The Spaghetti Western thread

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

According to dvdaficianado, Raro is going to release Sergio Garrone's HANGING FOR DJANGO (Una Lunga fila di croci, 1969) starring Anthony Steffen on region A blu-ray July 23. Evidently it was shot entirely in the vicinity of Rome and never went to Almeria, Spain. Also evidently it only became a Django entry in the dubbing. I have this in the huge Timeless box but I don't recognize it. Will check it out now. Maybe an upgrade is worth it.

I'm really disappointed in both Django Double Feature collections released by Timeless. The transfers are fine. No complaints about picture quality or aspect ratios. It's just that the films are lower-tier spags, and probably not really Django films at all. Slapping the Django label on almost any spag may have helped sell tickets back then and DVD's now but it don't help the films any. What I mean is, viewers might perceive the stories differently if they weren't hobbled by that hook.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

None of the Django films are really Django films though, except the first one.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

You mean Django never had an actual sequel or intended follow-up? Did all Django tie-ins only become Django films in the dubbing?

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

There was a real sequel to DJANGO - DJANGO STRIKES BACK (1987) - but it's not a spaghetti western, more of a bad action movie. There were a few films that used the name Django even pre-dubbing, the best one that actually does work as a follow-up is DJANGO, PREPARE A COFFIN, Terence Hill closely resembles Franco Nero and he's playing the same character. It was also co-written by Franco Rossetti, who was involved in the original DJANGO. A good film I very much recommend. HANGING FOR DJANGO is better known as NO ROOM TO DIE and while it's not a Django film it's a very good spaghetti western.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

You mean Django never had an actual sequel or intended follow-up? Did all Django tie-ins only become Django films in the dubbing?

Andrew basically covered it, but yeah, the only official Django sequel is the 1987 movie which is more of a Rambo style film. It's fun, but it doesn't really connect with the original. The countless other Django movies - some were retitled and as Andrew notes some were written with a character named Django in them but let's be honest, they were basically knock offs of the Nero picture, not official sequels. Not that some of them aren't great in their own way...

Thanks for the heads up on that Kinski double feature. Adding that to my want list!

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

the best one that actually does work as a follow-up is DJANGO, PREPARE A COFFIN, Terence Hill closely resembles Franco Nero and he's playing the same character. It was also co-written by Franco Rossetti, who was involved in the original DJANGO. A good film I very much recommend. HANGING FOR DJANGO is better known as NO ROOM TO DIE and while it's not a Django film it's a very good spaghetti western.

I'll second everything Andrew says about PREPARE A COFFIN/PREPARATI LA BARA! and UNA LUNGA FILA DI CROCI/NO ROOM TO DIE. The former is a very good film, imo, and despite the bad rap it gets in some quarters, I've always had a soft spot for the latter: Steffen makes for a good lead in this one, and I really like the photography in the film (by Franco Villa).

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Thanks for your comments, everybody. I'll pick up DJANGO PREPARE A COFFIN down the road soon. Glad to hear Terence Hill plays it serious. His later comedies were not my cup of espresso.

I watched No Room to Die (Una Lunga fila di croci) in BEST OF THE SPAGHETTI WESTERNS box. The first film on disc 1. There isn't much story to speak of but all the spaghetti western rituals are present and delivered in fine style by Sergio Garrone. It's a well-made film, and should look real western on blu-ray. I'm putting Raro's forthcoming blu on my Buy list.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

By the way, amazon stopped selling BEST OF THE SPAGHETTI WESTERNS: IN THE TRADITION OF THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY some time ago. I guess Timeless Media Group over-reached. It can still be had on ebay, however, starting at about $28. I predict the price will go up.

[Zane C. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zane C.]

By the way, amazon stopped selling BEST OF THE SPAGHETTI WESTERNS: IN THE TRADITION OF THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY some time ago. I guess Timeless Media Group over-reached. It can still be had on ebay, however, starting at about $28. I predict the price will go up.

Looks like there's one left on amazon.ca for $30 CDN for those interested, as well as 7 from other sellers, varying in price from $25.89 to $45.97. Glad I bought this when I had the chance.

Any new SW budget releases I make a point to get, as you never know if they'll be on the market long on or not. This sounds similar to that Diamond Entertainment SW Collection a few years back, where they had to pull the set and rerelease it without a movie or two.

[Scyther Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Scyther]

I'll second everything Andrew says about PREPARE A COFFIN/PREPARATI LA BARA! and UNA LUNGA FILA DI CROCI/NO ROOM TO DIE. The former is a very good film, imo, and despite the bad rap it gets in some quarters, I've always had a soft spot for the latter: Steffen makes for a good lead in this one, and I really like the photography in the film (by Franco Villa).

Yeah, Andrew definitely nailed it. Preparati a Bara is great, particularly the house fire scene later in on the film. The Arrowdrome release is actually pretty solid. Not to toot my own horn, but I reviewed it here for 10kBullets, if anyone's interested.

http://10kbullets.com/reviews/d/djan...pare-a-coffin/

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Many helpful reviews there at 10K, Scyther.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

After reading this review

http://sonofdjango.blogspot.com/2009...n-killing.html

of Perché uccidi ancora? (1965 - Why Go On Killing? aka Blood at Sundown) I have a hankering to see the film. It sounds interesting. Evidently the only English-friendly release is in the budget collection Sartana Saga: Spaghettie Western Bible 2:

http://www.amazon.com/Sartana-Saga-S...f=pd_sim_mov_4

which is cheap enough, but the quality, according to one reviewer, is not worth it:

Blood At Sundown - runs 1 hr. 39 min. 44 sec. Slightly faded reddish print,
mastered off a VHS with some tape damage, causing jittering and some
digitization of the picture. Slightly letterboxed.

Does anyone know of a better source?

Who's seen the film and what do you think of it?

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

You're talking about two different films, Richard. BLOOD AT SUNDOWN (1966) stars Anthony Steffen and Gianni Garko as feuding brothers. It's a terrific film, epic tragedy stuff with a mournful Michele Lacerenza score - very trumpet dominated. It's on that Sartana set you linked to (Garko plays a character named Sartana but it's a different one from that in the series of Sartana films). I haven't come across a really nice copy, have that set and a dvd-r from ETC but neither is very nice.

WHY GO ON KILLING? (1965) is the film you linked a review to, stars Steffen and is a pretty good early spaghetti. Worth seeing for sure but not what I'd consider one of his best films. I scored a pretty nice fandub from ZDD several years ago.

Of the two, I think BLOOD AT SUNDOWN is the one to seek out but as I said there's not a truly nice version at least as far as I know.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Thanks for clearing that up.

The English Titles listing at spaghetti western database gives BLOOD AT SUNDOWN as an alternate title for WHY GO ON KILLING but that could be a mistake.

At any rate, you mentioned ZDD. I checked their site and they have both. Regarding BLOOD AT SUNDOWN, did you say it's a tragedy? an epic tragedy? with a mournful score? I better get that one.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

By the way, regarding the aforementioned NO ROOM TO DIE, the very premise of the thing is a factual and historical error. The film begins with Mexicans being smuggled across the border concealed in a wagon, which is then dumped over a cliff with them in it soon as the money is paid. There was no such thing as illegal immigrants on the southwestern border during the 19th century. There were no passports or picture I.D. in those days. The two cultures inter-married and plum forgot about that border stuff. Both sides walked back and forth as freely as they pleased. The border was observed formerly only for economic and governmental purposes that had nothing to do with how the local people were living. So Mexicans didn't need to be smuggled into the USA during the Wild West. They were already here.

From there, the factual errors in NO ROOM TO DIE start multiplying like the andromeda strain. Not that it matters in an entertainment.