The Hellbenders – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1967
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Writers: Ugo Liberatore, José Gutiérrez Maesso
Cast: Joseph Cotten, Norma Bengell, Julián Mateos, Gino Pernice, Ángel Aranda, Claudio Gora, María Martín, Ennio Girolami, Julio Peña, José Nieto, Aldo Sambrell, Al Mulock 

Release Date: January 7th, 2020
Approximate running time: 92 Minutes 29 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: $29.95

"From Sergio Corbucci, the legendary director of Django, Navajo Joe, The Great Silence and The Mercenary comes this classic spaghetti western starring screen icon Joseph Cotten (The Third Man, Duel in the Sun, Portrait of Jennie) as the fanatical patriarch of a family of ex-Confederate killers who, in order to finance an invasion of the North, massacres a Union Army convoy carrying a large shipment of money. But before the hell-bent clan can re-ignite the Civil War, they’ll have to smuggle a coffin crammed with the stolen loot across a frontier inflamed by lust, violence and extreme vengeance.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4K restoration."

The Hellbenders comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 26.5 GB

Feature: 24.9 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape, and any print-related debris is minimal. Colors look very good, black levels and image clarity look strong throughout, there are no issues with compression, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; ambient sounds are well represented; and Ennio Morricone’s score sounds robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Filmmaker Alex Cox, author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director’s Take on the Italian Western.

Other extras include trailers for Navajo Joe, The Mercenary, The Specialists, Kill Them All and Come Back Alone, and Duel in the Sun.

Summary:

Directed by Sergio Corbucci, who in the 1960s rose to prominence by directing spaghetti westerns. Many of Sergio Corbucci’s westerns, like Django, The Mercenary, The Great Silence, Companeros, and Navajo Joe, have had a lasting impact, and they’re considered some of the best the Spaghetti western genre has to offer. Sergio Corbucci’s westerns are most known for their excessive violence and brutality.

The narrative revolves around Jonas, an ex-confederate patriot, and his sons, who steal money that the government has decided to destroy. After they rob and massacre the convoy carrying the cash, they hide the money in a coffin. Will the law be able to catch them before they are able to return home safely with the money, or will greed tear them apart?

The Hellbenders’ has all the right elements that make a great spaghetti western. It has a solid plot that builds tension as the film progresses. It bookends two of its most violent scenes: the opening massacre of thirty or more soldiers and a bloody final shootout that will leave you breathless. All the characters are intriguing, as they have personalities and are not just there to further the story.

The Hellbenders’ cinematographer was Enzo Barboni, who would make his own mark as a director with They Call Me Trinity and Trinity Is Still My Name! Though Sergio Corbucci often gets overshadowed by Sergio Leone, whose spaghetti westerns are considered the best ever made, With that being said, comparing Sergio Corbucci’s Spaghetti westerns to Sergio Leone’s is unfair because, more than any other spaghetti western director, Sergio Corbucci followed his own path. And any similarities between the two filmmakers are most likely due to coincidence.

The Hellbenders cast is led by veteran Hollywood actor Joseph Cotton, who at this point was in the twilight of his career. In the 1940s, Cotton rose to fame with roles in the first two Orson Welles films, Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons. These two films, along with films like Shadow of a Doubt, Gaslight, and The Third Man, solidified his place as one of cinema’s greatest actors. In The Hellbenders, Joseph Cotton gives a larger-than-life performance that is almost too big for the character he is playing.

The Hellbender's best performance is by Norma Bengell in the role of Claire, a woman who’s tricked into playing the part of a grieving widow. Most Euro-cult fans will recognize her from the Mario Bava film Planet of the Vampires. She does a very good job of conveying her characters emotions. Another familiar face in The Hellbenders is Al Mulock in the role of a beggar. He has appeared in films like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Day of Anger, and Once Upon a Time in the West.

The Hellbenders score was composed by Ennio Morricone, whose name seems to have been on just about every Spaghetti western during the height of this genre's popularity. Ennio Morriocone once again delivers another pitch-perfect score. Ultimately, The Hellbenders is a tense and action-filled adventure that rightfully deserves its place as one of the Spaghetti westerns stronger entries.

The Hellbenders gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an insightful audio commentary, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer