Twenty Thousand Dollars for Seven (1969) Poster

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6/10
is a violent and entertaining Spaghetti/Paella Western co-produced by Italy and Spain , shot in Almeria , dealing with a drunk sheriff
ma-cortes7 February 2018
It is a typical Spaghetti/Chorizo Western including common scenarios , two-fisted antiheroes , rapid zooms and strong confrontations full of shots , go riding , crossfire , plot twists and violence . It contains a catching soundtrack , an evocative cinematography and nice production design shot in Elios studios , Lazio and Almeria , of course . This exciting Western regarding a drunk ex-sheriff named Fred Leinster (Bret Halsey as Montgomery Ford) who becomes involved into a kidnapping . As the son of a beautiful widow (Teresa Gimpera) is kidnapped by cutthroats for a ransom . As the ex-sheriff is hired by a kidnapper (Antonio Casas) to take the ransom ; along the way they are shot ; but , the unsettling and disturbing Fred escapes , initiates an implacable hunting down to free the child and goes on his vendetta . Fred eventually supported by a foreman (Francisco Sanz) proceeds his activities at whatever cost , acting as judge , jury and executioner . And the end takes place his encounter with enemies in a mining cave , including unexpected surprises and twists . This is a doomed journey to hell through vengeance , murders and violence .



This is an acceptable Ravioli Western with thrills , noisy action , gun-play , and violent incidents , but the film seems some claustrophobic , with dark and shading photography , as much of the action takes place in confined areas , deserts , defiles , including a mining cave for the ending showdown . Bret Halsey with pseudonym Montgomery Ford , in a similar role to ¨Dean Martin's El Dorado¨ plays a drunk ex-sheriff who is afflicted with death his wife and son . Brett starred several Spaghettis as ¨Kill Johnny Ringo¨ , ¨Wrath of god¨, ¨Roy Colt and Winchester Jack¨ , ¨Twenty thousand dollars for seven¨ and ¨Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!¨. Although he also performed other genres as Wartime : ¨To hell and back¨ , ¨Jet over Atlantic¨, ¨Atomic submarine¨, ¨submarine seahawk¨ , Drama : ¨Return to Peyton Place¨, ¨The girl in lover's lane¨, Adventures : ¨The magnificent adventurer¨ and Terror : ¨return the fly¨, ¨Black cat¨, ¨Demonia¨. Support cast is pretty well , it is filled with familiar faces from Spaghetti as Italian actors as Howard Ross , Germano Longo , Andrea Fantasia , as Spanish players such as Teresa Gimpera , Fernando Sancho , Antonio Casas and Francisco Sanz . Evocative and thrilling musical score by Michele Lanzeranza in Ennio Morricone wake . The music is suitably Spaghetti with the blaring trumpets , and guitar chords . Atmospheric cinematography in Technicolor , Techniscope , plenty of lights and shades , by Mario Pacheco , but a perfect remastring is really necessary because of the film copy is worn-out . Being decently filmed in Almeria , including its narrow passes , mountains and rocky outdoors , and Lazio , Elios studios Rome , Italy .



This Spaghetti Western decently produced by José Frade7Atlantida Films , was professionally shot by the Italian professional Albert Cardone . Albert was a prestigious assistant director to popular films as ¨Ben Hur¨, ¨Purple noon¨, ¨Cagliostro¨ , ¨Carmen¨ , ¨Don Camilo¨ , ¨Return of Don Camilo¨. And shot some films , most of them entertaining Westerns such as : ¨Blood at Sundown¨ , ¨Kidnapping¨ , ¨Il Lungo Giorno Del Massacro¨ , ¨20.000 Dollari Sul¨ , ¨L'ira Di Dio¨ and starred by usual genre stars as Brett Halsey , Gianni Garco , Peter Martell , Wayde Preston , Fernando Sancho and Anthony Steffen . Rating : Better than average 6/10 . Only for Spaghetti Western aficionados .
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5/10
Give the Sheriff some more whiskey!
Coventry10 April 2022
Compared to other Italian cult genres, like the Giallo or the Poliziottesco, I don't watch many Spaghetti Westerns, but I can really look forward to them when it's been a while. And I'm also seeking out the very obscure and forgotten ones; not the stereotypical (and often overrated) Sergio Leone classics, but the extra gritty and low-budgeted ones. "Kidnapping!" fits the description quite well, as it's totally unknown even among cult-experts but nevertheless featuring an interesting plot and starring a few iconic faces (Montgomery Ford, Fernando Sancho). Alas, it's not a hidden gem.

The first 10 minutes are the best. Not just because they feature the most action and suspense, but also because there's weird stuff happening during the opening. The plot description talks about a drunkard Sheriff, but the theme song also seems to be sung by someone who's drunk. And the woods where the - admittedly uncanny - kidnapping of a young child takes place is enshrouded with thick red fog. Red fog! I never saw that before. After that, the plot becomes more standard. Bandits recruit former Sheriff Fred Leinster to collect the ransom they demanded for the kidnapping of beautiful widow Maria's young son Jerry. Leinster used to be a righteous and beloved Sheriff, but ever since the tragic death of his own wife and child, he's an emotional wreck and a drunkard. It's a fair and enjoyable western with some violent action, but not enough, and the plot twists near the end are also quite predictable.

As usual, the original Italian titles are much cooler than the dull international ones. In its original form, the film is known as "Pay or we kill your child" or "20,000$ Stained with Blood".
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