Kill Them All and Come Back Alone

The Confederacy is losing to the north. The only way for Captain Lynch (Frank Wolff) and the rebels to resupply, regroup, and win the war is to hire local thief Clyde McKay (Chuck Connors) to steal millions in Union gold. In order to break into the fortress where the gold is being held, McKay needs the worst band of cutthroats imaginable. But with so many killers and thieves in one gang - it's impossible to tell the difference from your friends and your enemies. 

Talk about one fun flick! Writer/Director Enzo Castellari is well known for his low-budget schlock like Inglorious Bastards or 1990: The Bronx Warriors. When the man had a budget to work with he stood alongside the giants of his pasta-fueled brethren. Kill Them All And Come Back Alone starts fast and maintains its pace for an action-packed 99-minutes. There's one action scene after another with only brief moments to slow down and let some seedy dealings motivate the plot and expand characters where necessary. Pretty soon, it's hard to tell heroes from villains when they're all stabbing each other in the back! I went in because of a great title and I left with a new favorite -- in a long list of favorites.  

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

Kill Them All And Come Back Alone explodes onto Blu-ray in a single disc set from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. Pressed on a Region-A BD-50 disc, the disc is housed in a standard sturdy case. The disc loads to a static image main menu with traditional navigation options where you can choose between the 99-Minute English Cut or the 100-Minute Italian Cut with English Subtitles. Aside from language, there's only one small sequence that's different and truthfully it doesn't change the movie any.

I understand the economics of pressing certain films onto 4K UHD is a balancing act in accounting, but the only way this often jaw-dropping gorgeous 2.35:1 1080p transfer could look any better is fully uncompressed with HDR. As it is - this is a damn beautiful near-flawless presentation. From frame one details are robust allowing full examination of the nefarious character faces and their costumes. Set design for those Spanish desert locations and the scenery looks splendid. Film grain is apparent and healthy without becoming too noisy creating a nice film-like image. Black levels are deep and inky and contrast comes throughout any issues. 

Depending on how you're watching, you get a DTS-HD MA 2.0 English or DTS-HD MA 2.0 Italian audio track - aside from the language differences, the mixes are very similar. Sound effects like gunshots and explosions or horse hooves clopping on stone - all sound the same. Sound effects maintain that Italian canned quality and because dialog and sounds are recorded after filming, there's always a little bit of a rubber mouth quality. Essentially these are both mono mixes but there's a terrific sense of space, especially when they get into some wide-open county. Interior locations where everything had to be dubbed back in can sound pretty flat, but otherwise par for the course. 

Not the most robust assortment of bonus features but the Alex Cox commentary is a good listen for some anecdotal materials. 

• Audio Commentary with Filmmaker Alex Cox. 

• Trailers 

Kill Them All And Come Back Alone may not be as immediately recognizable as something like A Fistful of Dollars but it should be! The title alone always intrigued me, it has that signature Italian flair, but how many flicks actually live up to those titles? Kill Them All more than lives up to its bonkers title. It's a heist movie. It's a spaghetti western. It's the best parts of both at the same time! Whether you watch the slightly shorter 99-minute English Cut or the 100-minute Italian Cut, you'll have a blast the whole way through. 

Kino Lorber Studio Classics delivers another Italian western classic to Blu-ray. Sourced from a new 4K restoration, this movie looks and sounds incredible. If KLSC aims to expand their 4K UHD Blu-ray catalog - I'd nominate this one for consideration simply because that's the only way this film could look any better. Audio is excellent for both cuts and the audio commentary track is worth a listen. If you love past-fueled westerns give this one a look. Highly Recommended.