Intellect Books’ Directory of World Cinema: Italy, edited by Louis Bayman, is now available. This exciting new volume is a scholarly yet accessible collection of writing from some of the world’s leading experts in Italian cinema. I was honoured to be asked to compile the book’s Spaghetti Westerns chapter, and humbled by the quality of contributions I received.

Limited to selecting just twelve films for review from the vast array of Italian Westerns, my choices may raise eyebrows. This was my intention; for what good is an appreciation of genre cinema if we its audiences do not actively subject the received canons therein to constant scrutiny? Less a “top twelve” than a desire to look again at aspects of this oft-homogenised filone, it is to be hoped that the chapter will offer something new to academic study of popular Italian cinema, as well as sparking debate amongst fans. The contributions, in chronological order by Italian film release, are as follows:

Christopher Frayling: Per un pugno di dollari / A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964)

Dimitris Eleftheriotis: Johnny Oro / Ringo and His Golden Pistol (Sergio Corbucci, 1966)

Iain Robert Smith: Django (Sergio Corbucci, 1966)

Austin Fisher: El Chuncho, quién sabe? / A Bullet for the General (Damiano Damiani, 1966)

Robbie Edmonstone: Se sei vivo, spara! / Django Kill! (If You Live Shoot!) (Giulio Questi, 1967)

Mimmo Gianneri: La resa dei conti / The Big Gundown (Sergio Sollima, 1967)

Austin Fisher: Faccia a faccia / Face to Face (Sergio Sollima, 1967)

Phil Hardcastle: I giorni dell’ira / Day of Anger (Tonino Valerii, 1967)

Daniel O’Brien: Ehi amico…c’è Sabata, hai chiuso! / Sabata (Gianfranco Parolini, 1969)

Eleanor Andrews: Lo chiamavano Trinità / My Name is Trinity (Enzo Barboni, 1970)

Iain Robert Smith: Keoma (Enzo G. Castellari, 1976)

Robbie Edmonstone: Mannaja / A Man Called Blade (Sergio Martino, 1977)