THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966)
Order Grindhouse Releasing's spectacular 2K restoration of 'the greatest spaghetti western you've never seen' THE BIG GUNDOWN. Available now as a 4-disc Blu-ray/DVD/CD soundtrack set.
Grindhouse Releasing is proud to present the first-ever U.S. home video release of the greatest Spaghetti Western you've never seen: Sergio Sollima’s widescreen epic THE BIG GUNDOWN.
The legendary Lee Van Cleef stars as a relentless bounty hunter on the trail of Cuchillo (Euro-film superstar Tomas Milian), a savage Mexican outlaw accused of the rape and murder of a twelve-year-old girl. Written by ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST screenwriter Sergio Donati, THE BIG GUNDOWN features an incredible soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. This special edition contains an additional 15 minutes of gunslinging action never before seen in America.
“The best non-Sergio Leone spaghetti western … boasting stylish widescreen photography and a great Ennio Morricone score.” - Leonard Maltin
“Hardly a man is left alive in this bloody, gutsy and fantastically suspenseful action thriller …plus blood, filth and every variety of violence.” – Reed Porter, The LA Citizen News
“Unfolds in hard, unrelenting style. THE BIG GUNDOWN explodes with violence and sadism.” – Mandel Herbstman, Film and TV Daily
“This is one of the best non-Leone westerns. The ‘hunt in the cane field’ is among the greatest ten minutes ever put on film.” – Thomas Weisser
J. Hoberman on THE BIG GUNDOWN
Praise for Grindhouse Releasing’s 4-disc Blu-ray/DVD/CD combo:
“THE BIG GUNDOWN – now available from the formidable Grindhouse Releasing in a deluxe Blu-ray/DVD/soundtrack set – is simply dazzling. Sollima’s compositions occasionally echo those of Budd Boetticher as he brilliantly plays Milian’s epic slouching and insouciant mudlarking off against a never-better Lee Van Cleef ‘s lean, glinty, and perpetually erect cobra posture. Co-written by ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST co-scribe Sergio Donati, and featuring one of Ennio Morricone’s best Sixties scores, GUNDOWN looks fantastic in this 2K restoration of the film’s ‘newly expanded’ and uncensored English-language version. Also included is the 110-minute director’s cut of the film, in Italian with English subtitles.” – Chuck Stephens, Film Comment
“DVD TALK COLLECTOR’S SERIES…an outstanding Blu-ray set.” – DVD Talk
“A powerful, fiery masterpiece…in a word, great.” – Mondo Digital
“Grindhouse Releasing marks its true arrival on the Blu-ray market with a package worthy of one of the finest spaghetti westerns.” – Jake Cole, Slant Magazine
“ESSENTIAL…the image sparkles as if it were developed in a lab yesterday. A simply stunning presentation of this late ’60s Italian Western classic.” – Spaghetti-Western.net
“Easily one of the best Spaghetti Westerns ever made…a true labor of love from Grindhouse.” – Sean Axmaker, Cinephiled.com
“Superb on every level…with a stunningly beautiful transfer that presents the film in a nearly flawless state. The Blu-ray special edition affords Citizen Kane-like analysis and presentation to the film. The mammoth 4-disc collector’s edition would require an entire day of binge viewing in order to properly appreciate all the variations of the film that are presented here.” – Cinema Retro
“An exceptional release that is sure to be at the top of most critics’ best of the year lists….HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.” – 10K Bullets
“AN EPIC ACHIEVEMENT…this quadruple-disc, multi-format mega-set finds the Grindhouse crew really throwing out all the stops for the benefit of the cult-flick fanbase.” – Don Guarisco, Schlock-Mania
“A badass film gets the 5 star treatment. One of the best releases of the year from one of the best distributors of the year. Grindhouse Releasing has once again set the bar high for genre cinema. ” – Daily Grindhouse
“Lee Van Cleef is a man who makes it look easy to dominate the screen with his presence. Grindhouse Releasing spares no detail, as this new release is a spectacular treat for Spaghetti Western fanatics. ” – Cinema Crazed
“If you like Spaghetti Westerns, then you just have to get a copy of “The Big Gundown,” probably the greatest Italian Western after the Sergio Leone “Man With No Name” trilogy. ” – OnVideo.org
“Having The Big Gundown on North American digital home video is a reason to celebrate all on its own. Grindhouse Releasing has done us many better by releasing a significantly improved HD transfer, the longer Italian cut for the film, a solid series of extras, and the original Ennio Morricone soundtrack. All things considered, this might get my vote for the most exciting Blu-ray of the year.” – DVD Active
“BEST DVD/ BLU-RAY RELEASE OF THE YEAR…Grindhouse Releasing shows how it’s done. In short, the words “ultimate” and “collector’s edition” on the cover box really mean something here.” – Peter Nellhaus
“A great, entertaining spaghetti western!” – Boba Fett 1138
“Grindhouse Releasing’s Blu-ray + DVD + CD of Sergio Sollima’s The Big Gundown is an excellent pressing mastered from prime sources…Fans of Lee Van Cleef, Ennio Morricone and Spaghetti westerns hardly need a recommendation to seek this title out…The Grindhouse disc also has the entire The Big Gundown Ennio Morricone soundtrack album, but on a separate Compact Disc. About six years ago, I remember paying about $30 to have just this music on a GDM import CD.” – Glenn Erickson, World Cinema Paradise
“A fascinating manhunt tale from Sergio Sollima…masterful…a wonderful film, rich with style and loaded with surprises, with a fluid storytelling touch that brings substance to a genre that’s often concerned solely with appearance. It’s a must-see, especially for any western fan who feels Leone is the final word when it comes to this idiosyncratic cinematic movement.” – Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com
“[Grindhouse Releasing’s The Big Gundown] does an excellent job matching the picture’s original theatrical condition….a hearty viewing experience with a pleasing fullness of color, featuring crisp western hues, big blue skies, and accurate skintones. Fine detail is generous with squinty facial particulars, while costuming conveys fabric quality and exteriors expose natural textures. Shadow detail is supportive and expressive, maintaining distances and evening encounters without solidification. Grain is managed superbly, providing a filmic appearance. The BD event looks fresh and true, capturing cinematographic nuance.” – Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com
“With a package like The Big Gundown, Grindhouse Releasing proves why they are the Criterion of the underground.” Scott MacDonald, Euro CultAV.com
“A FORGOTTEN GEM…give indie distributor Grindhouse Releasing all due credit not only for rescuing “The Big Gundown” from obscurity, but for giving it a release worthy of “Citizen Kane,” or “Vertigo,” if Hitchcock is more your flavor.” – Franklin Harris, TimesDaily.com
“The 2K digital restoration looks and sounds great, especially Morricone’s evocative score.” – Gary Dretzka, Movie City News
“A must buy! THE BIG GUNDOWN Is excellent!” – UMustBeBored
“A solid contender as one of the greatest spaghetti westerns ever… a packed to the gills 4-disc set (complete with Ennio Morricone’s evocative score on CD.” – The Oak Drive-In FAVORITE CATALOG TITLES OF 2013
“A great film and truly one of the greatest entries in the genre…Grindhouse Releasing has graced us with one of the best Blu-ray packages I’ve seen in a long time…With the extras, the commentaries, and especially the soundtrack CD, this is my pick for Blu-ray release of the year. I couldn’t be happier to have this in my collection.” – DVD Verdict
“If you are any type of spaghetti western fan, this is definitely a must-have…Without doubt one of the best DVD/Blu-ray releases of 2013.” – Hitless Wonder Movie Blog
“Cheers to Grindhouse Releasing…belongs in everyone’s collection.” – A Fistful of Spaghetti
“Clearly, as much love has gone into this package as it went into production of the movie itself…whereas other special-edition discs might offer Morricone’s music as an isolated track, Grindhouse Releasing goes several steps better by issuing his soundtrack on its own CD within the box. That alone makes The Big Gundown a no-brainer purchase for the maestro’s legion of obsessive fans, yet the set is packed with so many other extras — interviews, trailers, not to mention two separate cuts of the film — that even the non-Morricone lovers (if they exist) have more than enough reason to splurge.” – Rod Lott, Oklahoma Gazette
“One of my favorite Blu-ray releases of 2013…once you watch this movie, you will be forced to compare all other Westerns to it, and it’s a high standard to set.” – James Harris, DocTerror.com
“The Big Gundown is hands down one of the most definitive spaghetti western films of our time.” – Zombies Don’t Run
“There are good Blu-ray releases and there are great Blu-ray releases – ‘The Big Gundown’ from Grindhouse Releasing is an example of a truly superb Blu-ray release.” – John Carpenter, Theater Thoughts
“Featuring lots of beautifully staged action, a screenplay co-written by Sergio Donati, one of the writers of “Once Upon a Time in the West” and a driving score by Ennio Morricone, this film is a cult classic in the making that all buffs of the genre should seek out immediately. Having never been commercially available on home video in the U.S. before, it makes up for lost time with a 4-disc package that includes a Blu-ray and DVD of the expanded version of the original English-language version, a Blu-ray of the Italian-language director’s cut that contains different material from the domestic release and a CD of Morricone’s soundtrack.” – eFilmCritic
“The negative used for this high-def transfer was cleaned frame by frame and without the help of any noise reduction. It is as faithful to the condition of the original source as possible. All things considered, the video presentation is sure to please fans.” – High Def Digest
“The Big Gundown does not disappoint! In one of the more down-and-dirty westerns of the Italian cowboy era of filmmaking, director Sergio Sollima takes the genre to action-packed, exploitative depths. This stunning four-disc set from Grindhouse Releasing contains not only the expanded U.S. cut on Blu-ray and DVD, but a 110-minute European director’s cut, as well as a CD soundtrack of Ennio Morricone’s seminal score, plenty of which most film geeks have heard in various Tarantino movies. No Euro-western collection is complete without this long-awaited title.” – Louis Fowler, Colorado Springs Independent
“Grindhouse Releasing has stepped in to fill one of the biggest remaining gaps in anyone’s spaghetti western collection with their astounding, 4-disc (!) Collector’s Edition release of Sollima’s The Big Gundown. Needless to say, if you love westerns, this is a disc you’ll want to own.” – The Digital Bits
“It’s nice to see…THE BIG GUNDOWN brought back on more favorable terms than what was accorded by the original release…this is a worthy Western than Grindhouse has done honor by.” – Greenbriar Picture Shows
“Grindhouse Releasing has set the bar for Spaghetti Western releases.” – Culture Smash
“ABSOLUTELY STELLAR…without a doubt, one of the greatest westerns ever made in Italy and an extremely worthwhile picture for both film and genre aficionados. Grindhouse Releasing’s complete package is as first-rate as the very best home entertainment releases from, say, the Criterion Collection label. The wealth of interview material is staggering and deeply enriching, the international marketing media galleries are thoroughly overwhelming and what you get with this package is more than worth its price tag. There are four – count ’em – FOUR great discs: a gorgeous Blu-Ray of the original director’s cut in Italian, the English language and truncated American release version on Blu-Ray, a DVD version of the film which includes a superb CD-Rom supplement that painstakingly takes you through the very interesting differences of the European and American versions and, for lovers of great music, a gorgeous CD of Morricone’s soundtrack…expertly provides a magnificent combination of scholarly and practical materials that allow you to marvel at the film’s artistry and importance. A gorgeous and nicely written glossy booklet, a nicely designed jacket and slipcase, an attractive and nicely navigable menu plus a delicious bonus of numerous 60s/70s Euro-Grind trailers all contribute to making Grindhouse Releasing’s disc one of the best home entertainment packages of this year.” – Greg Klymkiw
“This is a comprehensive and great job from Grindhouse Releasing.” – UnratedFilm.com
“Euro-Western icons Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian at their very spaghetti western character acting best…Highly Recommended.” – Cinema Sentries
AND MORE!
