Director Michele Lupo came in late during the PEPLUM craze. His first film was made in 1962 when by 1960 most filmmakers had already accumulated a good number of projects under their belt. His films were like the last gasp of the dying craze, and they sorta briefly re-energized the genre but his films weren't enough to save it from its eventual death in 1964-65. His films had a specific style, often super energetic and chaotic. Some absolutely loved this approached and they worship his films while others hated this approach, and his films were an example of what's not to like about the PEPLUM genre by then: it became too cartoonish.
One of the most distinctive aspects of his PEPLUM films was the constant use of ultra massive close-ups. You really had to be comfortable in your own skin as an actor to work in his films as those close-ups were not forgiving and could sometimes end up as being unflattering.
GOLIATH & THE SINS OF BABYLON
REVENGE OF THE GLADIATORS (aka Revenge of Spartacus)
7 SLAVES AGAINST ROME
SEVEN REBEL GLADIATORS
Massive close-ups work best in productions made for the much smaller screen of TV.
ReplyDelete