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Hercules Hercules in the Haunted World |
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Hercules Hercules in the Haunted World
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by Simitar Ent.
Sales Rank: 86885
Price: $9.98
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"Hercules" ("La Fatiche di Ercole"), the French/Italian 'epic' that launched champion American bodybuilder Steve Reeves into meteoric, if brief, film stardom, is unabashedly low-budget, with laughable special effects, but it still holds up as entertainment surprisingly well, after 50 years, and, was the foundation of the 'sword and sandal' genre of films, that continues to this day. <br /> <br />While this edition of the film has problems (when will a digitally remastered version of "Hercules" be offered, in the widescreen format it was filmed in?), the print is the best I've seen. The story, loosely based upon "Jason and the Golden Fleece", offers a dubbed Reeves as demigod Hercules, who renounces his status as a deity (while keeping most of his superhuman strength) for the chance to help mankind, and win the love of young princess Iole (lovely Sylva Koscina). When he befriends Jason (Fabrizio Mioni), foretold to overthrow Iole's father (Ivo Garrani), the sly old ruler says he'll abdicate, IF the famous fleece can be recovered. With a crew of legendary heroes (including Gabriele Antonini as the young Ulysses), Jason and Hercules embark on their epic quest, aboard the 'Argos'. <br /> <br />Packed with battles with creaky mechanical 'monsters' and less-than-ferocious beasts (including a rather docile lion), Reeves' handsome face and incredible physique are displayed to great advantage; his acting skills, while not great, are certainly no worse than his successor in the genre, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Forget, too, the 'urban legend' that his voice was dubbed because it was tinny and high-pitched; it was actually quite close to the dubbed one (remember, Cecil B. DeMille nearly cast him as Samson, so it couldn't be THAT bad!) <br /> <br />If you're looking for superior fantasy, Don Chaffey and Ray Harryhausen's superb 1963 "Jason and the Argonauts" (featuring Nigel Green as an aging, less heroic Hercules) is certainly the film to choose; but I recommend "Hercules" if you want to just have fun, and enjoy the 'ride'. As a boy, I loved this film, and I still get a kick out of it, today. <br /> <br />And isn't that a great reason to own a copy? <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />
Viewer Reviews
I remember watching Hercules and Hercules Unchained starring the great Steve Reeves when I was a child. It used to be on T.V. all the time back in the 60's. Now I watch both movies on DVD. I don't even care that the video seem washed out or the sound is bad. Every time I watch one of those movies, it brings back my childhood memories. To really enjoy both movies you have to watch them back to back. To me they are my all time favorite movies.
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Hercules Hercules in the Haunted World
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