Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Unique arena set-ups

One of the cool aspects of PEPLUM films is seeing films with scenes set in the arena with elaborate set-ups. Here are just a few examples. These don't include scenes with standard gladiatorial arenas but just those with added themes or contraptions.

A mock fortress surrounded by a motte in FABIOLA

In SPARTACO : SINS OF ROME, a full ship with oars in a pool of water

An elaborate elevated fighting area in BARABBAS

GLADIATORS 7 : An elevated catwalk area to fight, with wooden spikes waiting below

A bizarre leveraging thingamajig, with Hercules (Dan Vadis) trying to keep his mate (Marilu Tolo) from being killed. It's hard to describe. From TRIUMPH OF HERCULES

1 comment:

James E., Parten said...

Am surprised that nobody has noted that your fourth example is from "Gladiators Seven".
The folks who paid good sesterces for ringside seats, only to find that their view is occluded by the wall, and thus they can see nothing unless someone falls to his death on the wooden stakes to either side, got rooked!

And the fifth item is an elaborate feat of strength combined with an Elaborate and Improbable Torture device--except that the audience does not know that "Hercules" has been robbed of his superhuman strength after killing an innocent man by mistake. Thus, he has only the strength of a natural man of his size and build--which isn't going to help him in this torturous test.
Perhaps he best possible frame grab, showing all aspects of this device.