The Hellbenders Blu-ray - Joseph Cotten

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "I crudeli" or "The Cruel Ones" Hellbenders")

Directed by Sergio Corbucci
Italy / Spain 1967

From Sergio Corbucci, the legendary director of Django, Navajo Joe, The Great Silence and The Mercenary comes this classic spaghetti western starring screen icon Joseph Cotten (The Third Man, Duel in the Sun, Portrait of Jennie) as the fanatical patriarch of a family of ex-Confederate killers who, in order to finance an invasion of the North, massacres a Union Army convoy carrying a large shipment of money. But before the hell-bent clan can re-ignite the Civil War, they’ll have to smuggle a coffin crammed with the stolen loot across a frontier inflamed by lust, violence and extreme vengeance. Norma Bengell (Planet of the Vampires), Aldo Sambrell (For a Few Dollars More) and Al Mulock (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) co-star in this fully restored western shocker—also known as The Cruel Ones. Featuring a classic score by renowned composer Ennio Morricone (A Fistful of Dollars) and beautiful photography by celebrated cinematographer Enzo Barboni (Nightmare Castle).

***

An this spaghetti Western, Joseph Cotten stars as Jonas, an ex-Confederate soldier who robs a Union freight train in order to re-ignite the Civil War.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 7th, 1967

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

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:32:28.960
Video	1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 28,484,531,194 bytes Feature: 26,808,532,992 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.92 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 French 1554 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1554 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 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 28,484,531,194 bytes Feature: 26,808,532,992 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.92 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox • Theatrical Trailer (1:50) Blu-ray Release Date: January 7th, 2020 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (December 2019): Kino have transferred Another Sergio Corbucci directed Spaghetti Western to Blu-ray. The Hellbenders (aka The Cruel Ones) is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There are some inconsistencies (see subtitle capture below) with the image - mostly noticeable in the contrast - but these are fairly few and far between and appear more to be a factor of the source rather than the adept transfer that is cited as being from a "Brand New 4K Restoration". There is some limited frame-specific damage (see below). Generally the frequent close-ups show impressive detail and colors seem extra vibrant, rich and deep. The 1.85:1 presentation is strong with non-intrusive inconsistencies.

NOTE: 28 more full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray captures for Patrons are available HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the English language (no Italian or Spanish language option). The pastas western features another wonderful score by Ennio Morricone (The Black Belly of the Tarantula, The Fifth Cord, Luna, A Bullet for the General, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, U Turn, Stay As You Are etc. etc.) that sounds strong in the lossless. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray includes another audio commentary by director/writer Alex Cox (author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director's Take on the Spaghetti Western) and he is filled with interesting informative knowledge of the director, genre, stars and much more. He talks about the significance and frequency of coffins in Corbucci films - while Cox is residing in his cabin in the middle of nowhere. There is a weak SD trailer and trailers for other western genre films.

One of the better of the spaghetti genre films and as Cox states "one of Corbucci's 3 best". The Hellbenders may not have the sly conventions of Django or extravagant characterizations of The Great Silence but a favorite of Tarantino this has the stigma of being produced by Albert Band. It is unique but don't let that deter you - I found it quite enjoyable. Nice to have it available in a 4K-restored Blu-ray transfer with commentary.

Gary Tooze