Blog should return in January...
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
By the Gods!
Ulpia (Wandisa Guida) is pestered by Erika (Simonetta Simeoni) in HERCULES AGAINST ROME
I've just completed a fix on my Fan Dub of this film (I replaced the few scenes with the original Spanish audio with a much preferred Italian audio for the scenes where there was no English audio) so as I was rewatching it I can't believe what a bitch Erika is in this. Everyone is nice to her, including Wandisa's character, but she makes everyone's life that more miserable. Erika would be on a list of the Top Ten Bitchy PEPLUM characters!
Oddly enough, in this film, like a couple of other PEPLUM films, Wandisa is the main actress but she falls for a man other than the hero, like in GLADIATOR OF ROME where she co-stars with Gordon Scott but is the love interest of another man (which I thought wasn't good). In this film, Erika pesters Ulpia because she's jealous of the attention from Hercules (Alan Steel) for Ulpia but Ulpia falls for a Roman general played by Mimmo Palmara. So Erika was being a bitch for nothing, which makes her character seem even more bitchy. Aha! Erika is wonderfully played by Simonetta. Wandisa is great in this too even if how her character was written would be unflattering to most but Wandisa carries it off on point.
I love this film!
Movie Poster Mondays
Spanish poster for THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959)
The artist didn't quite get Steve Reeves there. He looks constipated. But colourful poster nonetheless.
Friday, December 19, 2014
By the Gods!
He breaks a lot of things in this. One of Scott's best PEPLUM films.
PEPLUM GIF animation : MACISTE IN THE VALLEY OF THUNDERING ECHOES
Diabolical Farida (Hélène Chanel) stings Maciste (Kirk Morris) in MACISTE IN THE VALLEY OF THUNDERING ECHOES. He got the point.
Virna Lisi RIP
Virna with José Greci and Jacques Sernas in DUEL OF THE TITANS
Here's a compilation of photos I've posted of Virna on my blogs. What a sad day. RIP.
Posted at the BABES & BEAUTIES permanent page.
Virna and Steve Reeves on horseback in DUEL OF THE TITANS
Steve Reeves, Virna Lisi and Jacques Sernas for a party for DUEL OF THE TITANS
Virna in A VIRGIN FOR THE PRINCE
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
By the Gods!
Rock Hudson, as Harun, reaches for the golden blade in THE GOLDEN BLADE
One of those studio bound B-movies from the 1950s that kids would love but today's jaded audiences would probably laugh at. Rock is not bad in the swashbuckling scenes. There's a scene in this which makes me really laugh : when one of the various magicians hired by the Grand Vizier in an attempt to remove the sword from the column and fails. A film that doesn't take itself seriously.
Behind-the-Scenes
Nick Nostro directing a scene from TRIUMPH OF THE TEN GLADIATORS. Nick is holding super buff Pietro Torrisi. Then there's Aldo Canti (center), Emilio Messina, Salvatore Borghese (on the ground) and Dan Vadis. In the back, from the left, it's Jeff Cameron, Stelio Candelli and behind Emilio is Romano Giomini. Cool photo.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Revenge of the Gladiators
PEPLUM X Tuesdays
Mickey Hargitay - Giovanni Cianfriglia - Benito Stefanelli - Aldo Canti
Monday, December 15, 2014
By the Gods!
The rebels from THE SON OF SPARTACUS (aka The Slave)
The front row: Benito Stefanelli, Ombretta Colli, Enzo Fiermonte and Steve Reeves.
This film has two different versions. I did not make a scene by scene comparison between the US and Italian versions yet (I will do it in the near future) but I know the US version has a generic score while the Italian one basically has the same score from DUEL OF THE TITANS, also starring Steve. I prefer the Italian one. The US version lacks the strength of the other version with this generic different score we've heard a million times in other PEPLUM films. The story needs a main theme which is lacking in the official MGM cut. I made a Fan Dub with the English dub but with the Italian score. That's the best version of the two. It's the same thing with HERCULES: I created a Fan Dub of HERCULES with the better widescreen image from a French DVD (which, unfortunately, is not uncut) and added the US English dub, replacing the International English dub (which has a terrible voice actor for Steve). IMO, my Fan Dub is the definitive HERCULES version. Also, like so many recent transfers the image from the Warner Archive DVD for SON OF SPARTACUS is way too dark. The aspect ratio is good but it's lacking on both of these points.
Movie Poster Mondays
Italian poster for TRIUMPH OF THE TEN GLADIATORS
One of the few posters that shows all ten gladiators and not just Dan Vadis. Very colourful and action-packed, like the movies.
Friday, December 12, 2014
By the Gods!
Pier Angeli and Rossana Podestà in SODOM & GOMORRAH
Probably my least favourite PEPLUM films from Europe. There's basically no story to this film. The film appears unrealistic because all the women are young and beautiful (see above). There's nothing wrong with some eye candy but because there are almost no old women in it the film ends up looking like a dream casting call for director Robert Aldrich a la Howard Hughes 'producing' the silly SON OF SINBAD with his harem of babes. The impressive male cast, which includes genre faves Rik Battaglia, Gabriele Tinti and Anthony Steffen, amongst others, all look-alike which made the viewing unnecessarily confusing. Only Giacomo Rossi Stuart stands out from the pack because he has blond hair!
And speaking of confusing, the actors' accents were all over the place: British, American, Italians speaking English, French speaking English, dubbed American voices. The Tower of Babel would have been jealous. Rossana Podestà's voice is dubbed by an American actress and she plays Stewart Granger's daughter. They could have at least hired a British actress for the dubbing to go along with Stewart's Brit accent. Oh well... But in the end, the film was not lascivious enough to live up to its title, which didn't please those who wanted debauched action, and it was too tawdry for the Christian folks at the time (maybe even today). A film that seemingly pleased no one, including me. Composer Miklós Rózsa disliked the film as well. There are some good things in it, including Anouk Aimée, who clearly knew the weakness of the film and camp it up for fun and there's a fabulous cast of Italian actors (see link). Sergio Leone was unofficially credited as one of its many co-directors but today he's officially listed.
And speaking of confusing, the actors' accents were all over the place: British, American, Italians speaking English, French speaking English, dubbed American voices. The Tower of Babel would have been jealous. Rossana Podestà's voice is dubbed by an American actress and she plays Stewart Granger's daughter. They could have at least hired a British actress for the dubbing to go along with Stewart's Brit accent. Oh well... But in the end, the film was not lascivious enough to live up to its title, which didn't please those who wanted debauched action, and it was too tawdry for the Christian folks at the time (maybe even today). A film that seemingly pleased no one, including me. Composer Miklós Rózsa disliked the film as well. There are some good things in it, including Anouk Aimée, who clearly knew the weakness of the film and camp it up for fun and there's a fabulous cast of Italian actors (see link). Sergio Leone was unofficially credited as one of its many co-directors but today he's officially listed.
PEPLUM GIF animation : GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON
Goliath (Hercules in the original, Mark Forest) smashes the blood stone lodged-in on the God of Vengeance statue in GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON
Same set, different films!
Same set, different films: MESSALINA and TIBERIUS. Both films were released in 1960.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
PEPLUM TV back on Facebook
In preparation for some upcoming 'thing' I've reactivated the Facebook account for PEPLUM TV. For those who have Facebook, check it out.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
By the Gods!
Giacomo Rossi Stuart in full action in THE DEVILS OF SPARTIVENTO
To say that I love this film would be an understatement. You know the type of film that the second you see it you know you'll enjoy it well this is one of those films. Great cast, robust score by Francesco de Masi and fun action and the story has a twist to it which makes it stand out from the usual fare. Now if only there was a clean widescreen copy of this. Mine is in widescreen but from a fuzzy VHS source.
EXODUS reviews are now coming in...
...and some of them are brutal!
"This eye-rollingly bad movie is silly, sluggish and miscast." - New York Daily News
"When a swarm of super-crocs seize upon fishermen, turning the Nile into literal blood [...] perhaps you can briefly forgive Christian Bale's sketchily defined Moses." - Metro
"A grandly staged but soulless and mediocre retelling of Moses liberating the slaves of Egypt." - Impulse Gamer
"This is big screen filmmaking at its most traditional, a pageant of sight and sound that makes the trip to the theater completely worth it. Pity about the movie, though." - Badass Digest
Ouch! Those super-crocs killing men and turning the Nile into blood sounds ridiculous!
Previous article on EXODUS : link
EXODUS : GODS AND KINGS hits theatres this Friday.
"This eye-rollingly bad movie is silly, sluggish and miscast." - New York Daily News
"When a swarm of super-crocs seize upon fishermen, turning the Nile into literal blood [...] perhaps you can briefly forgive Christian Bale's sketchily defined Moses." - Metro
"A grandly staged but soulless and mediocre retelling of Moses liberating the slaves of Egypt." - Impulse Gamer
"This is big screen filmmaking at its most traditional, a pageant of sight and sound that makes the trip to the theater completely worth it. Pity about the movie, though." - Badass Digest
Ouch! Those super-crocs killing men and turning the Nile into blood sounds ridiculous!
Previous article on EXODUS : link
EXODUS : GODS AND KINGS hits theatres this Friday.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Monday, December 8, 2014
By the Gods!
Babar is one of the most annoying sidekicks in PEPLUM film history. The actor is credited as John Simons in the opening credits but he's not listed anywhere, including IMDb. Must be an alias. Dan is an action star in this but the fake beard sorta ruins it.
Movie Poster Mondays
German poster for REVOLT OF THE SLAVES
The artist didn't quite get Rhonda's face.
Friday, December 5, 2014
By the Gods!
Micah (Edmund Purdom) gets whipped after a falling out with the PTB (Powers That Be) in THE PRODIGAL
This scene lasts a split-second in the film so it's great that there's a photo of this which captured the moment. Thanks to Gary for this very rare photo.
I've said it before and I'll always say it: THE PRODIGAL is a snoozefest. It's well mounted MGM production but hardly exciting on any level and Micah's character is hard to root for. So was this punishment justified? Aha!
Edmund would have made a great Jesus.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
By the Gods!
Sylva Koscina, as Clio, rides to her father's temple in SIEGE OF SYRACUSE
Ah the simple days when a pretty woman could ride nonchalantly around, to the market or anywhere, in a chariot.
I love SIEGE OF SYRACUSE but one of the criticism I have about it is that Sylva's role was merely a footnote, nothing more. It was severely underwritten. But she lit-up the story whenever she was on screen.
