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Trinity Twin Pack (They Call Me Trinity / Trinity Is Still My Name) – Henstooth Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1970 (They Call Me Trinity), Italy, 1971 (Trinity Is Still My Name)
Director: Enzo Barboni (Both Films)
Cast: Terence Hill, Bud Spencer, Steffen Zacharias, Dan Sturkie, Gisela Hahn, Elena Pedemonte, Farley Granger, Ezio Marano, Luciano Rossi (They Call Me Trinity), Terence Hill, Bud Spencer, Yanti Somer, Enzo Tarascio, Harry Carey Jr., Pupo De Luca, Jessica Dublin, Dana Ghia (Trinity Is Still My Name)

Release Date: August 29th, 2017
Approximate running times: 114 Minutes 48 Seconds (They Call Me Trinity), 117 Minutes 38 Seconds (They Call Me Trinity)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"These two classic spaghetti Westerns from the Trinity series match up two bumbling brothers on seemingly opposite sides of the law who slapstick their way through evil land barons and such in a double dose of western parody." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5 (They Call Me Trinity), 3/5 (Trinity Is Still My Name)

They Call Me Trinity comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 20.8 GB

Feature: 20 GB

Trinity Is Still My Name comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.8 GB

Feature: 20.6 GB

The sources used have not been cleaned up or restored; there is source damage like print debris and scratches. The source damage is more pronounced on Trinity Is Still My Name; there is even a moment that lasts for a few frames where the source damage is very noticeable. Image clarity is generally strong, black levels fare well, and though colors look good, there are moments where they fluctuate. That said, despite these transfers being the best these two films have looked to date on home video, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Audio: 3.25/5 (They Call Me Trinity - DTS-HD Mono English), 2.75/5 (Trinity Is Still My Name - DTS-HD Mono English)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and both films come with removable English SDH. Neither audio track has been cleaned up; they both have hiss, crackling, and other audio imperfections. Also, some of the audio imperfections are more noticeable on Trinity Is Still My Name. That said, the dialog comes across clearly enough to follow, they sound balanced, and range-wise, they are satisfactory.

Extras:

Extras for They Call Me Trinity include a photo gallery (6 images - lobby cards/poster), and a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Extras for Trinity Is Still My Name include a photo gallery (14 images - lobby cards), and a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German, no subtitles).

Summary:

They Call Me Trinity and Trinity Is Still My Name were both directed by Enzo Barboni, who only directed 13 films, ten of which featured either Terence Hill or Bud Spencer, and five of which featured both of them. Before becoming a director, he worked as a cinematographer, and some of his notable films are Nightmare Castle, Django, and Texas, Adios.

They Call Me Trinity: Two estranged brothers join forces to help Mormon farmers defend their land against a Mexican bandit and a wealthy landowner.

They Call Me Trinity is a pivotal film in the Spaghetti western genre. A year before its release, that genre was already in decline, and Spaghetti western productions were at an all-time low since A Fistful of Dollars. And though They Call Me Trinity would spawn countless imitators, which would give the Spaghetti western a brief resurgence, the lack of originality would ensure that these comedy Spaghetti westerns would have a shorter run than their predecessors.

Though Spaghetti westerns have often paired characters, in most instances they were on opposing sides or at least working against each other. In a film like They Call Me Trinity, they are best described as ‘buddy’ films in which two characters are usually polar opposites. And in the case of They Call Me Trinity, it is two brothers who have a love-hate relationship.

One thing you can always count on when it comes to the most celebrated Spaghetti westerns are memorable openings. And Trinity lying in a makeshift bed that is being dragged behind his horse is a sensational introduction that perfectly sets the tone for the events that follow and gives you a clear idea of who Trinity is.

When it comes to the performances, everything begins and ends with Terence Hill (My Name is Nobody) in the role of Trinity and Bud Spencer (Four Flies on Grey Velvet) in the role of Bambino. It is their on-screen chemistry that makes They Call Me Trinity and all of their other collaborations so enjoyable to watch. Another performance of note is Farley Granger (Strangers on a Train) in the role of an unscrupulous landowner named Major Harriman.

Though humor plays a large role in They Call Me Trinity, that is not to say that action takes a back seat, and in some instances, these two things are combined for great effect. That said, some of the action borders on slapstick, notably trick gunshots and ridiculously fast gunplay. Despite some of the humor coming from the dialog, most of it actually comes from the situations that Trinity and Bambino find themselves in.

From a production standpoint, They Call Me Trinity is a film that does not waste any of its assets. Though the premise covers familiar ground, a briskly paced narrative and a good balance of humor and action ensure there is never a dull moment. Another strength of Spaghetti Westerns are their scores, and They Call Me Trinity has a solid score from Franco Micalizzi (The Tough Ones). Ultimately, besides being an important film in the evolution of the Spaghetti western, They Call Me Trinity is one of the best examples of a comedy Spaghetti western.

Trinity Is Still My Name: Two outlaw brothers who are constantly at odds with each other unwillingly become heroes when they stop an arms deal.

After the phenomenal success of They Call Me Trinity, it was only a matter of time before they made a sequel. And though Trinity Is Still My Name has the same vibe as its predecessor, The result is a film that pales in comparison to They Call Me Trinity.

Trinity and Bambino were at odds in They Call Me Trinity. This time around, they work as a team. There is a good mix of humor and slapstick action, and when it comes to humor, most of the time it hits the mark. The two funniest moments are a pair of scenes that introduce Bambino and Trinity separately and a running gag where Trinity is constantly helping a family, which each time ends up costing him and Bambino money.

Once again, the main attraction is Terence Hill and Bud Spencer in the roles of Trinity and Bambino, respectively. They are a delight to watch, as their onscreen chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, when it comes to the rest of the cast, they are not in the same league.

There are no real surprises, as Trinity Is Still My Name feels like its content mimics what made They Call Me Trinity successful. And though both of these Trinity films are just under 2 hours in length, They Call Me Trinity moved along quickly, while Trinity Is Still My Name has many moments where momentum comes to a halt. Ultimately, Trinity Is Still My Name is an entertaining mix of humor and action that fans of comedy spaghetti westerns should enjoy.

They Call Me Trinity and Trinity Is Still My Name gets serviceable audio and video presentations from Henstooth Video.