Compañeros – Blue Underground (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1970
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Writers: Sergio Corbucci, Massimo De Rita, Fritz Ebert, José Frade, Arduino Maiuri
Cast: Franco Nero, Tomas Milian, Jack Palance, Fernando Rey, Iris Berben, José Bódalo, Eduardo Fajardo, Karin Schubert

Release Date: October 28th, 2014
Approximate running times: 115 Minutes (English Language Version), 119 Minutes 18 Seconds (Italian Language Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (English Language Version), DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono Italian/English Hybrid (Italian Language Version)
Subtitles: English (Italian Language Version), English SDH, French, Spanish (English Language Version)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero of Django) is a suave Swedish arms dealer with a love for fast money. Vasco (Tomas Milian of Traffic) is a trigger-happy Mexican bandit with a hate for suave Swedish arms dealers. But when the two men team up to kidnap a professor who holds the key to a fortune in gold, they find themselves hunted by the American army, stalked by a marijuana-crazed sadist (Academy Award winner Jack Palance) and trapped in the middle of a revolution about to explode. Can these two enemies blast their way across Mexico together without killing each other first?” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5 (English Language Version), 3.75/5 (Italian Language Version)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Now freshly transferred in gorgeous High Definition from the original negative."

Compañeros comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.8 GB

Feature: 18.8 GB (English Language Version), 23.3 GB (Italian Language Version)

Though the source used for this transfer has been cleaned up, there appears to be some mild filtering of the image. That said, when compared to Compañeros previous home video releases, this new transfer is an improvement in every way. Also, when comparing the transfers for each version, there are many areas where they are not alike; the Italian language version has stronger colors, and the English language versions look brighter.

Audio: 4.5/5

The English-language version comes with one audio option: a DTS-HD mono mix in English. This version comes with removable English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles.

The Italian-language version comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in an Italian/English hybrid track. This latter track presents scenes that were not dubbed in English and are presented in Italian with removable English subtitles. This version also comes with removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track.

All three audio mixes sound great. Dialog always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Also, ambient sounds and Ennio Morricone’s score are well represented. Quality because these three audio tracks are comparable.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a poster & still gallery, Italian theatrical trailer (2 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with Italian text, no subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two television spots (1 minute 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival featurette with comments from actors Franco Nero and Tomas Milan, and composer Ennio Morricone titled In the Company of Companeros (17 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with journalists Henry Parke and C. Courtney Joyner.

Summary:

Directed by Sergio Corbucci, whose other notable Spaghetti Westerns include Django, Hellbenders, The Great Silence, and The Mercenary.

The narrative revolves around an arms dealer and a Mexican bandit who are forced to put their differences aside and work together when it becomes apparent that they have a common goal.

The spaghetti western, like all genres, has sub-genres, and Compañeros falls into the Zapata western genre. This genre is defined by its location and time in Mexico during its revolution, and the majority of these are political in tone, most notably from a Marxist point of view. Another familiar plot device for this genre was that one main character was a Mexican bandit who was ignorant in regards to politics, while the other character, a foreigner (of American or European descent), would find a way to interject themselves into a position of power within the Mexican bandit’s inner circle and thus convince them to participate in the revolution.

The two characters at the opposite end of the spectrum that anchor this film are a Swedish arms dealer named Yodlaf Peterson and a Mexican bandit named Vasco. The Swede, as he is often referred to in the film, is looking for Vasco’s boss, a man named Mongo, a self-proclaimed general in name only. In reality, he is the leader of a gang of bandits who are using the revolution to disguise their true intentions. The Swede is looking to sell his cache of weapons to Mongo and his men. Unfortunately, along the way, it becomes apparent that they don’t have the funds to complete the transaction. From there, a plan is concocted to rescue Professor Xantos, a real revolutionary who is in prison and also happens to be the only one who knows the combination to the safe containing The Swede’s payday. Along the way, Vasco becomes a changed man and joins forces with Xantos and the real revolutionaries.

Content-wise, Compañeros has everything that any diehard spaghetti western fan would want and then some. It was made as the genre was at a crossroads, as the violent tone was exchanged in favor of lighthearted humor. Fortunately for those who long for the good old days of down-and-dirty spaghetti westerns with a mean streak, This film finds the perfect balance between what had come before and what was now in vogue. Another area where this film often excels is the way it interjects social commentary into the story at hand without ever being too heavy-handed.

When discussing the spaghetti western genre, two things instantly spring to mind: the visuals and the score. There is never a shortage of inventive or picturesque imagery in Compañeros, as every inch is meticulously framed for maximum effect. Compañeros' bookend opening and beginning sequences immediately set the tone for what is to come visually. Once again, Morricone creates a remarkable score that instantly draws you in and is impossible to forget.

Without a doubt, Compañeros's asset is the performances of its cast, who are all extremely good in their respective roles. Front and center when discussing the performance are the two leading men, Franco Nero in the role of the Swede and Tomas Milian in the role of Vasco. These two have a tremendous amount of chemistry, and it is a shame that Compañeros is the only film they appear in together. Of these two performances, the slight edge goes to Tomas Milan since his character shows more growth than Franco Nero’s. Other performances of note include Jack Palance (Marquis de Sade’s Justine) in the role of a pot-smoking mercenary with a pet vulture, Fernando Rey (Cold Eyes of Fear) in the role of Professor Xantos, and Karin Schubert (Ubalda, All Naked and Warm) in the role of a call girl. Ultimately, Compañeros is an exceptional film that firmly entrenches itself as one of the best films to emerge from the Spaghetti Western genre.

Compañeros gets a good release from Blue Underground that comes with solid audio and a pair of informative extras; unfortunately, the transfer leaves some room for improvement.

                                          English Language Version Screenshots.

                                              Italian Language Version Screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Navajo Joe – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1966
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Writers: Fernando Di Leo, Ugo Pirro, Piero Regnoli
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Aldo Sambrell, Nicoletta Machiavelli, Fernando Rey

Release Date: August 18th, 2015
Approximate running time: 92 Minutes 33 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"A band of outlaws, headed by a sullen leader named Duncan (Aldo Sambrell, The Man with No Name Trilogy), sweeps across the country like the plague, destroying everything in its path, including an entire Indian village. The outlaws arrive in the town of Esperanza, where they are hired by a crooked doctor to hijack a bank train and share in the wealth. But the sole survivor from the Indian village, a renegade Navajo named Joe (Reynolds), foils the plan by relocating the money. An irate Duncan holds an innocent Indian girl hostage until Joe surrenders… Joe once again must take on Duncan and his ruthless comrades with unforgettable vengeance.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Navajo Joe comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 18.7 GB

Feature: 17.6 GB

No information has been provided about the transfer source. That said, it most definitely comes from an older source. Though colors and flesh tones generally look good, there are a few moments where they look off. The image generally looks crisp, the black levels are adequate, and the compression is good.

Audio: 3.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Though dialog comes through clearly enough to follow, this track is not without its shortcomings. Range-wise, things are best described as serviceable, and there are some sibilance issues.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for Navajo Joe (1 minute 51 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historian Gary Palmucci.

Other extras include trailers for White Lightning, Gator, and Malone.

Summary:

Sergio Leone’s monumental Dollars trilogy announced Spaghetti westerns to the world, and because of Sergio Leone’s success, many imitators flooded the market, which led to watered-down products. Navajo Joe, just like the Dollars trilogy, cast in its lead a T.V. actor named Burt Reynolds, who, along with Clint Eastwood, would later become cinema icons in the 1970s.

Navajo Joe was Sergio Corbucci’s fourth Spaghetti western. Sergio Corbucci’s other Spaghetti westerns include The Grand Canyon Massacre, Minnesota Clay, Django, Ringo and His Golden Pistol, The Hellbenders, The Great Silence, The Mercenary, The Specialists, Companeros, Sonny and Jed, What Am I Doing in the Middle of a Revolution?, and Shoot First... Ask Questions Later.

The narrative revolves around a Navajo Indian named Joe, whose tribe was massacred by bandits.

Navajo Joe’s strongest asset is its cast of recognizable faces, which anyone familiar with spaghetti westerns is sure to recognize. In the role of the leader of the bandits, Aldo Sambrell (A Bullet for the General) portrays a psychopath and sadist half-breed named Duncan. Other notable cast members include Nicoletta Machiavelli (The Hills Run Red) and Fernando Rey (Compañeros). Casting Burt Reynolds as the lead role is definitely an interesting choice, but years later, Lee Van Cleef did play an Indian in Captain Apache. That said, the performances are best described asserviceable, with no one performance standing out.

Content-wise, Navajo Joe is pretty standard, even when compared to the most by-the-numbers spaghetti western. There were so many spaghetti westerns coming out around this time, and everyone was trying to cash in. Unfortunately, Navajo Joe, like so many spaghetti westerns, just recycled already exploited elements from films that preceded it, and there really is nothing new brought to the table.

That said, there are two areas where Navajo Joe comes out ahead. Sergio Corbucci’s solid direction once again delivers when it comes to creating tense moments. And Ennio Morricone’s remarkable score, which features an exceptional music cue titled Silhouette of Doom that Quentin Tarantino would use in Kill Bill Volume 2. Ultimately, Navajo Joe is one of Sergio Corbucci’s weaker spaghetti westerns.

Navajo Joe gets a serviceable audio/video presentation from Kino Lorber, and this release comes with an informative audio commentary.

 Written by Michael Den Boer

The Specialists – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France/West Germany, 1969
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Writers: Sergio Corbucci, Sabatino Ciuffini
Cast: Johnny Hallyday, Gastone Moschin, Françoise Fabian, Sylvie Fennec, Angela Luce, Serge Marquand, Gino Pernice, Andrés José Cruz Soublette 

Release Date: December 3rd, 2019
Approximate running time: 104 Minutes 47 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English (for Italian language track)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Notorious gunfighter Hud Dixon (Hallyday) arrives in Blackstone, a town where his brother was wrongfully accused of robbing a bank and lynched for it. As Hud seeks revenge, he starts to discover the truth behind the stolen loot, and has to contend with an idealistic sheriff, a beautiful and seductive female banker, a corrupt businessman and a one-armed Mexican bandit, who was once his friend.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5

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

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

Disc Size: 31.9 GB

Feature: 29.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look very good, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono French)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in French. Both audio mixes are in very good shape, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and range wise ambient sounds are well-represented. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 36 seconds, DTS-HD mono Italian with non-removable English 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 Hellbenders, The Mercenary, A Fistful of Dollars, and Return of Sabata.

Summary:

Directed by Sergio Corbucci, whose other notable Spaghetti westerns include Minnesota Clay, Django, Navajo Joe, The Hellbenders, The Great Silence, The Mercenary, and Companeros. Key collaborators on The Specialists include cinematographer Dario Di Palma (Death Laid an Egg) and composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino (Queens of Evil).

Though The Specialists has many of the elements that are commonly associated with Sergio Corbucci’s other spaghetti westerns, From its opening moments, it quickly becomes clear that The Specialists was heavily influenced by the 1960s counterculture. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the depiction of youth (hippie) characters.

At the heart of The Specialists is a good old-fashioned tale about revenge. The plot revolves around a gunslinger whose brother was wrongfully accused of a crime and lynched. Wanting vengeance for what they did to his brother, the gunslinger returns to the scene of the crime and exacts his revenge.

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where The Specialists does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, the narrative gives key moments ample time to resonate, and the action set pieces are well executed.

Performance-wise, the cast is all very good in their respective roles, especially Johnny Hallyday’s understated portrayal of Hud Dixon. The Specialists features a rogues gallery of colorful characters, and other notable performances include Mario Adorf (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) in the role of EL Diablo, a one-armed Mexican bandit, and Gastone Moschin (Caliber 9) in the role of Sheriff Gedeon.

Another strength of The Specialists is its striking visuals and how effectively they use scenic landscapes. Standout moments include the pre-credits opening sequence, which perfectly introduces Hud Dixon; a scene where one of the people responsible for Hud’s murder seductively distracts the sheriff while some men in a bar try to kill Hud; and a WTF finale that’s arguably spaghetti western cinema’s wildest ending. Ultimately, The Specialists is a very good spaghetti western from Sergio Corbucci that is arguably one of his most underrated films.

The Specialists 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

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

The Mercenary – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Spain/USA, 1968
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Writers: Franco Solinas, Giorgio Arlorio, Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Spina, Adriano Bolzoni, Sergio Corbucci
Cast: Franco Nero, Tony Musante,Eduardo Fajardo, Franco Ressel, Álvaro de Luna, Raf Baldassarre, Joe Kamel, Jack Palance, Giovanna Ralli

Release Date: November 7th, 2017
Approximate running time: 106 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG-13
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"He Sells Death to the Highest Bidder! Sergei ‘The Polish’ Kowalski (Franco Nero, Django, Companeros), a mercenary who’s only out for himself and a few dollars, joins up with a Mexican peasant-turned-revolutionary, Paco Roman (Tony Musante, The Grissom Gang) to rob a silver mine in Texas. No longer content to toil for the rich and powerful, Roman plans to bring a new order to Mexico by force with his small ragtag gang. While Roman and Kowalski are outnumbered facing the Mexican army, they also have to contend with Curly (Jack Palance, Ten Seconds to Hell), a vengeful killer out for blood." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

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

Disc Size: 26.1 GB

Feature: 22.5 GB

The Mercenary has had a very limited home video history on DVD, and this release from Kino Lorber marked its HD debut in North America. And though no information is provided about its source, it is in very good shape, and any source imperfections are minimal. Flesh tones and colors look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, and compression is very good. That said, despite its shortcomings, this transfer is still the best this film has looked to date on home video.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced; ambient sounds are well represented; and Ennio Morricone’s score sounds robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills image gallery titled Mercenario in Pictures (6 minutes 12 seconds, DTS-HD mono with music from The Mercenary playing in the background), a publicity image gallery titled Promoting Mercenario (10 minutes 20 seconds, DTS-HD mono with music from The Mercenary playing in the background), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 53 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, A Fistful of Dollars, Death Rides a Horse, and Valdez is Coming.

Summary:

When Spaghetti westerns are discussed and the name Sergio comes up, we immediately think of Sergio Leone, not the other Sergio (Sergio Corbucci). And Sergio Corbucci, in total, would direct seven spaghetti westerns that are widely considered classics of this genre. Most notably, Django, The Great Silence, Compañeros, and The Mercenary All of his spaghetti westerns had a style and originality to them that set them apart from the countless clones that would ultimately contribute to the genre's demise.

Sergio Corbucci crafts an epic film that is inventive in its composition. And he helped co-write the script, which is laced with tongue-in-cheek dialog. There are also several religious references in this film, like a scene where Franco Nero’s character is captured and strapped to a cross. And Paco starts out with twelve men (Disciples) when he meets Kowalski (The Savoir).

As mentioned before, humor plays a role in the story at hand. And though The Mercenary predates films like Trinity and My Name is Nobody, the humor is more organic than the satirical spaghetti westerns that would rise to prominence in the early 1970s.

Performance-wise, Franco Nero (High Crime) in the role of Sergei Kowalski, aka the Polish, and Tony Musante (The Bird With the Crystal Plumage) in the role of Paco Roman make a formidable duo. And though Tony Musante portrays a character type that is very similar to the type of characters that Tomas Milian often portrayed in Spaghetti westerns, Tony Musante delivers a more restrained version of this type of character. And Jack Palance (Marquis de Sade’s Justine) delivers another scene-stealing, mesmerizing performance in the role of Ricciolo, aka 'Curly'.

The ever-dependable Ennio Morricone is the composer for The Mercenary. And he once again creates a score that not only enhances the story at hand but also perfectly sets the mood. Quentin Tarantino used the music cue L’Arena from The Mercenary’s score in Kill Bill Volume 2. 

Though a film like The Mercenary fits firmly into the Zapata western subgenre of spaghetti westerns with its political and social commentary about revolution, Tone-wise, there are several lighthearted moments that set it apart from other Zapata westerns, which tend to be heavy-handed in their social commentary. Ultimately, The Mercenary is one of the spaghetti westerns high points and a must-see if you are a fan of this genre.

The Mercenary gets a strong release from Kino Lorber that comes with a good audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Romulus and Remus (Duel of the Titans) – Explosive Media/Koch Media (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1961
Director: Sergio Corbucci
Writers: Ennio De Concini, Luciano Martino, Franco Rossetti, Sergio Corbucci, Duccio Tessari, Sergio Leone, Adriano Bolzoni
Cast: Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Virna Lisi, Franco Volpi, Laura Solari, Piero Lulli, José Greci

Release Date: March 11th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 108 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: FSK 12 (Germany)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 13,99 EUR

"Romulus and Remus were thrown into the Tiber shortly after birth, fed by a she-wolf and raised by a shepherd. In revenge, they lead a bloody raid against the ruling regime of King Amulius, at the end of which one of the most important cities of antiquity will be founded." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Romulus and Remus comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 26.3 GB

Though no information is provided about this transfer source, it is in great shape, and print debris has been cleaned up. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and compression is very good. That said, peplum is a genre that has not fared well transfer-wise; fortunately, this transfer is one of the stronger ones.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. For this review, I only listened to the Italian and English tracks. Quality-wise, these two tracks are comparable. They both sound clean, clear, and balanced. Also, range-wise, they sound robust when they should. Included are removable English and German subtitles. The English subtitles appear to be a direct translation of the Italian track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (56 images - posters/stills/advertisements/lobby cards), a theatrical trailer (5 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with Steve Reeves stunt double Giovanni Cianfriglia (7 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable German subtitles), German theatrical version of Romulus and Remus (101 minutes 8 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono German with removable German subtitles), and reversible cover art.

Summary:

Directed by Sergio Corbucci, who would go on to become one of the filmmakers most synonymous with spaghetti westerns. Romulus and Remus is the second of three peplums Sergio Corbucci directed. The other two are Goliath and the Vampires and The Slave. Key collaborators on Romulus and Remus include directors Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in The West) and Duccio Tessari (The Bloodstained Butterfly), who both contributed the screenplay, and cinematographer Enzo Barboni, who would go on to direct They Call Me Trinity and Trinity Is Still My Name.

The narrative revolves around two brothers, Romulus and Remus, who were abandoned and kept alive by a she-wolf before a shepherd took them in. Though they are twins, these brothers could not be more unalike. Where Remus is driven by his ambitions even at the expense of others, Romulus’ empathy has him always putting everyone ahead of himself. Their bond would be broken when Remus was seduced by power and greed.

Despite Romulus and Remus having all of the trappings that are synonymous with peplums, Notably muscular leading men and an ample amount of action sequences, just to name a few things, It is a film that also uses Roman mythology as its foundation. The two brothers Romulus and Remus are at the heart of this film, leading to the founding of the city of Rome.

When discussing Peplum, a key ingredient in these films is their leading men. And though most peplums have one protagonist, Romulus and Remus have two. Cast in the role of Romulus is Steve Reeves (Hercules); he is the actor more than any that has come to define the peplum hero, and cast in the role of Remus is Gordon Scott, who also made a name for himself in peplums. He is also known for portraying Tarzan in six films. Despite their physical stature playing a role in the story at hand, this film actually does a good job allowing these two actors to shine in more dramatic moments.

At just under one hundred and nine minutes in length, there are rarely dull moments. And what the narrative lacks is more than made up for with its action sequences, which are all well executed. A few standout moments include a horse race where bales that are on fire are obstacles and a scene where Romulus fights a bear. Also, Sergio Corbucci had a knack for creating tense moments, and his direction is rock solid. Ultimately, Romulus and Remus is a perfect mix of action and historical drama.

Romulus and Remus gets a strong audio audio/video presentation from Explosive Media/Koch Media, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer