3 reviews
This is an exciting film , plenty action , thrills , fights , and starked outdoors from El Lacio , Rome . This violent Western is set on dirty outdoors and dark interiors , the star is a mysterious revenger, ¨a man without name¨ , who comes to avenge against nasty villainous . It deals with an avenger named Davy Flanagan (Anthony Steffen), a war veteran and nowadays a Northern defector . Without memory , he gone back from a dark past to revenge his own death . He hasn't records and arrives in a small town , a location dominated by violent gangs and nasty gunfighters as Dirty (Mario Petri) . In that place there is a dangerous band led by a bandit called Crazy Joe (Fortunato Arena) and his hoodlums . There he meets a judge (William Berger) who tells him his unknown wife Liza (Ida Galli as Evelyn Stewart) is newly married a tough gunslinger named Clay Hackett (Robert Hundar) . Flanagan is wanted , as posters publicize : reward ¨10000 dollars , Dead or Alive¨ . As Davy being pursued and chased by bounty hunters , as he is detained but he get escaped .
Offbeat Western follows the Sergio Leone wake , as it is proceeded in Spaghetti models . It's a moving western with breathtaking gunfight between the protagonist Anthony Steffen against the heartless Mario Petri and Fortunato Arena , in addition a stirring ending fight in the saloon and town square . This movie is a lot of fun to watch . It's an entertaining story with a touch of peculiarity , some great roles , and an amazing music score . The picture is a tale of justice and revenge , as a tough man seeks vendetta and his objective results to be a bloody revenge . The basic plot is typical spaghetti western fare , but what makes this movie stand out is its style . Steffen is appropriate in his usual character , he ravages the screen , shoots , hit and run and kills . The picture is well starred by Anthony Steffen . Acceptable action sequences with rousing attacks and spectacularly realistic battles . Charismatic performance for whole casting . The notorious Spaghetti actor , Anthony Steffen is good as Flanagan . Anthony Steffen may be a name best remembered by Spaghetti Western aficionados, but in his day, from the mid-'60s to the early '70s, Steffen was one of the most popular actors of the genre — at the time cheap B movies, now revered cult classics . The handsome, Italian-born — actually at the Brazilian embassy in Rome — Antonio Luiz de Teffè von Hoonholtz began working in films as a studio messenger for Vittorio De Sica . From there, Steffen began acting in sword-and-sandal epics, later moving onto the Western genre , where he found his niche . Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood, however, Steffen never became a top international box-office attraction .His acting is often accused of being wooden, but in many manners is ideally suited to playing the steely-faced gunslinger synonymous with the genre . His others successes include features as ¨Seven Dollars to Kill¨, ¨The last Mohican¨, ¨Train for Durango¨, ¨Gentleman Jo¨ , ¨Four dollars for Django¨, ¨Shango¨, ¨Arizona colt¨, ¨Apocalypse Joe¨ and several others . Although Steffen's performance in the movie is a bit wooden for the role of such an interesting character . There appears as secondaries the habitual in Italian Western and Peplum , such as Robert Hundar , Raf Baldassarre , Luis Barboo , Eleonora Vargas , Alberto Dell'Acqua , Jean Louis , among others .
There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . There is a very odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax , such as in the final gunfights . The movie gets the usual Western issues , as avengers antiheroes , violent facing off , exaggerated baddies and spectacular duels , excessive zooms , among them . Good production design creating an atmospheric but poor scenario , and fine though rotten sets . The musician Robby Poitevin composes a nice soundtrack in Morricole style and well conducted , this turns out to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie; as it's full of enjoyable sounds and haunting musical background . The soundtrack contributes tremendously to the atmosphere of the film, including an emotive leitmotif, the music score is perhaps the best part of this film . Striking cinematography by Enzo Barboni ; however , being necessary a correct remastering .
Mario Caiano's direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and packs too much action , but especially this thrilling Western contains long shot'em up and violence . He directed this decent western , genre in which he would not only excel but one where he would spent much of the rest of his career , as he directed several Spaghetti : ¨Brandy¨, ¨Avenger of California¨ , ¨Ringo, face of revenge¨ , ¨Bullets don't argue¨, ¨Lone and angry man¨, ¨A train to Durango¨. Caiano is a craftsman who has directed all kind of genres as Peplum as ¨Ulisse vs Ercole¨, ¨I due Gladiatori¨, ¨Maciste Gadiatori di Sparta¨ and Terror : ¨Nightmare castle¨, ¨ Eye in the labyrinth¨ and even Pornonazi as ¨Nazi love camp 27¨. Although Caiano couldn't be deemed an "A"-list director, his movies had a professionalism and a verve that many of those made by his fellow B directors lacked . This is a passable though muddle and uneven Western but will appeal to Spaghetti aficionados . Rating : 6 , riotous Western in which there's too much violence , action and enough excitement
Offbeat Western follows the Sergio Leone wake , as it is proceeded in Spaghetti models . It's a moving western with breathtaking gunfight between the protagonist Anthony Steffen against the heartless Mario Petri and Fortunato Arena , in addition a stirring ending fight in the saloon and town square . This movie is a lot of fun to watch . It's an entertaining story with a touch of peculiarity , some great roles , and an amazing music score . The picture is a tale of justice and revenge , as a tough man seeks vendetta and his objective results to be a bloody revenge . The basic plot is typical spaghetti western fare , but what makes this movie stand out is its style . Steffen is appropriate in his usual character , he ravages the screen , shoots , hit and run and kills . The picture is well starred by Anthony Steffen . Acceptable action sequences with rousing attacks and spectacularly realistic battles . Charismatic performance for whole casting . The notorious Spaghetti actor , Anthony Steffen is good as Flanagan . Anthony Steffen may be a name best remembered by Spaghetti Western aficionados, but in his day, from the mid-'60s to the early '70s, Steffen was one of the most popular actors of the genre — at the time cheap B movies, now revered cult classics . The handsome, Italian-born — actually at the Brazilian embassy in Rome — Antonio Luiz de Teffè von Hoonholtz began working in films as a studio messenger for Vittorio De Sica . From there, Steffen began acting in sword-and-sandal epics, later moving onto the Western genre , where he found his niche . Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood, however, Steffen never became a top international box-office attraction .His acting is often accused of being wooden, but in many manners is ideally suited to playing the steely-faced gunslinger synonymous with the genre . His others successes include features as ¨Seven Dollars to Kill¨, ¨The last Mohican¨, ¨Train for Durango¨, ¨Gentleman Jo¨ , ¨Four dollars for Django¨, ¨Shango¨, ¨Arizona colt¨, ¨Apocalypse Joe¨ and several others . Although Steffen's performance in the movie is a bit wooden for the role of such an interesting character . There appears as secondaries the habitual in Italian Western and Peplum , such as Robert Hundar , Raf Baldassarre , Luis Barboo , Eleonora Vargas , Alberto Dell'Acqua , Jean Louis , among others .
There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes . There is a very odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax , such as in the final gunfights . The movie gets the usual Western issues , as avengers antiheroes , violent facing off , exaggerated baddies and spectacular duels , excessive zooms , among them . Good production design creating an atmospheric but poor scenario , and fine though rotten sets . The musician Robby Poitevin composes a nice soundtrack in Morricole style and well conducted , this turns out to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie; as it's full of enjoyable sounds and haunting musical background . The soundtrack contributes tremendously to the atmosphere of the film, including an emotive leitmotif, the music score is perhaps the best part of this film . Striking cinematography by Enzo Barboni ; however , being necessary a correct remastering .
Mario Caiano's direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and humorous and more inclined toward violence and packs too much action , but especially this thrilling Western contains long shot'em up and violence . He directed this decent western , genre in which he would not only excel but one where he would spent much of the rest of his career , as he directed several Spaghetti : ¨Brandy¨, ¨Avenger of California¨ , ¨Ringo, face of revenge¨ , ¨Bullets don't argue¨, ¨Lone and angry man¨, ¨A train to Durango¨. Caiano is a craftsman who has directed all kind of genres as Peplum as ¨Ulisse vs Ercole¨, ¨I due Gladiatori¨, ¨Maciste Gadiatori di Sparta¨ and Terror : ¨Nightmare castle¨, ¨ Eye in the labyrinth¨ and even Pornonazi as ¨Nazi love camp 27¨. Although Caiano couldn't be deemed an "A"-list director, his movies had a professionalism and a verve that many of those made by his fellow B directors lacked . This is a passable though muddle and uneven Western but will appeal to Spaghetti aficionados . Rating : 6 , riotous Western in which there's too much violence , action and enough excitement
- marthahunter
- Jan 29, 2018
- Permalink
Civil War veteran (Anthony Steffen) is an amnesic after an injury to the head when trying to escape from a POW camp during the last stages of the Civil War.
He is drinking at the saloon, living as an outcast when a bounty hunter shows up to collect a bounty on his head as a deserter. Davy manages to escape. In the process, he discovers that the secret to his past might be found in the town of Dixon. He finds the townsfolk to be quite scornful of him - they think the rumour of him deserting the army is true.
He was only one person (William Berger) who professses to be his friend ... or is he?
Anthony Steffen does his usual taciturn turn in this atmospheric spaghetti western which has a rather dark-toned picture, the towns look grainy and the action is aplenty, however a little subtlety as Steffen is a man with no memory would've been good. The plot doesn't unwind gradually with Steffen figuring out who he is - thirty minutes in he on the prod, mowing the enemy down. For a man with amnesia he isn't vulnerable enough or baffled about who he really is. The objective of Berger isn't clear. The action sequences are great, well-staged but that's the problem; it relies on that too much make the film watchable. In between the shootouts, this western can lapse into unclarity and tediousness. Could've been better with a sharper execution, more mystery and less reliance on action to drive the plot. The music score is great, the action and performances are fine.
He is drinking at the saloon, living as an outcast when a bounty hunter shows up to collect a bounty on his head as a deserter. Davy manages to escape. In the process, he discovers that the secret to his past might be found in the town of Dixon. He finds the townsfolk to be quite scornful of him - they think the rumour of him deserting the army is true.
He was only one person (William Berger) who professses to be his friend ... or is he?
Anthony Steffen does his usual taciturn turn in this atmospheric spaghetti western which has a rather dark-toned picture, the towns look grainy and the action is aplenty, however a little subtlety as Steffen is a man with no memory would've been good. The plot doesn't unwind gradually with Steffen figuring out who he is - thirty minutes in he on the prod, mowing the enemy down. For a man with amnesia he isn't vulnerable enough or baffled about who he really is. The objective of Berger isn't clear. The action sequences are great, well-staged but that's the problem; it relies on that too much make the film watchable. In between the shootouts, this western can lapse into unclarity and tediousness. Could've been better with a sharper execution, more mystery and less reliance on action to drive the plot. The music score is great, the action and performances are fine.