HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Photo of the Day

Bella Cortez and dancers perform a fertility dance for the folks of Metropolis from THE GIANT OF METROPOLIS

Coincidentally, Bella accepted my friendship on Facebook today! Yeah!!!

2011: The Year in Banners

2011 is almost history so here's a recap of some of the banners that appeared here. I've also uploaded a new banner for January 2012, from a photobusta for THEODORA - SLAVE EMPRESS, which is a fav and it really captures the spirit of the film. You can view more banners at the permanent banner page.

Photo of the Day

Mylène Demongeot is a Vestal virgin in ROMULUS AND THE SABINES

The blog is having a mini Mylène Demongeot festival for today. The interesting thing about ROMULUS AND THE SABINES is that it was filmed in two separate versions, specifically for France and Italy, and both version differ in that there's actual female nudity in the French version. The international version seen in the US was the Italian one as the French one was considered too racy. I don't think Mylène has any nude scene in it but you can see a screen shots at this link.

I've uploaded more photos of Mylène at the Facebook page.

Mylène Demongeot and...

Mylène Demongeot was paired off with some of the biggest PEPLUM stars of the time. She's one of those actresses that had great chemistry with all her co-stars. Which one is your favorite pairing?

Mylène and Steve Reeves in GIANT OF MARATHON

Roger Moore was Mylène's love interest in ROMULUS AND THE SABINES

As the clip in the post below shows, Mylène acted in a fake PEP film with Jacques Sernas

Gérard Barray was one of THE THREE MUSKETEERS and Mylène was Milady De Winter

Mylène had great chemistry with Jeffrey Hunter in GOLD FOR THE CAESARS

Photo of the Day

Sally Forest probably doing the first pole dancing in a mainstream Hollywood film in SON OF SINBAD

Kim Novak is somewhere in the all-female audience. Aside from Vincent Price (who's really great in this), Lili St Cyr and Dale's, eh, assets, Sally is the best thing in this silly, super cheesy and, in the end, fun film.

I've uploaded her dance number at my SapphoPEPLUM channel

Where in the world is Kim Novak?

I watched SON OF SINBAD last night on PEPLUM TV, which turned out to be a fun night, and knew Kim Novak was amongst the 127 starlets appearing on screen in this infamous Howard Hughes production which is basically a showcase for his harem. I do believe I finally found her, as pointed out in the screengrabs with the red arrow. Kim had a distinctive face and tilt to her head and she wasn't a blonde yet so I'm sure that's her.

I'm certain that's Kim

There goes Dale's assets again (see next post)

Starring Dale Robertson's assets

While trying to find Kim Novak amongst the endless number of females appearing on screen in SON OF SINBAD, I noticed something.  Even with 127 starlets in it the film was also clearly focused on something else.

Photo of the Day

Michal (Pilar Clemens) tries to consol a wounded David (Gianni Garko) in SAUL AND DAVID

Straight out of Bible studies. Gianni is not bad in the role but at nearly 2 hours the film drags.

The Incredible Shrinking Steve Reeves

It's almost the end of the month (and the year) and I'm about to change the banner of the blog so here's a quick observation on Steve's physique in the December banner.

The photo on the left is from HERCULES UNCHAINED, same as the December banner, when Steve was probably at his biggest in any of his films. His arms here were thicker than his waist. But by time he made THIEF OF BAGHDAD, on the right, Steve lost most of that mass, certainly his shoulders and legs. His hand in the photo on the right looks abnormally big against his hip while the same hand looks tiny compared in the photo on the left to the mass he had then. Also the veins on his arms are popping out like crazy during UNCHAINED while they're non-existent during THIEF.

The Film without a title!

Another PEP film with a quasi-confusing title issue. The English title is WAR GODS OF BABYLON. The original Italian title is LE SETTE FOLGORI DI ASSUR, which translates into THE SEVEN THUNDERS OF ASSYRIA. I don't like it at all. The French title on the poster here simply translates into THUNDERS OVER BABYLON (or Thunders on Babylon or Wrath on Babylon or Lightning on Babylon). None of the titles, in English, Italian or French are satisfactory. WAR GODS OF BABYLON doesn't make much sense even though it's the best title of the bunch. If you know the film (**spoilers**) there's a storm/flash flood that destroys part of Babylon (effects by Antonio Margheriti) but Howard Duff takes matters into his own hands and burns down his palace in a mass act of suicide.

Very few people remember this fairly good, above-average film. The lack of a good title might explain it.

Photo of the Day

Scene from HELEN YES...HELEN OF TROY...a soft-core PEP film made in the 1970s. I haven't seen it yet but it looks, huh, better than MACISTE AGAINST THE QUEEN OF THE AMAZONS. That's Don Backy and Christa Linder as Helen. Original Italian title: Elena Si...Ma Di Troia

Castor & Pollux

The myth of Castor & Pollux has never been done for a film. I really think it should be made. The idea of twins, one immortal (Pollux) and one mortal (Castor), should make for a fascinating drama. The two HERCULES films starring Steve Reeves had both characters (pictured below), played by Fulvio Carrara (Castor) and Willi Colombini (Pollux).

Photo of the Day

Ed Fury and Dorian Gray are hot for each other in COLOSSUS & THE AMAZON QUEEN

Fun, goofy battle-of-the-sexes film!

Movie Poster Mondays

Italian poster for THE TROJAN HORSE (or The Trojan War)

Even with Robert Wise's excellent HELEN OF TROY and the woeful Brad Pitt version, this is, imo, the best film about Troy as it concentrates on Aeneas instead of Paris, Hector or Achilles. The sequel is very good too. Poster captures the PEPLUMINOUS spirit of the film.

Location: Palinuro Arch in Campania

The Palinuro arch near the coastal city of Palinuro in the Italian province of Campania. A couple of films went on location there, including JASON & THE ARGONAUTS and HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN.

 The Palinuro arch as seen in JASON & THE ARGONAUTS

The arch as seen in HERCULES & THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, with Reg Park above, trying to keep a ship from sailing off, and below Ettore Manni walking towards the arch.

Photo of the Day

Queen Antinea (Fay Spain) tries to seduce Hercules (Reg Park) to her evil ways in HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN

Big, colorful, action packed. What more do you want in a Sword & Sandal film? Fay's only PEP film and she's quite memorable in it.

Crackdown on Gladiator impersonators

Gladiators, real or not, are supposed to be honorable. Roman police are looking to restore the righteousness by clamping down on their un-chivalrous brethren.

The gladiators that pose for pictures outside the Colosseum are nothing new. But their aggression is. Police arrested 20 faux Romans who were strongarming the competition in an attempt to dominate the market.

link

Story was published last August but thought it was funny enough to post today

Should have been a PEPLUM star: John Grimek

John Grimek won Mr. Universe over Steve Reeves back in 1948. According to Reg Park, who was there, Steve should have won and the only reason Grimek won was because as a trained acrobat he did several special feats (as we can see in the photo above) that made the crowd roar with approval and won over Reeves because of the applause. He did have a swordman's pose down right.