My Peplum Movies
Historical and Fantasy Sword-and-Sandal movies made in Italy I watched over the years (more or less in personal order of love)
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- DirectorRiccardo FredaStarsRoland CareyZiva RodannAlberto FarneseIn order to placate the angry gods, who have allowed Thessaly to be overrun with barbarian invaders and beset with natural disasters, King Jason takes his Argonauts on a search for the fabled Golden Fleece. Meanwhile, back at home, his scheming regent is plotting to get his hands on the kingdom--and the queen.I still remember watching as a child. The climbing in the statue is awesome and one of my favorite magical moments in cinema history.
- DirectorMario BavaStarsReg ParkChristopher LeeLeonora RuffoHercules must journey into Hades itself to retrieve the magic stone that will free his love from the powers of darkness.Two things you need to know: Mario Bava directed and Christopher Lee is the villain.
- DirectorMario BonnardStarsSteve ReevesChristine KaufmannFernando ReyA demobilized centurion returns home to Pompeii to find his father murdered by a gang of black-hooded Christian robbers that terrorizes the city and he decides to investigate the matter while the nearby volcano threatens to erupt.In my childhood memories, it's a gorgeous spectacle.
- DirectorPietro FrancisciStarsSteve ReevesSylva KoscinaFabrizio MioniThe muscular Hercules performs his Labors, sails with the Argonauts, and romances the fair Iole.The one that started that 60's craze.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsRory CalhounLea MassariGeorges MarchalWhile holidaying in Rhodes, an Athenian war hero becomes involved in two plots to overthrow the tyrannical king: one from Rhodian patriots, and the other from sinister Phoenician agents.Sergio Leone before become Sergio Leone.
- DirectorCarlo Ludovico BragagliaStarsEd FuryMoira OrfeiAlberto LupoThe evil dictator Ajak sends his armies to attack a neighboring kingdom, and during the battle, the besieged King Annurius orders one of his subjects to take his son Ursus to a place of safety outside of the city, after first putting a royal medallion around the baby's neck. Ajak kills the king and usurps his throne, but the infant prince is smuggled out of the city to safety.Orlando Orfei is the animal wrangler and stunt in this one. Latter on, he came to Brazil with his circus and became a reference in popular culture.
- DirectorGiorgio FerroniStarsSteve ReevesJuliette MaynielJohn Drew BarrymoreA retelling of the events leading to the use of the Trojan Horse, to bring down the great city of Troy.They tried really hard with this one.
- DirectorGianfranco ParoliniStarsBrad HarrisLuisella BoniMara BerniIn a tyrannical kingdom there is an evil ruler and a queen who lusts after Hercules who is attracted to a handmaiden. A rebellion overthrows the ruler.A personal love from my saturday afternoons in Brazilian TV in the 80's.
- DirectorGuido MalatestaStarsBrad HarrisGloria MillandFernando ReyMuscleman fights sea monsters, a horde of giants and a tribe of Amazonian warriors.It's bad, but it's also all over the place with monsters, lions, amazons and poor looking giants. Another love since childhood.
- DirectorDuccio TessariStarsPedro ArmendárizGiuliano GemmaAntonella LualdiAn evil king makes a bargain with a devil in order to get away with murdering his wife.Nice twist: the hero is a smartass, not a beefcake.
- DirectorVittorio CottafaviStarsMark ForestBroderick CrawfordGaby AndréA warrior returning home to his country must battle giant bats, three-headed dogs and a vicious dragon to save his wife, and his people, from the machinations of an evil ruler.The USA version have additional stop-motion by legend Jim Danforth.
- DirectorCarlo CampogallianiStarsMark ForestChelo AlonsoVira SilentiMaciste travels to Egypt, where he leads a revolt against an evil queen.Good childhood memories with this one.
- DirectorPietro FrancisciMario BavaStarsSteve ReevesSylva KoscinaGabriele AntoniniWhile negotiating peace between two brothers contesting the throne of Thebes, an amnesiac Hercules is seduced by the evil Queen Omphale.Nice, but kind of flat.
- DirectorPietro FrancisciStarsAnthony QuinnSophia LorenHenri VidalAttila, the leader of the barbarian Huns and called by the Romans "The Scourge of God", sweeps onto the Italian peninsula, defeating all of the armies of Rome, until he and his men reach the gates of the city itself.Look too Hollywood-made, for better and for worse.
- DirectorMario CameriniStarsSilvana ManganoKirk DouglasAnthony QuinnA movie adaptation of Homer's second epic, that depicts Ulysses' efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war.Uninspired. But nice FXs from german expressionism legend Eugen Schüftan.
- DirectorAlberto De MartinoStarsRichard HarrisonAnna RanalliArturo DominiciA warrior does battle against the evil Medusa, her army of stone warriors and a monstrous dragon.You got to love the craziest Medusa ever, courtesy of Carlo Rambaldi.
- DirectorGiacomo GentilomoStarsSergio CianiJany ClairAnna Maria PolaniHercules is summoned to oppose the evil Queen Samara, who has allied herself with aliens and is sacrificing her own people in a bid to awaken a moon goddess.Mythology meets creatures from outer space.
- DirectorJacques TourneurBruno VailatiMario BavaStarsSteve ReevesMylène DemongeotSergio FantoniA Greek soldier leads the fight against an invading Persian army.Too bureaucratic.
- DirectorGiacomo GentilomoStarsCameron MitchellEdmund PurdomIsabelle CoreyHarald and his brother Guntar return to Norway to find their father murdered and his throne usurped. They try to take revenge on Sveno, but a traitor amongst them puts both brother's lives at risk.Save your friend from crucifixion using a sword as lever
- DirectorAntonio LeonviolaStarsMark ForestMoira OrfeiPaul WynterMaciste arranges for himself and his new friend Bangor to be captured by a mysterious band of white-clad marauders and taken to an underground city. There the two are forced to turn an enormous wheel along with other captives as part of a gold-and-diamonds mining operation. The underground city's queen, Halis Mosab, takes note of the handsome, muscular Maciste and chooses him to be her consort if he can meet such challenges as saving the kidnapped Princess Saliura from a gigantic ape. Maciste kills the ape and carries Saliura back to the aboveground world. The white-clad marauders can't follow them if it means being caught in the sunlight which instantly dissolves them. Maciste then returns to the underground city to save the other captives. Meanwhile, high priest Kahab informs his son, Katar, that their queen is not one of them but, unbeknownst to her, was kidnapped as a small child from the "world above." If Katar can marry her, their children can be "normal" and can live in the world of sunlight. Katar sees Maciste as his enemy and is pleased when the re-captured Maciste is now subjected to a test of strength which will not only kill him but also Bango and another captive named Loth who is in love with the Princess Saliura.Good intentions in the road to molemen realm.
- DirectorMarino GirolamiStarsGordon MitchellJacques BergeracCristina GaioniIn the tenth year of the Trojan War, tensions between Achilles and Agamemnon divide the Greek camp while giving hope to the Trojans.Nothing remarkable.
- DirectorSilvio AmadioStarsBob MathiasRosanna SchiaffinoAlberto LupoA mythological hero attempts to rescue a princess from being sacrificed to a half-man, half-bull creature.SPOILER: the monster only appears at the end.
- DirectorAntonio LeonviolaStarsGordon MitchellChelo AlonsoVira SilentiStrongman Maciste must battle the one-eyed Cyclops monster that is ravaging the land of Sadok, while at the same time fending off the advances of the evil Queen Capys, who wants to do a little ravaging of her own.SPOILER: the monster only appears at the end (again).
- DirectorGiorgio FerroniStarsGordon ScottAlessandra PanaroRosalba NeriA prince passes himself off as Hercules and does battle with an evil queen and her bloodthirsty religious cult in Mycene, in order to free the people of a neighboring kingdom.Just boring.
- DirectorLuigi CozziStarsLou FerrignoBrad HarrisSybil DanningThe story of the Greek mythological figure, updated in this '80s version.Bad. So bad that's good. But still bad.
- DirectorCarmine GalloneStarsAnnibale NinchiCamillo PilottoFosco GiachettiA story of the Second Punic Wars, beginning with Scipio's futile pleas to the Roman Senate to build an army to battle Hannibal, that climaxes with the battle of Zama.Fascist crap.
- DirectorGiovanni PastroneStarsItalia Almirante-ManziniLidia QuarantaBartolomeo PaganoCabiria is a Roman child when her home is destroyed by a volcano. Sold in Carthage to be sacrificed in a temple, she is saved by Fulvio, a Roman spy. But danger lurks, and hatred between Rome and Carthage can only lead to war.An unsung epic that deeply influenced cinema evolution.
- DirectorVittorio CottafaviStarsReg ParkFay SpainEttore ManniStrong yet sleepy Hercules discovers that the Queen of Atlantis is plotting to take over the world with superhuman warriors.A nice destruction scene at the climax.