The Inglorious Bastards/Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato (1978) - Castellari's WWII exploitation charmer

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Nude women, explosions, war machinery and macho violence is vividly promised on this self-tooting poster for Enzo G. Castellari's The Inglorious Bastards

A small group of captured American soldiers are on their way to execution in France in 1944, when a flat tire allows them to alter their trajectory: Towards freedom in Switzerland, killing as many 'krauts' on their way as possible!

 

The Inglorious Bastards is written by Sandro Continenza (Sbirulino (1982)), Sergio Grieco (Il Sergente Klems (1971)), Franco Marotta (Lucia (2005, TV movie)), Romano Migliorini (Bandidos (1967)) and Laura Toscano (De Moda (2004-05)), with Alberto Piferi (Salomé (1986)) contributing dialog, and directed by Enzo G. Castellari (Payment in Blood/7 Winchester per un Massacro (1967)). The original Italian title translates to 'that damned armored train'.

How this many individuals could have written this film together is just one of the incredible things about it. The story is generally not the easiest to relate. 

Bo Svenson (Icarus (2010)) plays the 'bastards'' alpha leader, and he does so with a rapscallion charm, which really permeates the entire group, despite the dire war that they find themselves in. This is all part of the fun and ruckus, with plenty of gunpowder and bullets, and Italian film tricks of the era. The Inglorious Bastards is a real charmer.

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: Unknown

= Uncertain

[The Inglorious Bastards was released 8 February (Italy) and runs 99 minutes. Shooting took place in Italy, including in Rome. The production reportedly suffered the trouble of having all of their weapons seized by the authorities halfway through production, due to the Italian Prime Minister's recent kidnapping and murder by the Red Brigade terrorists. New blank-fire prop weapons had to be created fast for the completion of the film. Details concerning the film's budget and box office performance are regrettably not online, but it was widely released in Europe and sold impressive 62k tickets in the small market Denmark, (approximately 453k $), indicating that it was likely a hit. It is not listed as having had a North-American release until 1981. Quentin Tarantino bought the rights to remake the film, although he only reused the title for his Inglorious Basterds (2009). Castellari returned with Sensività (1979). Svenson returned in Il Figlio dello Sceicco (1978); Fred Williamson (Boss Nigger (1974)) in 6 TV credits prior to his theatrical return in Il Cappotto di Legno (1981). 10k+ IMDb users have given The Inglorious Bastards a 6.5/10 average rating.]

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