Reviews

Daniel Baker pull your head out of you know what! First off Burt Reynolds had to leave during filming of Navajo Joe for a commercial, which infuriated Corbucci. Reynolds thought he was going to become a huge star doing a spaghetti western and believed he was going to work with Leone. I believe deep down in his little heart he knows this was one of his better roles he has played.

The opening scene was great with Aldo Sambrell (Mervyn Duncan)smiling at Joe's wife (Cristina Sani). I didn't think (Indians) feared anyone especially Navajo..Answering Daniel's second intelligent remark! It shows Duncan's hatred for his own being half blooded Indian and during his childhood being called a halfbreed. He collects Indian scalps for a dollar a head. Which is funny how Joe makes a deal with the townspeople for a dollar a head. When Duncan learns that he has a bounty on his head he sacks the local town and make's a deal w/ Dr. Lynne in stealing the train carrying $500,000 on board. One by one Joe eliminates the Duncan Gang and Dr. Lynne is killed by Duncan. It is a great final showdown with Merv Duncan and Joe in the Indian Burial ground of his ancestors. Like Corbucci's style the hero is killed off unlike Great Silence were the hero dies and the villain lives. The hate for one another destroys each other it is a cool Ax to the head scene which is edited in most versions. When you see Joe's horse ride into town with the money we know Joe has died....Niccoletta M. plays a small role in this film as a half breed as well but the opposite to Duncan's character.

Ennio Morricone uses an unusual alias as Leo Nichols. Great music, great camera work and great acting. It is a shame Reynolds only contribution to this genre. The saddest part is it never gave Aldo Sambrell a chance to play a lead role only more smaller parts. It is rumored to have a full version were Joe is visited by Nicolleta M before he dies in the burial grounds bullet ridden.

I loved the score by Mario Migilardi. Overall this movie for me was a major disappointment. The script was very weak, bad acting with the exception of Lou Castel who played a great role as the boomerang slinging son of a preacher, who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Mary character was great how she seduced and would do anything for wealth. I think the movie tried to hard to be like Django Kill it was more weak than surreal. It was Corrado Pani (Bart) in his only role in the genre and we can see why good looking but bad acting! You have an old lady struggling to grasp Benson Town is a ghost town but she hangs around waiting for a stranger like Castel to bring life back there which he denies the offer. The gold just slips away on a donkey nobody wants it except mortally wounded Bart who rides after it...okay!!! Wow, I am shocked there was no Matalo (2). Last thing did Mary and Philip die from the camera spinning around and around or by bullets??? I almost passed out from 2 minutes of brilliant camera work!

This movie which was done in 1977 was the last hope for the Genre which was the Spaghetti Westerns. So much crap was produced through the later years. Mannaja ( A Man Called Blade) was one of my favorites the only two things it really lacked was the opening score was a bit weak and the whole Donal O'Brien Character (Craven) coming back to nurse Blade back to health to betray him????? That was the only problems, I had with the movie. The rest was awesome great job on behalf of director Martino and very impressive camera work by Federico Zanni. Maurizio Merli played the blade character to a tee great job especially for his only contribution to the genre.

I really enjoyed the music with the beginning love stages with blade and actress Martine Brochard a very well choreographed scene. Also who can forget the rotting eyeballs scene. The story was great so was the acting an overall interesting tale of a mountain man bounty hunter out for revenge. It's a shame such a great movie came too late to change things for the genre.

His Name was King (1971) This movie with a great title but lacked an overall deliverance to the audience. Richard Harrison and Klaus Kinski were very good acting wise even though the latter was only 5 minutes of acting, which I clocked it at.

Harrison who plays John "King" Marley who's brother was murdered and his wife Carol was beaten and raped. Of course King is looking on revenge and the culprits are the Benson Gang who is secretly lead by King's friend Sheriff Foster(Kinski)who are running guns illegally. Well King wipes out the Benson gang and has a great showdown with ex-friend Sheriff Foster. The soundtrack in the movie was very weak shocking from the great Luis Bacalov. Soundtracks for Spaghetti Westerns are a key in sometimes saving face especially if the story is dull or the acting is bad. I do however recommend the movie for Kinski fans!