Death Rides A Horse [1967] [VHS]

The Spaghetti -Westerns were churned out one after another following the success of films such as The Good The Bad and The Ugly (1966) on a conveyor belt so to speak, sadly very few matched-up to the early stuff.However, actors such as Lee Van Cleef did himself feature in one or two such as this one -Early on in the film we see a young boy hide from a ruthless gang witnessing the killing of his father and the rape and murder of his mother and elder sister, after which, the home is torched, a gang member rescues the boy.The youngster has images of many of the gang imprinted in his memory, fifteen years passes, Bill (John Phillip Law) now a young man who has spent much of his time perfecting his skills with guns intent on avenging his family.Meanwhile, a former gang-member Ryan (Lee Van Cleef) is after fifteen years being released from prison, he'd been framed for a crime he'd not committed, now out he seeks recompense and revenge for the years behind bars.Turns out, both men are after the same gang members....realizing this upon a chance meeting Bill suggests they work together, however, Ryan seeing Bill as inexperienced declines saying he works alone.Bill says he'll tag along anyway, Ryan did expect this reaction, takes Bill's gun and horse telling Bill the horse would be left in a town ten-miles up the trail, Ryan leaves Bill his gun.This something that happens a few times, in fact eventually the role-play is reversed some.Both men are seen facing their past, eventually, the two will realize that given the numbers of the remaining gang led by Walcott (Luigi Pistilli ) who up until the arrival of the two men appeared to be a respected and powerful member of the town he lived in, the two will join forces to face down Walcott and his gang.However, before the fight really gets going Bill seeing a chain Ryan is wearing realizes his new partner in battle was among those who had attacked his family 15 years ago.How will this be resolved?An okay gap-filler, though nothing special, just another run-of-the-mill Spaghetti-Western.(My favourites from that era, The Good The Bad and The Ugly and A Fistful of Dynamite.

Couldn't give this full marks because it hasn't one of Ennio Morricone's best musical scores and John Phillip Law is far too wooden as one of the two leading protagonists. Yeah well there is wooden like a plank and there is wooden like a branch which at least moves in the wind.Pipe smoking Lee Van Cleef uplifts the film with his usual laid-back stance : a man who acts with his cougar eyes and cheeks and minimum dialogue, but when he speaks you'd better listen. It's an art form and sadly Law didn't have it and Van Cleef and Mr Clint Eastwood DID have it in abundance.It's a good spaghetti western for fans of the genre but probably will not stimulate anyone else's palate. The plot is atypical of the genre being about revenge in this case, the gunplay and set pieces are well handled (though not Leone standard), the cinematography is excellent throughout though this print is not remastered and some of the scenes set in poor natural light such as the opening scene in a rain storm and at night are very patchy. But this is not the kind of film that will ever get the remastering treatment like thousands of old westerns, you have to take what's given sadly.It's certainly a better print than the one on the compilation of nine films 'Spaghetti Westerns' which I have also viewed.This is the MGM version, format 16:9 widescreen, with English dubbed audio (I swear?) and English HOH subtitles, length 110 minutes, 4 minutes less than the version on the compilation box set (which is poor visually).

Although possibly not a classic of the Italio western genre, this is still well worth taking a look at. Although I think it could do with being a bit shorter-it's 110 mins.It features a very good soundtrack by Ennio Morricone(at a time he could do little wrong) & sturdy direction from Guilio Petronia with some memorable scenes,that certainly gets the job done.Along with a clear print quality in 2.35:1 (Technicolor:Techniscope),filmed by Carlo Carlini & with the always watchable Lee Van Cleef,with good support from the likeable John Phillip Law & whole batch of Italian & Spanish genre regulars.The film looks like it had a good budget & is also well dubbed. So I think dedicated fans of Eurowesterns could easily add another star to my rating .The film has English,German ,French ,Italian and Spanish language versions and has subtitles in all these and Dutch.-2009 MGM version.

Slam-bang Italian western from 1967, starring the incomparable Van Cleef, an actor I much prefer to Clint Eastwood. The opening scene may prove a little disturbing, but it provides the motivation for John Philip Law's character to go gunning for the bad guys. The music by Morricone is first-rate, too. This is pure entertainment - and without the often irritating gibbering of a Walter Brennan, the whimsical oirishness of a Victor McLaglen, or the winsome girlies of far too many Hollywood movies. Italian directors must have sent the word out to all the sexiest actresses and models in Rome to dress up as barroom whores!

Lee Van Cleef played his usual self , but without Clint Eastwood this time. That don't matter though, it was still up to standard for a spaghetti western, lots of killing and shifting eyes from side to side. What more can you want?

One of the finest and most action packed fliks from the golden age of the Italian western....John Phillip Law is excellent as the vengeance seeking gunslinger, but Van Cleef's Ryan is one of his finest characters in the genre