Tagarchief: B-movies

Compañeros

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Sergio Corbucci
Written by: Sergio Corbucci, Massimo De Rita, Fritz Ebert, José Frade, Dino Maiuri
Cast: Franco Nero, Tomas Milian, Jack Palance, Fernando Rey

Year / Country: 1970, Italy / West Germany / Spain
Running Time: 120 mins.

In a country torn apart by revolution, an unlikely duo teams up. The not too bright Mexican bandit Vasco (Tomas Milian) and the very polite arms dealer ‘The Swede’ (Franco Nero) go on a mission for the money hungry General Mongo. Their goal is to free Mongo’s pacifistic opponent Professor Xantos from a Texan jail because he knows the combination of a loaded safe. The two hate each other, so there is plenty of double-crossing along the way.

This spaghetti western, directed by the other Sergio, is an early buddy movie featuring two of the most established spaghetti western actors. The music is – of course – composed by Ennio Morricone and Jack Palance plays a very interesting supporting role as marijuana addicted gunslinger.

The movie misses the sharp humour and emotional depth that made genre films such as Django and the Dollar-trilogy so enjoyable, but it is certainly not the worst spaghetti western. The two strong leads fight, joke and shoot their way through a series of engaging adventures. The many last minute rescue scenes become kind of repetitive, so Corbucci could have been doing some heavier cutting. But, like the Mexican revolution, the movie ends in a massive shoot-out which is certainly worth the wait. Viva la Revolution!

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Biography: Sergio Corbucci (1926, Rome – 1990, Rome) is, alongside Sergio Leone, one of the most renowned directors of Spaghetti Westerns. He played a pivotal role in popularizing the genre, particularly through landmark films such as Django (1966) and Il grande silenzio (1968). Corbucci often collaborated with actor Franco Nero, creating some of the most iconic works of the genre. His films, often categorized as B-movies, are distinguished by their unflinching brutality, surreal and apocalyptic production design, dark humor, and politically left-leaning themes. A committed Marxist, Corbucci infused many of his works with a sense of revolutionary despair, reflecting the futility of social upheaval. Despite his significant contributions to cinema, Corbucci remained rooted in Italy throughout his career, with most of his films receiving limited international distribution. He passed away in Rome in 1990.

Filmography (a selection): Foreign Earth (1954), Water’s Love (1954), Supreme Confession (1957), Angel’s Sky (1957), Duel of the Titans (1961), Toto, Peppino and La Dolce Vita (1961), The Son of Spartacus (1963), Grand Canyon Massacre (1963), Django (1966), Navajo Joe (1966), The Mercenary (1968), The Great Silence (1968), Compañeros (1970), Bandera Bandits (1972), The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975), The Payoff (1978), Super Fuzz (1980), My Darling, My Dearest (1982), Days of Inspector Ambrosio (1988)

The Great Silence

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


Director: Sergio Corbucci
Written by: Mario Amendola, Bruno Corbucci, Sergio Corbucci, Vittoriano Petrilli
Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski, Frank Wolff, Luigi Pistilli

Year / Country: 1968, Italy / France
Running Time: 101 mins.

A spaghetti western in the snow? Now that is distinctive and that’s exactly what The Great Silence is. Besides its Fargo-like landscape, the ending is another element that sets it miles apart from its contemporaries. You definitely don’t see that one coming!

Director Sergio Corbucci clearly has a political streak, as he already demonstrated in earlier films and does again here. The misuse of the law by populists to eliminate the people they hate forms the core of the story. That said, Corbucci never neglects style. Right from the opening – a brutally bloody ambush shoot-out in the snow – it’s obvious this is going to be a kick-ass western. Corbucci’s films are certainly comparable to Sergio Leone’s, only with more blood, grit, and brains splattering across the screen.

Storywise, The Great Silence is essentially a revenge movie. The ‘Silence’ of the title is a mute ranger who hunts the vulturous bounty killers profiting from the ‘dead or alive’ law of the time. Silence always provokes his enemies into drawing first, ensuring the law can’t touch him. The truly ‘great’ character, however, is Tigrero, played by the terrific Klaus Kinski. This evil, weaselly bastard is impossible not to love to hate, and he alone already lifts the film above the average B-western. Beautiful cinematography and Ennio Morricone’s haunting score do the rest.

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Biography: Sergio Corbucci (1926, Rome – 1990, Rome) was, alongside Sergio Leone, one of the most prominent directors of spaghetti westerns. Born and raised in Rome, Corbucci played a crucial role in popularizing the genre, particularly through his iconic films Django (1966) and The Great Silence (Il Grande Silenzio, 1968). He frequently collaborated with actor Franco Nero, crafting memorable characters and stories that helped define the genre’s unique style. His B-movies are characterized by brutal violence, surrealist and apocalyptic production design, black humour and politically left symbolism. Corbucci was a fanatical Marxist and many of his films show the hopelessness of the revolution. He kept working in Italy throughout his career and most of his films were barely released abroad. He died in Rome in 1990.

Filmography (a selection): Foreign Earth (1954), Water’s Love (1954), Supreme Confession (1957), Angel’s Sky (1957), Duel of the Titans (1961), Toto, Peppino and La Dolce Vita (1961), The Son of Spartacus (1963), Grand Canyon Massacre (1963), Django (1966), Navajo Joe (1966), The Mercenary (1968), The Great Silence (1968), Compañeros (1970), Bandera Bandits (1972), The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975), The Payoff (1978), Super Fuzz (1980), My Darling, My Dearest (1982), Days of Inspector Ambrosio (1988)

Jail Bait

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Edward D. Wood Jr.
Written by: Alex Gordon, Edward D. Wood Jr.
Cast: Lyle Talbot, Dolores Fuller, Herbert Rawlinson, Steve Reeves

Year / Country: 1954, USA
Running Time: 71 mins.

Marilyn Gregor bails out her brother Don who was caught carrying a gun. It appears that Don is under the influence of the hardened gangster Vic Brady. After Don’s release, he and Vic commit another robbery that ends with the death of an ex-cop. Don is now a murderer. His father, who is a plastic surgeon, wants to help him, but Vic has plans of his own.

Jail Bait is one of the least Ed Woodish films Ed Wood made. It is a crime movie for one thing, rather than a sci-fi / monster flick. There is also no Lugosi, less wooden acting and a whole lot less mistakes, although there are still plenty. One typical Wood element is still there: the message. This time it is ‘Never carry a gun or you will use it.’

The story gets kind of ridiculous as it unfolds, but hardly fails to amuse. The cast holds up well too. Fuller, who appears in many of Wood’s movies, is an enjoyable presence and the ending is really hilarious. Those elements together make this second feature film directed by Wood, one of his finer achievements.

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Biography: Edward D. Wood Jr. (1924, New York – 1978, Hollywood) is widely considered as the world’s worst filmmaker. His low-budget movies, usually mergers of science-fiction and horror, are mostly complete disasters in terms of production values and continuity. In 1994, Edward D. Wood Jr. became the subject of an amazing biopic directed by Tim Burton called Ed Wood.

Filmography: The Sun Was Setting (1951, TV short), Trick Shooting with Kenne Duncan (1953, short), Glen or Glenda (1953), Crossroad Avenger: The Adventures of the Tuscon Kid (1953, TV short), Boots (1953, short), Jail Bait (1954), Bride of the Monster (1955), The Night the Banshee Cried (1957, short), Final Curtain (1957, short), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), Night of the Ghouls (1959), The Sinister Urge (1960), Take It Out in Trade (1970), The Young Marrieds (1971), Necromania: A Tale of Weird Love (1971)

Django

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Sergio Corbucci
Written by: Sergio Corbucci, Bruno Corbucci, Franco Rossetti
Cast: Franco Nero, José Bódalo, Loredana Nusciak, Ángel Álvarez

Year / Country: 1966, Italy / Spain
Running Time: 88 mins.

In 1964, Sergio Leone, an Italian director, redefined the western genre with A Fistful of Dollars, a groundbreaking remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo. Starring a then-unknown Clint Eastwood, the film introduced audiences to the now-iconic figure of the nameless gunslinger, a drifter who arrives in a town torn apart by a bitter private war. Playing both sides against each other, he emerges victorious, setting the template for the spaghetti western genre.

The overwhelming success of Leone’s film inspired a wave of imitations, varying in quality. Among these, Django (1966) by Sergio Corbucci stands out as one of the best and certainly the most famous. The film borrows heavily from A Fistful of Dollars but adds its own distinctive twist. Instead of a nameless drifter, we meet Django, a mysterious stranger trudging through a desolate landscape while dragging a coffin behind him. His identity is memorably introduced through Louis Bacalov’s haunting theme song, which passionately proclaims his name: Django!

The story follows Django as he rescues a prostitute named Maria from a gang of ruthless outlaws. He escorts her to a ghostly, near-abandoned town where he intends to settle an old score. There, he finds himself caught in a deadly conflict between Mexican revolutionaries and a band of racist Southern renegades led by his arch-nemesis, Major Jackson. Initially siding with the Mexicans to deal a crippling blow to Jackson, Django’s motivations soon come to light, setting the stage for an explosive and tragic finale. By the film’s end, only Django and Maria are left standing amidst the carnage, with the rest buried – literally and figuratively.

What elevates Django almost to the level of Leone’s masterpiece is Corbucci’s skillful execution of the genre’s defining elements. Franco Nero delivers a magnetic performance as the titular anti-hero, rivaling Eastwood’s cool and detached gunslinger. Bacalov’s score, while perhaps not as iconic as Ennio Morricone’s, is equally evocative, setting the perfect tone for the film. The supporting cast adds depth to the world, and the stylish, gritty action sequences ensure the audience remains captivated throughout.

Of course, Django is also notorious for its graphic violence, which was shocking for its time. Though modern audiences might find it less visceral compared to contemporary standards, the film doesn’t shy away from bloodshed. That said, the lack of squibs – a result of budgetary constraints – dampens some of the impact, as the gunplay often lacks the visual punch of more modern films.

The film’s pacing does falter slightly in the middle act, where the tension and momentum dip after the gripping opening sequences. However, Corbucci makes up for this with a thrilling and memorable climax that reaffirms the film’s status as a cult classic.

In conclusion, Django is a quintessential spaghetti western and a must-watch for fans of the genre. With its unforgettable protagonist, striking visuals, and bleak tone, it stands as a testament to the creativity and enduring appeal of Italian westerns.

Rating:

Biography: Sergio Corbucci (1926, Rome – 1990, Rome) was, alongside Sergio Leone, one of the most prominent directors of spaghetti westerns. Born and raised in Rome, Corbucci played a crucial role in popularizing the genre, particularly through his iconic films Django (1966) and The Great Silence (Il Grande Silenzio, 1968). He frequently collaborated with actor Franco Nero, crafting memorable characters and stories that helped define the genre’s unique style. His B-movies are characterized by brutal violence, surrealist and apocalyptic production design, black humour and politically left symbolism. Corbucci was a fanatical Marxist and many of his films show the hopelessness of the revolution. He kept working in Italy throughout his career and most of his films were barely released abroad. He died in Rome in 1990.

Filmography (a selection): Foreign Earth (1954), Water’s Love (1954), Supreme Confession (1957), Angel’s Sky (1957), Duel of the Titans (1961), Toto, Peppino and La Dolce Vita (1961), The Son of Spartacus (1963), Grand Canyon Massacre (1963), Django (1966), Navajo Joe (1966), The Mercenary (1968), The Great Silence (1968), Compañeros (1970), Bandera Bandits (1972), The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975), The Payoff (1978), Super Fuzz (1980), My Darling, My Dearest (1982), Days of Inspector Ambrosio (1988)