Django Shoots First Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Django Shoots First Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 5, 2026

Alberto De Martino's "Django Shoots First" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new program with star John Saxson and new audio commentary by Alex Cox. In English or Italian with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

I'll take it from here, father.

That the Italians loved creating copycats of various American blockbusters is hardly breaking news to anyone who owns a substantial number of genre films. Many of these copycats, including quite a few notoriously bad ones, are now considered cult films. However, it could be breaking news to some that the Italians also loved creating copycats of successful Italian films. In fact, the Italians loved creating copycats whenever they thought there was money to be made. The greatest of these unconventional copycats is, obviously, Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, which copies plenty from Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo. (For reference, Kurosawa loved this practice, too. He borrowed plenty from the films of Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, as well as the writings of such giants of Russian literature as Feodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Maxim Gorky). The Italian copycats of successful Italian films are not as well known, or at least they are not in America, because there are not as many of them as the popular copycats of American blockbusters.

While frequently described as a sequel to Sergio Corbucci’s Django, Alberto De Martino’s Django Shoots First is a classic copycat, rushed to capitalize on the success of its famous predecessor, which it did perfectly. However, it is important to clarify that it was not because it turned out to be as good a film as its famous predecessor. Django Shoots First met expectations because it was released while its famous predecessor was still playing in Italian cinemas, and its business-savvy producers negotiated international sales as quickly as they could. Ironically, because of its success, Django Shoots First was also copied by other copycats, including non-Italian ones. Today, there are more than thirty of these interconnected copycats.

In a desert region of the Wild West, Django (Glenn Saxson) is approached by an exhausted manhunter (Jose Luis Martin) on his way to the isolated town of Silver Creek to deliver the corpse of a dead man worth several thousand dollars. When Django realizes that the dead man is his father, he kills the manhunter. However, instead of burying his father, Django decides to exchange his corpse for cash in Silver Creek.

At the only bank in Silver Creek, with the local sheriff (Marcelo Tusco) present, Django easily gets paid and then bids farewell to his father. However, before he can leave Silver Creek, Django accidentally learns from a stranger (Fernando Sancho) that the most powerful man around, Ken Kluster (Nando Gazzolo), was his father’s business partner, and he is entitled to half of the wealth they amassed. The stranger also reveals to Django that his father became a fugitive after Kluster framed him for a crime he did not commit. Shortly after, Django clashes with Kluster, and several other characters, including Kluster’s gorgeous and very dangerous wife, Jessica (Ida Galli), begin making power plays to benefit from the violent drama and chaos.

While a bit uneven at times, Django Shoots First produces quality fireworks and several fine twists. As a result, spending ninety minutes with its motley crew of characters is a pleasant experience. It is not a visual stunner, but it looks pretty good, too.

The biggest problem with Django Shoots First is that Saxson’s character is not relatable to Franco Nero’s classic character. Django Shoots First doesn’t self-destruct while trying to prove the opposite, but the intent to establish a meaningful connection between the two produces some undeniably silly material. Erika Blanc’s character, a lovely saloon barmaid, is also mishandled. Blanc is supposed to evolve into a legitimate rival of Galli. However, Blanc has only one scene at the very end where she looks good.

Django Shoots First Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Django Shoots First arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release presents a recent 4K restoration, sourced from the original camera negative. The overall quality of the restored visuals ranges from acceptable to good. Delineation, clarity, and depth can be rather impressive, and density levels remain stable. All visuals have an attractive, healthy appearance. However, color reproduction and balance are a bit of a mixed bag. Several ranges of blue nuances lean toward teal, though thankfully they are not fully replaced, and the overall temperature of the visuals remains acceptable. Nevertheless, it must be said that proper color presets would have easily eliminated all issues. (Examples can be seen here and here). There are no traces of any problematic digital adjustments, like flitering, sharpening, contrast boosting, etc. Image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Django Shoots First Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The English track is preferable. However, both tracks are overdubbed. I viewed the entire film with the English track, which is very healthy and rather surprisingly free of notable fluctuations. Its range of dynamics is pretty impressive as well. The upper register could become somewhat thin at time, but it does not feel brittle. The famous main music theme sounds great.

Django Shoots First Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Dust and Gunfire - in this new program, Dutch actor Glenn Saxson, whose real name is Roel Bos, recalls how he landed his part in Django Shoots First, which was his second spaghetti western, and explains how he prepared for it. Saxson also comments on the film's production and some obstacles that had to be addressed during the shooting of crucial sequences, and addresses the evolution of the western. The program, was produced for StudioCanal. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Alex Cox.

Django Shoots First Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Among the early Django copycats, Alberto De Martino's film is one of the most ambitious and, contrary to old claims, most enjoyable. The great irony is that Glenn Saxson's character does not have much in common with Franco Nero's classic character. Kino Lorber's release presents a new, rather good 4K restoration, prepared on behalf of StudioCanal, together with a wonderful new program in which Saxson recalls his involvement with Django Shoots First. RECOMMENDED.