Aldo Berti Movies
- 1971
- R
In this spaghetti western, set during the last days of the Civil War, an outlaw finds a dying Confederate officer. As the officer expires, he tells the outlaw about a cache of gold hidden in his blind father's home. The enterprising thief takes the dead man's clothes and tricks the father and his housekeeper into believing that he is the son. He is just about ready to begin looking for the gold when an outlaw gang comes to town and forces him to help them rob an army payroll wagon. He then tries to abscond with the loot. The bandits torture him, shoot him, and leave him for dead. Then they shoot the blind father. The hero gets better and gets grisly revenge upon the outlaws. He saves a special treat for the gang leader. First he uses mud to blind him. Then he puts a gun in his hand and kills him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
One of seventeen sequels to Gianfranco Parolini's 1968 spaghetti western Sartana, this slow-moving entry has very little, if anything, to do with the series. The story concerns gunman Lee Calloway (William Berger), who agrees to help three outlaws break out of jail in exchange for half of their stolen gold. Calloway carries through with his end of the bargain, but the outlaws betray him and leave him in the desert to die. After wandering for days, Calloway is rescued by Esther (Jolanda Modio), who nurses him back to health only to trick him as well in order to collect a reward for his life. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
In Sergio Leone's epic Western, shot partly in Monument Valley, a revenge story becomes an epic contemplation of the Western past. To get his hands on prime railroad land in Sweetwater, crippled railroad baron Morton (Gabriele Ferzetti) hires killers, led by blue-eyed sadist Frank (Henry Fonda), who wipe out property owner Brett McBain (Frank Wolff) and his family. McBain's newly arrived bride, Jill (Claudia Cardinale), however, inherits it instead. Both outlaw Cheyenne (Jason Robards) and lethally mysterious Harmonica (Charles Bronson) take it upon themselves to look after Jill and thwart Frank's plans to seize her land. As alliances and betrayals mutate, it soon becomes clear that Harmonica wants to get Frank for another reason -- it has "something to do with death." As in his "Dollars" trilogy, Leone transforms the standard Western plot through the visual impact of widescreen landscapes and the figures therein. At its full length, Once Upon a Time in the West is Leone's operatic masterwork, worthy of its legend-making title. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, (more)
- 1966
In this extra-violent spaghetti western, a nameless, enigmatic stranger wanders into a dusty town and causes all kinds of trouble. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Anthony, Frank Wolff, (more)
- 1966
One of the last and most interesting Italian horror productions featuring the alluring Barbara Steele, this obscure feature from Crypt of the Vampire director Camillo Mastrocinque apparently never found distribution in English, and dubbed or subtitled prints are all but nonexistent. Steele's character in the film is haunted by a decrepit statue submerged in a lake, whose features look disturbingly like her own. Upon complete restoration of the statue, Steele begins to take on the psychotic traits of the woman upon whom the sculpture was based -- a woman the townspeople believe was a much-feared sorceress of local legend. Curious fans of the sultry horror star will find much to enjoy, even in the Italian-language version -- Steele's magnetic performance and the strong visuals propel the story with or without the minimal dialogue. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1965
This film has two segments exploring relationships subjected to sudden trauma. In the first, "Violence," a young wife is gang-raped while her husband is forced to watch. Afterwards, neither one even acknowledges what happened. In "Love," a wife is hospitalized after attempting suicide, and her husband flirts innocently with a pretty young nurse. When the wife dies, the husband is consumed with guilt over his perceived unfaithfulness. ~ Steve Huey, All Movie Guide
