Scott's Review
I guess you can tell by my choice for this week, I am a genre film fan. I have chosen a spaghetti western directed by Lucio Fulci. The best of both worlds, the old west, and bloody gore. Would Fulci's talents translate from gorehound cinema to the dusty plains of Utah? The answer is..... not in a good way. I adore Fulci's horror films, even the not-so-good ones. So, of course, I had high hopes for this film and had actually heard good things about it. Boy, was I disappointed.
Fabio Testi is actually quite good in his role as Stubby Preston, a petty, a**shole thief and criminal, who eventually shows he has a heart of gold (sigh). His, actually, is not the only good performance as Michael J. Pollard gives a performance good enough to make you root for him (as usual for Pollard). Though, there is a TERRIBLE performance for every good one, and the worst of these is Lynne Frederick as Bunny. She overacts so badly, I would swear she is mid-orgasm every time she spouts a word. Of course some of this is the fault of Fulci's misogynistic views, and the way he directed actresses, but it doesn't matter whose fault it is, this is one of the worst performances I have seen in the last few years.
The score itself was very good, but the folk songs do not fit. Fabio Frizzi has done much better work (Zombi 2, City of the Living Dead).
I was hoping Four of the Apocalypse would benefit from Fulci's direction, but unfortunately the opposite is true. This just comes off as a weird, unwestern-like Italian film where all the buildings look old and the people dress funny, but talk like us (yes, the language is too modern). This is one of Fulci's films that suffers from being a Fulci film. Horror works beautifully in the Fulci style. Westerns just don't stand up as well.
Scott's Final Grade: D
Scott's Final Recommendation:
For die-hard Fulci fans only. Spaghetti western fans will be sorely disappointed.
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