PEPLUM Break

I take a break roughly every two months so this is that time again.

(I'll have a rundown on all the blu-rays and dvds I recently bought...)

So stay tuned!

I'll leave you now with King Leonidas (Richard Egan) from THE 300 SPARTANS (1962), saying "From this wall, we do not retreat!"

Image of the week!

A victorious Menelaus (Niall MacGinnis) meets his wife Helen (Rossana Podestà) for the first time during the Fall of Troy in HELEN OF TROY (1956)

At the movies...

 KING OF KINGS premiere at the Loews State theatre in New Your city.

Happy Halloween!

With a few prompts, new PEPLUM art by AI. 

From MEN OF PULP @ X 

A WEREWOLF IN ROME

Musings!

Karim (Steve Reeves) is surrounded by killer trees in THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD (1961)

As I already stated many times here at the blog and in BY THE GODS! magazine, PEPLUM movies often had horror elements to them even if they weren't horror movies. This is a good example. It's not the only PEPLUM movie with killer plants. It's not a cliché per se but almost one. Since I'm a big horror fan, these scenes are always fun to watch. This scene is well made but i wished it lasted longer and Karim was in greater danger. Karim had to go through a lot to find his goal and these senes are baptism by fire, sorta speaking.

Behind-the-Scenes

Reg Park and Christopher Lee playfully apply make-up on Leonora Ruffo on the set of HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961)

Clip of the week: ULYSSES AGAINST HERCULES (1962)

Hercules (Mike Lane) and Ulysses (Georges Marchal) are in jeopardy! 

 

Portraits

Reg Park as Hercules in HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (1961)

HD Alert!

As I wrote at BY THE GODS!, I purchased several Blu-rays/DVD from Amazon.de early last month and I have been waiting for the stuff to arrive. It says it should arrive by November 6! Nearly one month after I purchased them. Really disappointed by this.

There are no titles in this batch for Halloween...well, HERCULES AGAINST THE BARBARIANS has some horror elements to it. This means I'll be watching two movies by Mario Bava: HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961; above with George Ardisson) and THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963), starring Christopher Lee and Dallah Lavi, which is one of my favourite Bava productions. The HD transfer is nice but this dark movie is really dark in HD.
 

Not Coming Soon!

New feature here at the blog: PEPLUM movies that never were made or completed! This feature will last as there are titles to write about.

First: ROME, SWEET ROME. 

 

This unlikely film project originated on Reddit. A Reddit user wrote the premise on...Reddit and it became so popular that Hollywood took note and it was actually picked up by a studio. The idea was a modern US army ending up in Ancient Rome and the conflict between the two military giants. For the promotional poster (above), a scene from GLADIATOR (2000) was used with some blackhawks added to it. It never went anywhere but 'development hell.' Anyway, I'm surprise the unlikely story went that far.

Musings!

Aderbale (John Drew Barrymore) has complete control of Rhama (Ida Galli) in WAR OF THE ZOMBIES (1964; aka Rome Against Rome)

Some dislike this movie, mostly horror fans and PEPLUM fans. It's not PEPLUM enough for PEPLUM fans and it's not horror enough for horror fans. I like it because it's quite original. Ida was also in HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961). John Drew Barrymore makes a great villain. To my delight, a lot of PEPLUM movies have horror elements (monsters, vengeful gods, spooky stuff, etc). Since I'm a fan of horror, the combination of both genre is a definite plus.

PEPLUM Movie Poster

 British quad of GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES (1961) 

Halloween week starts with a classic PEPLUM. The artwork for the US poster was made by Reynold Brown but this UK poster, which follows the same artwork, is slightly different. Same but different.

Image of the week!

Theodora (Gianna Maria Canale) is now Empress Theodora from THEODORA - SLAVE EMPRESS (1954) 

VHS Covers

VHS covers of HERCULES AGAINST THE BARBARIANS (1964) starring Mark Forest and others. Not many covers but enough to showcase.


 

US cover. From Something Weird.

 

German cover.

 

Italian cover. The artwork has nothing to do with the movie.

Musings!

Mark Forest (top left) and Paul Wynter (centre) in MACISTE - THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD (1961)

A great PEPLUM that still doesn't have a decent HD transfer. In this scene, Maciste and his companions, including Bangor (Wynter) plot the overthrow of the Mole men. It's a very well shot movie, as this shot shows. Will people be ready for a HD viewing of this over-the-top movie? I don't think so. Also known as Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules.

Behind-the-Scenes

Liam McIntyre and Katrina Law are directed by Michael Hurst on the set of the SPARTACUS TV show. It doesn't state which particular episode.

Clip of the week: THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS (1957)

Ah! love.  With Gianna Maria Canale and Rik Battaglia 

New PEPLUM Art!

With a few prompts, new PEPLUM art by AI. 

From MEN OF PULP @ X 

THE ARM OF THE ROMAN SON

SPFX DEPT.

Scenes from MACISTE IN KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1964)

Very nice matte paintings can be seen in this Reg Park epic. Above is a long-shot view when Maciste (below) arrives outside the walled city. The bottom screenshot is a closer look of the enclosed city. They're quite subtle. I like them. 

 

Vintage Article

Small article with Rosanna Schiaffino from the movie THE MINOTAUR (1960). She wasn't happy when she was compared to Sophia Loren. 

Musings!

Antea (Gianna Maria Canale) and Jason (Fabrizio Mioni) are in love in HERCULES (1958) 

I always liked the fact that there were two romances in HERCULES: Hercules with Iole and Antea with Jason. The down side to this is that Gianna doesn't really act with Steve Reeves. I always wished they had made a movie together with both in a romantic storyline. Gianna is in THE SON OF SPARTACUS (1962) with Steve but they're not linked romantically. After the success of HERCULES, Fabrizio movie to Hollywood. He was mostly cast in TV roles for a variety of TV shows. Gianna, who spoke several languages including English, tried the Hollywood rout but returned to Italy.

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Belgian poster of GOLIATH AT THE CONQUEST OF DAMASCUS (1965)

Posters from Belgium are always colourful. Nice enough likeness of both Peter and Helga even though their faces don't quite look like that.

Image of the week!

Maciste (Kirk Morris) is summoned from the rock in MACISTE IN THE VALLEY OF THE THUNDERING ECHOES (1964)

Lobby cards set: THE SON OF CLEOPATRA (1964)

Original Italian lobby cards set of THE SON OF CLEOPATRA (1964) starring Mark Damon, Scilla Gabel and others. Good set. Probably too many photos of large army on horseback but the set is very colourful.

Musings!

Jack Palance in REVAK THE REBEL (1960)

I was watching this movie the other day and I was reminded of the ugliest costume in PEPLUM history. Here it is. I can't believe Jack agreed to wear this. It looks s cheap. Like it's about to fall apart at any time. The collar is an abomination. It's just odd how bad this is.