Italian Sword and Sandal films

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Jobla

The friend of a friend also mentions that there are some bloody battle bits that he doesn't recall from viewing the US version.

Was watching it until right now, and surprised as to how violent this is for a 1960 film. Starting watching with my daughter and had to stop because of the violence and nudity. Will watch it tonight.

[Hammerlover]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Was watching it until right now, and surprised as to how violent this is for a 1960 film. Starting watching with my daughter and had to stop because of the violence and nudity. Will watch it tonight.

Nudity? Wow, that's a bit surprising.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by Hammerlover

Nudity? Wow, that's a bit surprising.

It wasn't gratuitous or anything like that. There was a character that was assumed was a man, but to prove that she wasn't she rips her shirt off to show her breasts. Still, she was yelling and it was an aggressive scene.

[Hammerlover]

The peplum and Eurospy genres have never gotten enough love and respect.

[Jobla]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Was watching it until right now, and surprised as to how violent this is for a 1960 film. Starting watching with my daughter and had to stop because of the violence and nudity. Will watch it tonight.

Peplum meets Hammer Films?

[cakefactory]

Hey, Hammer didn't have any nudity till the 70s! The Italians were pioneers.

[The_Chex]

Wow, we have a peplum topic? I posted my thoughts on Son of Samson and Hercules in the Haunted World in the 42nd Street Fever topic, but this seems like a great place to do as well.


A quaint Egyptian village. The citizens toil under the harsh desert sun. Suddenly, Persians invade and bring with them death and destruction. Those that fight back are savagely murdered with axes to the face and spears to the belly. Those captured are submerged face down into the sand while others are buried up to their necks and surrounded by snakes. One poor schmuck is shot in the chest with arrows and burned alive. The women are taken prisoner to be sold as slaves. It’s a surprisingly violent opening for a tale about a mythical strong man vicariously bonking guys in the head.

Just where is the son of Samson, better known in Italy as Maciste (Mark Forest – Goliath and the Dragon)? Sleeping shirtless on a hot boulder under the blazing sun. Upon waking up, he immediately wrestles and punches a lion in the face. I think I just grew three chest hairs by watching that scene. The people of Egypt are being taken advantage of by the smoldering Queen Smedes (Chelo Alonso – Atlas Against the Cyclops) as she uses magic to brainwash and seduce the Pharoah (Angelo Zanolli – The Witch’s Curse) for the benefit of the Persians. The people desperately need a hero who can literally break chains, grapple with crocodiles, and lift stone columns without breaking a sweat while managing to keep his loin cloth perfectly positioned.

[Show spoiler]When growing up, everyone in my elementary school clamored for the yearly viewing of Ben-Hur or The Ten Commandments as I anxiously awaited my household’s annual November tradition. I don’t mean Thanksgiving---I’m talking about TBS’s showing of Jason and the Argonauts. Less Heston and more mythical creatures, this was my jam and sparked my imagination. Years later, I would be introduced to the peplum, or sword-and-sandal, genre with Hercules and several of its sequels via Mystery Science Theater 3000 / MST3K. Although missing the fantastical effects of Ray Harryhausen, the charm remains and reignites my enthusiasm for stories of legendary gods fighting against all odds. I understand MST3K rubs people the wrong way, but it was a gateway to movies and genres I may not have been exposed to.

Here I am today with a double feature of two hard-peck muscle idols squaring off against evil. First up is Son of Samson and it did not disappoint. Right out of the gate, it’s shockingly brutal with a surprising moment of nudity as a pair of breasts flash across the screen. The story of Maciste reminds me of the previously mentioned herculean adventures. A king falls under the power of an enchanted necklace, a cruel and gorgeous queen seduces the heroes, men are freed, and a revolt occurs. The only thing missing is a dance num---never mind. Queen Smedes shakes her hips faster than a robotic Richard Simmons. Considering Chelo Alonso is a former exotic dancer, I doubt anyone on the planet has ever complained. Mark Forest certainly has the build for a demi-god and does a fine job when called to action. When he’s standing still, he looks as if he’s contemplating whether to gamble on a fart. It’s a tough call when flashing a loin cloth. If he chooses poorly, everyone will know it.

Son of Samson is a blast and a familiar way to reacquaint with the genre after so many years. Others more familiar may walk away with a been-there-seen-that feeling afterwards. For the uninitiated, this is the beginning of the Maciste series since the silent films and a good place to start. If you have an interest in peplum or just to watch a greased-up muscular hero punch lions in the face and save an entire nation, Son of Samson fits as good as any tightly wound tunic and thong.

[The_Chex]

A decrepit crypt full of decaying bodies, tombs, cobwebs, and unnatural lighting. From the very first shot, you’re pulled into the surreal, gothic style of director Mario Bava (Black Sabbath). Beautiful Princess Deianira (Leonora Ruffo – Goliath and the Dragon) screams in terror before collapsing. Standing over her is King Lico (Christopher Lee – Horror of Dracula). He shouts to the shadows full of undead corpses ready to strike that they shall soon plunge the world into darkness.

Only one man stands in Lico’s path---Hercules (Reg Park – Hercules and the Captive Women)! Together with his sidekick with an unsatiable libido, Theseus (George Ardisson – Clap, You’re Dead), and bumbling companion Telemachus (Franco Giacobini – Erik the Conquerer) they’ll journey into Hades to retrieve the magical Stone of Forgetfulness to restore Deianira to her senses and reclaim the throne from Lico. Stormy voyages, a massive garden for the Gods, adorable miniatures, a rock monster, lava pits, a naked Rosalba Neri (Amuck) chained to a stone, the living dead, and flying ghouls are obstacles the hero of Thebes must overcome to save his true love before it is too late.

[Show spoiler]Sword-and-Sandal meets horror. It’s the peanut butter and chocolate mixture I never knew I needed until now. I can think of no one better to bring the nightmarish visuals of Hell itself to life than Mario Bava. Full of his signature style, this stands firmly with Bava’s other work from the time. It never tilts the scale into total horror; this is a peplum about a demi-god with a sidekick ready to screw anything with a vagina.

Reg Park gets the job done as Hercules. He manages to balance the confidence of a man who can sling stones with ease and of a lover willing to dive into the depths of Hell. It isn’t easy to steal the spotlight from a lead who can toss wagons like they were paper airplanes, but Christopher Lee and his page boy haircut manage to do the unthinkable. Lee as Lico the Liquorice (ok, I made up that name) doesn’t even try and disguise his evil nature. At one point, Hercules is told there’s a traitor in his midst and he immediately guesses Lico. The man dresses like a Hershey candy bar, looks to be constantly annoyed, and towers over Herc. Those are villain traits. Lico also has the greatest comeuppance I could ever imagine. I challenge anyone to watch Lico’s fate and not smile.

Hercules in the Haunted World is a Saturday matinee tale with a grim and ghastly visual style without straying too far from its roots. It provides the loin cloth action while providing a satisfying excursion into the macabre. Horror fans wanting to try out peplum are encouraged to see it and peplum fans should have watched it yesterday if not sooner. It’s a herculean effort that should satisfy most.

[Mikezilla3k]

Looks like Spain got a Blu-ray release of Devil Of The Desert vs. the Son of Hercules: https://www.amazon.com/Merchants-Region-Desert-Against-Hercules/dp/B07TGL8RR2/

[Jobla]

Kino has recently announced MARCO POLO (1962), full-length Italian cut starring Rory Calhoun and Yoko Tani.

[Jobla]

Edgar Ulmer's HANNIBAL (1959), starring Victor Mature as the elephant-leading Carthaginian general who almost defeated Rome, will be released as a German Mediabook Blu-ray in March of 2023. The disc will reportedly have English audio, so I'm mentioning this release in this thread.

[Ky-Fi]

I've been slowly getting into this genre more. With other similar genres that I enjoy, like martial arts, Italian westerns and gothic horror, Hammer horror, Japanese kaiju, etc., I was introduced to those as a kid when we first got cable TV. But I don't recall seeing any peplums at that age, and it's taken me a little longer to explore the genre.

I have Hercules in the Haunted World, Hercules and the Captive Women, Knives of the Avenger, Eric the Conqueror, Ulysses, and Colossus of Rhodes. Just picked up Son of Samson and Samson and the Seven Miracles. Watched Son of Samson, and really enjoyed it.

I appreciated the commentary track, too, where the guy makes that point that these films are often laughed at now, with the dubbing and being shown in poor pan and scan presentations. But when you see them in their restored widescreen, colorful glory, and you understand that shooting without sync sound and dubbing in the postproduction was just another (and common) style of global film making at the time, you can really appreciate what went into these films, and how fun they are.

Just put in an order for Revolt of the Slaves, and I'm looking forward to more good-quality releases. I also just watched my Wild East DVD of Giuliano Gemma's Eric the Viking, and that was a lot of fun. Picture quality was pretty good, but I wouldn't mind seeing that one upgraded.

[Hammerlover]

This genre and the Eurospy genre are in desperate need of Blu-ray restorations and special editions. They have been neglected and marginalized far too long.

[edmonddantes]

yeah, and people who have been recently rediscovered and whose fame has increased, like Mario bava and the great sergio leone, made some very interesting peplums.

its such a fun genre, Ive always wondered why there isn't a boutique label specialized exclusively in peplums and westerns

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by edmonddantes

yeah, and people who have been recently rediscovered and whose fame has increased, like Mario bava and the great sergio leone, made some very interesting peplums.

its such a fun genre, Ive always wondered why there isn't a boutique label specialized exclusively in peplums and westerns

I'd buy every single release, but apparently others won't. Kino has mentioned that outside of the big guns, a lot of spaghetti westerns don't sell that well.

[Jobla]

Originally Posted by Ky-Fi

I've been slowly getting into this genre more. With other similar genres that I enjoy, like martial arts, Italian westerns and gothic horror, Hammer horror, Japanese kaiju, etc., I was introduced to those as a kid when we first got cable TV. But I don't recall seeing any peplums at that age, and it's taken me a little longer to explore the genre.

I have Hercules in the Haunted World, Hercules and the Captive Women, Knives of the Avenger, Eric the Conqueror, Ulysses, and Colossus of Rhodes. Just picked up Son of Samson and Samson and the Seven Miracles. Watched Son of Samson, and really enjoyed it.

I appreciated the commentary track, too, where the guy makes that point that these films are often laughed at now, with the dubbing and being shown in poor pan and scan presentations. But when you see them in their restored widescreen, colorful glory, and you understand that shooting without sync sound and dubbing in the postproduction was just another (and common) style of global film making at the time, you can really appreciate what went into these films, and how fun they are.

Just put in an order for Revolt of the Slaves, and I'm looking forward to more good-quality releases. I also just watched my Wild East DVD of Giuliano Gemma's Eric the Viking, and that was a lot of fun. Picture quality was pretty good, but I wouldn't mind seeing that one upgraded.

There are also some excellent German releases of peplum films that have English audio and are Region A-friendly. Three of the best:

THIEF OF BAGHDAD (1961)
SODOM AND GOMORRAH (1962)
ROMULUS AND REMUS (1962, aka DUEL OF THE TITANS)

[Ky-Fi]

Originally Posted by Jobla

There are also some excellent German releases of peplum films that have English audio and are Region A-friendly. Three of the best:

THIEF OF BAGHDAD (1961)
SODOM AND GOMORRAH (1962)
ROMULUS AND REMUS (1962, aka DUEL OF THE TITANS)

Thanks! I've been looking at titles on Amazon.DE, and I was considering Thief and R & R--didn't know about Sodom and Gomorrah.

[Jobla]

Good news for Steve Reeves fans! Colosseo Films will release a Blu-ray of THE SON OF SPARTACUS (aka THE SLAVE, aka DER SOHN des SPARTAKUS) on April 14th, 2023. English audio will be an option, as will English subtitles.

Colosseo did a great job with Reeves' film THIEF OF BAGHDAD (1961), which they released on Blu-ray a couple of years ago.

[Ky-Fi]

Picked up this recently--what an awesome book and overview of the genre!

[Jobla]

Did you get the color edition of that book? The poster art looks great!