This review is based on the American video release of this spaghetti western, inappropriately retitled Machine Gun Killers for the Stateside market. That makes it sound like a Roaring Twenties' gangster flick, but it's actually a fairly cerebral and artfully plotted oater about a loner (Robert Woods) on the trail of a villain (John Ireland) and the inventor he's kidnapped. Quel Caldo Maledotto Giorno di Fuoco has a good reputation amongst spaghetti fans, but the Meteor video release is absolutely abominable, featuring badly squeezed credits, lazy to nonexistent pan and scanning, and a washed out print. It also seems to be missing some scenes. Happily, Piero Piccioni's jazzy score blends Jimmy Smith-style Hammond organ riffs with a hint of country-western tang and is one of the few elements to successfully make the transition to home video. Nonetheless, this is a film crying out for a digital upgrade. There are hints of good photography, good editing, and thoughtful writing here, but the negatives far outweigh the positives at this point.
Review of Gatling Gun
