Happy New Year!

Happy 2024!

The blog is moving into it's 12th year!  Honestly I am starting to run out of material after 775 posts!  Anything you all want to see?  Anyone have anything interesting to share?

Soundtrack Review: The Greatest Themes From The Spaghetti Westerns - Performed by London Music Works

If you read this blog, I am sure you have some attachment to the great spaghetti western soundtracks featured in LVC and non-LVC films alike.  Of course Ennio Morricone reigned supreme, but there were also many other worthy composers (Luis Bacalov, Riz Ortolani) and performers (Alessandro Alessandroni, Edda Dell'Orso) that brought musical life to the genre.  We are lucky that countless original soundtracks are available in mostly complete forms.  

Personally I am not much of a fan or re-recordings.  I'm a purist.  I like the originals.  I am constantly playing many original albums on Spotify as I write this blog.  Every now and then something random gets thrown into the mix, which is how I discovered The Greatest Themes From The Spaghetti Westerns - Performed by London Music Works released in April of 2020.

This is a fantastic re-recording of many spaghetti western hits.  For the LVC fan specifically it has tracks from For a Few Dollars More, The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, Big Gundown, Day of Anger, Death Rides a Horse, and Grand Duel.  The performances are very faithful to the originals, and greatly benefit from advancements in sound recording over the last 50+ years.

Standouts to me are the re-recordings of "Run Man Run" from Big Gundown, which offers a less harsh vocal the the Christy original, and the main theme from Death Rides a Horse, which offers a much fuller soundscape for the theme.

The album is worth checking out.  Track listing below-

Volume One 

01. EL GRINGO – Alessandro Alessandroni 

02. DJANGO From DJANGO – Luis Bacalov 

03. MAIN TITLE From TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA – Ennio Morricone 

04. MAIN THEME From DEATH RIDES A HORSE – Ennio Morricone 

05. L’ARENA From THE MERCENARY – Ennio Morricone 

06. A SILHOUETTE OF DOOM From NAVAJO JOE – Ennio Morricone 

07. MAIN TITLE From NAVAJO JOE – Ennio Morricone 

08. PARTE PRIMA From THE GRAND DUEL – Luis Bacalov 

09. MAIN TITLES From THEY CALL ME TRINITY – Franco Micalizzi 

10. DAY OF ANGER From DAY OF ANGER – Riz Ortolani 

11. MAIN TITLES From HIS NAME WAS KING – Luis Bacalov 

12. OPENING CREDITS From THE BIG GUNDOWN – Ennio Morricone 

Volume Two 

01. MAIN TITLES From A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS – Ennio Morricone 

02. MAIN THEME From A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS – Ennio Morricone 

03. ALMOST DEAD From A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS – Ennio Morricone 

04. MAIN THEME From FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE – Ennio Morricone 

05. SIXTY SECONDS TO WHAT? From FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE – Ennio Morricone 

06. MAIN THEME From THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY – Ennio Morricone 

07. IL TRAMONTO From THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY – Ennio Morricone 

08. THE ECSTASY OF GOLD From THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY – Ennio Morricone 

09. TRIO From THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY – Ennio Morricone 

10. MAIN TITLE From MY NAME IS NOBODY – Ennio Morricone 

11. MY FAULT? From MY NAME IS NOBODY – Ennio Morricone 

12. MAIN THEME From DUCK, YOU SUCKER! – Ennio Morricone 

13. DOPO L’ESPLOSIONE From DUCK, YOU SUCKER! – Ennio Morricone 

14. FAREWELL CHEYENNE From ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST – Ennio Morricone 

15. MAN WITH A HARMONICA From ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST – Ennio Morricone

16. MAIN THEME From ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST – Ennio Morricone

https://www.silvascreen.com/silcd1609-the-greatest-themes-from-the-spaghetti-westerns/

Remembering Ennio Morricone

Today we lost Ennio Morricone, the legendary Italian composer who most famously collaborated with Sergio Leone on what would become known as the Dollars Trilogy.  Their partnership continued with Once Upon a Time in The West, Duck You Sucker!, and Once Upon a Time in America.

Of course Morricone's filmography does not end there.  Over the past six decades, Morricone has composed music for over 500 film and television projects.  Nominated for multiple Academy Awards, Morricone finally received his well deserved recognition in 2007 with an honorary Academy Award, as well as an Academy Award for his score to The Hateful Eight in 2016.

Below are a few of my favorite Morricone cues from his Spaghetti Western career.

"The Ecstasy of Gold" - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Second to the main title of the same film, this is one of Morricone's most famous pieces.  This classic drives the scene of Tuco searching Sad Hill for the grave of Arch Stanton.  Even 50 years after it's composition this piece is played nightly at the Fountains of the Bellagio in Las Vegas, as well as the start of all Metallica concerts!

"l'Arena (The Arena)" - The Mercenary

The highlight of Sergio Corbucci's The Mercenary for me was the duel between Jack Palance and Tony Musante commanded by Franco Nero.  Palance owns the scene, but it is Morricone's score that elevates it to the level of greatness that exceeds the rest of the film.  Quentin Tarantino would seem to agree as he used this piece in Kill Bill.

"Morton" - Once Upon a Time in The West

While the above two cuts are a few of Morricone's more boisterous efforts (sopranos!, trumpets!  whistling!), it is often times his quieter themes that are most effective.  This simple track for the railroad tycoon villain, Mr. Morton, in Leone's masterpiece, Once Upon a Time in The West, makes us feel empathy for an otherwise despicable character, as he is slowly dying from tuberculosis while trying to reach the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

Of course Morricone scored four great LVC films; For a Few Dollars More; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly; The Big Gundown; and Death Rides a Horse.

The Maestro may be gone, but his music will live on forever!



Blu-ray Compare - Sabata

Currently there are two Sabata blu-rays on the market that play on US players.  One put out domestically by Kino Lorber Studios, and a second put out for international markets by Swiss label, Explosive Media.  Both are roughly the same price (around $20-$25).

I have previously reviewed the Explosive Media version here.  This blog entry while serving as a comparison between the two, will also serve as my review of the Kino version as there is little to report on as far as a difference to the overall presentation of the film 

The most important aspect of any comparison is the image quality.  I am pleased to say that both labels showcase a very nice print.  In fact it is the same print as it shows the exact same print damage on both discs.  Color is a bit different however, with the Explosive version being a bit darker and the Kino version running brighter with slightly more noticeable grain.

Below are some screen grabs showcasing the difference in the color timing between the two transfers.

Click to enlarge.

Kino transfer

Explosive Media transfer

Kino transfer

Explosive Media transfer

While both discs have a main feature that looks great, the main difference between the two is that the Kino version is a bare bones release, only including a trailer, while Explosive Media's is a special feature extravaganza!

• Lee Van Cleef Westerns - a large collection of original trailers from LVC's spaghetti western career.
• Original English-language trailer for Sabata
• Trailers for other Explosive Media releases.
• Documentary - His Name is Sabata - Italian film historian Fabio Melelli and Director Gianfranco Parolini discuss the making of the film.
• Promotional Materials / Various lobby cards, posters, etc... set to the soundtrack of the film

Below is a overview of the comparison.

Studio: Kino Lober
Language: English
Subtitles: None
Region: A
Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com link

THE GOOD:
Great image quality
Better availability in the US

THE BAD:
No subtitles.  English only language
Only extra is a trailer

Studio: Explosive Media
Language: English, Italian, German
Subtitles: Italian
Region: A/B/C disc 1 (feature), Region 2 PAL disc 2 (feature) and 3 (extras)
Number of discs: 3


Amazon.de link

THE GOOD:
Great image quality
Many extras!

THE BAD:
Extras are on region 2 DVDs, not compatible with most US players.

To sum up both discs are great, but the Explosive Media edition is nicer package with it's many extras, provided you have a region free dvd player for them.  Both are highly recommended for LVC fans!

2017 End of Year Round Up

Another year has come and gone, so I thought it appropriate to take a look back at some of the events and blog highlights from 2017.

New Blu-ray Releases

This year brought us first time US releases of Death Rides a Horse and Return of Sabata, as well as another controversial release of The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly.


5 Years of The LVC Blog

It's hard to imagine that the blog has been active for 5 years this week.  It's even harder to believe that it's been over 20 years since I published the first website (and message board).  In these 5 years, the blog has received 250,000 visits!

When creating this blog I was thinking of it to be a supplement to the website thebad.net, yet it basically became the replacement as now, anything new on the blog is linked to the website.

The first few years of posting were fairly fast and furious, before settling into the weekly posts that are made now.

I've enjoyed doing the many blu-ray reviews of the all the new releases that have come out in the past 5 years.  It's amazing to think about the amount of material that is now available in hi-def format.

50+ individual location reports from my trips to Spain and elsewhere have been well received.  With a 4th trip to Spain in the spring of 2018, I am looking forward to doing a dozen or so more reports.

Thanks for the great support over the years!


Rare and Candid Photos

Make sure to revisit the press photos and candid photos section to check out some of the great shots that are not often seen!


Into 2018...

Look for the usual weekly updates!  Have a Happy New Year!

Where are the LVC Euro-Crime Movies?

While much of LVC's work in the 1970's was that of the (fading) spaghetti western, he did make a handful of European Crime genre films.  These films are increasingly hard to find today, which is a shame.

First let's take a look at which films I am talking about.  Click on the links to learn a bit more about each film. 

• Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (1973)
• The Perfect Killer (1976)
• The Hard Way (1979)

Some may also lump The Squeeze in with these, but as it was shot mostly in New York, I don't count it.

We are now ready to move onto availability of these films.

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony was released on VHS in the mid-80's as part of Sybil Dannings Adventures Video line (which also include The Killing Machine). 

The film a a cheesy introduction by the scantly clad Sybil Danning who also shows up after the movie is over.

As far as I know this is the only way to get the complete version of the film.  Copies come up from time to time on eBay.  There is one on Amazon marketplace right now for $25.00. 



The film is also available on DVD in a highly cut version called Escape From Death Row.  This originally released in the early 1980's no-doubt to cash in on the success of Escape from New York. 

This version clocks in at 76 minutes, which cuts out over 20 minutes of footage. 

I know the $1 price you can find it for is appealing, but do yourself a favor and avoid the cut version at all costs!



I know there are bootleg sources where you can find Mean Frank and Crazy Tony on DVD, but I have not sourced one yet.



The Perfect Killer

This one seems to be the hardest to get.  I can find no trace of it on DVD (despite one 9 film LVC DVD megaset claiming to have it, I ended up with two episodes of The Master instead).

This film was released on VHS under it's original title as well as The Satanic Mechanic (no idea where that title came from!)

  

The Hard Way

Finally a legitimate DVD release! (in the UK anyway). 

This was released in 2009, and the DVD includes a trailer and stills.  It's doubtful this will see a US release so you might as well get the UK version (and hack your DVD player if you are in the US)

You can get it from Amazon here

The Hard Way (1979) [PAL Region 2 Import]





Happy hunting!

5 Years of The LVC Blog!

It's hard to imagine that the blog has been active for 5 years this week.  It's even harder to believe that it's been over 20 years since I published the first website (and message board).  In these 5 years, the blog has received 250,000 visits!

When creating this blog I was thinking of it to be a supplement to the website thebad.net, yet it basically became the replacement as now, anything new on the blog is linked to the website.

The first few years of posting were fairly fast and furious, before settling into the weekly posts that are made now. 

I've enjoyed doing the many blu-ray reviews of the all the new releases that have come out in the past 5 years.  It's amazing to think about the amount of material that is now available in hi-def format. 

50+ individual location reports from my trips to Spain and elsewhere have been well received.  With a 3rd trip to Spain this fall, I am looking forward to doing a dozen or so more reports.

Below are the top 5 most viewed articles on the blog!

     Blu-Ray Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly 4k Remaster

     Jun 13, 2014

 

     Blu-ray Compare - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

     Jan 9, 2013

 

     Location: Sad Hill - Entrance to the Cemetery

     Mar 1, 2014

 

     UPDATE: 4k Remaster of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly on Blu-ray

     May 15, 2014

 

     Location: Sad Hill - The Ecstasy of Gold

     Mar 8, 2014

 

 

Thanks for the great support over the years!

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!

The LVC Blog will continue with weekly Saturday updates throughout the year.  Truth be told there are already enough entries written and scheduled to take us into mid-2018, but I am sure there will be new things to report as the year progresses!

2017 marks the 20 year anniversary of my LVC website as well as the web board.  Has it really been that long?

the original webpage

Have a happy new year!

LVC Beef Jerky?

I did a bit of a double take when I found this product at my local Safeway grocery store (a chain of food stores on the west coast).  Their "store brand" jerky holds an uncanny likeness to Lee Van Cleef, sporting a "bad"ass jerky hat.  There are 3 flavors available (Original, Teriyaki, and Peppered).

Just when you thought you had seen it all...

All 3 flavors

Additional photos below.  Click to enlarge!

Happy New Year, and a look ahead at 2016!

Happy New Year!

The LVC Blog will continue with weekly Saturday updates throughout the year.  Truth be told there are already enough entries written and scheduled to take us into mid-2017, but I am sure there will be new things to report as the year progresses!

Here is a tease on what is to come in 2016....

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: 50th Anniversary

We will continue to celebrate Sergio Leone's masterpiece throughout the upcoming year.  There will be a special section devoted to it on the website in the spring.  Things will get kicked off with a special 6 part blog series featuring some rarely seen photos!  ...as teased below...

Continued Location Reports

2015 was another great year of Spanish travel, and with the new reports just starting in November of 2015, there are still 20 location reports that will be published bi-weekly in 2016

 

Continued Blu-ray Updates

With 2015 bringing us 7 brand new LVC blu-rays, no doubt 2016 will continue with fresh HD material, which will be updated and reviewed here.



 

Happy New Year!

 

Death Rides a Horse Blu-ray Framing Issue

November 7, 2017 Update-

The new US release of Death Rides a Horse by Kino Lorber has fixed the framing issue!  See comparisons below.  Full review here

Click images below to enlarge-

Original October 31, 2015 Post-

While preparing the next batch of location reports, I have been working extensively with screenshots from the Explosive Media release of the Death Rides a Horse Blu-ray (previously reviewed here).  When viewing the finale of the film, I noticed that all the shots were a lot tighter than I remembered.  I compared the blu-ray against an older letterboxed DVD, and the difference was astounding.  The entire end sequence was considerably zoomed in on the blu-ray.

Fortunately, this framing issue only seems to impact the last 8 minutes of the movie.  As to the technical reason for this framing change, my first thought was there may have been print damage on left side of frame when they were making the blu-ray, however the below shot disproves that.

In the shot below the camera pans from left to right as JPL walks towards LVC.  At the same time the Blu-ray image is pan scanned (an artificial pan within the film frame from the left to the right), effectively cropping JPL out of frame.



It is possible that there could have been damage at the top or bottom of the frame, or possibly that the last reel that was provided for transfer was 1:78 aspect ratio (for HD broadcast), and Explosive Media had to further crop the image to match the 2:35 of the rest of the film.  I could speculate all day.

In conclusion, currently this is the only Blu-ray version of Death Rides a Horse available.  Hopefully when the eventual US release occurs, a better HD master is provided, with a complete image.



FAFDM Pocket Watch Review

Before my first trip to Spain, I decided I would like to have a prop of some sort to take with me on my adventures.  As a six shooter was out of the question, I decided to would be cool to have Indio's pocket watch from For A Few Dollars More when visiting the Agua Caliente location.

I was able to find this watch at themusicalpocketwatch.com.  For $150 it was a very accurate replica of watch Indio had throughout the movie.

The watch itself comes in a very attractive case with the films title on the top, and inside, the famous quote; "When the chimes end, pick up your gun"

 

 

Once the watch is opened it plays the familiar Morricone tune.  It is not however a true internal mechanical chime.  The music is a digital recording from the soundtrack that is played from an internal SD card.  The music is projected through speaker holes on the back of the watch (see below)

 

 

 

 

Overall I think this is a great replica, and with the box, displays great.  As an everyday pocket watch, it may not be the best choice, as you will get tired of that song quickly (it can't be shut off).  I think any fan of the film will be very happy with this replica!

 

Additional photos below-

 

 



...and a few on location pictures!

 

 

 

 

 



When LVC is not LVC...

After recently watching The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly for the zillionth time, I realized that for whatever reason LVC used a stand in (or dare we say stunt double) for the reverse angle of Angel Eyes shooting Stevens.  See below-

Lee

 

Not Lee

The "replacement Lee" is indeed Romano Puppo who has doubled or appeared with LVC in as many as 8 film since The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  Here is a photo of him with LVC during the making of the scene above.

 

 

Puppo would later appear onscreen with LVC as a member of Angel Eyes' gang in the last third of the movie.

 

 

 

In the coming weeks I will have a breakdown of all of Puppo's LVC film appearances.  He turns up everywhere!