I know that both of these are available domestically, but I'm told that the quality of both DVD's is rather shameful. Anyone know if either of these titles is available on DVD outside of the U.S. (PAL or Region's other than Region 1 are fine).
Thanks!
Paul
For PROFESSIONAL GUN, the Turner Classics showing is way far the best I've ever seen. Until someone sees fit for a proper release, seek out a copy. It's a beautiful looking film, Corbucci's highpoint in the rousing-sweeping-comedy-adventure-Franco Nero and some other guy-movie stakes (that's to say, I like it much more than the also fine COMPANEROS, and it gives GOOD, BAD, UGLY a run for its money. The Leone outpaces it as Monolithic Classic Film, but the Corbucci has got the jump on Revolutionary plotted content, and a beguiling anything can happen/is cinematically permissible form, and works as comedy, adventure, even idealistic dreaming with one's eyes open).
There is an Italian DVD of IL MERCENARIO/THE MERCENARY/ PROFESSIONAL GUN
but I don't know how it is. It is pretty inexpensive if you can find it, and the Italian track lets you hear Nero in his native tongue - I've seen a couple old PAL Tapes of this and can testify, however, that given that he's playing an immigrant, his broken English version is preferable and , besides, Tony Musante and Palance are the costars and they're in their own voices in English.
DEATH RIDES A HORSE is a mystifying lapse. Maybe Ebert's only true false move was to keep referring to it as rotten over the years. He didn't have the necessary indulgence or sympathy for the genre to see what's really special about it. Look at it now in bad, and not quite so bad (but still wretched) current forms, judge for yourself, and be prepared to wait a little longer for a reasonable dvd facsimile from some corner of the world. It's Van Cleef's best role in Spaghettis, I think, building on the father-to-son of his Mortimer in FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE while carrying the menace of his Setenza in GOOD, BAD, UGLY, a very Leone-derived picture (including the writer, who also cowrote GUN, but with the difference that Solinas -of BATTLE OF ALGIERS, BULLET FOR THE GENERAL, BURN etc was the scenario-initiator of the Corbucci project which lent it a much superior underlying structure to begin with in my opinion), but its own distinct intimist variation as carved out by Petroni, a very good specialist in Revenge Served Cold and Man to Man relations (the excellent Alan Young Italian DVD of his TEPEPA with Steiner, Milian, Welles and American as well as Italian audio is a pretty darn good sprawlingly ambitious substitute while waiting for the rough Cleef and Law gem, and Tarantino fave, to finally arrive. And, if you haven't already seen it, Wild East's excellent DAYs OF ANGER offers fiddling around a little to nice effect with this Van Cleef persona: his rules for survival in the west -as writ by Gastaldi, I think - alone are worth more than every business management guide you'll ever think of buying, and seemingly inspired Connery's education of the Ness kid in UNTOUCHABLES, De Palma division )
There's a very good (but expensive) Japanese release of A PROFESSIONAL GUN/THE MERCENARY here:
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=TDV-2743D# Thanks to you both! Looks like I'll be picking up the Japanese disc of IL MERCENARIOS. I did find the Italian disc online, but it did not appear to have any English audio or subtitle options.
As for DEATH RIDES A HORSE, silly me, after making my original post I realized that a friend had previously sent me a decent widescreen version, so I'll be watching that.
Thanks!
Paul
DEATH RIDES A HORSE is also available from Japan, but it's only as part of the Lee Van Cleef box set. Japanese DVDs are expensive enough by themselves but for one of the boxsets you're looking at selling at least one of your kids into slavery.