Scott LeBrun The late, great filmmaker Lucio Fulci shows with films such as "The Four of the Apocalypse..." that he deserves to be known for more than his horror films of the late 70s and 80s. Here he brings his talent to the Western genre, with compelling results.The film, based on a story by Bret Harte, unites four disparate characters as they make a perilous journey from one town to another, in the year 1873. They'd all been sharing a prison cell, but were freed after the town fell victim to a vigilante mob. Now, gambler Stubby Preston (Fabio Testi), pregnant prostitute Bunny O'Neill (Lynne Frederick), alcoholic Clem (Michael J. Pollard), and amiable flake Bud (Harry Baird), make their way through the desolate country. Their fortunes truly take a turn for the worse when they make the acquaintance of Chaco (Tomas Milian), a depraved bandit."The Four of the Apocalypse..." is fairly episodic, but its episodes are each riveting in their own way, and there's a real poignancy to the film that fans of Fulci's horror films might not expect. The film is truly quite moving at times; it really puts a commendable accent on character, and our four main characters are people we can come to like, especially the easygoing Stubby. The penultimate episode, when our protagonists come across a town of chauvinistic men, is far and away the best, as these macho individuals eventually come to embrace the imminent arrival of Bunny's child.The principals are all wonderful in their roles - the handsome Testi and the lovely Frederick are well matched, Pollard supplies a bit of comedy relief, Baird is engaging even as his character is clearly shown to have gone off the deep end, and Milian is great malevolent fun as the unrepentant villain. His scenes where he terrorizes the group are some of the grimmest in the film, as he humiliates Clem and forces himself on Bunny. Horror fans will note the presence of Donald O'Brien, who played the title role in "Dr. Butcher M.D." (a.k.a. "Zombi Holocaust"), as the sheriff of Salt Flat.Fortunately, for those who love the gore of Fulci's horror films, there are some very violent moments, even some disturbing ones. They do come across as a little jarring, but also give the film some real punch. Sergio Salvati does his usual solid job with the cinematography, the period recreation is effective, and the music (by Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizzi, and Vince Tempera) and songs are wonderful. Those film lovers eager to explore Fulci's filmography in detail should find this well worth a viewing.Eight out of 10.

MartinHafer I appreciate the DVD for this film very much. It seems that the original American version was not the same as the Italian release. So, in this restoration, the missing bits have been added. But, since it was so many years later that it was reassembled, the new portions have captions--not dubbed like the rest of the film. Some may dislike this, but I like that you can note what was and wasn't in the original release.The film begins with four small-time misfits sharing a jail cell--a gambler (Fabio Testi), a pregnant prostitute (Lynne Frederick), a drunk (Michael J. Pollard) and a crazy man (Harry Baird). They are eventually thrown out of town and find themselves in the inhospitable countryside. Considering how hot and dry it is, it seems that their troubles MAY be over when they meet up with a hippie-esque guy named Chaco (Tomas Milian). Chaco is amazing with the gun and soon they have plenty to eat and they have every reason to be happy. But the gambler seems to reserve his judgment here--and soon you learn it's for good reason. Chaco is a maniac--and he soon begins terrorizing them and quickly kills a posse looking for him. Now, all trussed up, the three friends can only sit back when Chaco rapes the lady. He then leaves them to die--without horses and in the middle of nowhere. What's next? Well, watch the film--as there's a lot more to follow in this odd little Italian western.Although I enjoyed this film, it had a very sloppy quality about the film. Continuity was often a problem. In one case, it's warm and they're in a desert when a woman goes into labor--suddenly they're in a snow-filled town! Also, the women appears through most of the film to be, at most, 4-5 months pregnant--then gives birth to a healthy baby. It's also NOT a film for kid--with lots of blood, rape, unintentional cannibalism and more! The thing that bothered me most, however, was the awful hippie-style music with the dreadful singing--very sappy and very 1970s.But there also was quite a bit to like. The film, at times, had some real heart. I liked the portion set in the mining town--the miners were great characters and offered a nice contrast to all the violence early in the film. Also, the character development of several in the film (such as the gambler and the drunk) was nice--very nice. An oddly moving film that, with a bit of editing and cleanup, could have been a classic.By the way, I did think it was odd that the western began in a lawless town in Utah. I am sure there were some, but considering Utah was mostly filled with Mormons at that time, this did seem a bit unlikely. Also, the prostitute (Lynne Frederick) was once married to Peter Sellers as well as David Frost. This beautiful lady died very, very young--apparently from the effects of drugs and alcohol.

jadflack A card sharp,a prostitute, an insane negro and a drunkard come out of jail and wander together but fall into the hands of a vicious Indian in the desert and struggle to survive. Extremely uneven and very disappointing spaghetti western that has a reputation of being violent and nasty,it's not, in fact it is slow paced and very little happens.Film is directed by Lucio Fulci who like Dario Argento in my opinion are very over rated by the horror and giallo fans.Film is violent at times, but not enough in my opinion and film is more often sad. The performances are also uneven with Fabio Testi coming off best, but Harry Baird and Lynne Frederick are annoying.Michael J Pollard, one of my least favourite actors is surprisingly at his least annoying here.very disappointing. fair at best.

merklekranz I'd imagine Lucio Fulci was developing his taste for the bizarre with "Four of the Apocalypse". In 1975, skin peelings, cannibalism, and stylized rape in a "spaghetti western" probably was shocking. Unfortunately today, these seem rather tame, and are little more than curiosities. What we are left with is a very un-western-like western. The film plays like a cross between a western, a weak horror spectacle, and a 70s flower power message movie. The four strangers wander aimlessly, mostly on foot, wandering almost as much as the very weak script. While the acting, and main character development is acceptable, long scenes such as the endless child birth, tend to drag the movie down. One other thing, the music seems totally out of place for a western. "Four of the Apocalypse" is a very slow western with a few outdated shocks, that simply doesn't hold interest because of the meandering script. - MERK