PEPLUM X Tuesdays
Stephen Boyd
Stephen Boyd
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Monday, September 14, 2015
By the Gods!
Richard Harrison and Nazzareno Zamperla in the exciting climax from GLADIATORS SEVEN
I like this film and the ending is action-packed but I feel this movie is padded, certainly during the ending where we see endless scenes of the gladiators climbing cliffs.
Movie Poster Mondays
Italian poster of SLAVE GIRLS OF SHEBA
Action packed poster for a very hard film to find. I have it but in B&W and in poor quality.
Friday, September 11, 2015
RIP : Sergio Ciani aka Alan Steel
Sergio in action in HERCULES AGAINST ROME
Sergio Ciani, aka Alan Steel, died on September 5. He was 80 years old. He's one of my favourite PEPLUM stars. Very unique, amiable and yet could be menacing as well. He made the PEPLUM universe that much more cool. Sad.
Here's a brief summary taken from the HEROES & BEEFCAKE page :
Alan Steel, born Sergio Ciani, was one of several PEPLUM stars that was actually born in Italy and not imported fro another country. Big, beefy and red-haired, this Italian strongman made his screen debut in THE GIANT OF MARATHON wrestling with Steve Reeves. Faster than you can say Maciste, Sergio started appearing in his own mini-epics and became one of the most familiar faces that played Hercules and Maciste. Though most of his films are pure escapist fare, Alan did play a couple of serious PEP roles, including his impressive outing as Commodus in THE REBEL GLADIATOR.
HERCULES UNCHAINED
Future PEPLUM superstar Sergio Ciani, aka Alan Steel, first appeared in HERCULES UNCHAINED. Often erroneously credited as Steve Reeves' stuntman/body double in THE GIANT OF MARATHON, Sergio, or Alan, was Reeves' stuntman in a few scenes in HERCULES UNCHAINED, as shown in the screenshot directly below. Alan does appear, face in full view, in a couple of scenes (above).
THE GIANT OF MARATHON
Alan starred in a small role along with Steve Reeves
SAMSON
Alan co-starred with Brad Harris
Daria (Luisella Boni) is weary of Kaldos (Alan Steel aka Sergio Ciani) in FURY OF HERCULES
THE REBEL GLADIATOR
Alan Steel, as Commodus, shows who's the master of gladiatorial action in THE REBEL GLADIATOR
Alan with José Greci and Dan Vadis
SAMSON & THE SLAVE QUEEN
Alan with Massimo Serato and Moira Orfei
HERCULES AGAINST THE MASKED RIDER
Alan Steel as Hercules
HERCULES & THE TREASURE OF THE INCAS
Also known as LOST TREASURE OF THE AZTECS
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HERCULES & THE BLACK PIRATE
HERCULES AGAINST ROME
Two tavern whores fight over Hercules (Alan Steel) in HERCULES AGAINST ROME
Alan Steel fighting Nadir Moretti
HERCULES AGAINS THE MOON MEN
Queen Samara (Jany Clair) tempts Hercules (Alan Steel), or vice versa, in HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN
SAMSON & THE MIGHTY CHALLENGE
Sergio Ciani (aka Alan Steel) played a sorta dense Hercules in this comedy
THE THREE AVENGERS
Alan fighting Nello Pazzafini
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Thursday, September 10, 2015
By the Gods!
Lisa Gastoni, as Princess Tamall, in THARUS - SON OF ATTILA
I'm a huge fan of Lisa mainly because of her tempestuous performance as Messalina in THE LAST GLADIATOR (Messalina vs Son of Hercules). Here, she doesn't look anything like Messalina and in other films, she often looks completely different. She's a real chameleon. Good film that needs a proper transfer.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
By the Gods!
Geneviève Grad and Steve Reeves in SANDOKAN THE GREAT
A stalwart couple in this action pack film. Geneviève appeared in many PEPLUM films before disappearing from the face of the earth in the early 1980s. Geneviève, where are you? This is one of Steve's best films even if the story is super simple.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Monday, September 7, 2015
By the Gods!
The two are in the Valley of Silence. Too much noise will bring down mountains. Love this film!
Movie Poster Mondays
Original Italian poster for MY SON THE HERO (aka The Titans)
Comic book like action and art sorta fits the comic book action of the film
Thursday, September 3, 2015
By the Gods!
Rina de Liguoro and Victor Varconi in THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1926)
So this week I made a small sample of silent PEPLUM films, many of which are lost, hard to find or forgotten but, oddly enough, were the foundation of the genre 30 or so years later.
PEPLUM GIF Animation : DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
By the Gods!
Rina De Liguoro as Messalina in MESSALINA (1924)
A shortened version of the film is available on Youtube. Rina is one of many who played the controversial empress. But the ultimate film about her has yet to be made.
Behind-the-Scenes
