Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

My Name Is Pecos Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 14, 2021

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Vengeance Trails: Four Classic Westerns.

There may be a popular category of film described by the unwashed masses with the term "Spaghetti Westerns", but some of the supplements included in this new Arrow collection prefer the more geographically (and/or gastronomically) diverse "Euro Westerns" as a rubric. The four films aggregated in this collection probably could easily fit into the "Spaghetti Western" mold, since there are in fact Italians by the bucket load involved in the productions, and as is discussed in some of those aforementioned supplements, there's little doubt that the huge success of Sergio Leone's films helped to spark the international craze for such efforts, whatever you want to call them. The films offer production dates ranging from 1966 to 1970 and feature several iconic names associated with the genre, including Franco Nero, George Hilton and Klaus Kinski, and as the back cover of the slipbox mentions, all four have at least a subtext involving revenge to help catapult the dramatic momentum.

As is mentioned in the enjoyable commentary on this disc which features C. Courtney Joyner hosting star Robert Woods, Woods was perhaps improbably one of the few stars to get above the title billing for this film (and several others, evidently), something that wasn't even granted to the likes of Clint Eastwood and/or Franco Nero at around this same time. That said, Woods' name may frankly not be as instantly recognizable as some others, but he's intermittently compelling in the title role of My Name is Pecos, which offers him as perhaps a Sartana like avenging angel character whose status as a perceived "lowly" Mexican gives this outing an intermittently provocative sociopolitical edge. That said, as Woods mentions in the commentary, there were some perhaps unfortunate makeup choices involved in the production, not just in terms of skin darkening (which Woods says was minimal, since he was deeply tanned), but also the rather odd quasi-Asian taped eyelids that undeniably give the character a kind of odd appearance.

In a way My Name is Pecos plays like one of those "home invasion" dramas, though in this case chief villain Joe Kline (Norman Clark/Pier Paolo Capponi) has taken over an entire town, with only a few hostage like residents remaining behind, desperately praying for a savior. Kline and his gang are on the hunt for some stashed cash from a robbery they've committed, and it probably goes without saying that Pecos' arrival and subsequent murderous marauding through the acolytes to get to the "boss level" is not entirely coincidental.

There's also a darkly comic aspect to parts of My Name is Pecos, as evidenced by the almost grifting undertaker character named Morton (Umi Raho), and also by a kind of hilarious sound gag (as opposed to a sight gag) that won't be spoiled here, other than to say it involves an old style phonograph that springs into action after the first of Pecos' showdowns with Kline's surly men.

My Name Is Pecos Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

My Name is Pecos is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Arrow's insert booklet aggregates three of the four films together in their informational verbiage, as follows:

Massacre Time, Bandidos and My Name is Pecos are presented in their original aspect ratios of 2.35:1 with Italian and English mono audio. Scanning and restoration work was completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 35mm camera negatives were scanned in 2K resolution. The mono Italian and English lanugage tracks were remastered from the optical sound negatives. The audio sunch will appear slightly loose against the picture, due to the fact that the dialogue was recorded entire in post-production, as per the production standards of the period. The films were graded at R3Store Studios, London.

This is another largely great looking transfer that offers consistent detail levels and an appealing burnished palette, but which, like Massacre Time, may just slightly tilt toward brown at times. Fine detail levels are probably elevated by the frequent use of close-ups, often with faces taking up the vast majority of the corner of the frame. Patterns on costumes and even elements like wallpaper resolve precisely. There are a few downturns in overall quality here, notably a few overly shadowy moments as Pecos is checking out a "secret lair", where shadow definition is a little iffy, but on the whole, fans should be well pleased with the appearance of things. Grain is occasionally heavy but looks organic.

My Name Is Pecos Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

My Name is Pecos features LPCM Mono tracks in Italian and English. There's a noticeably hotter aspect to the Italian track, but the English track, perhaps at least due in part to somewhat subdued amplitude, can actually sound a bit brighter in the upper ranges, something that can be especially audible in both scoring and effects. Dialogue is obviously dubbed in either version, and so lip movements can sometimes be comically at odds with sounds emanating from them, but fidelity is generally fine throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

My Name Is Pecos Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary by Robert Woods and C. Courtney Joyner


• A Giant in the West (HD; 21:05) is a new interview with George Eastman (AKA Luigi Montefiori), recorded by Arrow Video in 2020. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Indecent Proposal (HD; 18:36) is another new 2020 interview recorded by Arrow Video, this one with actress Lucia Modugno. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Pecos Kills (HD; 19:52) is a newly produced piece that aggregates a new interview with film historian Fabio Melelli with an archival video interview with cinematographer Franco Villa.


• Italian Trailer (HD; 2:44)


• German Promotional Gallery (HD) features images courtesy of Christian Ostermeier.

Note: Both English and Italian versions of the film are offered, each with appropriate front and end titles.

My Name Is Pecos Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

My Name is Pecos might have arguably used someone like Franco Nero to better advantage in the title role, and offered a more dastardly villain, but the film's emphasis on Pecos' ostensible Mexican heritage gives this outing a rather distinctive edge. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplementary package very enjoyable, for those who are considering making a purchase.