Customer Reviews

Kill Them All & Come Back Alone

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first viewed this "spagetti" western back in 1970 when I was just a nine year old kid in the back seat of the crowded family car on a Saturday night double-feature running at my hometown's drive-in theater. The images of this movie were so powerful to me back then (almost 30 years ago) that I never forgot them, nor the name of this excellent film, originally titled, "Go Kill Everybody, and Come back Alone". It's never been available on DVD in English to the USA until just now, and I was incredibly anxious to see it again, though I am now older than Chuck Conners was when he made the film. I was not disappointed. The story is a well-conceived revenge tale set in Texas during the Civil War (filmed in Spain). Chuck Conners (star of the hit, "Rifleman" TV series) is a hired mastermind for a shady Confederate captain (Frank Wolff) who wants him to break into an impregnable Union fort to steal $1,000,000 in gold (tactfully mixed in rolls of dynamite). Conners pulls together a tight-knit squad of killers, each with his own deadly speciality, to pull off the job. Once the gold is in hand, suspicions within the group begin, leading to bloody betrayal. The fight for the gold continues through a series of events (rafting it over a river, a brutal stop at a Union labor camp, a series of intelligently-written double-crossings, etc.) which all leads up to a climactic, surprise ending. This is the film's first US release, and on DVD, it's a slightly better than average print, which improves in quality ten minutes after the film begins. There are a surprising number of extra goodies included which I found informative and enjoyable. The sound quality is excellent, and the soundtrack by DeMasi ("Lone Wolf McQuade") features a memorable score throughout. The amazing (and obviously, very dangerous) stunt work is truly spectacular and far more original than any I've ever seen - even in modern movies of today with all the computerized special effects. Of all Enzo G. Catellari's films, critics consider this one his best, and I have to agree. Chuck Conners, an American Western star already, adds a real touch of charisma and panache to this film, which is much better than the average films of its genre at the time. The price tag for this DVD, which is packaged in a better-than-average case, and includes all the original theatrically realeased posters in color, is definitely worth it. If you want to add a few of the best Westerns produced during the 60's and early 70's to your collection, or give it as a gift to someone you know who loves action films, then this one is a real winner. You won't be disappointed.

Of the 450-500 spaghetti westerns made there are a handful that are must owns (of what has been released on Region 1 or 0 DVD). Django, The Great Silence, Keoma, A Bullet for a General, Mannaja, Sabata, Companeroes and anything by Leone are just a few. Kill them All and Come Back is another spaghetti that is a must own.

Here we have Chuck Conners (popular from his American westerns) has a group of ruthless killers and he is given a do-or-die mission by Frank Wolff (The Great Silence) to get a fortune of gold. His one one order was to "Kill Them All and Come Back Alone" but when it comes down to it can he kill off his motley crew?

Great anti-heroes, grand stunts, and extremely visual directing by Enzo G. Castellari (Keoma, The Big Racket, Street Law). If you have an interest in spaghetti westerns then you will eat this film up.

The DVD by Wild East Entertainment is also tops with a beautiful animorphic widescreen transfer with an interview and trailers.

I saw this as a young lad in Puerto Rico way back in the early 70's and the impression it made, last to this day. It was a main topic of conversation at our school. Just a great western adventure worth checking out, finally available after all these years! Chuck Connors leads a motley crew of "specialists" in search of wartime booty of gold. Kind of a western Dirty half dozen.Great characters,particularly Bogard-the muscle of the gang and the guy with the bazooka.Genial! Other than the not very original title,this one's a keeper. I enjoyed as much as I did as a kid and there's not many movies you can say that about. Absolutely loved it!

Director Enzo G. Castellari is finally becoming a full blown cult icon with Quentan Tarantinos' semi remake of his'INGLORIOUS BASTARDS' and his numerous action films but I think his true niche was the spaghetti western of which 'KILL THEM ALL' is one of his best. It's an excellent epic of the true double cross in which Chuck Connors, in order to resist a life sentence in a union prison, agrees to abet with the commandant and the prison guard (an excellent performance by Frank Wolff) the robbery of the army's gold reserve. After the successful heist, the two union guys double cross Chuck, shoot him and bury him but Chuck recovers and has other plans. Some excellent set pieces ensue including a shoot out ambush at an abandoned mine all topped with an excellent music score by Francesco De Masi. Castellari layers his action sequences beautifully allowing Chuck and Frank Wolff to literally chew up the desert scenery and spit it out at each other. Sometimes the film goes into 'DIRTY DOZEN' territory but in a way, it may also be a slight hommage to it. Wild East Productions has a stellar release with a really nice 2.35 widescreen transfer making this one of the best rare DVD spaghetti western releases so far. Spend an afternoon with the underrated Chuck Connors for a blistering good time under the superb direction of Enzo G. Castellari. Bellissimo.

I love this movie; it stands up as one of the best of the Italian westerns. Chuck Connors does it again; a great performance from a great actor.

Chuck Connors, the next best thing to John Wayne, starring mostly in television series like the Rifleman, Branded, this time Connors travels to Italy to make this spaghetti western, "Kill Them All and Come Back Alone", sets the stage for a good plot, plenty of gunplay, acrobatics and good fight choreography as you watch Chuck Connors and genre actor Frank Wolff slug it out as both men are searching for the dynamite stolen by Connors and his men, nothing short of action and adventure this one delivers the goods, and may be one of the most original of the genre, also any chance to see Chuck Connors is worth the price of admission, Connors only made a few full length western movies, and Kill Them All and Come Back Alone is presented in 16x9 widescreen featuring an interview with actor/stuntman, Ken Wood.

A fun spaghetti western with lots of action and scenery. I was waiting too long for this one, not available on tape, dvd, or even on tv for years and finally being a chuck connors fan it was great to see him in one of the few westerns outside of television he made. No clever "Leone" dialog here for chuck to chew on so we get to see him ride fight and shoot like an extended episode of "Branded". The director does not use connors' charisma to make this a bigger film but his presence is definitely felt. an interviewed stuntman says Chuck was ill and he looks it. The dvd picture is not bad for wild east but the english audio is really rough and not good through a sound system. I would say the movie as far as chuck's other westerns go is not as good as "Ride beyond vengeance" but light years ahead of "The proud and damned"

Prolific Italian director Enzo G. Castellari (Keoma, Inglorious Bastards) helms this earlier effort starring The Rifleman himself, Chuck Connors, a morally ambivalent leader of a gang of specialists tasked with stealing a fortune in Union gold. Hired for this mission by popular Eurofilm actor Frank Wolff - who proves not ambivalent at all, but out and out corrupt - Connors, his men, and Wolff play a game of cat and mouse with the gold while at the same time threading their way through Union and Confederate forces.

This is the fifth film of Castellari's that I've watched; and while I think they share the typical highlights and flaws of their contemporaries, they also seem to lack a certain spark that separate the classics from the mediocre. It isn't a technical problem - as a craftsman, I think Castellari was one of the better directors to come out of this time and place; but still his films seem flat to me. The same holds true for 'Kill Them All, and Come Back Alone', despite that most excellent title. I'll also admit to high expectations, which may have also influenced my opinion - I really expected Connors to bring an extra oomph to the roll. According with an interview with co-star Ken Wood (Giovanni Cianfriglia), Connors was ill during filming, but I don't think that took anything away from his performance. The problem was that I was expecting something against type, a la Henry Fonda's turn in Once Upon a Time in the West. Connors certainly isn't the Rifleman here, but it isn't enough of a departure to make the role a standout.

This and any other flaws in the film are going to be mostly a matter of taste. With a fun score by Francesco DeMasi and an enjoyably competent english dubbing, this is a solid entry in the Italian Western genre, entertaining but not a classic. Three and a half stars - rounded up to compensate for my expectations.

According to the back matter of the DVD case, the film is presented in anamorphic 16 x 9 widescreen - I get confused between terms, but on my widescreen television, the movie is letterboxed. As far as the look of the film, I was very pleased, as I have been with all Wild East productions I've seen. That doesn't mean there aren't flaws in the film; at certain points there are the typical scratches, stray hairs, cigarette burns and other artifacts - but it's a clean and clear print that is also obviously NOT remastered. Audio is limited to English in 2 channel dolby, and extras include an interesting U.S. Trailer, a picture gallery that mostly highlights the international advertisements for the film, and an interview with stuntman turned actor Ken Wood (Cianfriglia). This conversation is pretty enlightening for Italian film enthusiasts - Cianfriglia got his start as a stunt double for Steve Reeves and had a prolific career which is still going. As a stuntman/actor, he worked with nearly all of the big names during this period, and describes his experiences. Unfortunately, there is no commentary for the film itself, but it is still a very attractive package.

Quality of the product is in very good condition.
I will recomend it to all of my friends.

Like another reviewer I saw this movie at the drive in around 40 years ago and never forgot it. Although I remembered only bits and pieces I was very excited to see it become available on dvd so I ordered a copy, watched it and now see why I couldn't forget it. It reminds me of a kung fu/Grindhouse combo (that's a good thing).

And let's not overlook Chuck Connors. He had some of the cheesiest grins and closeups in the history of cinema. Several times he looked like he was about to bust a gut laughing, like he couldn't believe he was getting paid for this. It looked like he was having a great time making the movie and why not? If you can win every fight, never be hit by bullets and end up with the gold, what's not to smile about, even though - believe it or not - there was a scene where I saw him actually reload his revolver. How that got past the editing phase and left in the movie I'll never know. It actually gave it a moment of realism. He should have had one of those guns that never need reloading. I'm not sure where you get that kind of gun but I've seen them in countless movies.

I know that some people that see this movie will think it's terrible, yet the terribleness is endearing, like Plan 9 terrible if you know what I mean. It's classic, timeless, priceless - well not priceless ($19.95) but it's a movie you really must see, and afterwards you will ask yourself "Why was there never a sequel?" Then you will remember the title and the answer will become apparent.

However, with today's technology if you could combine this movie with the William Bendix "Kill the Umpire" and have "Kill the Umpire and Come Back Alone" then you might really have something.

PS. The guy with the antique bazooka was great.