Wizard-8 While Italian movie director Lucio Fulci is best known for his bloody horror movies, he actually did dabble in other genres in his career. He even made a few spaghetti westerns, "Silver Saddle" being one of them. Made when the spaghetti western genre was breathing its last breath, it's been all but forgotten today. To a degree I can understand this. It does have more than its share of dull spots, and Giuliano Gemma is only adequate in the lead role. But the movie all the same has enough interest to satisfy spaghetti western fans. Fulci throws in some interesting direction at times, such as with some particular camera movements as well as how he composes what's in front of the camera. Though there isn't enough action, what action there is in the movie does catch your attention, particularly with some very bloody squibs thrown in. Gemma's somewhat underwhelming performance is made up for by the presence of American actor Geoffrey Lewis, who is amusing without being overbearing. And the music is great; you'll be humming the title song for days after watching the movie. It's no classic, but it's a respectable final effort for a genre that was breathing its last.

dmacewen ...and which adults might enjoy, too. Fulci's best western was the imperfect but striking and alchemical "Four of the Apocalypse," which was alternately shocking and touching, and meandered along at an engaging pace, letting the viewer soak in the detail and peripheral touches. While this is not up to the standard of that film, I find Silver Saddle to be preferable to his conventional, by-the-numbers "Massacre Time" (which, for some strange reason, its director insisted on referring to as "oneiric," although there is nothing dreamlike about it). If you enjoy this film, you might want to check out "White Fang," also by Fulci.

Blaise_B Like the same director's "Four of the Apocalypse," whether or not this film ultimately succeeds for you probably depends on your willingness to tolerate its flaws for its strengths.Its flaws include bad acting on the parts of Giulliano Gemma and Sven Valsecchi, who are the two leads, a frustrating tendency to establish promising themes, only to allow them to dissipate after the first thirty minutes, and another frustrating tendency to put all the best action scenes in the first act.Its strengths include the presence of Geoffrey Lewis, Aldo Sambrell, and Donald O'Brien, some excellent classic western action that's filmed with a modern sense of realism (read: BLOOD SQUIBS), and great photography, locations, costumes and sets that give an overall feeling similar to that of Fulci's other 70's western, mentioned above. The musical score, overall, is great and befits the feel and tone, although the hippy-dippy theme song may mar it for some.For fans of Fulci and/or Italian westerns from the 70's, this is more than worth checking out...between this and "Four..." it's obvious the guy was up to something interesting and cool with his westerns during this time period, it's just too bad he didn't have a better sense of pacing and focus and evidently wasn't aware that you save your best tricks for the end of the movie, not the beginning.

Peter L. Petersen (KnatLouie) I bought this movie in the early 1990's, saw it once, and then it had been lying on the shelf more than 10 years (approximately). When I finally brushed off the dust and decided to see it again (remembering absolutely nothing about it), I wasn't as disappointed as I first thought I would be after just looking at the video-cover and reading the words: "This is a real Gun-man Western!" and thinking it would be filled with cliches and stupid dialogue. The beginning was actually the best part in the movie, and I thought that it should have ended just when the little boy rode off into the sunset after the shootout.But no, they had to carry on for a whole hour after that!... in that hour, a romantic (meaningless of course) relationship occurs with Roy Blood and some woman (who actually looks quite pretty, I must say). Some bad guys suddenly appear from nowhere and of course feels like shooting it out with our hero Roy Blood (played by Giuliano Gemma). Geoffrey Lewis (who's the father of Juliette Lewis, and who has been in a whole bunch of Clint Eastwood-movies and other minor or major films) appears in a role as a sleazy guy called 'Snake' (I didn't even notice his name on the cast, because they had like 7 or 8 Italian no-names listed ahead of him!!), I thought he should have been at least the third-highest placed person on the cast overview list.The movie made me laugh a couple of times, even though I don't think it was intentionally by the director, except the hilarious ending which blew my mind completely!.. It was a truly amazing scene, one that saved the entire movie in my opinion...I give the first part of the movie 1/3 points (because I thought the daddy-killer looked like Johnny Cash, and he's cool), the middle section 2/4 points (because I was glad to see at least ONE familiar face in the movie [G. Lewis]), and the ending I give 2/3 (Well, you'll have to see it to believe it... even though some might think it is very ridiculous!)..All in all, a pretty average western, with a hokey plot, but okay if you don't have anything better to do with your time.5/10