bob the moo If numbers of titles is a good sign then things look promising for this film since I picked it up as "The Stranger and the Gunfighter" but when I pressed play it said "la brute le colt et le karate" as the title but then also said "Blood Money" in brackets as an alternative title but on IMDb I found it as "El kárate, el Colt y el impostor". I came to this film because I was watching random titles from the Shaw Brothers back catalogue and suddenly found this western crossover which didn't even feature their distinctive shield on the titles even though they are listed as one of the (many) production companies behind it. The plot is a typical exploitation one which is trying to make the most of the popularity at the time of spaghetti westerns and also of kung-fu movies; in this case Ho Chiang comes to America from China to get his late uncle's money but when he arrives all he finds is some smutty photographs which gunslinger Dakota tried to rob, also thinking there was money. Ho realizes that the photos are a map, or rather photos of women who have the map tattooed onto their bottoms. Needing local help, Ho and Dakota team up to seek the bottoms and the treasure, although a deranged preacher is on their trail seeing the same thing.On the face of it, this film is easy to dismiss as a cheap rip-off just looking to grab as many viewers as possible by combining genres that were selling at that time but there is nothing new under the sun and it is really no different from films like Rush Hour or Shanghai Noon with Jackie Chan partnered to an American star to bring several audiences and style together. Yes it does feel cheap but it is actually quite a lot of fun simply because it doesn't take itself too seriously. The plot is the first very obvious clue (it is a hunt for bottoms) but generally the tone is one of silly fun and the material generally supports this. How this humor would have played to Chinese fans I can only imagine but for me it worked pretty well as trashy entertainment. The martial arts action is very limited and they don't make the best of Lo Lieh in that sense but he is actually very good with his delivery and has good chemistry with Van Cleef. Van Cleef buys into it well even if some of his stuff is a bit silly, but again he seems to be having fun.The Stranger & the Gunfighter (call it what you will) is not a great film. It sets its sights low but generally it does produce some genre- splicing trashy fun even if it never captures what makes both genres good in their rights – this is particularly evident in the low level of martial arts action. Ultimately it is a trashy exploitation film but, if you meet it on that level, it is a quite fun one.

ironhorse_iv This Spagnetti Western treasure hunt movie hit the bottom. By bottom, I meant the whole plot of this movie by Antonio Margheriti with help from the Shaw Brothers is having a gunfighter Dakota (Lee Van Cleef) and a martial artist Ho Chiang (Lo Lieh) search for treasure by searching for tattoos marking on the bottoms of naked women. I would tap that ass of a movie! How weird is that! Still, it's one over the top entertaining movie, just a little crappy. That's if you can find this rare film. The movie goes by many titles from "The Stranger and the Gunfighter", 'East meets West" to "Blood Money" due to the movie being translate from Italian to whatever language, its being shown. The English dubbing isn't that great in my opinion. I know some of it was lost in the translation, but gees, the synchronization is bad. Also, some of the characters English names is pretty laughable. Ho Chiang's fat bald uncle name happens to be Wang, and he has four mistresses that hide his hidden long treasure. How can you not find something funny about that!? Anyways, the 1970's Kung Fu craze was still in high gear, but Lo Lieh isn't no Bruce Lee. The fight scenes are just awfully choreographed with over the top rewind film jumping and not even near close kicks and hits. Lo Lieh is nothing special playing the stereotypical Chinese guy who happens to be a kung-Fu master. At less, he's a bit charming, even if I can't understand what he is saying in some scenes. While, not fighting random people. Ho Chiang and Dakota are chased by over the top Bible-quoting madman Yancey Hobbitt (Julian Ugarte) and his Indian sidekick. Julian Ugarte reminds me of Roger Rees from 1993's Robin Hood: Men in Tights with his delivery. He was just interesting to watch. Dressed all in black with a long leather duster, gloves, and wide brimmed hat, looks like mix with Al Pacino and Jesus. The character is just as quick to use a gun as quote passages from the bible to any sinners, he seek unfit to live his lifestyle. He has cool bad guy written all over him. While, Lee Van Cleef looks pretty old in the film, as his hair plug is barely hanging on his head. It really does like Lee Van Cleef is just having fun overacting. What other Western movie has the main character autograph a woman's butt? The women in the film, Erika Blanc, Femi Benussi, Patty Shepard and Karen Yeh were pretty sexy in their roles, but this film doesn't had anything, more to the female characters than parading their sexy butts and had the girls sexually frustrated that men only have interest in the map. The movie makes them into young, dumb, female with little to no personality. If you like pointless nudity, you might like this film. The music is by Carlo Savina, nothing interesting. It gets annoying when the same theme plays over the action. The music sounds like some type of Blaxploitation film. The sound effects like whistles, bells, and whip cracks seem really canned. The print is surprisingly good, considering the film's age and obscurity, and fans of more lighthearted Spaghetti Westerns should be pleased. Still, in some versions of the film depending if you're watching it on DVD, on the internet, or just had on VHS. A few scenes are missing like the basement distillery fight. Most DVDs should have this scene. Still, if you don't. You're not missing much. It was badly shot, anyways with it being too dark. The running time is only 102 minutes, but after a while watching it; it does get kinda boring due to the hammy material. The humor is hit and miss. We get forced obligatory jokes about cultural differences and confront the racism at the time. I do like, the dog scene a lot. Overall, this was Shanghai Noon (2000) of its day. Just a little bit more obscure low-brow tongue-in-cheek comedy western.

Flak_Magnet This obscure, genre-blending Spaghetti Western is hammy and fun, but fails at being very exciting. Nonetheless, it wins points for originality, and the picture is rife with interesting characters and happenings. The print is surprisingly good, considering the film's age and obscurity, and fans of more lighthearted Spaghetti Westerns should be pleased. Lee Van Cleef is star material here, and he hamms it up more in "Blood Money" than anywhere else I've seen. This really is a different performance by Van Cleef, and he lets loose a refreshing side of himself that fans should enjoy. Directed by personal fave Antonio Marghereti, (with help from the Shaw Brothers), "Blood Money" was essentially an exercise in blending a Kung Fu film with a Spaghetti Western, and while the result is still a Eurowestern, the martial arts exchanges and Eastern characters prove amply refreshing. Overall, "Blood Money" is pretty solid, although a bit sloppy, and it reaches a comfortable medium between strangeness and familiarity. The story involves Van Cleef, a safecracker, becoming intertwined in the story of a deceased Chinese aristocrat and his missing estate. After escaping the gallows, Cleef teams up with the Chinese man's nephew, and the two begin their search for the uncle's missing gold. Luckily, the dead man tattooed clues to his riches on the tails of four women, and the unlikely pair must see each girl to unravel the mystery. There were a few parts that dragged, but only briefly, and we left the movie feeling pretty good. This is a solid, if offbeat, comedic Spaghetti Western. ---|--- Reviews by Flak Magnet

ma-cortes The movie narrates how a Chinese hero (Lo Lieh) tries to retrieve the money that a feudal lord gave up to his uncle for inversion in America . The uncle dies and the only clue to recover it is leading some tattoo messages on the butts of his fours lovers (Erika Blanc, Femi Benussi, Patty Shepard). The protagonist is helped by an American thief named Dakota (Lee Van Cleef) , both of them track down clues until discover the exciting final surprise.The picture is a collaboration between Italian producer Carlo Ponti and Hong Kong Shaw Brothers , famous producers of Chop-Socky cinema and in charge of distribution on Asian market . The storyline is embarrassing and absurd but has its agreeable moments here and there . The violence isn't crude but slight and predominates the comedy . Lee Van Cleef is very old and with wig , his interpretation is wooden and graceless (Colonel Mortimer and Providence roles were left time ago). Special mention to secondary cast as Julian Ugarte who plays a traveler priest in a church-roulotte ; besides , three Eurotrash babes as Erika Blanc , Patty Shepard and Femi Benussi . The motion picture takes part a little genre in which during the 1970s achieved splendor and blended Spaghetti Western and martial arts with influence of David Carradine-Kung Fu series (1972-1975) , for example : ¨ Red sun ¨ by Terence Young , ¨Karate law in the west ¨ by Tonino Ricci, ¨ My name is Shangai Joe ¨ by Mario Caiano, ¨ The return of Shangai Joe ¨ by Bitto Albertini , and ¨The white , the yellow and the black¨ by Sergio Corbucci . It's a Spanish-Italian production , a Paella/Spaghetti Western , and was shot in Almeria (Spain) where during the 60s and early 70s were filmed uncountable Westerns . The adjusted cinematography was realized by expert cameraman Alejandro Ulloa (Horror express). The film was regularly directed by Anthony M. Dawson or Margheritti . Rating : mediocre but amusing.