Blood Money: Four Western Classics Vol. 2

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Review added by
Jitendar Canth

comprises $10,000 Blood Money, Vengeance is Mine, Find a Place to Die, and Matalo! (Kill Him)
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 376 mins
Retail Price: £69.99
Release Date: 2023
Content Type: Movie

Synopsis:
In the mid-1960s, the runaway success of Sergio Leone’s “Dollars” trilogy gave rise to an explosion of similar productions. Filmmakers by the dozen sought to capitalise on this new, uniquely Italian take on the western, which was characterised by their deeply cynical outlook, morally compromised antiheroes and unflinching depictions of savage violence. This specially curated selection gathers together four outstanding examples of the genre from the height of its popularity, all centred around the theme of blood money.

In Romolo Guerrieri’s $10,000 Blood Money (1967; a.k.a. $10,000 for a Massacre), Gianni Garko – best known for his portrayal of supernatural gunslinger Sartana – takes on the part of another beloved western antihero, Django, who is on the trail of bandit Manuel Vasquez (Claudio Camaso, A Bay of Blood). But what started as a job for hire soon turns personal, with Django swearing vengeance against the unscrupulous outlaw. Then, in the film’s spiritual successor, Giovanni Fago’s Vengeance is Mine (1967; a.k.a. $100,000 for a Killing), Garko and Camaso once again lead the cast, this time as estranged half-brothers – one a Confederate soldier now riding with renegade outlaws, the other a bounty hunter tasked with bringing him in alive.

Next, in Giuliano Carnimeo’s Find a Place to Die (1968), Jeffrey Hunter (The Searchers) plays Joe Collins, a disgraced former soldier who assembles a ragtag band of scoundrels. They are lured into helping a woman (Pascale Petit, A Queen for Caesar) to rescue her prospector husband, who is trapped at their gold mine cave-in – though in reality, they have designs on the gold strike themselves. Finally, in Cesare Canevari’s psychedelic Matalo! (Kill Him) (1970), double- and triple-crosses abound as a band of outlaws, having holed up in an isolated ghost town, set about terrorising travellers Ray (Lou Castel, Orgasmo) and Bridget (Ana María Mendoza, 7 Women for the MacGregors) – only to get more than they bargained for when Ray fights back, armed only with his weapon of choice: a bag full of boomerangs.

Featuring a wealth of key Euro-cult talent both behind and in front of the camera, Arrow Films is proud to present these four classic westerns in sparkling High Definition restorations produced specially for this release, alongside a plethora of brand new bonus materials.

Special Features:
4-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 2K restorations of all four films from the original 35mm camera negatives by Arrow Films
• Brand new introductions to each film by journalist and critic Fabio Melelli
• Galleries for all four films
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by author and critic Howard Hughes
• Fold-out double-sided poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
• Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original artwork and a slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx

DISC 1 – $10,000 BLOOD MONEY

• Brand new audio commentary by author and film historian Lee Broughton
• Tears of Django – newly edited featurette with archival interviews with director Romolo Guerrieri and actor Gianni Garko
• The Producer Who Didn’t Like Western Movies – brand new interview with producer Mino Loy
• How the West Was Won – brand new interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi
• Theatrical trailer

DISC 2 – VENGEANCE IS MINE

• Brand new audio commentary by critics Adrian J. Smith and David Flint
• Cain and Abel – newly edited featurette with archival interviews with actor Gianni Garko and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi
• In Conversation with Nora Orlandi – newly edited archival interview with the film’s iconic composer
• Movie After Movie – brand new interview with producer Mino Loy
• Theatrical trailer

DISC 3 – FIND A PLACE TO DIE

• Brand new audio commentary by author and critic Howard Hughes
• Sons of Leone – newly edited archival interview with director Giuliano Carnimeo
• Traditional Figure – brand new, in-depth appreciation of the soundtrack and its composer, Gianni Ferrio, by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon

DISC 4 – MATALO! (KILL HIM)

• Brand new audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
• A Milanese Story ¬– brand new, in-depth interview with filmmaker Davide Pulici, discussing the career of Matalo! director Cesare Canevari
• Untold Icon – brand new, in-depth appreciation of the soundtrack and its composer, Mario Migliardi, by musician and disc collector Lovely Jon
• Theatrical trailer