t_atzmueller Ah, those childhood memories! Memories of old family traditions which included that my father would bring home every Bud Spencer and/or Terence Hill comedy he could get his hands on and triumphantly place them into my small hands. One time it happened to be "Stoßgebet für einen Hammer" (roughly translated as "Quick Prayer for a Hammer"). I watched happily – until my mother walked in and started giving my father, who had in the meantime retreated to his office, for allowing me to watch brutal Italian Western films containing bloodletting and rape.To my father defence it must be said that he had no idea what he was pushing into the video-recorder. He couldn't know that both Bud Spencer and Terence Hill had made some rather nasty Spaghetti-Westerns (in the case of Hill it was a rather violent "Django"-sequel) prior to their comedy-successes, which where now marketed by German video companies as "Trinity", "Buddy" or "Hammer"-appendage.Nostalgia aside, "Today we kill … tomorrow we die" earns a special place among the Spaghetti Westerns like Sergio Corbucci's masterpiece "The Great Silence". The story is relative simple: a honest, wrongfully convicted Bill Kiowa (Brett Halsey) is released from the goal and assembles a gang of gunmen (among them Bud Spencer) to take revenge on sadistic Elfego (Tatsuya Nakadai), the man who not only got him jailed but who also raped and killed his wife.Bud Spencer has a mere supporting role here, playing a hard-hitting but essentially loyal gun for hire and Brett Halsey does a decent job as bitter but rightfully vengeful protagonist. However, the film is carried by Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai, who essentially plays a Mexican villain. The actor, who is better known for his works with director Akira Kurosawa, confirms the old saying that a film strives or dies through the villain, lending an air of constant threat while remaining both charismatic and exotic.Giving it points according to the Spaghetti Western standards where "Django" get's a 10 and "The Great Silence" is hard at it's heels with 9 ½ points, I'd easily give "Today we kill … tomorrow we die" a solid 8 points. Just remember, dads: neither "Django" nor "Today we kill … tomorrow we die" are kids' movies – even if they star Bud Spencer and Terence Hill!

ma-cortes A man named Bill Kiowa (Brett Halsey) is falsely convicted for killing his spouse and is condemned to prison for several years . When Bill's released he seeks vendetta against the Comancheros's leader who killed brutally his sweetheart . He's named Bill and as his wife was a Native American , for that reason is named Bill Kiowa . He reunites a misfit band formed by four tough men , a corpulent hunk named O'Bannon (at one of his first Westerns , Bud Spencer), a gambler (William Berger : Sartana, Sabata) , a gunslinger (Wayde Preston) , all of them to go after the Pistolero who framed him . Meanwhile , the bandits led by Elfego (Tatsuya Nakadi, starring in Kagemusa, and Ran) rob a Well Fargo stagecoach . Elfego is a psycho , a sadistic wielding a machete and killing cruelly his victims.This Spaghetti packs goods moments with gunfire and fist-play and also the visual look is nice . Reminiscent of other films , except all those other movies are much better (Magnificent seven , The Good , the Bad and The Ugly , Fistful of dollars , among them) . Good camera work by Sergio Dóffici , though shot on inappropriate Italian outdoors from the Lacio and Elios Studios . I miss the classic barren landscapes from Almeria (Spain) where were filmed hundreds of Westerns . Cool musical score by Angelo Francisco Lavagnino , Peplum's usual . Weak performance by Brett Halsey as a man released after a jail term for a crime he didn't commit and raises a two-fisted bunch . Brett was a B American actor who starred numerous Spaghetti (Kill Johnny Ringo , Wrath of God , Roy Colt and Winchester Jack , Twenty thousand dollars for seven) and spy genre , working for Ricardo Fedra and Mario Bava and later returning USA as secondary TV actor . Halsey didn't believe in this movie and opted to use a the pseudonym Montgomery Ford so people wouldn't associate him with it ; the movie ended up being his most successful ever and to this day he's credited as Montgomery Ford in Italy . Excellent acting by Tatsuya Nakadai, a prestigious Japanese actor , he puts strange faces , grimace , penetrating eyes and killer laughter . The film was middlingly directed by Tonino Cervi in his first and only Western . He has an eclectic career as writer and director of drama (Portrait of bourgeois in black), comedy (The miser) and terror (Queens of evil) . His most important activity was as a producer , as he produced for Federico Fellini(Bocaccio 70) , Antonioni(Red desert) , Vancini (Long night of 43) and Bertolucci (Grim reaper) .

Witchfinder General 666 Co-written by Horror-great Dario Argento, one of the filmmakers I have the highest respect and admiration for, Tonino Cervi's "Oggi A Me... Doani A Te!" aka. "Today It's Me... Tomorrow It's You" of 1968 is an average Italian revenge Western that has its highs and lows, certainly no highlight of the great Spaghetti Western genre, but a film with some definite qualities and some very good moments.After spending five years in prison, Bill Kiowa (Brett Halsey) seeks nothing but to take revenge on merciless Outlaw James Elfego (Tatsuya Nakadai), who has destroyed his life. In order to fight Elfego's notorious gang, Kiowa hires five men, among them the huge O'Bannion (Bud Spencer) and gambler Francis 'Colt' Moran (William Berger)...It is beyond doubt that Dario Argento is not only a Horror genius, but also a brilliant writer of Westerns, since he co-wrote the story to Sergio Leone's ingenious "Once Upon A Time In The West". The plot of "Today It's Me... Tomorrow It's You!", however, certainly has some interesting points, but is ultimately nothing more than average. One of this movie's biggest qualities is the cast, as it features the legendary Bud Spencer in one of his early Western roles, the great Spaghetti Western regular William Berger in one of his typical cool-cat roles, and the famous Japanese character actor Tatsuya Nakadai, who is just great as the diabolic villain. Brett Halsey is not too charismatic in the lead, but his performance is not bad either.The quality of the score differs throughout the movie, I didn't like the main theme, but some parts of the soundtrack are pretty good, especially the drum sections, accompanied by a yell, and Nakadai's character's theme. The movie's biggest flaws are the buildings and locations. They look OK at times, but over-all the movie delivers the visual impression of European woods in the fall much rather than the old West. This could have been a lot better if it had been filmed on better locations (such as the Spanish Almería), but it is an overall decent Spaghetti Western. My fellow Spaghetti Western enthusiasts should have a good time. 6/10

ster2001 This was pretty decent most of the way through but the last 10 minutes are really superb. Getting Tetsuya Nakadai(the great Japanese star) to play the villan was a brilliant idea. His strained facial gestures are hilariously brilliant. He really raises the movie. He even wields a giant machette like a samurai sword in a few scenes! I suppose he's playing a mexican? It is never explained but it doesn't really matter. Good cast all around. Some inventive scenes but the end shoot out is great. Nakadai's facial expression are fantastic as he almost freezes in place after being shot. And the score which was rather functional takes on an inspired tone as the villan dies, which takes a scene chewingly long time. Hats off to Nakadai for raising this above average.