{"id":26886,"date":"2021-08-15T15:32:03","date_gmt":"2021-08-15T22:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/?p=26886"},"modified":"2021-08-15T15:32:03","modified_gmt":"2021-08-15T22:32:03","slug":"review-vengeance-trails-bd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/2021\/08\/review-vengeance-trails-bd\/","title":{"rendered":"Vengeance Trails: 4 Classic Westerns Blu-ray Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"All in all, even as someone who doesn\u2019t gravitates toward the western genre, I found these four films part of the Vengeance Trails<\/em><\/strong> box set to all be well made films, all with revenge as a central theme.<\/p>\n

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Vengeance Trails: 4 Classic Westerns
\n<\/span>\u2014 Massacre Time\/My Name is Pecos\/Bandidos\/And God Said to Cain… \u2014<\/span>
\n(1966-1970)<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Genre(s): <\/strong>Western<\/span>
\nArrow Video| NR \u2013 368 min. \u2013 $99.95 | July 27, 2021<\/span><\/p>\n

Date Published:<\/strong> 08\/15\/2021 | Author:<\/strong> The Movieman<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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MOVIE INFO:
\n<\/u><\/strong>Director: <\/strong>Lucio Fulci (Massacre Time<\/em>); Maurizio Lucidi (My Name is Pecos<\/em>); Massimo Dallamano (Bandidos<\/em>); Anthony Dawson (And God Said to Cain<\/em>)
\nWriter(s): <\/strong>Fernando Di Leo (written by) (Massacre Time<\/em>); Adriano Bolzoni (My Name is Pecos<\/em>); Romano Migliorini, Gianbattistas Mussetto and Juan Cobos (written by), Luis Laso and Juan Cobos (story) (Bandidos<\/em>); Giovanni Addessi and Antonio Margheriti (written by), Giovanni Addessi (story) (And God Said to Cain<\/em>)
\nCast: <\/strong>Franco Nero, George Hilton, Giuseppe Addobbati (<\/span>Massacre Time<\/em>); Robert Woods, Norman Clark, Lucia Modugno, Peter Carsten (<\/span>My Name is Pecos<\/em>); Enrico Maria Salerno, Terry Jenkins, Venantino Venantini, Maria Martin (<\/span>Bandidos<\/em>); Klaus Kinski, Peter Carsten, Marcella Michelangeli, Lee Burton (<\/span>And God Said to Cain<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\n

\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DISC INFO:
\n<\/u><\/strong>Features: <\/strong>Audio Commentaries, Featurettes, Interviews, Galleries, Trailers
\nSlip Cover: <\/strong>No
\nDigital Copy: <\/strong>No
\nFormats Included: <\/strong>Blu-ray
\nNumber of Discs: <\/strong>4<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Audio: <\/strong>Italian (PCM 1.0), English (PCM MA 1.0)
\nVideo: <\/strong>1080p\/Widescreen
\nSubtitles: <\/strong>English SDH
\nCodecs: <\/strong>MPEG-4 AVC
\nRegion(s): <\/strong>A<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Arrow Video provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
\nThe opinions I share are my own.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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THE MOVIE \u2014 3\u00be\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Massacre Time<\/em><\/strong> (1966)<\/strong> \u2014 Tom Corbett (FRANCO NERO) is a gold prospector summoned back to his hometown to discover it languishing in the grip of powerful businessman magnate Jason Scott (GIUSEPPE ADDOBBATI) and his sadistic son Junior (NINO CASTELNUOVO), who\u2019ve seized control in his absence. Teaming up with his drunken brother (GEORGE HILTON), Tom resolves to bring down Scotts and restore peace to the troubled township.<\/p>\n

Review: <\/strong>This spaghetti western stars the charismatic Franco Nero who I thoroughly enjoyed in 1966\u2019s Django<\/em>. This one isn\u2019t terribly memorable but does take a bit of a twist of the revenge plotline and George Hilton, playing Nero\u2019s brother, was a treat to watch. The fights and overall choreography, not to mention direction by horror maestro Lucio Fulci, were all pretty good as was the gore which, for its time, was fairly extreme (quite tame today, especially when compare it to something like The Suicide Squad<\/em> which I just watched days earlier). 3.5\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

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My Name is Pecos <\/em><\/strong>(1966)<\/strong> \u2014 Pecos Martinez (ROBERT WOODS) returns to his hometown, determined to settle a long-standing score with Joe Clane (PIER PAOLO CAPPONI), the gangster who wiped out his entire family and now holds the entire town in a vice-like grip. But Clane has other concerns \u2013 namely the sum of money stolen from him by one of his own men after a recent bank heist. They say it\u2019s never wise to antagonize a desperate man, and Pecos\u2019 return soon sets him and Clane on a collision course from which only one man can possibly emerge victorious.<\/p>\n

Review: <\/strong>Another typical revenge-centric plot this time with Robert Woods playing Pecos, a character that\u2019s no different from the Man with No Name, Django, etc, as a gunslinger who gets beat up pretty good only to recover and exact vengeance on the villains who murdered his family. 3.25\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Bandidos<\/em><\/strong> (1967)<\/strong> \u2014 Top marksman Richard Martin (ENRICO MARIA SALERNO) is inadvertently caught up in a train heist staged by his former prot\u00e9g\u00e9, Billy Kane (VENANTINO VENANTINI). Brutally maimed and no longer able to fire a gun, Martin ekes out a living as a traveling showman \u2013 until the day he meets Philip Raymond (TERRY JENKINS), an escaped convict framed for murder. Taking Raymond on as his apprentice, Martin plots to use him to extract his revenge on Kane, entangling the destinies of all three men and setting the stage for a brutal showdown.<\/p>\n

Review: <\/strong>Pretty good film with a bit of a change-up with the revenge plot. Features fine performances from Enrico Maria Salerno and Terry Jenkins (in one of only two feature films) and the direction by Massimo Dallamano (cinematographer of Fistful of Dollars<\/em> and \u00a0For a Few Dollars More<\/em>) has some nifty shots here and there. 4.0\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n

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And God Said to Cain<\/em><\/strong> (1970)<\/strong> \u2014 Gary Hamilton (KLAUS KINSKI), a former Confederate officer recently pardoned following ten years of hard labor for a crime he didn\u2019t commit. Armed only with a solitary rifle, Gary descends on his former hometown \u2013 a silent, steely-eyed assassin bend on the destruction of the man who framed him, the nefarious Acombar (PETER CARSTEN). But as night and a fearsome tornado both draw in, and with the full might of Acombar\u2019s forced ranged against him, can he possibly succeed in his one-man mission of vengeance?<\/p>\n

Review: <\/strong>Last one in the “Vengeance Trails” Arrow box set and probably the darkest one of the four. Really entertaining spaghetti western with more revenge, this one with Klaus Kinski as Gary Hamilton, coming back to town after being framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Plot wise, not much different from what I’ve seen before, but the kills were pretty brutal (and can imagine especially so back in 1970) and never let up to the very end. 4.0\/5<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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SPECIAL FEATURES \u2013 4\u00bd\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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Each of the four films are housed in HD keep cases which side-slides into a firm slip case. Also inside is a fold-out poster and a nice booklet<\/strong>. The sleeve artwork on all four movies is reversible.<\/p>\n
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MASSACRE TIME<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Audio Commentary<\/u><\/strong> by Authors and Critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke. The pair breaks down the film, its place among westerns and gives bits of trivia on the production, locations, cast and crew.<\/li>\n
  • INTERVIEWS<\/strong>\n
      \n
    • Two Men Alone (49:44)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Actor Franco Nero and archival interview with Actor George Hilton<\/li>\n
    • The Era of Violence (18:32)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Film Historian Fabio Melelli<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Italian Trailer (3:02)<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Image Gallery<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n

      MY NAME IS PECOS<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Audio Commentary<\/u><\/strong> by Actor Robert Woods and Author and Critic C. Courtney Joyner, who returns serving as a good moderator with Woods.<\/li>\n
      • INTERVIEWS<\/strong>\n
          \n
        • A Giant in the West (21:05)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Actor Luigi Montefiore\/George Eastman<\/li>\n
        • Indecent Proposal (18:36)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Actress Lucia Modugno<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • Pecos Kills (19:52)<\/u><\/strong> is a new featurette with a new interview by Film Historian Fabio Melelli and an archival interview with Cinematographer Franco Villa<\/li>\n
        • Italian Trailer (2:44)<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n
        • Image Gallery<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n

          BANDIDOS<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • Audio Commentary<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Author and Critic Kat Ellinger<\/li>\n
          • INTERVIEWS<\/strong>\n
              \n
            • A Man in the Saloon (18:51)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Assistant Director Luigi Perelli<\/li>\n
            • They Called Him Simon (11:40)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Actor Gino Barbacane<\/li>\n
            • Western Bandits (11:27)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Film Historian Fabio Melelli<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • Alternate Title Sequence (1:18)<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n
            • Image Gallery<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n

              AND GOD SAID TO CAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n

                \n
              • Audio Commentary<\/u><\/strong> by Author and Critic Howard Hughes<\/li>\n
              • Between Gothic and Western (19:57)<\/u><\/strong> is a new featurette that includes a new interview with Film Historian Fabio Melelli and Actress Marcella Michelangeli<\/li>\n
              • Of Night and Wind (12:56)<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 New interview with Actor Antonio Cantafora<\/li>\n
              • Image Gallery<\/u><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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                \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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                VIDEO \u2013 4\u00bd\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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                All four films come to Blu-ray through Arrow Video, each presented in their original 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio transfers. In the case of Massacre Time<\/em>, Bandidos<\/em> and My Name is Pecos<\/em>, the three all received new 1080p high-definition transfers taken from 2K scans of the original 35mm camera negatives while And God Said to Cain<\/em>, its transfer was provided by Movietime with additional work done by Arrow for the English opening and end titles. With the technical specs out of the way, the pictures on all four films look pretty damn phenomenal, if not slightly less than perfect. Outside of some minor specs and a bit of film damage (i.e. vertical lines), detail is sharp and very nicely defined and colors appear to be nicely balanced and are in keeping with how these movies originally looked.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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                AUDIO \u2013 4\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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                All four movies come with Italian and English DTS-HD Master Audio mono tracks. I went back and forth with these for every film but watched most in the original dubbed language. Every one of these sounded quite good, dialogue for the most part came through with clarity with some minor damage or noise-filled scenes that were certainly noticeable however never detracted from my viewing pleasure.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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                OVERALL \u2013 4\/5<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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                \n

                All in all, even as someone who doesn\u2019t gravitates toward the western genre, I found these four films part of the Vengeance Trails<\/em><\/strong> box set to all be well made films, all with revenge as a central theme. For me, my favorite was probably Bandidos<\/em><\/strong>, but you can\u2019t go wrong with any of these. The transfers on all of these looked and sounded quite good and at the right price, this is worth picking up.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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                Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers<\/strong>.
                \nThese are only here to give an idea of the movie\u2019s video quality and may not be truly representative of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                And God Said to Cane…<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                \n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                Bandidos<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                \n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                Massacre Time<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
                \n\n\n\n\n\n\n
                My Name is Pecos…<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
                <\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                All in all, even as someone who doesn\u2019t gravitates toward the western genre, I found these four films part of the Vengeance Trails box set to all be well made films, all with revenge as a central theme.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,970],"tags":[3920,6939,6881,6937,6443,6940,6938],"class_list":["post-26886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blurayreviews","category-quick-hit-reviews","tag-arrow-video","tag-enrico-maria-salerno","tag-franco-nero","tag-george-hilton","tag-lucio-fulci","tag-peter-carsten","tag-robert-woods"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26886"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26886\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26887,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26886\/revisions\/26887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviemansguide.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}