Musings!

Kirk Morris in COLOSSUS AND THE HEADHUNTERS (1963) 

This looks like the ending of the movie but it's actually at the beginning. Right after the volcano/earthquake disaster scenes (taken from COLOSSUS OF THE STONE AGE 1962). I imagine these sunset scenes are difficult to shoot. Everything has to be ready just as the sun sets and there's very little time and if the scene is not good they'll have to wait for another spectacular sunset on another day. Scenes from this movie and from COLOSSUS OF THE STONE AGE were re-used in MACISTE - AVENGER OF THE MAYANS (1965) which also stars Kirk. I need a HD print of HEADHUNTERS! I like it. There's one scene in the castle that's amazing. But then there's a scene that follows that's unintentionally funny. A mixed bag but still very entertaining.

Behind-the-Scenes

Esther Williams being filmed on the (underwater) set of JUPITER'S DARLING (1955). The behind the scenes photos of this production are probably the best I've ever seen.

Clip of the week: HERCULES - PRISONER OF EVIL (1964)

Things don't go according to plan when would be assassin (Claudio Scarchilli) tries to kill Hercules (Reg Park). With María Teresa Orsini.

New PEPLUM imagery

With a few prompts, new PEPLUM imagery by AI. 

From SEMIRAMIS @ X

also make sure to check out:

 MEN OF PULP @ X 

THE REBEL EMPRESS

SPFX DEPT.

Scenes from JUPITER'S DARLING (1955)

Excellent matte paintings in JUPITER'S DARLING gave the movie an extra epic feel, at least for a musical. Even more so in HD! Now I checked for the credits and there's a 'Special Effects' category and 'Visual Effects' category. I assume the Visual one is the one responsible for the matte work and that would be Matthew Yuricich, who by looking at his other credits, says matte work. Dude was good!

New Steve Reeves figurine

A new detailed figurine of Steve Reeves of the scene when he pulls down the columns at the end of HERCULES (1958) will be available to buy. Below is the creator. A replica of Sylva Koscina will also be created in the near future. Pretty cool. According to David (Facebook), the website 'MONSTERS IN MOTION' will be selling the kit.

 

Musings!

Lisa Gastoni and Germano Longo in QUEEN OF THE SEAS (1962) 

The original Italian title is LE AVVEMTURE DI MARY READ or THE ADVENTURES OF MARY READ. Personally, I prefer that title over the generic QUEEN OF THE SEAS. It also makes sound like QUEEN OF THE PIRATES (1960), the one starring Gianna Maria Canale. There's a surprising high number of pirates movies with women in the lead in Italian moviemaking. There's YOLANDA - DAUGHTER OF THE BLACK PIRATE (1953) and so on. Lisa Gastoni is always excellent in her roles and this one is no exception. One of the best actresses of the genre. Germano Longo is a familiar face. But he's not the romantic lead. Lisa's co-star in THARUS - SON OF ATTILA (1962), Jerome Courtland, is. Explosive ending. 

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Original Spanish poster of HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (1961)

Nice poster and Reg Park likeness.

Stats week 8 - 14 June 2025

On average, in the past, the blog had 1500 to 2000 views a day. Average. Last week, between June 8 and 14, the average was 3509. 

8 jun   3475

9 jun   5549

10 jun 4549

11 jun 3925

12 jun 1186

13 jun 1653

14 jun 4229*

Total: 24,566

*Google updated the numbers and they went from 3007 to 4229 for June 14. Total has been revised. As with the average. June 15 numbers are not final and not counted for the week.

Image of the week!

Hercules (Steve Reeves) looks out to the Argonauts after examining the bodies of the people killed by Eteocles in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959)

AI PEPLUMTV

ONE SPARTAN

PEPLUM Movie Quotes

New feature here at the blog. I'll be posting Quotes from PEPLUM movies.

From FURY OF HERCULES with Serge Gainsbourg: 

'Without violence, power gives no satisfaction!'

Musings!

Remo (Enrico Montesano) and Romolo (Pippo Franco) in REMO E ROMOLO - STORIA DI DUE FIGLI DI UNA LUPA (1976)

I recently realized that I was missing this movie from my collection. Now I have 4 different prints! A ribald raunchy comedy/musical of the story Remus and Romulus that's typical of the Italian style filmmaking of the 1970s. See NERONE and MESSALINA, MESSALINA, both from 1977. From what I've seen, it wasn't translated into English. 1970s PEPLUM movies were to PEPLUM movies of the Golden Era like Spaghetti Westerns were to classic Westerns. They're chaotic, crude, raunchy, messy, etc. This one is no exception. The male cast is almost entirely in underwear or wearing very little. Not ready for today's audiences. The women are hippie chicks! The 'She-Wolf,' played by Gabriella Ferri, is memorable. There's bawdy singing scenes. Unlike anything made today. A complete opposite of the Steve Reeves - Gordon Scott epic DUEL OF THE TITANS (1962). I like it.

Behind-the-Scenes

Maria Montez on the set of COBRA WOMAN (1944) 

Clip of the week: THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (1952)

The Queen of Sheba (Leonora Ruffo) starts attack on Jerusalem. Great film!

Portraits

Iloosh Khoshabe as Vulcan in VULCAN - SON OF JUPITER (1962) 

HD Alert!

Spanish Blu-ray of ATTILA (1954)

Has anyone bought this? It's a BD-R. Like Warner Archive. This would mark the first time the movie is available in HD. But it might also be a DVD quality blown up to HD. The company which distributes this movie also has a huge library of titles, including OMAR KHAYYAM (1957) which I know is not official.

I have multiple copies of this movie but only one in English. I even bought the Sophia Loren DVD boxset for this title but it's in Italian, which is fine. The English version is very difficult to obtain. Any info would be helpful. 

Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn

'Interesting' Mural Art in PEPLUM movies

Even if actors wore very little to the point of being almost nude, nudity or anything overtly sexual was taboo in movies of the past. Disregarding the many Wardrobe Malfunctions seen in those movies, intentional or not, anything to do with sex was censored. A way around for movie makers is to use background art or statues (another article) to avoid censors.

 

From HERCULES (1958). Audiences are watching Sylva Koscina but look at the mural behind her. What's going on there?
 

From the HD print, you can clearly see a woman facing the man and the placement of the hand during the climax with Steve Reeves in action!

Above & below: from ANDROCLES AND THE LION (1953). The artwork is basically depicting a threesome.

 

Above & below: in SODOM AND GOMORRAH (1962), the relief art behind Pier Angeli is 'interesting.' Phallic symbols and hands covering up areas.
 

 

A mural art from FURY OF HERCULES (1962). Hmm...

If you have any other examples, let me know.

Musings!

A chained Ugo Tognazzi tries to escape his captor, the BIG daughter of Tiberius, Lavinia (Olimpia Cavalli), in TIBERIUS (1960)

I've added this title to the list of movies in HD. I didn't post it under 'HD Alert!' because I had this copy for over 5 years. It's a nice print. I can't wait for the English dub to surface. I know it exists since I saw an old TV Times listing of it when it was shown on TV in the US back in the 1960s. In the meantime, the English subtitles will do. The sets of this movie are particularly good. Yes, it's a comedy!

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Original Turkish poster of TARKAN VS THE VIKINGS (1971)

The Tarkan films are Turkey's contribution to the PEPLUM genre. The depiction of the action is in the movie, but looks completely different in the movie. ↓

Image of the week!

Iride 'Aphrodite' (Belinda Lee) is ready to model for master sculptor Prassitele (Massimo Girotti) in GODDESS OF LOVE (1957)

At the movies...

THE EGYPTIAN (1954) playing at the FOX theatre in Detroit. 

Musings!

Mike Lane, as Hercules, and Alessandra Panaro in ULYSSES AGAINST HERCULES (1962)

The first time I watched this movie, I was left indifferent but that's mainly because of the pan & scan old public domain print. When I saw it as it was intended to be seen, in beautiful colour and widescreen, it quickly became my favourite PEPLUM of all time. Everything about it works even if the story seems to be slim. Mike Lane is actually pretty good in it. Mike was a professional wrestler at the time in the US and his good performance is one surprising element. He was cast after he appeared in VALLEY OF THE DRAGONS (1961) in which he played a caveman but looked more like Hercules. In that movie, the 6'8" tall man had a beard but in this movie, as one can see, Mike is beardless. I always prefer Hercules to have a beard but it's not a big issue. Alessandra is also excellent in this. She also starred in THE BACCHANTES (1961) which is also one of my faves so that's a pretty good track record. As you might have figured out, this scene is the ending and it always works (they're waving at Ulysses on a boat. Ulysses is brilliantly played by Georges Marchal). The production is excellent but the real star is the location: the Canary islands. Stupendous location. It elevates the movie to the top. I have *multiple* copies of this film including a HD copy from France. It looks beautiful. Mario Caiano, the director, did a fabulous job. He thought outside of the PEPLUM box and it worked. Never rely on an old battered public domain print to judge a movie.

Behind-the-Scenes

Right to left: Steve Reeves, director Pietro Francisci, Sylva Koscina, ?, cinematographer (lighting) Mario Bava on the set of HERCULES (1958). The photo was of poor quality and colonizing it was difficult. 

Clip of the week: GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON (1960)

An angry Goliath (Mark Forest) is in the mood for some renovations... 

Blog's 15th anniversary: STAR WARS, a PEPLUM in space

In celebration of the blog's 15th anniversary, I'm re-posting old posts. Here's one popular post I wrote back in 2011. Here's the link to the post.

Photographic proof that STAR WARS was basically a PEPLUM set in a science-fiction/outer space setting. I saw STAR WARS before any Sword & Sandal films and as I was watching the 300 or so films one after the other I couldn't believe how much of the elements in the STAR WARS films were inspired or directly lifted from Italian Sword & Sandal films, which at the time and for the most part even today are still frowned upon. There are so many elements that I won't mention all of them but here's a bunch just to give you an idea.

I added some screenshot of Google searches of how STAR WARS was inspired by Ancient Rome history and directly by the PEPLUM genre. I wrote it 14 years ago, way before anyone else.

Opening credits that sets up the storyline :

From REVENGE OF HERCULES

Desert locations, with bones of dead creatures :

GOLIATH AND THE GIANTS

GOLIATH AND THE GIANTS

Wise Old Man

WAR GODS OF BABYLON

Evil Ruler on his throne

HEROD THE GREAT

Disposable soldiers of Evil Ruler

HERCULES & THE CAPTIVE WOMEN

Resourceful little people always on the side of good

GOLIATH & THE SINS OF BABYLON

Donut-style hair fashion statement

THEODORA ~ SLAVE EMPRESS

Cheesecake (there's very little Beefcake in Star Wars films)

Publicity shot of Rhonda Fleming for SERPENT OF THE NILE

Torture (what's a PEPLUM film without a torture scene?)

GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON

Sword fights (hence the term Sword & Sandal)

FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Council chambers

HEROD THE GREAT

Crushing walls of death

FURY OF HERCULES

The annoying sidekick

GLADIATOR OF ROME

Regular reader to the blog Paul sent me this.