Kid Vengeance (1977) a.k.a Take Another Hard Ride

[Scott]

KID VENGEANCE (1977) - This one stars Leif Garrett, Lee Van Cleef, and Jim Brown in a good little U.S./Italian co production shot in Israel. Leif Garrett's mother is raped and then both his father and mother are killed by Lee Van Cleef. First they arrive at the family's camp, then sample the food, take the fathers rifle, kill the cow, rape the mother, shoot the father, then shoots the mother, takes their wagon, and later they find the daughter hiding in the back of the wagon. This has to be Lee Van Cleef's nastiest role ever and he does all this wearing a beard which accentuates his baldness. A different look for Van Cleef. Leif Garrett sets out to kill those who killed his parents and to find his sister. He manages to kill about four banditos in some original ways before meeting Jim Brown who has a brief moment at the beginning of the film then you don't see him again till midway through the film when thieves take his gold and tie him up and Leif Garrett releases him. The film has a decent ending.

(6 out of 10 Stars) Trek Geezer posted earlier last month about this film and I found it entertaining. Closer to an American Western in style than a Spaghetti Western. Here's Trek Geezers KID VENGEANCE post: KID VENGEANCE

[trekgeezer]

Yeah Scott, I think they were trying to make a point about violence at the end with the two kids pointing guns at each other.

I liked when the town bullies were robbing Jim Brown's gold and Lee's gang shows up to run them off. The one guy with his toes shot off is especially annoying.

This one didn't even seem to be dubbed.

Lee Van Cleef really made a career out of these overseas westerns.

I remember the last thing I saw him in was a tv series called The Master, where Lee plays an American who became a master ninja in Japan. He comes back to the states to find his daughter and is accompanied by Timothy Van Patten as his apprentice. It was really kind of silly . Lee was old and flabby and whenever he had to actually do some ninja'ing he was replaced by a stunt guy in a ninja outfit.

[Scott]

I use to have a VHS copy of THE MASTER, but never got around to watching it before DVD arrived. Then I sold all my VHS's. Hopefully I'll find a DVD copy at the dollars store sometime.

About KID VENGEANCE, the scenes with the snake and scorpion were good also. The end was a quality ending.

The first few minutes I wasn't impressed and thought "great, they got some horses together went out into the desert with 3 screen names to make a quick Western", but it turned out much better than that.

Trek Geezer, I said I'd watch this one in November, but I was a couple days late. 

[sideorderofninjas]

The Master was edited into a couple of movies watched on MST3K: Master Ninja and Master Ninja 2.  I spotted a DVD of the Master once and regretted not getting it. 

[Jordan]

Lee Van Cleef is the Man! Any of you guys see any of the Sabata films starring Van Cleef (or... dare I ask.... the one starring Yul Brenner as the title character)?

[Scott]

All three SABATA films are worth checking out. Even the Yul Brenner one. The acrobats in RETURN OF SABATA was an interesting addition. Welcome to the board Jordan. I'm a big Spaghetti Western fan.

[trekgeezer]

Yeah Jordan, I like westerns in general.

[Scott]

Yeah Jordan, I like westerns in general.

I'll second that statement.  American Westerns are really some of the best filmmaking. The Italians expanded on the American Western. Building a myth upon a myth.