Sartana is part of a series and is not meant to be on the level of Eastwood films. It does not have to be. All though there are 5 official films in this series 4 of then star Gianni Garko. This is the third one. Sartana does nothing more except want money money and more money. He can shoot and scheme is way out of anything. The throwing of cards is a wonderful idea if one really understands spaghetti westerns. The score by bruno nicolai is incredible, it is one of his finest scores. The gunplay is awesome. That is the idea, Sartana is not supposed to get hurt. He is somewhat of a mystical figure, and this particular film has more humor than the ones in the rest of the series. I highly recommend it. Other titles in the sartana/series are I AM SARTANA YOUR ANGEL OF DEATH LIGHT THE FUSE SARTANA IS COMING and the first one IF YOU MEET SARTANA PRAY FOR YOUR DEATH.
15 Reviews
Typical, if not sub-par, Sartana entry
chaosrampant29 February 2008
The first Sartana (1968), by Gianfranco Parolini, is such a dark and brooding spaghetti western gem, that I can't help but wonder what could have happened to the rest of the Sartana entries in his, admittedly, more skillful hands.
Gianni Garko returns for the fourth time to play the titular black-clad anti-hero, after being replaced by the suave George Hilton for A Fistful of Lead. Garko is typically good as the amoral Sartana, in a plot that combines in typical Carnimeo fashion, mystery and action. After old prospector Benson is killed, several people try to get their hands on his land. Nuggets of gold, discovered in his burnt down shackle, suggest that the old prospector hit a motherlode. A corrupt banker and a Chinese saloon owner each will try to convince Benson's niece, now the sole heir of the property, that the land is nothing but acres of sand and therefore worth nothing. Sartana, as usual, is out for himself and will try to play everyone. Of course, things are not always what they seem. There are enough twists and turns to keep things adequately interesting plot-wise.
But plot is barely the reason I love spags. It's the pure style that I look forward, those little moments of pure cinematic gold scattered in the form of stylish shootouts, off-beat characters, weird angles and close-ups, and style-wise, there isn't enough to go around here. The production seems kind of rushed, which probably was, given the low production values. With this being the 4th Sartana entry, everyone seems to be on autopilot by now, and Carnimeo just gets things over in a workmanlinke way. Which is why I wish Parolini would have worked on the sequels. Carnimeo, never an A-list name even by spaghetti standards, seems to be more of an employee instead of an artist, just getting things on budget and on schedule for the producers.
Anyhow, suffice to say there are lots of better spaghettis out there. If you're a seasoned veteran, and need a quick spaghetti fix for a Sunday afternoon, Have a Good Funeral Amigo will do just fine. Just don't expect anything mind-blowing.
Gianni Garko returns for the fourth time to play the titular black-clad anti-hero, after being replaced by the suave George Hilton for A Fistful of Lead. Garko is typically good as the amoral Sartana, in a plot that combines in typical Carnimeo fashion, mystery and action. After old prospector Benson is killed, several people try to get their hands on his land. Nuggets of gold, discovered in his burnt down shackle, suggest that the old prospector hit a motherlode. A corrupt banker and a Chinese saloon owner each will try to convince Benson's niece, now the sole heir of the property, that the land is nothing but acres of sand and therefore worth nothing. Sartana, as usual, is out for himself and will try to play everyone. Of course, things are not always what they seem. There are enough twists and turns to keep things adequately interesting plot-wise.
But plot is barely the reason I love spags. It's the pure style that I look forward, those little moments of pure cinematic gold scattered in the form of stylish shootouts, off-beat characters, weird angles and close-ups, and style-wise, there isn't enough to go around here. The production seems kind of rushed, which probably was, given the low production values. With this being the 4th Sartana entry, everyone seems to be on autopilot by now, and Carnimeo just gets things over in a workmanlinke way. Which is why I wish Parolini would have worked on the sequels. Carnimeo, never an A-list name even by spaghetti standards, seems to be more of an employee instead of an artist, just getting things on budget and on schedule for the producers.
Anyhow, suffice to say there are lots of better spaghettis out there. If you're a seasoned veteran, and need a quick spaghetti fix for a Sunday afternoon, Have a Good Funeral Amigo will do just fine. Just don't expect anything mind-blowing.
Get some flowers, a minister and some weeping family members.
Samoan Bob29 March 2003
This entertaining installment in the 'Sartana' series suffers from some bad pacing and not nearly enough action to sustain my ADD-addled brain. However, the action it does have is wonderfully realized...including an expertly handled horse chase where the bad guys all find their way to their graves (you'll see what I mean). The plot has to do with a land dispute between Sartana, some lady and a Chinese saloon owner...but who gives a sh!t? Unfortunately, the director thinks we do because he spends an unholy amount of time on plot when we just want to see Sartana shoot people. The Chinese dude's constant quoting of Confucius gets old fast (and is it me or do most Chinese people in Spaghettis quote Confucius?). Slightly recommended.
2 for the price of 1
kosmasp25 April 2020
2 Sartanas in one year? One can only imagine how excited people must have been back then. This may have more story than the previous entry but I reckon it also marked the funural of Sartana - or at least the series itself really satisfied as many viewers as it could. There comes a point where you reach an end. Is it a high note? Probably not the best, but still a decent effort and entry I reckon.
The shootouts are there, the Sartanisms are there to a degree (though as I've said before, you could argue they are borrowed from other Spaghetti Westerns) ... if you are a fan, flaws will not come into account and you'll just enjoy. If you just like the genre, you could worse, on the other hand, there are so many other movies out there ... which to watch first?
The shootouts are there, the Sartanisms are there to a degree (though as I've said before, you could argue they are borrowed from other Spaghetti Westerns) ... if you are a fan, flaws will not come into account and you'll just enjoy. If you just like the genre, you could worse, on the other hand, there are so many other movies out there ... which to watch first?
Not a bad example of what I'm going to call a lesser SW
bensonmum210 May 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Sartana blows into town just after a local prospector, Joe Benson, has been murdered. Suddenly, there seems to be no shortage of buyers for the old man's land that most describe as nothing more than a pile of worthless sand. The two men who seem to want the land the most are the local crooked banker and the Chinese gambling parlor owner. But why? With Sartan's help, Benson's niece and heir plays the two potential buyers against each other looking to get the most for the land. Will she succeed? The only thing that's certain is that Sartana's going to do whatever he cam to make sure he comes out ahead.
Certainly not what I would call a top of the line Spaghetti Western, Have a Good Funeral, My Friend . . . Sartana Will Pay (let's shorten that to Have a Good Funeral for the rest of this comment) is still an enjoyable enough installment in the Sartana series. Gianni Garko is back as Sartana. He's excellent in the role and provides the character with just the right amount of mystery to throw doubt on his motivations. Even among the super human feats of other SW heroes, Sartana's abilities with a gun, a deck of cards, or being in the right place at the right time are unmatched. The supporting cast features a number of familiar faces – Helga Line and Franco Ressel being chief among them. But I was most impressed with Daniela Giordano and George Wang - the latter seemingly enjoying himself as much as anyone. Giuliano Carnimeo's direction is more workmanlike than artistic, though he does provide a visual flourish or two as Have a Good Funeral progresses. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. And even thought the man behind the killings is easy to spot for anyone who's seen enough of these movies, it's still fun to watch Sartana figure things out. Finally, Bruno Nicolai's score is definitely a high point of the film, even if it is eerily reminiscent of some of his other work. Overall, not a bad example of what I'm going to call a lesser SW. Trust me, you could do a whole lot worse.
Certainly not what I would call a top of the line Spaghetti Western, Have a Good Funeral, My Friend . . . Sartana Will Pay (let's shorten that to Have a Good Funeral for the rest of this comment) is still an enjoyable enough installment in the Sartana series. Gianni Garko is back as Sartana. He's excellent in the role and provides the character with just the right amount of mystery to throw doubt on his motivations. Even among the super human feats of other SW heroes, Sartana's abilities with a gun, a deck of cards, or being in the right place at the right time are unmatched. The supporting cast features a number of familiar faces – Helga Line and Franco Ressel being chief among them. But I was most impressed with Daniela Giordano and George Wang - the latter seemingly enjoying himself as much as anyone. Giuliano Carnimeo's direction is more workmanlike than artistic, though he does provide a visual flourish or two as Have a Good Funeral progresses. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. And even thought the man behind the killings is easy to spot for anyone who's seen enough of these movies, it's still fun to watch Sartana figure things out. Finally, Bruno Nicolai's score is definitely a high point of the film, even if it is eerily reminiscent of some of his other work. Overall, not a bad example of what I'm going to call a lesser SW. Trust me, you could do a whole lot worse.
Aesthetically pleasing spaghetti western
svoboda_k18 December 2020
Here, I would like to refer to some artistic categories that are paid less attention to. First of all, I would like to praise the artistic contribution of the decorator, especially the clothing designer (Daphne Ciarrocchi, Luciano Sagoni) for the protagonists in the film, the set designer on the interior look (Giacomo Calo, Carducci), the director of photography (Stelvio Massi).
The music is at the level of Bruno Nicolai.
Director Giuliano Carnimeo, screenwriter and coauthor of the story Giovanni Simonelli with Robert Gianviti did a good job of introducing the character of Li Tse Tung / Peng. An unusual character. Otherwise the owner of the casino, of Chinese origin. The role of Li Tse Tung / Peng was convincingly played by George Wang.
On the whole, with the character of the murderous Sartana (Gianni Garko) and his deadly handling of cards, it seemed a very impressive innovation. From an aesthetic point of view, it is a successful, acceptably stylized spaghetti western, which makes it above-averagely watchable.
The music is at the level of Bruno Nicolai.
Director Giuliano Carnimeo, screenwriter and coauthor of the story Giovanni Simonelli with Robert Gianviti did a good job of introducing the character of Li Tse Tung / Peng. An unusual character. Otherwise the owner of the casino, of Chinese origin. The role of Li Tse Tung / Peng was convincingly played by George Wang.
On the whole, with the character of the murderous Sartana (Gianni Garko) and his deadly handling of cards, it seemed a very impressive innovation. From an aesthetic point of view, it is a successful, acceptably stylized spaghetti western, which makes it above-averagely watchable.
One of the better sphaghetti westerns
jordondave-2808510 April 2023
(1970) Have a Good Funeral. My Friend/ Buon funerale amigos!... paga Sartana
DUBBED
SPAGHETTI WESTERN
According to Wikipedia "Have A Good Funeral, My Friend" is the 4th of 5 original Sartana movies. It stars Gianni Garko playing the iconic role as he at the time of his arrival to an old friend who happens to own a mine after the gist was discovered to be shot and murdered. And comes across two rivals, a greedy banker and a Chinese casino owner who intend to own the mine after the niece. As the niece automatically becomes the heir since it was her uncle who owned the mine but that he was murdered in cold blood.
One of the better Spaghetti Westerns as it consists of nifty sequences such as a playing card used as a book mark.
According to Wikipedia "Have A Good Funeral, My Friend" is the 4th of 5 original Sartana movies. It stars Gianni Garko playing the iconic role as he at the time of his arrival to an old friend who happens to own a mine after the gist was discovered to be shot and murdered. And comes across two rivals, a greedy banker and a Chinese casino owner who intend to own the mine after the niece. As the niece automatically becomes the heir since it was her uncle who owned the mine but that he was murdered in cold blood.
One of the better Spaghetti Westerns as it consists of nifty sequences such as a playing card used as a book mark.
Superb Carnimeo/Garko Cooperation
zossen14 June 2005
Garko and Carnimeo cooperated in some good Italo-Westerns in the late 60s/early 70s, most remarkable is the "Sartana"-Series. This is definitely one of the best Sartana-Movies; tough, cynical and with a lot of humor, seasoned with all herbs of an excellent italo-western. The plot has some twists, good shoot-outs and a decent body count. The soundtrack's fine, good work done by Bruno Nicolai. The cast is standard with lot's of Italian b-movie heroes (ruffini, dell' acqua...) I had a lot of fun with this movie and it's worth watching it more than one time. Check out "Gli fumavano le Colt... lo chiamavano Camposanto",another good movie with Garko.
The best titles belong to Sartana
BandSAboutMovies18 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Deadly playing cards. A Confucius quoting casino owner. And every man and woman out for themselves. Yep, it's time for another Sartana movie.
Sartana (the returning Gianni Garko) sees several gold prospectors get killed, then kills their killers. Soon, he meets Abigail Benson (Daniela Giordano, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), who has paperwork claiming she owns a parcel of land. Everyone tries to get her to sell the land - which is said to be worthless - and she even gets kidnapped by Hoffman, an evil banker. But, of course, this being a Sartana movie, nothing is as it seems.
The second Sartana film to be directed by Giuliano Carnimeo (The Case of the Bloody Iris), filled with plenty of action and great lines, like when Sartana tells a gang of men that he will "pray for them before he sends them to hell." Or when he informs a gunman that "You don't want to kill me, because I don't allow myself to get killed."
There are some sillier sequences, but Sartana has not become fully camp. That would come soon enough. This is closer to a cowboy procedural drama and a pretty interesting one at that.
Sartana (the returning Gianni Garko) sees several gold prospectors get killed, then kills their killers. Soon, he meets Abigail Benson (Daniela Giordano, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), who has paperwork claiming she owns a parcel of land. Everyone tries to get her to sell the land - which is said to be worthless - and she even gets kidnapped by Hoffman, an evil banker. But, of course, this being a Sartana movie, nothing is as it seems.
The second Sartana film to be directed by Giuliano Carnimeo (The Case of the Bloody Iris), filled with plenty of action and great lines, like when Sartana tells a gang of men that he will "pray for them before he sends them to hell." Or when he informs a gunman that "You don't want to kill me, because I don't allow myself to get killed."
There are some sillier sequences, but Sartana has not become fully camp. That would come soon enough. This is closer to a cowboy procedural drama and a pretty interesting one at that.
This fourth entry based on the gunfighter Sartana is an entertaining SW with noisy action, shootouts and fun
ma-cortes26 May 2010
Bemusing Spaghetti Western with Sartana as tough and stranger protagonist . Sartana is a fundamental archetype in Spaghetti genre as well as James Bond in spy-genre . Sartana ( Gianni Garco or John Garco ) is a freelance gunman who at the initiation of the film works as bounty killer . He's an efficient gunslinger acting as judge , jury , and executioner . Sartana arrives in a small town called Indian Creek . He settles a dispute between a band who killed a prospector . Garco also acts as protector of a young heir ( Daniela Giordano) , nephew of the murdered prospector . It follows the seemingly endless adventures of Sartana in search of a cache of gold buried in a mine . Sartana confronts an ambitious banker (Antonio Vilar ) and a Chinese Gambling House owner ( George Wang ) who is always telling Confucio aphorisms .
The first movie on Sartana as avenger hero is by Frank Kramer (Gianfranco Parolini) interpreted by John Garco , besides it was starred by Klaus Kinski and William Berger . As always , the mythic personage appears elegant and dressed in black and with a killer look . After being continued by Alfonso Balcazar ( Sartana non perdona or Sonora ). Miles Deem directed two Sartanas which are considered as awful . Anthony Ascott(Giuliano Carmineo) realized several movies with George Hilton who replaces to Garco . Hilton plays more natural and roguish than Garco who was cold and peculiar . Garco starred various Sartanas with Carmineo as ¨¨Sartana the gravedigger'(69) , ¨Light the fuse Sartana is coming¨(71), among others. The movie has the typical Spaghetti characters , as the violent facing , greedy antiheroes, bloody and spectacular showdowns, quick zooms , extreme baddies, and musical score with Ennio Morricone influence , it's composed and conducted by Bruno Nicolai, his usual collaborator who creates a fine and atmospheric score . In the picture there are the habituals Western's secondary cast played by the customary plethora of Italian and Spanish actors as the androgynous Franco Ressell, Luis Induni, Robert Dellácqua , Rick Boyd and the Chinese resident in Italy George Wang and ordinary old man Franco Pesce playing his role as gravedigger . Furthermore, two Eurotrash goddesses, the babes named Helga Line and Daniela Giordano . The picture is well set in Elios Film Studios and Cinecitta, Rome and finely photographed by Stelvio Massi . The movie is regular but professionally crafted by Anthony Scott or Giuliano Carmineo and is pretty entertaining . A cult Spaghetti , essential for the genre lovers.
The first movie on Sartana as avenger hero is by Frank Kramer (Gianfranco Parolini) interpreted by John Garco , besides it was starred by Klaus Kinski and William Berger . As always , the mythic personage appears elegant and dressed in black and with a killer look . After being continued by Alfonso Balcazar ( Sartana non perdona or Sonora ). Miles Deem directed two Sartanas which are considered as awful . Anthony Ascott(Giuliano Carmineo) realized several movies with George Hilton who replaces to Garco . Hilton plays more natural and roguish than Garco who was cold and peculiar . Garco starred various Sartanas with Carmineo as ¨¨Sartana the gravedigger'(69) , ¨Light the fuse Sartana is coming¨(71), among others. The movie has the typical Spaghetti characters , as the violent facing , greedy antiheroes, bloody and spectacular showdowns, quick zooms , extreme baddies, and musical score with Ennio Morricone influence , it's composed and conducted by Bruno Nicolai, his usual collaborator who creates a fine and atmospheric score . In the picture there are the habituals Western's secondary cast played by the customary plethora of Italian and Spanish actors as the androgynous Franco Ressell, Luis Induni, Robert Dellácqua , Rick Boyd and the Chinese resident in Italy George Wang and ordinary old man Franco Pesce playing his role as gravedigger . Furthermore, two Eurotrash goddesses, the babes named Helga Line and Daniela Giordano . The picture is well set in Elios Film Studios and Cinecitta, Rome and finely photographed by Stelvio Massi . The movie is regular but professionally crafted by Anthony Scott or Giuliano Carmineo and is pretty entertaining . A cult Spaghetti , essential for the genre lovers.
"And get some flowers too!"
Bezenby7 September 2017
Gianni Garko is back as Sartana, and this time he's sporting a thick blonde Swedish- style moustache! I'm also beginning to think he's some sort of jinx, as yet again he witnesses the massacre of a bunch of miners by some bad guys and gets mixed up in some sort of land grab treachery involving crooked bank managers we've all seen a million times by now.
But who cares? It's Sartana, and it seems the longer the series goes on, the more ridiculous (and therefore enjoyable) the films get! He's still dressing in goth fashion and he still has his four chambered Derringer, but this time round he's also got a pack of cards with sharpened edges! You tell me if a film is meant to be taken seriously when Sartana flicks a card across a room into a bible, at the exact page he wants the bad guy to read!
The crooked bank manager (and his many crooked employees) is pretty good too, sending wave after wave of hired killers after Sartana, only for Sartana to waste them, then pay for their funeral, only for the bad guys to use that funeral to try and kill Sartana. Sartana also acts like some sort of ghost in this one, seemingly teleporting anywhere he wants to, which just adds to the strangeness. Plus he can light fireworks by firing a gun at them, at night.
No Mexicans in the one strangely, but we do have George Wang as some mystic casino owner who spends the entire film in a chair only to reveal he's not crippled, he's 'just very lazy'.
I might have to track down Sartana The Gravedigger, Light the Fuse...Sartana is Coming and any other I've missed.
But who cares? It's Sartana, and it seems the longer the series goes on, the more ridiculous (and therefore enjoyable) the films get! He's still dressing in goth fashion and he still has his four chambered Derringer, but this time round he's also got a pack of cards with sharpened edges! You tell me if a film is meant to be taken seriously when Sartana flicks a card across a room into a bible, at the exact page he wants the bad guy to read!
The crooked bank manager (and his many crooked employees) is pretty good too, sending wave after wave of hired killers after Sartana, only for Sartana to waste them, then pay for their funeral, only for the bad guys to use that funeral to try and kill Sartana. Sartana also acts like some sort of ghost in this one, seemingly teleporting anywhere he wants to, which just adds to the strangeness. Plus he can light fireworks by firing a gun at them, at night.
No Mexicans in the one strangely, but we do have George Wang as some mystic casino owner who spends the entire film in a chair only to reveal he's not crippled, he's 'just very lazy'.
I might have to track down Sartana The Gravedigger, Light the Fuse...Sartana is Coming and any other I've missed.
Ok Sartana western
coltras3514 February 2021
Gianna Garko returns as Sartana in the fourth film in the series and its standard stuff; there's some good shootouts, a suspenseful scene in the mine and the cute Miss Giordono, however I didn't find this as engaging as the others and I felt the scenes were tacked on together. The story elements were more baffling than usual. Garko isn't as engaging as he was in the 2nd Sartana film. But it passes the time well enough, but it doesn't stand out too much.
Entertaining spaghetti Western
Woodyanders25 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Smooth and wily gunslinger Sartana (superbly played by Gianni Garko) arrives in the small town of Indian Creek to take care of various bad folks who all want to get their greedy hands on a seemingly worthless chunk of land. Director Giuliano Carnimeo, working from a clever and engrossing script by Roberto Gianviti and Giovanni Simonelli, relates the enjoyable story at a steady pace, stages the frequently shoot-outs with rip-roaring brio (moreover, we also get a rousing rough'n'ready brawl), and further spices things up with a sharp sense of spot-on sarcastic humor (there's a deliciously ironic twist at the very end that's good for a laugh). The villains are a perfectly despicable bunch of treacherous back-stabbing vultures: Antonio Villar as shifty banker Ronald Hoffman, George Wang as shrewd casino owner Lee Tse Tung, the ravishing Helga Line as snoopy barmaid Mary, Luis Induni as the gruff, crooked sheriff, Ivan Staccioli as equally corrupt deputy Blackie, and Franco Ressel as the slippery Samuel Piggott. The lovely Daniela Giordano is solid and appealing as the smart and sweet Abigail Benson. Franco Pesce supplies amusing comic relief as a jolly undertaker. Bruno Nicolai's twangy and harmonic score hits the stirring spot. Stelvio Massi's crisp and lively widescreen cinematography gives an impressively rich and vast look. While more playful and less hard-edged than other movies in this series, it's nonetheless loads of fun just the same.
It's the pits
pmtelefon23 June 2023
"Have a Good Funeral, My Friend...Sartana Will Pay" (that's the title under which I saw this movie) is the spaghetti western at it's worse. It's a ridiculous watch every step of the way. The hero Sartana is this amazing guy. Every time the villains have him cornered and are about to kill him he amazingly appears right behind them and takes them out. They never explain how he does it, he just does it. It's silly. I don't expect my spaghetti westerns to be realistic but they have to be based in some kind of reality. Sartana can blow out candles by throwing a playing card. He can also throw a card into the pages of a Bible and have it land at the exact verse he wants. This is the kind of spaghetti western that makes me want to stop watching them.
Sartana IS cool
antiparticleboard14 November 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I Wish there was a pristine print of this movie or I had seen this in the theater. It's just a nifty movie with the plot twisting and turning to the end. I always get a chuckle near the end when Sartana states, "I thought you were an invalid?" The other man replies, "no am I just a lazy man." In this scene Sartana is actually caught off guard for a few moments by some martial arts moves. The music is memorable. Whenever I watch this I always find myself humming the two note when the main them is playing. Then there is the song near the end where it is brass initially and ends with a few notes of a solo guitar. It's as pretty as Abagail.
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