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If you count yourself a fan of Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood and additionally enjoy a good spaghetti Western, I have got a spot of good news for you, dear reader. What is this good news of which I speak? Well, here goes: A celebrated spaghetti Western is now free to stream, and would you believe that it stars Clint Eastwood in the lead role? Well, it does. If you haven’t already pieced it together, I’m talking about Sergio Leone’s lauded classic The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly amassed its fair share of controversy when it first played theaters in 1966. The film is unflinchingly violent. Though it may not be quite as spicy by modern standards, the flick is still plenty gritty.

Stephen King has an unbelievable amount of influence. He has a massive social media following. And any time he shares a film,...

Stephen King has an unbelievable amount of influence. He has a massive social media following. And any time he shares a film, television, or literary recommendation, various outlets quickly pick up what he’s putting down and pass the news along to their audience, further amplifying the author’s substantial reach. On that very note, I have a cinematic suggestion from Stephen King to share with you. Can you even stand the excitement?

King is an occasional Entertainment Weekly columnist. And a while back, the It author penned an editorial fondly remembering some of his favorite movies. Among them is a classic Clint Eastwood Western. King’s write-up praises the picture, saying: “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a film I’ve written about too often to rehash here; suffice it to say that I was astounded by the sheer size of things, and by the outrageous tricks...

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The year was 1966, and actor Clint Eastwood had already established himself as a global movie star with "A Fistful of Dollars," directed by Sergio Leone. Leone's film hadn't yet been released in the United States, but "Fistful" was such a hit that actors in both America and Italy were taking notice. Eastwood had previously established himself in the TV series "Rawhide," playing Rowdy Yates in 217 episodes of the show. Leone's "Fistful" took Eastwood's already-known Western hero image and updated it in a more stylish manner, borrowing (quite heavily and without permission) from Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo." 

The rest of the world immediately ran to imitate that film's success, and already-profitable Italian Westerns, nicknamed Spaghetti Westerns, continued to proliferate. At the time, a young and upcoming actor name Burt Reynolds was following a similar career arc to Eastwood. He had...

New 4K restorations of Juan of the Dead and Killer Barbys will debut exclusively on the streaming service Film Movement Plus, also available through Prime Video.

Juan of the Dead (known in Spanish as Juan de los Muertos) will stream on April 11.

The 2011 Spanish-Cuban zombie comedy is written and directed by Alejandro Brugués (Nightmare Cinema). Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Eliécer Ramírez, Andros Perrugorría, Jorge Molina Enríquez, Jazz Vilá, Andrea Duro, and Antonio Dechent star.

When Havana falls prey to a full-blown zombie invasion, slacker Juan and his friend Lorenzo decide to profit from the crisis and set up a zombie eradication business. Before long, Juan finds himself in the money — as well as in the unfamiliar role of local hero — as he and his partner expand their ever-expanding repertoire of inventive ways to kill zombies.

Killer Barbys (also known as The Killer Barbies) will stream on April 18.

The 1996 Spanish horror...

Many fans of the genre will vehemently argue that Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West is the greatest spaghetti western ever made. Audiences will soon have the opportunity to revisit the classic film on a free streaming platform.

Once Upon a Time in the West will arrive on Tubi on March 1. The legendary movie stars the iconic Charles Bronson opposite Henry Fonda's villain. The revenge-western follows Bronson's character, Harmonica (a role originally intended for Clint Eastwood), as he tracks down Fonda's outlaw Frank to right a past wrong. The movie's ensemble includes Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Gabriele Ferzetti, Paolo Stoppa, Marco Zuanelli, Keenan Wynn, Frank Wolff, Lionel Stander, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Al Mulock, Benito Stefanelli and Aldo Sambrell.

Related16 Years Later, John Cena's 31% Rotten Action Flick Has Aged Like Milk (But You Can Stream It for Free)

While Cena may be a popular franchise lead,...

One of Sergio Leone's spaghetti western masterpieces has hit a major streaming platform. Once Upon a Time in the West, starring Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, has arrived on Prime Video as of December 1.

Directed and co-written by Leone, the revenge-western Once Upon a Time in the West follows Bronson's character, Harmonica (a role originally intended for Clint Eastwood), as he tracks down Fonda's outlaw Frank to right a past wrong. The film notably cast Fonda against type as the villain. The movie's ensemble includes Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Gabriele Ferzetti, Paolo Stoppa, Marco Zuanelli, Keenan Wynn, Frank Wolff, Lionel Stander, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Al Mulock, Benito Stefanelli and Aldo Sambrell.

Related December 1 Will Be a Sad Day for Stephen King Fans

Stephen King fans only have a few days left to watch a popular adaptation before it leaves Netflix at the start of December.

Once Upon a Time in the West...

One of Sergio Leone's most beloved spaghetti westerns is coming to Paramount+ soon. The iconic filmmaker's Once Upon a Time in the West, considered one of the greatest movies ever, hits the service in August.

Directed and co-written by Leone, the legendary western debuted in 1968 with Paramount Pictures credited as one of the production companies that helped bring it to the big screen. Over half a century later, Once Upon a Time in the West will arrive on Paramount+ on August 1, 2024. The original 166-minute director's version of the movie premiered on December 21, 1968, in European territories, where it became a box-office success. Paramount cut Once Upon a Time in the West down to 145 minutes for its subsequent release in the United States on May 28 of the following year to more modest box office takings.

Related A Quiet Place: Day One Sets Digital Release After Impressive Box Office Run

The prequel...

Quick Links What Is a Spaghetti Western? Where Were Spaghetti Westerns Primarily Filmed? How Do Spaghetti Western Filming Locations Influence Style?

Coined by international critics in response to Sergio Leone's famous filmmaking style, the "Spaghetti Western" denotes a certain type of European movie production. The description became popular in the mid-1960s in the wake of Leone's classic Dollars Trilogy, although the origins of the form can be traced to the beginning of the decade. Spaghetti Westerns have influenced past filmmakers and have inspired modern-day directors like Quentin Tarantino, The Coen Brothers, and others.

Although "Spaghetti Western" suggests Italian origins and filming locations, the distinct brand of movie Western often incorporates international production alongside Spain and other European nations. Moreover, despite the open landscapes and sprawling outdoor photography, many Spaghetti Westerns were filmed on the same studio back lot. With the recent news that Leone's A Fistful of...

This July, Prime Video is bringing you a lot of entertainment with a sequel of a beloved film like My Spy titled The Eternal City and an animated sequel series to the comedy gold, which was the Sausage Party film titled Foodtopia. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Prime Video this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 7 best films that are coming to Prime Video in July 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Animal House (July 1)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

National Lampoon’s Animal House is a classic comedy-drama film directed by John Landis from a screenplay co-written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller. Inspired by National Lampoon stories written by Matty Simmons and Ivan Reitman, the 1978 film follows the story of freshmen Larry and Kent as they join a troublemaking...

The debate rages on: Are Westerns having a renaissance? With recent films like The Power of the Dog and Killers of the Flower Moon making a lasting impact on filmgoers, one can't help but wonder: Are we in store for a resurgence of what we saw from the 1930s to the 1970s? Even at an independent level, you can catch some B-grade Western action streaming on platforms like Hulu and Tubi. With this idea of the genre making it back into the zeitgeist, one can't help but look back at some of the classics and wonder if they still hold up today.

If they happen to still pass that test, then why not remake them? That's what Hollywood likes to do anyway, right? Remake them and put a modern spin on them, and maybe stretch the plot line out a little more. Yes, we're implying that we're turning these classics into a show.

UK correspondent Lee Broughton returns with coverage of a well-realised Spaghetti Western, Michele Lupo’s irony-laden semi-comedy Ben & Charlie. The film’s eponymous anti-heroes are played by fan favourites Giuliano Gemma and George Eastman and the duo receive great support from a number of familiar faces including Marisa Mell, Aldo Sambrell and Giacomo Rossi Stuart.

Ben & Charlie

Region-Free Blu-ray

Explosive Media GmbH

1972 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 113 min. / Amigo, Stay Away; Amico, stammi lontano almeno un palmo / Street Date, 28 October 2021 / Available from Explosive Media / £22.99

Starring: Giuliano Gemma, George Eastman, Vittorio Congia, Luciano Lorcas, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Remo Capitani, Nello Pazzafini, Marisa Mell, Aldo Sambrell, Roberto Camardiel.

Cinematography: Aristide Massaccesi

Production Designer: Dario Micheli

Film Editor: Antonietta Zita

Original Music: Gianni Ferrio

Written by Luigi Montefiori and Sergio Donati

Produced by Lucio Bompani

Directed by Michele Lupo

Charlie (George Eastman) patiently waits outside of a Mexican prison so that he can give his...

The good news is that Kino’s new 4K encodings of Sergio Leone’s first two Italo ‘Dollars’ oaters look terrific, with Fistful showing a lot of improvement: the basic restorations are from prime Italian film elements. And the packages are collector / home theater enthusiast friendly — standard Blu-ray encodings are part of the deal. As the films are still licensed from MGM, they include the extras from 2007 of which we’re very proud. The end results may be the first Leone disc release that makes this viewer ‘The Man with No Complaints.’ Don’t forget, they’re separate purchases.

A Fistful of Dollars + For a Few Dollars More

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1964-1965 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date May 31, 2022 / Separate Purchases / Available through Kino Lorber Fistful and A Few More /

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gian-Maria Volontè, Lee Van Cleef

Original Music: Ennio Morricone

Directed by Sergio Leone

Yes,...

It’s still one of the most popular movies ever, and fans are proving that by shelling out for an umpteenth home video release, this time on the 4K Ultra HD format. Everybody knows exactly what to expect from Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach, but what about the transfer quality and encoding — Sergio Leone’s film was originally shot in the half-frame Techniscope format, which is on the low-res side to scan in 4K. Kino adds a Blu-ray disc and a mountain of accumulated extras from earlier editions.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 162 min. / Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo / Street Date April 27, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 39.95

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, Rada Rassimov, Enzo Petito, Benito Stefanelli, Aldo Sambrell, Al Mulock, Antonio Molino Rojo, Mario Brega, Chelo Alonso,...

By Fred Blosser

In Sergio Corbucci’s 1967 Italian Western, “The Hellbenders” (1967), now available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, embittered Colonel Jonas (Joseph Cotten) devises a plan to avenge the outcome of the Civil War. Where today’s cultural conservatives mostly express their nostalgia for the Old South by gathering to protest the removal of Confederate monuments, Jonas takes more extreme measures. He and his three sons -- the remnant of his old command, known as the Hellbenders -- ambush a military convoy transporting $1.5 million in greenbacks. Slaughtering the convoy’s cavalry escort, they transfer the stolen money to a makeshift coffin supposedly containing the remains of Jonas‘ “son-in-law” Ambrose Allen, another Confederate officer killed in action at the Battle of Nashville. In truth, an officer named Ambrose Allen died at Nashville, but he wasn’t Jonas’ son-in-law, and his corpse isn’t in the coffin. Jonas picked his name off...

We’ve got more Spaghetti western action from Guest Reviewer Lee Broughton — the more obscure they become, the more fanciful the concept. This creative 1968 entry foregrounds a gothic vibe and employs imagery and narrative devices that Lee says would fit well in a horror movie. Italo western fans know the regular actors Fernando Sancho, Femi Benussi and Aldo Sambrell, who star alongside Lang Jeffries and future Pedro Almodóvar star Marisa Paredes.

Requiem for Gringo

Region-free Blu-ray

Wild East

1968 / Color / 1.66 widescreen / 98 min. / Requiem para el gringo, Requiem for a Gringo, Duel in the Eclipse / Street Date, 23 October 2018 / $16.28

Starring: Lang Jeffries, Femi Benussi, Fernando Sancho, Ruben Rojo, Carlo Simoni, Carlo Gaddi, Aldo Sambrell, Marisa Paredes, Giuly Garr, Angel Alvarez.

Cinematography: Mario Pacheco

Film Editor: Jose Antonio Rojo

Production Designer: Eduardo Torre de la Fuente

Original Music: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino

Written by Enrico Colombo, Giuliana Garavagli, Maria del Carmen Martinez Roman

Produced by...

Sergio Leone’s breakthrough international sensation has returned, in a 4k restoration from Italy that’s bound to continue the controversy over odd choices of color. In every other aspect this umpteenth edition of the first murderous adventure of The Man With No Name is the best yet, with a clean image and good new extras.

A Fistful of Dollars

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1964 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 99 min. / Per un pugno di dollari; Fistful of Dollars / Street Date May 22, 2018 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch, Gian Maria Volontè, Wolfgang Lukschy, Seighardt Rupp, Joe Egger, Aldo Sambrell, Mario Brega.

Cinematography: Massimo Dallamano

Art Direction: Carlo Simi

Original Music: Ennio Morricone

Written by A. Bonzzoni, Jaime Comas Gil, Victor Andrés Catena, Sergio Leone

Produced by Arrigo Colombo, Giorgio Papi

Directed by Sergio Leone (Bob Robertson)

This is a long-awaited title, not because there aren’t umpteen previous versions out there,...

A middling entry in the genre of blow-it-up big action spectacles, Paul Wendkos’ Spain-filmed western gives us all the excitement promised by the poster, but with some cardboard characters and lumpy storytelling. George Peppard is on the job, however, and once again proves he can carry a big picture, flaws and all.

Cannon for Cordoba

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1970 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date October 31, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: George Peppard, Raf Vallone, Giovanna Ralli, Don Gordon, Pete Duel, Nico Minardos, John Russell, John Larch, Gabriele Tinti, Francine York, Lionel Murton, Hans Meyer, Aldo Sambrell, Luis Barboo.

Cinematography: Antonio Macasoli

Film Editor: Walter A. Hannemann

Special effects: Emilio Ruiz del Río

Original Music: Elmer Bernstein

Written by Stephen Kandel

Produced by Vincent M. Fennelly

Directed by Paul Wendkos

While providing backing for independent writer-producers like Billy Wilder, Walter Mirisch also shepherded various less ambitious war movies and westerns,...

Review by Roger Carpenter

I have to admit I didn’t have many positive expectations for this later-in-life Jess Franco flick. I’m a Franco fan, but not a Franco apologist. I really enjoy a good number of his films but recognize he’s churned out some real clunkers, especially the period immediately after 1987’s Faceless. The reputation of Killer Barbys was less than stellar with even hard-core Franco fans generally dismissing the film. So it was that I received a screener from Kino Lorber and popped the Blu-ray in. I figured I’d watch it once then toss it in the corner and allow it to gather dust. At least I’d have one more Franco film for my collection even if I never opened the case again. However, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I was entertained throughout most of the film. This may say more about my...

Sergio Leone’s Civil War gunslinger epic is everybody’s favorite western, and most everybody has a bone to pick regarding problems with the previous DVDs and Blu-rays. The good news is that Kino’s 50th Anniversary Special Edition takes giant leaps in correcting older audio issues . . . but the bad news . . .

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Blu-ray

2-Disc 50th Anniversary Special Edition

Kl Studio Classics

1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen (Techniscope) / 187 161, 148 min. / Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il cattivo/ Street Date August 14, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach, Aldo Giuffrè, Luigi Pistilli, Mario Brega, Al Mulock, Aldo Sambrell.

Cinematography: Tonino Delli Colli

Production Designer: Carlo Simi

Film Editor: Eugenio Alabiso, Nino Baragli

Original Music: Ennio Morricone

Written by Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone, story by Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone.

Produced by Alberto Grimaldi

Directed by Sergio Leone

I’d like to report...

A big, loud, lusty western battle movie with sexy stars and zero brains, this was a big hit back in ’69, just before The Wild Bunch rebooted the entire genre. Jim Brown, Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds burn up the screen with action, even though the actual acting is on the weak side.

100 Rifles

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1969 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 110 min. / Street Date November 29, 2016 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95

Starring Jim Brown, Raquel Welch, Burt Reynolds, Fernando Lamas, Dan O’Herlihy, Eric Braeden, Michael Forest, Aldo Sambrell, Soledad Miranda.

Cinematography Cecilio Paniagua

Film Editor Robert Simpson

Original Music Jerry Goldsmith

Second Unit Director Chuck Roberson

Written by Clair Huffaker, Tom Gries from a novel by Robert MacLeod

Produced by Marvin Schwartz

Directed by Tom Gries

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

The Italian western phenomenon hit Europe in 1964 with Sergio Leone’s first blockbuster, but the wave didn’t strike America for several years,...

Writer-director Sergio Sollima gives us one of the best 'political' Italo westerns from the pre- May '68 era... with two top stars in great form, Gian Maria Volontè and Tomas Milian. This two-disc German import has both the long and short versions of the movie in HD, with full language options for each. Face to Face (Faccia a faccia; Von Angesicht zu Angesicht) Region A+B Blu-ray Explosive Media (Alive) 1967 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 93, 112 min. / Street Date April 29, 2016 / available at Amazon.de / E 21,93 Starring Gian Maria Volontè, Tomas Milian, William Berger, Jolanda Modio, Gianni Rizzo, Carole André Ángel del Pozo, Aldo Sambrell, Antonio Casas, Lidia Alfonsi, John Karlsen, Gastone Moschin, G&eacutge;rard Tichy. Cinematography Raphael Pacheco Film Editor Eugenio Alabiso Original Music Ennio Morricone Art Direction and sets Carlo Simi Written by Sergio Donati, Sergio Sollima Produced by Arturo González, Alberto Grimaldi <Directed by Sergio Sollima

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Wow,...

Down to the Bone: Zahler’s Debut a Dapper Genre Hybrid

For his directorial debut, screenwriter S. Craig Zahler assembles an illustrious cast in Bone Tomahawk, an old-school Western eventually shading by successful moments of horror. Though this feels like somewhat of an ingenious, if perverted version of something like The Searchers (1956), and is not the only recent blending of western horror (J.T. Petty’s 2008 film The Burrowers terrorizes its settlers with subterranean creatures), Zahler’s painstaking characterizations elevate the material beyond the usual potential of swarthy genre films handled as B-grade fare.

Although sporting an uncustomary running time considering the limited narrative (eclipsing two hours), which sometimes seems unnecessary, Zahler’s film is never arduous and sports a completely fine-tuned package of superb visuals and increasingly ominous score.

In the small town of Bright Hope, Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell) is the amiable voice of the law, assisted...

Kino Lorber brings the infamous 1967 Spaghetti western Navajo Joe to Blu-ray, an overlooked gem of the genre that’s long been shadowed by its troubled reputation and the continual disparagement of its lead star, Burt Reynolds. In retrospect, this Italian/Spanish co-production promises to be a bit too politically incorrect to be taken seriously considering the casting of American star Reynolds as a Navajo Indian (he is, in fact, partly of Cherokee descent, though not enough to avoid the necessity of bronzer and a black wig).

It’s hardly the first or last time we’ve seen whitewashed casting of Native Americans (Audrey Hepburn in John Huston’s 1960 western The Unforgiven comes to mind), and to many the casting seems to compromise the integrity of the title. Instantly reviled and dismissed by Reynolds in his second starring role during his transition from television to film, it is, nevertheless, a very...

Kino Lorber brings the 1967 spaghetti Western Face to Face to Blu-ray this month, one of director Sergio Sollima’s most notable titles, previously released on DVD as a box-set with the two other titles in Sollima’s trilogy The Big Gundown (1966) and Run, Man, Run (1968). Noted for imbuing his work with a bit of actual social and historical context, there’s a bit more substance than usual for a film relegated to the periphery of a movement dominated by a mere handful of notable names. Though it’s ultimately not at the same level as iconic works by Sergio Leone and hasn’t reached the same level of reappraisal as several other retroactively recuperated directors, it features more nuanced characterizations in its complex narrative structure than is usually evident in other titles of the era.

Boston professor Brad Fletcher (Gian Maria Volonte) is suffering from poor health, and is forced...

Aldo Sanbrell photographed at is home by Cinema Retro's John Exshaw. (Photo copyright John Exshaw. All rights reserved.)

Cinema Retro,

I just wanted to say thank you for the fantastic job you guys did on the Aldo Sambrell article. It's sad for many of older fans to see these actors now ride into the sunset without them getting the send off they deserve. Many out of the public eye for nearly 30 - 40 years now are unknown to anyone under 40 and yet they are missing a heritage and a group of actors who dominated films in the 60s and 70s. The character actors in the Spaghetti western genre appear over an over in the genre and to the fans they are as recognizable and loved as the stars of the films themselves. It was always great to see a film and see the names Fernando Sancho, Aldos Sambrell, Victor Israel, Lorenzo Robledo,...

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Aldo Sanbrell photographed in 2007 by John Exshaw. (Photo copyright John Exshaw. All rights reserved.)

By John Exshaw

With the death of Aldo Sanbrell, who passed away in Alicante last Saturday (10 July), aged 79, another link to the great days of Italian film-making – and the Italian Western, in particular – has been lost. The only actor to appear in all of Sergio Leone’s Westerns, Aldo was the most prominent and recognisable of all those mean-looking hombres who rode the badlands and bit the dust of Almería in those far-off days when southern Spain was the Wild West – Italian style. Asked once by a British director if he “knew how to die,” Aldo replied, “Oh yes, señor, I have been killed in many film fights here in Almería. I have died for Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, George Scott . . . I have made 185 films and I...

Curious to know what frightful films and devilish discs will be available to view in the privacy of your own digital dungeon this week? Fango's got you covered.

Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, September 22, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List. There's a good bounty to be had, so start making your own chopping list now!

Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com

Albino Farm

An Ozark Mountain town - with a century-old history of religious fanaticism - inadvertently creates a modern sadistic society of in-bred misfits who prey on stray travelers. Four young college students - lured into exploring the legend of the Albino Farm - uncover its disturbing past while enduring a night of horrors.

Autopsy Of The Dead

In 1968, the Dead walked...

Now the Dead will talk.

Board up the windows and doors! More than...