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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 (aka "Un minuto per pregare, un istante per morire" or "Dead or Alive" or "Dove vai ti ammazzo" or "Escondido" or "Outlaw Gun")

 

Directed by Franco Giraldi
Italy 1968

 

Time is running out for the fastest gun in the west! Old habits die fast in this brutal, violent and intensely realistic western about a desperate gunslinger who's hunted by the law... and haunted by his past! Starring Alex Cord (The Dead Are Alive), Arthur Kennedy (Elmer Gantry), Robert Ryan (Day of the Outlaw), Mario Brega (A Fistful of Dollars) and Nicoletta Machiavelli (Navajo Joe), A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die is heavily armed with great atmosphere and top-notch action – from breathtaking beginning... to the explosive climax. When Clay McCord (Cord), the fastest draw in the West, gets the shakes in his shooting arm, he decides to hang up his guns for good. But riding the straight and narrow may be more dangerous than he ever imagined – especially when his only hope for survival lies in the hands of a shady sheriff whose offer of amnesty hides something far deadlier. Stylishly directed by Franco Giraldi (Sugar Colt).

***

Clay McCord (Alex Cord) is a former outlaw determined to live the life of a law-abiding citizen. Colby (Arthur Kennedy) is the town marshall who keeps law and order. Not far from the peaceful town is a haven for criminals led by Kraut (Mario Brega), a trigger happy outlaw who welcomes those who are wanted by the law. McCord worries that he may have the epilepsy that plagued his father and hastened his demise. He battles the sadistic gunman while hoping for a pardon from the sympathetic governor (Robert Ryan). He also falls for the lovely Laurinda (Nicoletta Machiavelli) as he walks between the two worlds of the law and the lawless in this action-packed and often bloody western adventure.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 1st, 1968

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Review: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Distribution Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:38:59.391     
Video

1.78:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rays

Disc Size: 24,466,510,502 bytes

Feature: 20,266,180,608 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.05 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1556 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1556 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Kino Lorber

 

1.78:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rays

Disc Size: 24,466,510,502 bytes

Feature: 20,266,180,608 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.05 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox
• Alternate Ending (SD) with optional Commentary (5:24)
• KLSC Trailers


Blu-ray Release Date: August 2
8th, 2018
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 8

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Kino have brought the wonderful spaghetti-western A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die to a new Blu-ray edition. It is the English version of the film not the 20-minute longer Italian cut. The Kino is on a single-layered disc and the image is at the mercy of the unrestored source. There are plenty of speckles and occasional marks but the detail in the film's many close-ups is impressive. It is in the bastardized 1.78:1 aspect ratio but composition looks fine. Colors seem true and the image in-motion is pleasing. There is plenty of depth and nicely appointed contrast levels. Aside from the marks - it looks good.

Kino Lorber provide a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel (16-bit) track in only the English language (no Italian option). The film is rife with western effects including plenty of gunplay, horses etc. The score is by Carlo Rustichelli (Night Ripper The Long Hair of Death, The Whip and the Body, Seduced and Abandoned, Divorce - Italian Style, 1974's Ten Little Indians) and it suits the film very well. Kino Lorber add optional English subtitles (see sample below) on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

Kino add a modestly-paced audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox who discusses many lesser-known details of the film, the producer Albert Band, his relationship to director Franco Giraldi and the film's position in the pasta western genre among many interesting facts. There is also a 'found' 5-minute 'alternate ending' to A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die. Unfortunately it is very poor shape with burned-in Asian subtitles. It offers an optional commentary from Cox but he has little to say aside from credit to those who found the film ending. Thee are also Kino trailers for related genre films.

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die is a beauty of a spaghetti western. I loved it. The vulnerable anti-hero protagonist (Alex Cord is super) and it almost ventures to Noir. It's impressively photographed with the genre's charismatic style and it has plenty of 'evil' characters and a few doe-eyed gals. It's a huge bonus to have Robert Ryan enter in the final third to open a can of whoopass.  The Kino
Blu-ray has plenty of value even with an unrestored, but entirely passable HD image, and the Alex Cox commentary. Absolutely recommended to fans of westerns. This is a good one!

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 


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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

    

Distribution Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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