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Alive or Preferably Dead – Koch Media/Explosive Media (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1969
Director: Duccio Tessari
Writers: Ennio Flaiano, Giorgio Salvioni, Duccio Tessari
Cast: Giuliano Gemma, Nino Benvenuti, Cris Huerta, Antonio Casas, Julio Peña, George Rigaud, Arturo Pallandino, Brizio Montinaro, Sydne Rome

Release Date: November 25th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 59 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: FSK 16 (Germany)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: €13.99

"The two dissimilar brothers, the heavily indebted gambler and daredevil Monty and the farmer Ted, do not like each other very much and have successfully avoided each other until the death of their rich uncle brings them together. In order to enjoy the inheritance, however, the two must meet one condition: get along peacefully for six months." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Alive or Preferably Dead comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 24.5 GB (102 Minute Version), 20.3 GB (German Theatrical Version)

It should be noted that, though the backcover states a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, the film is actually presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, which appears to be an open matte presentation. That said, it is a shame about the aspect ratio since the source used for this transfer is in great shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, and image clarity and black levels are strong.

Audio: 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. Though the English language track has some silabance issues, dialog comes through clearly, ambient sounds, and the score are well-represented. The Italian language track fared much better; dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and when compared to the English language track, the Italian language track is more robust. Included with this release are removable German and English subtitles. It should be noted that the English subtitles directly translate what’s being said on the English language track. That said, the English subtitles appeared to be timed with the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (63-posters/lobby cards/stills), U.S. theatrical trailer (3 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), the German theatrical version of Alive or Preferably Dead (101 minutes 59 seconds, 1.33: 1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono German with removable German subtitles), and reversible cover art without the ratings logo.

Summary:

After Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, the spaghetti western genre made a noticeable shift away from violence towards humor, with most of the violence in these latter spaghetti western films best described as cartoonish. A case in point is Alive or Preferably Dead, a spaghetti western that bears little resemblance tone-wise to the types of spaghetti westerns that were inspired by Sergio Leone.

Alive or Preferably Dead was directed by Duccio Tessari, a versatile filmmaker who worked in three of Italian cinema’s most popular genres from the 1960’s and 70’s: spaghetti western, giallo, and poliziotteschi. Notable films directed by Duccio Tessari include Death Occurred Last Night, The Bloodstained Butterfly, and Tony Arzenta.

The opening moments of Alive or Preferably Dead can be jarring for anyone who is familiar with the spaghetti western genre. The opening setup takes place in the big city of what looks like the Victorian age and not the old west. Even the music cues used in these opening moments lack the vibe that one associates with spaghetti western scores. Fortunately, things start to improve when one of the two lead characters, Monty Mulligan, leaves the big city for the old west. From there, Alive or Preferably Dead starts to resemble the type of spaghetti westerns that became popular because of the Trinity films: They Call Me Trinity, and Trinity Is Still My Name.

Though the buddy scenario is one of the spaghetti westerns' more exploited elements. These ‘buddy’ spaghetti westerns are often hit or miss, more often falling into the latter category. The success of these spaghetti westerns is heavily dependent on the chemistry of the actors who play them. In Alive or Preferably Dead, one of the most recognizable faces in spaghetti westerns, Giuliano Gemma (Day of Anger), teams up with Nino Benvenuti (Mark Shoots First), a first-time actor who has only appeared in two other films. Needless to say, their chemistry is spotty, with Giuliano Gemma carrying most of the weight.

Based solely on the premise, alive or preferably dead, should have turned out better than dead. The premise of two brothers from two different worlds who are forced to live together for six months in order to collect their inheritance is ripe with possibilities. And yet, the result is a film that even the most diehard spaghetti western fans will find underwhelming. That said, there is one area where Alive or Preferably Dead does very well, and that is humor, especially the series of schemes that never work out in the two brothers' favor.

Alive or Preferably Dead makes its way to Blu-ray via a flawed release that has the film in an incorrect aspect ratio.