A Fistful of Dynamite (DVD, 2009, 2-Disc Set, Collector's Edition)

One of my favorite Saturday afternoon tough-guy-spaghetti Westerns! (Well, Actually, A Zapata Western, as it's in 1913 Mexico. A bit Late for Sergio Leone. )And, re-released in a 2-DVD set at a bargain price! I had jumped to get one of the very first copies when it came out at $30.

A tale of a hotheaded bandido, lusting for bank gold, and an idealist Irish ex-revolutionary, trying to run from his past. Both colliding in Mexico; initially at each others' throats, then finding they have to work together and actually become friends. (With some slick conning in between for high humor!) And, a little politics mixed in. Makes you Think a bit who really wins revolutions, who really profits, if anyone.

Ennio Morricone (Leone's usual song writer) goes over his usual excellence in the sound track. The haunting voices, the odd, amusing slide whistle, inexplicable sounds--you have to hear it. There's a full orchestra doing most of the music--check YouTube.

I only hate the first few scenes, about 22 minutes, that Leone uses to show what an awful character Juan (Steiger) starts out as. You can either listen to nasty comments, a rape scene, or fast forward 22 minutes to Coburn's triumphant entry on a vintage Harley.

The companion disk and side comments are great. Shows how involved, how deep this movie really was. There was a lot behind it--the most Leone put into character development and symbolism (Americans won't get it) that was very unusual for a Leone. A lot of the movie has been restored to this disc--it Was over 3 hours long. I Now feel any movie less than two hours long is barely getting Started! It also shows locations; how they look now (blown up!), etc. Humorous side comments, like about the filming and Steiger's big ego (He'd just gotten his first Oscar--it was Leone's first Oscar-winner to work with).

This disc also includes 5-speaker full-surround stereo with Dolby quieting (Not available even in the theater.) Try it on a big screen TV with 5 speakers, the bridge scene. It is fantastic--Juan's machine gun can be heard hammering in one speaker, troops yelling in another, etc. Like it's really in your living room! Face it, how often do you hear a hundred-year-old Maxim toggle link break? Gun nuts need to hear it Once, at least! Like the Clickety-Click of a Colt.

This movie was also done in the days when explosions were Real. And, the Camera was Up Close. Rocks fly just past your ear. Not the wimpy mothball-and-gasoline fireballs they try, now. The companion disc shows the Bridge, in Spain, is Still gone. That explosion was one of the most Monstrous ever on the silver screen, short of Hiroshima!

Copy This one to VHS, or you'll wear it out, too!

One of Sergio Leone's best! Excellent character development, in depth treatment of political issues, and entertaining to boot! The commentary specials really add depth and dimension to this release, and the extra footage (nearly an hour!) makes the story much easier to understand. Not a spaghetti western at all, tells the fictional story of one of Mexico's revolutions, intermingled with an ex-IRA members attempt to get over his past.

I bought this movie because I had a vague recollection of seeing it on TV as a kid, and after reading the critics reviews - and finding it for a good price - I decided to add it to my collection. It was worth the price I paid for it, but I wouldn't pay the premium to get the recently released version with deleted scenes, etc.

If you like the anti-hero genre, you'll like this one. The main character is an IRA bomber who has banished himself to Mexico. His sidekick is the (almost) quintessential dirty Mexican bandit who ends up fighting for the peasants even though he's really only trying to line his own pockets. Not surprisingly, it's very much like one of the "Man With No Name" series starring Clint Eastwood, but it doesn't have the 'cool' or the grit of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", or "Fistful of Dollars". Having said that, if you love those movies, you'll enjoy this one, too.

I actually saw this movie in the theater when it was first released as Duck You Sucker (and before it was shelved and then re-released as A Fistful of Dynamite!) This is the second time I've ordered 'cause the first one I had was loaned to my brother who loaned it again and never got it back (grr!). This movie has it all: humor, drama, tragedy, music. If you haven't seen it, think spaghetti western on a grand scale. You'll laugh through your tears...

For a spagetti western this was a great movie. James Coburn played a great part and as for Rod Steiger great acting. Alot of action. Great movie