We’re bringing you another classic movie review today and Eureka Entertainment has done it again with another top remastered release and this time it’s the thrilling spaghetti western The Specialists [Gli Specialisti].
The Specialists [Gli Specialisti] is a somewhat underrated Spaghetti Western from Sergio Corbucci and it is finally presented on Blu-ray from a new 4K restoration for the first time on home video in the UK on 18 May 2020 as part of the Eureka Classics range, no only does it look great it also features a Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase and Collector’s Booklet [First Print Run of 2000 units].
If the name Sergio Corbucci sounds familiar then you will no doubt know the name of the legendary director from Django, Navajo Joe, The Great Silence, Companeros and The Mercenary. This new release from Eureka Entertainment is a thrilling spaghetti western starring French music and film great Johnny Hallyday (The Man on the Train, Détective, Vengeance).
Notorious gunfighter Hud Dixon (Hallyday) arrives in Blackstone, a town where his brother was wrongfully accused of robbing a bank and lynched for it. As Hud seeks revenge, he starts to discover the truth behind the stolen loot, and has to contend with an idealistic sheriff, a beautiful and seductive female banker, a corrupt businessman and a one-armed Mexican bandit, who was once his friend.
This restored version of The Specialists looks fantastic on Blu-ray, the colours are so vibrant and the screen crisp, it’s great to see classic movies such as this getting the restoration they deserve and this release is one that I’m happy to have in my spaghetti westerns collection alongside the Sergio Leone movies.
The release has the restored Italian and French audio as well as a rarely heard and restored English dub track, but don’t expect it to be all in English, when you select the English dub you are given a few paragraphs explaining that during restoration the sound was so badly damaged that certain scenes audio could not be restored so they resort back to the French dub with Subtitle, but this adds to the charm of the release.
As I mentioned earlier the restoration looks fantastic, the audio is a 2.1 mix and sound perfect for the feature, as for the movie itself I have to say that for me I think it’s one of Sergio Corbucci’s best movies, it certainly deserves the restoration that it has been given and is another classic movie that is a joy to watch.
It’s a real shame that they don’t make them like this anymore, The Specialists is must for fans of the Westerns genre, it has everything you could possibly want, from the amazing looking scenes to the action and intrigue of a good Spaghetti Western.
Also starring Gastone Moschin (The Conformist, Caliber 9), Françoise Fabian (Belle de Jour, My Night at Maud’s), and gorgeously filmed by Dario Di Palma (The Seduction of Mimi, The Oldest Profession), Eureka Classics is proud to present The Specialists on Blu-ray from a new 4K restoration.
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
- LIMITED EDITION O-CARD SLIPCASE [First Print Run of 2000 units]
- 1080p presentation on Blu-ray from an incredible 4K restoration
- Restored Italian and French audio options
- Rarely heard English dub track
- Optional English subtitles
- Feature-length audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox
- A brand new and exclusive interview with Austin Fisher, author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western: Politics, Violence and Popular Italian Cinema
- Trailer
- PLUS: A LIMITED EDITION collector’s booklet [First Print Run of 2000 units] featuring new writing by western authority Howard Hughes on both the film, and the “French-western” sub-genre
The Specialist is out on the 18 May 2020 and is available to order from: Eureka Store and Amazon.
A top Restoration for a Spaghetti Western Classic
Movie title: The Specialists
Movie description: A chain mail-clad gunfighter contends with a pacifist sheriff, a seductive banker, a one-armed Mexican bandit, corrupt businessmen and hippies while trying to learn the secret of the money allegedly stolen by his lynched brother.
Date published: November 26, 1969
Country: Italy
Duration: 1h 44m
Director(s): Sergio Corbucci
Actor(s): Johnny Hallyday, Gastone Moschin, Françoise Fabian
Genre: Western
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
