No doubt the usual Beavis and Butthead bubble boys will hate this Western for being entertaining. Speaking of course about the dead head spaghetti fans.
Here, we have a 1964 entry into Westerns featuring Alex Nicol as his usual charismatic villain, in what preceded the spaghetti garbage.
A word about Alex. He may win the prize for being in the most underrated great films ever. THEN THERE WERE THREE is one of the greatest war films ever, and he plays a very similar character there.
Unlike the spaghetti crap, we have the best of both worlds in this tale of demi gods. The spaghetti movies were totally back flips to classic Greek heroes, demi gods who could only be defeated by other demi gods. No "demi god" can be shot in the back by a mortal.
So this Western does match the spaghetti in showing classic heroes and villains as opposed to anti heroes. The spaghetti Westerns pretty much NEVER have an anti hero. These are definitive classic clones of Odysseus and other Greek heroes.
However, instead of the worst of both worlds given to us by the spaghetti crap, in which we are given dull scenery (giving us the idea that the movie is "realistic") and non identifiable one dimensional characters, GUNFIGHTERS OF CASA GRANDE does the opposite, giving us the spectacle and grandeur that makes a film superior, along with more identifiable and credible characters.
The characters are still "demi god" characters, but at least they have motivation. The villain is more eighteenth century fun lover than what the geek today will accept, but which is totally credible to sane and objective viewers.
Alex plays a charismatic creep very similar to Dan Duryea's villains. He is mostly just a low IQ tough guy who is great with his guns. He doesn't think much, as we see throughout, although like most such low mentality leaders, he believes he is a great thinker. In fact, his resemblance in personality matches a certain U.S. president whose last name rhymes with "Chump", but I won't mention any names.
Alex is about a hundred times more handsome than the president I mention, but he plays a character here whose personality is identical.
I'll likely get hate mail from people complaining that I underestimated Alex as being "only" 100 times more handsome. I apologize. I do understate some things.
The characters are very interesting. "Doc" comes closest to "anti hero" status, and makes this film stick out. "Traveler" and "Kid" are also more "anti hero" than a spaghetti Western will usually show. They have actual motivation in their actions.
The action is extreme, and this has "sprawling epic" appeal. We want the villain (named "Daylight" ironically) to turn out good, and to change, but his character is really just a dumb thug who finds himself the leader of a band of more intelligent outlaws. There is great pathos in his story. He's like a tragic Shakespearean king.
This is a fantastic Western. It will leave you emotionally charged, and a bit sad, but it works on every level.
Here, we have a 1964 entry into Westerns featuring Alex Nicol as his usual charismatic villain, in what preceded the spaghetti garbage.
A word about Alex. He may win the prize for being in the most underrated great films ever. THEN THERE WERE THREE is one of the greatest war films ever, and he plays a very similar character there.
Unlike the spaghetti crap, we have the best of both worlds in this tale of demi gods. The spaghetti movies were totally back flips to classic Greek heroes, demi gods who could only be defeated by other demi gods. No "demi god" can be shot in the back by a mortal.
So this Western does match the spaghetti in showing classic heroes and villains as opposed to anti heroes. The spaghetti Westerns pretty much NEVER have an anti hero. These are definitive classic clones of Odysseus and other Greek heroes.
However, instead of the worst of both worlds given to us by the spaghetti crap, in which we are given dull scenery (giving us the idea that the movie is "realistic") and non identifiable one dimensional characters, GUNFIGHTERS OF CASA GRANDE does the opposite, giving us the spectacle and grandeur that makes a film superior, along with more identifiable and credible characters.
The characters are still "demi god" characters, but at least they have motivation. The villain is more eighteenth century fun lover than what the geek today will accept, but which is totally credible to sane and objective viewers.
Alex plays a charismatic creep very similar to Dan Duryea's villains. He is mostly just a low IQ tough guy who is great with his guns. He doesn't think much, as we see throughout, although like most such low mentality leaders, he believes he is a great thinker. In fact, his resemblance in personality matches a certain U.S. president whose last name rhymes with "Chump", but I won't mention any names.
Alex is about a hundred times more handsome than the president I mention, but he plays a character here whose personality is identical.
I'll likely get hate mail from people complaining that I underestimated Alex as being "only" 100 times more handsome. I apologize. I do understate some things.
The characters are very interesting. "Doc" comes closest to "anti hero" status, and makes this film stick out. "Traveler" and "Kid" are also more "anti hero" than a spaghetti Western will usually show. They have actual motivation in their actions.
The action is extreme, and this has "sprawling epic" appeal. We want the villain (named "Daylight" ironically) to turn out good, and to change, but his character is really just a dumb thug who finds himself the leader of a band of more intelligent outlaws. There is great pathos in his story. He's like a tragic Shakespearean king.
This is a fantastic Western. It will leave you emotionally charged, and a bit sad, but it works on every level.