Monday, October 21, 2019

By the Gods!

Lucretia Love and Danilo Mattei in DIARY OF A ROMAN VIRGIN (1973)

This softcore movie, also known as LIVIA - UNA VERGINE PER L'IMPERO, must have been a big hit in seedy theatres across Europe since every other identical movies made in 1970s and 1980s copied the template: film some sex scenes and edit them in between a plethora of scenes taken from PEPLUM movies of the Golden Era. This one uses scenes from THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959), HANNIBAL (1959), COLOSSUS OF RHODES (1961), THE TEN GLADIATORS (1963),  SAMSON (1961), etc. Many of the disaster scenes from POMPEII and RHODES are used in this production as flashbacks to the main character, Livia. This was the first movie credited by the infamous and legendary Joe D'Amato, who's real name, Aristide Massaccesi, was used for his prior movies. It came out during a mini PEPLUM explosion of 1973, along with other movies like THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD. For PEPLUM fans like me, the brief sight of Pietro Torrisi (below) in the gladiator fight scenes is an added bonus. Torrisi can also seen in the sock footage taken from THE TEN GLADIATORS which are unrelated to his new scenes. One can also spot other PEPLUM actors in the stock footage. Livia is played by Lucretia Love, born Lucretia Hickerson, from Texas. She was 32 years old when she made this. She actually looks older than 32. An old virgin, I guess. Haha! Danilo Mattei went on to star in movies like CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1979)! Also known as LIVIA - A VIGIN FOR THE EMPIRE.

Yes, I watch everything!


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