Image of the week!

Astra (Gianna Maria Canale) tells Guja (Leonora Ruffo) that she'll use her to control Goliath in GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES (1961)

The Lascivious Look

There's no question that PEPLUM movies, from Hollywood or Italy, had a lot of beefcake and cheesecake. But the emphasis was centered on men and their bodies, which is why so many bodybuilders and physique models where cast in leading roles. The success of HERCULES (1958) confirmed this. In a subtle, or not so subtle way, not only were these movies focused on muscular bodies and quickly became a selling point but the characters within the movies also enjoyed the muscle. This page will spotlight these moments.

Reminder: I didn't create these scenes. They are there to be seen in the movies themselves. And I've already written posts on this for specific movies (such as SANDOKAN - PIRATE OF MALAYSIA) already, which I'll repost here. It's not a new topic for the blog.

For example, CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) made a point of this in the scene below, which I wrote about 13 years ago: the friendly Priest (Jack Taylor) takes an admiring look at chest/body of Conan (Arnold). The pretext was to verify if Conan had any tattoos of the cult but its played more on a lascivious level.

Priest: Afraid to bare yourself? Why? You're so big and so well grown. You should be proud of your body. How do you expect to reach emptiness without knowing your own body

The scene toyed with the mainly male crowd's innate distrust of any other man attracted by the obvious physical beauty of men. But it's a statement on how the filmmakers perceived old PEPLUM movies: a pretext to ogle attractive men's physiques, which the director, John Milius, clearly stated he was against while filming the movie. Milius failed spectacularly since people went to watch the movie to check out Arnold's 'impressive' sculptured body. This scene was uploaded to Youtube (oops...video was removed) and the comments prove this point. The Priest is killed by Conan (he is a barbarian after all) for admiring Conan's body all the while the mainly male audience in theatres are safe as they admire Arnold's physique.

The perception of PEPLUM movies from Hollywood was made fun of for years, certainly after the hilarious AIRPLANE (1980) scene in which the pilot (Peter Graves) asks a kid if he loves gladiator movies. The obvious subtext was anyone who watches these movies is sus.

Fortunately, the stigma, even it's still there to a certain extent, was dismissed gradually after the huge success of GLADIATOR (2000) and certainly 300 (2006) and the SPARTACUS TV series, which all unabashedly displayed male physiques.

There are many such 'lascivious look' scenes in PEPLUM movies, no matter how brief they are. They're like Rorschach tests: how a person perceives a scene. Many won't see it. But to others, like me, they are quite obvious. Also, it's not all about physiques and muscles even if it's the predominant and obvious aspect. There are plenty of scenes which the Hero is fully clothed and they still draw attention.

The correct word to describe this subject would be 'homoerotic' since most of the attention our beefy Heroes get are from other men even if some of this attention also came from women as well, certainly with love-starved evil Queens and rulers (which I'll be including), but it doesn't compare. I won't use that word because I find it silly.

This is an on-going article and I'll be updating it from time to time at its permanent page: link.

This is a companion piece with THE REAL PEPLUM X and WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS. 

Musings!

Kin Khan (Nadir Moretti) is being crushed by HERCULES (Mark Forest) in HERCULES AGAINST THE MONGOLS (1963)

As you might know, I like PEPLUM movies. But one thing I don't like is how many action scenes are too short. Like this scene between Kin Khan and Hercules (originally Maciste). The rivalry started earlier in the movie and the hatred they have for each other is one of the best in any PEPLUM movie. Matching up Nadir with Mark was great. This scene at the end should have lasted much longer, IMO. It's annoying when action are too drawn out but they're annoying as well well they end too quickly. The scene is still good and this movie is one of my favourites but it's slightly frustrating during the high points!

Behind-the-Scenes

Brigitte Bardot on the set of HELEN OF TROY (1956). Brigitte died late last year.

Clip of the week: QUEEN OF SHEBA (1952)

Balkis, Queen of Sheba (Leonora Ruffo) vs Prince Rehoboam (Gino Leurini) vs Kabaal (Franco Silva) in a contest on horseback. Beautifully directed by Pietro Francisci.

Portraits

Arthur Walge, as Croton the wrestler, in QUO VADIS (1951)

SPFX DEPT.

Brad Harris, as Goliath, is unaware of the giant monster behind him in GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS (1961)

The production of this movie is quite good and this monster is a life-size practical effect that looks pretty cool. The fog hides a lot of it but regardless, it's quite an elaborate effect for such a brief moment in the movie. Nothing is really explained by the appearance of the big creature. It appears, creates death and destruction.

The confusing Maciste movies...

Maciste is a well known Hero in Italy, and Europe, thanks to the masterpiece of silent cinema, CABIRIA (1914). Maciste was a character in the movie and the actor, Bartolomeo Pagano, became so well known for playing Maciste that he legally changed his name to the fictional character. Once the silent movie era ended, Maciste disappeared from the silver screen until the character was resurrected in 1960 in SON OF SAMSON with Mark Forest as the legendary hero. The movie was a hit and, like HERCULES (1958) a few years prior, it triggered a flood of new Maciste films.

The character, presumably, was and is in the public domain and anyone could use the character. There were 25 maciste movies made in the 1960s and along with it came an insane amount of confusion, certainly when the Maciste were re-titled for markets in the US, Canada, where Maciste wasn't well known. This is part 1 of what will become an on-going article.

Three of those movies shared similar names. All of these three films starred Mark Forest. Two of them were directed by Michele Lupo. 

MACISTE - L'UOMO PIU FORTE DEL MONDO (1961)

MACISTE - IL GLADIATORE PIU FORTE DEL MONDO (1962)

MACISTE - L'EROE PIU GRANDE DEL MONDO (1963)

If you look, there's just a slight change in the title. The first one is L'UOMO or Man. The second one is GLADIATORE, which is Gladiator, of course. And the third one is L'EROE which is Hero. They also changed FORTE (strongest) to GRANDE (greatest) for that one. They basically share the same title but with a slight changes.

  

MACISTE - L'UOMO PIU FORTE DEL MONDO.

This translates as MACISTE - THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD. The movie was re-titled for US markets when it was shown with the SONS OF HERCULES TV series. It was retitled MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES. It was released as THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD, minus the Maciste, for International English markets. The artwork of the Italian poster below is nothing like the movie. In the English dub, our hero is not named Maciste but Majestus.

MACISTE - IL GLADIATORE PIU FORTE DEL MONDO

Or MACISTE - THE STRONGEST GLADIATOR IN THE WORLD. The US/Canada title became COLOSSUS OF THE ARENA. In the UK, it was known as DEATH ON THE ARENA. This was directed by Michele Lupo.

 

MACISTE - L'EROE PIU GRANDE DEL MONDO

Or MACISTE - THE GREATEST HERO IN THE WORLD. It was re-titled GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON for the US/Canada markets. This was also directed by Michele Lupo. In the English version, our hero is not named Maciste but Goliath.

 

And to confuse things even further, there was also MACISTE - GLADIATOR OF SPARTA (1964) that also starred Mark Forest which had nothing to do with the previous series. To confuse things even greater, this movie is a TWIN PRODUCTION with THE MAGNIFICENT GLADIATOR (1964), which is basically the same cast and crew and even *same scenes* with MACISTE - GLADIATOR OF SPARTA. 

MACISTE - GLADIATOR OF SPARTA was re-titled TERROR OF ROME AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES for the SONS OF HERCULES TV series, and in the movie, Maciste was renamed Poseidon! 

In THE MAGNIFICENT GLADIATOR, the hero (Mark Forest) was named Hercules. 

Out of the 25 Maciste movies of the 1960s, Mark starred in 7 of them. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

So much confusion!

I'll have more on this in future posts.

Musings!

Mylène Demongeot and Massimo Girotti in GOLD FOR THE CAESARS (1963)

This is a pretty solid PEPLUM with some quasi-serious tone and direction. It's quite meticulous in its attempt to tell the story. And yet Mylène's anachronistic hairstyle shatters the illusion. Mylène is very good in this and of course she looks glamorous but the many 1960s hairstyles date this production. It's unfortunate since it's almost there in terms of balance between seriousness and entertainment. Massimo Girotti is also afflicted with unflattering hairdo (or is it toupee). It's hard to see from this angle. Girotti is an amazing actor and it's sad when a willing cast is done in by the hair department. 

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Japanese poster of ROLAND THE MIGHTY (1956) 

Now this is a great looking poster. Perfectly captures the tone of this fabulous movie. 

Image of the week!

Sinbad (Patrick Wayne) watches as the Smilodon and the Troglodyte battle each other in SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER (1977)

MUSCLES Inc.

PEPLUM star Serge Nubret on the cover of MUSCLE MAG (May 1979). Serge starred in THE TITANS (1962) and GOLIATH AND THE REBEL SLAVE (1963)

Musings!

Lang Jeffries and Philippe Leroy in ALONE AGAINST ROME (1962) 

Is Lang Jeffries the most tortured actor in PEPLUM movies? It seems that way but I'm sure another actor surpasses him. Though I like Jeffries, I have to admit that he was limited in acting. People like to point out Steve Reeves or others as limited but Jeffries basically had two expressions. But I find his presence still believable in most of his films. As I stated a couple of times before, I think he should have been cast in THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES instead of Rory Calhoun. Rory, a much more expressive actor, was, IMO, more suited for Westerns than Sword-and-Sandal epics.

Jeffries only starred in 4 genre productions. What's interesting about his short career in PEPLUM movies is he never played a Hercules or a Maciste or a Samson. He always played generals or soldiers. I'm thinking of writing a new article, for the blog and not the magazine, which I will list every actor and the characters they played. And who was the definitive Hercules or Goliath. Nearly all Maciste films were renamed something else for the US or English markets. This has always created some major confusion. So, I'm starting this article this weekend (I also have another article I'm working on...). Jeffries' list of characters will be pretty simple to list.

Behind-the-Scenes

Steve Reeves takes a photo with Andre Drapp, Robert Duranton and actress Brigitte Aubert at the premiere of THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959). 

Clip of the week: CONQUEROR OF ATLANTIS (1965)

Herakles (Kirk Morris) reprograms Virna (Luciana Gilli).

Funnies!

Steve Reeves + cast in SANDOKAN THE GREAT (1963) 

HD Alert!

Richard Harrison and Salvatore Furnari in REVOLT OF THE PRAETORIANS (1964)

This movie is streaming in HD in Italy. It's a very nice print. One of the film's highlights is Moira Orfei's many dazzling costumes, each of a different theme and colour. She stands-out in HD! Definitely needs to be made available on Blu-ray but alas it's not available anywhere but streaming.

Piero Lulli and Moira Orfei are the glamorous villains.

Same scene, different films!

Same scene, mainly the man dies, and the woman mourns his death. In HERCULES UNCHAINED, it's not a death scene. But they're pretty much share the same angle and composition. I'm sure there are many more.

Hedy Lamar and Massimo Serato in THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A THOUSAND SHIPS (1953; aka The Loves of Three Queens (1954))

Not a death scene but shot the same way. Sylvia Lopez and Steve Reeves in HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959). The best shot by far!

 

Jackie Lane and Luciano Marin in WAR GODS OF BABYLON (1962). Identical to the HERCULES UNCHAINED one.

Anne Heywood and José Suarez in CARTHAGE IN FLAMES (1960)

Chelo Alonso and Folco Lulli in QUEEN OF THE TARTARS (1960)

Musings!

Margaret Lee is terrified of an alligator in SAMSON AND THE SEA BEAST (1963)

If someone asked me what's the most unintentionally funny scene in a PEPLUM movie, this one would be a major contender. I'm usually very forgiving when it comes to such scenes. Films from a different era with different options for effects or props doesn't necessarily mean hilarity but this scene is funny. It's not just the obviously fake alligator but the entire scene with Margaret acting quite convincingly that she's in terror but the filnal result is too much. Certainly when Kirk Morris jumps on the alligator and roles around under the dangling Margaret. A lot of people dismiss the genre when viewing such scenes. I don't. The scene is still fun even if it's not convincing.

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Original Italian poster of SAMSON AND THE MIGHTY CHALLENGE (1964)

Busy poster. I like it. Sorta captures the film's spirit.

New blog banner!

Since voting was low for this week's choice of banner, I've decided that I'll stop the whole voting process. I'll just post them as I like. I tried to do things differently but participation was too low, across all platforms, for the amount of time I spent on it. Also, I'll change the banner every 2 weeks or so. 😀

Image of the week!

Hercules (Mark Forest) is put to a test of strength in HERCULES AGAINST THE MONGOLS (1963)

Lobby Cards Set: CARTHAGE IN FLAMES (1960)

Lobby cards set from Great Britain of CARTHAGE IN FLAMES (1960) starring Anne Heywood, José Suárez and Terence Hill. Not the most exciting lobby cards set. The two top cards, of the brief sacrificial offering, are the best cards. They show more details than the movie! Terence Hill is also missing. And there's a major spoiler in it!

Next week's banner!

Vote for next week's banner!

Dancers from APHRODITE - GODDESS OF LOVE (1958) or Reg Park and Wandisa Guida in MACISTE IN KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1964)

Musings!

Sullivan Stapleton as Themistocles in 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (2014) 

Does anyone remember or even like this movie? It was a follow up to 300 (2006), which was a big hit but waiting another 8 years after the first one seems a pretty long time for a second film. Personally, I've never been a fan of either 300 or this movie. It's just men screaming endlessly. Though I'm often described as focused on beefcake (the PEPLUM genre IS beefcake...😂), the beefcake in this movie and 300, and there's plenty of it (below), doesn't even hold my interest. It's an odd film series. It looks more like something from another planet than a grounded story set in Antiquity. I do like the setting on the ocean and sea battles and such in this one. But it doesn't look real. The way the movie is filmed, such as in the screenshot, seems cold and yet all the men barely have clothes on. There's something jarring about it. It doesn't look like a hot setting! Believe me, I've tried and tried getting into these movies and I can't! And the performance by Eva Green is a major liability. I read somewhere that they described it as HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING (1991). Ouch!

There's a whole bunch of movies from that period that are all but forgotten today, like IMMORTALS (2011), CONAN THE BARBARIAN (2011), the CLASH OF THE TITANS (2010) remake and its sequel, WRATH OF THE TITANS (2012). THE LEGEND OF HERCULES (2014), HERCULES (2014) starring Dwayne The Rock Johnson, GODS OF EGYPT (2016), etc. With the upcoming ODYSSEY movie, which looks boring as hell, will there be another bunch of forgettable neo-PEPLUM movies? 😂

Behind-the-Scenes

Cecil B. DeMille directs Hedy Lamar (Delilah) and Victor Mature (Samson) on the set of SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949)

Clip of the week: WARRIOR QUEEN (1987)

Good guy (Rick Hill) and Bad Guy (Marco Tullio Cau) duke it out! With Sybil Danning.

New PEPLUM imagery

SHADOW OF THE ROMAN EAGLE

MEN OF PULP

SPFX DEPT.

Scenes from THE GIANTS OF THESSALY (1960)

This spectacular scene is one of the highlights of the movie and of the PEPLUM genre itself. Directed by Riccardo Freda, I still can't figure out how it was achieved. In this scene, you can see the small figure of Jason (Roland Carey, below) walk towards the statue unobstructed. This means the bottom part of the shot is a real and big set. The statue itself looks like a model and not a matte shot. I believe the sides and the statue are in the foreground, closer to the camera, while Carey and the water surface and plinths are part of a real set in the background. We see smoke flowing in between the sides and the statue. Therefore it's not a matte. This shot plays with perspective. In a brilliant way. I can't wait to see this in HD one day!

 

The armor of Phillip II of Macedon

The father of Alexander the Great was equally important, powerful and famous. Unlike Alexander, the tomb of Phillip II was found in the 1970s. The location of the tomb of Alexander the Great is still a mystery. And this armor and shield was found in it.  It's quite amazing. At the bottom is an AI  representation of the King.

Link

Musings!

Tanya (Chelo Alonso) learns from her dying father, Igor (Folco Lulli) that she'll be the next leader in QUEEN OF THE TARTARS (1960)

This movie is also known as THE HUNS, which I don't like. The story is about Tanya becoming leader. QUEEN OF THE TARTARS is very specific to the story while THE HUNS is just too general to be acceptable. This is one of Chelo's roles as leading lady. After the success of GOLIATH AND THE BARBARIANS (1959), she was probably hot property and landed this role. She's pretty good in it. Directed by Sergio Grieco, the machismo is at 110% even if it's the story is centered around a woman. The costumes are a bit too 'costumey' but I like it, certainly the out of left field ending. Unfortunately, it's the PEPLUM movie with the ugliest poster ever!

PEPLUM Movie Poster

Belgian poster of GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS (1961) 

Typically colourful poster from Belgium. But the artwork looks nothing like the movie. I think it's taken from a Kirk Morris movie.

Next week's banner!

Brad Harris in SAMSON got the most votes, after counting the votes here at the blog and at Facebook and X. So it's the banner for this week. Sylva will come back as a choice for another time.

Here are the choices for next week's banner.

Dancers from APHRODITE - GODDESS OF LOVE (1958) or Reg Park and Wandisa Guida in MACISTE IN KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1964)

Image of the week!

Ursus (Samson Burke) is forced to work on a millstone in VENGEANCE OF URSUS (1961)

PEPLUM Movie Quotes

 REVENGE OF THE BARBARIANS (1960) starring Daniela Rocca and Mario Scaccia

Onorius (talking to rooster): Or shall we say Caius Petilius (sp)? He's as brave as anyone. He's up on all the arts of warfare and I'm told he's always been very lucky which is a gift that's indispensable if one decides to become a great warrior.

Galla Placidia: You're still trying to make a counsellor out of your rooster who is so much wiser than you that he will certainly never give his approval whatever you propose.

Onorius: But why? Why shouldn't he give me an answer?

Galla Placidia: It would seem that the names you suggested aren't worth one single cock-a-doodle-doo.

Next week's blog banner!

Vote on which banner you want to see next week. I also count the votes posted on Facebook and X (twitter). For now, it's a tie, with 3 votes for Sylva and 3 votes for Brad. 

The banner is changed on Sunday night.

Sylva Koscina in SIEGE OF SYRACUSE or Brad Harris in SAMSON?