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