The Four of the Apocalypse... (1975)

Four petty criminals, three men and a woman, wander through the trackless terrain of the Wild West Utah and are hounded by a sadistic bandit.

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Ennio De Concini (adapted for the screen by), Bret Harte (stories) (as Francis Brett Harte, Brett Harte)

Stars:

Fabio Testi, Lynne Frederick, Michael J. Pollard

Cast

Cast overview:
Fabio Testi	...	Stubby Preston
Lynne Frederick	...	Emanuelle 'Bunny' O'Neill
Michael J. Pollard	...	Clem
Harry Baird	...	Bud
Tomas Milian	...	Chaco
Adolfo Lastretti	...	Rev. Sullivan
Bruno Corazzari	...	Lemmy
Giorgio Trestini	...	Saul
Donald O'Brien	...	Sheriff of Salt Flat

Storyline

Follows the adventures and travels of four petty criminals in 1873 Utah whom include gambler and swindler Stubby Preston, pregnant prostitute Bunny O'Neal, drunkard Clem, and a mental disturbed man, named Bud, who's obsessed with the dead. The quartet travel aimlessly through the Utah Badlands looking for food, water and people to swindle, while they are harassed by a villanous Mexican bandit, named Chaco, whom Stubby vows revenge after the bandito sexually assaults Bunny.

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Plot Keywords:

topless female nudity | italo western | rape and revenge | pregnant prostitute | revenge | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Western

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is loosely based on two short stories by Bret Harte, "The Luck of Roaring Camp" and "The Outcasts of Poker Flat". Fabio Testi's character, Stubby, is the "John Oakhurst" character from "The Outcasts of Poker Flats", and Lynne Frederick's "Bunny" is named "Duchess" in the original story. The outlaw Chaco, played by Tomas Milian, was not in either short story, and the action in the film is considerably more violent than in the stories.

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Goofs

When Stubby takes the doll from the dead little Swiss girl, she moves her left hand.

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Quotes

Chaco: Chaco is the name my friend, and I would be very happy to join your group.
Stubby Preston: Nobody invited you.
Chaco: But I did. I'm a damn good hunter you know. Wherever you go you'll have a piece of meat every day.

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Alternate Versions

The original US release cut the most graphic moments from a scene in which Tomas Milian cuts some skin off of a man's stomach, as well as cutting some dialogue from the climactic scene in which Milian taunts Fabio Testi about Milian's earlier rape of Lynne Frederick. Both scenes have been restored in Anchor Bay's recent DVD release. However, because neither scene was ever dubbed into English for the original release, these scenes are in Italian with English subtitles.

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Connections

Referenced in Frizzi & Fulci (2016)

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Soundtracks

Stubby (You're Down and Out)
Music by Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizzi, & Vince Tempera
Words by Rink Greenfield & Peter Cook
Sung by Rink Greenfield (as Greenfield) & Peter Cook (as Cook) and Benjamin Franklin Group

User Reviews

Violent And Moving Western By Lucio Fulci

Many people, among them even fans of Spaghetti Western, seem not to like "The Four Of The Apocalypse", but it is actually a good movie, even though untypical for the genre. Although the movie's violent reputation is maybe a little exaggerated, the uncut version of the movie has some very brutal scenes, there is a pretty gruesome torture scene, and there is a lot more blood when people are shot than in most Westerns, including Spaghetti Westerns.

The Movie takes place in Utah of 1873, where gambler Stubby Preston meets prostitute Bunny O'Neill, alcoholic Clem and a mentally ill guy named Bud in prison. After Stubby buys their way out of jail, the four head south to a city 200 miles away. They meet an obscure Mexican hunter called Chaco, who joins their group, but soon turns out to be a villainous and sadistic psychopath.

The acting is very good, specially Lynee Frederick's performance as the lovable and beautiful prostitute Bunny, who gives the brutal movie a little heart-warming touch and almost seems a little too innocent for a prostitute, and Tomas Milian who is truly diabolic as vicious Chaco.

The movie's biggest weakness is its score, which is not really bad throughout the whole movie, but in some parts of the movie the songs don't really fall in place with the scenes. Apart from that, the movie is very entertaining, certainly violent but in some scenes even heart-warming. A must-see for every fan of Lucio Fulci and every fan of Spaghetti Westerns, although quite untypical for the genre, since Fabio Testi's character Stubby Preston is not quite the typical anti-hero of the Italian Western.

A highly recommendable film, entertaining and gory, but in some parts also very moving. 7 out of 10.

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

12 August 1975 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Four of the Apocalypse...

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coralta Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min (uncut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technospes)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1