Succeeds as a traditional western
Added 8/4/2003
Traditional western fans will appreciate this european-adapted tale of a father and band of brothers toting a coffin around the desert full of yankee cash, with the intended goal of restoring the financial fortunes of the civil war South, post-defeat. Even though the plot is incredibly thin and contrived the film works well and traditional western fans will appreciate this story but of course spaghetti western fans will love this 1967 Sergio Corbucci creation even more! This film is a Spanish-Italian co-production and some of the ideas were evidently borrowed by Sergio Leone for 'The Good, Bad, and the Ugly' which was produced the same year. While it is tempting to think of this cross-pollination of ideas as plagiarism, it is clear that tremendous creativity was pandemic in Cinecita and it's associations during a 60's explosion of ideas, when Fellini was contemplating 'Never Bet your Head with the Devil' and 'Satyricon'. Any chance the media corporations and Big Bux producers can step aside and allow a period of creativity to return in the year 2003? Ziiinggg or as 'cheyenne' might say, 'rap 'em on a stone and they go -- "diiiiiinggg"' guess that says it all about today's movies! Be sure to watch this one: 'Hellbenders' -- you won't regret it!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Superb Spaghetti Western!!
Added 2/13/2003
This movie is a superb spaghetti western about an ex-confederate soldier using stolen money to revive the confederacy.It's a must see!!
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Great flick!
Added 11/3/2009
Go ahead and order this if youre debating the purchase. It's one of the best Italian westerns I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of them. The plot, acting, and direction are great, especially for this genre. There is a gritty "pulp" feel to the story, which is original and unlike most westerns I've seen. The Hellbenders is a real gem among turds and I'm surprised it's not more popular with cult film hounds.
Joseph Cotten gives us the centerpiece performance, adding a kind of credibility to the picture that draws the whole together. Another reviewer states that he seems tired and probably only took the job for the money. I agree, but given the character he plays here, I think the fact that you can see he's aging and tired really adds to this character's believability.
The print is pretty clean and presented in widescreen format. Definitely worth owning, this has become a favorite in my large DVD collection.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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At Last - on Widescreen
Added 10/25/2008
Anchor Bay deserve congratulations for bringing this neglected film on to DVD widescreen. Not all superior Italian Westerns were made by Sergio Leone and this one is an accomplished work of Southern Gothic seen through the eyes of one of the most iconoclastic directors of this genre whose other work such as THE GRAND SILENCE needs to be seen by enthusiasts.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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The South's Gonna Rise Again........Maybe.
Added 10/21/2007
Joseph Cotten, along with his three sons and a female accomplice, wipe out an army convoy, steal their money and stuff it into a coffin. They plan on travelling across the country to get back home and use the cash to restart the civil war and hopefully have the South win this time. Sounds easy enough, right? Nope! Making it across the country under the guise of transporting a dead soldier for burial turns out to be no easy task, as it seems everything is destined to screw up their plans. They overcome many of these obstacles for the most part however until their newly hired "widow" starts making things more difficult. This is another satisfying western from Sergio Corbucci who gave us the great spaghetti westerns Django, Companeros, and The Great Silence. And lets not forget he made Superfuzz too!! This one is different from his other westerns in the sense that there is no lone gunslinging outlaw, but rather a determined family of murderers. This is a very entertaining western with good music, good performances(by Cotten especially) and an ending worthy of a Tales From The Crypt episode. Awesome stuff.
6 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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Corbucci does it again
Added 8/27/2007
This film isn't really like Corbucci's ( Companeros, Django, The Great Silence )wilder westerns but it's definitely a fun good time that's worth a look. Good story, beautifully shot, great performances, great direction, and great score. This story practically gives you everything you want . In his westerns you get alot of moments that you wouldn't really expect. Some tragic moments or some incredibly almost impossible uplifting moments. It's a cool film. If you like spaghetti westerns, please check this out.
4 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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Another good Corbucci spaghetti western hits DVD
Added 4/9/2007
The Hellbenders is another very good spaghetti western from the other Sergio, Corbucci, that has finally hit DVD. In the months following the Civil War, a Confederate colonel, Jonas, and his three sons, the Hellbenders, massacre a Union convoy carrying over a million dollars that is to be burned. Jonas and his sons hide the money in a coffin and along with a woman pretending to be Jonas' daughter, try to drive the coach carrying the coffin to their home on the Rio Hondo River, all in hopes of reviving the Confederacy and starting the Civil War all over again. But along the way, the Hellbenders must go up against Union soldiers, posses, bandits, Indians, and even themselves as they try to secretly transport the money. And not one to disappoint, Corbucci gives an excellent twist ending. This is not your typical spaghetti western, but it still has those spaghetti touches. The movie features a trumpet-heavy score from Ennio Morricone that fits the film perfectly. Overall, its short on action, but so many scenes are dripping with tension you won't even notice. Take advantage of finally getting a DVD release of The Hellbenders and give this movie a try!
With a few exceptions, The Hellbenders does not feature any familiar faces you might have seen in other spaghetti westerns. Joseph Cotten stars as Jonas, the Confederate colonel who is trying single-handedly to restart the Civil War. Jonas is as driven as they come and will stop at nothing to get the money to safety. Julian Mateos gives an excellent performance as Ben, one of Jonas' sons who was born of a different mother than his brothers. Along the way, Ben begins to question if what they're doing is right and just how far Jonas will go. Norma Bengell plays Claire, a female gambler who unknowingly gets trapped into helping Jonas and Co. as they transport the coffin. Angel Aranda and Gino Pernice play Nat and Jeff, Jonas' other two sons who come to be consumed by greed during the journey. Spaghetti fans should look for Al Mulock, Aldo Sambrell, and Benito Stefanelli, all three have good bit parts, some more important than others. Part of the fun of the movie is those bit parts, which add some nice little touches to the movie.
The newly released Anchor Bay DVD is not great overall, but it is good to have it available in this format if nothing else. The high point of the DVD is the widescreen presentation of the movie, it looks cleaned up and has little to no scratches. The only extras are a Sergio Corbucci notes biography and a trailer for the movie. It's somewhat disappointing because other AB DVDs have had some pretty good special features, but don't let that stop you from getting the movie. The DVD is worth it just for the beautiful-looking widescreen presentation. Don't miss The Hellbenders!
9 out of 9 people found this helpful.
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