Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

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Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

Well, as long as there are many other non-Bond threads in there, I decided to start my own. Besides being a spy movies fan, I'm also a Spaghetti Western movies fan, and that of very huge one. So, if there are any SW fans in here, feel free to discuss about any movie related to that genre. Thank you very much.

:cheers:
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by The Saint 007 »

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I'm not the biggest fan of westerns in general, but Once Upon A Time In The West is one of my all-time favourites. Great characters, story, music, cinematography, etc. Just a really awesome movie.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by Kristatos »

Have you seen Django Unchained yet?
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

The Saint 007 wrote:I'm not the biggest fan of westerns in general, but Once Upon A Time In The West is one of my all-time favourites. Great characters, story, music, cinematography, etc. Just a really awesome movie.
It's one of my favourite westerns, as well. Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Sergio Leone, Ennio Morricone, Henry Fonda, what's not to like? Of course, it's one of the best westerns ever produced. Well, I'm not fond of regular westerns, to be honest, but spaghetti westerns are far different. They just have particular way of delivering a product that leaves anyone amazed.
Kristatos wrote:Have you seen Django Unchained yet?
Yes, I've seen it. Horrible movie if you ask me. It made the whole spaghetti western genre a laughter. But, likewise, Quentin Tarantino loves to make things look over-the-top ridiculous. Even Ennio Morricone hated the movie. I'm not against re-using old tracks from previous movies, but it was done improperly in here which is very unprofessional. And also, what's the big idea of using rap song in a spaghetti western? Another thing that bothered me was making Django a slave. Django was a drifter and a former soldier who fought for the north. But, Tarantino's take is completely different, which was very pointless. However, Christoph Watlz and Leonardo DiCaprio were the best things in the film, ohh, I also forgot Franco Nero's cameo. They were the only best parts of the film. What do you think?
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by Kristatos »

I haven't seen it (I've only just seen Inglorious Basterds), I was just wondering whether it was any good.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

Kristatos wrote:I haven't seen it (I've only just seen Inglorious Basterds), I was just wondering whether it was any good.
Well, like Inglorious Basterds a few great moments do exist in the film. If you liked the Basterds, then you'll like this one too.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by Omega »

Django unchanged was fun if you want a blood and gore disguised as Tarantino making "cutting societal commentary". I've heard the original Django was one of the ultimate Westerns.

Brings up another point what is with Tarantino using old movies from the 1960s as launching boards for his new projects, Django, bas***ds, and probably his next movie
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

Been watching this. Not a bad movie, I say.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by Capt. Sir Dominic Flandry »

I've only really seen the famous Clint Eastwood ones. They are not on tv much, although Django appeared on Movie Mix (a free UK tv channel).
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

Capt. Sir Dominic Flandry wrote:I've only really seen the famous Clint Eastwood ones. They are not on tv much, although Django appeared on Movie Mix (a free UK tv channel).
The Dollars Trilogy is the best one in the genre, however, I would recommend you to see Death Rides A Horse, They Call Me Trinity, Boot Hill, The Sabata Trilogy and Django, Prepare A Coffin, as well.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by The Saint 007 »

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May as well mention A Fistful Of Dynamite, since it's a pretty cool film.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

The Saint 007 wrote:Image

May as well mention A Fistful Of Dynamite, since it's a pretty cool film.
Extremely Splendid movie. James Cuborn was fascinating in there. But, the ending was anti-climactic.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by commander0077again »

Always liked Lee Van Cleef... he was a bad guy in High Noon. A fun to watch baddie, with gravel voice, 'angel eyes' moustache. He even played good guys with Morricone-type music. I wonder what would have happened if he had played Dirty Harry instead of Eastwood, and become a big star. He really made the Eastwood SWs, since you need a charismatic villain. :cake:
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

commander0077again wrote:Always liked Lee Van Cleef... he was a bad guy in High Noon. A fun to watch baddie, with gravel voice, 'angel eyes' moustache. He even played good guys with Morricone-type music. I wonder what would have happened if he had played Dirty Harry instead of Eastwood, and become a big star. He really made the Eastwood SWs, since you need a charismatic villain. :cake:
Precisely! Lee Van Cleef is a very underrated actor. I wonder if he had played Dirty Harry, probably San Francisco's crime rate would have decreased to half in a couple of weeks. Eastwood may look extremely badass, but Lee Van Cleef can outdo him like he did in For A Few Dollars More. Heck, it gives me the desire to watch that film again. And of course, listen to some Morricone music.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by commander0077again »

John P. Drake wrote:
commander0077again wrote:Always liked Lee Van Cleef... he was a bad guy in High Noon. A fun to watch baddie, with gravel voice, 'angel eyes' moustache. He even played good guys with Morricone-type music. I wonder what would have happened if he had played Dirty Harry instead of Eastwood, and become a big star. He really made the Eastwood SWs, since you need a charismatic villain. :cake:
Precisely! Lee Van Cleef is a very underrated actor. I wonder if he had played Dirty Harry, probably San Francisco's crime rate would have decreased to half in a couple of weeks. Eastwood may look extremely badass, but Lee Van Cleef can outdo him like he did in For A Few Dollars More. Heck, it gives me the desire to watch that film again. And of course, listen to some Morricone music.
If LVC had been Dirty Harry, you're right, all the San Francisco bad guys would have emigrated to Canada... you're also right that he was just as bad and would've likely been badder than Eastwood in that role -- all played with tongue-in-cheek. Why, he actually had charisma, a trait sadly lacking in certain 'action heroes' today (won't mention names :oops: ). I can imagine him growling, "Go ahead, make my ...." the thugs and the entire café crew would've run screaming :shock: In face offs with the mayor and other authority figures, city hall would've been vacated. And like you, am inspired to see FAFDM again, etc.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by commander0077again »

Finally had a late night showing of For a Few Dollars More real silly fun, a movie that entertains. Again, Lee van Cleef steals the scenes. More fun to watch than even the Eastwood. Van Cleef plays a sort of good guy actually; either his son or son in law is killed (and you don't see any bullet holes/impact even though he's wearing a nice clean white shirt!). Another fun scene is with Eastwood in the saloon and he shoots a guy, and he's clearly aiming at his feet. With DVD one can be a top notch film microscope :shock: Again, there are no impacts on the guy's shirt. The dubbed voices add to the appeal. Van Cleef's voice always sounds dubbed, that's the way he speaks. I'm going to fastforward and watch the finals where the van Cleef avenges his family. It's a shame that Col. Mortimer becomes a bad guy in the next film.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by Barry Niven »

Actually, Lee Van Cleef's "Angel Eyes" in The Good, The Bad & The Ugly is meant to be a completely different character, much like Gian Maria Volonte's rifle-wielding Rojos brother in A Fistful of Dollars (where he was credited as "John Wels") was not magically resurrected to be the infamous Indio of For A Few Dollars More. Apparently, it was Sergio Leone's thing to re-hire actors he liked in different roles, even if it was a bit too soon in Van Cleef's case.

And IIRC, it was the girl that Indio raped after killing her boyfriend who Col. Mortimer set out avenge because she was Mortimer's sister (who killed herself with Indio's gun in the process), since it was revealed in the ending that Mortimer had the identical music-box locket that his sister was given (which Indio stole to use as his "edge" over his duels since then). BTW, that concluding duel was mega-awesome with Eastwood playing referee in that classic shot on him holding the rifle and the other watch.

Though that second film is my favorite of the Dollars' Trilogy, I have to pick Once Upon a Time in The West as my favorite Leone Western overall for one reason only: Charles Mother-#*+!ing Bronson. Now that's how a Real Anti-Hero makes an Entrance.
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

Spoken well, Commander and Barry. Yes, Van Cleef's character 'Angel Eyes' was completely a different one from that of Colonel Mortimer. But, I do most sincerely think Mortimer is the very same person as Sabata. Speaks in the same manners, uses very similar guns, wears the very same outfit, just with shoes instead of the boots as previously, and heck, I think the Sabata trilogy (well, the second one is not meant to be Sabata but Indio Black, but as it's an 'official' Sabata sequel, now, I consider it a prequel since it features a younger character played by Yul Brynner, must be set at the times when Mortimer tells Monco (Eastwood) about how "reckless" he was in his youth, probably that's when before he has become a Colonel.) was set after the Dollars trilogy. And yes, Morricone and Leone did draw the outlines of Spaghetti Western genre. The protagonists weren't as clean as John Wayne's image of hero would be, but they were anti-heroes, with Monco being the best in my opinion, they have given the western genre a different image, and personally, I prefer the SWs over the regular westerns.

And also, has anyone seen the Ringo series with Giulianno Gemma? Incredibly awesome series!!
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by commander0077again »

Thanks much for setting the Commander straight, if not strait-laced. It would have been interestin' if Col. Mortimer had clearly been the same character in both FAFDM and TGTBTU. At the end of FAFDM, both he and 'Monco' (or 'Joe?') (or the Man With No Name? -- which btw would've made a good title) have mutual respect. Mortimer even refuses the reward money: "Maybe next time." After watching this, I regret that the Colonel had to be shot at the end of TGTBTU! Better that instead of The Trio, they'd had the Quadropio or something, and Van Cleef and Eastwood gun down the remaining baddies while Tuco the Ugly :mrgreen: fans his dead gun. (To Fan a Dead Gun -- Fleming title? :happy spin: ).
I'll have to agree with John Drake that I like the SW more than the John Wayne-type; although, of course, I still like the classic High Noon and Shane and the Magnificent Seven blah blah -- with strong scripts and actors. (a brief Mozart interlude ... I'm going to post on the film Galaxy Quest in a few minutes) ... but for sheer fun the SW can't be beat. For fun, I can imagine Van Cleef as the good guy in High Noon. Probably scare his tight-corseted bride before the wedding night. I haven't seen the Ringo series. Oh, to return to the raped girl and shot guy: Looking so much older, I assumed Van Cleef was her dad, or that the guy shot was his son.

Now for some extra bits, with no meaning whatsoever:

True story on Van Cleef (interview): he was asked if anyone ever tried to take him on in real life. He said that was at a bar once, and some guy tried to bother the Colonel. He then turned away, as if to leave, and instead put all his weight behind a open palm to the guy's chin, "Bye bye," said Van Cleef and he walked out. That would have been fun to see.

A couple of times, when I was with my best bud, I would use my Van Cleef voice: passing thru a toll bridge: "Thank you!" which was a giggle, since it scared the toll booth guy momentarily, or at least gave him pause. Another time we drove (I was driving) to Gen. Vallejo's historic home in Sonoma County at closing time. With my best Colonel voice, I rasped, "This place open!?" to the caretaker who was by the road. He gulped and said, Well, it's just closing, but you can go in. (he was about to add, "Colonel" I think :shock:) We saved six pesos or whatever. When I said it, I saw my bud at the corner of my eye putting on his full suppressors, trying without much success to stop his laff. It was hard keeping a straight face. I forgot to look around for the caretaker as we parked. (I was parking the Bad style, going sideways). He probably jumped on his horse and off to the sunset in a cloud of gulps and dust. :cake:
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Re: Spaghetti Western Fanatics Anyone?

Post by John P. Drake »

Haha! That's a great story, Commander! :D Really fun to listen to! A friend of mine met Van Cleef once, circa 1980, I think. And unlike many other people, Lee appreciated his fans and the people who knew him very much. And even shook his hand with a strong hold. Well, Van Cleef is a true role model for what manhood should take example from, nowadays.

Back to the SW's, I have always loved how Sergio Leone composed the concept and cooked it for the genre, yet when it first came out in the 1960s, the critics hated Fistful of Dollars, and bashed Morricone's score. But nowadays, both have become legends. Western movie legends.

Commander, it was not too long ago I watched a crime comedy movie with Lee Van Cleef who played 'Angel Eyes' type character, but was the protagonist and one of the good guys of the story (the main one!). It's called Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (aka Escape From Death Row), and if you could study the story's outlines, it was completely a western story theme just set in the then-modern day 1973 Italy. And as usual, Van Cleef smokes a curved pipe (a nod to his western characters). And heck, the theme tune was mindblowingly amazing, it's a shame they haven't released its soundtrack album.

Alongside FAFDM, TGTBATG and two of the Sabatas, Van Cleef had three other great movies to watch in the same genre. One of them had him a hero-turned-villain in Day of Anger with Ringo actor Giuliano Gemma, The Stranger and The Gunfighter with a Kung Fu star Lo Lieh, and the best of them all, Death Rides A Horse with the man who played Diabolik, oh yes, you heard it right, John Phillip Law!! If you haven't seen it, Commander, check them all out. Ohh, in case you're concerned, Anthony Dawson plays one of the villains in it. :D
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