Key Takeaways
- Quentin Tarantino returns as a writer this November, prompting fans to explore his influential films.
- Sergio Corbucci‘s spaghetti Westerns are highlighted as favorites of Tarantino, with many available for streaming.
- Death Rides a Horse is a notable film from 1967 featuring Lee Van Cleef, who is highly regarded by Tarantino.
- Roger Ebert rated the film poorly, emphasizing its status among Tarantino’s favorites.
With Quentin Tarantino set to make his filmmaking return this November, albeit only in the capacity of a writer, it’s safe to assume that fans will want to revisit his past work. They may even be inspired to check out the obscure films that have been the most influential for Tarantino. For instance, around the release of Django Unchained and <em>The Hateful Eight</em>, Tarantino spoke passionately about his love for the movies of Sergio Corbucci, the Italian director of spaghetti Westerns who could never escape from under the shadow of the more illustrious Sergio Leone. Several of Corbucci’s classics are streaming for free on Plex. And now, a soon-to-be-launched platform has made another of Tarantino’s favorite spaghetti Westerns available for a new generation to admire.
The movie in question wasn’t directed by either Sergio; instead, it was helmed by Giulio Petroni. It starred Tarantino’s favorite Western star — the actor he most wanted to direct — Lee Van Cleef. In a list of favorite spaghetti Westerns officially compiled by Tarantino, he rated the movie we’re talking about at the eighth spot, ahead of Corbucci’s Navajo Joe and The Great Silence. Tarantino’s list was topped by Leone’s <em>The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</em>, followed by For a Few Dollars More at number two, and Django at number three.
Roger Ebert Wasn’t a Fan of the Movie
But we’re here to talk about the 1967 film Death Rides a Horse, in which a vengeful man crosses paths with a gunfighter with the same enemies. The movie now holds a 50% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the lowest-rated of Tarantino’s favorites. In fact, the late critic Roger Ebert awarded the film one star out of four in his review, writing, “It’s hard to explain the fun to be found in seeing the right kind of bad movie … (Death Rides a Horse) is a bad movie indeed.” You can check it out for yourself on JustWatch TV for free. The movie is already a part of the new streamer’s soft-launch library, ahead of the platform’s proper launch this October. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
