Reviewed By Jason LockardSpaghetti Westerns were Italian westerns. They were wildly popular in the 60s and 70s. Clint Eastwood would become he icon he is because of his work in spaghetti Westerns. These films are still very popular with classic movie fans even now.
MVD Classics is a brand that MVD Entertainment Group started a while ago. Well, a new release from the MVD Classics brand is a Spanish/Italian western drama entitled, "Hudson River Massacre" on Blu-ray.
The film takes place in Canada, in the Nineteenth Century. The Hudson Bay Company, with James Sullivan at the helm and supported by the British Mounted Police, impose unacceptable conditions on native trappers. A group led by Leo Limoux, rebel in retaliation. Victor DeFrois (George Martin), a trapper who, until the execution his brother by the British soldiers had remained neutral, kidnaps Ann Sullivan, daughter of the ruthless owner of the Hudson Bay Company, to use as a bartering tool while the rebels seek to disrupt and gain control of the company's business. What Victor didn't count on was falling in love with his hostage.
The film was written and directed by Spanish horror film director Amando de Ossorio. This is a real departure from what he was used to but is an incredibly low budget spaghetti western. George Martin is in his typical heroic role as he was in many Spaghetti Westerns, the rest of the cast is ok in their roles as well! Nothing overly spectacular, but passable. But as for the English dubbing is a bit off. The story is a well-crafted one and the direction is good as well.
As for the Blu-ray release the film is presented in the original full-screen format. The audio is in 2.0 for the English dubbed track or the original Spanish track audio. The film looks really good in HD. The transfer is far from perfect. The picture is not sharp, it's a bit soft. But in my humble opinion having a copy of this little known western on Blu-ray will be enough for most fans. As for bonus feature there is a English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. There is also a "Trailer" for the film included on this Blu-ray.
Spaghetti western fans are out there and they are rabid. They love their Italian westerns and adding another one to the ever-growing collection is something that will thrill them beyond measure. I think this a solid release. I don't know if better source material is out there to have a more crisp picture.So for me having Hudson River Massacre on MVD Classics Blu-ray is ok with me.
So if you love spaghetti westerns as much as me. I think you are going to want to check out Hudson River Massacre on Blu-ray from MVD Classics. Head over to MVDShop.com or Amazon.com and get your copy today. Note it is also available on DVD for those that would prefer that.
Offensive Material: Violence
Audience: Teens and Adults
Genre: Western, Drama
Length: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Blu-ray Value Rating: B
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