Massacre Time (1966) User Reviews (32)

Fulci + Western + Nero equals good fun

[K_Todorov · 7/10 · 26 April 2007]

The idea of a Lucio Fulci western is compelling to say the least. Known for making some of the most gory, brutal and sadistic horror movies during the eighties, Fulci's first western "Tempo Di Massacro" is an early sign of his coming transition to the splatter genre. It lacks the gore but it certainly does not lack on the brutal and sadistic trademarks which have made Fulci famous around horror circles. Alright so there were some things that were basically copied from other Italian westerns it was still a fun movie to watch and it's not like that's a big revelation considering the whole commercialized nature of the genre.

The movie begins with a shot of a man being chased by a hunting party. The kind that usually hunts animals for sport only this time they're hunting people. Needless to say what happened when they caught him. Did I mention that this movie was sadistic and this is not the only proof there's more further along? Anyways "Tempo Di Massacro" stars Franco Nero as Tom Corbett a prospector whom after receiving a mysterious letter about his family, returns home. But things have changed a lot since he's been gone and Corbett realizes this as soon as he arrives. His family's ranch has been taken over by a rich landowner and his demented son (the guy that was leading the hunting party earlier). One might say that story is a slow mover, I disagree. I found it's pace to be very precise setting up the outline for the final confrontation. The story is coherent enough so that it makes sense. There are a few twists here and there so as not to get too boring when waiting for the showdown.

In a movie that supposedly starred Franco Nero, his character Tom wasn't all that impressive, gone was that cynical attitude with which he portrayed the titular character in "Django" and his clothing, well it's obvious where they were taken from (small hint: an Italian western movie with Clint Eastwood). Instead more focus was put on Tom's brother Jeff played by George Hilton, a drunkard with a bit of a temper and the sadistic son of the landowner played by Nino Castelnuovo. Both these men were the highlights of the movie. Respectively performances are well done considering that this is a spaghetti western. The score by Lallo Gorri is good, very catchy song in the beginning.

Now what really makes "Tempo Di Massacro" fun is it's finale. There Fulci demonstrates that he is more than capable of directing action. With commendable choreography, masterful synchronization between the shooting and victims's death. It's a hard task to create a long entertaining action scene, most of the times everything wears out after a couple of minutes not here though. Variety is the key to success in such sequences and Fulci packs the scene with outdoor, indoor shootouts making it an entertainingly diverse gunfight. The film ends with a symbolic white dove flying away, possible this is from where John Woo got his dove gimmick from.

Anyways "Tempo Di Massacro" is one of the better Italian westerns out there. It's a good movie on all accounts, worth the look from fans of the genre or even horror fans intrigued with Lucio Fulci's pre-horror work.

Django unstained

[lee_eisenberg · 5/10 · 30 June 2013]

Sergio Corbucci's "Django" turned Franco Nero into one of the stars of spaghetti westerns. A number of spaghetti westerns got advertised as "Django" movies, although the only real sequel was "Django 2". Quentin Tarantino later brought the series new attention with "Django Unchained", in which Nero has a bit part as the man who knows that the D is silent.

Horror director Lucio Fulci ventured into the western genre with "Le colt cantarono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro", which got given the English titles "Massacre Time" and "Django the Runner" (the latter hoping to associate it with Corbucci's movie). It's pretty much a B movie, with Nero as a man who decides to rid his hometown from the grip of a corrupt family. Entertaining, but not the best spaghetti western by far. Fulci did better when sticking to movies about zombies and the like. But it's still pretty fun. Fulci incorporates a lot of the brutal stuff for which he's known in horror circles. As it was, the copy that I watched was dubbed in English and had Dutch subtitles!

PS: Franco Nero was in a relationship for some years with Vanessa Redgrave, his co-star in "Camelot". They had a son who directed Redgrave in a TV adaptation of Wallace Shawn's politically charged play "The Fever", co-starring Michael Moore and Angelina Jolie.

Good Early Franco Nero and Straight Ahead Action...and That's It

[pabrcf11 · 6/10 · 10 March 2015]

I have to say I think this one is generally over-rated. I didn't mind watching it, but had read how it was really terrifying, etc. It was very straight-ahead in a way typical of the genre. It was very interesting to see a young Franco Nero starting out with Westerns. It's a very serious portrayal, with none of the humor that we know him for later. It doesn't fail, but it doesn't inspire either. Not bad for 1966, but compared to the stuff that came a bit later, it's B league in my book. Still, I would recommend it to aficionados of spaghetti westerns, simply for the sake of completeness.

IMDb, what is wrong with that review? Ever heard brevity is the essence of wit? That doesn't need to be 1/3 longer. Was that policy even thought through or did some programmer just decide to do it that way? There. You've got your 12 lines now.

Rare Western From the Godfather of Gore

[eibon09 · 25 February 2000]

Lucio Fulci would direct only three Westerns in his career and this is one of them. Tempo Di Massacro/Massacre Time(1966) came out three years before his first prosperous period in the early 70's. Although the Fulci touch is not fully developed, there are still scenes which contains mannerisms that would later become his trademark. It is about friendship and the lack of woman in a family structure. This film is also about the greedy and sadistic nature of the rich.

Massacre Time exhibits the fact that Lucio Fulci was not a hack as many people believe. It also shows that he was a talented film-maker who was capable of making great feature films. One reason to watch Massacre Time(1966) is the appearence of Franco Nero as this was done before he worked with Sergio Corbucci to do Django(1966). The story starts out slow, but ends in a awesome gun battle that foreshadows the famous shootouts of the Hong Kong Action films of the 80's and early 90's. The best way to view this film is via widescreen and hopefully in the Italian language as dubbing would gives this film little justice.

Excuse me, Gentlemen! I just massacre time with watching this movie. Was it worth it? Yes!

[ironhorse_iv · 6/10 · 7 June 2013]

If you are a fan of Spaghetti Western films, the 92 minutes will go pretty fast. The movie is pretty entertaining. This film also known by the titles of tempo di massacro, The Brute and the Beast, Colt Concert is the first spaghetti western directed by Horror legend Lucio Fulci. It was meant to be an Italian-Spanish co-production, and Spanish actor George Martin was originally cast as the film's protagonist. But the Spaniards withdrew, Franco Nero was given the role of Tom Corbett. The movie story by Ferdinando Di Leo is similar to the 1965's film Return of Ringo. The director was inspired by Raoul Walsh's 1947 film 'Pursued' to make a western with very some very strong Freudian overtones. Tom Corbett (Nero) is a prospector who is contacted by an old friend of the family, who asks him to come home immediately. Nero was really trying to be a Clint Eastwood 'Man with no name' character with this, even to the point of wearing No Name's outfit for Fistful of Dollars minus the poncho. Rather than trying to establish the character as an original character, the film producers are trying to ride on the high of the much more popular 'Dollar Trilogy" by Sergio Leone. When that didn't work, the film producers try to say that this was a Django (1966) movie, to try to ride off the fame of that movie. Franco Nero is not at his very best here, but he works as a mediocre character. He return home to find that the Corbett ranch is now property of the Scott family. Not only that, Mr. Scott (Giuseppe Addobbati) also took control of the town where a bullwhip-wielding maniacal killer, Jason Scott Junior (Nino Castelnuovo), shielded by his father's wealth control it with terror. Nino Castelnuovo is truly a character, unlike the underdeveloped Tom Corbett. In my opinion, he has two of the greatest scenes in the movie. One is the bullwhip fight with Tom at the party which is amazing to watch. The other is the opening of the film, where he forced a man to run away from killer dogs. Too bad, the dogs don't look like killers. They look more confused than vicious. Nino Castelnuovo looks like a Colonel Sanders mixed with Jerry Lewis lookalike psychopath. While Jason controls the town, Tom's brother Jeffrey Corbett (George Hilton) has become the town's drunk, who only lives for his bottle. While Tom is investigating the case, several of the people around him are murdered, but remarkably, the hired killers never try to kill him. According to his brother, they don't want to. Puzzled by all this, Tom decides to pay a visit to the Scott ranch, and talk to the family's old patriarch. This is where the melodramatic plot-twist similar to Texas, Addio, Nero's third spaghetti western of '66 come into play. It is here, where Tom learns the truth, and seek the final showdown between him and Jason Scott. The film was a very important film for the career of at least three people. If Massacre Time was a failure, Director Fulci career might have been over. For actor Franco Nero, if the movie is success. It would catapult him to the position of most popular Italian action star at the time. To Uruguayan actor, George Hilton it was the beginning of a very successful career in the Italian film industry. George Hilton makes the film watchable. Hilton shows off some trick riding and rather acrobatic stunt shooting that isn't being performed by a double. Hilton also gets big laughs with his character's habit of repeatedly proclaiming 'Excuse me, Gentleman' in a friendly salutation before shooting his enemies. The movie has some pretty cool stunts and shooting sequences. I just didn't like the one shot kills, it makes the movie look cheap and humorous. The death scenes are laughable. Today the violence of Massacre Time is no longer an issue, but at the time of its release, it certainly was. The Italian censors ordered Fulci to make cuts in both the opening sequence where a man devoured by dogs and the bullwhip sequence, and to remove a close-up of the two murdered Carradine girls. This cut version, with a length of 86 minutes, is called the Prima edizione. So if you got this version, you might be missing these scenes. In 1970 the cut scenes were restored, but not completely: some originally cut fragments are still missing, but there's a lot of debate about their content. The restored version, with a length of little over 88 minutes, is called the Seconda versione, and actually the longest available. In 1977 a special 83 minutes version was presented, probably for television showings. It has no name, not even a number, and people are usually advised to avoid it. So don't watch that one. The movie was billed as ultra-violent bloodbath, but it's far from it. There was barely any blood. No gore, and for a movie call Massacre Time. The death toll was 46. Tom kill 20, while Jeff kill 22. I believe Jason's gang killed 4. The action scenes probably inspired John Woo with some trademarks clichés such as flipping while firing, the emptying of guns into a single person at close range, birds flying through the air, etc. It's silly, but fun to watch. The dialogue, at least in Italian, sounds a bit theatrical. The English dubbing is just awful. It doesn't even match their mouths. The film is beautifully shot, but there isn't anything to look at in the background. Last, the soundtrack by Lallo Gori is lovely, with a infectious theme song called A Man Alone (Back Home some Day) performed by Sergio Endrigo that has several variations on it throughout the movie. This song is pure gold. Overall: The movie is a must watch for any Spaghetti Western fan. So leave some time for Massacre Time.

Stylish & Violent Fulci-Western With Franco Nero

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 22 November 2006]

"Tempo Di Massacro" aka "Massacre Time" of 1966 is the first and best Western directed by horror legend Lucio Fulci. Anybody who knows Fulci's work won't be surprised that this is a rather brutal Spaghetti Western, perfectly cast with the great Franco Nero.

When Tom Corbett (Franco Nero) returns to his hometown, after receiving a letter from an old friend, he finds it entirely in the hands of landowner Mr. Scott, and his insane and sadistic son Scott Jr.(Nino Castelnuovo). After visiting his alcoholic brother Jeff (George Hilton) and the old Indian lady who rose them after their mother's death, Tom tries to find out about the Scotts, especially Scott Jr., who enjoys torturing and murdering people, but nobody in town wants to tell him about them.

"Massacre Time" proves, that Fulci is not only a Horror-genius, but also a competent director in other genres. While Westerns were certainly not his strongest genre, this film, as well as "Four Of The Apocalypse" are more than solid films that should not be missed. Franco Nero is great as always, it is no coincidence that this guy is one of the icons of the Italian Western. George Hilton also delivers a great performance as Jeff Corbett, Tom's brother who is a great shot, in spite of his constant drinking. I also found that Nino Castelnuovo made a very good insane villain. The Chinese undertaker is another great and very funny character. A Fulci film, this is of course a pretty violent movie, people are almost whipped to death, a guy is lacerated by dogs, and the film does not scant with bloody bullet-shredded corpses. Lallo Gori's soundtrack is also pretty cool, not phenomenal but decent. As many Westerns starring Franco Nero after Sergio Corbucci's masterpiece "Django", "Tempo Di Massacro" was marketed as a Django sequel in Germany and Austria. "Massacre Time" is definitely not as brilliant as "Django", but it is still a great, original and very entertaining Spaghetti Western that should not be missed by genre-fans. Highly Recommended!

Gritty, Cruel and Hilarious Action Western from Fulci

[Gloede_The_Saint · 7/10 · 30 January 2009]

The movie start with a good game of manhunt lead by the crazed maniac Junior Scott and while the dogs are killing the poor victim a nice little tune comes along and the title "Massacre Time" appears. We then switch to the mountains where a convoy most probably searching for gold in the river gets a unexpected guest. The man gives Tom Corbett a note from an old acquaintance that tells him to come home. His hometown is now rules by Mr. Scott and his already mentioned loony son Junior. His brother now turned drunkard tries to get him out of town as soon as possible but Tom refuses. The odd this is that no matter how much damage he does just everyone around him seems to get hurt!

This starts a wild and cruel action adventure. It's rough nature is a near beauty to watch. The always great western legend Franco Nero plays the lead with great help from his hilarious brother played by George Hilton. Whats funny is that the brother is even more of a badass than he is. Some great stereotypes is broken in this film and it's filled with great jokes especially from the chinaman who's character must be one of my favorite minor characters ever!

It's directed by Lucio Fulci, most known as a giallo director. This was my first film from this director and I must say I'm impressed. A few flaws made in the cutting room but the frames and moves are fantastic especially the incredibly suspenseful closeups while people are walking. They are done with great talent! The action is overblown as hell but that only creates more fun, I do not crave complete realism. The story is good, not the most original but not something alike most other films either.

All in all a very great and fun action western. 8.5/10, B, ***1/2

Fulci in the west

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 18 August 2020]

Massacre Time was originally supposed to be an Italian-Spanish co-production with Ringo co-star George Martin playing Tom Corbett. According to Troy Howarth's book Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films, the Spanish side withdrew their involvement and funding after Fulci refused to tone down the script's violence.

Fulci instead cast Nero at the suggestion of his assistant director, Giovanni Fago, based on his look from the production stills of the recently completed Django. George Hilton was cast in the other lead and had difficulty dealing with Fulci as a director.

This was written by Fernando Di Leo, who co-wrote A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, A Pistol for Ringo and The Return of Ringo, with the title taken from Franco Enna's book Tempo di Massacaro.

Speaking of the violence in this film, Fulci would later claim that he pushed Di Leo to make the film as violent as possible, which Di Leo refuted, stating "I don't know anything about Fulci's claims that he insisted that I write a very violent movie. Fulci only directed well what was already on the page. The script was good and ready and he liked it the way it was, otherwise I'd have complied to his demand if there had been any".

Nero and Hilton play the Corbett brothers, with Tom (Nero) coming back to their hometown to find it under the iron rule of Mr. Scott (Giuseppe Addobbati, billed as John MacDouglas for American audiences; he's also in Nightmare Castle) and his son, Junior Scott (Nino Castelnuovo, Strip Nude for Your Killer).

Linda Sini is also in this. She also is in Fulci's Don't Torture A Duckling as Bruno's mother.

Although an English-language version was made, AIP made their own dub of the film and released it as The Brute and the Beast, making it one of only two Italian Westerns released in the U.S. by the studio (the other is God Forgives... I Don't!). In the UK, this is known as Colt Concert and in Denmark and West Germany, it was released as Djangos seksløber er lov (Django's Six-Runner Is Legal) and Django - Sein Gesangbuch war der Colt (Django - His Hymnbook was the Colt). My favorite alternate title has to be what it was called in Hong Kong, Ghost Gun God Whip, and Spain, Las Pistolas Cantaron su Muerte (y fue Tiempo de Matanza) (The Pistols Sang His Death (and it was Time for the Killing).

Extremely violent and pretty good Pasta Western with two great Spaghetti stars : Franco Nero and George Hilton

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 11 May 2018]

It deals with a prospector: Franco Nero who is called back to his hometown when his brother has problems. Tom arrives in Laramie town to learn it is under the control of a poweful owner named Scott , John McDouglas , and his nasty son, Nino Castelnuovo. As townsfolk run with fear when they mistreat and murder anyone who protests their activities. Later on , Tom finds his drunk brother , George Hilton, but things go wrong . They carry their hate in their holsters and a name on every bullet . Both of them take on the sadistic and psychotic Scott Jr , there is nothing between them but hate for each other. When they meet , it is time of massacre .

A thrilling Ravioli Western that displays a story of violence and confrontation, plenty of fights , killing , shootouts , ordinary zooms and impressive finale .Acceptable action scenes with rousing gun-play , and excessive sadism including brutal lashing and crude killings . It stars a big name star cast as Franco Nero as a gunslinger who at the request of an old family friend returns at home and attempts the dangerous Laramie town can rest in order , peace and harmony again ; Nero interpreted a lot of popular and successful westerns , as his first Spaghetti : Tramplers, following Django , Adios Texas, Man pride vengeance , Compañeros , Mercenary , Keoma , Cipolla colt, and in preproduction : Keoma rises and Django lives . Furthermore, the Spaghetti thespian George Hilton who gives one of the best interpretations as a drunkyard in a similar role to Robert Mitchum's Rio Bravo . Hilton was born on July 16, 1934 in Montevideo , he performed various westerns as My gun can play, Sartana is coming get your coffin ready, Desperadoes, They called him the player with the dead, They call me Hallalujah, The ruthless four, I due figlie di Ringo, Un poker di pistole. Although Hilton also played some successful giallos as Scorpion tale, 7 minutes pour mourir and Strano vizio della signora Ward . Special mention for the greedy and ruthless Nino Castelnuovo who plays a really baddie psycho and murder-crazed . Support cast is frankly good with regular Spaghetti secondaries as Giuseppe Addobbati or John Douglas , John Bartha , Sal Borgese and Tom Felleghi.

It contains an attractive and catching musical score by Lallo Gori adding two sensitive songs at the beginning and the ending . In addition , atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Riccardo Palottini . The motion picture titled Temps du massacre or The Brute and the Beast , or Concert for a colt , or Le colt cantaron la muerte was competently written and directed by Lucio Fulci . This was first of 5 Westerns that Fulci made , the other 4 were Four of the apocalypse , Sella d'argento, White fang and the return of White fang . Lucio is particularly known for his gory and bloody movies as City of the living dead,NY ripper , The house by the cemetery , Murder rock , The beyond , Un gatto nel cervello, and several others .

Hard As Steel

[Tweetienator · 6/10 · 13 December 2020]

Lucio Fulci is to most of us well known for his horror and giallo movies, but he did a lot of different works too - including comedies, movies for children and - Spaghetti Westerns (e.g. Four of the Apocalypse (1975) and Silver Saddle (1978)). Le colt cantarono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro aka Massacre Time belongs to the later ones. If you like Western movies a la Italian style you should watch this one - hard as as steel with some good fighting going on and some real bad ass characters, this one will entertain you well.

Rather mediocre Spaghetti Western...

[Samoan Bob · 5/10 · 5 March 2002]

...Lucio Fulci's "Massacre Time" is a typical Spaghetti Western with a few things that seperate it from the pack. First, the presence of schlock horror-maestro Lucio Fulci makes it worth a try for devotees of the king of Italian gore. Second, the shootout at the end (while nothing compared to the action scenes of Sergio Corbucci, the best action director of Spaghetti Westerns) is quite interesting especially considering the many John Woo trademarks throughout (flipping while firing, the emptying of guns into a single person at close range, birds flying through the air, etc.). Whether this is coincidence or outright theft is up in the air. Third, the wonderful score. You'll be humming the theme song for the rest of the day.

To sum it up, this flick is interesting, but more or less typical for the genre.

Fulci delivers an excellent western

[spider89119 · 8/10 · 25 July 2005]

I have loved Fulci's Zombie films and his other horror films since long before I became interested in spaghetti westerns, so I was naturally very curious about this movie when I discovered that Fulci directed it. After viewing the film, I am very pleased to say that Fulci has directed an excellent western as well.

The music is a perfect example of a great non-Morricone score. Lallo Gori shows that he can have a style of his own and still create a score that is unmistakeably spaghetti western flavored. The theme song is fantastic, and you hear very different variations of it throughout the movie. This gives a feeling of continuity throughout the film without sounding redundant.

Nero and Hilton are both great, as usual. Hilton plays a funny character- a drunk who can shoot faster and straighter than anyone no matter how much he drinks! He can also fight several men at once even though he can't walk a straight line. The other actors are very good also. Nino Castelnuovo gets to play the most interesting part in the film. His character is truly weird and sadistic, and his preoccupation with playing the organ adds a nice hint of the macabre.

If you are a fan of spaghetti westerns or euro-films in general, do yourself a favor and see this movie.

Early Fulci film - a western! Don't be surprised to find that it's violent.

[tankjonah · 6/10 · 28 January 2006]

A man (Franco Nero) receives a message to return home where he discovers his family ranch overrun by bandits, the town also at the criminals' mercy. Lucio Fulci who later directed violent zombie films directed this violent spaghetti western which for the most part is above average for the genre. The sadistic villain is clad in white, the hero black. The twist toward the end is that the villain Scott is actually Nero's father, the sadistic violent villain is his brother whom he must kill to restore order. Many bullet riddled corpses and whipped people litter the film including Nero who, a la Eastwood in Fistful of Dollars (1964), is beaten and whipped to near death before recovering and triumphing. Aka The Brute and the Beast.

Unbelievable....

[dvb71-326-849173 · 2/10 · 13 March 2021]

I've seen some bad westerns, and I mean awful... This is pathetic. A must see...

An okay pasta saga, if you're patient

[Wizard-8 · 3 February 2013]

When you hear the name of Italian movie director Lucio Fulci, you probably don't immediately think of spaghetti westerns, but Fulci did direct a few before he was associated as a horror director. For the most part, Fulci does a good job with what he was given with "Massacre Time". There is genuine atmosphere, an atmosphere of gloom and doom that will put you at unease. In the moments of action, Fulci creates both excitement and the feeling that maybe the protagonists might not succeed. He also gets Nino Castelnuovo to give a GREAT performance as the sadistic Junior, enough that you'll wish that there was more of this character in the movie.

The movie definitely has enough to satisfy fans of spaghetti westerns, though it's not without problems. There are a couple of major script problems, for one thing. It is NEVER explained how the character of Scott managed to take over the town, nor is his connection with the character of Tom explained. The biggest problem is that the first hour of the movie goes by VERY slowly. The movie takes an hour to do what would normally take about a half hour by a more efficient screenplay. So while this is a movie worth seeing, it's best saved for when you are in a patient mood.

Quite fine if all you want is action - otherwise, it's troubled

[I_Ailurophile · 7/10 · 27 November 2022]

It's a western, which surely means we can rely on strong production design, art direction, costume design, stunts, effects, and action sequences, in addition to gorgeous filming locations (all true, here). It's an Italian western, which means we can rely on rather excruciating English dubbing, and probably overcooked camera techniques (definitely, in this instance). From there anything goes, but here are some other elements to make an impression in short order: Ornella Micheli's editing is as heavy-handed and overzealous as Riccardo Pallottini's cinematography; even if some instances are swell in theory, in practice they're direly overdone. Coriolano Gori's music is fine generally if customary for the genre, with some themes especially catching one's ear, though some specific cues are needlessly gauche; likewise for sound effects. If the dialogue as it presents (in the dubbed version) is a true reflection of the screenplay attributed to Fernando Di Leo (accordingly in collaboration with others), then I am forced to question his capabilities as a writer; while absolutely not the only problem, the most glaring example is hackneyed, stereotypical, and frankly racist lines given to Tchang Yu, too many of which begin with "Confucius say."

What is evident about 'Massacre Time' (also known as 'The brute and the beast,' also known as 'Le colt cantorono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro') is that those elements defining the visual style of the genre are solid, but otherwise it's a mixed bag. In addition to the disernible issues with Di Leo's dialogue, his characters don't have much substance; they embody various archetypes, and that's about it - whether that's enough is up for debate, and I'm at best unsure. In fairness, the scene writing is much more robust, even though mostly it's just a whole lot of violence (a flourish supposedly owed to the director's contributions to the screenplay. With all this in mind, the narrative as we see it is heavy on action and rather light on plot, which is a point deserving of either praise or criticism depending on one's perspective. For my part I do appreciate the action-oriented western, though I'd also have preferred more substance as a foundation. This is especially true since plot development is a bit club-footed, not least with the revelations that come in the last twenty minutes, making it all feel woefully contrived as a result.

All this leaves one last question to ponder: what of the direction of famed (infamous?) filmmaker Lucio Fulci? Here are a few numbers to consider: 'Massacre Time' marks the eighth film of his that I've seen to date, and only the second that's not one of the horror flicks he became known for in the latter part of his career. It's no coincidence that it's also only the second of his films that I find to have any notable value at all (though emphatically less than outstanding comedy 'Il lungo, il corto, il gatto'). In this instance I think Fulci's orchestration of scenes is mostly quite fine, particularly the action sequences, though some specific inclusions are, like other aspects, just too over the top (e.g. The wackily dramatic deaths of any henchmen; the bizarre instruction seemingly imparted to Nino Castelnuovo to often tilt his head to one side). Why, some of Fulci's shot composition is actually quite smart!

At length, I'm willing to grant that some of the most excessive or exaggerated elements of the production are perhaps just stylistic flair of the genre, and not necessarily a quirk or fault exclusive to this title. This doesn't excuse the deficiencies of writing that sacrifice mindful storytelling for assurance of extra action, thought it's also undeniable that one way or another, 'Massacre Time' has only one major thought underlying its construction. And once more, to the credit of all involved, this picture can at least claim strong, commendable visuals at large, and exciting western violence. Provided this is all one actually requires of their genre fare, then the movie is pretty decent; approach it with any more significant an eye for critique and analysis, and favor inherently wanes. All told I do like 'Massacre Time,' and I think it earns a soft recommendation; just don't go out of your way for it, and ask yourself what kind of feature it is that you want to watch.

"Hey Gentlemen!"

[filmchap · 8/10 · 4 July 2005]

What a truly wonderful discovery and surprise. Lucio Fulci is best know in the genre of horror, I must admit to not being one of his biggest fans, his movies lack consistency, his earlier work outweighs, by far, his later work. But even the films regarded by his fans, The Beyond, Zombie Flesh Eaters etc. are severely overrated. Before I saw his Spaghetti Western Tempo di massacro (Massacre Time) I was impressed more by his earlier work, Don't Torture a Duckling for a perfect example of Giallo cinema. It all changed when I caught this truly outstanding cinematic experience...Tempo di massacro. From the excellent original Morricone' esquire score by Coriolano Gori to fantastic action sequences that obviously inspired John Woo's narrative traits (complete with flying 'slow mo' doves) The consistently great Franco Nero here gives an adequate performance (mirroring Eastwood's on screen presence) pairing perfectly with his on screen brother George Hilton who steals many of the films greatest lines from him. But the highlight of the film, by far, is the absolutely fantastic and mesmerising performance of Nino Castelnuovo playing the sinister whip brandishing Junior. Castelnuovo's performance lights up the screen here in a way rarely has been seen in cinema (for me Castlenuovo is one of the best character actors in Italian cinema with career defining leaps in so many genres ranging from comedy, horror, romance, erotica, western, sci-fi and drama) From the fantastic 'whipping' scene to the organ-playing scene... Nino Castelnuovo steals every moment on screen... and considering Franco Nero is in this that is by no means an easy achievement!

Just check this cinematic classic out...I have no doubt in saying that in a few more years, this will be seen as a true classic of the genre and will finally be given the respect and audience it so rightly deserves. Lucio Fulci's finest work! A MUST SEE!

Much more than just sixties exploitation cinema. I don't use this word lightly... it's a masterpiece of sixties cinema.

Confucius say "Meh"

[DanielKing · 4/10 · 26 February 2010]

There's nothing really wrong with this movie that isn't wrong with most spaghetti westerns; that is to say, most spaghetti westerns that weren't made by the giants of the genre. It has the requisite brooding hero, the sadistic villain, the grotesque supporting characters, atrocious dubbed performances and inventive violence in all the rights places.

And that is really what the main problem is with this film: it's entirely by-the-numbers film-making. Now, depending on your view of Lucio Fulci he is either the grand old man of Italian exploitation cinema or a cynical old hack who jumped on whatever bandwagon happened to be rolling by at the time. In my opinion, there is too little originality and invention in his films to take anything other than the latter view.

He was wasn't without talent: there are a number of individual shots in Massacre Time that have great quality. For example, there is a shot of a deserted, early-morning Laramie City, just before Tom and Jeff ride through en route to Scott's ranch, that has a beautiful but eerie quality. But moments such as that are few and far between. They are swamped by lazy scenes and plotting.

For instance, Tom is beaten and humiliated by Junior who handles his whip as if it is an extension of his hand, so skillful that he can whip a wineskin out of someone's hand and transfer it to his own - while on horseback. And yet, when the final confrontation takes place he acts as if he has never been in a fight before and prefers to use his gun rather than his whip.

There are plot holes all over the place too. Why, if he is such a skilled gunman, is Jeff an alcoholic bum? He is able to kill six men with his rifle on horseback before they even manage to get a shot off. Surely he could have handled the problems in Laramie better and more quickly than his seemingly less talented 'brother'? Anyway, no-one watches a spaghetti western for the water-tight plotting and coherent storyline. Which is probably why so many of them are sub-standard. But this one is always watchable, even though it has many flaws. The theme song is quite good too.

4/10

"Excuse Me, Gentlemen!"

[Steve_Nyland · 9/10 · 30 May 2007]

Lucio Fulci's MASSACRE TIME is quite simply one of the Spaghetti Western's finest hours. Fulci and scriptwriter Fernando Di Leo are of course better known for their Euro Horror outings & Italian police thrillers, but this is a fantastic film in any regards and one of the finest Westerns ever made regardless of country of origin. Even non-fans of the genre will find it an entertaining & worthy experience that will command multiple viewings.

I will let others describe the plot: Spaghetti idol Franco Nero gets top billing as a wrongly condemned man who returns to his home town for revenge, but George Hilton as his drunken, reckless, wise-cracking brother with a deathwish steals the show. Hilton shows off some trick riding and rather acrobatic stunt shooting that isn't being performed by a double. Hilton also gets big laughs with his character's habit of repeatedly proclaiming "EXCUSE ME, GENTLEMEN!" in a friendly salutation before opening fire on his quarry. It's as almost as if he is trying to give them a fighting chance, and his washed up drunk is easily the most deadly presence in the whole film, counterpointed nicely by Franco Nero's "straight man" brother, who scowls disapprovingly but still bands together with his brother to defeat the bad guys. Franco Nero is great as the protagonist but George Hilton is amazing as the sidekick; this is probably the film that cemented his reputation as an action hero.

All of the action is performed in a quick-edit upbeat manner, with judicious use of the widescreen picture format in an almost painterly manner that as with the best of the Spaghetti Westerns is more reminiscent of a big, violent cartoon than something like THE SEARCHERS or MY DARLING CLEMENTINE. Not that there's something wrong with those approaches either, but the novelty aspect of the Spaghetti genre is in full play here with the offbeat locations, bizarre set designs and oddball characterizations that Italian made Westerns are so famous for.

There's even a fantastic, snickering, twisted, psychotic villain in the white-suited lunatic son of the local land baron, who naturally prefers a whip when it comes to teaching his enemies a lesson. Fans of on screen lashings will want to check this movie out for an extended scene where the loon bullwhips Franco Nero within an inch of his life ... it isn't pretty and unlike most of the Brutal Beating Interludes from the Spaghetti Western formula there is a genuine sense of peril for the hero during his punishment.

Which of course makes the final showdown sequences all the more entertaining as not just plot denouement but a catharsis to get back at the dirtbags for all their evil. Watching George Hilton flippantly quip glib one-liners, ride his horse sideways and blow away the bad guys with a sort of ballet of choreographed stage movements is a joy to behold & makes some of the slower sections worth sitting through. 1966 and 1967 really do seem to be the peak years of creative experiment with the Spaghetti genre, this example is fast, funny, brutal, touching, invigorating, life-affirming, and makes you want to see more like it. There probably are, I've found it to be a pretty unique film and like most of the pre- ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST Spaghettis knew that it sort of had to prove itself by showing audiences something different.

Fulci did it in spades. I may not be a big fan of his horror movies but here's proof that he cut his teeth on film as an art form before devolving into the zombie slobber. Get yourself a region free DVD player & treat yourself to one of the nice widescreen Region 2 DVDs of this movie, though for my money the older Region 0 NTSC pressing from Asia sourced from a positive print with the correct colors is the way to go. In any event you won't regret it, I have a tendency to over-praise lower budgeted genre films in favor of high profile A list extravaganzas, but this genuinely is an instance that anyone can enjoy.

9/10: George Hilton really should have gotten some kind of best supporting actor nomination, he is wonderful.

Very remarkable Western

[AS-69 · 8/10 · 29 November 2001]

Minor spoilers

As probably most of us, I started to learn Fulci's work "backwards", i.e., the first movies I saw of him were his gory masterpieces of the 70's and early 80's. Only afterwards, I became interested in his whole work. Although I am not a great fan of Westerns, I really like "Massacre Time" and would rate it as one of Fulci's masterpieces and one of the best Spaghetti Westerns. Knowing his later work, you will easily recognize that he employed several shots, camera tricks, and so on, already in this early stage of his career.

For instance, the opening sequence sets the tone: We see Scott's demented son and by the way he is sitting on his horse, we immediately notice that something is wrong with him. And then a man is chased to death by dogs. What follows is an atmospheric, very well shot movie which builds a more and more intense feeling of terror and madness, creating at times almost unreal settings. A highlight is Franco Nero being whipped by his half brother at a party. All this culminates in an bullet laden shoot out. The movie is also graced with an excellent musical score.

As Fulci stated himself, the story has been reduced to a minimum, namely the conflict between three half brothers: one totally demented, the other a drunkard, and only Nero is a superhero.

On the other hand, you can tell that Fulci has not yet developed full maturity. There are some clumsy cuts and Fulci often sticks to the stereotypes of a Western. For example, Franco Nero is the just a little too much the undistinguished hero.

This excellent movie deserves to be more widely known and should help everybody to reevaluate Fulci's work. With "Massacre Time", "Don't torture a duckling" and "The Beyond", he has delivered at least three outstanding movies in totally different genres.

Fulci's AWESOME Django cash-in!

[Coventry · 9/10 · 6 November 2006]

Lucio Fulci was an awesome human being and still pretty much a deity in my crazy little world! Mainly for his gore flicks and giallos, but here he proves that even westerns can be a specialty of his. "Four of the Apocalypse" isn't really that impressive, but his unofficial contribution/cash-in to the Django series is fantastic entertainment, with a solid story, exhilarating music and several truly cool gunfights. Franco Nero, the number one male symbol of Italian Westerns, stars as a Texan gold digger who's called back to this hometown by his old friend. It seems like the entire town has been monopolized by a certain Mr. Scott and his men can get away free with randomly killing everyone they please, including women, children and elderly folks. Even Tom Corbett's parental farm has been taken over by Scott and his brother Jeff became a low-keyed alcoholic...even more than he already was. It's up to Django (although he's not called Django) to reinstate law & order and to revive his brother's desire to kill. "Massacre Time" is actually a rather unusual western. No matter how cool and charismatic Franco Nero is, he's really getting his butt whooped by George Hilton, who plays his hard-drinking yet straight-shooting brother Jeff. It's a fast-paced genre-highlight, with a delightful 'shoot-first-ask-questions-later' mentality as well as a handful of ingenious twists in the plot. No nonsense, just hard boiled macho-action, particularly during the last half hour. The song "Back Home Someday" sung by Sergio Endrigo is easily the best western song I ever heard. Highly recommended, if you're fortunate enough to stumble across a decent copy.

*Note: user-comment dedicated to Dario_2nd! The man with the largest collection of films imaginable.

Essential Spaghetti Western from Lucio Fulci.

[coldwaterpdh · 8/10 · 8 January 2008]

"Massacre Time" is one of the most awesome Italian Western films I've seen. It's more violent than the usual fare, as you might expect from the one and only Fulci. He delivers with this one! The plot is simple enough: Franco Nero is a man who is wronged by a ruthless gang. He seeks revenge. Does he get it? Well, you'll have to see to find out. Trust me, you'll be rooting for this dude! It's awesome.

The only thing that sucks about this flick is how hard it is to find. I wonder why they haven't released this one Anchor Bay or something like they did "Four of the Apocalypse." The only version I could find is a Japanese import that is just so-so. The one thing I have to say is that this film must be seen in Italian with English subtitles. The dubbing is not the best.

If you can find it, buy it. As a Spaghetti Western fan, you will not regret it. "Massacre Time" is a must! 8 out of 10, kids.

Fratricide, patricide, and confused identities: a must-see for genre fans

[rmahaney4 · 8/10 · 29 July 2007]

One of the best Italian westerns, Tempo di massacro (1966) is an interesting and enjoyable riff on many of the genres recurrent themes. It is one the must-see films for any fan of the genre. Known mostly for his horror films, Lucio Fulci directed two westerns, this and Quattro dell'apocalisse, I (1975). Horror fans would probably prefer Quattro dell'apocalisse, I (1975) but Spaghetti Western fans would most likely prefer this one, made during the first post-Fistful of Dollars (1964) tidal wave and having the Leonesque ethos of that initial cinematic flood.

Fistful of Dollars (1964) was a remake of Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961) which was itself based on Dashiell Hammett's classic hardboiled thriller Red Harvest (1929). The various elaborations and translations of this basic story led to many of the unique features of the Italian western, most specifically the strange catholic/Marxist resurrection/revolution plot in which the action is often driven by the hero's attempt to resolve some central mystery (often in the form of an ambiguous flashback, as per Leone). What is really interesting about Tempo di Massacro (1966) is that it plays a lot like a hardboiled detective story along the lines of The Big Sleep (1939) with Franco Nero's character Tom Corbett playing the role of the detective. Called back home after an absence of several years, he finds his hometown inexplicably distorted and that he is somehow central to this change and to its undoing. The Scotts, father and son, form a brutal aristocracy that is degrading and desolating the community. Their private conflicts embroil and destroy the lives of the townspeople. With its dark tangle of confused lineages and identities (in the manner of classical Greek, Roman, or "freudian" mythology), the movie is a Gothic family western like Pistolero dell'Ave Maria, Il (1969), Ritorno di Ringo, Il (1965), or Texas, addio (1966).

The movie stars two of the genre's most popular actors, Franco Nero and George Hilton. Nero starred in three classic westerns in 1966: Django (1966), Tempo di massacro (1966), and Texas, addio (1966). Hilton (Born in Uruguay) never achieved the level of international fame that Nero did, but he starred in a number of Euro-cult classics. His westerns include movies such as Desesperados, Los (1969) and Professionisti per un massacro (1967). Nero is a little wooden in this role, but Hilton is great as the drunken, reckless brother, Jeff Corbett. Unfortunately, the dubbing is terrible in the English version.

While Fulci does a good job at reproducing Leone's style in the use of widescreen and angles, he does add a sense of claustrophobic pressure all his own. The violence has a strange angular quality with a focus on geometry and impossible, artificial kinetics. As with other films that it was competing at the box office with, their was a focus on more exotic, baroque violence. However, unlike some later films, the violence was in the service of the plot and the atmosphere of the film.

The final gunfight is a variation of the finale of Leone's For a Few Dollars More(1965) in which heroes and villains stalk each other, with the heroes using misdirection and deception to prey on their opponents who accept to-readily surface appearances. In most of these westerns one of the qualities that makes the hero/anti-hero superior is their ability to understand what another person thinking, what their motives are, and how things look from another's perspective. Parolini's movies such as Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte (1968) represent the most extreme development of this theme.

Among the Best of the Genre

[adrianswingler · 9/10 · 11 October 2015]

I think this one has to get an award for putting all the classic Spaghetti Western elements together seamlessly into one movie. It's very 1966 and Franco Nero is obviously trying to adopt an Eastwood mannerism. For those that love these, it's an interesting transitional piece by a director that didn't do this filone. I think he did a great job and it's well worth seeing. It transcends the "must see" label because you will actually remember it, imho.

Consumer warning: If you play the "have a shot of tequila when they do" game watching these, this one will waste you. They fire it down pretty regularly. It's a killer. I've never seen so many tequila and whiskey slugs in one movie. lol Maybe that's the message. "Shots not slugs!"

Food pairing: Bison Swiss Cheese Burgers with Fries

Fulci Goes West

[bensonmum2 · 8/10 · 6 July 2007]

Lucio Fulci may be best known for his zombie fright-fests, but I prefer his non-zombie movies like One on Top of the Other, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, and Don't Torture a Duckling. I'm happy to say that Massacre Time joins this group of Fulci favorites. Once again, Fulci proves he was more than a gore-obsessed hack.

The story is typical Spaghetti Western stuff. Tom Corbett (Franco Nero) returns home only to find it's not the home he remembers. His family's ranch and the rest of the town have been taken over by a wealthy and seemingly cruel land baron named Mr. Scott. It's either do as Scott says or face the wrath of his henchmen – including his psychotic son, Junior (Nino Castelnuovo). Corbett turns to his brother, Jeff (George Hiilton), for an explanation and assistance, but finds he is more concerned with getting drunk than avenging his father's death. Can Corbett set things right for the town and his family? In typical Spaghetti Western style, the final showdown is not to be missed.

This is actually the second of Fulci's Westerns I've seen. While I enjoyed the other (Four of the Apocalypse) it was a little too far "out there" for my tastes. Massacre Time is much more conventional in its presentation. Massacre Time has more in common with the works of Leone and Corbuccci (Django in particular) than it does with Fulci's other films. And, there's a lot here to like. The acting is top notch. Nero and Hilton are both more than capable of carrying a film on their own and, together, they're dynamite. Nice chemistry from two pros. Coriolano Gori's score is as good as any I've heard. Fulci's direction was never better. The movie has more flow and pacing than some of Fulci's other movies I've seen. And finally, the writing is surprisingly good. Italian genre films are often criticized over their lack of coherent scripts. That's not the case with Massacre Time. Fernanco Di Leo's script is very nice. Overall, it's a wonderfully entertaining film that I'm very glad to have finally discovered.