The Jackals

Rating:
Summary: much better than I expected!
Review: I just show the movie a couple of days ago on Fox Movie Channel. Even though Vicent Price is given top billing, it's more of a supporting role. I wasn't too crazy about it's premise (cowboys in South Africa). However, by the end of the movie, I liked it.

As previous reviewers have stated, granddaughter and grandfather (Price) try to protect gold from 5 outlaws. One of them falls for the granddaughter and decides to change his ways. Not original, but fun since it takes place in South Africa rather than the old west. I've haven't seen the original, YELLOW SKY, so I can't comment if this film is better or worse.

As far as the length of the film is concerned, the one I saw on Fox Movie Channel had a runing time of 93 minutes. If there is a longer version, either Fox doesn't have the missing scenes or it really is only 93 minutes and the distribution company made a mistake on the running time.

Rating:
Summary: Vincent Price in the Wild African west
Review: The technical part of this review refers to the Brentwood Home Video or BCI Eclipse version.

A western set in Africa with Vincent Price! What more could you ask for? In reality, you could ask for a bit more. Mr. Price plays a prospector who lives with his granddaughter and happens to have a ton o' gold hidden away. Along come the bad men who want to take the gold and the girl away. Mr. Price is the cunning wily old codger you'd expect him to be. After seeing him in almost exclusively horror fare, it was a pleasure to see him tackle this role. And I bet HE had a good time with it. It shows! A routine western made better with the African location.

The print used was not too bad. Scratches, splices, etc. were minimal. The color by DeLuxe has faded and can be quite noticeable in indoor settings, but not enough to detract from the story. 20th Century Fox originally released this picture, which was 105 minutes in length by all sources I could find. Some company called Rawhide Home Video must have bought the rights, took off the 20th Century Fox logo and put some cheap title card on the beginning. In the process, they must have chopped 12 minutes out of it somewhere. To be honest, I don't know where the editing took place. With such an unknown feature, this will probably be the only chance to see this movie. I wouldn't look for Fox to release a remastered, uncut version any time soon.

Brentwood/BCI does their usual job with features of 6 chapter stops, a Max Fleischer cartoon and trivia game. A decent transfer for the price. This movie is also in a 10 pack of westerns at about triple the price for this one film from Brentwood Home Video called "The Wild West" and is available from Amazon.com.

Rating:
Summary: Very unusual Vincent Price Movie!
Review: This western, made 1966 in South Afrika, is a very strange remake of YELLOW SKY (1948). It reminds me a little bit of two Monte Hellman western (THE SHOOTING and RIDE IN THE WIRLWIND) made around the same time. Major interest is Vincent Price as an old gold digger, who lives with his graddaughter in the desert and gets in trouble with a gang of bankrobbers. If you're an admirer of Vincent, you have to see this!

The DVD quality is okay for a rare film like this (...). Colors are a bit fadad red. The main problem is, that the film isn't complete: It runs only 93 minutes, than the correct (and on the cover mentioned) 105 minutes! But probably we'll never get the chance to see it better!

There is also a tape available. I don't know it, but think it's made from the same source. If you own it you don't need the DVD. If not get this one!