Comin’ at Ya (1981)

Tony Anthony plays H.H. Hart, who has just wed Abelene (Victoria Abril) when two gunmen barge in the church.

They kill the priest. They wound Hart. And they kidnap Abelene, dragging her out of the church as a helpless Hart watches.

Once healed, he returns to the church and finds an old man who knows the truth behind what’s happening.

The Thompson brothers — Pike (Gene Quintano) and his obese brother Polk (Ricardo Palacious) — are kidnapping young woman throughout the area to auction off into white slavery south of the border.

So armed with a repeating shotgun and a thirst for vengeance, Hart sets out to free Abelene and even the score with the Thompson. And old man tags along to help however he can.

But the odds are long. The Thompsons head a large gang of gunmen. And there are dozens of women in need of rescue.

Review:

A clever opening credit sequence sets the stage for a Spaghetti Western that’s better than you’d expect considering it came so long after the genre’s glory days.

The 3D effects — which inspired the film’s title — clearly help make it look different than any other Spaghetti. Director Ferdinando Baldi and company throw, thrust or drop everything from yo-yos to hot pokers, a baby’s bottom to a snake at the viewer.

Those effects eventually grow tiresome. But by the time they do, you find yourself invested in whether or not Hart can overcome great odds to rescue his damsel, who goes through whole lots of distress by the time the climatic showdown arrives.

Directed by:
Ferdinando Baldi

Cast:
Tony Anthony … H.H. Hart
Victoria Abril … Abelene
Gene Quintano … Pike Thompson
Ricardo Palacious … Polk Thompson
Lewis Gordon … Old man

Also with … Rafael Albaicin, Domenico Cianfriglia, Joaquin Gomez Sainz as Dan Barry, Luis Barboo, Charly Bravo, Buxx Banner

Runtime: 87 min.

aka:
Devil Rider
Pale Fighter

Music: Carlo Savina

Memorable lines:

H.H. Hart: “Can you use a gun?”
Old man: “Sometimes, the educated mind is more powerful than the gun.”

Pike Thompson: “Why don’t you just put down that gun and we’ll talk. Cause you ain’t goin’ nowhere with all those maybes.”
H.H. Hart: “And, maybe, you’re a crock of shit.”

Abilene: “You can’t fight them. They’re too strong.”
H.H. Hart: “We ain’t gonna fight ’em. We’re gonna kill ’em.”

Trivia:

In an interview with Cowboys & Indians, Anthony says he traveled to Taiwan for discussions about a 3D film in which his co-star was to be a Chinese actor groomed to be the next Bruce Lee. Once he and Baldi saw the 3D technology, they decided to do a 3D Spaghetti instead.

The film was a big enough hit that the producers, Anthony included, immediately embarked on another 3D film, “Treasure of the Four Crowns.” Released in 1983, it marked Anthony’s final film.

Wondering about the female star? She’s an award-winning Spanish actress who’s still active and has more than 100 screen and TV credits and didn’t shy away from controversial roles, including 1980’s “Girl with the Golden Panties” about an incestuous relationship 1989’s “Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down” about an actress kidnapped by an obsessive fan.

The first line of dialouge in “Comin’ At Ya” comes nearly 13 minutes into the movie.