Pari e Dispari

An original film poster from 1979.

 

Odds & Evens (Par e Impari) It's an amusing film with Hill and Spencer posing as card gamblers in the sunny Miami and full of abundant kicks, punches, leaps and bounds . The pic deals with ours intimate friends , Terence Hill and Bud Spencer and they both find out that are half brothers taking on numerous adventures...

So, what is Odds & Evens about?

It starts with Hill as expert player at a Rugby championship between the Navy and Army , and after that in a motorboat competition . This time both of whom fight against a crooked band , as Terence Hill is a navy Leiutenant named Johnny Firpo who is assigned by his superior to stop a gang of swindlers. He needs the help of an ex-gambler named Charlie who now is a trucker transporting dolphins . Spencer won't help Terence Hill , Hill robs Charlies truck and he then agrees to help him and both of them join forces . Hill convinces Spencer that their daddy is blind and urges to raise a lot of money for his cure . So Charlie turns a card player again just to obtain the money. Later on, the pair become involved in several adventures, and rare situations full of risks , dangers and fun.

Two serious 70's hipsters.

The big time duo from Spahetti Western wrapped in humor as ¨They call me Trinity ¨ and its following as ¨Trinity is still my name¨ and ¨Trouble makers¨ were run out and then they're transfered to Police and action genre . As they played the Miami series which are set in Florida , such as ¨Miami Supercops¨, ¨Crime Busters¨, and ¨Superfuzz¨ . As the picture shows typical images from Miami as the usual Florida swamps with the ordinary motorboats , the Acuarium with Orcas , and various habitual sports as , the Pelotari play , old race cars , paddock with rider races , among others . 

In Europe these movies are shown on TV very frequently and are part of growing up on children and adolescents , however in USA are quite unknown . They're plenty of humor and based on diverse personality and physical differences among them . This one packs silly comedy , tongue in cheek, slapstick and the habitual struggles neither blood , nor violence, besides including some pursuits . Average cinematography and lousy musical score composed by synthesizer is made by the usuals Guido and Mauricio De Angelis.

Heroes must eat before saving the day.

One Man Ocean's Eleven.

The motion picture is regularly directed by Sergio Corbucci who was an expert on Spaghetti Western, such as he proved in ¨Django¨,¨The Mercenarios¨,¨Compañeros¨,¨Minessota Clay¨,¨Ringo and the golden gun¨,¨Hellbenders¨, among them. Furthermore he realized Hill and Spencer vehicles as ¨Who finds a friend has a treasure¨ with Salvatore Borghese who also plays in ¨Gambling for high stakes¨ as a mobster , and ¨Superfuzz¨ . The film is absolutely hilarious for Hill and Spencer enthusiasts and ranks among their less famous but most representative ones ; a must see for all their fans. 
Rating: a must watch for the italian duo connoisseurs and a fair enterntainment for the average enthusiast.

Trivia

Par e Impari is the twelfth movie collaboration of the legendary Italian comedy duo Terence Hill and Bud Spencer.

The production imported a company of fifty Italian crew to shoot this picture in America.

 

The picture was shot in the USA which had become the norm of the Hill-Spencer comedy movies of the then recent times such as Miami Supercops.

 

The movie won the Golden Screen Award alongside with Superman and Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1979. 

The Videotape copy of the film!

One of a number of films that the comedy team of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer made with director Sergio Corbucci. The films include "Odds and Evens" and "Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure" . Hill also made The Shortest Day and "Supersnooper" aka "Super Fuzz"  with Corbucci. 

 Here's the original movie trailer:

Un Osso Troppo Duro

Renegade.

Since in some countries of the world there is a thing called "Easter" where the catholic world mourns the death & return of the first popular fictional character I thought I should pick a family movie with strong values. So, as I was reviewing Terence Hill & Bud Spencer's classics I chose "Un Osso Troppo Duro", AKA "Renegade", AKA "Renegade Jim", a 1987 Terence Hill solo film  about Luke Mantie (played by Terence Hill) who is a loner, who just lives on the road, driving his jeep with a trailer attached that his horse, Joe Brown, resides.

So, what is it about?

One day, a 15 year old punk named Matt, played by Terence Hill's son, Ross, tells him that his father, Moose, is in jail and he needs to speak to "Renegade" Luke. Luke and Matt drive to the pennitentary and Luke finds out that Moose is in Jail for a crime he didnt commit (typical isn't it?), and Moose needs Luke to settle down and move in to a house on a big piece of property and become Matt's legal guardian. Luke says NO, so Moose threatens to get his cell mate to forge the papers...child abandonment is a serious offence.

Trinity of the XX century.

 

Luke and Matt don't get along at first but they start to develop a brother type relationship. They both get in a few ordeals with 2 truckers, screw a whole bar full of drunks out of 500 dollars with a butterfly knife throwing contest and they have to get revenge from an evil Lawyer with the help of a rough Biker Gang. 

Is it worth watching?

This movie has plenty of action & comedy. For instance, there's a scene where our lead couple screws the money out of a bunch of drunks which is hillarious and the fight between Terence Hill and the lead biker is a grand scene. I recomend this movie to ALL fans of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer movies, action movie goers, or people who are looking for a good "road/buddy" movie. 

Like father, like son.

The most unusual trio.

 

However, it can be slow in parts, yet is still enjoyable 99% of the way through. Terence Hill plays his "Renegade" Luke role as a natural.
 

As the movie develops,  there are some decent car chase scenes and trucker action, however when the two reach Green Haven Valley, there comes a completely irrelevant subplot. It turns out that Luke and Matt have Pagan neighbours, and the character development of Ely and his daughters is almost unnecessary, as the movie loses its exciting pace. However, they do play a minor role later in the storyline and if you hang in there long enough, there comes some more slapstick car chases and action between Luke and a previous enemy. 

Ya want action son?

Sad Side note

Terence Hill's adopted son, Ross Hill, was killed in a car accident in 1991. So this was his first, and last, big screen appearance ever.

Despite being low budget, this movie is very enjoyable and worth watching if you can get your hands on a copy! Also the main song "Call me the Breeze" by Lynyrd Skynyrd is a rock classic.

Here a fan made (dutsch) movie trailer:

And here the full movie: