More Dead Than Alive tries to be different than most Westerns, and for that I commend it.
I was intrigued by the inclusion of Vincent Price as the promoter of a gun show. Price was a perfect choice for the role, adding a combination of eccentricity and friendliness toward the main character, Cain. Clint Walker, playing Cain, truly was a mammoth of a man, and his stoic demeanor does not do much different, but gets the job done. No longer is he the "Killer Cain" who gunned down 12 men, but rather an older, wiser man who wants to put his criminal days behind him after serving time. Paul Hampton (Billy) certainly had the most unusual and oftentimes annoying role, whether due to his acting or what the script called for. Billy has a glamorized idea of the Old West, while Cain tries to convey to him the realities of shooting, killing, and surviving. I was surprised More Dead Than Alive is not a Spaghetti Western because it certainly brings that vibe in its cinematography, grittiness, and soundtrack. There is not much in the way of violence after the first scene, but the uniqueness of each character will be more than enough to keep you entertained.
As to what the film does not execute so well: the time jumps. Sometimes it works, particularly when Cain has long conversations with Billy about his criminal past. However, when it jumps a season ahead into the future the audience can be left wondering how the plot progressed to such a point with not enough answers given. Still, all that could be forgiven if the last 10 minutes were not so unfulfilling and rushed. More Dead Than Alive desperately needed another 10-20 minutes to its runtime to flesh out the relationships between the characters and revise the ending. Since I do not give spoilers, I will leave it to you to see for yourself.
I was intrigued by the inclusion of Vincent Price as the promoter of a gun show. Price was a perfect choice for the role, adding a combination of eccentricity and friendliness toward the main character, Cain. Clint Walker, playing Cain, truly was a mammoth of a man, and his stoic demeanor does not do much different, but gets the job done. No longer is he the "Killer Cain" who gunned down 12 men, but rather an older, wiser man who wants to put his criminal days behind him after serving time. Paul Hampton (Billy) certainly had the most unusual and oftentimes annoying role, whether due to his acting or what the script called for. Billy has a glamorized idea of the Old West, while Cain tries to convey to him the realities of shooting, killing, and surviving. I was surprised More Dead Than Alive is not a Spaghetti Western because it certainly brings that vibe in its cinematography, grittiness, and soundtrack. There is not much in the way of violence after the first scene, but the uniqueness of each character will be more than enough to keep you entertained.
As to what the film does not execute so well: the time jumps. Sometimes it works, particularly when Cain has long conversations with Billy about his criminal past. However, when it jumps a season ahead into the future the audience can be left wondering how the plot progressed to such a point with not enough answers given. Still, all that could be forgiven if the last 10 minutes were not so unfulfilling and rushed. More Dead Than Alive desperately needed another 10-20 minutes to its runtime to flesh out the relationships between the characters and revise the ending. Since I do not give spoilers, I will leave it to you to see for yourself.