Peplum bodybuilding sensation Steve Reeves of "Hercules" fame concluded his cinematic career with "Suicide Commandos" director Camilla Bazzoni's "A Long Ride From Hell," a thoroughly conventional but wholly cynical Spaghetti western penned by Reeves and co-scenarist Roberto Natale of "Kill, Baby... Kill!" from veteran American western novelist Gordon D. Shirreffs' book "The Judas Gun." Lensed on location in Spain by future "Trinity" helmer Enzo Barboni, "A Long Ride from Hell" is a visual treat, especially the nocturnal scenes. Unfortunately, Bazzoni lacks an eye for pictorial detail and composition. This low-budget oater looks like it was shot very quickly and the writers eliminated certain scenes, like a courthouse scene, to accelerate the pace. Bazzoni doesn't stage the shoot-outs with any sense of verve like either Sergio Leone or Gianfranco Parolini. Carlo Savina's music sounds like a left-over score from his sword and sandal features, but the theme song is rather catchy. Mind you, Steve Reeves looks like he was born to wear a six-gun and Stetson, but clean-shaven as he remains throughout the film, he never looks like a traditional Spaghetti western protagonist. Meanwhile, mustached Wade Preston makes an evil adversary, with Spaghetti western stalwart Aldo Sambrell of "Navajo Joe" fleshing out the cast of this 85 minute horse opera.
Cast as rancher Mike Sturges, Steve Reeves learns that his herd of horses have been stolen and most of his riders killed. Tracy survives the ambush and makes it back to alert Mike about the theft of horseflesh. Mike rides out with his kid brother Roy (Franco Fantasia of "Hercules, Samson & Ulysses," and their ranch hand Bobcat Bates (Mario Maranzana of "The Nephews of Zorro") to recover the stolen horses because they have their fortune tied up in them. They ride to the farthest water hole at Dragoon Springs and camp. During the night, a stranger enters their camp. Mike recognizes Marlin Mayner (Wade Preston of "A Man Called Sledge") and Marlin warns them that they are sleeping on the right of way of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Marlin lies that he serves as a Southern Pacific investigator. He explains to Mike that the railroad is uneasy with drifters encroaching on it land since several robberies have occurred. Moreover, he points out to Mike that the ex-convict turn ranch hand Bobcat Bates would arose the suspicions of any lawman. As it turns out, Marlin was the dastard that arranged the ambush of Mike's horse herd, but Mike doesn't know this at this point. After Marlin leaves, Mike rides out to investigate. An unknown assailants floats a lariat over Mike's head, pulls him off his horse, and shoots him in the leg.
Meanwhile, the Southern Pacific train pulls up the water tower at night to replenish the boiler of the locomotive. Marlin's outlaws open fire and pour a barrage of lead into the train. They wipe out all the guards and then dynamite the boxcar containing the loot. They make off with $80-thousand in gold coin. The authorities, Sheriff Max Freeman (Mimmo Palmara of "Bullets Don't Argue") arrive not long afterward and question Mike about the robbery. Savagely, he tries to beat any information out of Mike. As it turns out, the evidence is incriminating because Bobcat's dead body has been found near the railroad tracks. Later, despite a courtroom scene that was never shot, Mike and his brother Roy wind up in the infamous Yuma Prison. The scenes showing Mike smashing rocks in a quarry is the first time that Reeves bares his Mr. Universe chest. An evil Prison supervisor tortures Roy and kills him. Mike takes advantage of a prison riot to break out of Yuma. Eventually, he tracks down the villains, wipes them out and returns the $80-thousand that Marlin had buried in a safe place.
A sturdy, standard-issue Spaghetti western, "A Long Ride from Hell" benefits from Enzio Barboni's atmospheric cinematography as well as combined star power of Reeves and Preston make it worth watching.
Cast as rancher Mike Sturges, Steve Reeves learns that his herd of horses have been stolen and most of his riders killed. Tracy survives the ambush and makes it back to alert Mike about the theft of horseflesh. Mike rides out with his kid brother Roy (Franco Fantasia of "Hercules, Samson & Ulysses," and their ranch hand Bobcat Bates (Mario Maranzana of "The Nephews of Zorro") to recover the stolen horses because they have their fortune tied up in them. They ride to the farthest water hole at Dragoon Springs and camp. During the night, a stranger enters their camp. Mike recognizes Marlin Mayner (Wade Preston of "A Man Called Sledge") and Marlin warns them that they are sleeping on the right of way of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Marlin lies that he serves as a Southern Pacific investigator. He explains to Mike that the railroad is uneasy with drifters encroaching on it land since several robberies have occurred. Moreover, he points out to Mike that the ex-convict turn ranch hand Bobcat Bates would arose the suspicions of any lawman. As it turns out, Marlin was the dastard that arranged the ambush of Mike's horse herd, but Mike doesn't know this at this point. After Marlin leaves, Mike rides out to investigate. An unknown assailants floats a lariat over Mike's head, pulls him off his horse, and shoots him in the leg.
Meanwhile, the Southern Pacific train pulls up the water tower at night to replenish the boiler of the locomotive. Marlin's outlaws open fire and pour a barrage of lead into the train. They wipe out all the guards and then dynamite the boxcar containing the loot. They make off with $80-thousand in gold coin. The authorities, Sheriff Max Freeman (Mimmo Palmara of "Bullets Don't Argue") arrive not long afterward and question Mike about the robbery. Savagely, he tries to beat any information out of Mike. As it turns out, the evidence is incriminating because Bobcat's dead body has been found near the railroad tracks. Later, despite a courtroom scene that was never shot, Mike and his brother Roy wind up in the infamous Yuma Prison. The scenes showing Mike smashing rocks in a quarry is the first time that Reeves bares his Mr. Universe chest. An evil Prison supervisor tortures Roy and kills him. Mike takes advantage of a prison riot to break out of Yuma. Eventually, he tracks down the villains, wipes them out and returns the $80-thousand that Marlin had buried in a safe place.
A sturdy, standard-issue Spaghetti western, "A Long Ride from Hell" benefits from Enzio Barboni's atmospheric cinematography as well as combined star power of Reeves and Preston make it worth watching.