Blood Money: Four Western Classics Vol. 2 (Limited Edition) – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1967 ($10,000 Blood Money, Vengeance is Mine), Italy, 1968 (Find a Place to Die), Italy/Spain, 1970 (Matalo! (Kill Him))
Directors: Romolo Guerrieri ($10,000 Blood Money), Giovanni Fago (Vengeance is Mine), Giuliano Carnimeo (Find a Place to Die), Cesare Canevari (Matalo! (Kill Him))
Cast: Gianni Garko, Loredana Nusciak, Claudio Camaso, Adriana Ambesi, Pinuccio Ardia ($10,000 Blood Money), Gianni Garko, Claudio Camaso, Claudie Lange, Susanna Martinková, Piero Lulli, Fernando Sancho, Bruno Corazzari (Vengeance is Mine), Jeffrey Hunter, Pascale Petit, Giovanni Pallavicino, Reza Fazeli, Nello Pazzafini, Adolfo Lastretti, Serafino Profumo, Daniela Giordano (Find a Place to Die), Lou Castel, Corrado Pani, Antonio Salines, Luis Dávila, Claudia Gravy, Ana María Noé (Matalo! (Kill Him))

Release Date: July 24th, 2023 (UK), July 25th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 97 Minutes 25 Seconds ($10,000 Blood Money), 95 Minutes 20 Seconds (Vengeance is Mine), 89 Minutes 5 Seconds (Find a Place to Die), 94 Minutes 15 Seconds (Matalo! (Kill Him))
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC ($10,000 Blood Money, Vengeance is Mine), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Find a Place to Die, Matalo! (Kill Him))
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English (All Films)
Subtitles: English, English SDH (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £69.99 (UK), $99.95 (USA)

"In the mid-1960s, the success of Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy gave rise to an explosion of similar productions. Filmmakers sought to capitalize on this new, uniquely Italian take on the western, characterized by their deeply cynical outlook, morally compromised antiheroes and savage violence. This specially curated selection gathers four outstanding examples of the genre, all centered around the theme of blood money. In Romolo Guerrieri's $10,000 Blood Money, Gianni Garko - best known for his portrayal of supernatural gunslinger Sartana - takes on the part of another beloved western antihero, Django, who is on the trail of bandit Manuel Vasquez (Claudio Camaso). But what started as a job for hire soon turns personal, with Django swearing vengeance against the unscrupulous outlaw. Then, in the film's spiritual successor, Giovanni Fago's Vengeance is Mine (1967; a.k.a. $100,000 for a Killing), Garko and Camaso once again star as estranged half-brothers - one a Confederate soldier now riding with renegade outlaws, the other a bounty hunter tasked with bringing him in alive. Next, in Giuliano Carnimeo's Find a Place to Die, Jeffrey Hunter plays Joe Collins, a disgraced former soldier who assembles a ragtag band of scoundrels. They are lured into helping a woman to rescue her prospector husband, who is trapped at their gold mine cave-in - though in reality, they have designs on the gold strike themselves. Finally, in Cesare Canevari's psychedelic Matalo! (Kill Him), a band of outlaws, having holed up in a ghost town, set about terrorizing travelers Ray and Bridget - only to get more than they bargained for when Ray fights back, armed only with a bag full of boomerangs." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Find a Place to Die, Matalo! (Kill Him)), 4.25/5 ($10,000 Blood Money), 4/5 (Vengeance is Mine) 

Here’s the information provided about $10,000 Blood Money, Vengeance is Mine, and Find a Place to Die transfers, "The original 35mm negatives were scanned in 2K resolution at Cinema Communications, Rome. The films were graded and restored in 2K resolution at Dragon DI, Wales."

Here’s the information provided about Matalo! (Kill Him) transfer, "The original 35mm negative was scanned and restored in 2K resolution at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The film was color graded at R3Store Studios London." 

$10,000 Blood Money comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.1 GB

Feature: 28.2 GB

Vengeance is Mine comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 26.8 GB

Find a Place to Die comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

Matalo! (Kill Him) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.3 GB

Feature: 24.6 GB

In most areas, the sources used for these transfers are comparable, and all of these transfers are in great shape; any source imperfections are very minor. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and all these transfers always look organic. Find a Place to Die and Matalo! (Kill Him) are the strongest transfers, while Vengeance is Mine is the weakest. It should be noted that when watching Matalo! (Kill Him) in Italian, the Italian-language closing credits could not be located, and in their place are English-language closing credits.

Audio: 4.25/5

Each film comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Italian and a LPCM mono mix in English. Each film comes with removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language tracks.

Here's a disclaimer that plays before Vengeance is Mine, "Perceptive listeners may notice a difference in pitch between the Italian and English versions of Vengeance is Mine. Please rest assured that this is a per the original soundtrack negatives and not a fault of this release."

Besides this pitch discrepancy, the rest of the audio mixes included as part of this release are comparable. All of the audio mixes included as part of this release are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, all of these audio mixes sound great; ambient sounds like gunshots are well represented, and the scores for each film sound robust. It should be noted that the language tracks cannot be changed during playback.

Extras:

Extras for $10,000 Blood Money include reversible cover art, an image gallery (21 images -  poster/lobby cards/German press book), Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 26 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi titled How the West Was Won (19 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with producer Mino Loy titled The Producer Who Didn’t Like Western Movies (14 minutes 18 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a featurette with archival interviews with director Romolo Guerrieri and actor Gianni Garko titled Tears of Django (21 minutes 58 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an introduction by journalist and critic Fabio Melelli titled A Shaman in the West (10 minutes 5 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with author and film historian Lee Broughton. It should be noted on the extra titled Tears of Django that at 8 minutes, 30 seconds, the subtitles disappear for the rest of this extra.

Extras for Vengeance is Mine include reversible cover art, an image gallery (22 images -  poster/lobby cards/German press book), Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with producer Mino Loy titled Movie After Movie (16 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with composer Nora Orlandi titled In Conversation with Nora Orlandi (15 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a featurette with archival interviews with actor Gianni Garko and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi titled Cain and Abel (25 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an introduction by journalist and critic Fabio Melelli titled Crime and Punishment (13 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with film critics Adrian J. Smith and David Flint.

Extras for Find a Place to Die include reversible cover art, an image gallery (35 images -  poster/lobby cards/German press book), an in-depth appreciation of the soundtrack and its composer, Gianni Ferrio, by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon titled Traditional Figure (31 minutes 17 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Giuliano Carnimeo titled Sons of Leone (18 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an introduction by journalist and critic Fabio Melelli titled Venus and Cowboys (11 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with author and film critic Howard Hughes.

Extras for Matalo! (Kill Him) include reversible cover art, an image gallery (14 images -  poster/stills/German press book), Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an in-depth appreciation of the soundtrack and its composer, Mario Migliardi, by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon titled Untold Icon (39 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an in-depth interview with filmmaker Davide Pulici, discussing the career of Matalo! director Cesare Canevari titled A Milanese Story (44 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an introduction by journalist and critic Fabio Melelli titled The Movie That Lived Twice (16 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with film critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson.

Other extras include a slipcover, a fold-out double-sided poster, and a 52-page booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Some Great Reward: Romolo Guerrieri’s $10,000 Blood Money written by Howard Hughes, an essay titled Brothers ‘Til We Die: Giovanni Fago’s Vengeance Is Mine written by Howard Hughes, an essay titled Seeking Redemption: Giuliano Carnimeo’s Find a Place to Die written by Howard Hughes, an essay titled Dust Devils: Cesare Canevari’s Matalo! (Kill Him) written by Howard Hughes, and information about the restorations.

Summary:

$10,000 Blood Money: Directed by Romolo Guerrieri, whose other notable films are The Sweet Body of Deborah, Detective Belli, The Double, and Young, Violent, Dangerous. $10,000 Blood Money's working title was 7 Dollars for Django; it is one of at least thirty unofficial sequels to Sergio Corbucci’s Django.

The narrative revolves around a bounty hunter named Django, who is hired to rescue the daughter of a wealthy landowner from a psychopath outlaw named Manuel.

The more spaghetti westerns you watch, the more it becomes clear that there are only so many scenarios. And though $10,000 Blood Money covers familiar ground, the result is a film that always remains engaging, mostly because of the performances of its two leading men, Gianni Garko (... If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death) in the role of Django and Claudio Camaso (Vengeance) in the role of Manuel.

In the case of Gianni Garko, his Django is far removed from Franco Nero’s. First and foremost, Gianni Garko’s Django is driven by money, and when the price is right, only then will he go after Manuel. Then there is Claudio Camaso, who delivers an outstanding performance that perfectly captures his character's cruelty. As good as the rest of the cast is, their performances are all overshadowed by the two leads.

Spaghetti Westerns are best known for two things: their scores and the visuals. In the case of the latter, the best spaghetti westerns always have striking imagery, notably how people and objects are juxtaposed within the frame. In this regard, $10,000 Blood Money delivers in spades. Another way in which the visuals excel is how effectively they use barren landscapes. And when it comes to the score, $10,000 Blood Money has a remarkable score composed by Nora Orlandi (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) that is among the best to ever appear in a spaghetti western.

Another area where $10,000 Blood Money excels is in the dynamic between Django and Manuel. It is not your usual good guy versus bad guy relationship. Throughout $10,000 Blood Money Their paths cross, and they are never adversaries. And even when they square off, there is a gamemanship that they fight man to man and not shoot each other in the back. Things go south when Manuel kills the woman Django loves, and from there, all bets are off.

From its opening moments, $10,000 Blood Money firmly establishes a tense tone that builds to a fever pitch by the time the finale arrives. And nowhere is the tension clearer than in the scene where Manuel’s men massacre everyone but the wealthy landowner before kidnapping his daughter. Another great scene is where Django’s body is buried while his head is exposed and a scorpion crawls slowly towards him. Ultimately, $10,000 Blood Money is a very good spaghetti western that fans of this genre should thoroughly enjoy.

Vengeance is Mine: Produced by Mino Loy and Luciano Martino, the same people who made $10,000 in blood money. Vengeance is Mine also features several actors who also appeared in $10,000 Blood Money, notably its two leads, Gianni Garko (Cold Eyes of Fear) in the role of Johnny Forest and Claudio Camaso (Wake Up and Die) in the role of Clint Forest.

The narrative revolves around two brothers, Johnny and Clint, who are polar opposites. A feud between the two brothers happens when their father shows more interest in Johnny, and in a jealous rage, Clint kills their father. In the aftermath of the event, Clint frames Johnny for the murder of their father.

Before any characters are introduced, Vengeance is Mine opens with a spectacular opening sequence where four wanted men go into an abandoned church, and inside are coffins with their wanted posters on top. From there, a shootout arises in which a bounty hunter takes them out one by one. That said, there are an ample number of well-executed shootouts in Vengeance is Mine. Notably, a scene where Johnny and Clint are cornered in a jail by bandits who throw Molotov cocktails that engulf the jail in fire

The cast is very good in their roles, especially the two leads, Gianni Garko in the role of a bounty hunter named Johnny Forest and Claudio Camaso in the role of his outlaw brother Clint. In the case of the latter, Claudio Camaso does a phenomenal job portraying a soulless psychopath. Their characters relationship mirrors that of Cain and Abel.

From a production standpoint, Vengeance is Mine is a film that fully exploits its resources. The premise is superbly realized, and a well-executed narrative does a great job filling in the backstory via flashbacks. Other areas where Vengeance is Mine excels are composer Nora Orlandi’s (The Sweet Body of Deborah) score and the visuals; the combination of these two elements does a phenomenal job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Vengeance is Mine is an extraordinary tale about redemption that is a must-see if you're a fan of spaghetti westerns.

Find a Place to Die: Directed by Giuliano Carnimeo, whose other notable films are The Case of the Bloody Iris and Anna: The Pleasure, the Torment. According to the two actresses who appeared in Find a Place to Die, the actual director of the film was producer Hugo Fregonese and not Giuliano Carnimeo.

The narrative revolves around a woman desperate to save her husband, who is trapped under debris after an avalanche. From there, she hires an outcast Confederate soldier who's now an arms dealer and a group of other nefarious men to help her rescue her husband.

Spaghetti westerns have a visual style and vibe about them that is immediately evident. Then there is a rare example of a film like Find a Place to Die that is devoid of these two things. That said, Find a Place to Die feels more American than it does Italian.

Jeffery Hunter (Hell to Eternity) plays Joe Collins, a disgraced Confederate soldier who spends his time drinking and selling guns to nefarious people. Though this character is supposed to be your archetypal hero, the way in which he portrays him is one-dimensional. That said, the two most memorable performances are the two women characters: Pascale Petit (Code Name: Jaguar) in the role of the wife and Daniela Giordano (Four Times That Night) in the role of a bandit's girlfriend. Pascale Petit provides a moment of eye candy when her character bathes naked in a river.

After a solid opening sequence in which a man and his wife’s gold mine are attacked by bandits, the narrative then takes a big dip. Then there’s a long stretch where the wife puts together a team of men to help rescue her husband, and not much more. Then, by the time the finale, which is filled with action, arrives, it is too little, too late. Ultimately, Find a Place to Die is a pedestrian film that even the most die-hard spaghetti western fan will find a chore to get through.

Matalo! (Kill Him): Directed by Cesare Canevari, whose limited filmography includes exploitation films like A Man for Emmanuelle, The Nude Princess, and The Gestapo's Last Orgy.

The Narrative revolves around a gang of thieves who ambush a stage coach with a box full of gold. After the robbery, they find refuge in a ghost town whose only inhabitant is a widow whose family was massacred.

Though the spaghetti western genre has had multiple sub-genres, When it comes to surreal spaghetti westerns, this is an area that has not been exploited, with the most famous one being Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! Another less well-known example of a surreal spaghetti western is Matalo! (Kill Him).

The opening sequence of Matalo! (Kill Him) jumps in headfirst. There is a man who is about to be hanged, and right before his execution, Mexican bandits show up and massacre everyone and free him. Composer Mario Migliardi’s discordant score, which also features electric guitar and other eclectic sounds, further enhances this ominous opening sequence.

The performances are best described as serviceable. Fortunately, this works in Matalo! (Kill Him)'s favor since the cast are nothing more than props. The most memorable performance is that of Lou Castel (A Bullet for the General) in the role of a preacher whose weapon of choice is a boomerang. Another performance of note is Corrado Pani's (Watch Me When I Kill) in the role of an outlaw who often cheats death.

Though it is clear early on that Matalo! (Kill Him) is a film of limited resources, This does not matter since it does a superb job exploiting the resources it has. With its greatest strength being its limited use of dialog. Also, when it comes to spaghetti westerns, there are only so many scenarios, which can lead to a feeling of deja vu. In the case of Matalo! (Kill Him), it is a remake of God Does Not Pay on the Sabbath. Ultimately, Matalo! (Kill Him) is a very satisfying mix of surrealism and carnage that firmly entrenches itself as one of spaghetti cinema’s most unique films.

Blood Money: Four Western Classics Vol. 2 is another excellent release from Arrow Video that gives all four films strong audio/video presentations and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer