Herc Is Back!

 

 (imdb)

HERCULES UNCHAINED-1959-In this sequel, Hercules (returning Steve Reeves), his new bride Iole (also returning Sylvia Koscina) and a young Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini, also returning) are on their way home to Thebes. They encounter the giant Antius (Primo Carnera). Herc van-quishes him, even though he draws his power from the Earth. Soon, Hercules learns the king has been replaced by his son, Etecoles (Sergio Fantoni) who will not give the throne up to his brother Polonices (Mimmo Palmara), as he is supposed to. 

Hercules agrees to mediate but on his way to Thebes, he drinks from the water of forgetfulness and comes under the spell Queen Enfale (Patrizia Della Rovere), who convinces Hercules he's the king of the land and her lover. Herc seems happy but poor Iole frets at home. Ulysses helps Herc regain his memory and discovers the Queen's secret. She has her former lovers killed and made into statues. Fortunately, Laertes and his men show up and help Hercules & Ulysses escape. The queen kills herself. Later, Hercules fights some tigers and the brothers fight to the death. 

Director Pietro Francisici was back to make this fairly entertaining sequel which like its predecessor was a worldwide hit. Director of Photography Mario Bava may have directed some scenes as well. There were Dell Comic adaptions too.

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Hercules The First

 

 (themoviedatabase)

HERCULES-1958-The legendary hero of Greek myth (Steve Reeves) saves Princess Iole (Sylva Koscina). Her father, the king of Iolcus (Ivo Garrani) wants Herc to train his “his weak and impulsive” son, Iphitus (Mimmo Palmara) to "fortify” Iolcus so he can step down and give his son the throne. He helps a young Ulysses (Gabriele Antonio) improve his bow skills. After Herc shows up Iphitus in training, the heir to the throne is killed by a lion. The king and Iole blame Hercules (even though Iphitus set the whole thing up). Herc tells Sybil (Lidia Alfonsi), the oracle, he doesn't want to be a god anymore. Later, Jason (Fabrizio Mioni) appears and he and Herc gather up the Argonauts and go looking for the golden fleece in their ship, The Argo. Their first encounter is with The Amazons led by Queen Antea (Gianna Maria Canale). Later Jason slays a dragon and gets the fleece. 

This blockbuster movie directed by Pietro Francisci (who also made the sequel the next year) started the whole “sand and sandal” genre with countless imitations to follow.

According to some sources, the roar of the dragon that guards the fleece is actually Godzilla's roar from the original movie. Since Joseph Levine distributed both movies, it's probably right. Mario Bava was the cinema-tographer. Lead actress Koscina went on to make many more movie appearances in-cluding JUDEX (1963), Fellini's JULIET OF THE SPIRITS (1965), LISA AND THE DEVIL (1973) and many others. Of course, strongman Reeves starred in the sequel, HERCULES UNCHAINED in 1959. 

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Italian Space Opera

STAR PILOT-1966-On the isle of Sardinia, Paolo (Mario Novelli), Louisa (Leontine Snell) and Professor Solmi (Roland Lesaffre) investigate a mysterious giant hole that has formed. After an earthquake opens up a tunnel they follow it. There they discover an underground spaceship. When their car and the phone won't work, the small group (they were joined by two guys who were at the site already) is stranded. Then 3 "Oriental" agents from an unnamed Asian country (but not Red China) show up thinking the spaceship is some new invention of the professor's. The trio make the group go back to the cave and they kill an alien robot. A badly staged fight ensues. 

Meanwhile a red haired alien lady sends two henchmen, Belsy (Kirk Morris) and Artie (Alfio Caltabiano) to capture everyone which they do but one Asian is burnt to a crispy skeleton. The aliens were investigating Earth's "nuclear experiments" when they had to make an emergency landing. Now they want the professor to repair their ship while Louisa is held hostage. Later after repairs are made they all take off in the spaceship, the aliens reneging on their promise to free the earthlings. They run into problems with the ship. The captain puts on a black haired wig and this dog turns into a romance novel. As she and Paolo kiss the group is attacked by some gorilla like beings (who kill the Asians). 

Later they find a derelict Russian spaceship with two cosmonaut skeletons. From the ship's log they learn the Earth has been devastated by nuclear war so the captain takes them back to Hydra whose inhabitants fearing nuclear fallout have left their home planet. 

This Italian production has a cheesy story, acting and sfx all rolled into one big fat space opera by director Pietro Francisci (HERCULES and HERCULES UNCHAINED).

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Life Before Gilligan

THE WARRIOR EMPRESS-1960-Around 600 BC Phaon (Kerwin Matthews) the leader of the people's revolution is wounded when the evil king's minions attack their rebel camp. He seeks sanctuary in the Temple of Aphrodite on the island of Lesbos. Shappo (pre-Gilligan's Island Ginger Tina Louise), a kind of priestess in training hides him in the basement. They fall in love despite Shappo's girlfriends' interference and the fact that she's engaged to another man (Riccardo Garrone who had a role in LA DOLCE VITA the same year). Meanwhile the girls make music and dance. There's some sword fights but it's mostly hokey talky love drama. 

Filmed in Italy, director Pietro Francisci had directed the international hits HERCULES and HERCULES UNCHAINED.  

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