty hunter must outwit bandidos, a Russian prince, and a secret agent posing as a nun when he is hired to steal a fortune in jewels from Emperor Maximillian.

Review:  A "wheels-within-wheels" double-cross movie directed by the number one most prolific spaghetti western champ with 13 films to his credit. And this one is among his best.

 
Notes:  An uncut version was released as part of the Halleluja Italo-Western Box from Koch Media in Germany.

-----

The Moment To Kill (1968)
Original Title:  Il momento di uccidere
Starring:  George Hilton, Host Frank
Directed by:  Giuliano Carnimeo
Music by:  Francesco de Masi
Original Aspect Ratio:  2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio:  1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime:  92 minutes
DVD Runtime:  89 minutes
 

Synopsis:  Two infamous gunmen leave a trail of corpses on their quest to recover a cache of lost Confederate gold!

 
Review:  Here's another genre western lensed by future cult director Stelvio Massi.  It's an effective double-cross movie...

 
Notes:  The print used here is fairly washed out, and the worst looking one in this collection.  Volume 30 of Wild East's Spaghetti Western Collection features this title paired with Full House for the Devil. The same print could have been used for both releases. It's also the longest one available.

-----

Special Features

"You'll hurt your eyes looking for the chicken."  In other words, no special features are included with this release.

The Bottom Line

I'm beginning to be a fan of Pop Flix. Both of their collections that I own are solid releases and very affordable.  If you need any of these films for your collection, you could certainly do a lot worse than the Dead or Alive Western Collection.

 

Gunslinger Western Collection

It's been a while since I've done one of these, it's been a while since I posted anything actually. Let's take a look at another budget label collection of spaghetti westerns. This time around it's the Gunslinger Western Collection released by Pop Flix in 2009.

The Cover Art

This four disc set comes packaged in a nice tin with a raised image of Gianni Garko from the I Am Sartana Your Angel of Death poster. The reverse features a write up for each film in the set and another piece of poster artwork, this time of Franco Nero from Massacre Time.  Strangely enough, both of those films are not in this set.

The Discs

The Gunslinger Western Collection includes four single sided dual layer discs. With each disc holding two or three movies. The cover artwork is also reproduced on each disc along with a listing of which movies appear on it.

The Menus

The menu loads after the standard FBI warning and a thirty second Pop Flix advertisement. There is a Main Menu where you can select which film you'd like to watch which leads to the film's own menu which features a four chapter stops and the option to play. I like the inclusion of the film's poster as well.

  

The Movies

The set contains ten movies, two or three per disc. Better yet, all of them are spaghetti westerns. Again, the plot summaries will be taken from the back cover while the reviews are from Spaghetti Westerns: The Good, the Bad and the Violent by Thomas Weisser.

Disc One

If You Meet Sartana, Pray For Your Death (1968)
Original Title: Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte
Starring: Gianni Garko, Klaus Kinski, William Berger
Directed by: Gianfranco Parolini
Music by: Piero Piccioni
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 96 minutes
DVD Runtime: 95 minutes

Synopsis:  It hails bullets and rains blood when a mysterious stranger (Garko) goes up against rival gangs, shady bankers and a gatling gun over a shipment of gold! This violent film launched a highly successful run of sequels based on the character of Sartana.

Review:  This film is proof positive that Frank Kramer (Gianfranco Parolini) can make a fine movie.

 
Notes:  Although it's not in the correct aspect ratio, this release is a nice alternative to out of print version from Wild East.  It is certainly an improvement over the version in The Spaghetti Western Bible Vol. 2: Sartana: The Complete Saga.

-----

  

Run, Man, Run (1968)
Original Title: Corri, uomo, corri
Starring: Tomas Milian, Donal O'Brien, John Ireland
Directed by: Sergio Sollima
Music by: Bruno Nicolai
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 121 minutes
DVD Runtime: 120 minutes

Synopsis:  A knife-throwing thief (Milian) must beat murderous bandits, federal agents, a bounty hunter and his own hot-blooded fiancee to a fortune in lost gold that could change the outcome of the Mexican revolution!

Review:  This is the continuing story of Cuchillo's misadventures, perhaps too episodic, against a Mexican revolution backdrop. It's another search for the lost gold film, as an uneasy alliance is eventually solidified between Cuchillo and an American opportunist named Cassidy...

Notes:  The full 121 minute version is available in another anamorphic widescreen release from Blue Underground. While the version presented here is nice, the Blue Underground disc is much better as it does not suffer from the compression issues that these budget releases do - it also has some very nice special features.

-----

 

Disc Two

The Strangers Gundown (1969)
Original Title: Django il bastardo
Starring: Anthony Steffen, Rada Rassimov
Directed by: Sergio Garrone
Music by: Vasili Kojucharov & Vasco Mancuso
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 102 minutes
DVD Runtime: 98 minutes

Synopsis: An avenging gunman (Steffen) returns from the grave to settle an old score with the traitorous Confederate officers who allowed his entire regiment to be slaughtered during a Civil War battle.

Review: This is the uncredited inspiration for Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter. It's also Sergio Sergio Garrone's very best film. Cowritten with actor Anthony Steffen, director Garrone has designed a remarkable motion picture, ranking as probably one of the all-time top ten spaghetti westerns.

Notes: Squeezing three films on this disc has hurt the quality of The Strangers Gundown. VCI Entertainment released a stand alone DVD of the film with a runtime of 98 minutes, which has gone out of print. They recently put out a double feature of The Strangers Gundown & Today We Kill... Tomorrow We Die, but this version is in the incorrect aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

-----

 

I Am Sartana, Trade Your Guns For A Coffin (1970)
Original Title: C'è Sartana... vendi la pistola e comprati la bara
Starring: George Hilton, Erika Blanc, Piero Lulli
Directed by: Giuliano Carnimeo
Music by: Francesco de Mas
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: Pan & Scan
Original Runtime: 99 minutes
DVD Runtime: 92 minutes

Synopsis:  On his endless quest for gold, a gunslinging bounty hunter (Hilton) tangles with Mexican bandits, a double-crossing mining boss and a parasol-carrying dandy!

Review:  Officially, it's the last film in the Sartana series, this time without popular Gianni Garko in the lead role. George Hilton takes his place and does an admirable job considering the odds, a new face in an established vehicle.

Notes:  Wild East has released a beautiful print of this film entitled Sartana's Here... Trade Your Pistol For A Coffin as Volume 38 of their Spaghetti Western series. The film is in the correct aspect ratio, is anamorphic, has a trailer and an interview with George Hilton, but it also only runs 92 minutes.

-----

Blindman (1971)
Original Title: Blindman
Starring: Tony Anthony, Ringo Starr
Directed by: Ferdinando Baldi
Music by: Stelvio Cipriani
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 106 minutes
DVD Runtime: 84 minutes

Synopsis:  A sightless gunslinger (Anthony) embarks on a bloody killing spree after Mexican banditos steal the precious cargo he was to deliver to Texas miners - 50 mail order brides! Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr is impressive as one of the malicious bandits.

Review:  Obviously inspired by the Japanese blind samurai films, this movie features Tony Anthony's best acting as the sightless gunfighter...  It is truly an enjoyable picture.

Notes: There has been no release of an uncut version of this film in the US. Germany and Japan both have English friendly versions from Koch Media, Xylopho, and SPO Entertainment.

-----

Disc Three

Keoma (1976)
Original Title: Keoma
Starring: Franco Nero, Woody Strode, William Berger
Directed by: Enzo G. Castellari
Music by: Guido & Maurizio De Angelis
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 101 minutes
DVD Runtime: 101 minutes

Synopsis: A half-breed Indian (Nero) returns home after the Civil War to discover his town overrun by sadistic bandits and a greedy landowner. Widely considered the last great spaghetti western.

Review:  The first half is great, cryptically mystical, but then it becomes a humdrum Cain and Abel story... Franco Nero's last western for 13 years, until Django Strikes Again. This film is regarded as the best entry from director Castellari.

Notes:  Again, the Blue Underground disc is the best around sporting some very nice special features, including an audio commentary with Franco Nero.

-----

The Four of the Apocalypse (1975)
Original Title: I Quattro dell'apocalisse
Starring: Fabio Testi, Tomas Milian
Directed by: Lucio Fulci
Music by: Fabio Frizzi
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 104 minutes
DVD Runtime: 101 minutes

Synopsis:  The sole survivors of a frontier town massacre make a desperate bid to reach the next town. But when they meet a trigger happy bandit (Milian), all their lives are changed forever!

Review:  Besides looking absolutely stunning, this multivariate film is both heavily symbolic and immensely entertaining. It's a rarity among rarities, an intelligent revenge flick, complete with one of the most satisfying vengeance endings in the spaghetti western genre. It also offers one of the very best Fabio Testi performances, plus a remarkably good one from Tomas Milian.

Notes: The Blue Underground version is uncut and includes the trailer and an interview with Fabio Testi and Tomas Milian.

-----

Disc Four

And God Said To Cain (1969)
Original Title: E Dio disse a Caino
Starring: Klaus Kinski
Directed by: Antonio Margheriti
Music by: Carlo Savina
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (anamorphic)
Original Runtime: 100 minutes
DVD Runtime: 94 minutes

Synopsis:  After enduring ten brutal years of hard labor for a crime he did not commit, a former Union officer (Kinski) has one thing on his mind - revenge. But the man who framed him is now a wealthy land baron who guards himself with 30 hired guns!

Review:  A lesser Anthony Dawson (Margheriti) film.  Especially irksome because the final twenty minutes look as though they were filmed at the bottom of a coal mine - on a moonless night.  This is remarkably uncharacteristic of Margheriti's work... He made some good westerns; this isn't one of them.

Notes:  I have not been able to find any English friendly releases that are uncut and in the correct aspect ratio. Although not very pretty, this is the best we have so far...

-----

The Fighting Fist of Shanghai Joe (1973)
Original Title: Il Mio nome è Shanghai Joe
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Chen Lee, Gordon Mitchell
Directed by: Mario Caiano
Music by: Bruno Nicolai
Original Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: Pan & Scan
Original Runtime: 98 minutes
DVD Runtime: 94 minutes

Synopsis:  A Chinese immigrant (Lee) seeks a new, peaceful like in America, but instead finds racists, perverts, slavers, greedy con men and mercenaries. When provoked, the gentle mystic becomes a deadly killing machine with fists of fury that can ram through his opponents' bodies!

Review: Inspired by the success of Terence Young's Red Sun and the popular American television series Kung Fu, this is another East-meets-West western. The graphic violence sets this one apart from the others.

Notes:  The version here is still Pan & Scan, but has a longer runtime than the one in The Best of Spaghetti Westerns: In the Tradition of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly collection.

-----

White Commanche (1968)
Original Title: Comanche blanco
Starring: William Shatner, Joseph Cotten
Directed by: Gilbert Lee Kay
Music by: Jean Ledrut
Original Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Original Runtime: 93 minutes
DVD Runtime: 93 minutes

Synopsis: Half-breed twins (Shatner in a dual role) - one a leader of a band of Commanches, the other a member of the white man's world - face off in a bloody showdown when a violent range-war is declared!

Review: This film is William Shatner's only contribution to the spaghetti western genre.

Notes:  Any budget-priced spaghetti western collection is not complete without White Commanche. It has looked better in other collections.

-----

 
Special Features

No special features here.

The Bottom Line

The selection of movies this time around is actually quite good (If You Meet Sartana, Pray For Your Death; Keoma; Run, Man, Run; The Strangers Gundown; The Four of the Apocalypse and Blindman being the best) - with many of them being in anamorphic widescreen. Better versions can be found, but if you're interested in spaghetti westerns, you might want to pick up this set and maybe upgrade later if you like theses films. This set is actually a combination of two of their two disc sets. One is the Vigilante Western Collection and the other is also called the Gunslinger Western Collection.