An unusual storyline set among the gods, but operating on Earth, makes this sword-and-sandal movie, originally titled Vulcano, figlio di Giove, distinctive. Jupiter (Furio Meniconi), tired of the promiscuity of his daughter Venus (Annie Gorassini), plans to give her in marriage to either Mars (Roger Browne) or Vulcan (Iloosh Khoshabe), but Venus takes matters into …
Read the full post →“<em>Vulcan, Son of Jupiter</em> (1962)”
Peter Lupus (under the name Rock Stevens) plays the titular strongman in this sword-and-sandal picture, originally titled Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia. The plot involves his efforts to free the Queen of the Hellenes (Anna Maria Polani) and others who have been enslaved by the wicked ruler of Babylon (Livio Lorenzen), brother of the …
Read the full post →“<em>Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon</em> (1964)”
Hercules (Reg Park) rescues a princess (Laura Efrikian) left to be prey for a monster but then must protect her further from her wicked mother, the queen of Atlantis (Fay Spain). Not the most thrilling of adventures for the Greek hero, but reasonably entertaining nonetheless. Original title: Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide. Mildly recommended. Otto …
Read the full post →“<em>Hercules and the Captive Women</em> (1961)”
Darna, the Philippine equivalent of Wonder Woman, battles the alien Planet Women, who have come to Earth to figure out a way to bring the whole planet across the galaxy to use it to house their excess population, coincidentally killing all people on Earth along the way. The colorful Planet Women (each is a different …
Read the full post →“<em>Darna vs. the Planet Women</em> (1975)”
Special effects by Ray Harryhausen are the highlight of this epic tale of Jason’s quest to Colchis to find the Golden Fleece, but it proves an exciting adventure film as well. To rid himself of the rightful heir to the throne, the usurper Pelias (Douglas Wilmer) sets the young Jason (Todd Armstrong) an impossible task: …
Read the full post →“<em>Jason and the Argonauts</em> (Columbia, 1963)”
In this dull adventure movie, a scientific expedition in search of the remnants of Atlantis encounter monstrous creatures and cavemen on an unexplored island. There’s a rather tedious romantic subplot involving one of the scientists and one of the cavepeople, too. Not recommended. Otto thinks you should avoid this movie. Movie 367 for 2021.
Wild movie from the Philippines, originally titled Lumaban ka, Satanas, features a man who is chosen by his dead uncle to battle the powers of evil, in the form, first, of “the Prince of Magic,” but eventually Old Nick himself. Fans of film oddities may enjoy it, but it isn’t very good. Not recommended. Otto …
H. Rider Haggard’s grand fantasy-adventure novel She has been interpreted for film multiple times, with varying degrees of faithfulness, and in the mid-1960s Hammer Films produced this appealing version, released in the U.S. by MGM. Screen siren Ursula Andress plays the title character, and she is a fine choice for the beautiful Ayesha, “She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed.” John …
The always entertaining Polly Ling-Feng Shang-Kuan stars in this lighthearted movie, originally titled Shi da zhang men chuang Shao Lin and also known as Fight for Survival, as a young woman with an earnest desire to learn kung fu despite a prohibition on female students at the Shaolin temple, and her intense dedication ends up …
In this wild fantasy (also known as Ginseng King and Three-Head Monster), a boy tries to get help from the Ginseng King to save his dying mother, who has been bitten by a Nazi zombie, even as a group of malicious monsters seek to capture the Ginseng King on behalf of a three-headed demon. A …
