Four of the Apocalypse (1975)
Studio: Anchor Bay / Blue Underground
Theatrical Release: August 12, 1975 (Italy)
DVD Release: December 18, 2001
Director: Lucio Fulci
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
One of our favorite directors at Unrated Film, Lucio Fulci, is mostly known for his all out gore films and zombie films. But early on in his career he directed a few films outside the horror genre. His western, Four of the Apocalypse, may be his most dramatic and humanistic film he has done and a film he considered one of his best films.
After a bloody vigilante shootout in a small town, four strangers who were locked up in a cell are forced out of town by the corrupt sheriff. The four strangers consist of a well kept card shark (Fabio Testi) a prostitute (Lynne Frederick) a drunk (Michael J. Pollard) and a crazy man who sees and talks to spirits (Harry Baird). While most films would have these strangers at odds with one another at first, the movie has these different people instantly bond and form almost a strange family as they drift from town to town. While upset at first upon hearing that the prostitute is pregnant, the card shark takes it upon himself to be the man in the group and starts to slowly fall in love with this woman he doesn't know. But their world slowly turns upside down when they run into Chaco (Tomas Milian), an evil and twisted bandit who seems to be kind at first to his new friends but soon turns brutally sadistic.
I had preconceived notions going into Four of the Apocalypse that this would be an over the top, bloody western and while a few scenes do have some of the red stuff, the film is more of a drama about the good and evil in man and what it means to love one another. Characters cry when a person dies, tough men bond together to help the prostitute deliver her baby (which happens to be my favorite part of the film, one that I must admit holding back a few tears). Four of the Apocalypse is about soul searching, its about change and what we as people can do to be better to one another. It's rare to say this about a Fulci film as most of his movies provide a more bleak and dark outlook at the world, but Four of the Apocalypse has heart.
While I would have enjoyed a few more minutes of bloody mayhem and Chaco's character isn't in the film as much as I would have liked, the movie will have fans of the spaghetti western feel satisfied. If I had any complaints it would be that I wasn't very fond of some of the silly folk songs that constantly played over the soundtrack. I appreciate that the film provided something different than having the same old Morricone-type music, but I still didn't care for these dated folk songs.
AnchorBay and Blue Underground did a great job bringing this rare film to the U.S. (it never played in U.S. theaters) and provides fans a completely uncut version, there is some print damage in the film and the image does seem to have a washed out look to it. The mono soundtrack was also a tad hard to hear or understand. Blue Underground definitely needs to upgrade this western gem to HD. If so, could we get more special features than a trailer and a short interview with Milan and Testi discussing the making of the film? This movie is too good to not put forth the effort in more special features.
[Rating: 4]
Theatrical Release: August 12, 1975 (Italy)
DVD Release: December 18, 2001
Director: Lucio Fulci
Not Rated
Review by James Klein
One of our favorite directors at Unrated Film, Lucio Fulci, is mostly known for his all out gore films and zombie films. But early on in his career he directed a few films outside the horror genre. His western, Four of the Apocalypse, may be his most dramatic and humanistic film he has done and a film he considered one of his best films.
After a bloody vigilante shootout in a small town, four strangers who were locked up in a cell are forced out of town by the corrupt sheriff. The four strangers consist of a well kept card shark (Fabio Testi) a prostitute (Lynne Frederick) a drunk (Michael J. Pollard) and a crazy man who sees and talks to spirits (Harry Baird). While most films would have these strangers at odds with one another at first, the movie has these different people instantly bond and form almost a strange family as they drift from town to town. While upset at first upon hearing that the prostitute is pregnant, the card shark takes it upon himself to be the man in the group and starts to slowly fall in love with this woman he doesn't know. But their world slowly turns upside down when they run into Chaco (Tomas Milian), an evil and twisted bandit who seems to be kind at first to his new friends but soon turns brutally sadistic.
I had preconceived notions going into Four of the Apocalypse that this would be an over the top, bloody western and while a few scenes do have some of the red stuff, the film is more of a drama about the good and evil in man and what it means to love one another. Characters cry when a person dies, tough men bond together to help the prostitute deliver her baby (which happens to be my favorite part of the film, one that I must admit holding back a few tears). Four of the Apocalypse is about soul searching, its about change and what we as people can do to be better to one another. It's rare to say this about a Fulci film as most of his movies provide a more bleak and dark outlook at the world, but Four of the Apocalypse has heart.
While I would have enjoyed a few more minutes of bloody mayhem and Chaco's character isn't in the film as much as I would have liked, the movie will have fans of the spaghetti western feel satisfied. If I had any complaints it would be that I wasn't very fond of some of the silly folk songs that constantly played over the soundtrack. I appreciate that the film provided something different than having the same old Morricone-type music, but I still didn't care for these dated folk songs.
AnchorBay and Blue Underground did a great job bringing this rare film to the U.S. (it never played in U.S. theaters) and provides fans a completely uncut version, there is some print damage in the film and the image does seem to have a washed out look to it. The mono soundtrack was also a tad hard to hear or understand. Blue Underground definitely needs to upgrade this western gem to HD. If so, could we get more special features than a trailer and a short interview with Milan and Testi discussing the making of the film? This movie is too good to not put forth the effort in more special features.
[Rating: 4]
Post a Comment