THE BIG GUNDOWN (LA RESA DEI CONTI) |  Dir. Sergio Sollima | 1966 | Italy/Spain | 110 min | PG 

Jonathan Corbett (Lee van Cleef), a bounty hunter, is assigned to follow Cuchillo (Tomas Milian) who has allegedly committed a rape. A rich landowner encourages Corbett, who hopes to help Corbett stand for senator once he has succeeded in his quest. Corbett embarks on a manhunt through Texas and Mexico, staying on Cuchillo's tail. Corbett catches him, and Cuchillo escapes. During the course of the deadly hunt, Corbett's doubts about the manhunt grow. When the landowner shows up in Mexico to put an end to the business, the landowner confirms Corbett's suspicion. Something is amiss and only a showdown will suffice when everything comes to light.

Between January and March the Calgary Cinematheque presents a six film spotlight on Spaghetti Westerns that expands on the different themes and symbols of the sub-genre. The selections range from the lone wolf (DJANGO) looking for revenge (DEATH RIDES A HORSE) and money (THE BOUNTY KILLER) to political films (COMPANEROS, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL). The selected films also cover the gambit of characters from bounty hunters (THE BOUNTY KILLER, THE BIG GUNDOWN), a gun-carrying priest (Klaus Kinski in A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), corrupt generals, double crossing gunmen to crazed machine gun toting characters.

THE BOUNTY KILLER (THE UGLY ONES) | Dir. Eugenio Martín | 1967 | 95 min | PG 

Bounty Hunter Luke Chilson (Richard Wyler) is trailing convicted bandit Jose Gomez (Tomas Milian) who has been assisted in his escape by a childhood friend (Ella Karin) from his village. Chilson's attempt to take Gomez back into custody is thwarted by the loyalty of the local people, all of whom remember Gomez fondly and believe he has been driven to banditry through injustice and persecution. However, as Gomez's friends descend on the settlement old friendships are tested and loyalties begin to unravel.

Between January and March the Calgary Cinematheque presents a six film spotlight on Spaghetti Westerns that expands on the different themes and symbols of the sub-genre. The selections range from the lone wolf (DJANGO) looking for revenge (DEATH RIDES A HORSE) and money (THE BOUNTY KILLER) to political films (COMPANEROS, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL). The selected films also cover the gambit of characters from bounty hunters (THE BOUNTY KILLER, THE BIG GUNDOWN), a gun-carrying priest (Klaus Kinski in A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), corrupt generals, double crossing gunmen to crazed machine gun toting characters.

A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL | Dir. Damiano Damiani  | 1966 | Italy | 118 min | PG 

At the height of the Mexican revolution, a mysterious young American (Lou Castel of FIST IN HIS POCKET) joins a gang of marauders led by El Chucho (Gian Maria Volonte of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS) on a series of savage raids to steal guns for a powerful rebel general. But when the Gringo brings his own cold-blooded ideals to the bandits, El Chucho discovers that the real weapons of war belong to no army. In a land ravaged by poverty and violence, can true freedom be bought with a single bullet? Klaus Kinski (FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE) and Martine Beswick (DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE, THUNDERBALL) co-star in this legendary western directed by Damiano Damiani from a powerful screenplay co-written by Oscar-nominee Franco Solinas (THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, THE BIG GUNDOWN). Also know as QUIEN SABE?, this thrilling epic features some of the most surprising performances, radical politics and shocking violence of any Spaghetti Western ever made.

Between January and March the Calgary Cinematheque presents a six film spotlight on Spaghetti Westerns that expands on the different themes and symbols of the sub-genre. The selections range from the lone wolf (DJANGO) looking for revenge (DEATH RIDES A HORSE) and money (THE BOUNTY KILLER) to political films (COMPANEROS, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL). The selected films also cover the gambit of characters from bounty hunters (THE BOUNTY KILLER, THE BIG GUNDOWN), a gun-carrying priest (Klaus Kinski in A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), corrupt generals, double crossing gunmen to crazed machine gun toting characters.

COMPANEROS | Dir. Sergio Corbucci | 1970 | 118 min | 14A 

Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero of DJANGO) is a suave Swedish arms dealer with a love for fast money. Vasco (Tomas Milian of TRAFFIC) is a trigger-happy Mexican bandit with a hate for suave Swedish arms dealers. But when the two men team up to kidnap a professor who holds the key to a fortune in gold, they find themselves hunted by the American army, stalked by a marijuana-crazed sadist (Academy Award winner Jack Palance) and trapped in the middle of a revolution about to explode. Can these two enemies blast their way across Mexico together without killing each other first? Written and directed by the legendary Sergio Corbucci (DJANGO, THE GREAT SILENCE), COMPANEROS is a once-in-a-lifetime teaming of the two greatest European stars in Spaghetti Western history. Fernando Rey (THE FRENCH CONNECTION) and Karin Schubert (BLACK EMANUELLE) co-star in this action-packed comedy classic that also features a remarkable score by Ennio Morricone (THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY). 

Between January and March the Calgary Cinematheque presents a six film spotlight on Spaghetti Westerns that expands on the different themes and symbols of the sub-genre. The selections range from the lone wolf (DJANGO) looking for revenge (DEATH RIDES A HORSE) and money (THE BOUNTY KILLER) to political films (COMPANEROS, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL). The selected films also cover the gambit of characters from bounty hunters (THE BOUNTY KILLER, THE BIG GUNDOWN), a gun-carrying priest (Klaus Kinski in A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), corrupt generals, double crossing gunmen to crazed machine gun toting characters.

DJANGO | Dir. Sergio Corbucci | 1967 | Italy/Spain | 93 min | PG

Django (Franco Nero) rides into a town controlled by two rival factions: a gang of racist KKK types wearing red hoods and a gang of gold hungry Mexicans. In Fistful of Dollars style, Django plays both gangs against each other in an attempt to get money and possibly revenge. Django's motivations for his actions are left vague throughout, although several possibilities are hinted at.

Between January and March the Calgary Cinematheque presents a six film spotlight on Spaghetti Westerns that expands on the different themes and symbols of the sub-genre. The selections range from the lone wolf (DJANGO) looking for revenge (DEATH RIDES A HORSE) and money (THE BOUNTY KILLER) to political films (COMPANEROS, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL). The selected films also cover the gambit of characters from bounty hunters (THE BOUNTY KILLER, THE BIG GUNDOWN), a gun-carrying priest (Klaus Kinski in A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), corrupt generals, double crossing gunmen to crazed machine gun toting characters.

DEATH RIDES A HORSE | Dir. Giulio Petroni | 1967 | 114 min | 35mm

Preceding the screening of DEATH RIDES A HORSE enjoy two Spaghetti Western trailers on 35mm, SABATA and PISTOL FOR RINGO provided by our community partner Night Terrors Film Society.

Bill (John Phillip Law) grows up to seek revenge on the gang that killed his parents. He meets up with Ryan (Lee Van Cleef), a veteran gunslinger seeking his own revenge for the ones who put him in prison. The two proceed to shoot everything that moves in this violent spaghetti western. 

Between January and March the Calgary Cinematheque presents a six film spotlight on Spaghetti Westerns that expands on the different themes and symbols of the sub-genre. The selections range from the lone wolf (DJANGO) looking for revenge (DEATH RIDES A HORSE) and money (THE BOUNTY KILLER) to political films (COMPANEROS, A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL). The selected films also cover the gambit of characters from bounty hunters (THE BOUNTY KILLER, THE BIG GUNDOWN), a gun-carrying priest (Klaus Kinski in A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL), corrupt generals, double crossing gunmen to crazed machine gun toting characters.