Blood Money [WS]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Spaghetti meets chop-suey in the Italian/Spanish/Hong Kong production Blood Money. Lee VanCleef plays an adventurer in search of a treasure buried somewhere in the orient. The clues are tattooed on the backs of four lovely young ladies. This translates to lots of exposed epidermis, not to mention a surplus of blood-and-gore. VanCleef emerges from the confusion with his reputation intact, but most of the supporting actors were never heard from again. Blood Money was produced by Sir Run Run Shaw, Hong Kong's leading purveyor of box-office bonanzas. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • Exclusive interview with director Anthony Dawson (Antonio Margheriti)
  • Funeral of star Lo Lieh
  • Behind the Scenes Photos
  • Articles and reviews from the release date

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Lee Van Cleef - Dakota
       Lo Lieh - Wang Ho Kian
       Julian Ugarte
       Karen Yeh
       Erika Blanc

• Director:

  Anthony M. Dawson, Antonio Margheriti

• Producer:

  Gustave Berne, Carlo Ponti, Run Run Shaw

• Screenwriter:

  Barth Jules Sussman

• Cinematographer:

  Alejandro Ulloa

• Composer (Music Score):

  Carlo Savina

• Editor:

  Giorgio Serralonga

REVIEW:

• More than one film tried to mix the spaghetti western and martial arts genres during the 1970's. La Dove Non Batte Il Sole, known to English-speaking viewers as Blood Money or The Stranger And The Gunfighter, is probably the best-known of the lot. It's not as exciting or as imaginative as b-movie fans might hope, mainly due to a script that's more interested in light-hearted schtick than it is exploring the possiblities of blurring these two genres. That said, it remains an agreeable time-killer for a few reasons. For one thing, Lee Van Cleef and Lo Lieh make a likeable pair of mismatched heroes: Van Cleef displays an engaging willingness to use his tough-guy image as a springboard for the film's humor and Lieh has a dry, deadpan style that makes him a good straight man for Van Cleef's roguish antics. Antonio Margheriti directs the proceedings in a colorful, fast-paced comic book style that suits the film's light tone well. He also piles on the action and slapstick, ensuring the film never gets dull. In short, La Dove Non Batte Il Sole is a trifle but it works on its own level because it never pretends to be anything else. The end result is solid Saturday matinee fare for b-movie fans who enjoy either of the genres it mixes together. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi