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.

Behind-the-Scenes

Brigitte Bardot, Jacques Sernas supervised by director Robert Wise on the set of HELEN OF TROY (1956)

Clip of the week: THE TITANS (1962)

Giuliano Gemma jumps into action!

Funnies!

HD Alert!

More like Cinematic Confusion Alert!

The movie above is supposed to be the German Blu-ray release of HERCULES AGAINST THE BARBARIANS (1964). The title printed on the cover artwork says GENGHIS KHAN. If I look at the movie's listing at Amazon Germany, it shows the Blu-ray but the info says it's the Omar Sharif version of Genghis Khan. 

 

The image is the Mark Forest movie but the info says it's the Omar Sharif movie.

So I tried to check elsewhere and it's the same:

JPC

The cover of the Blu-ray disc and the info at JPC says it's the Mark Forest movie but the screenshots show the Omar Sharif movie.

I'm so confused.

I reported the issue at Amazon Germany so it might be fixed eventually but these screenshots show what's going on.

Then & Now: David Brandon

David in CALIGULA: THE UNTOLD STORY (1982); Present day David.

Musings!

Livio Lorenzon and Tamara Lees in A SWORD IN THE SHADOWS (1961) 

This is a fun movie with a lot of twists and turns. It's also the last film of Tamara Lees, who started acting in the late 1940s, mainly playing the exotic mysterious femme fatale type. It worked: she was statuesque and mysterious looking. Her role in THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF GUERRIN MESCHINO (1952) sums up her career. By the time she appeared in this movie, she was more the frumpy, matronly type. It's not surprising she quit acting. I know very little of her. She has a career that sorta paralleled the one of Gianna Maria Canale, who also stopped acting in the same period. I got a new copy of this movie which is a vast improvement over the VHS quality English version I had. This version is in Italian.

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Japanese poster of THE WHITE WARRIOR (1959) 

I love Japanese posters and this one is no exception. There's no scene like this one pictured here in the movie but it doesn't matter.

Image of the week!

Glauco (Ed Fury) is surrounded by Amazons, including Antiope (Dorian Grey), who is being sentenced for breaking the law of the Sacred Girdle in COLOSSUS AND THE AMAZON QUEEN (1960)

MUSCLES Inc.

Richard Harrison on the cover of Manual magazine. Feb 1965. 

 
Great cover!

Musings!

Robert Hardy as Caius Martius in THE SPREAD OF THE EAGLE (1963)

I recently got the entire series from my good source and I'm trying to watch this production based on the works of William Shakespeare: CORIOLANUS, JULIUS CAESAR and ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA. Trying is the word. I like it but there are so many characters, unnamed characters, that it's hard to follow. I wish the names of the characters appeared below them when they first appear. Or some chart. There are many actors I'm not familiar with and putting a name to them can be a confusing process. As I've said, I like it but this crowded cast is a chore. Part of the series is on Youtube.

Behind-the-Scenes

Director Stanley Kubrick on the set of SPARTACUS (1960)

Clip of the week: ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS (1961)

Atlas (Gordon Mitchell) saves the day! With Chelo Alonso. 

New PEPLUM Art!

With a few prompts, new PEPLUM art by AI. 

From MEN OF PULP @ X 

TRIUMPH OF THE MERCENARIES

SPFX DEPT.

Scenes from THE PHARAOHS' WOMAN (1960)

This excellent movie has multiple matte paintings in it, including these two scenes. The image is in widescreen but not the sharpest. But you can still see the quality of the work. Joseph Nathanson is credited for special effects.

GOLDEN movies!

There are a good number of PEPLUM movies with GOLDEN in their titles. Here's a quick list!


 

THE GOLDEN HORDE (1951). The granddaddy of them all. Very entertaining.

 

THE GOLDEN BLADE (1953). Starring Rock Hudson is this fun adventure.

 

THE GOLDEN FALCON (1955). Beautiful film.

 

JASON AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE (1960) is the UK title of THE GIANTS OF THESSALY.

THE GOLDEN ARROW (1962). Popular fantasy with Tab Hunter and Rossana Podesta.

THE GOLDEN SALAMANDER (1962). I just got this movie in a beautiful print. Not released in English.

 

THE GOLDEN ASS (1970). Yes, this is a real movie. Ass as in donkey.


 

THE GOLDEN THING (1972). The story of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS but played with a cast of children. 

THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD (1973), which re-ignited a short-lived PEPLUM explosion in the early to mid-1970s.

 

GOLDEN TEMPLE AMAZONS (1986). Directed by Jess Franco.