Wednesday, July 18, 2012

PEPLUM Holy Grails

With so many PEPLUM titles still m.i.a. here's a quick round-up of the my most sought after titles:


1 - SIEGE OF SYRACUSE - English dub

The film hasn't been shown in any English speaking country, the US, Canada, the UK or Australia/N.Z., since forever. It's available on DVD in Italian (and German) in a beautiful widescreen transfer and there is a subtitled version which was broadcast years ago in Australia (and eventually the UK as well) but the English dub is missing. TCM never played it. It's a shame since Tina Louise's own voice was used for the dubbing of SAPPHO - VENUS OF LESBOS which almost automatically means Tina dubbed her role in SIEGE. Where is it?!?!


2 - GODDESS OF LOVE - English dub

Same situation as SIEGE OF SYRACUSE: the English dub of GODDESS OF LOVE has disappear from the face of the earth. A regular visitor to this blog, Michael, sent me a subtitled copy of the GOL, which is great but as with SIEGE it's not enough.


3 - SWORD OF THE EMPIRE - English dub

I have an Italian copy from a TV broadcast that's in widescreen but there's no English dub available anywhere. The TV broadcast is not that great; I would prefer a DVD copy but it's better than nothing but where's the English dub? Was it ever translated into English? According to one source the answer is yes: there's a Jamaican poster of this film with the title of ROME AGAINST THE GLADIATORS. One can only hope it'll surface somewhere one day.

4 - SAPPHO THE VENUS OF LESBOS - widescreen

I have the English dub of this title but in 4:3 aspect ratio. A beautiful clear widescreen transfer would be great to see has the film was specifically shot in CinemaScope. Why was SIEGE released on DVD but not SAPPHO? Weird.

5 - PETER LUPUS films

Except for HERCULES AGAINST THE TYRANTS OF BABYLON, no other Peter Lupus PEPLUM film are available in widescreen, in any language anywhere, including one of my favorite  Lupus films, CHALLENGE OF THE GLADIATORS.


6 - Michele Lupo SLAVE trilogy - in English

VENGEANCE OF SPARTACUS, 7 SLAVES AGAINST THE WORLD and SEVEN REBEL GLADIATORS are all available on DVD in Europe but with no English tracks. Even poor VHS copies are available in anything but English. And to think some of those titles were released by Paramount.

7 - TIBERIUS - English dub

This PEP comedy was dubbed in English as it was listed in TV GUIDE back in the 60s. So where is it today?

8 - THE 3 CENTURIONS - English dub

Again, this fun PEPLUM, starring 3 veteran genre stars Mimmo Palmara, Roger Browne and Mario Novelli, was dubbed in English and was shown on TV (not theatres) in the US so someone needs to find this, one of the last "real" PEPLUM films made.

9 - HERCULES UNCHAINED - Uncut and widescreen

HERCULES UNCHAINED is available in English via a German DVD but it's cut. As I reported recently (here), there is another English version, that's less cut than the German one, from an Italian DVD but it's not a true widescreen transfer.

10 - various titles: THE REBEL GLADIATORS in widescreen; ROLAND THE MIGHTY in widescreen; THE MIGHTY CRUSADERS in clear transfer; an uncut copy of SPARTACO (SINS OF ROME) or FABIOLA; any TOTO films with subs at least. ZORRO IN THE COURT OF ENGLAND english dub; SINS OF POMPEII English dub; DESERT DESPERADO (the sinner)  starring Ruth Roman; and the super rare FRINE CORTIGIANA D'ORIENTE.

There are so many more titles but those are the top titles.

7 comments:

Pal said...

Which Italian DVD has the uncut HERCULES UNCHAINED, please?

I have just received an inexpensive DVD (dubbed in English) from Italy, but to my disappointment (aside being a non-anamorphic transfer and of a poor picture quality) it contains the American print and is cut; A favourite scene - when the girl Penelope is listening to a seashell on the beach [with Greek buildings in the background - I love such nice nice compositions] (at 46:30) - is missing.

I got my disappointing DVD from here http://www.deastore.com/dvd/ercole-e-la-regina-di-lidia-pietro-francisci/8034108789255.html - but what I got has a different cover (albeit released by the same company, Password). (On this very page there is the uncut Italian film available to view on YouTube.)

So from where I could get the Italian uncut HERCULES UNCHAINED on DVD? Is it English dubbed? (If not so, it would be still OK; I have just found the Spanish subtitles for this version, which I could Google translate.) Is it anamorph? Thanks!

Pal said...

OK, I see that it has English dubbing - so I am even more interested about this uncut Italian DVD. Just to be sure, please check if the scene I have mentioned (with Penelope being on the beach, then running up on the hill when called) is in that edition you have. Thanks again!

PEPLUM cinema said...

The Italian DVD I got is probably the same as yours. That DVD has almost an additional 3 minutes compared to the German DVD that's why I wrote uncut.

I have 5 versions of the film, including one with Penelope on the beach so I confused the Italian DVD with that one.

I have two Italian versions, one German and one English from the German DVD and the US 4:3 version.

Pal said...

Thank you fro the info. My ultimate question is: from where I could get the version containing the scene with Penelope on the beach?

Has it been released on DVD or it is a TVrip? If it was released on DVD, is it still available (and if so, where)? If it was recorded off broadcast, can it be downloaded somewhere?

The YouTube video seems to come from a letter-box [non-anamorphic] wide-screen video. It is not in full videscreen, but the panning is much better on it than that on the Italian DVD I have (on which the buildings on the left side - during the "pigeon scene" - are completely off the picture frame). Do you have the same print? Is your version is anamorphic?

Sorry about asking these many questions, but I would very much like to get the version containing the beach scene (a nice composition on its own, but without which the transition from the preceding scene with Hercules is very awkward). Thanks.

PEPLUM cinema said...

I got mine from another source but it was a bootleg of sorts. I think it was available at one point on DVD which is now out-of-print.

You can always download it from Youtube. Go to savevid and download it from there.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see the uncut English version of "Hercules Conquers Atlantis" in widescreen. As far as I know, it was released on VHS in the UK many years ago, but only pan & scan.

Shamelord said...

It would be great if you update and repost that list.