TankGuy

Mysterious stranger Shenandoah has only one thing on his mind, revenge. He infiltrates a band of murderous bandits in the hope to finding the man who killed his wife during a stagecoach holdup. However his cover is soon blown after a failed raid on a ranch, causing the bandits to realise they have a traitor in their midst...

Like many early Spaghettis, this one has a Hollywood feel. Anthony Steffen is the "lone and angry man" of the title who faces off against a gang of vicious cutthroats, one of whom is played by a superbly fanatical Eduardo Fajardo. It's a while before the plot actually materialises and for the most part everything is pretty workmanlike. The sun baked Spanish locations make for a fine atmosphere and the soundtrack is decent, the title song is catchy too. The action sequences are routine, but enjoyable nonetheless with a tense final showdown in a deserted street.

An above average time passer. 6/10

In the midst of his quest to find Blofeld and destroy SPECTRE, James Bond rescues the unhinged Tracy Di Vicenzo as she attempts to drown herself. Their paths cross once again and it isn't long until they fall in love. To his dismay however, 007 is relieved of his mission to locate Blofeld, with MI6 citing his failure to track the supervillan down. Bond takes it upon himself to assume the identity of a genealogist who is currently studying Blofeld's family tree, before heading to Switzerland. He discovers that Blofeld has set up a clinic where he is supposedly "curing" young women of various food allergies. After his cover his blown, Bond learns that Blofeld intends to use the women to spread a virus which will devastate the world's crops, unless the United Nations pardon him and recognise his title as Count De Bleuchamp.

The first and last outing for Australian George Lazenby, who stepped in to replace Connery after the latter declared he was "finished" with Bond. OHMSS will always be remembered as "the one where Bond gets married" or "the one where Bond's wife gets killed", and it is much deeper than most of the other movies given it's romantic backstory. To most people, it comes across as boring and old fashioned and it's also one of the longest Bond movies, however it will always hold a place within my top 5 Bond movies. Louis Armstrong's We Have All The Time In The World is truly sublime, especially given the movie's context and some of John Barry's greatest work is also featured here. The instrumental title piece is riveting in itself and even more so when it kicks in during the action scenes. Said action scenes are also spectacular and the exhilarating ski chase is a proper thrill-ride. This movie also has some of the best fights in the entire series, here they're a little more violent and slapdash which works to the film's advantage. I am always invigorated by both the anarchic car chase during a stock car rally as well as the chaotic bobsled chase and fight at the end of the film. We are also treated to a dangerously thrilling avalanche in which Bond is almost buried alive, not to mention the climatic attack on Blofeld's mountaintop clinic which was also amazing. The mammoth proportion of chaos and destruction in the film's action sequences is just awesome. Lazenby does a fine job playing Bond here and acquits himself brilliantly where the stunts and action are both concerned. He seems to be more than proficient at hand to hand(he broke one of the stuntmen's noses during a screen test)which is why the fights are so terrific. I would have loved to have seen him progress in the role of Bond and it would have been interesting to see him in the next film, Diamonds Are Forever. The brilliant Telly Savalas has his turn at Blofeld and certainly doesn't disappoint.

Wrapped in a moving love story, the 6th Bond movie is a very impressive actioner as well as an outstanding effort. Frankly I don't understand why this only has a 6.8 on IMDb. 10/10

An outlaw known only as The Stranger is shot and left for dead by his compatriots following a successful gold robbery. He is found by two Indians who tend his wounds but in the meantime his compadres have made their way to an eerie town known only as "The Unhappy Place". Their gold attracts the unwanted attention of the "justice loving" townsfolk who turn vigilante and proceed to lynch the outlaws. Zorro the landowner and his army of black-clad cowboys want their share of the loot, as does Templar the corrupt hotel owner and Hagerman the crazed storekeeper. It isn't long before The Stranger arrives and the townsfolk turn against each other.

Making his big screen debut, Giulio Questi's bizarre western is essentially an extension of the "greed corrupts" angle. Questi peppers his narrative with acts of vicious brutality, relishing his characters engaging in animalistic forms of barbarism. One of the bandits is gorily cut apart whilst wounded and another unfortunate character is brutally scalped whilst still alive and breathing. Most critics will describe Django Kill as surreal, however I wouldn't even call it surreal. Baroque would be more fitting, or Gothic would be even better. Furthermore it contains one of the weirdest torture scenes ever committed to film in which The Stranger is locked in a cell with an Iguana, an Armadillo and a creepy Vampire Bat. Yes you read that right, and his painful facial expressions are even more odd as the creatures seem to be doing him no harm whatsoever. Maybe he just had a phobia of exotic creatures, although that Bat did look rather evil. This scene alone will leave you truly bewildered. As a movie it gets off to a brilliant start and the story is set up excellently, but it's not long before it starts dragging it's heels. There were too many subplots for my liking which bogged the film down horribly. The performances were decent, with Robert Camardiel, Piero Lulli and Marilu Tolo worthy of mention. The soundtrack from an unknown Ivan Landor was also superb.

Django Kill is a refreshingly unique but flawed Spaghetti Western. However aside from the grotesque violence and aforementioned torture scene, you won't remember much about this movie after it's over. 7/10

In revolutionary Mexico, a bandit army under the grandiose El Chuncho ambush a government train. A mysterious American named Bill Tate kills the driver before bringing the train to a halt, thus gaining El Chuncho's trust. Bill joins the gang and it isn't long before he and El Chuncho are like brothers. He aids the bandits in attacking the federales and raiding their armouries, with El Chuncho intending to sell the rifles to bandit chief General Elias. However Bill has an ulterior motive, and why does he carry on his person a golden bullet...

Steeped in Marxist philosophy, Damiano Damiani's revered Zapatafest is a critique of U.S involvement in the affairs of third world countries. With the Mexican revolution as his canvas, Damiani analyses and deconstructs the ideology behind social revolution and how it can be influenced and corrupted by both violence and greed. Gian Maria Volonte is on delightfully charismatic from to the point where he almost outdoes his performances in the Dollars films. Lou Castel and Martine Beswick were superb too and the great Klaus Kinski gave a brilliant turn as the bloodthirsty Priest. The bodycount is deliciously high and the action scenes certainly do not disappoint.

It's easy to see why this film is held in high regard among Spaghetti western aficionados. A fantastic effort from Damiani. 9/10

In the baking heat of the Sahara in 1943, British army Captain Foster(Richard Burton)is tasked with destroying Tobruk's gigantic harbour battery. However he only has a battered medical unit with which to do it. Will he be able to outsmart notorious desert fox Rommel and complete his mission...

With it's TV movie production values, Henry Hathaway's wartime actioner is essentially a rehash of 1967's Tobruk, which starred Rock Hudson and George Peppard. In fact 95% of this movie's action sequences are pinched from said film, therefore this is basically recycled fun. Some footage is even lifted from Universal's own Away All Boats(the British commandos scrambling onto the landing craft at the end of the movie look curiously identical to American marines). Eagle eyed viewers will also spot Jeff Chandler's explosive demise from that movie, which may or may not have been inserted by accident during the climatic bombardment of the Royal Navy Destroyers. The score is a little annoying and the film gets bogged down in worthless dialogue(a discussion about stamp collecting?). However Richard Burton earns his paycheck as the hardened military man and the action scenes are enjoyable even if they are borrowed.

Arthur Hiller's version may be much more fulfilling, but this is a great time passer for a boring afternoon/evening. 7/10

The superpowers gear themselves for war following the hijacking of U.S and Soviet spacecraft in earth's orbit. Agent 007 rises from the dead and travels to Japan to investigate, finding himself once again up against the diabolical SPECTRE organisation. However he gets more than he bargained for when he finally comes face to face with SPECTRE chief Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is in the process of instigating a nuclear apocalypse which will allow SPECTRE to emerge as the dominant world order...

Sean Connery's fifth and supposedly final Bond outing is, in my less than humble opinion, one of the series' best instalments. With it's breathtaking volcano set, terrific John Barry score and top notch action sequences, YOLT is an absolute blast!(no pun intended). The Japanese locations are beautifully photographed and with a script by acclaimed children's writer Roald Dahl, this is one of the more surreal Bond adventures(of which there would be many). Donald Pleasence makes for a superb Blofeld and Connery seems to be enjoying himself. The climatic battle in Blofeld's elaborate volcano lair is just insane and truly spectacular in it's own right, so much chaos!. The stunts and special effects in this sequence alone never cease to amaze me and the bodycount is staggeringly high. An exhilarating foot chase around Kobe docks and the airborne melee featuring the Little Nellie Gyrocopter are also worthy of high praise, even if the effects in the latter are a little clunky. Oh and there's also a brilliant car chase in which are car full of nasty gunmen is amusingly disposed of. After all, it's just a drop in the ocean really.

As a child I always wanted a model of Blofeld's volcano lair, in fact to this day I still long for one. YOLT is one of the reasons why I love the Bond franchise so much. True and unapologetic escapism! 10/10

A young Chinese immigrant named Joe arrives in the United States in 1882 to look for work. At every turn he is confronted by racial bigotry which forces him to use his superior karate skills to teach a group of bitter cowboys a lesson. Joe eventually finds work at the ranch of sadistic land baron Spencer, who has enslaved the local Mexican population. After seeing Spencer's men ruthlessly murder a large group of Mexicans, Joe goes on the run. His ordeal is far from over however as Spencer sends four of the most dangerous killers in the territory after him...

Made at a time when uber-violent Kung Fu films were box office draw, Mario Caiano's brutal chop socky pastafest is rich on the sauce and high on the sleaze. The unknown Chen Lee(no relation of Bruce)is our hero taking the fight to the evil slave traders. The Fighting Fists of Shanghai Joe is really just a cash in as well as an attempt to revive the dying Italo western. Alas it may not have been fresh enough, but that doesn't mean that there isn't fun to be had here. Eyeballs are viciously torn from skulls, hands are gorily chopped off and lots of racist thugs get beaten up in superb fashion, so what's not to like?. Said effects do look cheap, but the Kung Fu fights are brilliantly choreographed, particularly the melee in the saloon. The movie starts off routine but gets more exciting in the second half. The climatic fight sees Joe facing off against a fellow Kung Fu student which is a welcome departure from your usual wild west showdown. There's also some cool slow motion to jazz the film up. Bruno Nicoli delivers what is in my opinion one of his best scores, in fact the main theme is reused from 1970s Have A Good Funeral, My Friend...Sartana Will Pay. I don't know how proficient Chen Lee was in karate but the way in which he executed himself during the fight sequences was highly impressive. Gordon Mitchell and a creepy Klaus Kinski were terrific as hired killers Burying Sam and Scalper Jack respectively. Piero Lulli also made for a charismatic villain.

Enjoyable east-meets-west fare that will pass the time of day. 8/10

France 1944. Five U.S army convicts, Lieutenant Yeager, Fred Canfield, Tony, Nick and Bearle are being transported to a military prison when their convoy is ambushed by the Germans. The condemned men use this opportunity to escape and plan on heading to neutral Switzerland. As the men make their way towards the border, they mistakenly kill a platoon of American commandos disguised as Nazis and subsequently fall into the hands of the free French. Lieutenant Yeager is now obligated to aid the French in a secret commando mission, to steal the detonator of the latest V2 rocket...

This latter day Macaroni Combat actioner from Enzo G. Castellari is a rip roaring ride in warsploitation. Quentin Tarantino, an avid lover of Italian cinema, borrowed the title and altered it for his spectacular 2009 wartime saga(his Inglourious Basterds is not directly linked to this movie, although it is a homage to Macaroni Combat movies). Castellari is something of a god where Italian cinema is concerned and this film is a fantastic example of why this is the case. Explosive action sequences with crazy stunts, an immense bodycount and spectacular amounts of chaos on show are the order of the day here!. The aforementioned solid action scenes could only be achieved under the helm of Castellari himself and this movie is a firm example of why he is truly adept at directing action. The performances were excellent and the characters likable. Bo Svenson was cool and Fred Williamson and Peter Hooten were also superb. The film is almost comic book-like and I got a laugh out of it's humorous aspects. It couldn't have had a better score from Francesco Di Masi and the title/end credit sequences were awesome in their own right!.

This is really everything I want a war movie to be, simple and action packed with decent characters. If you want a session of solid escapism, then this is the movie for you. In fact it's the best the Macaroni Combat subgenre has ever looked!. 9/10

Astute gunslinger Sartana springs the thief Grandville from prison in the hope that he can access a fortune in gold stolen by the latter. Grandville was double crossed by his partner who has since been killed and now a crooked sheriff, a fierce bandit and his gang, a saloon keeper and a shady widow are after the loot. Sartana and Grandville are become marked men and bounties are put on their heads. Immediately Sartana begins playing everyone off against each other whilst trying to find clues to the whereabouts of the gold. As the bodycount increases, Sartana finds that Grandville is not all he seems...

This fourth instalment in the awesome Sartana franchise is as whacky as you'd expect. There's a huge amount of fun to be had here as suave Gianni Garko fills the boots of our titular hero for the last time. What exists of a plot becomes increasingly convoluted as the film progresses, but hey it's a Spaghetti western. As with the first three movies this one has a very Bondian feel mainly because of the gadgetry Sartana relies on to get him out of tight situations, or in not so tight situations he uses curious clockwork toy fashioned like a mini totem pole to light his cigarettes. This is a refreshing addition to the plot which succeeds in making the film more engaging. We have a decent score from Bruno Nicoli and the movie gets off to a brilliant start with our protagonist making a cool entry. The action scenes are exciting but the finale is truly memorable. Daft as it may be, Sartana's climatic "organ solo" is one of the most amazing(and highly amusing)lessons in Spaghetti western ass kicking ever committed to celluloid. Bodies drop like flies thanks to a good old church organ which has been equipped with some complimentary armaments, namely cannon and a machine gun turret!.

What else can I say, a great hour and a half of fun. 9/10

Two drifters, a confidence trickster named Billy who believes in doing things "clever" and the dim-witted Harry who dreams of owning a ranch, journey across the wilderness after Billy has conned Harry out of some gold. The two soon become friends and they travel through the west causing all manner of mayhem. However, a bloodthirsty band of killers are after Billy which means that both men's lives are in danger...

Guilio Petroni brings us the peculiarly titled ...And For A Roof, A Sky Full Of Stars. The plot is almost nonexistent and doesn't become clear until nearly halfway through the film. It's very much a Jekyll-and-Hyde effort, the film begins and ends like most Spaghetti westerns but it's really a lighthearted buddy adventure. It just doesn't know what it wants to be, the segments of wisecracking comic relief are punctuated by familiar scenes of brutality that one expects from the genre. Giuliano Gemma and Mario Adorf are our protagonists who give above par performances, the chemistry between them is decent and the movie itself plods along at a reasonable pace. The action scenes are sparse here, we've seen them all before and there is nothing spectacular where they're concerned. Morricone delivers a rousing score which will be instantly recognised by Spaghetti fans. The sequence in which Billy seduces a stunning looking young widow(played by the gorgeous Magda Konopka) who's just buried her husband is definitely the film's highlight, as a matter of fact it's probably the only reason that it is worth another viewing. It is here that the film is at it's funniest and the entire sequence is truly sublime, I was mesmerised watching Billy and the widow eat Turkey as they stare lustfully at each other.

...And For A Roof, A Sky Full Of Stars is an above average effort that is far from great, but it's entertaining and will put a smile on your face. 7/10

During the Cold War James Bond 007 and Alec Trevelyan 006 infiltrate a Soviet chemical weapons facility. However as the detonators are set to destroy the facility, alarms sound and Trevelyan is killed by Soviet troops as Bond narrowly escapes with the entire complex exploding. Nine years pass and the Cold War has ended, although MI6 learns that a devastating satellite weapon known as the GoldenEye has fallen into the hands of a notorious crime syndicate known as Janus. 007 is sent to St. Petersburg to investigate and to his horror discovers not only that his old compatriot Alec Trevelyan is very much alive and the chief of Janus, but has stolen the codes of the GoldenEye and now controls it. Bond learns that the vengeful Trevelyan aims to use the GoldenEye to fire a destructive electromagnetic pulse at the UK, thus allowing him to hack into every bank account in the country and erase any trace of theft...

GoldenEye heralded a new beginning for the Bond franchise. The original creative team was almost entirely replaced and the producers began pushing the franchise in the direction of the modern action flick. With the culmination of the Cold War the world began advancing rapidly in terms of technology and various political ideologies would be completely changed. It was with things like these that the Bond movies would have to compete, therefore the series underwent a serious rejuvenation as the filmmakers sought a fresher approach. Timothy Dalton resigned from the franchise after playing Bond only twice as legal disputes threatened to kill the series. However setbacks were professionally overcome and GoldenEye was released after a bleak six year gap, this time with Pierce Brosnan in the role of agent 007. GoldenEye really was a spectacular comeback for the franchise, although I think that the 80s Bond movies are among the best in the entire series!. The Pierce Brosnan era is my least favourite(I always have and always will prefer the pre 1990s "classic" era)but GoldenEye is by far Brosnan's greatest. His second and third outings were fun, but lacked the elements which made the older Bond movies so great and his fourth was just downright awful. Exploding with rollicking action sequences and boasting some terrific dialogue, GoldenEye gets off to a cracking start with an enthralling shootout and chase which ends with an extremely impressive motorcycle cliff-dive!. It also has some of the craziest stunts of the series and the bodycount is higher than that of your average Bond movie. Then we have an anarchic shoot-em-up in a Russian military archive directly followed by an awesomely chaotic pursuit which sees Bond hijacking a Russian tank and wreaking destruction on the streets of St. Petersburg!. The exhilarating chase and fistfight between Bond and Trevelyan which precedes their taut confrontation atop a huge satellite antenna was just as spectacular!. This was the first Bond movie to use CGI which is fortunately kept to a bearable minimum. The other realistic special effects, such as the fiery destruction of Trevelyan's armoured train as well as the aforementioned satellite antenna, look amazing!.

Whilst Pierce Brosnan is decent in the role of 007, Timothy Dalton is greatly missed here and I would have much preferred to see him return to the role a third time. I thought he was fantastic in the previous two films(especially Licence To kill)and the dark premise of GoldenEye was much better suited to him rather than Brosnan. Game Of Thrones' Sean Bean made for a superbly jaded Alec Trevelyan and the gorgeous Famke Janssen was also brilliant as the sex-loving, thrill-seeking assassin Xenia Onatopp. Eric Serra's score was decent enough, but he's no John Barry.

An immensely fun actioner with riotous proportions of chaos on show. 8/10

"If they move, kill em'!" exclaims Pike Bishop, leader of an ageing band of outlaws who are in the midst of holding up a railroad payroll office in a small Texas town. However the "wild" west is no more and it's inhabitants are becoming more civilised. Deke Thornton(a former associate of Pike's who is now working for the railroad)and his posse ambush the gang resulting in a bloody shootout which needlessly claims many innocent lives. The robbery a failure, Pike and the surviving members of the gang flee across the border into revolution-torn Mexico pursued by Thornton and his posse. It isn't long before Pike and the bunch fall in with ruthless bandit chief Mapache, who coerces them into stealing arms from the U.S army in return for thousands of dollars in gold. Pike and his compatriots become increasingly disillusioned with life as they know it and end up betraying Mapache, ultimately deciding to go out all guns blazing in one of the most spectacular bloodbaths Hollywood has ever seen!.

Sam Peckinpah's savage essay on the decline of the American frontier disgusted critics of the day solely due to the extremity of the violence, even at a time when audiences of the world were being increasingly desensitised by horrific images of the Vietnam war. The Wild Bunch has since become a highly respected cult film which, despite the brutality of it's content, explores the more tender issues of friendship, honour and redemption. It can also be interpreted as a comment on the dying(or dead)western genre itself. Peckinpah conveys his thoughts and feelings in an aggressively overt way, which is what makes the film all the more fantastic. The lives of the main characters are epitomised by greed, murder and other forms of amoral self indulgence, although the movie depicts brilliantly how deep reflection coupled with fate can alter the moral compass of even such violent individuals and instil in them a sense of dignity and self-respect to the point where they attempt to put things right(which is ironically represented in the brutal climax). William Holden gave a superb performance as Pike Bishop, leader of The Wild Bunch. Ernest Borgnine was equally impressive as his second-in-command, Dutch as were Warren Oates and Ben Johnson as the Gorch brothers, not to mention Robert Ryan as Pike's former ally Deke Thornton. I think Edmond O'Brien gave the best performance in the film next to William Holden, as cranky old timer Freddie Sykes. Peckinpah also co-wrote the great script and excellent lines are in abundance, I also detected a few pinches of terrifically cynical black comedy.

The Wild Bunch is bookended with two magnificent but vicious shootouts. The first which opens the movie is a rollicking warm up for what is to come. Taut slow motion intercutting would appear as a rudimentary manifestation in Peckinpah's subsequent efforts but it is here that the chilling technique makes it's amazing debut. Almost baroque in execution, the riotous climax is nothing more than totally unashamed chaos!. The bodycount in this sequence alone is stratospheric and watching Pike and the bunch get torn apart by unrelenting gunfire as they fight for control of the machine gun is a truly spectacular sight!. The bunch seem almost indestructible for the duration of this excessively violent orgy until their bodies are literally blasted away from the machine gun, with Pike still gripping hold of it's trigger and spraying bullets as he dies!.

It can be said that this Peckinpah classic is the western to end all westerns(with stiff competition from Leone's The Good, The Bad And The Ugly!).This scabrous homage to tough men who have become relics of a blood stained chapter in American history is as harsh as it needs to be. 10/10

When MI6 learns that a Soviet decoding machine known as the Lektor is up for grabs, James Bond is sent to Istanbul to steal it. He makes contact with a beautiful Russian woman known as Tatiana Ramanova who has fallen in love with him and wishes to defect. She is also willing to aid 007 in his theft of the Lektor in return for sanctuary in Britain. However, both are being used as unwitting pawns in an insidious scheme masterminded by SPECTRE. The evil crime syndicate has organised the ploy in order to bring about the death of 007 in revenge for his killing of fellow SPECTRE operative Dr.No. Once Bond has met his demise at the hands of hired assassin Red Grant, SPECTRE plans to humiliate the British further by taking the Lektor and selling it back to the Russians...

Having not been at all enthralled by the first Bond adventure, Dr.No, it is my belief that From Russia With Love should really have been the outing to kick off the brilliant franchise. In my opinion this movie is far superior and dare I say it, personally found Dr.No overtly dull. Although in terms of plot, FRWL is a direct follow-on from Dr.No(but that doesn't mean that the first movie is required viewing). It must also be said that this movie is probably the only Bond film which is completely faithful to Ian Fleming's novels. The OTT gadgets and surreal plots which would be staples of the later films are wholly absent here and believe me, this isn't as bad as it sounds. FRWL is nothing but a straightforward espionage thriller with superb action sequences and terrific performances. We have a rousing shootout in a gypsy camp as well as Bond downing a SPECTRE helicopter with a Sniper rifle, with explosive results!(no pun intended). The fiery destruction of a fleet of SPECTRE speedboats also looked amazing. Still I think the best action scene in the movie is the chaotic fight between Bond and SPECTRE assassin Red Grant in the confines of cramped train compartment. One of the most awesome fistfights ever committed to film, the tight close-ups and medium shots of the violent struggle as well as the abrupt cuts convey spectacularly the claustrophobic, as well as brutal tone of the entire sequence.

Again Sean Connery brings an impressive air of professionalism to the role of Bond and thus his performance is all the more excellent for it. Personally, I think that Robert Shaw steals the show as hired assassin Red Grant, the conversation between his character and Bond just prior to the aforementioned fight is a truly sublime scene. John Ford stock company veteran Pedro Armendariz also had a great turn as Bond's ally Kerim Bey, as did Lottie Lenya as the sinister Rosa Klebb. Lionel Bart's instrumental title piece was pretty fine, although it's one of the series' lesser compositions. However it is accompanied by a vibrant and gorgeous title sequence, where the credits are projected onto the body of a belly dancer.

As I said, FRWL is a huge improvement on Dr.No. As the decade progressed, the Bond movies would just get better and better. A rollicking effort from beginning to end. 9/10

Following the exploits of a squad of Jewish-American GIs in Europe at the height of the Second World War as well as the revenge story of a young French Jewish woman, Inglourious Basterds(note the deliberate misspelling)is an extremely impressive effort. A gritty homage to the war movie(to be fair it's much closer to Italy's Macaroni Combat sub-genre), Tarantino's epic has all the correct ingredients to make it succeed.

Firstly, I thought that the episodic structure of the movie as well as it's nonlinear format were both excellent touches. Inglourious has five "chapters" each with their own title and the film itself is two stories in one; a behind-enemy-lines adventure and a revenge story. The way these two stories synchronise at the climax was also cleverly done. The movie is also incredibly stylish and some parts have a distinct documentary feel which I also thought was pretty amazing. The segment in which a voice-over(from none other than Samuel L. Jackson)informs the audience of the flammability of nitrate film really took me by surprise, it was refreshing to learn something in a movie otherwise populated by wanton brutality that shouldn't be taken seriously(in no way am I being harsh!). As with much of Tarantino's other work, Inglourious is as much a black comedy as it is, in this case, a war movie(satirical war movie to be precise). The bloody violence is wonderfully tongue-in-cheek and the explosive climax inside the cinema will require complete suspension of disbelief as Tarantino indulges himself with a number of amusingly deliberate anachronisms. The film does drag a little in places, although each sequence is peppered with superb dialogue. It is also interesting to note that around sixty percent of the movie is in German, French and Italian and subtitled accordingly, which is absolutely fine by me.

Inglourious features terrific performances, especially form Brad Pitt and the beautiful Melanie Laurent. Eli Roth also brilliant as the bloodthirsty Sergeant Donowitz-The Bear Jew as was Diane Kruger as starlet Briget Von Hammersmark. Irish-German actor Michael Fassbender was also brilliant and Sylvester Groth was on magnetic form as Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels. Although who could forget Christoph Waltz' magnificent turn as the ruthless Colonel Hans Landa. As usual the soundtrack was amazing, I loved hearing all those familiar scores sampled to great effect. It was a pleasure to hear part of the sublime Morricone piece L'Arena(from Sergio Corbucci's The Mercenary)as well as The Surrender from Sergio Sollima's The Big Gundown. One piece that did strike me as a peculiar sample was a rendition of Dimitri Tiomkin's "Green Leaves of Summer"(from John Wayne's The Alamo)which played over the opening credits, although I was pleased that this composition featured. The film's action scenes were sparse but awesome nonetheless as the blood flows and the body count rockets. Bodies spasm ferociously as innumerable bullets tear their flesh apart in a vicious shootout(bloodbath would be a better word)in a tavern. The climatic destruction of the cinema and slaughter of the leading Nazis was even crazier, more brutal and spectacularly chaotic!. Most viewers will spot an obvious reference to The Dirty Dozen. The ending was fantastic too and it's one which true Spaghetti Western fans will appreciate.

Tarantino's uber-violent war saga definitely gets a thumbs up from me, in fact it's right up there with the older greats. 9/10

If ever the Spaghetti western was to enjoy a short revival in the 21st century, Quentin Tarantino would play a crucial role in kick-starting the great sub-genre. Today's Hollywood directors will never in a million years rival the visionary genius of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah, although Tarantino has had a darned brilliant try and has in in the case of this particular movie, succeeded. As everyone knows, Django Unchained isn't a Spaghetti western, rather a profound love letter to my personal favourite sub-genre which borrows heavily from the ideas and execution of certain films within that sub-genre. Tarantino, being the expert he is in Italian cinema as well as a true Spaghetti western aficionado, is probably the only individual in Hollywood who can create a western which echoes the polished ability of Leone, Castellari and Corbucci and hence introduces a younger audience to such amazing movies.

I'll start on a simple point. I beamed with delight when I saw the 60s era Columbia logo at the film's outset. A little touch or attention to detail like this really conveys the director's strive to be unique and the presence of the logo itself is also reflective of the era when westerns were at their best. I was also extremely impressed when the logo faded and I could hear the familiar twang of a guitar as the credits opened. That's right, it was none other than Luis Bacalov's Django theme from the 1966 classic and Tarantino couldn't have chosen a better song to signify the arrival of this excellent movie, even the title font was the same as that of Corbucci's original-I'm loving the film already!. Other brilliant Spaghetti compositions that are featured include Riz Ortolani's Day of Anger, Bacalov's His Name Was King and Franco Micalizzi's Top of the West(from 1970s They Call Me Trinity)among a few other sublime pieces by Morricone himself. The connections created by these tracks between this movie and the original Spaghettis made it all the more special to me. Audio clips from various other Spaghetti westerns were also inserted into the end credits music which was also quite touching. I thought Jamie Foxx was terrific as our eponymous anti-hero and Christoph Waltz was on inspiringly charismatic form as dentist-turned-bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz. Both made for compelling protagonists who I'm sure Leone or Corbucci would be proud of. Leonardo DiCaprio dazzled as crazed plantation king Calvin Candie, his frenzied discharge of rage and brutality during the sequence at the dinner table was a real force to be reckoned with in one truly electrifying scene. I think the best performance in the movie came from Samuel L. Jackson as Candie's loyal manservant Stephen, the part was underplayed by Jackson fantastically. It was also refreshing to see the man himself Franco Nero in a cameo.

Tarantino continues to live up to his bloody reputation with the superb action scenes. The riotous shootout inside Candie's mansion was absolutely insane!, the amount of blood exploding from men's bodies as they were shot was crazy!. Until now I have never seen a movie in which the same individual is repeatedly shot so many times over. The sounds of the bullets cutting through the air as well as the blood pouring from the wounds only adds to the realism. The shootout was truly spectacular and showcases just how big a maniac Tarantino is(I mean that in a positive way). There's also a chilling scene where an escaped slave is brutally ripped apart by a pack of bloodthirsty dogs as well as a slave fight which is executed with vicious extremity. The film's ending is awesomely kick-ass and mirrors a true Spaghetti western finale. Django Unchained is a pretty quotable movie and the sequence with a large group of horsemen arguing over the fact that they can't see through their floursacks-cum-hoods will raise a decent chuckle.

With lashings of deliciously grim humour, Tarantino's pseudo-Spaghetti western is also a comment on racism. Either way, it is a highly enjoyable adventure and a trip I am more then willing to make again. 9/10

John Chisum(John Wayne)is a fair-minded and successful rancher who has built up something of an empire on the rolling New Mexico plains. However his interests are threatened by unscrupulous land baron Lawrence Murphy, who has started to dominate the nearby town of Lincoln by forcing business owners and other ranchers to sell up. Chisum becomes increasingly concerned by Murphy's tight grip on the territory and contempt develops between the two men, but Chisum vows to fight Murphy legally. When Murphy hires a band of killers to rustle cattle, including Chisum's, the fragile piece is shattered by cold-blooded murder. With range war now on the cards, Chisum joins forces with none other than Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid to rid the territory of Murphy and his thugs.

I haven't watched a John Wayne western in years and Andrew V. McLaglen's fictionalised re-telling of the Lincoln County War is a rip-roaring delight. It's one of those movies that gets you rooting for the good guys early on which successfully engages the viewer. The duke chews the scenery as the tough patriarch(who else?)and steals most of the movie's best scenes and lines. Forrest Tucker was also excellent as the ruthless businessman Lawrence Murphy. The verbal confrontation between Murphy and Chisum in the town's street is one of the most memorable scenes in the film. "If your men cross my land, touch any of my cows or do anything to that store over there, I'm not going to the sheriff, the governor or the president of the United States, I'm coming to see you!" exclaims Chisum before socking Murphy in the jaw when the latter plays the statement off as a threat. Glenn Corbett and Geoffrey Deuel were great as Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid respectively, as were Patric Knowles, Ben Johnson and Richard Jaeckel, not to mention Glenn Langan as Colonel Dudley.

I've always thought that the soundtrack is one of the greatest things about the movie, particularly the rousing title song. The title song even has a superb voice-over running through it describing Chisum's struggle to build up his cattle empire. This accompanies an excellent title sequence which features colourful paintings of stampedes and Indian attacks complete with the sound of distressed horses and gunfire. The first half of the film does drag a little before kicking into gear in the second half. There's exciting shootouts between rustlers and cowboys as well as a chaotic river ambush. The subplot involving Billy the Kid taking revenge on the crooked deputies who murdered his mentor added drive to the film, but the best part is spectacular standoff in the town's street between Billy and his friends and the sheriff's posse. There's some severe ass kicking done here as Chisum stampedes his entire herd into the town with his cowpokes charging behind him causing complete destruction, before taking on Murphy in a frenzied hand to hand fight . (Murphy's death is unintentionally humorous!). The movie also features some pleasing vistas of the lush hills and plains.

Extremely underrated, Andrew V. McLaglen's fun horse opera has the duke doing what he does best. 9/10

In the bloodiest days of the second world war, half of Lieutenant Costa's platoon is wiped out during an attack on a German pillbox because the cowardly Captain Cooney failed to reinforce them. Cooney only holds such an important rank due to the fact that his superior officer-Lieutenant Colonel Bartlett-owes a favour to Cooney's father who is a prominent judge stateside. All of the men in the platoon, especially Costa, are disgusted by Cooney's spiritless incompetence. However the Colonel is more than willing to turn a blind eye because of his political aspirations after the war. When Costa and his outfit are trapped by enemy fire in a small town, Cooney once again refuses to reinforce them and more lives are lost needlessly. With the battle of the Bulge now raging around them, tensions between Cooney and Costa boil over, causing the irate Lieutenant to crack. In the midst of an overwhelming German counterattack and consumed by murderous anger, Costa makes a dangerous resolve...

At first glance Attack! looks like a typically generic flag waver, but as the synopsis indicated, it cuts much deeper than the jingoistic propaganda pop corn flicks of the era. Made at a time when such (pro) war movies were still very much in vogue, Attack! is one of Hollywood's earliest anti-war films. Robert Aldrich' anguishing character study alienated him from the Pentagon and is all the better for it. Attack! is one of the most sobering accounts of war ever lensed. Based on Norman Brooks' play "Fragile Fox", the script is cleverly cynical and the film itself deliciously baroque. Aldrich relishes deconstructing the effects of war on the soldiers, both physical and emotional, whilst tackling hot topics like cowardice and corruption in the ranks. Take Captain Cooney for example, an individual who would be much better off sitting behind a desk where he would be free to wallow harmlessly in self pity. Instead he has been installed into a position of power whereupon he is called to fight, thus said self pity becomes a destructive force in itself. Here we have a cancerous bureaucratic initiative coming into play as it is the manipulative Colonel Bartlett who deliberately sustains Cooney in such a position of prominence, just so he can keep a promise to Cooney's magistrate father who guarantees him an illustrious governmental position as soon as the war ends. Bartlett is a villainous snake who plays with the lives of his men as well as Cooney's vulnerable mental state in order to fulfil aforementioned warped political ambitions.

The three leads deliver tour de-force performances. The electrifying Jack Palance is on brilliantly choleric form as the grizzled Lieutenant Costa. By the film's second half, his lust for retribution has initiated a spiralling descent into insanity and Robert Aldrich exploits the character's rage to a fantastic advantage. You'll love to hate Eddie Albert as Cooney. Near the end of the movie, his cowardice transforms him into a crazed sadist. Ironically, Eddie Albert was decorated for bravery during the war, but still plays the irresponsible coward with unparalleled professionalism. Lee Marvin is loving every second of his screen time as Colonel Bartlett and his rousing energy is infectious, his Southern drawl permeating an air of menace. In what I would call one of the most horrific but awesome sequences in the history of cinema, a frenzied bazooka-wielding Costa gets one of his arms brutally crushed when a tank grinds onto it!. His raucous agonised roaring combined with some savagely contorted facial expressions make the sequence all the more ferociously obscene. It's a truly shocking scene that was violent for the 1950s and is still trenchant today, but conveys spectacularly combat in all it's malignant ferocity!. I've always been obsessed with it's sheer abrasiveness and even if this sequence does look rather dated now it doesn't make it any less grotesque. The images of the helpless Costa trying to roar the pain away as he is viciously restrained by the tank is unlike anything I've ever seen in a war movie, it curdles my blood in the most scabrous of ways!. The final act is nearly just as amazing, when the ravaged zombie-like Costa miraculously stumbles into a cellar to do away with Cooney once and for all.

Attack! has to be the greatest war movie of the 50s and a contender for the greatest war movie of all time. A rough masterwork!. 10/10

Two hired assassins, Charlie Strom(Lee Marvin)and Lee(Clu Gulager), casually enter a school for the blind and cold bloodedly gun down one of the teachers, Johnny North(John Casavettes). Curious as to why North just stood there as he was murdered, Charlie and Lee set out to dissect the tangled web of intrigue surrounding their victim. They find that he was once involved with unhinged rich girl Shelia Farr(Angie Dickinson), mobster Jack Browning(Ronald Reagan)and the theft of $1 million...

Don Siegel adapts Ernest Hemingway's short story in a sturdy reworking of the 1946 noir which catapulted a young Burt Lancaster onto the Hollywood scene. Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager are the eponymous "killers" of the title. Unapologetically gritty, The Killers is among the first movies in Hollywood to portray the central characters as antagonists rather than protagonists. Originally intended as a TV movie, The Killers ultimately found it's way into cinemas after being deemed too violent for primetime(although it's pretty tame by today's standards). Still, the movie doesn't shy away from abrupt acts of sadism. The two main characters, Charlie and Lee, are a pair of amoral lowlifes who do the dirty work for individuals who are equally unscrupulous. However they do have a certain charm and Lee Marvin definitely steals the show as Charlie. Revelling completely in the wanton depravity of his character, Marvin excelled at playing dubious types in an era in Hollywood when it was unpopular to play such characters, when good always prevailed over evil, when even the baddies had integrity. Lee Marvin always played them as rough and dirtier than ever. Although, the movie doesn't glorify the violent criminal actions of it's characters and sticks with a "whoever lives by the sword dies by the sword" mentality. In his last movie before embarking on an illustrious political career, president-to-be Ronald Reagan was also on brilliant form. The charisma John Casavettes emitted was nothing short of fantastic and the beautiful Angie Dickinson was just as superb, as was Cul Gulager as Charlie's murderous counterpart. The suspenseful climax may just rank among the greatest scenes in film and is spectacularly underplayed. It sums up the film's message terrifically.

Despite the fact that it's quite flat in places, The Killers is a truly superior neo-noir. 8/10

Drifting cowpoke Dempsey Rae(Kirk Douglas)is riding the rails when he befriends a hot-headed young man named Jeff jimson. The two are given work tending cattle belonging to tough female rancher Reed Bowman and Jeff, enamoured by Rae's no nonsense demeanour, comes to respect the older man. Rae teaches Jeff how to survive as a cowboy, however a fierce rivalry later develops between the two men as they vie for Reed's affection. This is further complicated by Jeff's trigger happy approach to work on the ranch and Reed's decision to import thousands more head of cattle which she knows will encroach on her neighbours land, a reality which she isn't bothered by after hiring ruthless gunman Steve Miles(Richard Boone)and his gang of thugs to enforce her unfair methods. Rae quits the ranch in order to avoid becoming embroiled in the imminent range war, although Jeff sides with Reed-the friendship between the two men having soured considerably. Rae is ultimately forced to side with the other ranchers against Reed which leads to a dangerous face-off against Miles-an old nemesis of Rae's-and his gang of henchmen...

A superior effort from King Vidor that is the quintessential western in every sense of the word. Man Without A Star is really a stark outline of the dos and don'ts of the cowboy lifestyle. Thanks to a fine script and sharp dialogue, the viewer finishes the movie with an enthralling perception of survival in the old west. One of the greatest scenes in the film depicts a shooting contest between Dempsey Rae and Jeff. Rae does the most awesome trick with his sixgun that would even put Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name to shame. It really must be seen to be appreciated but one cannot help but reflect on the extreme time and patience employed by Kirk Douglas in order to perfect the shown skill. Douglas is our man of the title with a hatred of barbed wire, he's brilliant in the lead. Jeanne Crain was also excellent as the object of his desire turned adversary who doesn't shy away from using harsh methods to get what she wants. Richard Boone always did make a great villain and character actor Jay C. Flippen was excellent as the ranch foreman. The rousing soundtrack compliments the fine scenery and the wonderful Frankie Laine bellows out the vocals of the soaring title song. The movie burns slowly but builds to a spectacular finale involving a stampede, a pulse pounding shootout featuring some dangerous looking stunts and a horseback chase, all followed by an awesomely chaotic fight between Douglas and Boone.

Another sturdy western from Universal with a compelling narrative and a rip-roaring finale. 9/10

Two ex-confederate soldiers, Jerry Brewster and Ken Seagull(pronounced Segal), head home at the end of the Civil war with a stash of stolen government money. However they are caught by union troops and Ken is fortunate enough to escape, although Jerry serves five gruelling years in prison. When he is released Jerry heads home to Texas only to find Ken in a corrupt position of power as a rancher who dominates most of the territory. Jerry becomes increasingly enraged when he learns that his wife was driven to an early grave by Ken who evicted her from her land and took Jerry's baby son. Demoralised and angered by his "friend's" betrayal, it isn't long before Jerry's death is ordered by Ken. Consumed by hatred, Jerry sets out to destroy Ken and his empire.

Carlo Lizzani's oft filmed tale of greed and revenge in the old west is a highly enjoyable affair. The Hills Run Red has all the traits of a 50s B western, still it's just a little too violent to be made by Hollywood but definitely not as grotesque as other spaghetti westerns. Some of the performances were rather over-the-top. Little known American actor Thomas Hunter makes for an inspiring hero in Jerry Brewster, his athleticism means the role is tailor-made for him and his obsessive rage is exploited to great effect. Rising Hollywood star Henry Silva was quite hammy as bandit leader Mendez to the point of being hilarious. He wasn't as menacing as I would have liked and his death is overly melodramatic. Dan Duryea was a favourite in Universal's B westerns throughout the 1950s(Waco Johnny Dean in Anthony Mann's Winchester 73 anybody?)and here he makes his only spaghetti western appearance as Colonel Winny Getz, a gunman who aids Jerry in his quest for retribution. The gorgeous Nicoletta Machiavelli was also excellent as Ken Seagull's sister Mary-Ann. The action scenes were nothing short of enthralling. The movie commences with a rollicking horseback chase and later on we have a riotous shootout in the saloon. There's even some fantastic dynamite-tossing action near the end as Jeff and Colonel Getz take on Mendez' gang in a sequence featuring amazing stuntwork. The fistfights were also really good and I was surprised to learn that the film was scored by Ennio Morricone, as always the maestro does it again with a roaring soundtrack that can only be defined as superb. The song "Home To My Love" was rather beautiful, although again it's like something you would hear in a mid 60s Hollywood western. The happy ending was extremely Hollywood-esque, however it was refreshing to see such positivity in a spaghetti western.

A terrific spaghetti western with a fine soundtrack and rousing action. Highly recommended.8/10

Prospector Tom Corbett(Franco Nero)is summoned to his home town only to find it under the control of land baron Jason Scott and his borderline psychopath son. Corbett finds the townsfolk are terrified to speak out or leave and those who do are murdered in cold blood. He tracks down his brother Jeff(George Hilton), who has lost his land which has forced him into alcoholism. Jeff is less than happy to see Tom who is rebuked by his brother, although Tom later convinces Jeff to aid him in his stand against Scott after he is viciously bullwhipped by the son. However as the showdown is set, Tom learns a shocking revelation...

Goremaster Lucio Fulci's first attempt at an Italian horse opera is extremely impressive. Highly regarded within spaghetti western circles, Massacre Time(or The Brute and The Beast) sees genre heavyweight Franco Nero make a formidable return following his ground-breaking role as Django four months previous. The movie itself is a sign of things to come with grim overtones and some gratuitous sadism(the film begins with a unknown character being chased down by a pack of dogs and mauled alive as a group of horsemen look on).It burns slowly(the movie)and the script is a little messy and clichéd. The action scenes are peppered throughout the movie and all of them are brilliantly constructed, although it is the climatic shootout at the ranch which is the most spectacular. Franco Nero and George Hilton kick some serious ass in awesome spaghetti western fashion and the stuntwork is equally amazing. This sequence contains one of the most fantastic stunts I've ever seen in a spaghetti with Franco Nero flipping out of a buggy and cannonballing several feet in the air before landing on both feet and gunning down a group of baddies!, although this really has to be seen to be appreciated. There's also an excellent saloon fight and Tom Corbett's bullwhipping at the hands of Jason Scott's brutal son was executed with scabrous venom, it was more effective than having the hero beat up by a group of thugs. This movie belongs to Franco Nero, any red blooded spaghetti western fan will concede that he has such an imposing screen presence-especially in this movie. Sergio Endrigo's energetic title song "A Man Alone" will always be a favourite of mine.

A compelling good versus evil tale with some excellent action scenes, Massacre Time stands with the greatest of the genre. 9/10

Bounty killer Regan has been employed by a mining company to track down the bandits responsible for the robbery of a large sum of money. He tracks the gang leader Norton to a small town in Montana but gets mistaken for the new sheriff. Regan soon finds that Norton is rallying farmers against cattlemen in a dispute over land and also becomes embroiled in the range war himself.

This Hollywood-esque Anthony Steffen vehicle was marketed as a Django spin off, although like the rest of it's kind has nothing to do with Corbucci's character or movie. A satisfying, but at times boring time passer, Some Dollars For Django bears all the hallmarks of an early spaghetti western. It is nothing more than an American mimic(range wars, characters straight out of Rawhide, tough guys doing what is righteous)with no brutality and the absence of immoral overtones. Despite the 85 minute running time the movie did drag quite a bit, although when the action scenes arrive they are pretty awesome. The ranch raids and climatic shootout were fantastic with a handful of fine stunts(running and jumping between rocks and somersaulting out of wagons/over balconies) and a decent body count. It seems to me that some lucky cowboys/outlaws were blessed with super-pistols for relentless firepower as the shooting is constant and not once does anybody need to reload, personally I could listen to the Italian gunshots all day. The dubbing and dialogue were pretty hilarious, at times atrocious and the rousing title song A Deadly Moring was brilliant.

An above average pasta saga which was beneficial in the greatest sub genre in the world getting warmed up. 7/10

James Bond is suspended from MI6 after assassinating a known terrorist in Mexico City whilst M, his superior, resists pressure from the powers-that-be to terminate the 00 programme. Going through personal effects recovered from Skyfall, 007 uncovers a dark secret about himself and heads to Rome where he comes face to face with one of the most terrifying criminal organisations in the world-SPECTRE. As more disturbing secrets regarding his past as well as his previous missions come to light, Bond realises that SPECTRE is pulling the strings behind the termination of the 00 section. This places many lives in danger which compels him to try and destroy SPECTRE'S plans...

The stratospheric success of the Bond franchise is continued with aplomb by Eon Productions, who place Sam Mendes in the director's chair once again. I'll get down to the nitty-gritty okay, Spectre continues a story arc from Daniel Craig's first three Bond movies. Before Craig's Casino Royale, such a plot factor had not been used since the glory days of the Connery era-in that it pitted the two 007s against the same villainous organisation, SPECTRE. Now I love when story arcs link the narrative together in movies and TV and in my opinion, they haven't been utilised with the same degree of effectiveness outside of the Bond franchise. This particular story arc is especially fruitful in that it adds depth and cohesion to the script. Alas, a plot device with so much potential seems problematic where this movie is concerned. As Bond fans will know, the decision to use SPECTRE as Bond's adversary in this film was born out of the death of the age-old Kevin McClory lawsuit, therefore the script is also cursed with some incoherence. It transpires that SPECTRE(the organisation)was responsible for the events of Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace and Skyfall and that the villains of these three movies(Le Chiffre, Greene, Silva)were all SPECTRE operatives. Now the organisation of SPECTRE never entered my mind when watching these three films when they came out, thus I found it rather disappointing that the writer's decided to just "conveniently" tack SPECTRE on as a plot device in order to justify the events of Casino Royal, Quantum Of Solace and Skyfall. It just seemed like they turned to each other and said "hey the McClory lawsuit no longer exists and you know, since we've over-complicated things a little with the last three movies let's write SPECTRE into Bond 24 to make everything alright again". It's just that the plot's of Daniel's first three Bonds had so much depth and for the filmmakers to say "it was SPECTRE the whole time" is a bit of an anti-climax. Don't get me wrong though, I was more than delighted that SPECTRE was Bond's nemesis for this movie as I'd always anticipated that he would one day do battle with the organisation again following Diamonds Are Forever's mediocre finale and Charles Gray's lacklustre Blofeld. Apart from the problems mentioned above, I also found some elements of the script to be a tad convoluted. However this was one of the very few Bond movies where I found myself enjoying the storyline more than the action scenes. The sub-plot about Bond's past was intriguing which made the film truly gripping. There are also some great lines as well.

Spectre is definitely more story-driven with the action sequences being more sporadic than your average Bond. The action is pretty fine though and the movie itself is wrought with references to other Bond movies not only action sequence-wise and this was a fantastic touch. The pre-credits sequence echoes Roger Moore's airborne antics at the outset of For Your Eyes Only with Daniel Craig clinging onto the outside of an out-of-control helicopter. The CGI was rather cheap looking at times, although some of the special effects were spectacular!. Daniel Craig teems with sardonic Connery-esque humour, i'll definitely miss him if or when he leaves the franchise. The beautiful Lea Seydoux was brilliant as was Ralph Fiennes as M and pro wrestling champion Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx. Tarantino favourite Christoph Waltz is the latest in a long line of magnificent Bond villain talent-joining titans like Telly Savalas, Robert Davi, Christopher Walken and Javier Bardem. Spectre boasts a gorgeous title sequence accompanied by Sam Smith's above average vocals.

This 24th instalment in the 007 franchise is without a doubt, a crowd pleaser. It's certainly dynamic and indeed highly enjoyable, even if the substance does wane a little. 8/10

It's 24th August 1939 and Europe is on the brink of war. However six individuals of differing nationalities-two French, two American, one Brit and a German-enjoy each other's company as they indulge in the finer of life's qualities. They promise to reunite in Paris on the 24th of August every year, although with the outbreak of war this becomes impossible. After the fall of France, each individual goes off to do their duty. It is now inevitable that cruel destiny decides each of their fates, a circumstance which changes each of their lives forever.

Eurocrime and Giallo aficionado Umberto Lenzi brings us a chunk of spasmodic Macaroni Combat. Like most of it's kind, From Hell To Victory is a real hatchet job. It was made in 1979 and by this point even the Spaghetti western was dead and gone, thus it marks the end of an era in Italian cinema. Overall, a quarter of this movie is constructed with footage pinched from another Macaroni combat flick(Eagles Over London anybody?)and whilst the editing is swift the film jumps incoherently from one scenario to another. Lenzi attempts to condense so much detail into an abrupt 1hr 40mins, although personally I prefer a movie that is short and to the point. However, crucial operations such as the Normandy landings and the battle of the Bulge are carelessly brushed aside in favour of melodramatically dire lamentation. At the end of the film, George Hamilton's character sarcastically states "you're away for a few days and look at the mess of the place", although it's ironic in that the movie literally feels as if it takes place over a few short days as opposed to a few years.

I did like the premise but to be honest I really just watched this film for the action, therefore I didn't feel any overwhelming emotional rapport with the characters which I think was down to the poor script. The performances were pretty ordinary. A pre A Team George Peppard gets some action hero practice by gunning down a few Germans and if I was Horst Bucholz I would be more than happy to ride in the opening hatch of an advancing tank. Speaking of action scenes, From Hell To Victory contains some darned fantastic ones. I was thrilled by the riotous firefights(now I know where Tarantino gets his inspiration)and the movie climaxes with a cracker of a battle scene!. Lenzi really threw his entire weight behind the visuals which turns this sequence into the movie's trump card. Tight cuts and frenzied camera-work build suspense as gargantuan explosions scar the battlefield and machine gun fire tears through the air. The hoards of M-41 Walker Bulldog tanks grinding across the landscape were also really cool, even if they were horribly anachronistic. The region 2 DVD transfer is average at best, with faded picture and screechy audio.

From Hell To Victory is an uneven war drama which goes from being boring to exciting and vice versa, but the action sequences seal it's fate as a thoroughly enjoyable movie. 8/10

Gunfighting maverick Chris Adams is now happily married and has settled into his mundane life as a lawman in a small Texas town. However his hopes of retirement are dashed after his wife is kidnapped and brutally murdered by a trio of young thugs. Chris sets out on their trail and tracks them across the border where he takes his revenge. Although it turns out that our hero will have to go back to doing what he does best after he stumbles upon a town that has been left at the mercy of outlaw Detorro and his vicious band of killers. The men have been massacred and it is only the women and children who are left, prompting Chris to assemble five convicts, a newspaperman and a deadly arsenal of dynamite and long range rifles to do battle with the bandits one last time.

Lee Van Cleef took a break from the Sabata trilogy to film The Magnificent Seven Ride!, the final movie in the Seven Samurai inspired quadrilogy. As always , Van Cleef brings his sardonic Colonel Mortimer-esque charm to the role and executes his portrayal with chilled assurance. After his work with Leone, the in-and-outs of the western became second nature to him, he seemed like a cool guy to have around and the western was his genre. The other actors that the seven comprised of, with the exception of Luke Askew, were pretty nondescript to me, therefore I wasn't too bothered when some of them were killed off in the huge action sequence at the end. It's easy to find oneself yawning or looking at their watch throughout the middle of the film, with the obligatory dry dialogue making the it feel longer than it is. we learn little about the members of the seven and the villain Detorro is rarely seen. Also the one factor that sets Ride! apart from the other three movies is the dark revenge plot, but it's quickly forgotten about at the film's halfway mark. The director could have done more with it and transformed the movie into something else entirely. However, the one thing that The Magnificent Seven movies were always er, magnificent at was showcasing a darned amazing action scene. Ride! is no exception as the bullets scream and the bodies fly, particularly during the fantastic climax where we are treated to an explosive shoot-em-up in the desert(which was gloriously chaotic)followed by a cracking shootout in the town's street. Some complimentary blood spatter is even thrown in alongside the explosions and stuntwork to crank the violence up a notch or two. Although these spectacular action scenes do not mask the predictability of the climax.

...And so The Magnificent seven series ends deservedly with a bang. Just bear with Ride! as it's a lot of fun with a few brilliant action scenes. 9/10