Arizona Colt, Hired Gun (1970) Poster

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5/10
Spaghetti/Paella Western co-produced between Italy and Spain , starred by customary actors as Steffen , Camardiel and Sambrell
ma-cortes8 January 2014
Italian/Spanish production full of action , excessive characters , shootouts and lots of violence . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some violence , shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes. The movie gets the usual Western issues, such as avenger antiheroes , violent facing off , exaggerated baddies, soundtrack with Morricone influence , among them . For money, for pleasure, for revenge, he doesn't care why he kills or how . It deals with a dramatic story of a feud between implacable enemies . Arizona Colt (Anthony Steffen) is aware to put a reward on his head for a stagecoach's hold-up he didn't commit . Arizona is wanted ¨dead or alive , reward : 1000 dollars . Arizona along with his partner Double Whiskey (Roberto Camardiel) set out in pursuit the true guilty . They arrive in a little town where Arizona is taken prisoner by a Marshal and he is condemned to hanging . Thanks a trick and helped by Double Whiskey , Arizona escapes . Meanwhile, a band of cutthroats (Raf Baldassarre , Luis Barboo , Fernando Bilbao) led by Chico (Aldo Sambrell) attack a ranch of a powerful baron land (Jose Luis Martin) and kidnap his daughter (Rosalba Neri) . Then Arizona robs their gold boxes and happens a bloody vendetta and reckoning . Colt is double-crossed and imprisoned by the nasties and submitted to cruel tortures . Later on , there takes place some exciting scenes of men fighting to the death .

This Western contains action-packed , ruthless characters , quick-fire , violence , rapacious revenge , slaughter , shoot'em up and results to be quite entertaining , though drags at times , balancing in ups and downs . A good example of Latino western genre from Italy and Spain ; it is daring , a notoriously violent Spaghetti , so extreme in every way , it is one of the handful of Italian Western that abounded in the 60s and early 70s . This moving Spaghetti packs noisy action , thrills , crossfire , twists and turns with exciting final . There is a very odd implementation of shots in the camera work during some particular scenes as the film approaches its climax , as in the ending and the unusual conclusion . "Arizona Si Scatenò.. Li Fece Fuori Tutti" or ¨Arizona Colt returns¨ results to be a following to a character played by Giuliano Gemma in ¨Arizona Colt¨(1966) by Michele Lupo starred by Gemma , Corinne Marchand , Andrea Bosic and again Roberto Camardiel and Rosalba Neri . Well starred by Anthony Steffen , he may be a name best remembered by Spaghetti Western aficionados, but in his day, from the mid-'60s to the early '70s, Steffen was one of the most popular actors of the genre — at the time cheap B movies, now revered cult classics. The handsome, Italian-born — actually at the Brazilian embassy in Rome — Antonio Luiz de Teffè von Hoonholtz began working in films as a studio messenger for Vittorio De Sica. From there, Steffen began acting in sword-and-sandal epics, later moving onto the Western genre, where he found his niche. Unlike fellow Spaghetti star Clint Eastwood, however, Steffen never became a top international box-office attraction. It's a thrilling western with screenplay by the notorious Ernesto Gastaldi , including a breathtaking confrontation between the protagonist Anthony Steffen against the heartless Aldo Sambrell and his hoodlums such as Luis Barboo , Ralph Baldassarre , Dan van Husen and Fernando Bilbao . Exciting Spaghetti Western and it is proceeded in violent style and ordinary narration . The film packs thrills , gunplay and high body-count ; it's fast moving , quite entertaining and including bursting with explosive violence . Being a Spanish/Italian co-production , here appears familiar faces from Chorizo or Paella or Tortilla Western such as Aldo Sambrell , Luis Barboo , Fernando Bilbao and the sympathetic Robert Camardiel as co-starring . Good production design creating an acceptable scenario with luminous outdoors, rocky landscapes under a shinning sun and fine sets by Jose Luis Galicia , habitual production designer of a lot of Westerns shot in Spain . Middling cinematography by Miguel Mila , being necessary a right remastering and filmed on location in Manzanares Del Real , Colmenar , La Pedriza (Madrid) and interior in Elios Studios , Rome . Nice musical score by Bruno Nicolai , usual collaborator to Ennio Morricone , furthermore a catching and emotive leitmotif .

¨Arizona Lets Fly and Kill Everybody" or "Arizona Colt Returns" was regularly directed by the prolific filmmaker Sergio Martino who usually uses pseudonym as Martin Dolman . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror, Giallo , comedy, Western , and science fiction in a career that spans over 40 years . He was especially expert on Western as proved in ¨Mannaja¨ and this ¨Arizona returns¨ and Giallo such as ¨The case of scorpion's tail ¨ , ¨Torso¨ ,¨the scorpion with two tails¨ , ¨The strange vice of Mrs Ward¨ , Cannibal movie as "Mountain of the Cannibal God", Italian crime thrillers as "Violent Professionals" and ¨Sci-Fi as ¨Destroyer¨ , "2019: After the Fall of New York" . Rating: Middling though passable Spaghetti , this is a Ravioli/Chorizo Western in which the camera stalks in moving style throughout a story with decent visual skills . This is a bewildering story , funny in some moment but falls flat , though it will appeal to Spaghetti hardcore fans .
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6/10
The man who would not die
unbrokenmetal2 April 2009
Warning: Spoilers
During the first few minutes, the movie seems to be a comedy, introducing Double Whiskey (Roberto Camardiel) and the lazy gunman Arizona Colt (Anthony Steffen) who does not even pick up a job for a lot of money. Yet it soon turns into a serious and violent western, a typical production for its time and the genre debut of "Mannaja" director Sergio Martino. Intended to be a sequel to "Arizona Colt" with Giuliano Gemma, it has little in common with the earlier movie, since Anthony Steffen plays a slower, darker, heavier type of character. But nonetheless, there is nothing really new in here. Steffen returns from the dead like he did in "Django il bastardo", he steals the gold from the bandits' hiding-spot like Franco Nero did in "Django", he is saved by his dying girlfriend in the same manner as John Garko in "Per 100,000 dollari t'ammazzo", leaves a ridiculous amount of corpses behind like Clint Eastwood in "For A Few Dollars More" and the movie was shot at the same location as "Pochi dollari per Django", another Steffen western. But "Arizona si scatenò... e li fece fuori tutti" plays its cards with a straight face, keeps all genre trademarks intact and doesn't disappoint anyone, I presume. The good cast includes Aldo Sambrell as boss of the bandits and Rosalba Neri as his wicked lover.
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6/10
Not a good, not a bad and not an ugly one
lostinaction24 February 2008
Of Course there are better, but I know a lot of spaghetti-western which are unbelievable worst. To start to write about the story is to explain the whole movie. It is a simple one, like other spaghetti-western, Arizona (the typical antihero) against a bunch of bandits. His funny sidekick has a silly name: Double Whiskey. You will see humor, cold blooded killing, torture and a lot of shooting. So everything someone can expect from an average spaghetti-western. There is nothing in this movie, you couldn't see in other spaghetti-western.

"Arizona Colt Returns", or whatever the name is, is not a bad one, but it isn't a good one either. For spaghetti-western standards the violence is normal and not too brutal. So it isn't an ugly dirty one either. What is the best of this western? Maybe Anthony Steffen (or Anthonio De Teffé) as Arizona, but I liked his sidekick Double-Whiskey too. There are some scenes where these 2 characters are really funny together. I liked to watch the beautiful and good actress Rosalba Neri. Some more scenes with her would be helpful for this movie. Sometimes it seems that Rosalba was a little bit underchallenged in her role. Most of the other actors you have already seen in Movies made in Italy from that period. The sounds of composer Bruno Nicolai are great in this movie. Maybe the music is too good for a cheap movie like that.

Overall I must say that "Arizona Colt Returns" was entertaining. And I think this is the most important thing about a movie like this. I had the luck to watch this movie with a not so poor quality. When you are someone who likes Western from Europe (even the worst), then you will enjoy "Arizona Colt Returns".
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Dig these crazy nicknames
Chip_douglas5 July 2004
Arizona Colt is the kind of Western hero who can shoot six guys with two shots in one second. He also has a silly theme tune that follows him around like Inspector Gadget's. Too bad Arizona has a thousand dollari reward on his head. His fat sidekick Double Whiskey presumably got that nickname because drink is all he cares about. Arizona cares about even less. The useless sheriff doesn't either, but I suspect that is more a case of indifference. He only takes Arizona into custody after Sheena the Saloon owner knocks him cold with a whiskey bottle (which seems to happen to just about every castmember once). Naturally the Coltster escapes, but the sheriff does not bother to capture him again, even though several opportunities arise (must be one of them Double Jeopardy things).

Colt and Whiskey keep running into a traitorous rat of a man who goes by the unforgettable name of 'Filthy Bottle'. This guy makes Marty Feldman look like Tom Cruise. When wealthy landowner Gonzales Moreno is robbed of his gold and daughter (in that order of importance), the careless wonder is only interested in getting the property back for money. Even when Fat Whiskey is kidnapped too, he holds on to his principles. Like all Eurowestern heroes, A.C. is subjected to torture, in this case an elaborate upside down mirror technique. But since he has already proven himself invulnerable during a hanging sequence, he frees himself (but only when all hopes seems lost). Immediately his blistered lips disappear and none of his wounds bother him no more. Soon he has defeated the entire gang in amusing, MacGyver like ways. Love interest Sheena tries to help, but unfortunately she possesses no superpowers. Not that Arizona cares, caring is for wussies.

5 out of 10
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6/10
Superior spaghetti western follow-up
Leofwine_draca20 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
ARIZONA COLT RETURNS is, unsurprisingly, a follow up to the 1966 western ARIZONA COLT, with Anthony Steffen replacing Giuliano Gemma in the titular role. This sequel sees Colt going after a gang of bandits after being left for dead. It's an early credit in the career of top Italian director Sergio Martino, although it's not one of Martino's best; the story has an odd mix of broad comedy (especially in the early stages, and involving silly character names) and deadly seriousness.

The Ernesto Gastaldi script works well and keeps the violence coming, headed by Aldo Sambrell in one of his slimiest parts as the chief bad guy. Rosalbi Neri also bags an eye-catching role as a femme fatale. The story is stylishly directed and complemented by a top music score which adds to the experience. It's certainly a lot snappier and more fun than its predecessor.
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4/10
Arizona Colt returns
BandSAboutMovies18 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Arizona si scatenò... e li fece fuori tutt means Arizona Went Wild...and Took Them All Out. It was released in the U. S. as Arizona Colt Returns and it's a sequel nearly in name only, as Anthony Steffen takes over for Giuliano Gemma, changing the character from a cocky rogue to a near Eastwood Man with No Name. Only sidekick Double Whiskey (Roberto Camardiel) is on hand to remind us of the first movie.

At the start of the story, Arizona and Double Whiskey are living in peace. Then, he learns that there's a price on his head, so he fakes his death. While in town doing that - as if it were another daily errand - Arizona is asked by a landowner named Moreno (José Manuel Martin) to rescue his daughter Paloma (Rosalba Neri, who was killed in the first movie) from Keene (Aldo Sambrell), an old enemy who of course is the one who set him up. Arizona refuses the job, as he just wants to settle down with his girlfriend Sheena (Marcella Michelangeli). However, Keene makes his mind up for him when he captures Double Whiskey.

It's time for the hero to live up to his theme song: "I think I'm gonna get my gun. I think I'm gonna shoot someone. Bang bang." The bad guys even crucify him on an X and dunk him in water, but nothing is going to stop Arizona.

This was the first non-documentary movie directed by Sergio Martino. He'd direct The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh the next year and be remembered for an incredible four year run of giallo films. I'd rank him as close to Argento and Fulci as it gets for his films, which span several genre.
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