Fans of the Western genre will agree that the 60s and 70s were the height of the "Spaghetti Western" - Western films produced by Italians that were more gritty and violent than their American counterparts. However, some fans may not be aware that equally violent Westerns were being made in Mexico around the same time. Presented here are two excellent examples, both darker and bloodier then many of the Spaghetti Westerns produced during the same time period.

HOT SNAKE (86min): A sadistic and ruthless outlaw has been terrorizing the town of Hot Snake. A bounty hunter named Emiliano is hired by the local sheriff to hunt down the outlaw after he murders a woman and steals money belonging to the Army. Warned by a local bruja (witch) not to take the bounty, Emiliano soon finds himself the target of a mysterious man who seeks to settle a personal vendetta. Directed by Fernando Durán Rojas, HOT SNAKE is a dark and atmospheric western with supernatural elements.

GUNS AND GUTS (90min): An outlaw and a scorned husband both team up to track down and kill the man that wronged them. Along the way, the two men meet a hired gun that loves money just as much as he loves the company of women, so the two men decide to hire him in order to help them on their mission. However, things become complicated when the man they all seek to kill has risen to become a wealthy sheriff with a small army of gunmen at his disposal. Directed by acclaimed Mexican director René Cardona Jr., GUNS AND GUTS is a rough-and-tumble western with an explosively bloody ending that rivals anything created by Sam Peckinpah.

Vinegar Syndrome is proud to present these two gunsmoke-filled features for the first time on Blu-ray, scanned and restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives.

directed by: Fernando Durán Rojas, René Cardona Jr.
1974-1976 / 176 min (combined) / 2.35:1
Hot Snake = Original Spanish Mono with newly translated English subtitles
Guns & Guts = Original English Mono

Additional info:

• Region Free Blu-ray
• Newly scanned & restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives
• “Guns, Guts and Family” - an interview with René Cardona III
• Inside cover artwork
• Newly translated English subtitles