God's Gun – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Israel, 1976
Director: Gianfranco Parolini
Writers: John Fonseca, Gianfranco Parolini
Cast: Lee Van Cleef, Jack Palance, Richard Boone, Sybil Danning, Leif Garrett, Robert Lipton, Cody Palance

Release Date: February 8th, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 57 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $24.95

"A man of the cloth (Van Cleef) is brutally murdered while trying to defend his dusty town from a ruthless band of outlaws led by the nasty Sam Clayton (Palance). The bandits, however, did not count on the priest’s gunslinging twin brother (also Van Cleef) to seek bloody revenge." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Brand New 2K Master."

God's Gun comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.4 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

The source used for this transfer is in good shape, and any print debris is minimal and most noticeable in the opening scene and credits. Though the source looks untampered by noise reduction, image clarity, black levels, and color saturation leave plenty of room for improvement.

Audio: 2.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. Though the dialog comes through clearly, this audio mix is limited range-wise and some scenes have an echo.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 33 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with filmmaker Alex Cox.

Other extras include trailers for For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Death Rides a Horse, Barquero, Sabata, Adiós, Sabata, The Return of Sabata, The Mercenary, and Chato’s Land. 

Summary:

God’s Gun was director Gianfranco Parolini's sixth and final western that he directed. The other five westerns are Left-Handed Johnny West, If You Meet Sartana... Pray for Your Death, Sabata, Adiós, Sabata, and The Return of Sabata. And God’s Gun is the weakest of his six westerns.

Though God’s Gun has many elements that one would associate with spaghetti westerns, The result is something that feels closer to a western than Hollywood would make. 

The premise features many familiar themes, like greed and revenge. And the narrative does a good job of balancing action set pieces and exposition moments. Unfortunately, the story at hand is predictable.

That said, God’s Gun features a solid cast that’s headlined by Lee Van Cleef (The Big Gundown) in the dual roles of twin brothers, a priest named Father John and his brother Lewis, who’s spent his life on the wrong side of the law. Other notable cast members include Jack Palance (Compaeros) in the role of Sam Clayton, the leader of a gang that’s besieged Juno City, Sybil Danning (Reform School Girls) in the role of Jenny, a woman who owns a salon, and Leif Garrett (The Outsiders) in the role of Jenny’s son, Johnny.

From a production standpoint, God’s Gun is a technically sound film. The visuals have the usual flair one expects from an Italian director, and a superb score by composer Sante Maria Romitelli (Hatchet for the Honeymoon) perfectly sets the mood. Ultimately, God’s Gun is a mildly entertaining western that Lee Van Cleef fans will get the most mileage out of.

God’s Gun makes its way to Blu-ray via an underwhelming audio/video presentation from Kino Lorber.

Written by Michael Den Boer