In this ninth edition of Spaghetti Sunday, the career of George Eastman will be under the microscope, with various of his spaghetti western based flicks being reviewed. It’s important to note that this post will continue to grow over time, with new George Eastman reviews added as more of his spaghetti western flicks are watched. As with every article and review on the website, this entire series will be spoiler-free.

– The George Eastman Edition –

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Luigi Montefiori, better known to audiences as George Eastman, was born August 16, 1942, in Genoa, Italy. Luigi adopted his “Americanised” alias, George Eastman, after finding himself being cast in a wealth of spaghetti westerns during the 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Due to his towering 6-foot 9-inch frame, along with a dark and imposing screen presence, he was regularly cast as an intimidating villain, not only within the spaghetti western genre but across wider Italian cinema. He also appeared in a number of science fiction productions. That said, his most famous role came in the gory horror film Anthropophagous (1980), directed by Joe D’Amato.

It’s also worth noting that later in his career, Eastman gradually stepped away from acting in the spotlight, to focus more on screenwriting.

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Poker with Pistols – 1967

Directed by Giuseppe Vari and starring George Hilton (Ponson), as well as George Eastman (Lucas), Poker with Pistols revolves largely around the character of Lucas, who becomes indebted to Ponson, ultimately agreeing to deliver a mysterious wagon to the town of Chamaco for a one off payment. He quickly, however, finds himself in deep trouble with the bandits and town’s kingpin in the process. A thoroughly enjoyable spaghetti western with two iconic actors of the genre leading the way.

Poker with Pistols, however, may not appeal to all viewers, as a large portion of the story revolves around the act of gambling. That said, the filmmakers manage to bring a surprising amount of intrigue and tension from these sequences to the table, using them to build suspense and maintain attention as the story evolves.

The flick isn’t overloaded with action, with much of it saved for the final act. Instead, it delivers a straightforward, easy-to-follow story with one or two well-placed twists along the way. When the action does arrive, it contrasts nicely with the more toned down gambling scenes.

Hate Your Neighbour – 1968

Directed by Ferdinando Baldi and starring Spyros Fokas (Dakota), alongside George Eastman (Gary Stevens) and Horst Frank (Chris Malone), Hate Your Neighbours delivers a traditional, straightforward tale of revenge, with its three central characters locked in a deadly game of cat and mouse, driven by vengeance and a lucrative goldmine map. An effective spaghetti western, with one or two unique touches that help it stand out within the genre.

As touched upon, the story remains fairly traditional, presenting a cat-and-mouse style plot, but it does come with a few frustrating moments littered throughout. On more than one occasion, the filmmakers veer off into slightly different directions, and because of this, the film feels a little bloated and, at times, somewhat convoluted, lacking a bit of focus.

With that said, the picture features two standout performances from that of George Eastman, adopting the role of Gary Stevens, a ruthless bandit, as well as Horst Frank, a well-known support figure within the genre, that starred as Chris Malone. All in all, a worthy addition to the genre and more than watchable on the whole.

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It’s worth noting that the website also includes a short review of Django Kills Softly (1971) that was published recently, featured in the article Spaghetti Sunday – Edition #1, which stars George Eastman.