Saturday 30 May 2009

Don't Leave The Bronx ... Enzo's Back


Enzo G. Castellari's
Carribean Basterds

Eighties Action returns by the beach bucket load as Italian movie making juggernaut Enzo G. Castellari returns to do what he does best. Film making has been in his family for generations and ever since the Sixties Enzo has been involved with many of the Euro greats. Writer, producer, stunt coordinator, stunt man, actor and director, he's pretty much done it all. From the cult spaghetti westerns, through the gloriously gritty and politically incorrect crime flicks of the Seventies, right through the glory days of the Action Eighties and well into the less prolific Nineties. The style and flair as a Director is clear for all to see that has even a passing liking for the Action genre. The Bronx Warriors movies, Striker, Hammerhead, are but a few examples of the ballistic bliss that he hit the video stores with in days gone by.

One of his Action war movies from 1978 The Inglorious Bastards, as most will now be aware of has been dusted down by Quentin Tarantino and is due to hit the multiplexes this summer as Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino has long been a fan of Enzo's and this is his opportunity of showing the love and respect he has of the man and the Euro style of Action movies. Let's hope the bastardisation of the movie titles spelling proves to be the only miss fire !.

Enzo has a cameo in the new movie, and star Brad Pitt gets to serve notice of violent intent against the Nazi war machine. He sure ain't no Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson isn't around to watch his back. Let's give it a chance and hopefully Q.T has taken on board any advice Enzo has passed on.

The great news from this collaboration of talent is that Enzo has managed to sneak out some film time of his very own once again. Calling upon his own past successes and drawing upon the work of Stanley Kubrick, Enzo has a new movie in the can Carribean Basterds. Tarantino borrowed Enzo's movie idea, so Enzo borrows Tarantino's title input. All's fair in mutual appreciation it seems.
It really is a great thrill to learn of a new movie from the mighty Enzo G. Castellari. It's a family affair, as his son and daughter have both been involved in the making of it, most likely along with some familiar faces and movie making assistance from the old days. Let's hope that whilst in France at the Cannes Film Festival, helping to promote Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds Enzo himself has as much success in getting a deal for Carribean Basterds so the movie gets an early distribution, and we can revel once again in the Action glory of one of Euro cinemas true greats.

I'm as jazzed over this as a Peter North play mate. Now if only someone could re-discover Mark Gregory, maybe Bronx Warriors 3 could still be a possibility !

2 comments:

  1. "The pirates of justice..." I, too, like it! If there's any causal relationship between the Tarantino and this, then the former is almost justified already.

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  2. Yes indeed. Now if Enzo gets some due love then there is also perhaps hope of him being able to see through his Western project THE BADLANDERS, with Franco Nero. With Directors such as the Coen brothers looking at the spaghetti western it is the right time for the genre to be revisited & who better than Enzo to step back into the saddle.

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