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5/10
Average and slow-moving Chorizo/Tacos/Spaghetti Western co-produced by Spain/Mexico/Italy
ma-cortes7 November 2017
Paella/Chilli/Pasta Western co-produced by Spain/Mexico/Italy about an intrigue that involves several killings . A woman is accused for murder and a court presided by a stiff judge (Rafael Bardem) and a jury (Tito Garcia as Blacksmith , Francisco Sanz , Miguel Del Castillo) condemn her to 15 years prison . She escapes and is run over by a carriage . A young gunfighter called Frank Dalton (Paul Piaget) -from ¨Dalton Brothers¨- returns to the little town , Abilene . Fast-draw Frank results to be brother of the dead accused , who is actually innocent , and Dalton attempts to find out the real culprit . While the handsome , husky leading man , Paul (Fernando Casanova) , is appointed Sheriff . There takes place a murder and there isn't a clue . Paul decides to investigate the identity of a mysterious murderous . The prime suspect turns out to be Dalton , but the sheriff incarcerates the brother of his girlfriend Margaret (Barbara Nelli). Things go wrong when an anonymous letter threaten Margaret , Sheriff's sweetheart, . Then , occurs a string of killings : the inn keeper , the public prosecutor and other people , and without tracks . There are various suspicious but who's the killer ? .

This is a murder mystery Western in which a murderer strangles and slashes his victims and a sheriff along with a gunslinger to discover the true killer . It is an exciting western that packs a story full of violence , fights , killings and subsequent suspense , dramatic pace , plot twists , slick direction and mediocre interpretations abound . It contains an intriguing premise to investigate and to discover a killer , including red herrings , and results to be moderately entertaining , though drags at times , balancing in ups and downs . So-so Chorizo-Spaghetti Western mostly produced by Spain and important Italian/Mexican participation , being rightly shot but with no originality ; and being proceeded in American style more than Spaghetti . Acceptable action sequences with rousing crossfire , spectacular shootouts and glimmer go riding throughout mountains and cliffs . Charismatic performance for the whole casting . It stars Fernando Casanova , he stand out chiefly in westerns and "comedias Rancheras", Casanova appeared as an extra as early as 1946 . His break-through came in 1953 : after playing alongside star María Félix in ¨Camelia¨ (1954), and appearing in Luis Buñuel's ¨Él¨ (1952) and ¨Emilio Fernández''s Reportaje¨ (1953), Casanova was offered the leading role in a popular serial directed by Ramón Peón, ¨Águila Negra¨ (1953), a hero of the Zorro/Lone Ranger type . After those films, he became a regular leading man in romantic comedies and action films . And played some Chilli/Spaghetti Westerns as ¨El Vengador De California¨ , ¨Duelo De Pistoleros¨ , ¨Sheriffs De la Frontera¨ , ¨Dos Cuatreros¨ . He made fun of his own early film persona in ¨Mecánica Nacional¨ (1972), and continued to work into the 1990s , still in action films but now playing character roles . Co-stars the notorious Spaghetti actor , Paul Piaget , father of model/actress Cristina Piaget , he is good in his usual tough role as a Pistolero who seeks vengeance against sheriff and townspeople . Piaget had a brief career , he dearly died by heart broke , he performed a few films , all of them Chorizo Westerns as ¨Seventh cavalry¨ , ¨Welcome Father Murray¨, ¨Three good men¨, ¨Hour of death¨ ¨El Zorro¨ and ¨L'Ombra Di Zorro¨ .

Colorful and evocative cinematography by Ricardo Torres in Eastmancolor and Panoramic , filmed on location in Barranco de la Hoz, Guadalajara, Castilla-La Mancha, and at a Western little town in Hoyo De Manzanares (Madrid) called ¨Golden City¨ with sets by Jaime Perez Cubero and Jose Luis Galicia . Atmospheric and evocative musical score, but inappropriate , by Manuel Parada , including catching song ¨Cuatro Balazos¨ sung by Espinosa and Fierrungolla . The motion picture titled ¨Il Vendicatore Di Kansas City¨, or ¨Cuatro Balazos para Joe¨ or ¨Cuatre Balles Por Joe¨ or Four bullets for Joe¨ was well produced by Fernando Fuentes Jr and regularly directed by Agustin Navarro who directed some passable comedies as ¨Enseñar a Un Sinvergüenza¨, ¨Cuidado Con Las Personas Formales¨, ¨Cerro De Locos¨, ¨Casa De Los Martínez¨ and ¨De Profesión Sospechosos¨.
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5/10
Four bullets for Joe
BandSAboutMovies26 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Directed by Agustín Navarro and written by Fernando Galiana, Mario Guerra, Julio Porter and Vittorio Vighi, this Italian/Spanish Western comes from just before the genre took off in those countries.

Frank Dalton (Paul Piaget) is out to get vengeance for his dead sister, a woman wrongfully accused of killing her husband. It's a relatively American Western by way of a murder mystery and is very unlike the Eurowesterns that would come after. There's also a sheriff (Fernando Casanova) trying to solve who the murderer is and trying to keep Frank out of harm's way.

Notable cast members include Barbara Nelli (Lady Morgan's Vengeance, Bloody Pit of Horror) and Rafael Bardem, the grandfather of Javier. I wish this were a better movie, but there are certainly others to check out. Then again, the appearance of a black-gloved killer in the middle of a Western is always something I am going to watch. There should be more giallo Westerns! I looked up a list on the Spaghetti Western Database and see the following listed that I need to watch:

Killer Caliber .32

Killer, Adios

Ringo, It's Massacre Time

The Last Traitor

The Masked Thief

The Price of Death

Kill the Poker Player

Revenge of the Resurrected

The Crimson Night of the Hawk.
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