Review of Black Jack

Black Jack (1968)
6/10
This Black Jack (1968) is a typical Spaghetti Western including common scenarios , two-fisted antiheroes and violent shootouts
27 November 2021
A passable and attractive Pasta Western , as main novelty being shot in Israel , and packing thrilling scenes , crossfire , rapid zooms and strong confrontations. A Western full of shots , go riding , crossfire , plot twists and violence . It contains a catching soundtrack , an atmospheric cinematography and spectacular production design shot in Neguev desert , Israel and Elios studios , Lazio , Rome . Acceptable Western about a merciless revenge happening after a bank robbery , in which a thief , Jack Murphy (Robert Woods) , leader of a dangerous band is betrayed by their members : Skinner (Rik Battaglia) , Reb (Larry Dolgin) , Indian Joe (Mimmo Palmara) Mathias and the brothers, Bill and Gordon . They mistreat and torture him and leave him for dead . Later on, Jack survives and goes for revenge and he kills each man of the band one by one . The unsettling and disturbing avenger attempts to hunt them , seeking justice throughout a long deadly confrontation between the tough revenger and his enemies . Jack contends his enemies at duels and ambushes in which he must use his experience and cunning . Jack is eventually supported by previous friend , and the end takes place his encounter with enemies at the town , including unexpected surprises . This is a doomed journey to hell through vengeance , murders and violence .

Ordinary Italian Western with sad atmosphere , attractive musical score and concerning the customary revenger seeking justice and vengeance . Run-of-the-mill Maccaroni Western , adding a few novelties , but also with usual elements , such as extreme baddies , betrayers , noisy action , turns and some spectacular action scenes . This reckless hero was here well played by the Spaghetti star Robert Woods who proceeds his relentless vendetta at whatever cost , acting as a judge , jury and lethal executioner . It is a habitual Spaghetti Western including thrills , regular scenarios , nail-biting action , shoot'em up , and an unexpected final twist . This motion picture was well directed by Gianfranco Baldanello packing an evocative soundtrack , evocative cinematography and acceptable production design in a medium-low budget . This exciting Western regarding an implacable hunting down , adding cruel killings against people , it should be more fun than it is , but the film seems some claustrophobic in the final part , mostly filmed at the village , as much of the action takes place at a Saloon , and the central street for the abandoned town , though including some defiles , mountains when the horseback riders are go riding . Stars Robert Wood is nice as the violent , furious pistolero who is roused to action by seeking vengeance . Robert , because of his height, he did most of my own stunts . Robert Woods gives better acting than other previous roles, because of he plays a complex character , a revenger who is really fed up with his dark and sinister past and seeks for vengeance when his sister is raped and killed . Woods played a lot of Spaghetti Westerns , some of them passable , others lousy ones , as follows : "A Dollar and a Grave , Gatlin Gun , Black Jack , El Puro, Colt in the Hand of the Devil, The Belle Star Story , My Name is Pecos , Pecos Cleans Up and Seven Guns for the MacGregors" . Along with Robert Woods in the movie appears some Spaghetti familar faces such as : Rik Battaglia , Mimmo Palmara , Goffredo Unger as Fredy Unger , Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia , Tom Felleghy and two gorgeous Eurotrash beauties : Lucienne Bridou and Sascia Krusciarska.

The music by Coriolano Gori is suitably Spaghetti in Ennio Morricone wake , with usual guitar chords and other instruments in Italian style . Adequate cinematography in Eastmancolor by Mario Fioretti , though a perfect remastering being really necessary . This Spaghetti Western was nicely shot by the Italian professional Gianfranco Baldanello . He was a prestigious assistant director to popular Italian films such as ¨Leopard of Sarawak¨ , ¨Vendetta of Ursus¨ , ¨Cavalcata selvaggia¨ , ¨David and Goliath¨ , ¨Sword of the Sarracen¨ , ¨1527 Il sacco di Roma¨ , ¨Fire Monsters Against the Son of Hércules¨ , among others . As he was assistant director/writer/editor/producer and subsequently directed some films . Gianfranco made several Spaghettis , such as ¨Uccidete Johnny Ringo¨ , ¨This man cant die¨ , ¨Son of Zorro¨ , ¨The Cry of the Wolf¨, ¨Black Jack¨ , ¨Blood River¨ and ¨30 Winchesters for El Diablo" - International title- or "Gold Train" . Being starred by usual Spaghetti genre stars as Brett Halsey , Gianni Garco , Peter Martell , Wayde Preston , Fernando Sancho , Anthony Steffen and Robert Woods . Rating : 6/10 decent Spaghetti Western . The flick will appeal to Spaghetti Western aficionados .
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