Italian Sword and Sandal films - Page 2 - Blu-ray Forum

Jobla · 01-24-2022, 12:04 AM

The Kino Lorber Insider has stated that they have the longer Italian cut of SAMSON AND THE 7 MIRACLES OF THE WORLD dubbed into English. and will also include a 16mm transfer of the US AIP cut of the film.

Rayjg · 01-24-2022, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersmith

For those with all region players there are German Blu-rays of Nefertiti Queen of the Nile, Sodom and Gomorrah, Thief of Bagdad (Steve Reeves version), Sword of the Conqueror, and Duel of the Titans. All have English language options and are excellent transfers. There is also a Spanish Blu-ray of Anthar the Invincible (under the title Soraya Queen of the Desert) which has an English subtitle option.

Do you know if Anthar is a BD-r?

edmonddantes · 01-24-2022, 04:44 PM

looking forward to the samson title, love my peplums!!

DukeTogo84 · 01-30-2022, 03:48 PM

Another one coming

dcmatthews · 01-31-2022, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rayjg

Do you know if Anthar is a BD-r?

Mine looks like a BD-r... that purplish color on the data side.

vortexx · 01-31-2022, 05:47 AM

I know Kino scrapped their Goliath and the Vampires release, but has anyone else released it in HD?

Jobla · 01-31-2022, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vortexx

I know Kino scrapped their Goliath and the Vampires release, but has anyone else released it in HD?

No. The film is only available in relatively poor-quality transfers. It has not been released by a major label on home video, not even in Europe. No major label VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray.

amputd · 02-07-2022, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersmith

For those with all region players there are German Blu-rays of Nefertiti Queen of the Nile, Sodom and Gomorrah, Thief of Bagdad (Steve Reeves version), Sword of the Conqueror, and Duel of the Titans. All have English language options and are excellent transfers. There is also a Spanish Blu-ray of Anthar the Invincible (under the title Soraya Queen of the Desert) which has an English subtitle option.

Picked up Nefertiti Queen of the Nile. I was disappointed with the transfer- desaturated colors and some softness.

SMOOT · 02-08-2022, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

No. The film is only available in relatively poor-quality transfers. It has not been released by a major label on home video, not even in Europe. No major label VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray.

While I'm not much of a fan of the sword and sandal films, I would really like to own a restored Goliath and the Vampires.

Beckford · 02-08-2022, 05:33 AM

Glad to see that Mark Forest's "Son of Samson" is coming. Love those Egyptian peplums. Would also like to see Blu-rays on "Cleopatra's Daughter"(Debra Paget, Ettore Manni) and "The Lion of Thebes" (Mark Forest, Yvonne Furneaux). Ideally in good widescreen prints with the original Italian versions (subtitled) as options. I can dream, can't I?

hanshotfirst1138 · 04-15-2022, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

Apparently so. VCI planned to release HERCULES, but at least two different entities have a claim to ownership. The rights probably reside in Europe.

Damn. I got the Retromedia widescreen DVD, and it’s almost unwatchable. I bet that Bava’s cinematography looks amazing with the right transfer.

Jobla · 04-16-2022, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138

Damn. I got the Retromedia widescreen DVD, and it’s almost unwatchable. I bet that Bava’s cinematography looks amazing with the right transfer.

There is a Japanese Blu-ray of HERCULES that is overall the best transfer of the film that I have seen. However, it is not English-friendly, no English audio or subtitles.

Mikezilla3k · 04-17-2022, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

There is a Japanese Blu-ray of HERCULES that is overall the best transfer of the film that I have seen. However, it is not English-friendly, no English audio or subtitles.

Yes, along with Hercules Unchained.

The collection should be in the OP at least. Also, isn't Hercules Unchained straight up Public Domain in the US? See that 1958 is in a rights quandary right now, which makes Unchained being PD even odder.

Savage_Blu · 04-17-2022, 02:59 PM

I was going to suggest the Fulci's Conquest (1983) for this list, but at second thought it's too fantasty/sci-fi to be 'sword and sandal' specific.

Jobla · 04-19-2022, 11:12 PM

Aside from VCI in the US, another label that announced the two HERCULES Steve Reeves films was Artus Films of France. They announced the titles, but then said that they weren't available. One person, more recently, commented that the deal might be on again, but I have no idea how credible that information is.

With Artus Films, you never know if they will include English audio or not. It would still interest me if they could release these titles.

hanshotfirst1138 · 05-08-2022, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

There is a Japanese Blu-ray of HERCULES that is overall the best transfer of the film that I have seen. However, it is not English-friendly, no English audio or subtitles.

The German DVD I have of Unchained doesn’t look much better. Damn, these need remasters!

Jobla · 05-08-2022, 06:00 PM

As I mentioned in the Kino thread, a friend of a friend has reported that the new Kino release of SON OF SAMSON is in fact the longer Italian cut, complete with a "Continental" (topless) image which is not present in the US theatrical version.

He also reports that the transfer has a full-length English audio track.

I can't wait!

DukeTogo84 · 05-08-2022, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jobla

As I mentioned in the Kino thread, a friend of a friend has reported that the new Kino release of SON OF SAMSON is in fact the longer Italian cut, complete with a "Continental" (topless) image which is not present in the US theatrical version.

He also reports that the transfer has a full-length English audio track.

I can't wait!

Mine is coming in tomorrow, so looking forward to this

Jobla · 05-08-2022, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138

The German DVD I have of Unchained doesn’t look much better. Damn, these need remasters!

Of the two Japanese Blu-rays, HERCULES appears to be high definition, while HERCULES UNCHAINED looks more like upscaled standard definition.

HERCULES UNCHAINED, being the original Italian version, has a fun shot that never appeared in the US theatrical version. As Ulysses drives the wagon along the Italian coast, a bevy of ten beautiful young women all wave to him as he passes by. None of them are topless, but this brief shot wasn't included in the US edit.

That reminds me of the German Blu-ray of Steve Reeves' THIEF OF BAGHDAD, which presents the original Italian cut. There's a brief scene of four or five beauties beckoning Reeves to the lair of the evil queen. Again, no topless imagery, but that transitional bridge was not shown in the US.

Jobla · 05-08-2022, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Nine is coming in tomorrow, so looking forward to this

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

01-24-2022, 12:04 AM	#21
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	The Kino Lorber Insider has stated that they have the longer Italian cut of SAMSON AND THE 7 MIRACLES OF THE WORLD dubbed into English. and will also include a 16mm transfer of the US AIP cut of the film.

01-24-2022, 04:44 PM	#23
edmonddantes Special Member Member since:Jun 2020 Location:Bogotá, Colombia Blu-ray collection:4	looking forward to the samson title, love my peplums!!

01-30-2022, 03:48 PM	#24
DukeTogo84 Blu-ray Archduke Top contributor Member since:Aug 2012 Location:California 4K collection:155 Blu-ray collection:4931 Blu-ray reviews: 62 Trading Score:138	Another one coming

01-31-2022, 05:47 AM	#26
vortexx Blu-ray Guru Member since:Dec 2015	I know Kino scrapped their Goliath and the Vampires release, but has anyone else released it in HD?

02-08-2022, 05:33 AM	#30
Beckford Expert Member Member since:Sep 2019 Location:Neither here nor there	Glad to see that Mark Forest's "Son of Samson" is coming. Love those Egyptian peplums. Would also like to see Blu-rays on "Cleopatra's Daughter"(Debra Paget, Ettore Manni) and "The Lion of Thebes" (Mark Forest, Yvonne Furneaux). Ideally in good widescreen prints with the original Italian versions (subtitled) as options. I can dream, can't I?

04-17-2022, 02:59 PM	#34
Savage_Blu Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Jan 2020 Location:Monster Island 4K collection:128 Blu-ray collection:1834 DVD collection:162 Blu-ray reviews: 14 Trading Score:5	I was going to suggest the Fulci's Conquest (1983) for this list, but at second thought it's too fantasty/sci-fi to be 'sword and sandal' specific.

04-19-2022, 11:12 PM	#35
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	Aside from VCI in the US, another label that announced the two HERCULES Steve Reeves films was Artus Films of France. They announced the titles, but then said that they weren't available. One person, more recently, commented that the deal might be on again, but I have no idea how credible that information is. With Artus Films, you never know if they will include English audio or not. It would still interest me if they could release these titles.

05-08-2022, 06:00 PM	#37
Jobla Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2013 Location:Boulevard of Broken Dreams	As I mentioned in the Kino thread, a friend of a friend has reported that the new Kino release of SON OF SAMSON is in fact the longer Italian cut, complete with a "Continental" (topless) image which is not present in the US theatrical version. He also reports that the transfer has a full-length English audio track. I can't wait!

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