Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! (1968) User Reviews

What, it's all you have to oppose Tatsuya Nakadai ???

[Arca1943 · 7/10 · 16 July 2007]

I've always liked Italian westerns and I enjoyed this one as well. Good script by Argento, great music by Lavagnino (who composed the score for such great Italian as Tutti a casa). But let's admit it, there is an evident problem with the casting. Bud Spencer, William Berger and the other dude are O.K. within the limits of the genre, but - oups ! - in the role of the bad guy, they're facing one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, no less. Ladies and gentlemen, Tatsuya Nakadai ! English being only my second language, I am a little bit limited when it comes to finding the right words to describe the work of this phenomenal actor. His fame outside Japan mostly came from a series of outstanding samurai movies such as Hara-Kiri, Sword of doom or Goyokin. (Among many others) Yet all those samurais are remarkably different from one another, for Nakadai's trademark is mercurial versatility. His acting technique sometimes seems so different from one movie to the next that you'd hardly believe it's the same man. And of course he interpreted plenty of other characters besides samurais, such as the unfortunate hero in Kobayashi's monument The Human Condition.

I could go on talking about this artist for quite a while. Suffice it to say that watching this western put me somewhat in a sad mood. I'm sure Mr. Nakadai enjoyed himself a lot doing this movie - and it shows ! - but when you have the incredible luck to get such an actor in your cast, frankly it is your responsibility to come out with an outstanding spaghetti western, not just an average-to-good like this one unfortunately is. It's too bad such a project didn't fall in the hands of a more imaginative Italian western director - Sollima or Corbucci or even Colizzi.

Yet again, this western is good enough, and is certainly worth watching would it be just for Tatsuya Nakadai alone, playing the villain - and madman - James Elfego with rejoicing maestria. Since the character is in no way a Japanese, Mr. Nakadai does not have his legendary 'sword of doom' with him - but watch your head, for he does have a machete !

An Entertaining Western

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 28 November 2010]

After five years in jail, Bill Kiowa (Montgomery Ford) is released and he hires four skilled men for his gang: the tough O'Bannion (Bud Spencer); the sheriff Jeff Milton (Wayde Preston); the gunman Bunny Fox (Stanley Gordon); and the gambler Francis 'Colt' Moran (William Berger), using the money his father gave to him. Bill seeks revenge against the sadistic leader of the Comancheros James Elfego (Tatsuya Nakadai), who killed his Indian wife Mirana Kiowa (Diana Madigan) and framed Bill that was sent to prison.

"Oggi a me... domani a te!" is an entertaining western with a story of revenge written by Dario Argento and the director Tonino Cervi. The poor DVD released in Brazil by Diafilme Distributor has many mistakes in the cover: the name of Dario Argento is highlighted as actor in the front cover; the synopsis is totally wrong; and the name of the director is also wrong (Giulio Petroni, instead of Tonino Cervi). Further, the DVD does not have the original audio in Italian, but only dubbed in Portuguese and in English without subtitles. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Mato Hoje, Morro Amanhã" ("Kill Today, Die Tomorrow")

Average Revenge Spaghetti Western With Highs And Lows

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 6/10 · 10 July 2007]

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

TODAY IT'S ME, TOMORROW IT'S YOU is an acceptable Western / vengeance with Bud Spencer as secondary

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 17 February 2009]

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) .

Have I got a job for you . 10 grand worth.

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 17 February 2008]

Dario Argento… Italian horror-specialist?! Well one of them anyway. Yep Argento co-penned this highly enjoyable spaghetti western that had a strong ensemble cast of interesting names to boot. Featuring Brett Halsey, Bud Spencer, William Berger and quite a memorable Tatsuya Nakadai… with a machete! Not only fun and absorbing, but one of the better entries of the long-listed and wide-ranged spaghetti sub-genre. The story is your basic revenge formula, but the script is sharp, unsparing and riddled with well-judged humour that never takes away from the gradual build-up to a thrilling, if offbeat standoff in swampy woodland terrain. These final passages are very well delivered by director Tonino Cervi, by pulling out an atmospheric tone together with the bold violence. But before even leading up to all of this, are some reliably creative and gusty set-pieces that aren't out of place. The brisk style is evident, and music composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino's flamboyant score randomly punctuates some uncanny sounds. While, the formidably cunning camera-work of Sergio D'Offizi adds to the intensity. Japanese actor Nakadai is stupendous, and had me transfixed with his vibrant expressions as the shady, clever weasel-like villain. He stole every shot he was in. Halsey basically just looked good in black, and stared you down with that steely glance in a fitting performance as the revenge seeking heroine. Spencer bombards the screen with his robust personality and stature. The pacing stays tight, and pretty dry with little in the way of lapses.

TODAY IT'S ME TOMORROW YOU (Tonino Cervi, 1968) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 9 February 2008]

I'm sure this title has been broadcast on Italian TV many times over the years but, only after renting it on DVD along with many another Spaghetti Western, did I bother to check out whether it was any good – and I was surprised to see it receive a *** rating on the "Cult Filmz" website! As it turned out, I found myself agreeing with that assessment – which makes the film one of the better (if largely unsung) entries in this profuse, eclectic and erratic genre.

An interesting name in the credits is that of co-screenwriter Dario Argento; actually, early in his career the soon-to-be horrormeister worked on several such efforts in this capacity (including the ultimate genre masterpiece, Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST [1968]). Similarly, director/co-screenwriter Cervi started out as a producer on films by such Italian art-house heavyweights as Antonioni, Bertolucci, Bolognini, De Sica, Fellini, Lattuada, Monicelli and Visconti, etc. – though, later, he even dabbled in nunsploitation flicks!

Anyway, as I said, this is a pretty good Spaghetti Western – albeit saddled with a catchpenny (and meaningless) title – involving a typical revenge plot: leading man Brett Halsey (appearing, unnecessarily, under the amusing pseudonym Montgomery Ford!) emerges from prison after five years, having been framed for the murder of his Indian squaw bride (shown in sepia-toned flashback, this is pretty much a genre fixture); he rallies a compact but formidable band of gunmen/mercenaries (shades of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN [1960]) and sets out in pursuit of the real culprit, ex-pal Tatsuya Nakadai (the celebrated Japanese actor is given the Mexican name of Elfego, though he wields a deadly machete in the fashion of a samurai!).

Halsey appeared in a number of low-brow Spaghetti Westerns (one of them being ROY COLT AND WINCHESTER JACK [1970], incidentally an irregular – and disappointing – stint in the genre by Mario Bava, another seminal figure in Italian horror cinema) but this is most probably the best one he did. Accompanying the appropriately dour and black-clad lead, among others, are beefy Bud Spencer (a future icon of brawling comic fare – by the way, I have three more Spaghetti Westerns of his lined up for this week, one of which also credits Argento among its scriptwriters) and genre/Euro-Cult stalwart William Berger (his character is something of a fop and, furthermore, has a gambling addiction).

Nakadai's presence here, then, is a delightful surprise – which definitely works to the film's advantage (his demise, in a confrontation not unlike that in a Budd Boetticher Western, is a particular highlight); with this in mind, prolific composer Angelo Francesco Lavagnino incorporates several weird Oriental sounds into the traditional Spaghetti Western motifs – and the result is effective indeed. Sergio D'Offizi's notable cinematography, however, isn't rendered justice by the English-dubbed print utilized for the VCI DVD – which is considerably scratched and muddy (at one point, Halsey remarks that "It'll be dark soon"…but the sky, as it appears, is already pitch-black!). Needless to say, the film contains the expected set-pieces of violent action – including an admirably sustained forest ambush at the climax.

Dario Argento western?

[ericdetrick2002 · 4 July 2004]

Yes, it is true, giallo master Dario Argento helped write this speghetti western from the late 60s. I have never been a big fan of western movies, but my love of Italian horror cinema has taken me into this genre. They just don't make

westerns, or any genre for that matter, like this anymore.

This film has all the great makings of what a good western movie should be.

You have the duels, the horse chases, and the classic saloon card game. The

fact that this is a low budget film is what attracts me. The sometimes badly

dubbed in english also humors me. But put those things a side and you have a

pretty good story. The way the final "duel" comes together is classic.

Overall, this is may not be "the one" when it comes to speghetti westerns, I am by no means a connoseur of Italian western film. But I walked away pleased.

Now I have to go and watch a few more Italian cowboy flicks to compare.

Standard revenge western brightened by fine cast

[billywiggins1967 · 7/10 · 3 May 2012]

Bill Kiowa (Brett Halsey) practices his pistol-handling everyday in prison, using a carefully carved wooden replica gun. Kiowa was framed, we learn, and up to the very morning of his release, he repeatedly whips the gun up and out of an imaginary holster, hoping to perfect his draw for the one moment he has dreamt of: facing the man who framed him.

TODAY... opens as Kiowa gets his release, and the story unfolds with Kiowa rounding up a gang of mercenaries to help track down and confront the man who framed him, James Elfego. (The character's nationality is never mentioned but he is played by the Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai. Elfego dresses and acts like the other cowpokes in his gang -- minus a hat -- so the casting might be a lark, or meant to have some deeper subtext.) Kiowa's father gives him a stash of loot to use for paying off the hired guns, and dad is happy to recommend four top-shelf men for the job. Each man is a colorful, distinct personality, and each is played by a legitimate Euro-Western leading man, making the team an all-star squad of sorts. We have Franco "Chet Davis" Borelli, star of DEAD MEN DON'T MAKE SHADOWS, as a clean-cut ladies man; Wayde Preston from BALLAD OF DEATH VALLEY portraying the no-nonsense sheriff; Western stalwart William Berger as a frilled, bejeweled, card-shark; and lastly, the legendary Bud Spencer in full-on "Bambino" mode in the part of a Herculean giant.

The first third of the film, wherein Kiowa assembles the gang, is kind of light-hearted, and has a BLUES BROTHERS-esque "let's get the old band back together" feel to it. Despite Halsey's menacing demeanor, the gang is seemingly primed more for a rip-roaring good ol' Western adventure than a fierce, intense showdown with a band of violent savages. Particularly curious is the conceit where Kiowa will meet with a prospective gunman, lay out the terms of the job, and, BANG, we cut to a shot of them riding together side-by-side. So first it is Kiowa alone, then he picks up his first hire and it's two men riding, then another hire and bang, three men riding, etc. Set to the pic's spritely, bouncy, main theme, it's definitely more mirthful than menacing, though hard to determine if that's due to the director's intent or his clumsy touch.

Finally, Kiowa's gang set out on their cat-and-mouse chase of Elfego and his gang. Will Kiowa finally get his chance to kill his rival? The story has been given much attention by fans and students of cinema, due to it being an early writing effort of horror film master Dario Argento. But truth told, it is a very ordinary and generic revenge story, one that could have been done by anybody. The interesting aspect of a Japanese man playing the villain is never really addressed within the story itself, so we don't know if it's a "choice" by the writer, or what.

Direction by Tonino Cervi is efficient if unremarkable. This film is the only Western on his resume, and its direction is straightforward, and notwithstanding the sepia flashback setpiece, pretty ordinary. The scenery lends a bit of moody and distinctive ambiance to the action, especially in the final showdown sequence, which is set in a lovely, densely-wooded forest. And as mentioned previous, the pic's recurring title music is a little bit too bright and happy to be a good match for the revenge setting of the story. Angelo Lavagnino is the composer. Yet despite the ill fit of the pic, it is a catchy theme.

Brett Halsey (billed as Montgomery Ford), an American TV veteran leads the cast as the morose and intense Bill Kiowa. This is the first I've seen of him in a Western, and I am impressed. His style here is straight from the Franco Nero Django school, with bright brooding eyes, stubbly beard, and big over-sized scarf. He is the lone member of the "good guys" that is played straight, that is to say, without a wink or smirk, and he's very good in the part. Wayde Preston is good, bringing a John Wayne-type swagger as the quick-shooting lawman. Bud Spencer is as ever, the wry, sarcastic behemoth of a man, always fighting with his fists rather than engaging in gunplay. (And just an aside, but why does Spencer never wear a hat in any of his roles? Vanity? Who knows.) The standout among Kiowa's men is the delightful William Berger as Colt Moran. His sideways grin and dapper styling are a delight to watch, especially in a scene where he confronts an underhanded poker cheater in a saloon. Toward the film's climax, Berger dispatches a bad guy and betrays no emotion other than to bemoan the blood splatter on his fine, frilly shirt.

The villains are led by the evil Elfego, played by Tatsuya Nakadai, a veteran of the Japanese screen including several appearances in Kurosawa pics. His performance here is pretty brilliant, all wide-eyed, intense, and deeply felt. He is a good match for Halsey's low-key, brooding hero. Elfego is dressed like a western gentleman (no hat, though) and packs a big machete in addition to his pair of six-shooters. Was the machete intended to bring to mind a samurai sword? Maybe, but I really wish we had some explanation to his character's origin and backstory. It might have opened up a new level of intrigue to an ordinary plot.

It's not an essential eurowestern, but I would call TODAY WE KILl... a solid entry in the genre. Worth seeking out for a standard tale efficiently done, and for fine turns by Halsey, Berger, and especially Tatsuya Nakadai.

Okay second tier spaghetti western

[pmtelefon · 5/10 · 12 January 2020]

"Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!" (That's the title under which I watched this movie.) is an okay non-Sergio Leone spaghetti western. It has a pretty good story and tells it in reasonably well way. The cast is fine but the script does have some weak spots. That caused me to drift away for a while. I came back into the fold for the last twenty minutes or so. "Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!" ends up feeling longer than it actually is. This movie is an okay, but not very memorable, watch. Dishonorable mention: the flashback scene.

Enjoyable low budget Western

[anxietyresister · 6/10 · 24 June 2009]

My first positive review for a while, and it's for this little Western potboiler. A guy who has spent five years in prison for the murder of his wife which he was not responsible for organises a band of the meanest hombres around and goes to kill the real culprit of the crime. The murderer happens to be the leader of a bunch of merciless gangsters who hold up stagecoaches and dispose of anyone who gets in their way, so our hero and his desperadoes have their work cut out for them. But where there's a will..

Lacking the technical expertise of Clint Eatwood's finest, this is still a thoroughly engaging spectacle. So what if the dead bodies sometimes move, and the fists obviously never make contact with skin? Thanks to robust characterisations, lashings of wit, enthusiastic gun battles and an infinitely hissable villain this is well worth catching at the wee crack of dawn when you can't sleep. In fact, it's so entertaining I am postponing my own bedtime at 2.30 a.m to recommend it to everyone. Now that's commitment. YAWN. 6/10.... ZZZZZZZZZ *Head collapses on Z key*

Disappointing

[cengelm · 5/10 · 7 November 2001]

This film is considered one of the best spaghetti-westerns and thus my expectations were high. Unfortunately it didn't deliver. It's a simple and worn revenge story which never leaves the clichéd paths. The head villain Elfego(well played by Tatsuya Nakadai) is described as almost invincible but later turns out to be less than smart. Having a good opportunity to finish with the avengers we don't get an explanation at all why he doesn't take his chance. In the end he runs together with his gang into a prepared ambush and is the only survivor, for no other reason than to lose the final duel.

The film is well shot and the score adequate. It feels sometimes quite intense and never shifts into comedic waters. The typical tongue-in-cheek humor of the spaghetti genre is missing. There are no great memorable scenes, either.

5 / 10.

An unfortunately forgotten Class-A Spaghetti Western

[t_atzmueller · 8/10 · 14 December 2011]

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!

Another COOL western !

[Mark-371 · 6/10 · 14 January 2000]

WOW ! This was one good western, and it also has Bud Spencer (one of my fave actors) as one of the main roles! Heres the plot :

A man named Bill Kiaowa was sent to prison for 5 years for killing his wife....a crime which he didn't commit.When he's released from jail, he rounds up his old buddies to help him kill the man who killed his wife....

Yeah, your thinking, oh, just another boring western! It is just one of those simple westerns that were rip offs of " The good, the bad, and the Ugly" but give it a shot! Its worthwile!

Today it's me.... gets 6/10

Typical Italian western...but with some interesting actors

[Vice-4 · 2 August 1999]

This movie could be seen as one of the many "western" mushroomed out in Italy after the success of Sergio Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars". What makes it noteworthy is the presence of Bud Spencer, here at his debut with the heavy-handed character which will make him later famous with the "Trinità" series, and the casting in the role of "villain" Jess Elfego of one of the most outstanding Japanese actors, Tatsuya Nakadai, at the time almost unknown outside his country, well before arising to world fame with the leading role in Akira Kurosawa's "Kagemusha".

Brooding 'Spaghetti' yarn.

[RatedVforVinny · 7/10 · 16 November 2018]

Written by the great Dario Argento and featuring the usual comedy star Bud Spencer (in a rather serious role). It's a good classy entry to the 'Italian Western' genre. All the ingredients are right here, including a fantastic film score and a punchy directive style. Typical really but one for the fans to sit down and get their teeth into.

"Spaghetti" in the woods .........

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 18 July 2016]

"Today We Kill ... Tomorrow we Die" is a rather unique "Spaghetti Western". First thing you will notice is the Old West looks more like the Maine woods than Arizona. I did not find the setting to be objectionable, just different. Fortunately there is some character development in this standard revenge story. Tatsuya Nakadal and his large band of cutthroats kill Montgomery Ford's Indian wife and frame him for the crime. After five years in jail, Ford hires four gunfighters to go after Nakadal and his gang. Nakadal obviously had seen "For a Few Dollars More", as his crazed bandit performance closely resembles Gian Maria Volonte's "Indio". My only question is why stage most of the final showdown in almost total darkness? - MERK

A decent curio for Argento completists with a great unhinged Nakadai villain

[Quinoa1984 · 6/10 · 14 February 2023]

How much you'll enjoy Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die! (Such a good title that it was actually previously a title for a whole *other* 2nd tier Spaghetti Western and I had to double check the box to make sure I had the right one) will depend really on how much you enjoy this motley cast of faces and how they can pose and sneer menacingly (or, alternately, quite cooly).

It's not really a movie you watch for any sort of original story- a man dead set on revenge because some Bad Dude raped and killed his love in front of him and then framed him for a crime he didn't commit, thats just another Tuesday on an Italian movie set- and anything you may want to find from Dario Argento as some kind of marker of the operative isn't really there (at least not yet, but then this was his first produced script so I cut him some slack here).

Unfortunately, the gun play is also just average, nothing too poor but nothing that makes you sit up and become transfixed or in a state of arm-rest-pulling tension (the highlight for me is when O'Bannion basically Hulks out of a chair to punch and main and fight back against these companeros who have him and our stubble-man anti hero tied up), and the music is fairly rote as well.

I was enjoying enough of the near Silent-film star rugged and ugly on-screen magnetism of the B cast (Preston as an example) enough to get me through the movie, like the less they said the more compelling they are, some of the violence and a handful of one-liners have a Nihilistic gallows humor, and to be sure Nakadai is the highlight for every moment his slithering, death-eyed villain madman taunts and maims and he is kind of a walking contradiction of a man subtly chewing the scenery and actors around him, if that makes sense (or uh he's a more classy vicious psychopathic killer than like a Volante or Van Cleef).

Totally acceptable after a long day in the proverbial Mines, and mostly for Argento or Spaghetti Western completitsts. I wish I had a strong triple whiskey to go with it.

Standard revenge western, but very well made

[Leofwine_draca · 8/10 · 27 May 2014]

TODAY IT'S ME...TOMORROW YOU!, aka TODAY WE KILL, TOMORROW WE DIE!, is a 1968 spaghetti western directed by Tonino Cervi and starring Brett Halsey as a Django lookalike who goes on the warpath to avenge the death of his wife. The film's origins are clear, with the straightforward revenge story concocted by Dario Argento no less. The first half sees posse members being assembled (a bit like THE DIRTY DOZEN) while the second sees them carrying out their mission of vengeance.

There's little in this movie you won't have seen elsewhere, but I was surprised at how well shot it is. The locations are atmospheric and the cinematography is excellent, with plenty of gritty shoot-outs for action fans. Characterisation is slim but the characters themselves are engaging, from Halsey's taciturn lead to the likes of William Berger, Bud Spencer and Wayde Preston as various members of the posse. The music is stirring and as a whole the production values can't be faulted.

The best actor of the lot is a real surprise: Japanese star Tatsuya Nakadai, star of the late Kurosawa movies RAN and KAGEMUSHA: THE SHADOW WARRIOR, playing the bad guy. Nakadai gives a multi-layered and extremely decent performance straight out of Japanese samurai cinema, and acts everybody else off screen. Simply said, he's brilliant and lifts the movie whenever he appears. The rating gains a star due to his presence alone.

Italian western at its sarcastic best

[unbrokenmetal · 8/10 · 10 April 2011]

It's a pleasure to watch this movie because it's hero has a clear and direct plan, no messing around. Bill Kiowa (Brett Halsey) is released from prison and wants revenge on Elfego (intense villain: Japanese actor Tatsuya Nakadai), the killer of his wife. He looks for the best gunmen he can find (played by William Berger, Bud Spencer, Wayde Preston and Chet Davis), then searches for Elfego and his bandits to challenge them. Simple, but extremely effective. Brett Halsey does an excellent 'silent stranger' job, obviously following the footsteps of 'Django' Franco Nero, also in his outer appearance. The scenes are very well arranged, sarcastic Italian western style at its best. For example, when Bill purchases a gun - without saying a word - then shoots two guys in front of the store, and the owner says what a great gun that is, and he'll order some more of the same type. Professional attitude, isn't it? Another example is when Wayde Preston's character, the sheriff of a town, is joining Bill's team. He simply makes a prisoner new sheriff so he can leave town. So much for law, two sides of the same coin, one might say. Supported by the powerful musical score A.F. Lavagnino composed, 'Oggi a me, domani a te!" is a very recommendable tough flick.

Best western death scene ever!

[ster2001 · 10/10 · 20 January 2004]

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.

Reheated spaghetti

[Mike E Monster · 4 September 2003]

Overall, just okay, really, although I will say kudos in particular to Tatsuya Nakadai, who played a great lead villain (he later played the leading role in Kurosawa's "Kagemusha"). What makes him even cooler is that - besides the fact that he wears no hat, nor does Spencer for that matter, Nakadai also wields a wicked machete when things get cooking! Halsey plays an effective lead too, in particular visually - I mean, the dude can grow a good scruff and done a wicked black cloak and hat!

The one drawback is the obvious low budget, never more obvious than the fact that - outside of the "good guy" gang and the "bad guy" gang, I think there is like 5 more people in the ENTIRE movie - seriously! The entire third act takes place in a barren forest as the two gangs square off - very weird, really. Kind of like a First Blood thang, with dudes hanging from trees and ambushing guys from the bushes and stuff. I REALLY would have loved to have seen a more seasoned-Argento tackle something like this. The possibilities would have been endless . . .