How to obtain The Mercenary
Does anyone out there know how I might obtain a DVD or VHS of the movie The Mercenary? Thanks.
shareThere's a ghastly panned and scanned version available on DVD in the US, but I believe there will be an R2 Japanese DVD release sometime in 2004 (probably in Italian with Japanese only subtitles).
shareI really want to see (preferably buy) this film, it looks like a lot of fun. Please someone, Anchor Bay, Blue Underground, whoever, release this film! Seems like Spaghetti Westerns are as popular as ever after Kill Bill, the re-release of GBU and Anchor Bay and Blue Underground's various releases.
Those of you who say that you have seen it, where and when did you see it?
I got mine through sazuma.com....yeah, I know they take ages, but it was the only site that could get hold of it for me. It's a Japanese disc, with original English dub, and reloveable Japanese Subtitles. It also has a still of Franco Nero from the movie.
Be warned, it's a little pricey. However, it may be available from certain Japanese e-tailers...have no idea which.
Superb Corbucci film by the way. The showdown in the bullring is well shot and tense. You'd think that it would end the movie, but it goes on to finish a sub-plot, which is marvellous.
Do you know if the version on the Japanese disc is the complete cut? Anyway, thanks a lot for the help.. Can't wait to see this film.
shareYes, it is. Unlike the versions that were shown on SKY and on terrestrial television which were edited for violence, the Japanese DVD is completely uncut.
shareThanks again! Found the Japanese version on xploitedcinema.com, but it's temporarily out of stock. So now I'm checking every day!
shareI obtained mine from Sazuma.com as well as "Sabata", "Return of Sabata" and "Adios Sabata". I don't usually order from them as their service more often than not leaves something to be desired, but on this occasion, they delivered within days of the Japanese releases of the discs. Sadly they are non-anamorphic.
"Sabata", "Return of Sabata" and "Death Rides a Horse" have all been released in Anamorphic Widescreen with digitally re-mastered picture and restored mono digital soundtrack on UK R2 via MGM.
There's a "Sabata Trilogy" being released soon on US R1, so it's best to hold out for that one if yu're in the US.
I haven't come across any info on "The Mercenary" aka "A Professional Gun" being released on R1, but hopefully Anchor bay will pick this one up, as this would make a perfect companion piece to Corbucci's other classic "Companeros".
Yeah that's what I thought. I really loved "Companeros", a very cool Spag Western. As you said, I also hope Anchor (or someone!) will pick "The Mercenary" up. Blue Underground seem to release a whole lot of Franco Nero films these days, but these look like mostly action movies.
You mentioned the "Sabata"-films and "Death Rides a Horse". Can you recommend these?
Thanks for sharing interests in the genre!
Finally got this from ebay, and I must say it was great! It was exiting, funny and cool and I just loved it! A must see!
shareJust got it from Ebay myself. Took a while though, but its a nice copy of the japanese dvd.
share"Professional Gun" aka "The Mercenary" is only available in a fully uncut version on Japanese R2, which sadly I believe is out of print. The three Sabata Movies "Sabata", "Adios Sabata" and "Return of Sabata" are also out of print on Japanese R2 DVD, but are available as a triple pack on R1 as the "Sabata Trilogy" in a box set from MGM/Sony....highly recommended, as is "Death Rides a Horse".
However, the latter is only available on R1 in a dreadful Panned & Scanned version of what appears to be a transfer from VHS on the Direct Source video label (as is a full screen cut version of "The Mercenary"). "Death Rides a Horse" was recently released on R2 as a remastered anamorphic version in the UK, as are the three "Sabata" movies.
Would love it if MGM/Sony were to release "The Mercenary"/"A Professional Gun" on R2 as an uncut anamorphic widescreen version. The Japanese versions were not anamorphic unfortunately, even though the picture is very clear and sharp.
I saw this in widescreen on German television, with the UA/MGM logo, which might indicate that at least in Europe, MGM owns the rights and might at some point release a DVD similar in quality to the Sabata movies.
in the US it seems to be public domain and unless some company goes through the financial and legal hassle to license an Italian or Japanese print of this, we won't see this anytime soon. Keep emailing MGM :-)
Sebastian, webmaster
THE QUENTIN TARANTINO ARCHIVES
www.tarantino.info
THE SPAGHETTI WESTERN DATABASE
www.spaghetti-western.net
Which is now out of print and ridiculously expensive.
Go to Criterion and ask them to work on Satyajit Ray films, a good Kwaidan rerelease.