ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Scarecrow-88 Wanted for murder, a Texas fugitive (Audie Murphy) has been living in Mexico, returning to America to even a score: the murder of his gun-less newspaper editor brother at the hands of brutal killer, Lucas Starr (Broderick Crawford). In the opening minutes, we get a good taste of exactly what kind of bastard Starr is as he shoots an unarmed man in cold blood, having his gunman blast a rider (a witness to Starr's criminal behavior, the "man who knew too much") in the back as he was given permission to ride his horse out of a relay station near a town of Rimrock (Crawford allows the victim to get a little ahead just so he could think he was about safe!). Shot in Barcelona, Spain, it gives this western an exotic Spaghetti western flavor, with Murphy able to escape the usual stock B-movie studio film. Laconic and steely-eyed as always, Murphy, even as he is thin and short, is appealing to me for those very unique features—somehow, even though he doesn't necessarily "look the part", Murphy, because we know of his heroism on the battlefield in war, manages to rise above what many would conceive as weaknesses in stature on screen. While not a man one would perceive as scary to outlaws and cutthroats based on his looks alone, because we know of his courage in real life, it translates on screen. Still, I like how he often had characters who made mistakes, were flawed and had dabbled in crime, yet contained a humanity and acceptance of responsibility for their actions, willing to admit fault and wanting forgiveness, Murphy's gunslingers achieved a level of sympathy. But without a solid heel, a real nasty villain to oppose him, I'm not sure Murphy's B-oaters would have the same appeal to me. I hope to see one of those in the future to judge for myself. This film does follow the traditional western story and the shootouts (particularly at the end) lack the "Leone touch" other Italian directors had adopted rather effectively (the use of the zoom lens, the quick cut editing showing how quick the anti-heroes are on the draw, the coverage of setting). Director Selander, despite instances where the film feels like it wants to be a spaghetti western, directs "The Texican" as close to a standard Audie Murphy film as possible. You always see him clutch the shot glass of whiskey, never drinking it, Murphy confronts his foes without cowardice, there's the unfair, let-it-all-hang-out barroom brawl where Murphy must take on more than one man (and win), the oft-used "investigation" where Murphy's flawed hero looks for the man who shot his brother in cold blood (a concho from a leather gun belt the evidence tying the murder to Crawford), the love interest (Diana Lorys) that develops for the aggressive Murphy who goes out of his way to court her, etc. For some reason, the final gunfight lacks oomph even when Murphy guns down three men "Man with No Name" style and goes into Crawford's saloon waiting to get a piece of his adversary's hide…it just lacks that va va voom we have come to expect in a western that builds to what should be an epic showdown. It kind of whimpers out. In actuality, this film pads a pretty simple story out using the Lorys romance (and Murphy's scenes with his dead brother's leather-repairing, cattle selling fiancé); the film really could be a one hour western episode of "Have Gun Will Travel" to tell you the truth. While his methods are cruel and heartless, Crawford seems uninspired here, going through the motions, maybe it is because he is in a western that kind of disappears into the crowd of 60s westerns, not solid enough to stand out in any way.

ma-cortes A good example of Latino western genre from Spain. Wanted ¨Dead or alive¨ north of the border, Jess Carlin (Audie Murphy) lives safely in Mexico. Then he hears his brother was murdered in a gun-down . Knowning his brother never carried a gun he heads north to encounter his brother's assassin. Jess goes out to avenge his brother and trespasses Rio Grande frontier and after battling bounty killers ( Aldo Sambrell and Antonio Molino Rojo) . Jess arrives in Rimrock, a little town dominated by Luke Starr (Broderick Crawford) and his underlings. Escaped goes back to his old home town pursued by bounty hunters . Starr is owner of ¨Silver Ring Saloon¨ , furthermore is the man Jess wants but he unable to encounter some proof until he is given by Sandy (Luz Marquez), former brother's girlfriend, an item found on his brother's body . As Jess seeks vengeance against Luke , while his hoodlums kill , mistreat and harass townspeople . Meanwhile Jess falls in love with a Saloon-girl (Diana Lorys).Offbeat Chorizo-Spaghetti Western co-produced between Spain and US and doesn't follows the Sergio Leone wake , but it is proceeded in American models . It's an exciting western with breathtaking gunfight between the protagonist Audie Murphy against the heartless Broderick Crawford and his hoodlums . Audie Murphy is fine, he ravages the screen, shoots, hit and run and kills . This movie is a lot of fun to watch. It's an acceptable story with a touch of peculiarity, some great characters, and an amazing music score. The picture also titled ¨The Texican ¨ is a tale of justice and revenge, as a man returns home to a little town after his breakout and looks for vendetta. The basic plot is typical spaghetti western fare, but what makes this movie stand out is its style . Broderick Crawford's performance in the movie is a bit wooden for the role of such an interesting character, but the fantastic performance by the always great Aldo Sambrell as the slimy, menacing outlaw make up for , here in his ordinary role as bandit and in a cruelly baddie character , he is terrific, and bears a hysterical and mocking aspect , subsequently he would play similar characters . Appears as secondaries the habitual in Spanish/Italian Western such as Victor Israel , Gerad Tichy , Antonio Casas, Antonio Molino Rojo and Frank Braña , both of them usual in Leone films. The film packs violence , shootouts , high body-count and it's fast moving and quite entertaining . There is plenty of action in the movie , guaranteeing some shoot'em up or stunts every few minutes. 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 final gunfights full of dust , wind and shots . The movie gets the usual Western issues, such as avengers antiheroes , violent facing off , exaggerated baddies, soundtrack with Morricone influence , among them . The sense of pacing is such that his film can be counted on to move quickly and smoothly . Good production design creating an excellent scenario with luminous outdoors, dirty and rocky landscapes under a glimmer sun and fine sets . The musician Nino Fidenco composes a nice soundtrack and well conducted , this turns out to be one of the most memorable parts of the movie; as it's full of enjoyable sounds and haunting musical background . The opening and ending songs are two of my favorites, and are of those unforgettable tunes that will play in your mind over and over long after the movie is realized. The soundtrack contributes tremendously to the atmosphere of the film, including an emotive leitmotif, the music score is perhaps the best part of this film . Striking cinematography by Francisco Marin , though is necessary a correct remastering . Interior scenes filmed in Spuglas De Llobregat , Barcelona outskirts and outdoor sequences with barren exteriors filmed in Spanish places located on Fraga (Huesca) , replacing Almeria . ¨Fraga¨ resulted to be the location where were shot lots of Western produced and directed by Catalan people as Alfonso Balcazar , J.J. Balcazar , Jose Antonio De La Loma , Juan Bosch, Ignacio F. Iquino and Julio Buchs , among others , because Almeria was too far and the landscapes bear remarkable resemblance . This motion picture is well produced by Alfonso Balcazar , being professionally directed by Lesley Selander . Selander is generally considered to be the most prolific director of feature Westerns of all time, with at least 107 to his credit between 1935 and 1967. He realized his first feature in 1936, a western , genre in which he would not only excel but one where he would spent much of the rest of his career. Although Selander couldn't be deemed an "A"-list director, his movies had a professionalism and a verve that many of those made by his fellow B directors lacked . He also filmed detective thrillers, action/adventure motion pictures and even a horror film or two . He finishes a close second with 106 horse operas helmed between 1917 and 1949. Rating : 5,5 . Acceptable and passable

FightingWesterner Wanted man Audie Murphy risks his life returning to Texas in order to avenge his newspaperman brother who was murdered by sleazy town boss Broderick Crawford and his number one hired killer Aldo Sambrell.Essentially American made, this is different than most U.S. helmed westerns shot in Spain in that it uses a primarily local crew and supporting cast, making it seem more like a real spaghetti western than other films Hollywood passed off in those days as Italian or Spanish made.Into the film's heavy atmosphere walks a strangely out of place Audie Murphy. Short, neat, clean-cut and all-American, he's the last person you'd expect to see in a dirty, gritty spaghetti western town. He's almost like a visitor from a parallel universe! That said, it is interesting to see him in something different.Fitting right in though is Crawford, playing the type of seedy character he built his Academy Award winning career upon and Aldo Sambrell, one of the most recognizable faces in European westerns, though virtually unknown by name.As a film, The Texican isn't the most memorable of the genre, but it's pretty good with a nice wind-swept finale.

zardoz-13 A clean-cut Audie Murphy stars in veteran western director Lesley Selander's gritty shoot'em up "The Texican" as a man confined in exile in Mexico because the authorities have placed $500 dollars bounty on his head in Texas across the Rio Grande. In the first scene, Jess Carlin (Audie Murphy of "The Cimarron Kid") turns over a horse thief to an American lawman, U.S. Marshal Dick (Luis Induni of "The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo"), who meets with him at a rendezvous point on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. Dick warns Carlin that as long as Carlin stays below the border that the law won't bother him. Initially, Carlin has no plans to cross over the border; he is cooling his heels in Mexico somewhat like Errol Flynn did in the 1945 Warner Brothers western "San Antonio." However, the idyllic paradise that Jess Carlin has grown accustomed to in the form of a pretty senorita, Elena (Marta May of "Seven Pistols for a Gringo") and a noisy little Mexican game of pitching stones at firecrackers on rocks to see who can set off the largest number retreats in his fond memories of the past after he learns from another American taking a siesta in Mexico that his upright, well-meaning brother Roy Carlin has been murdered.John C. Champion and Jose Antonio de La Loma never clearly indicate what our protagonist did to get himself exiled to old Mexico. Villainous Luke Starr framed him for something, but that something is left unspecified. One day a down-on-his-luck American tries to pay for his liquor with a double-headed coin and Pablo, an irate Mexican barkeep, nearly beats him to a pulp. Jess helps the cowboy recover. At this point, our peace-loving protagonist learns from the cowboy that his brother, crusading Clarion newspaper editor Roy Carlin (Victor Vilanova of "The Killer with a Thousand Eyes"), has died in a gunfight. In the previous scene, the thoroughly repugnant and unrepentant Luke Starr (Oscar winning actor Broderick Crawford of "All the King's Men") guns Jess Carlin's brother Roy down in cold-blood and then arranges things so that appears like Roy shot it out with another gunman. Actually, the other gunman could have cleared Jess of Luke's charges, but neither he nor Roy survive their secret rendezvous as a stagecoach station twelve miles out of Rimrock.Luke Starr's right-hand gunslinger Gil Rio (ubiquitous Spaghetti western star Aldo Sambrell of "Navajo Joe") guns down the other man. No sooner does Jess cross the border than a couple of bounty hunters descend on him. Jess wounds one, a bounty hunter who says he is after him because he needs money for his sick wife, and kills the other one outright. Later, that evening, three gunmen shoot up Jess' camp and he has to high-tail bare back on his horse to escape them. At an apparently deserted ranch, Jess leaves $40 for a saddle, but the owner Sandy Adams (Luz Marquez of "Three Sergeants of Bengal") catches him in the act. She relents when he explains his difficulty and then he rides into town. Since there is no law in the town run by Luke Starr, Jess doesn't have to concern himself with the authorities or bounty hunters. Jess and Luke circle each other for the remainder of this trim 81-minute horse opera lensed in Spain with a largely Hispanic cast. Eventually, Jess squares off with Luke's gunslingers on a main street shoot-out in a sandstorm and then he takes care of Luke.The sight of Audie Murphy riding across the arid plains of Spain to composer Nico Fidenco's first-rate orchestral western score in an above-average oater is enough of a reason to watch "The Texican." Selander directs in his usual style, letting the cast play out their roles in long shot so that we can see them in relation to one another. Selander takes advantage of the sprawling Spanish scenery and incorpoates it into the action, particularly when our hero displays his superb horsemanship skills by taking his animal down a steep ridge. The sets look authentic enough, and the wagons have the right size wheels on them. Were it not for some of the accents, you'd have no way of telling that this revenge western wasn't of the domestic variety. Some quotable dialogue enhances the action, and gravelly voiced Broderick Crawford is slimy villain who gets what he deserves in the end.