Death Occurred Last Night: Limited Edition – Raro Video UK (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/West Germany, 1970
Director: Duccio Tessari
Writers: Biagio Proietti, Duccio Tessari, Artur Brauner
Cast: Raf Vallone, Frank Wolff, Gabriele Tinti, Gillian Bray, Eva Renzi, Gigi Rizzi, Beryl Cunningham, Checco Rissone

Release Date: January 29th, 2024
Approximate running time: 97 Minutes 36 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"A lonely widower appeals to the police to find his missing daughter. The sceptical police officer picks up the case but it becomes murder when her body is recovered. Now they must find the culprit before the vengeful father does first." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “High Definition digital transfer from the original camera negative."

Death Occurred Last Night comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.4 GB

Feature: 29.1 GB

Though this release and Raro’s 2014 release come from the same source, the result is transfers that are like night and day. This release’s transfer is a noticeable improvement over Raro’s 2014 release, which was a VC-1 video transfer. In every area—image clarity, black levels, and compression—this transfer looks better than Raro’s 2014 release. That said, there are a few moments where image clarity is not as strong during darker moments. Another area where this new transfer is better is that it retains an organic look, whereas Raro’s 2014 release had some digital noise reduction.

Audio: Audio: 3.75/5 (LPCM Mono Italian), 3.5/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Italian and an LPCM mono mix in English. Both tracks are in very good shape; any background noise is minor. Dialog comes through clearly enough to follow, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, these two audio tracks are satisfactory. That said, the Italian-language track is the slightly stronger of these two audio tracks. That said, these two audio tracks are comparable to Raro's U.S. releases of audio tracks. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 39 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an archival introduction by Fangoria editor Chris Alexander (7 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio essay about Italian Noirs by Francesco Massaccesi and narrated by Howard S. Berger (11 minutes 6 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, and a 12-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, and an essay titled Death Occurred Many Times: The Thrillers of Duccio Tessari written by David Sodergren.

Summary:

Death Occurred Last Night is one of three exceptional gialli directed by Duccio Tessari. The other two films are Puzzle and The Bloodstained Butterfly. Other notable films that he directed include A Pistol for Ringo, The Return of Ringo, and Tony Arzenta. The screenplay for Death Occurred Last Night was adapted from a novel written by Giorgio Scerbanenco. Several of his novels were adapted by Fernando Di Leo into films, most notably Naked Violence and Milano Caliber 9.

The narrative revolves around a father who convinces a police inspector to take a special interest in finding his mentally challenged twenty-five-year-old daughter, who disappeared without a trace.

Structurally, Death Occurred Last Night is an interesting mixture of two of Italian cinema's most popular genres in the first half of the 1970s, namely giallo and poliziotteschi. Death Occurred Last Night leans more towards the latter of these two genres. Also, there are elements from both of these genres that crop up throughout Death Occurred Last Night. The result is a film unlike any that has come before or since it, making it a film that is in its own genre.

The initial set-up is pitch perfect, as characters motivations are always clearly defined. And one of Death Occurred Last Night’s greatest assets is how it introduces the distraught father and then subtly pushes him into the background while a pair of detectives and a low-life smuggler are blackmailed into helping them search for the father's missing daughter. Keeping the father away from the seedy investigation they are conducting ultimately makes his reemergence in the latter half of the narrative all the more potent, thus making his transformation from a grieving father into a man with a vendetta all the more believable.

Considering that the premise is about women being abducted and forced into a world of sex slaves, the content that lies within is handled in such a way that it is never exploitative. Also, though there are many women in various stages of dress, Death Occurred Last Night's portrayal of them is never vulgar, which ultimately humanizes them and gives them added dimensions that are often lacking in other similar-themed films. When it comes to despicable characters, Death Occurred Last Night retains that right for those who are responsible for abducting the mentally challenged young woman.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Death Occurred Last Night does not excel. The visuals are outstanding as they reinforce the events that are unfolding onscreen. The narrative is perfectly paced, as each new revelation is given just the right amount of time to sink in before unveiling the next. And though there are many detractors of Death Occurred Last Night’s odd score, it has a jarring effect that complements that story really well.

The cast is superb in their respective roles, with the strongest performance coming from Frank Wolff (Cold Eyes of Fear) in the role of Duca Lamberti, the detective who, through persistence, uncovers the truth about the missing girl. While the most memorable performance comes from Raf Vallone's (The Godfather: Part III), in the role of Amanzio Berzaghi, the father of the missing disabled girl. Another performance of note is that of Gillian Bray's (Virgins of the Seven Seas) Donatella Berzaghi, the mentally challenged young woman who has been abducted. Ultimately, Death Occurred Last Night is an extraordinary film that firmly pulls you in and lingers in your mind long after its final reveal.

Raro Video UK gives Death Occurred Last Night its best home video release to date, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Once Upon a Time in The West – Paramount Pictures (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1968
Director: Sergio Leone
Writers: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone, Sergio Donati
Cast: Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Gabriele Ferzetti

Release Date: May 31st, 2011
Approximate running times: 166 Minutes 1 Second (Restored Version), 165 Minutes 34 Seconds (Theatrical Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: PG-13
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, Dolby Digital Mono English, Dolby Digital Mono French, Dolby Digital Mono Spanish (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $11.99

"Writer/director Sergio Leone's epic western tale stars Henry Fonda in a chilling role as a ruthless gunman hired by a sinister railroad tycoon to take out anyone who gets in the way of his company's expansion. Claudia Cardinale is a young landowner whose family falls victim to Fonda's bullets, and Jason Robards and Charles Bronson are a pair of outlaws commissioned to bring him to justice." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Restored Version, Theatrical Version)

Once Upon a Time in The West comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.2 GB

Feature: 24.8 GB

This transfer looked great when it was first released 13 years ago, it is now starting to show some limitations as technology has improved. That said, flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, contrast, black levels, and image clarity are strong, compression is very good, and there does not appear to be any egregious use of digital noise reduction. This release uses seamless branching for the two versions.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English), 4/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English)

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English, a Dolby Digital mono mix in French, and a Dolby Digital mono mix in Spanish. For this release, I only listened to the two English-language tracks. Both audio tracks are in great shape; there are no issues with hiss or distortion. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score and action sequences sound robust. That said, though it is disappointing that the original mono mix was not given a DTS-HD track, the DTS-HD 5.1 track sounds great, and it does a superb job expanding the original mono source. Included are removable English subtitles, removable English SDH, removable Spanish subtitles, removable French subtitles, and removable Portuguese subtitles. Also, this release comes with two versions of the film, and the audio and subtitle options are the same for both versions.

Extras:

Extras for this release include  two images galleries: Then and Now and Production Gallery, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a featurette that explores the arrival of the railroads and how they changed the west.titled Railroad: Revolutionizing the West  (6 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable French, Spanish, Portuguese subtitles), a documentary titled An Opera of Violence (28 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with removable English, French, Spanish, Portuguese subtitles), a documentary titled The Wages of Sin (19 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with removable English, French, Spanish, Portuguese subtitles), a documentary titled Something to Do With Death (18 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with removable English, French, Spanish, Portuguese subtitles), an audio commentary with  film historians Sir Christopher Frayling and Dr. Seldon Hall, actress Claudia Cardinale and filmmakers John Carpenter, John Milius and Alex Cox, and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

The documentaries include interviews with Sergio Leone, cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli, Claudia Cardinale, Bernardo Bertolucci, John Carpenter, John Milius, Alex Cox, and historians Sir Christopher Frayling and Dr. Sheldon Hall.

It should be noted that a few of the extras that were included as part of Paramount’s 2-disc DVD release of Once Upon a Time in the West have not been carried over for this release, like cast profiles and a second trailer that was included as an Easter egg on that release.

Summary:

"There were three men in her life. One to take her… one to love her… and one to kill her." - Tagline

Sergio Leone, after completing ‘The Dollars’ trilogy, had grown tired of the western genre, and he had come across a book he wanted to make into a film, The Hoods. Paramount approached Leone to do another western, and he agreed on the condition that he could make his dream project, The Hoods, which would later become Once Upon a Time in America. Clint Eastwood and Sergio Leone had grown apart by the time they made The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, so Sergio Leone would have to find another strong, silent type to play the lead in Once Upon a Time in the West. Enter Charles Bronson. Sergio Leone had Morricone compose the film score before any shooting started, and Sergio Leone would play the music in the background for the actors. Paramount would offer Sergio Leone the chance to direct The Godfather after the box-office failure of Once Upon a Time in the West. He would pass on the offer instead opting to direct his dream project Once Upon a Time in America.

Once Upon a Time in the West opens with one of the longest opening credits that I have seen so far in any movie. Three gun fighters wait for Harmonica at a train station. The sound design as they wait is remarkable, as the tension builds as water drips on one of the gunfighter’s hats as the windmill creaks away. In an early amusing moment, a fly lands on one of the gunfighter’s beards as he tries to blow it away before finally trapping it in his gun. Harmonica starts to play his namesake as the train pulls away as Leone sets up one of his more awkward standoffs, three against one, that ends in a blaze of bullets. 

Just like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West opens with multiple character introductions. Besides Harmonica’s introduction, there is a woman named Jill who becomes the owner of a very valuable piece of land after her husband and his children are massacred by a cold-blooded gun for hire named Frank. And the other key introduction is a half-breed outlaw named Cheyenne, who teams up with Harmonica and Jill to take on the men responsible for murdering her family. Though a piece of land is central to the story that unfolds, it culminates with a final showdown between Frank and Harmonica to settle some unfinished business.

Through images, Sergio Leone is able to convey so much in Once Upon a Time in the West, and even though the narrative is thin, he keeps things moving and interesting. Once Upon a Time in the West is Sergio Leone’s love letter to American westerns. It is the most beautifully filmed and masterfully paced film ever made. Sergio Leone is most known for staging his action in long, drawn-out ritualized set pieces, and with Once Upon a Time in the West, he really perfected this approach. Beginning with For a Few Dollars More, Sergio Leone employed the dream sequence as another avenue in which to relay more background about the character and information to the audience. Another Sergio Leone trademark is close-ups of faces and eyes, and in Once Upon a Time in the West, his ultra-close-up of Harmonica as he remembers why he hates Frank so much heightens the mood.

Casting a movie can make or break a movie, and Leone in Once Upon a Time in the West assembles a list of actors. Charles Bronson as Harmonica is reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s man with no name character, but he still makes the part all his own. Casting Henry Fonda as the movie’s villain, Frank, proved to be an excellent choice. Imagine the audience’s reaction to seeing this American icon kill and murder children. Jason Robards gets plenty of screen time as Cheyenne, a charismatic half-breed who is constantly being caught and rescued. In one of her best performances of her career, Claudia Cardinale plays Jill, the sympathetic one, who will do whatever she needs to find out who killed her family.

Ennio Morricone, for Once Upon a Time in the West, organized the music into motifs, one for each of the four leads. Once Upon a Time in the West is one of Ennio Morricone’s greatest achievements, and the music cue, The Man with a Harmonica, is a haunting piece that stays with you long after the film is over.

Once Upon a Time in the West is more like an opera than a film, as the music more than anything drives the narrative. The final showdown between Frank and Harmonica is one of cinema's most pure and stylized gun fights ever committed to film. Once Upon a Time in the West is Sergio Leone’s most character-driven and intimate film. It is also loaded with exquisite photography and outstanding performances from all the cast. Ultimately, Once Upon a Time in the West is truly a landmark, and we are likely to never see the likes of such a film ever again.

Once Upon a Time in The West gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

A Fistful of Dynamite (aka Duck You Sucker) – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1971
Director: Sergio Leone
Writers: Sergio Leone, Sergio Donati, Luciano Vincenzoni
Cast: James Coburn, Rod Steiger, Romolo Valli, Vivienne Chandler, David Warbeck

Release Date: March 6th, 2018
Approximate running time: 157 Minutes 7 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"a relentlessly entertaining film that teams an Irish explosives specialist with a Mexican peasant-turned-revolutionary leader with thunderously explosive results. Starring acting giants Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night) as Juan Miranda, a cigar-chomping, salt-of-the-earth peasant with a Robin Hood heart and James Coburn (Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round) as John Mallory, a dynamite-tossing Irish revolutionary who has fled to Mexico to practice his skills. Together, they're a devilishly volatile mix of anti-establishment philosophies and violent tendencies as they attempt to liberate political prisoners, defend their compatriots against a well-equipped militia, and risk their lives on a train filled with explosives." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

A Fistful of Dynamite (aka Duck You Sucker) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.8 GB

Feature: 37 GB

No information is provided about this transfer’s source. That said, it obviously comes from an older source that, by now, is dated. Though the source is in great shape, any debris that remains is very minor. Flesh tones look correct, colors look very good, image clarity is strong, and though black levels fare well, there are moments where they are not as convincing as they should be. Also, compression is very good, and the grain remains intact, although it looks thicker in some moments.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 4/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. The mono audio track is in excellent shape. It sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should. Though the 5.1 audio track is a very good remix track, I prefer the mono audio track. Included are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a black and white image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a color image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, six radio spots (4 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Trailers From Hell with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (4 minutes 46 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), an archival  locations comparison featurette (9 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), an archival interview with Sir Christopher Frayling titled Once Upon a Time in Italy (6 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival restoration featurette titled Restoration Italian Style (6 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with screenwriter Sergio Donati titled Sergio Donati Remembers (7 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Sorting Out the Versions (11 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Sir Christopher Frayling titled The Myth of Revolution (22 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Sir Christopher Frayling, and an archival audio commentary with filmmaker Alex Cox.

Other extras include reversible cover art, and trailers for A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in the West.

Summary:

“The Revolution is not a social dinner, a literary event, a drawing or embroidery; it cannot be done with…elegance and courtesy. The revolution is an act of violence….” – Mao Tse-Tung

After four very successful westerns, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Once Upon a Time in the West, Sergio Leone with A Fistful of Dynamite would for the fifth and final time direct a western. That said, A Fistful of Dynamite is the odd man out in Sergio Leone’s legacy of films. His Man with No Name trilogy, with then-unknown Clint Eastwood as the film’s director, would launch them both into international fame, followed by his masterpiece Once Upon a Time in the West. The other thing that sets A Fistful of Dynamite apart from Sergio Leone’s other films is that it is his most overtly political film.

Since its initial theatrical release, A Fistful of Dynamite has been released under several alternate titles. The Italian title is Giù la testa, and the English translation of this title is Keep Your Head Down. Other alternate titles include Duck, You Sucker, and Once Upon a Time: The Revolution. Besides being released under several different titles, this film has also been released in versions that censor Sergio Leone’s original vision. The original U.S. theatrical release removed 37 minutes, and its running time was two hours. That said, Giù la testa, or as we now know it, A Fistful of Dynamite, began as a film that Sergio Leone originally intended to produce. And as the film evolved, he would be forced to take on a larger creative role once he became the film’s director.

Throughout his filmography, Sergio Leone had a knack for creating visually arresting moments, and when it came to introducing characters, he was second to none. In the case of A Fistful of Dynamite, there are two characters: Juan Miranda, a Mexican bandit, and John H. Mallory, an Irishman who left unrest in his homeland and now finds himself in the middle of a revolution. Though their paths cross because of a chance encounter, over the course of the narrative, these two men forge an unbreakable bond. Also, Sergio Leone introduces each of these characters in grand sequences that tell you everything you need to know about who they are.

Sergio Leone films are all filled with a solid cast that is a mix of Italian, American, and European actors. And when it comes to the performances in A Fistful of Dynamite, the entire cast is excellent. Anchoring A Fistful of Dynamite is the inspired casting of Rod Steiger (In the Heat of the Night) in the role of Juan Miranda. He delivers an utterly convincing performance in which he fully immerses himself. Other notable performances include Romolo Valli (Conversation Piece) in the role of Dr. Villega, a revolutionary whose betrayal plays an integral role in the film’s finale, and James Coburn (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid) in the role of John H. Mallory, an explosives expert who was forced to flee Ireland after a friend betrayed him.

Content-wise, A Fistful of Dynamite greatly differs from Sergio Leone’s four westerns, which preceded A Fistful of Dynamite. The narrative has two distinctive halves. The first half of the film features a lighter tone than the second half, which takes on a darker tone. Once again, Sergio Leone’s direction is masterful, and composer Ennio Morricone provides an evocative score that perfectly captures the mood. Also, redemption plays a large role in the story at hand, and some of the most powerful moments are related to moments of self-reflection that involve regret. Another strength is how effective Sergio Leone’s use of flashback sequences is, most notably the flashback in the bittersweet finale. Ultimately, A Fistful of Dynamite is an extraordinary cinematic experience, and it is arguably Sergio Leone’s most thought-provoking film.

A Fistful of Dynamite (aka Duck You Sucker) gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die! – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1968
Director: Franco Giraldi
Writers: Louis Garfinkle, Ugo Liberatore, Albert Band
Cast: Alex Cord, Arthur Kennedy, Roy W. Colby, Robert Ryan, Enzo Fiermonte, Renato Romano, Franco Lantieri, Giampiero Albertini, Mario Brega, Nicoletta Machiavelli

Release Date: August 28th, 2018
Approximate running time: 98 Minutes 59 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"Time is running out for the fastest gun in the west! Old habits die fast in this brutal, violent and intensely realistic western about a desperate gunslinger who’s hunted by the law… and haunted by his past!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “Brand new 4K remaster of the film struck from the original camera negative”.

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die! comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.7 GB

Feature: 18.8 GB

Though the source used for this transfer looks great, there are still some minor instances of print debris. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include, the extended international ending for A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die (5 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles, with optional audio commentary with filmmaker Alex Cox) and an audio commentary with Alex Cox.

Other extras include trailers for Navajo Joe, A Fistful of Dollars, The Mercenary, Death Rides a Horse, and A Fistful of Dynamite (Duck, You Sucker).

Summary:

Directed by Franco Giraldi, whose other notable Spaghetti westerns are Seven Guns for the MacGregors, Sugar Colt, and Up the MacGregors.

The narrative revolves around an outlaw with chronic health problems who goes to the town of Tuscosa, Mexico, in hope of obtaining amnesty.

When one discusses the Spaghetti western genre, there is no denying the influence that Sergio Leone had over this genre. And though there have been a handful of films that stand apart from his influence, these films are far and few in between. Case in point: A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die!, a film that actually owes more to Hollywood westerns than it does to Italian westerns.

The protagonist of A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die! is an outlaw and gunslinger named Clay McCord, who has been on the wrong side of the law since a traumatic event from his childhood. Though he has been able to stay one step ahead of the law, a chronic health problem forces him to put his trust in those who have hunted him.

Performance-wise, all are very good in their respective roles. The most memorable performance was by Robert Ryan (The Wild Bunch) in the role of the governor, who is offering outlaw amnesty. The most disappointing performance is by Alex Cord (The Last Grenade) in the role of Clay McCord. Other notable performances include Arthur Kennedy (The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue) in the role of Tuscosa Marshal Roy W. Colby, and Mario Brega (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly) in the role of Krant, the boss of Escondido, a town where outlaws live.

From a production standpoint, the premise is well executed, and key moments are given an ample amount of time to resonate. The visuals do a superb job of reinforcing the mood. Standout moments visually include the flashback sequences, the scene where Clay is double-crossed while trying to get amnesty from the Marshall, and the scene where outlaws’ who have a vendetta against Clay trap him inside a cabin they have set on fire. Ultimately, A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die! is a solid western that fans of American and Spaghetti westerns should equally enjoy.

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die! gets a strong audio/video presentation from Kino Lorber, and this release comes with excellent audio commentary by the ever-reliable Alex Cox, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Django the Bastard – Synapse Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1969
Director: Sergio Garrone
Writers: Sergio Garrone, Anthony Steffen
Cast: Anthony Steffen, Rada Rassimov, Paolo Gozlino, Luciano Rossi

Release Date: August 13th, 2019
Approximate running time: 99 Minutes 1 Second
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $24.95

"Anthony Steffen (The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, Killer Fish) stars as the mysterious stranger named Django, a ghost-like figure who walks into a dusty western town with vengeance on his mind. As he finds the men he’s looking for, he places a cross with the person’s name and death date in the middle of the street before enacting violent revenge! Is Django truly an unstoppable human army-of-one, or an avenging immortal angel of death?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "remastered in high-definition widescreen from a beautiful original 35mm negative element."

Django the Bastard comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.7 GB

Feature: 22.2 GB

The source used for this transfer is in very good shape, and any source-related damage is minimal. The image looks crisp, the colors look correct, the black levels remain strong throughout, there are no issues with compression, and the image always looks organic. When compared to the transfer used for VCI’s Entertainment DVD release for this film, this new transfer is a massive upgrade that’s superior in every way.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in excellent shape; there are no issues with hiss or distortion. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, this track sounds very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to an audio commentary with film historian Troy Howarth.

Summary:

Directed by Sergio Garrone, whose other notable films are The Hand That Feeds the Dead and Lover of the Monster. Alternate titles that Django the Bastard has been released under include The Strangers Gundown and Django the Avenger.

The narrative revolves around a mysterious stranger who tracks down the men who left him for dead and exacts his vengeance upon them.

By the late 1960s, the Spaghetti western genre had reached its apex with Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West. And though the Spaghetti western genre would have a brief resurgence because of films like They Call Me Trinity and My Name is Nobody, these Spaghetti westerns that came later in this genre cycle were the polar opposite of the films that came before them.

That said, though, the Spaghetti western genre would go through a major transformation after Once Upon a Time in the West. There are few films that came out after Once Upon a Time in the West that keep the violent tone that this genre is most remembered for. Case in point: Sergio Garrone’s Django the Bastard.

On the surface, though, Django the Bastard does not stray too far away from the elements that have become synonymous with the Spaghetti western genre. To simply write Django the Bastard off as yet another film trying to cash in on The Man with No Trilogy would be doing Django the Bastard a great disservice.

Nowhere does Django the Bastard set itself apart from other Spaghetti western films more than when it comes to its use of Gothic horror elements. The narrative revolves around a mysterious stranger named Django, whose ability to disappear into the shadows lends itself to the theory that he’s actually a ghost. And even when there are moments in the finale that imply that he may actually be flesh and blood, the ambiguous ending once again reinforces the theory that there’s something supernatural about his presence.

When discussing the most celebrated Spaghetti westerns, they all feature grand entrances for their protagonists. And Django the Bastard’s opening sequence follows in this tradition. After shots of what appears to be an empty town, the camera finally reveals the protagonist, who puts a makeshift cross into the ground. This cross then angers the men playing cards in the salon, who then come outside to face Django.

Though the score at times sounds like a score, that’s trying to mimic Ennio Morricone. It is still a very effective score that perfectly captures the mood of the story at hand. The atmospheric visuals do a superb job reinforcing a foreboding mood, and the action set pieces are well executed.

Without a doubt, Django the Bastard’s greatest asset is Anthony Steffen’s (The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave) emotionless portrayal of Django. His subdued performance perfectly reinforces the mysterious aura that surrounds Django.

Another performance of note is Luciano Rossi (Death Walks at Midnight) in the role of Jack Murdock, the deranged younger brother of an army major who betrayed Django. Though this role, like most of the others that he played, was a secondary one, he made a career out of portraying psychopaths, like the character he portrays in Django the Bastard.

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where Django the Bastard does not excel. The revenge-themed premise is well executed; it is briskly paced, and key moments of the narrative have ample time to resonate. Another strength of the narrative is how effectively it uses flashbacks to fill in Django’s backstory. Ultimately, Django the Bastard is a diamond in the rough in the crowded Spaghetti western genre, which, at its peak, was churning out over 100 films per year.

Though light on extras, Django the Bastard gets a strong audio/video presentation from Synapse Films, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Cutting Class: 2-Disc Special Edition – MVD Rewind Collection (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1989
Director: Rospo Pallenberg
Writer: Steve Slavkin
Cast: Donovan Leitch Jr., Jill Schoelen, Brad Pitt, Roddy McDowall, Martin Mull, Brenda James, Mark Barnet, Robert Glaudini

Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 91 Minutes 3 Seconds (Unrated Version), 90 Minutes 52 Seconds (R-Rated Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 (Unrated Version)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English, Dolby Digital Mono English (Unrated Version), Dolby Digital Mono English (R-Rated Version)
Subtitles: English SDH (Unrated Version), Spanish (Unrated Version - Blu-ray Only)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.95

"High school can be murder. Just ask Paula (Jill Schoelen, The Stepfather). Her overprotective father disappears during a weekend hunting trip. She's being romantically pursued by Brian Woods (Donovan Leitch, The Blob), a creepy classmate who recently graduated from a mental institution. Her jealous jock boyfriend Dwight (Brad Pitt, Moneyball) is looking for any reason to release his juvenile rage. The lecherous school principal Mr. Dante (Roddy McDowall, Fright Night) is after her tight student body, and her friends and teachers are rapidly falling victim to a silent, shadowy mass-murder. As the body count rises, Paula begins to suspect that any one of her reckless suitors could be the twisted killer. But unless she learns his identity soon, her high school education will quickly come to a nasty end." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "2018 4K Restoration (from the 35mm original camera negative) and presented in 2160P HD in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio in HDR"

Cutting Class comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 60 GB

Feature: 59 GB

This transfer uses the same one that Vinegar Syndrome used for their 2018 Blu-ray release. Though the source looks excellent, there is some minor print debris in the opening credits. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look.

Cutting Class comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.1 GB

Feature: 21.7 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. This track is in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, this track sounds robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a 'Kill Comparisons' featurette (3 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), find the killer VHS contest promo (4 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actor Donovan Leitch Jr. (16 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Jill Schoelen (20 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and the R-Rated version of Cutting Class (90 Minutes 52 Seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a "4K LaserVision" mini-poster (limited to first pressing), and a slipcover (limited to first pressing).

Summary:

Cutting Class is Rospo Pallenberg’s only directing credit; he is most known for his work as a screenwriter. His notable credits as a screenwriter include Exorcist II: The Heretic and Excalibur.

The narrative revolves around a psychopath inside a high school who has an axe to grind.

Throughout cinema’s history, the horror genre has had many ups and downs. And by the late 1980s, it was in one of its many lulls. That said, it is often during these down periods when horror cinema is regulated to independent filmmakers working outside of Hollywood that a film comes along and revives interest in the genre. Was Cutting Class one of these films?

The thing that grabs you immediately when watching Cutting Class is just how often it tries to inject humor. Though there have been many films that successfully mix horror and humor, there have been far more examples of films that come up short in this regard. The way in which Cutting Class employs humor is not always effective.

Cutting Class has a solid premise: a psychopath stalks and kills its victims, mostly inside a high school. And though it opens with one of its many moments of humor, it does not take long before the first victim is attacked while on a hunting trip. Also, this opening kill, like all the kills that follow, is inventive, as each victim gets their own unique way of dying. A few examples include death by a xerox machine and being impaled by a flag pole.

All of the characters are caricatures that have become all too familiar to anyone familiar with teen-themed horror body count films. Fortunately, none of the cast let the limitations of their characters get in the way of their enthusiastic performances. Also, the cast is filled with recognizable faces, including a very youthful Brad Pitt (12 monkeys) in the role of a stereotypical jock. Another cast member of note is Jill Schoelen (Popcorn) in the role of cheerleader. Needless to say, Cutting Class does not waste an opportunity to show off Jill Schoelen in provocative poses.

From a production standpoint, Cutting Class is a well-made slasher film that plays well to its specific audience. Though the narrative has some lulls, mostly due to the injection of humor, things move along at a good enough pace. One area where Cutting Class really excels is when it comes to moments of misdirection. Just when you think that you know where things are headed, another twist comes along. Ultimately, Cutting Class is an entertaining horror that unfortunately brings nothing new to the table; it is a film that diehard horror film fans will get the most mileage out of.

Cutting Class gets a solid release as part of the MVD Rewind Collection, recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer