Le colt cantarono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro

I have loved Fulci's Zombie films and his other horror films since long before I became interested in spaghetti westerns, so I was naturally very curious about this movie when I discovered that Fulci directed it. After viewing the film, I am very pleased to say that Fulci has directed an excellent western as well.

The music is a perfect example of a great non-Morricone score. Lallo Gori shows that he can have a style of his own and still create a score that is unmistakeably spaghetti western flavored. The theme song is fantastic, and you hear very different variations of it throughout the movie. This gives a feeling of continuity throughout the film without sounding redundant.

Nero and Hilton are both great, as usual. Hilton plays a funny character- a drunk who can shoot faster and straighter than anyone no matter how much he drinks! He can also fight several men at once even though he can't walk a straight line. The other actors are very good also. Nino Castelnuovo gets to play the most interesting part in the film. His character is truly weird and sadistic, and his preoccupation with playing the organ adds a nice hint of the macabre.

If you are a fan of spaghetti westerns or euro-films in general, do yourself a favor and see this movie.

Sergio Corbucci's "Django" turned Franco Nero into one of the stars of spaghetti westerns. A number of spaghetti westerns got advertised as "Django" movies, although the only real sequel was "Django 2". Quentin Tarantino later brought the series new attention with "Django Unchained", in which Nero has a bit part as the man who knows that the D is silent.

Horror director Lucio Fulci ventured into the western genre with "Le colt cantarono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro", which got given the English titles "Massacre Time" and "Django the Runner" (the latter hoping to associate it with Corbucci's movie). It's pretty much a B movie, with Nero as a man who decides to rid his hometown from the grip of a corrupt family. Entertaining, but not the best spaghetti western by far. Fulci did better when sticking to movies about zombies and the like. But it's still pretty fun. Fulci incorporates a lot of the brutal stuff for which he's known in horror circles. As it was, the copy that I watched was dubbed in English and had Dutch subtitles!

PS: Franco Nero was in a relationship for some years with Vanessa Redgrave, his co-star in "Camelot". They had a son who directed Redgrave in a TV adaptation of Wallace Shawn's politically charged play "The Fever", co-starring Michael Moore and Angelina Jolie.

When you hear the name of Italian movie director Lucio Fulci, you probably don't immediately think of spaghetti westerns, but Fulci did direct a few before he was associated as a horror director. For the most part, Fulci does a good job with what he was given with "Massacre Time". There is genuine atmosphere, an atmosphere of gloom and doom that will put you at unease. In the moments of action, Fulci creates both excitement and the feeling that maybe the protagonists might not succeed. He also gets Nino Castelnuovo to give a GREAT performance as the sadistic Junior, enough that you'll wish that there was more of this character in the movie.

The movie definitely has enough to satisfy fans of spaghetti westerns, though it's not without problems. There are a couple of major script problems, for one thing. It is NEVER explained how the character of Scott managed to take over the town, nor is his connection with the character of Tom explained. The biggest problem is that the first hour of the movie goes by VERY slowly. The movie takes an hour to do what would normally take about a half hour by a more efficient screenplay. So while this is a movie worth seeing, it's best saved for when you are in a patient mood.

It deals with a prospector: Franco Nero who is called back to his hometown when his brother has problems. Tom arrives in Laramie town to learn it is under the control of a poweful owner named Scott , John McDouglas , and his nasty son, Nino Castelnuovo. As townsfolk run with fear when they mistreat and murder anyone who protests their activities. Later on , Tom finds his drunk brother , George Hilton, but things go wrong . They carry their hate in their holsters and a name on every bullet . Both of them take on the sadistic and psychotic Scott Jr , there is nothing between them but hate for each other. When they meet , it is time of massacre .

A thrilling Ravioli Western that displays a story of violence and confrontation, plenty of fights , killing , shootouts , ordinary zooms and impressive finale .Acceptable action scenes with rousing gun-play , and excessive sadism including brutal lashing and crude killings . It stars a big name star cast as Franco Nero as a gunslinger who at the request of an old family friend returns at home and attempts the dangerous Laramie town can rest in order , peace and harmony again ; Nero interpreted a lot of popular and successful westerns , as his first Spaghetti : Tramplers, following Django , Adios Texas, Man pride vengeance , Compañeros , Mercenary , Keoma , Cipolla colt, and in preproduction : Keoma rises and Django lives . Furthermore, the Spaghetti thespian George Hilton who gives one of the best interpretations as a drunkyard in a similar role to Robert Mitchum's Rio Bravo . Hilton was born on July 16, 1934 in Montevideo , he performed various westerns as My gun can play, Sartana is coming get your coffin ready, Desperadoes, They called him the player with the dead, They call me Hallalujah, The ruthless four, I due figlie di Ringo, Un poker di pistole. Although Hilton also played some successful giallos as Scorpion tale, 7 minutes pour mourir and Strano vizio della signora Ward . Special mention for the greedy and ruthless Nino Castelnuovo who plays a really baddie psycho and murder-crazed . Support cast is frankly good with regular Spaghetti secondaries as Giuseppe Addobbati or John Douglas , John Bartha , Sal Borgese and Tom Felleghi.

It contains an attractive and catching musical score by Lallo Gori adding two sensitive songs at the beginning and the ending . In addition , atmospheric and adequate cinematography by Riccardo Palottini . The motion picture titled Temps du massacre or The Brute and the Beast , or Concert for a colt , or Le colt cantaron la muerte was competently written and directed by Lucio Fulci . This was first of 5 Westerns that Fulci made , the other 4 were Four of the apocalypse , Sella d'argento, White fang and the return of White fang . Lucio is particularly known for his gory and bloody movies as City of the living dead,NY ripper , The house by the cemetery , Murder rock , The beyond , Un gatto nel cervello, and several others .

What a truly wonderful discovery and surprise. Lucio Fulci is best know in the genre of horror, I must admit to not being one of his biggest fans, his movies lack consistency, his earlier work outweighs, by far, his later work. But even the films regarded by his fans, The Beyond, Zombie Flesh Eaters etc. are severely overrated. Before I saw his Spaghetti Western Tempo di massacro (Massacre Time) I was impressed more by his earlier work, Don't Torture a Duckling for a perfect example of Giallo cinema. It all changed when I caught this truly outstanding cinematic experience...Tempo di massacro. From the excellent original Morricone' esquire score by Coriolano Gori to fantastic action sequences that obviously inspired John Woo's narrative traits (complete with flying 'slow mo' doves) The consistently great Franco Nero here gives an adequate performance (mirroring Eastwood's on screen presence) pairing perfectly with his on screen brother George Hilton who steals many of the films greatest lines from him. But the highlight of the film, by far, is the absolutely fantastic and mesmerising performance of Nino Castelnuovo playing the sinister whip brandishing Junior. Castelnuovo's performance lights up the screen here in a way rarely has been seen in cinema (for me Castlenuovo is one of the best character actors in Italian cinema with career defining leaps in so many genres ranging from comedy, horror, romance, erotica, western, sci-fi and drama) From the fantastic 'whipping' scene to the organ-playing scene... Nino Castelnuovo steals every moment on screen... and considering Franco Nero is in this that is by no means an easy achievement!

Just check this cinematic classic out...I have no doubt in saying that in a few more years, this will be seen as a true classic of the genre and will finally be given the respect and audience it so rightly deserves. Lucio Fulci's finest work! A MUST SEE!

Much more than just sixties exploitation cinema. I don't use this word lightly... it's a masterpiece of sixties cinema.