Scalps

I'm a big fan of the late Bruno, and had been looking forward to seeing this film for ages. I was hoping for a crazy, no-holds-barred sleaze and violence-filled Western along the lines of the 'Edge' novels put out by New English Library in the 70s and 80s, of which I'm also a big fan.

I think the problem here is I was expecting too much. I may have seen a cut version, I'm not sure, but the violence wasn't anywhere as strong as some of Mattei's other films - a couple of scalpings, a quick bloodless decapitation and the torture scene with the hooks. The version I saw ran at 96 minutes. Having heard how violent this movie was, I was a tad disappointed.

But I wouldn't like you to think I'm just some uncouth gorehound, so what of the rest of the movie? Well, it's a very thinly plotted revenge movie, performances are very hammy and the dubbing, as always, doesn't really help matters. There's a few bits of dialogue that will make you chuckle, but nowhere near as much as 'Rats: Night Of Terror' or 'Hell Of The Living Dead'. I was bored in places - the movie falls between two stools, not really funny enough for true camp value but not striking or brutal enough to shock. The whole feel of the film, apart from a few gory moments and a bit of rough dialogue, seems like something from the 50s or 60s rather than 1987. The score is more akin to a 50s American Western rather than anything Morricone-inspired - indeed, the whole thing doesn't feel that 'spaghetti' to me.

Not bad, worth seeing, but I was disappointed. In its favour, there's a couple of decent twists right at the end and Mapi Galan's a pretty girl. I think I should seek out 'Cut Throats Nine' for something a bit harder-edged, perhaps.

Average but passable Spaghetti in which a soldier and an Indian whose family was killed by Southerners form uneasy alliance . This Ravioli/Chorizo Western contains noisy action , shootouts , ravage , fighting , a love story , lots of blood and guts and a big deal of gratuitous violence . The commander called Connor (Albert Farnese or Albert Farley) of a Texan fort in the Civil War refuses to surrender to the Northerners , and attempts to take the local Indian tribe chief's (José Canalejas) daughter (Mapi Galan) . The sage man refuses , and occurs the slaughter of the peaceful tribe and kidnapping the young squaw anyway . The innocent Indian survives an attack and the noble squaw arranges to getaway . As when Sergeant (Charly Bravo) and his contemptible gang (Emilio Linder, among others) find Yarin (Mapi Galan) , they kidnap her . They attempt to rape the Apache woman , but she puts up a brave fight against superior numbers and hides out with a tough rancher named Matt Brown (Vassili Karis) . In the meantime , rough Matt falls in love for the beautiful Apache woman after healing her from violent attacks that caused her extreme wounds on an eye . Both of whom will have to pay a dear price for love and will find a lots of dangers . The Indian girl then seek revenge on the soldiers accused of the attack , killing eye for an eye . A bit later on , they contend the heinous soldiers headed by a villainous officer and gruesome violence ensues . After that , another soldier captures and ties her ; then , she is subsequently freed . Along the way , many chases and fights ensue and the events gets worse . As the duo protagonists are drawn to a community of white people who are all racists , bigots , sleazebags, murderers and cutthroats .

This is an exciting story with tragic results about two survivors of a Confederate cavalry attack that make their way back to an army outpost ; packing some good action , nasty characters , exploitation , rampage , nudism , but lots of dull spots . Gratuitously violent late Spaghetti-era Old Western hits hard on racial themes . This ¨Apache woman¨ has an anti-military message and dealing with hardship on racial themes by that time , as well as excessive brutality . As the main cast , Mapi Galan , Vasiili Karis are attacked and will have to face off deal of risks and taking on a cutthroat Confederate Colonel , revengeful soldiers and until a final massacre . The confrontation amongst the cavalry and the hapless Indians is thrilling and extremely violent . As the movie's central theme is the racism that Apache woman is subjected by a band of despicable people . Stars the beautiful Mapi Galan and Vassili Karis as a widower who dislikes Indians , but hates the Southerners more , they form an odd couple joining forces, and tactics, to exect ultimate vengeance on the men at the fort . Other films about this peculiar sub-genre about relationship between Indian-white man harassed by several enemies are the following ones : ¨Apache Kid¨ (1987) by Claudio Fragasso with Sebastian Harrison , Albert Farley , Lola Forner ; it is made back to back to this ¨Scalps¨ (1987) by Bruno Mattei with Mapi Galán , Vassili Karis , Charlie Bravo , and ¨Cry for Me, Billy¨ (1972) by William A Graham with Cliff Potts , Maria Potts and Harry Dean Stanton , and , finally , ¨Una Donna Chiamata Apache" or "Apache Woman" by Giorgio Mariuzzo with Al Cliver , Clara Hopf or Yara Kewa and Rick Boyd . And the initial scenes when takes place the bloody massacre results to be a rip-off on ¨Blue Soldier¨ by Ralph Nelson with Peter Strauss and Candice Bergen , this film was based on real deeds regarding ¨Sand Creek massacre¨ and with remembrance about Vietnam killings . The highlights of the movie are , of course , the violent attacks , they result to be strong butcheries , real slaughters , including rape and gory scenes . The climax is really bleak and pessimistic . The tragic love between soldier and his Indian squaw is portrayed with little believability and delicacy . This so-so motion picture is rated ¨R¨ for the cruel murders , and gory scalping and isn't apt for little boys , neither squeamish . It displays acceptable action sequences in low budget with rousing attacks , decent scenarios and spectacular struggles .The motion picture has been filmed on La Pedriza , Manzanares of Real , Madrid and Almeria (Spain), where during the 6os and early the 7os were shot several spaghetti western . The film well filmed in Tabernas and Texas Hollywood-Fort Bravo, Almeria, with a good production design including great a fortress , one of the best ever created , firstly used in ¨El condor¨ and where were posteriorly shot several Spaghetti as ¨ Blind man, Massacre at Fort Holman, ¨ , ¨A man called Noon¨and ¨Conan the Barbarian¨. Nevertheless, today the fort has been partially crumbled and only remain some ruins .

Emotive musical score in Spaghetti style by Luigi Ceccarelli, including sounds in Morricone style. And atmospheric cinematography by Julio Burgos showing the usual deserts and mountains from Almeria where in the Sixties and Seventies were shot lots of Spaghetti , Tortilla Westerns .The film was decently produced by the Spanish José María Cunillé and Isabel Mulá . This knock-off picture was regularly directed by Claudio Fragasso and Bruno Mattei , though they develop an extreme exploitation violence . Together they make all genres: horror, western, science fiction, adventure, thriller, war and detective. Later he divides himself from Bruno Mattei, but continues to travel the world, making other horror movies, science fiction and zombies. In 1984 an American production called him to direct the rock star Alice Cooper, as protagonist of the film: "Monster Dog". In 1985 he directed the cult "After Death" in the Philippines. In 1989 he directed in America, the film phenomenon that has lasted for almost thirty years, "Goblin", later called Troll2 from the American distribution, creating a misunderstanding that became the success of the film, because Troll2 was never the sequel of the first Troll, but a comic horror story for families, without blood, called Goblin. In 1993 he returned to Italy, returning to his first love, the cinema of civil commitment. He created the award-winning "Teste Rasate", sold in many countries around the world. In 1995 he made his most successful work "Palermo Milano Solo Andata" . While Bruno Mattei directed various Naziexploitation and Nunsexplotiation and subsequently the successful "Night of the Zombies"(1980), a low-budged zombie picture inspired by other zombie cannibal movies and Lucio Fulci films . "Virus" was filmed in Spain and used jungle footage from New Guinea and a patch soundtrack from Goblins "Dawn of the Dead" soundtrack, which was a minor hit in Italy and abroad. After directing two women's prison films starring Laura Gemser, Mattei moved to directing sword-and-sorcery flicks, starting with Seven gladiadors (1983). Both Mattei and Fragasso collaborated on the sci-fi/horror flick ¨Rats¨(1984), inspired by the futuristic movies of the early 1980s. Mattei considers this his best work, despite his still having to work with a very low budget. He worked relentlessly through the 1980s, directing a pair of "spaghetti westerns", some action flicks and about half of Zombi 3 (1988) after Lucio Fulci was taken off the production, though Mattei was not credited with it. In the early 1990s Mattei directed a series of erotic thrillers and a made-for-TV movie, Cruel Jaws (1995),. This ¨Scalps¨ is a 'must see' for action-starved Indian Western buffs with strong graphic violence who will enjoy the action and hard themes , though being very mediocre .

Not a bad one for Mattei. Released at the same time with White Apache, and according to rumors with more input by Mattei (who apparently directed most of this film) than on White Apache.

Lots of bad dialogue of course, but that was more or less expected. The music was for certain parts quite good, in the vein of older spaghettis but during other parts awful with more modern (whatever) flavor.

The film was certainly watchable, much better than, for instance, Zombi 3 which he "Co-directed" when Fulci was away for one or other reason. Mattei also tried here for some parts (usually in vein, though) to create this into a some kind of 'drama' film which was not so successful.

I have no idea about which version is uncut and which one is not, the version I saw was on Greek video.

If you find this one somewhere, check it out. It's not that bad as it is rumored to be (depending on your tastes, of course). I enjoyed it anyway.

Guy must've gotten a poor bootleg copy .. that's what you get for being cheap!! You should get the DVD.. Excellent color, no dark scenes and some nice scenic shots... It's a western.. in the revenge mode.. and you could easy plug Yul Brenner, Lee Van Cleef, or maybe even one of the better cowboy actors into the lead role and it would've done big box office.. Again.. not a bad movie at all.. It's not RATS but what is?? What I didn't like... and I'll agree with the reviewer about.. is the Confederate uniforms.. they had been through as war... but their uniforms were brand new clean!! All white and fresh.. The torture by meat hooks scene was rough.. in a Man Called Horse sorta way..

Mapi Galan is drop-dead gorgeous. In spite of the stereotypes, less than stellar acting and incredibly bad special effects makeup, I rather enjoyed watching this film.