The fine folks at Kino Lorber have packaged Kill Them All and Come Back Alone and The Hellbenders in a new 4K UHD set.
The Films
Kill Them All and Come Back Alone
There’s lean and mean and there’s anemic. Director Enzo G. Casterelli’s Kill Them All and Come Back Alone is a case where trimming the fat from a story almost does a disservice to the film. A “men on a mission” tale that has a group of renegade criminals working with the Confederate South to steal a cache of gold from a Northern Union stronghold. Led by Clyde MacKay (Chuck Connors) the only conceit the Confederates have I that he must kill his team and come back alone (hence the long-worded title).
The film is a bitter pill at every turn showing the Union and Confederates as not good and evil but all a part of a war machine that will destroy anyone. The film is very of the era with a huge anti-authoritarian streak that this reviewer found refreshing. More cynical than The Dirty Dozen the film looks at the zero-sum game of any governing body. Plus the gravitas of star Chuck Connors with a grin so wide you could fill the Rio Grande adds to the entertainment of it all.
The film running at 100 minutes has a force and movement that Casterelli is known for is the film’s biggest strength. As the film moves from introduction to plan to failed mission to prison to escape to the finale in a way that many men on a mission film do not attempt. That breathless pace does make characters mere imprints, which is never the case with these types of films, though many of similar ilk run double their runtime to allow for characters and dynamics to be set up and paid off.
There isn’t a moment of double or triple cross the film wastes. Casterelli’s eye for composition and action even this early on is as sharp as it ever was in his career. The way that he creates tension out of geography in the finale is something even the most skilled action director has difficulty with in this current era. What Kill Them All and Come Back Alone lacks in rich character and story it more than makes up in cynicism and action.
The Hellbenders
Director Sergio Corbucci specializes in the most cynical of westerns. The Great Silence stands as the darkest of all Westerns. So, it should surprise no one that The Hellbenders, Corbucci’s tale of a family of Confederate Soldiers on the run with a cache of Union Money post-Civil War is one the most cynical takes on the family of the West.
Colonel Jonas (Joseph Cotton) has dreams of reviving the confederacy when he bushwacks a convoy of Union Army Money with his three sons (Julián Mateos, Gino Pernice, Ángel Aranda) and his paramour (María Martín). As they begin their journey that dream slowly but surely is washed away in blood, betrayal, and bad luck on a biblical scale. So close to home yet with his sons fighting one another, the Union on his trail, and crossing Indigenous people will the Colonel survive let alone revive the confederacy.
Much of the entertainment of Corbucci’s film comes from watching this truly despicable family get their comeuppance. Cotton is an inspired choice as the patriarch who has no control over his sons and delusions that will get them all killed. The arrogance that Cotton imbues to the Colonel gives Corbucci everything he needs for even the wildest bits of storytelling in the film. Like Job before him, Colonel Jonas’s journey is one filled with setback after setback that’s as darkly comedic as it is dramatically thrilling.
The Transfers
Both films feature 2020 UHD SDR Masters by StudioCanal.
Kill Them All and Come Back Alone
The 4K transfer is a solid upgrade though some would complain about the lack of an HDR but the image in SDR has wonderful contrast and black levels. The widescreen shot film is still wonderfully verbose in its sharpness, color reproduction, and grain structure. An all-around solid transfer that mimics the film’s 35mm origins to the tee.
The Hellbenders
Is another solid 4K upgrade though some would complain about the lack of an HDR. The way the film was shot does not indicate that an HDR would be necessary and only complicates matters with the saturated look of the film. There are some affectations on the image but it’s more of an issue with the way it was shot than scratches or dirt on the image. That aside there isn’t an issue with the image. An all-around solid transfer that mimics the film’s 35mm origins to the tee.
The Extras
They include the following;
Includes Both the 99-Minute English and 100-Minute Italian Cuts of KILL THEM ALL AND COME BACK ALONE
Audio Commentaries (Both Films) by Filmmaker Alex Cox, Author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director’s Take on the Italian Western
Theatrical Trailers (Both Films)
Note: Each film comes on its own 4K UHD disc.
The first Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox, Author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director’s Take on the Italian Western on Kill Them All and Come Back Alone opens with the wonderful matte painting by Emilio Ruiz Del Rio and the location they filmed in Spain also used by Sergio Leone for The Good The Bad and the Ugly. Some of the details include the heavy use of stunt work and stunt performers which separates this from other Italian Westerns – which he calls the first of the acrobatic western; the work of the second unit directors – and what a second director does; the comedic tone of the film – which is different than the Italian Westerns at the time; the production details of the shoot – to his research and best estimates; the career and work of Chuck Connors; the influence of The Dirty Dozen on this western but also the entire Italian Film industry upon its release; a discussion of the career and work of Enzo G. Castellari; a discussion of a similar film – American film The Ferryman starring Lee Van Cleef which tried to imitate the Italian Western style; a discussion of how Italian Westerns use the Southern Confederates and why they do so in so many films; a discussion of arm wrestling in Italian Westerns which leads to a discussion of the Shakespeare inspired Italian Westerns which Castellari did direct one; a great discussion through out how gun fights never end with the hero dying – even the endings their deaths are not likely; a discussion of the various locations in Spain and if they’ve changed or not in the sixty years since the filming; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more. Cox’s track may be more interesting than the film itself.
The second Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox, Author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director’s Take on the Italian Western on The Hellbenders opens with a discussion of director Sergio Corbucci’s work in Westerns. Some of the details include the purchasing of the source material this is based on – and how this material was made earlier not very good to Cox’s views – and why Corbucci was brought on; how this was a score by Ennio Morricone working under a pseudonym; Corbucci’s views on religion and religious characters; Corbucci’s use of different locations in Spain because he wanted to give this a different feel – in the plains of Northern Spain; the day for night photography in this film – how good it is and how it was accomplished; the work and career of Joseph Cotton and his ability to play both good and evil throughout his career; the work here and career of Sergio Corbucci and how this lines up with his other Westerns; a discussion of the various locations in Spain the production used; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more. Cox delivers another interesting and informative commentary track.
Rounding out the special features are the trailers for Kill Them All and Come Back Alone (1:59); The Hellbenders (1:51)
The Final Thought
Kino has delivered another interesting set of Italian Westerns, this time in 4K UHD. Recommended!!
The fine folks at Kino Lorber have packaged Kill Them All and Come Back Alone and The Hellbenders in a new 4K UHD set.
The Films
Kill Them All and Come Back Alone
There’s lean and mean and there’s anemic. Director Enzo G. Casterelli’s Kill Them All and Come Back Alone is a case where trimming the fat from a story almost does a disservice to the film. A “men on a mission” tale that has a group of renegade criminals working with the Confederate South to steal a cache of gold from a Northern Union stronghold. Led by Clyde MacKay (Chuck Connors) the only conceit the Confederates have I that he must kill his team and come back alone (hence the long-worded title).
The film is a bitter pill at every turn showing the Union and Confederates as not good and evil but all a part of a war machine that will destroy anyone. The film is very of the era with a huge anti-authoritarian streak that this reviewer found refreshing. More cynical than The Dirty Dozen the film looks at the zero-sum game of any governing body. Plus the gravitas of star Chuck Connors with a grin so wide you could fill the Rio Grande adds to the entertainment of it all.
The film running at 100 minutes has a force and movement that Casterelli is known for is the film’s biggest strength. As the film moves from introduction to plan to failed mission to prison to escape to the finale in a way that many men on a mission film do not attempt. That breathless pace does make characters mere imprints, which is never the case with these types of films, though many of similar ilk run double their runtime to allow for characters and dynamics to be set up and paid off.
There isn’t a moment of double or triple cross the film wastes. Casterelli’s eye for composition and action even this early on is as sharp as it ever was in his career. The way that he creates tension out of geography in the finale is something even the most skilled action director has difficulty with in this current era. What Kill Them All and Come Back Alone lacks in rich character and story it more than makes up in cynicism and action.
The Hellbenders
Director Sergio Corbucci specializes in the most cynical of westerns. The Great Silence stands as the darkest of all Westerns. So, it should surprise no one that The Hellbenders, Corbucci’s tale of a family of Confederate Soldiers on the run with a cache of Union Money post-Civil War is one the most cynical takes on the family of the West.
Colonel Jonas (Joseph Cotton) has dreams of reviving the confederacy when he bushwacks a convoy of Union Army Money with his three sons (Julián Mateos, Gino Pernice, Ángel Aranda) and his paramour (María Martín). As they begin their journey that dream slowly but surely is washed away in blood, betrayal, and bad luck on a biblical scale. So close to home yet with his sons fighting one another, the Union on his trail, and crossing Indigenous people will the Colonel survive let alone revive the confederacy.
Much of the entertainment of Corbucci’s film comes from watching this truly despicable family get their comeuppance. Cotton is an inspired choice as the patriarch who has no control over his sons and delusions that will get them all killed. The arrogance that Cotton imbues to the Colonel gives Corbucci everything he needs for even the wildest bits of storytelling in the film. Like Job before him, Colonel Jonas’s journey is one filled with setback after setback that’s as darkly comedic as it is dramatically thrilling.
The Transfers
Both films feature 2020 UHD SDR Masters by StudioCanal.
Kill Them All and Come Back Alone
The 4K transfer is a solid upgrade though some would complain about the lack of an HDR but the image in SDR has wonderful contrast and black levels. The widescreen shot film is still wonderfully verbose in its sharpness, color reproduction, and grain structure. An all-around solid transfer that mimics the film’s 35mm origins to the tee.
The Hellbenders
Is another solid 4K upgrade though some would complain about the lack of an HDR. The way the film was shot does not indicate that an HDR would be necessary and only complicates matters with the saturated look of the film. There are some affectations on the image but it’s more of an issue with the way it was shot than scratches or dirt on the image. That aside there isn’t an issue with the image. An all-around solid transfer that mimics the film’s 35mm origins to the tee.
The Extras
They include the following;
Note: Each film comes on its own 4K UHD disc.
The first Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox, Author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director’s Take on the Italian Western on Kill Them All and Come Back Alone opens with the wonderful matte painting by Emilio Ruiz Del Rio and the location they filmed in Spain also used by Sergio Leone for The Good The Bad and the Ugly. Some of the details include the heavy use of stunt work and stunt performers which separates this from other Italian Westerns – which he calls the first of the acrobatic western; the work of the second unit directors – and what a second director does; the comedic tone of the film – which is different than the Italian Westerns at the time; the production details of the shoot – to his research and best estimates; the career and work of Chuck Connors; the influence of The Dirty Dozen on this western but also the entire Italian Film industry upon its release; a discussion of the career and work of Enzo G. Castellari; a discussion of a similar film – American film The Ferryman starring Lee Van Cleef which tried to imitate the Italian Western style; a discussion of how Italian Westerns use the Southern Confederates and why they do so in so many films; a discussion of arm wrestling in Italian Westerns which leads to a discussion of the Shakespeare inspired Italian Westerns which Castellari did direct one; a great discussion through out how gun fights never end with the hero dying – even the endings their deaths are not likely; a discussion of the various locations in Spain and if they’ve changed or not in the sixty years since the filming; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more. Cox’s track may be more interesting than the film itself.
The second Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox, Author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director’s Take on the Italian Western on The Hellbenders opens with a discussion of director Sergio Corbucci’s work in Westerns. Some of the details include the purchasing of the source material this is based on – and how this material was made earlier not very good to Cox’s views – and why Corbucci was brought on; how this was a score by Ennio Morricone working under a pseudonym; Corbucci’s views on religion and religious characters; Corbucci’s use of different locations in Spain because he wanted to give this a different feel – in the plains of Northern Spain; the day for night photography in this film – how good it is and how it was accomplished; the work and career of Joseph Cotton and his ability to play both good and evil throughout his career; the work here and career of Sergio Corbucci and how this lines up with his other Westerns; a discussion of the various locations in Spain the production used; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more. Cox delivers another interesting and informative commentary track.
Rounding out the special features are the trailers for Kill Them All and Come Back Alone (1:59); The Hellbenders (1:51)
The Final Thought
Kino has delivered another interesting set of Italian Westerns, this time in 4K UHD. Recommended!!
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of Two Spaghetti Western Classics is out now
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