Yeah, this was the Early 70's. People in the film industry used what means they had to make a box office success. This movie is evidence that praised horror-, giallo- and western-director was no better than his collegues Umberto Lenzi, Ruggero Deodato and Tonino Ricci. This movie is full of animal cruelty, real animal cruelty mainly towards german sheperds but also a bear. All this to make a film that was aimed to a wide audience but probably mostly younger people. That actors such as Franco Nero and Fernando Rey were on set and accepted this is to me disturbing. Franco Nero even starred in a sequel (!). Lucio Fulci sure did some great movies, but with this movie he dropped in rank on many levels.