By the Gods!

Dwayne Johnson as Hercules in HERCULES (2014)

I have yet to see this movie. I'm afraid it's going to be as bad as EXODUS: GODS & KINGS. The big problem I have is that Dwayne doesn't look like Hercules. A barbarian, yes, but not the legendary son of Zeus. The film wasn't a success so don't expect any sequels. Why does Hollywood (not Italy) have such a difficult time in making a proper Hercules film? It's a true cultural blind spot.

By the Gods!

A scene from WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH (1970)

Trying to figure who's who with this cast is difficult since they all look alike. Robin Hawdon is the fellow in the middle (or is the one lying down?). I recently got a HD version of this. Interesting companion to ONE MILLION YEARS B.C.. Watching it in HD is sorta good and bad. The details are an eyeful, certainly with the mostly near-nude cast, and also with the special effects by Jim Danforth which still hold up quite nicely today but in other scenes, the studio bound settings are quite obvious and it's sorta cringeworthy. Since dinosaurs and humans didn't co-exist, this is more a fantasy than anything else. Every type of PEPLUM cliché is used : sacrificial offerings, washing up on the beach, the raft, etc. Check out the blog's permanent page of PEPLUM clichés to see what I mean.

Behind-the-Scenes - video edition

A compilation of behind-the-scenes clips from various PEPLUM films, including GOLIATH & THE BARBARIANS starring Steve Reeves and Chelo Alonso, and also KINDAR THE INVULNERABLE starring Mark Forest.

(I didn't upload this video)

By the Gods!

Pythias (Don Burnett) arrives at a port in DAMON & PYTHIAS (1962)

Excellent matte painting combined with location filming in Terracina, Italy. I like these scenes. They're subtle, not showy and yet they give a much needed sense of location to a story.

Blog notes re: Youtube and video clips / movies

Unless you've been living under a rock but right now Youtube is a complete mess. The Wall Street Journal recently published two articles targeting the popular social media website. Because of these articles, Youtube is cracking down on anything that might be deemed offensive, which basically covers everything, including my PEPLUM TV channel.

I first noticed problems when I uploaded SAPPHO - THE VENUS OF LESBOS and got a warning from Youtube claiming that monetizing the film was removed because the upload was not 'advertiser friendly.' The words 'Sappho,' 'Venus' and 'Lesbos' were probably picked up by their algorithm system as being pornographic, even though there's nothing pornographic about the legendary Greek poetess Sappho. Advertiser Friendly apparently means anything not for kids is suspect and ads from companies like Coca-Cola or McDonalds have been pulled until Youtube finds a solution for them to control the content of creators and what they upload better than they do right now.

As in what happened with SAPPHO, many of my uploads from my previous versions of my PEPLUM TV channel have been barred, for a number of reasons. This is limiting the number of clips and movies I can upload there. I recently uploaded SADKO, a Russian film. It also came with a warning. I'm fine with this particular film since its appeal is limited but clips that I've been sharing for years, which are now barred and I cannot share with my followers, well, I'm not happy about this. This is just one annoying aspect of the current Youtube.

The second annoying aspect of Youtube is this : my channel, like so many channels from other Youtubers, is nonexistent under Restricted Mode. If you're not familiar with this, Youtube has two modes : Restricted Mode on or off. If a channel is viewable set under 'on,' it's deemed kid and family friendly, i.e. videos about cats. When a channel is considered adult, like mine, it's only viewable to visitors if Restricted Mode is turned off at their account. Most people are not aware of this. If you visit my Youtube channel with Restricted Mode turned on, no videos at my channel will show up. I assume that most of my new subscribers know this and they have Restricted Mode turned off in their accounts. What exactly does this mean in the grand scheme of things? It means that anyone who's under 18 cannot view my channel because it can only be viewed with Restricted Mode off and Youtubers 18 years and under are not able to do this. This even if all these clips and movies I upload were made 50 years ago and kids could see them no problems back in da day.

It's one of the reasons why I resurrected my old Dailymotion channel which I let go for a couple of years. Since Youtube is being so problematic, I might upload clips and films there that Youtube have blocked at my PEPLUM TV channel. Not everything. Just those blocked at Youtube. Personally speaking, I would rather have everything under one channel but during these existential moments  Youtube is currently experiencing. which is affecting so many people, that this might be a good, if temporary, solution for now. So expect a few clips and maybe movies at Dailymotion (until they too get the same treatment as Youtube).

I don't make any money from this blog. I do this purely for my dedicated to the PEPLUM genre, which I love. The blog gets over 1000 up to 1500 hits a day. It's the most visited blog on the internet covering the PEPLUM genre. I love doing this but these continual strikes against my work at the Youtube channel is getting to me. I started my first PEPLUM channel at Youtube back in 2007. I lost 5 channels with their constant meddling. The current one is going strong and I try not to upload anything that might get it closed again but at the moment, like so may other Youtubers caught in this situation, I'm thinking of starting a Patreon crowdfunding page, to help keep this blog going strong, and keep PEPLUM TV running smoothly. More about this in upcoming posts.

By the Gods!

 Christine Kaufmann (with Barbara Carroll) in THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959)

Christine died last Monday at the age of 72. Christine starred in a couple of other PEPLUM films, including CONSTANTINE & THE CROSS (1961) and TARAS BULBA (1962), which starred her future husband Tony Curtis. Her most famous PEPLUM role though would always be in POMPEII.

Steve Reeves with Christine in THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII

Movie Poster Mondays

Italian poster of ALI BABA & THE SEVEN SARACENS (1964)

In the original version, Ali Baba was Sindbad. It didn't make much difference since the story takes place entirely of terra ferma, which me wonder why they called it Sindbad in the first place. Poster art captures the spirit of the film.

PEPLUM TV social media

This blog is the main source of all things PEPLUM TV but there's more than this blog. Make sure to check out the other social media sites while I'm away.

 YOUTUBE

Man sure o subscribe for all the latest movies and clips exclusive to PEPLUM TV

Youtube

TUMBLR

Tons of photos from PEPLUM films

TUMBLR

TWITTER

Follow all things PEPLUM with Twitter

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

And last but not least there's always Facebook. Share images and links with other Facebook accounts

FACEBOOK

Additional sites :

Pinterest

Pinterest

Google +

Google+

By the Gods!

John Drew Barrymore raises the dead in ROME AGAINST ROME (1964, aka War of the Zombies)

I finally got a widescreen copy of this cool film. Now if there was a high definition copy, in Italian or English, it would be fantastic. A very unique PEPLUM film, mixing horror, mysticism and the usual PEPLUM elements.

I'm taking a break. I'll be back soon.

Multiple RIPs

The PEPLUM universe lost more stars in March. Here's a quick rundown of these recent passings.


Tony Russel

Though not considered a big PEPLUM star like Steve Reeves or even Mark Forest, Tony had a good run of PEPLUM films in the latter part of the Golden Era. He died on March 18 at the age of 91.

Russel and Luciana Gilli in SWORD OF DAMASCUS (1964)

Tony with co-stars Piero Lulli and Renato Rossini (aka Howard Ross) in THE SPARTAN GLADIATOR (1964)

Tony with Helga Liné in THE SECRET SEVEN (1963)

Tomas Milian

Tomas Milian was a versatile actor who appeared in countless of films but he's mainly known as a Spaghetti Western films. He was amazing DJANGO KILL...IF YOU LIVE, SHOOT (1967). Tomas died on March 23 at the age of 84.

Milian as Raphael in THE AGONY & THE ECSTASY (1965) 

Millian in MESSALIN, MESSALINA (1977), a typically raunchy PEPLUM sex comedy of the 1970s

Lawrence Montaigne

Lawrence Montaigne was mainly a TV actor but his career started in PEPLUM films. He died on March 17 at the age of 86.

Lawrence in CAPTAIN SINDBAD (1963)

Lawrence in DAMON & PYTHIAS (1962)

Piero Leri

Piero Leri made a handful of PEPLUM films during his sporadic career. His most prominent role was in TRIUMPH OF MACISTE (1961). Piero died on March 2 at the age of 78.

Piero played Prince Iram in the classic TRIUMPH OF MACISTE (1961) starring Kirk Morris (below). His character sets the story forward.

Piero was also in HERCULES AGAINST THE MASKED RIDER starring Mimmo Palmara (1963)

By the Gods!

A scene from THE LOVES OF PHARAOH (1922)

This believed-to-be lost German silent film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, resurfaced a couple of years ago and was saved with a careful restoration of the aged film stock into an immaculate digital format. PEPLUM films were big during the silent era. The exotic aspects of the stories gave audiences never-before-seen views of long lost cultures they could only imagine in text, or captured in some paintings. The spectacular sets, costumes and 'cast of thousands' were some of the reasons why this particular genre stood out from the rest. They were truly cinematic in nature. The PEPLUM films of the silent era were the foundation of those made during the Golden Era, between 1949 and 1965. Without films like CABIRIA or this one, the genre wouldn't have been the same.

By the Gods!

Sadko (Sergei Stolyarov, second from left) meets the Phoenix (Lidiya Vertinskaya) in SADKO

This gorgeous 1953 Russian film was acquired by US distributors, reedited and renamed as THE MAGIC WORLD OF SINBAD (1962). Though the acting is a bit mannered and theatrical, the look of the film is stunning, even when watching it in 2017. The US version is funny because it simply doesn't look like Sinbad (a blond Sinbad?) but that's how it was sold to kids back in the 1960s. I tried to do a Fan Dub of this, using the US English dub track and editing it to the Russian copy but there are so many cuts and scenes re-arranged that I've abandoned it. I do have a Fan Sub of it and might upload it to Youtube, if there are no copyright issues. The film has many singing moments.

Behind-the-Scenes

Gregory Peck rehearses his lines, with his dog Perry as audience, before shooting a scene from DAVID & BATHSHEBA (1951).

By the Gods!

Fay Spain is dwarfed by the huge Atlantis set in HERCULES & THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (1961)

One of the biggest sets PEPLUM sets ever built. It's quite impressive, certainly the statue of Uranus, which breaks apart during this scene. This set alone sets this film apart from other PEPLUM films, made in Hollywood or Europe.

Same set, different films

This set was often used in PEPLUM films. Here are two examples. They simply repainted the surface to make it look slightly different.

from URSUS & THE TARTAR PRINCESS (1961)

from ALI BABA & THE SEVEN SARACENS (1964)

By the Gods!

Steve Reeves, as Aeneas, in WAR OF THE TROJANS (aka The Avenger ; 1962)

Good film. Maybe not as good as THE TROJAN HORSE (1961), which WAR OF THE TROJANS is its sequel, but it makes a nice companion film though. The biggest liability was the budget. The costumes, the sets don't look as polished as other PEPLUM films. The cast is good and some scenes are well executed and very poignant. But it's one of those films I watch regularly. Just don't expect a mid-range budgeted film. Reeves is excellent and believable as the legendary Aeneas.

Movie Poster Mondays

Alternative English title for SLAVE GIRLS OF SHEBA

A film that is hard to get. The only copy going around is the terrible Black & White one from Something Weird video. If anyone has a good copy of this please email me : peplumtv2@gmail.com

By the Gods!

Alberto Lupo torments Rosanna Schiaffino and Bob Mathias in THE MINOTAUR

The three main actors of this good PEPLUM adventure (Rik Battaglia also stars in it). I like this film : excellent production, great score, good looking cast, classic story. What more one would want for PEPLUM film? The screenplay could have been a bit more focused but overall it's one of the most solid PEPs of the era. Olympian Mathias' only starring role, while Lupo and Schiaffino were regular stars of the genre. 

By the Gods!

Queen Omphale (Sylvia Lopez) wonders if Hercules (Steve Reeves) is cheating her in his dreams in HERCULES UNCHAINED

Memorable scene, mainly because the two actors had actual chemistry together. Some have said that Sylvia and Steve  had an affair during production (Lopez was married). I have my doubt but when I watch this scene I sorta think it might be true. Great film!

Behind-the-Scenes

Gordon Scott takes a photo with John Wayne as he visits the set of THE CONQUEROR

By the Gods!

The port of Alexandria in CLEOPATRA (1963)

This is a full set with a combination matte painting filling in the whole surrounding area including the background and palm trees. It's quite spectacular but it's a set that was hardly used in the film so why make a huge set like this for 7 minutes or so of a 4 hour film? Seems wasteful. But I like waterfront sets like this one. There' is one waterfront set in CAESAR & CLEOPATRA (1945) but it's not as elaborate as this one.

Giant 3,000-year-old statue of Pharaoh Ramses II found buried in a Cairo slum

Archaeologists from Egypt and Germany have found a massive 26ft (8 metre) statue submerged in ground water in a Cairo slum.

Researchers say it probably depicts revered Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The discovery, hailed by the Antiquities Ministry as one of the most important ever, was made near the ruins of Ramses II's temple in the ancient city of Heliopolis, located in the eastern part of modern-day Cairo.

Daily Mail article

Quite an amazing find. The workmanship on these statues is simply amazing. I doubt anything made today would last that long.

By the Gods!

Dancers from SINBAD & THE CALIPH OF BAGHDAD (1973)

I finally got a nice copy of this film. It's not in HD but it's much better than the one I have in English. I'll be making a Fan Dub of this for sure. The film starts with this scene and for some, what happens in this scene turns them off and they refuse to watch the entire movie. It's a bit jarring but it's a Pietro Francisci film so one should remember this. Pietro directed HERCULES (1958) and many other great PEPLUM films. This was his last film. I like it.

Movie Poster Mondays

Italian poster for MACISTE AGAINST THE CZAR (aka Atlas Against the Czar)

Great artwork but the man doesn't look like Kirk Morris. In fact, he looks more like a star of the 1930s. Odd. 

By the Gods!

Ettore Manni and Yoko Tani in URSUS & THE TARTAR PRINCESS (1961)

An odd PEPLUM. It feels like the leftovers of other films and they cobbled it all up resulting in this final product. Is it bad? No but it's quite forgettable except for a few scenes. Yoko Tani was a popular Japanese actress in the 1960s, having appeared in other genre films, while Ettore was a regular actor of the PEPLUM genre, mostly providing actual acting for the usually non-acting bodybuilders starring in lead roles. The trailer shows a fight between Ursus of said title and a bear but that scene seems to have been obliterated since all of the many copies I have are missing that specific scene. I think the bear would have added much needed 'color' to the somewhat serious story.