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A much darker, more thematically rich and deeply felt adventure than its predecessor, The Return of Ringo reconvenes the same cast, crew and locations for a radically different story and scenario, presenting equal quantities of action and romance in a slow-burning revenge plot, along with some genuinely funny moments and touching melodrama. The Ringo from the previous film is a carefree, charming young man, slightly cynical, but deep down, he's a decent bloke, perhaps a bit of a scoundrel, but with a heart of gold. The Ringo who returns from the war is a bitter man, desperate, but he bears his emotional scars with dignity and pride. He's humiliated, symbolically emasculated, his wife taken from him, his shooting hand wounded, but from the very beginning, we understand that he will not be broken. Gemma is superb in the central role; his portrayal, while still allowing for all the action hero elements you would expect, is filled with levels of anguish, self-doubt and emotional pain. All of which he carries off skillfully and bounces off the rest of the cast with genuine pathos. Director Duccio Tessari once again delivers a truly spectacular-looking film; his camerawork is incredible, and his use of colour is eye-popping, carrying us along to a highly charged crescendo alongside another absolutely mesmerising score from Ennio Morricone. The clearly superior film of the Ringo duology, The Return of Ringo, is chock full of cast-iron suspense and taut, adrenaline-pumping action, presenting it all in a fabulous neo-realist sandstorm of emotions.

A lighter, less cynical version of the spaghetti western style, A Pistol for Ringo easily epitomises the things that made the Italian western so special, although relatively straightforward in comparison to later efforts in the genre, it's an unpretentious film that emerges as more akin to classic American westerns than the Italian powerhouses. Ringo is the complete antithesis of Leone's Man with No Name, talkative, well-dressed, clean-shaven and preferring milk to whiskey. A role that former Italian stuntman Giuliano Gemma takes in stride, he has a great screen presence, one that balances boyish innocence with a deadly edge, and the endearing and tragic love affair he shares with the gorgeous Nieves Navarro is well-realised. It helps that the script is filled with acute dialogue and peppered with just the right amount of sarcastic humour to keep his rather dickish persona likeable. Director Duccio Tessari has a very distinct visual style; although it occasionally delves into the mundane, it remains engrossing throughout, while Ennio Morricone delivers yet another fine score with an absolutely incredible title song to boot. It may not be amongst the top ten titles of the genre, but A Pistol for Ringo is still absolutely worth searching out, no doubt about it. Offering a simple story that manages to explore some interesting ideas without actually being confrontational, and a genre film that attempts to reinvent itself without actually stirring the pot. It doesn't try to make some sweeping artistic statement and ultimately stands as a fun western that can be enjoyed on multiple levels, and one that makes for required Christmas viewing.

A chilling allegory of survival that turns the mundane act of strolling into a living nightmare, The Long Walk feels more relevant now than ever, a horrifying endurance test that holds a mirror up to our society, making for a brutal viewing experience. Walk or die, such a simple concept, yet so terrifying. There is no victory. A film that sees Stephen King at his best, one that's rife with characters to ache for and despise, with shocking moments of depravity and transcendent humanity. The sacred and the profane, all wrapped up into an anti-fascist cautionary tale. One that casts itself as a frightening saga about tyranny's capacity to acclimate its subjects to slaughter and slavery, and to coerce them into performing and celebrating self-destruction under the guise of unity, strength, and progress. It's darkly comedic, yet it manages to touch on the wonders of life and relationships with director France Lawrence crafting a heartbreaking journey through oppressive bleakness, where beauty can be found in the unique and meaningful bonds formed by the walkers as they strive to walk just a little further. Being that the vast majority of this film is walking, limping, staggering, talking, shouting, baiting and crying, in the wrong hands, this could become tedious, but under Lawrence's skilful eye, every second is compelling. It reminds me of an Alan Clarke film but with the violence turned up to 11. Buoyed by Jeremiah Fraites' incredible score in tow and stellar performances, particularly from Hoffman, Hamill, and Jonsson, The Long Walk is undoubtedly a painful watch, but all of the nightmares feel in service to the story, a film that is so complex in its simplicity that every emotion it brings out of you comes as a surprise.