Customer Reviews

My Name Is Nobody [VHS]

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This review refers to the WHAM! DVD edition of "My Name Is Nobody"......

Who is faster on the draw than the legendary gunslinger Jack Beauregard(Henry Fonda)?.....NOBODY! (Terence Hill). That's Who! This is the most delightful western, that the whole family can enjoy together(there is some mild violence and language).

Jack Beauregard who has made quite a name for himself with a gun, just wants to slip away quietly on a slow boat to Europe. But it's easier said than done. There are others who would rather see him dead and young gunslinger Nobody is hired to do away with Jack. Nobody is so taken with the his idol though, that not only does he want Beauregard to live, but wants his legend to live on in history as well. The pair become the Odd Couple of the 1890's and you'll have a fabulous time watching their antics.

It is filmed in the wonderful "Spagehitte Western" style. Based on an idea by Sergio Leone("Fistful of Dollars" et al), directed by Tonino Valerii, and with a fabulous whimsical score by Ennio Morricone. It has all the great western landscapes, camera work, and some terrific acting.

I was very confused when I was shopping for this DVD. I knew this edition was an import only but I was confused as to how many versions there were.The tech info here says the studio of release is Pid, yet most of the reviews that mentioned the name of the studio refered to it as WHAM. But I really like this film alot, so I went ahead and ordered it. The image of the case here is the same as the one I recieved, but does not say Pid anywhere on it, and is WHAM!. So I just want to clear that up in case anyone else was wondering the same thing. And by the way, it's a decent DVD transfer as well.

The DVD is very good. The sound is excellent. I wasn't sure what to expect as there was no info here or on the box as far as the sound was concerned. My DVD player decoded it at DD2.0, and the music as well as the dialouge was crisp and clear. Every little detail(like Fonda getting a shave) was distinguishable. The picture was clear and good for the most part. There were times when it seemed a little grainey, and also the colors seemed somewhat dated. But the widescreeen (1:85:1) was great and it was a nice view. As far as extras, you won't find too much, but there is some. You can go to "soundtrack" and listen to the music from your favorite scenes. There are also bios on Henry Fonda, Terence Hill and Ennio Morricone (no filmographies though), and there is a theatrical trailer as well.

If you have seen this and know you like it, I would say this DVD is a good buy. If you have'nt seen it but love these kind of spaghetti or comical westerns, you'll love this one! It's a keeper!
Happy Trails...Laurie

I'm a big fan of the Sergio Leone/Ennio Morricone westerns, and was absolutely thrilled and excited to find that "My Name Is Nobody" was finally available on DVD. So here's a review of the DVD version:

PICTURE QUALITY: It's okay...not nearly as sharp and beautiful as the DVD release of "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly" for instance. You probably won't consider this the definitive release of this film on disc...it seems at times slightly out-of-focus...not enough to distract from the story, but enough to prevent the viewer from basking in the glory of the location shots, etc. However, it is presented in true widescreen, so you do get a lot more "picture" than with the VHS versions. Finally, you really can see all of the "wild bunch" as they race towards Henry Fonda...what a treat!

SOUND: The sound on the DVD is relatively good...but the music seems to have been recorded too "hot"...in other words, when the music gets loud, it tends to distort and crackle. This is not good news for Morricone fans. Aside from that though, the voices and sound effects are clear and true.

EXTRAS: The DVD features a bio of Morricone, and even presents the "soundtrack" itself, so that you can click on a particular song title and simply listen to it like a music CD. The quality of the audio on this portion is better than in the film itself.

In conclusion, this isn't the definitive "My Name Is Nobody" on DVD. If you buy it, chances are you'll still hope against hope that a legitimate, remastered version will come along someday. But it is certainly better than watching the pan-and-scan VHS version.

I have seen many comedy westerns including Cat Ballou, Blazing Saddles, and City Slickers. None have made me laugh harder than "My Name is Nobody". Henry Fonda plays a retiring gunfighter, Jack Beauregard, for the law while Terence Hill plays a comedic young gunfighter, Nobody, for good. His methods are quite different and should keep you in stitches more than once. The scenes at the Circus can't be beat. Although he is proficient with a gun, you never see him kill anybody to make his point. Did I mention the musical score by Ennio Morricone is great? As mentioned in a good review, laurie's boomer views, you can play just the soundtrack. I love Morricone's happy go lucky intro song , My Name is Nobody, and all the western themes that dramatize the scenes with Beauregard. I do hope this will be released on DVD in the US and for a lower price. The import quality lacks a little to be desired so I am hoping for a better transfer of the master in the future. The WHAM! version menu is overly red and the Bio has Henry Ford instead of Fonda as the name, but the bio is correct. The DVD is decent quality with a only a few screen glitches and the sound is good. The occasional graininess can't be helped since the original VHS quality was no better and probably the master print wasn't sharp. I don't regret getting the DVD since this is a great movie and my VHS is wearing out.

At the risk of sounding like a pretentious academic at a film school this movie works on a couple of different levels. Sergio Leone's movies always did. This movie is a satirical take not only on the Sphaghetti Western but also on many of the westerns being made in the late sixties and early seventies. Not by chance is this movie set in 1899 - the end of the Nineteenth century. Here you have the young man who has been raised on a steady diet of stories about his hero and his exploits against impossible odds. Now his hero is old and simply wants to quit while he can still enjoy his retirement. The frontier is just a memory and he wants to go. The young man won't let him - he's a legend and by god he'll go out like he lived - in a blaze of glory. Like so many of Leone's movies this little oddball comedy western is actually a take on the end of an era, memories, myth and reality. Yes it is funny with a couple really great comedic setpieces. The soundtrack by Morricone is both stirring and wacky. And it is very free with historical and technical details, but who cares? This isn't a documentary it's a movie about how we make myths out of life. And if you think that I've made too much out of this movie then you just made my point about this movie. See it and then decide. I suppose this is a sterotype but this strange, moody and romantic genere could only have come out of Italy

For those who haven't seen this flick, it is a great movie in a semi-Leone style. Terence Hill and Fonda are most suitably cast in a story of an aging gunfighter who is planning to retire and a younger man who has idloized him his whole life.

For those looking to upgrade, the transfer on this new Image dvd release is FAR SUPERIOR to the older WHAM dvd release.

No extras at all but the main menu does feature several actual scenes from the film with Morricone's score playing in the background. No theatrical trailer.

It is said that Leone himself actually directed two or three scenes from the movie. Reason enough to buy. Give it a watch and see if you can identify the Leone directed scenes...

"My Name Is Nobody" 1973 (Released in U.S. in 1974)
Rated: PG
Director: Tonino Valerii
Starring: Henry Fonda (Jack Beauregard), Terrence Hill (Nobody)
Music by: Ennio Morriconne
Running Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

Entertaining Spaghetti Western based on an idea from and produced by Sergio Leone (of "Fistfull of Dollars" fame) featuring Terrence Hill as the title character, a mild-mannered drifter, who just happens to be the fastest gun in the west.
The movie is set in 1899 in the waning days of the wild west in America (the movie was filmed in the American southwest and Spain). An aged gunfighter, Jack Beuaregard (Fonda), the west's most famous gunslinger, is worn out by the rigors of his trade and plans to retire to Europe. "Nobody" has grown up admiring Beauregard (he can quote from memory each of his victims) and follows him about the southwest attempting to get him to face the Wild Bunch, a band of 150 gunmen, so that he can "go out in style".
Eventually Beauregard agrees and together they hatch a plan to take on all 150 of the Wild Bunch at one time.
This movie is a comedic western that features top-notch performances by its two leads as well as a magnificent soundtrack (as always) by Morricone.
The movie is chock full of memorable scenes, especially the opening sequence in the barber shop and the showdown with the Wild Bunch (who's every appearance in the film is heralded by Morricone's version of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries"). Look also for a nod to Sam Peckinpah (in addition to the Wild Bunch) in the cemetary scene with Beauregard and Nobody.
This is a great film that can be viewed by the whole family and can be enjoyed many times over. If you enjoy the genre, you'll love this movie. Highly recommended.

This is my favorite spaghetti western! It is a hoot! The basic elements of your Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns are there - the mysterious, gun-slinging stranger, the rough-edged characters, lots of shooting and violence... But the movie is a comedy, a spoof of spaghetti westerns, as well. It is quite well done, with very good acting and an amusing plot that revolves around a "mysterious stranger" and his efforts to make his hero, Henry Fonda, go down in the history books. The fellow's name is Nobody, and on that hangs the plot. I have loved this movie since it came out, and have watched it numerous times over the last 20 years. Enjoy!

Was looking for this video for years. I needed it since it's one of my all times favorite. You gotta have it too. This is Leone's masterpiece in its kind: all the elements of the spaghetti western plus the comedy part. Can't beat that. Sure, I bought it. Only thing is, it's a shame to have THAT specific edition in my collection. It is stuffed with mistakes and the cover is totally lame. First, it has written on it the cast from another Leone's movie with Quebec actor Robert Charlebois(wich they even spelled Charlesbois and that you guys at Amazon should carry). Also,they'd better have sticked to the groovy original hand drawn cover of Nobody and his red sock with a hole in it...Finally, the opening sequence is the original one written in italian. In one word, if you are looking for the famous MY NAME IS NOBODY, this is it. Go for it but if you are a maniac like me you can expect a little deception from this particular edition. Very sloppy one. If you're the average movie collector and are only looking for the content, it'll do for you.

What a great movie....

I am sure that if you are looking at this then you are a fan of the trinity movies. The Nobody character is based on Trinity but with much more refined. Terence Hill's Nobody has a certain directness and is a much fuller character. Henry Fonda's career in spaghetti westerns often gets overlooked and that is a real shame. If you compare this to his portrayal of Wyatt Earp then you can see that the love of the western never left him. This is much more the Fonda that one loves rather than the villian in "Once upon a Time in The West" (itself a great film). I love showing this to people that have never seen it. They usally like it and then I move on the the Trinity films.

This western is outstanding... interesting characters, great scenery, classic music.... it's all there!! Buy it now -- you won't be disappointed.