A Bullet for the General - Blue Underground (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1966
Director: Damiano Damiani
Writers: Salvatore Laurani, Franco Solinas
Cast: Gian Maria Volonté, Klaus Kinski, Martine Beswick, Lou Castel, Jaime Fernández, Andrea Checchi, Spartaco Conversi, Joaquín Parra, Aldo Sambrell

Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Approximate running times: 114 Minutes 54 Seconds (U.S. Version), 117 Minutes 48 Seconds (International Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (International Version), DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish (U.S. Version), English (International Version)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"At the height of the Mexican revolution, a mysterious young American (Lou Castel of Fists in the Pocket) joins a gang of marauders led by El Chucho (Gian Maria Volonte of A Fistful of Dollars) on a series of savage raids to steal guns for a powerful rebel general. But when the Gringo brings his own cold-blooded ideals to the bandits, El Chucho discovers that the real weapons of war belong to no army. In a land ravaged by poverty and violence, can true freedom be bought with a single bullet?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5 (U.S. Version, International Version)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "Freshly transferredin handsome High Definition."

A Bullet for the General comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.4 GB

Feature: 19.5 GB (U.S. Version), 21.7 GB (International Version)

Once again, Blue Underground has delivered a source that cleans up any debris or source-related damage. Unfortunately, like so many Italian films released in the early days of Blu-ray, there is some light scanner noise and digital noise reduction; in the case of the latter, it is minor enough that it is not distracting. That said, colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong, and compression is very good. Also, these two transfers are comparable quality-wise.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English - U.S. Version, DTS-HD Mono English - International Version)

The U.Stheatrical version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Subtitle options for the U.S. version are English SDH, Spanish, and French; all three are removable.

The International version comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The only subtitles included for the International version are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track.

It should be noted that the U.S. version comes with a different English ‘dub’ track than the one used for the International version. Quality-wise, these three audio options are comparable. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds like gunshots are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release are spread over two discs. 

Extras on the BluRay disc are a poster & still gallery, U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), International theatrical trailer (4 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an interview with director Damiano Damiani titled A Bullet for the Director (5 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Extras on a second disc (a DVD) are a feature-length documentary, ‘Gian Maria Volonte: Un Attore Contro’ (112 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian and English with non-removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Damiano Damiani, whose other notable films include The Witch (La strega in amore), The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella), The Day of the Owl, A Complicated Girl, Confessions of a Police Captain, The Case Is Closed, Forget It, and How to Kill a Judge.

The narrative revolves around a bandit named El Chuncho who becomes the figurehead of a revolution. Along the way, he meets up with an American mercenary who has ulterior motives for helping El Chuncho and the other revolutionaries. Will this most unlikely partnership prove fruitful, or will it end in bloodshed?

By the mid-1960s, the spaghetti western genre was in full swing in Italy, and the genre's most famous director had by this point just wrapped the 'Man with No Name' trilogy. The genre was nearing its apex, and in just a matter of a few short years, it would undergo a slight makeover, with a shift more towards humor. And while some of the reasons why the genre started to run dry by the late 1960s point heavily towards the genre's innate need to mimic the films of Sergio Leone, Ever so often, there would come along a film that would go against the grain and not rely as much on the tried and true clichés of the genre.

Take, for instance, a film like A Bullet for the General, which on the surface resembles countless other spaghetti westerns, yet the end result is easily the closest any film has ever come to capturing the mood and style that have become synonymous with the films of Sergio Leone. Also, though Bullet for the General features many of the staples of the spaghetti western genre, Its core message, ‘government corruption, transcends the genre and would be just as potent no matter where or when you had this story take place.

When it comes to spaghetti westerns, the violence that unfolds on screen is easily this genre's most durable and bankable asset. That said, A Bullet for the General delivers this in spades, as there is an ample amount of carnage. Spaghetti westerns are known for their explosive opening sequences, which set the tone for the events that follow. And A Bullet for the General opens with a memorable sequence where dissidents are being executed by the government.

Performance-wise, the entire cast is exceptional in their respective roles. With the standout role being Gian Maria Volonté (For a Few Dollars More) in the role of El Chuncho. And though his performance contains many of the hallmarks that one would expect from watching his other films, His portrayal of a character that is against the type of characters he was so prone to play is without a doubt one of his finest moments as an actor. Other notable performances come from Lou Castel (Requiescant) in the role of an American mercenary and Klaus Kinski (The Great Silence) in the role of El Chuncho’s brother, a priest named El Santo.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where A Bullet for the General is an exceptional piece of filmmaking. The premise is superbly realized; a well-executed narrative gives key moments an ample amount of time to resonate without ever lessening the mounting tension; and a phenomenal ending provides perfect closure to the events that preceded. Not to be overlooked is another exemplary score from Ennio Morricone, whose scores more than any other composer defined spaghetti westerns. Ultimately, A Bullet for the General is an extraordinary film that is one of the spaghetti western genre's highwater marks.

A Bullet for the General makes its way to Blu-ray via a good release from Blue Underground that comes with two versions of the film and a pair of informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella) - Twilight Time (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1969
Director: Damiano Damiani
Writers: Damiano Damiani, Enrico Ribulsi, Sofia Scandurra
Cast: Alessio Orano, Ornella Muti, Tano Cimarosa, Joe Sentieri, Enzo Andronico, Amerigo Tot, Pierluigi Aprà, Salvatore Baccaro

Release Date: August 16th, 2016
Approximate running time: 108 Minutes 40 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"Director Damiano Damiani’s The Most Beautiful Wife (La Moglie Più Bella, 1970) stars the then 14-year-old beauty, Ornella Muti, as a real-life Sicilian girl who dared to challenge the local Mafia. Instead of acceding to a malignant old custom allowing a young Don to kidnap and rape a prospective bride, she puts her foot down and goes to the police, unleashing the rage of the mobsters, but also the disapproval of her family and neighbors." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.3 GB

Feature: 28.6 GB

No information has been provided about this transfer, which leads me to believe that it was sourced from an existing source that might date back to the one used for NoShame’s DVD. That said, the source is in great shape, free of source-related damage. Flesh tones look correct, colors are very good, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, and compression is very good.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Though both audio mixes are in very good shape, range-wise, they can be limited. That said, dialog comes through clearly, and Ennio Morricone’s score sounds appropriately robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include, an option to view the Twilight Time catalog, an eight-page booklet with an essay about the film written by Julie Kirgo, an option to listen to an Isolated music track, a trailer for the film (3 minutes 37 seconds, DTS-HD mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an introduction by director Damiano Damiani (1 minute, DTS-HD stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and a documentary titled Sicily, Ornella, The Mafia and Beyond (45 minutes 42 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Damiano Damiani, whose other notable films include The Witch (La strega in amore), A Bullet for the General, The Day of the Owl, A Complicated Girl, Confessions of a Police Captain, The Case Is Closed, Forget It, and How to Kill a Judge.

The narrative revolves around a young peasant girl who is kidnapped and raped by a mafia Don’s nephew. When she reports the incident to the police, her family and everyone in town turn their backs on her out of fear of the mafia.

The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella) is a movie about power and one man’s struggle to obtain control over the one thing he can’t control. Early on in the film, we are introduced to Vito, the nephew of Don, and Vito is quickly thrown into a position of power when Don and the rest of the bosses are carted off to jail. The last words Don tells him before leaving set up the main plot point that drives the rest of the film. He tells Vito, "Marry a good woman with high moral values; if she is poor, even better." From that moment on, Vito makes it his main goal to find such a woman, and one day he finds a fourteen-year-old peasant girl who fits the type of woman he is looking for to be his wife.

Francesca is played with youthful exuberance by actress Ornella Muti (Oasis of Fear), who had no prior acting experience before accepting this role. Looking back years later on The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella), the casting of Ornella Muti in the lead role of Francesca would appear to be a no-brainer since her bewitching beauty, even at this early stage of her career, was evident. Alessio Orano (Lisa and the Devil) does a wonderful job showing off the cruel side of Vito, and he is equally impressive when showing that even someone as bold and vulgar as Vito has weaknesses. It is Vito’s pursuit of Francesca that really drives the whole story. Vito starts out as the stronger of the two, and by the end of The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella), Francesca has clearly become the more dominant of the two.

Damiano Damiani has always been a director who chooses interesting and, at times, daring subject matter. And The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella) is yet another remarkable film from Damiano Damiani. The visuals perfectly frame faces and landscapes, and the ever-dependable composer Ennio Morricone delivers another extraordinary score.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella) is lacking. The well-constructed narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum towards a gut-wrenching conclusion. Ultimately, The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella) is a grueling tale about loss of innocence and betrayal that is a deeply rewarding cinematic experience.

The Most Beautiful Wife (La moglie più bella) gets a good release from Twilight Time that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative documentary, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The People Who Own the Dark - Code Red (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1976
Director: León Klimovsky
Writers: Gabriel Moreno Burgos, Vicente Aranda
Cast: Nadiuska, Alberto de Mendoza, Teresa Gimpera, Emiliano Redondo, Julia Saly, Tomás Picó, Diana Polakov, Antonio Mayans, Maria Perschy, Paul Naschy

Release Date: December 9th, 2015
Approximate running time: 82 Minutes 59 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"The participants in a hedonistic orgy are somehow spared from the destruction of a massive nuclear holocaust in this post-apocalyptic thriller. The party-goers boogie down to the city for some chow, only for one member to lose it and kill an innocent blind survivor. Soon they are all under attack by the enraged blind radioactive survivors." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new HD telecine from a 35mm print."

The People Who Own the Dark comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 18.8 GB

Feature: 18.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is an unrestored source that has noticeable source damage throughout, and colors tend to be muted and at times look greenish. That said, image clarity is generally very good, black levels are never convincing, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 2.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The audio, like the video presentation, is not restored, and there are audio imperfections. That said, dialog comes through clearly enough to follow, and range-wise, this track is serviceable. 

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to a theatrical trailer (1 minute 51 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Summary:

León Klimovsky directed The People Who Own the Dark. He frequently worked with Paul Naschy. His notable films are Werewolf Shadow, Vengeance of the Zombies, A Dragonfly for Each Corpse, and The Vampires’ Night Orgy.

The narrative revolves around a group of wealthy aristocrats and politicians getting together for a night of debauchery with some ladies in the dungeon of a castle. What should have been a decadent night of pleasure quickly turned into a walking nightmare. The partygoers discover that they are the only survivors of a nuclear holocaust.

Before I go any further into this review, it should be noted that I viewed the much shorter English-language version, which is missing about 16 minutes of footage that is present in the Spanish-language release version of this film. The shorter English-language version does not miss anything when it comes to violence, and it leaves most of the nudity intact. The cuts mostly involve dialogue and the shortening of many scenes.

The primary reason The People Who Own the Dark is effective lies in its intriguing premise and rich atmosphere. That said, there are many moments in which the narrative tends to drag, and yet the end result is a very eerie post-apocalyptic thriller that comes damn close to pulling off all its ambitions.

The People Who Own the Dark’s greatest strength is its scenes involving the blind (zombie-like characters) who shambled around town and eventually followed the survivors of the nuclear holocaust back to their home. The People Who Own the Dark features a notable amount of nudity and sexual content, along with sufficiently gory kills.

The cast performs well in their roles, and while no single performance stands out, many viewers who are interested in The People Who Own the Dark are particularly drawn to Paul Naschy (Horror Rises from the Tomb) in the role of Borne. That said, the cast is filled with many recognizable faces like Nadiuska (Beatriz), Alberto de Mendoza (The Case of the Scorpion's Tail), Antonio Mayans (Cries of Pleasure), and Maria Perschy (Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll). Ultimately, The People Who Own the Dark is a Spanish post-apocalyptic film that is equal parts Night of the Living Dead and The Omega Man.

The People Who Own the Dark makes its way to Blu-ray via a lackluster audio/video presentation from Code Red.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra) - Raro Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1966
Director: Pietro Francisci
Writers: Ian Danby, Pietro Francisci, Fernando Paolo Girolami
Cast: Leonora Ruffo, Mario Novelli, Roland Lesaffre, Kirk Morris, Alfio Caltabiano, Leontine Snell, Nando Angelini, Giovanni De Angelis, Mirella Pamphili, Gianni Solaro, Antonio Ho, John Chen, Gordon Mitchell, Pietro Francisci, Renato Montalbano

Release Date: July 4th, 2023
Approximate running times: 91 minutes 6 Seconds (Italian Theatrical Version), 86 minutes 24 Seconds (Alternate English Language Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (Italian Theatrical Version), DTS-HD Mono English (Alternate English Language Version)
Subtitles: English (Italian Theatrical Version)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Aliens from the constellation Hydra crash-land on the island of Sardinia. A prominent scientist, his daughter, several young technicians, and a pair of spies are taken hostage by the beings so they can use them to repair their spaceship’s broken engine. With that done, they take off towards their home planet, taking the Earthlings with them. However, the humans attempt to mutiny against their captors, inadvertently sending their tiny spaceship hurtling into the infinite beyond." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Italian Theatrical Version), 4/5 (Alternate English Language Version)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New 4K Restoration of the film."

Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.7 GB

Feature: 25.3 GB (Italian Theatrical Version), 16.9 GB (Alternate English Language Version)

There are two versions provided, and quality-wise, in most areas, these two versions are comparable. That said, the sources used for these transfers are in excellent shape. Colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

It should be noted that this release's aspect ratio is 1.37:1, though the original theatrical release was 1.85:1. Looking at the image and how characters and objects are in frame, this appears to be an open matte presentation.

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

The Italian theatrical version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles.

The alternate English-language version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English.

Quality-wise, these two tracks are comparable. Both of these audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Also, ambient sounds are well represented, and range-wise, they sound robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio commentary with author and film historian David Del Valle for the Italian theatrical version and an alternate English-language version of Star Pilot.

Summary:

Directed by Pietro Francisci, who is most remembered for directing Hercules and Hercules Unchained. Most of the films that he directed were either peplum or fantasy films. With Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra) being his only foray into science fiction.

There are two versions of Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra), the original Italian theatrical release in 1966, and eleven years later it would be rereleased in the U.S. in a shorter version whose dub would contain many references to the Star Trek TV series. The U.S. version also omits a scene with the professor's daughter, a model who is shooting a television commercial.

The narrative revolves around a group of humans who discover an alien spaceship that crashed on Earth. And when the aliens learn that the humans know of their existence, they take the humans back to their home planet.

Italian sci-fi cinema is a genre that could never really compete with Hollywood in regards to special effects. And though these films more often than not had strong set designs, it is hard to look past their crude special effects. Also, Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra) uses stock special effects footage from another film, Invasion of the Astro-Monster and Gorath.

The performances are best described as serviceable and enthusiastic. With the most memorable performances being the two female leads, Leonora Ruffo (Hercules in the Haunted World) in the role of Kaena, the leader of the aliens, and Leontine Snell in the role of the professor's daughter Lusia. Other notable cast members include Kirk Morris (The Witch's Curse) and Gordon Mitchell (The Giant of Metropolis); both of these actors made a name for themselves starring in Peplum. Also, director Pietro Francisci appears as himself in Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra).

The thing that sets Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra) apart from other Italian sci-fi films is its modern setting. Instead of being set in the future, aliens from a more advanced society come to Earth. With the sci-fi elements coming from the aliens and their spaceship.

Star Pilot's (2+5: Missione Hydra) most durable asset is composer Nico Fidenco’s (Emanuelle in America) superlative score. The most memorable moment is a scene where Lusia, now on the spaceship, floats up to the ceiling after unbuckling her seatbelt in zero gravity. Ultimately, though, there are areas where one could easily tear down a film like Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra). It is the type of film that would be ripe for Mystery Science Theater 3000. The result is a film that is actually a lot of fun and, more importantly, never takes itself seriously.

Star Pilot (2+5: Missione Hydra) gets a strong release from Raro Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and an informative audio commentary, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Belle Starr Story - Raro Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1968
Director: Lina Wertmüller
Writers: Piero Cristofani, Lina Wertmüller
Cast: Elsa Martinelli, Robert Woods, George Eastman, Francesca Righini, Bruno Piergentili, Bruno Corazzari, Vladimir Medar, Eugene Walter, Remo De Angelis

Release Date: March 21st, 2023
Approximate running time: 99 minutes 33 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Abused and dominated by men in her youth, Belle Starr (Martinelli) now out-rides, out-smokes, out-shoots, and out-gambles them as she makes her way around the Old West, usually wearing male garb." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.75//5

The Belle Starr Story comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 20.6 GB

Feature: 15.3 GB

No information is provided about this transfer source. That said, it does look clean and in good shape. Colors are inconsistent, black levels are adequate, and any compression issues are fortunately not distracting. Also, though there are moments where this transfer looks very good, most of the time it is underwhelming. There also appears to be some digital filtering of the image since it never looks organic.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio fared much better than the video presentation. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, things sound acceptable.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio commentary with film historian Samm Deighan for the Italian theatrical version, and the U.S. theatrical version from a standard definition source (99 minutes 56 seconds, 4:3 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Lina Wertmüller, a filmmaker most known for her work within the comedy genre. Notable films she directed are The Seduction of Mimi, Love & Anarchy, and Seven Beauties.

The narrative revolves around Belle Starr, a woman who can more than hold her own against any man in the old west.

The spaghetti western was a male-dominated genre. And though there were a few spaghetti westerns with female leads, these were anomalies. Besides having a female lead, The Belle Starr Story is the only spaghetti western directed by a woman.

Once you have watched a dozen or more spaghetti westerns, it becomes clear that there are only so many scenarios, and most of the best ones get recycled. Anyone expecting anything except a by-the-numbers spaghetti western from The Belle Starr Story is sure to be disappointed. After the novelty of seeing a woman in the lead role wears off, there is not much more to hold your attention.

Elsa Martinelli (One on Top of the Other) is cast in the role of Belle Starr. And though she does a good job portraying a woman trying to fit into a man's world, She is never truly convincing when stacked up against most of her male counterparts. The best performance is by George Eastman (Rabid Dogs) in the role of Larry Blackie, an outlaw with whom Belle Starr has a tumultuous relationship.

Though there is predictability to the story at hand, its use of flashbacks to fill in the backstory about Belle Starr greatly enhances the story at hand. Unfortunately, the moments in the present are not as strong. That said, the most memorable moment is a jewel heist sequence. Ultimately, The Belle Starr Story is a mildly entertaining film that only diehard spaghetti western fans need to check out.

The Belle Starr Story makes its way to Blu-ray via a lackluster release from Raro Video that comes with a mediocre transfer and two extras, one of which is an unwatchable standard-definition alternate version of The Belle Starr Story.

                                                      U.S. Theatrical Version Screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer