The Hills Run Red (1966)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I don't have a very great history with Westerns, I even have a worse history with Spaghetti Westerns (granted I have only seen two prior to this one so it isn't much of a history). Compared to the other two I've seen (both from Sergio Leone), this seemed more what I would expect from a normal western thus making it an easier watch for me.The story was simple and easy to follow but had the acting style (I believe anyway) of what you would expect of a Spaghetti Western. While I would still take an American Western over this one I would have to admit it has made me want to seek out more Italian Westerns just to prove those first couple I saw (both heralded as major ones) were not the norm and that the genre is not just inherently bad.

Originally titled A River of Dollars and often retitled as Blood In The Hills & Dollar Power, the film remind me of the psychological Hollywood westerns of the 1950s in how bland, it is. Despite, being one of the earliest spaghetti westerns made after the Eastwood/Leone Italian Spaghetti western boom, in 1967. A lot of people have never heard of this movie. It's easy to understand, why. The reason why this film isn't going to stand out, much is because how genetic the plot is. The revenge plot isn't anything new, to the Western genre, as if it was often used in previous films like Marlon Brando's 1961's film, One-Eyed Jacks. Directed by Carlo Lizzani, a former film critic and veteran director of a multitude of spy thrillers and war dramas, the movie tells the story of two ex-rebel soldiers, Jerry Brewster (Thomas Hunter) & Ken Seagull (Nando Gazzolo) fleeing toward the Mexican border in a wagon, having made off with a huge sum of money stolen from the United States government, during the end of the Civil War. Just before reaching the safety of foreign soil, they are intercepted by a U.S. army patrol and Jerry is capture and sent to a military prison. Five years later, Brewster is released and returns home to reunite with his wife and son. He soon finds out that his house is deserted, his wife has pass away, and his son is missing, all, because of Seagull's greed. Maddened by the betrayal, Brewster seek revenge, over his former-friend, in hope, of finding his missing son. Without spoiling the movie too much, you can clearly see, by the appearance of the film's main actor, Thomas Hunter, that he was hired, because how much, he looks like Clint Eastwood. Thomas Hunter isn't a bad actor, but he does overacted a bit. He mostly does a very earnest performance. I can't say, the same with Henry Silva's performance, as the Seagull's psychopathic henchmen, Garcia Mendez. Silva laughs, sings and snarls his way through the film. He was, way over-the top and surreal. He did have some of the most entertaining dialogue in the film. I love his quote about Brewster winning the right to work on his ranch. That was kinda funny. Still, his over-screaming of dialogue was a bit much and was very annoying, but he made it up with his sinister look in the film. It remind me, of a male version of the actress Rosie Perez. You can't stand them, but you like them, enough, to buy into, them, being the villains. Silva's character was modeled after Dirk Bogarde in the 1961's film, The Singer not the Song. Silva's performance was very influential to other actors such as Jack Palance. Jack probably based his character Ricciolo AKA Curly in 1968's film, 'A Professional Gun' on Silva's character. Dan Duryea looks way too old and tired, but turns in a touching performance as the stranger Getz, whose identity and motivation are only revealed in the film's final scene. Nicoletta Machiavelli is hauntingly beautiful as Mary Ann, Seagull's sister. She's a looker. I wish, they had, more for her character, but I'm alright with the amount of screen time, she was given. The movie has some strange bad dubbing, and the facial expressions that go along with it, don't match. It adds to the unintentional humor. The action is pretty good. Director Carlo Lizzani does good work here, mixing solid camera-work throughout most of the film with some neat touches including a Corbucci-esque style close-up fistfight. The best scene had to be the Saloon, toward the middle. Toni Secchi's cinematography is quite inventive with a camera shooting through windows, doors and interstices, giving the viewer the impression that the hero is in the middle of the most of the action. A set piece in which Mendez and his men massacre the patrons of an Austin saloon plays without music, lending the sequence a disturbing brutal realism. Similarly, the final shootout in the streets of Austin unfolds with little underscore. In my opinion, it's pretty forgettable. The tattoo cutting scene might be winced-worthy, but it's pretty tame for today's standards. The tone throughout is generally quite dark although there are a few light hearted moments, that stop it becoming too grim. Pacing is very good. The script was often tampered with, and a lot of things, went deeply wrongs like the feel good ending. I like how weird, it is, with deceased characters suddenly reappeared. I guess, prolific, Oscar-winning producer Dino De Laurentiis didn't like, the downer ending. The feel-good ending is a little too American Western in style, but this is only a minor criticism. Ennio Morricone provides a suitable music score under the pseudonym Leo Nichols. Most of it was alright. The big, brassy theme here wasn't one of his better works, but still adds great atmosphere to the film. It does get overplayed too much, and become a bit annoying as the film drags along. The bittersweet love song, "Home to My Love," is performed by Italian singer Gino Spiachetti is pretty forgettable. The movie has aged well, due to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios & United Artists, coming in, and saving the prints. They did a pretty good, DVD transplant. While, it shows some grain in places. Most of the film footage is very clean and bright. The full screen version (pan and scan of the widescreen original) has contrast problems, making it difficult to see exactly who or what is on screen in some scenes. I really can't understand why MGM have bothered to include this far inferior version of the exact same cut of the movie on the disc at all. In 2008 there was a documentary developed about this spaghetti western entitled, 'A History of Dollars'. It's also worth- checking out. Overall: The Hills Run Red is a welcome addition to anyone's spaghetti western collection. It's an enjoyable movie. Pretty watchable.

Jerry Brewster (Thomas Hunter) and Ken Seagull (Nando Gazzolo) are two ex-Confederates who've successfully stolen some of the governments' money. Realizing that only one of them can make good his escape, they draw cards, and Ken, having drawn the higher card, is allowed to bail out with the money. Jerry is captured by Union forces and imprisoned for five years. Unfortunately, he learns after being released that his wife died poor because Ken hogged all the money for himself. And now Ken is a bigshot in the small community of Austin. It's a given that Jerry is going to be ripe for revenge..."The Hills Run Red", as directed by former critic Carlo Lizzani, is no great shakes, but offers a decent amount of entertainment. Its pace is acceptable, its photography nicely done, and its action reasonably rousing. Using the pseudonym of "Leo Nichols", Ennio Morricone composes the score; it's definitely one of his lesser efforts, but even so, lesser Morricone is still pretty good. The songs are certainly sung with passion. The script by Piero Regnoli is mostly straightforward, but it's got one interesting detail up its sleeve: the character of Colonel Winny Getz, played engagingly by genre veteran Dan Duryea. You're never quite sure what this guy's deal is until the end.The acting is variable. Some members of the cast come off fairly well, such as the beautiful ladies Nicoletta Machiavelli and Gianna Serra, Gazzolo as the understated villain, and Geoffrey Copleston as saloon owner Brian Horner. Hunter delivers a performance that is amusingly over the top at certain points. But the most entertaining acting to watch is courtesy of a hilariously hammy Henry Silva, playing Seagulls' minion Garcia Mendez. There's nothing subtle about this guy; even his wardrobe is all black."The Hills Run Red" kills time easily enough for those who are devotees of the Spaghetti Western genre.Six out of 10.

An Italian production full of action , exaggerated characters, shootouts and lots of violence . For money, for pleasure, for revenge, he doesn't care why he kills or how ¡ ... A soldier named Brewster (Thomas Hunter) is taken prisoner in Fort Wilson . 5 years later he's freed and sees the atrocity over his family and executes a single-handedly revenge, as he slashes, ravages and murders each person involved in the killing . He is relentless in his vendetta , deadly in his violence. The conflict is a simple one between avenger Brewster , now named Houston, and oppressors, nasties bandits commanded by cruel foreman (Henry Silva) and his chief Milton (Gazzolo), owner of the ranch Mayflower where lives his sister Mary Ann(Nicoletta Machiavelli). Houston/Brewster is only helped by a mysterious vet gunslinger named Getz (Dan Duryea) and May Ann . Meanwhile Houston aids an unappreciated although terrorized town called Austin (Texas) in the process and suddenly finds his little son Tim (Loris Loddi). The town is inhabited by important people as Horner. Then Brewster is submitted a tempestuous trap by a saloon-girl and is caught and he faces the vicious bandits.It's an exciting western with breathtaking showdown between the protagonist Thomas Hunter against the heartless Henry Silva and his hoodlums. Thomas Hunter is fine, he cries, ravages the screen, shoots, hit and run and kills but also receives violent knocks, punches, kicks and wounds . In the film premiere attained bit success , nowadays is best valued and I think it turns out to be a good Spaghetti Western. Henry Silva as a cruelly baddie role is terrific, he bears a hysterical and mocking smile, subsequently the would play similar characters . The film packs violence,gun-play, explosion, high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining. There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shootouts or stunts every few minutes. There are many fine technicians and nice assistants as Goffredo Unger, also secondary , habitual master of arms in numerous Spaghetti Western. Good production design creating an excellent scenario with luminous outdoors, dirty and rocky landscapes under a glimmer sun and a fine set on the Austin town . The musician Ennio Morricone, Lee Nichols, composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted by usual Bruno Nicolai; it's full of guttural sounds, sensible songs and a haunting musical leitmotif. Striking cinematography by Toni Secchi in Technicolor, Techniscope with negative well processed and perfect remastering . Interior filmed at Dino De Laurentiis Cinematografica, Studios Rome and outdoor sequences filmed at Spanish outdoors located on Colmenar Viejo, and La Pedriza, Manzanares , Madrid.Carlo Lizzani's direction -under a pseudonym named Beaver- is well crafted, here he's less thought-provoking and broody and more inclined toward violence and too much action, because he's a expert on serious cinema. Lizzani directed good films as ¨Last days of Mussolini¨, ¨Bandits in Milan¨, co-directed ¨Dirty game¨, ¨The Verona trial¨, ¨chronicle of poor lovers¨ and filmed another S.W. titled ¨Requiescant¨ with Lou Castel, Mark Damon and Pier Paolo Pasolini and today he goes on directing movies. Rating : 6,5, acceptable and passable. The picture will appeal to Spaghetti Western fans.