Italian Sword and Sandal

Region 0: NTSC

THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULES set including:
HERCULES VS. THE HYDRA (aka THE LOVES OF HERCULES), HERCULES VS. THE SONS OF THE SUN (aka HERCULES AND THE SONS OF THE SUN), LION OF THEBES, HERCULES VS. THE MOLOCH (aka CONQUEST OF MYCENE), THE TRIUMPH OF HERCULES, THE TROJAN HORSE (aka THE WOODEN HORSE OF TROY, aka THE TROJAN WAR), and MEDUSA VS. THE SON OF HERCULES (aka PERSIUS). From Trimark Home Video. None letterboxed.

THE BARBARIANS. From Wellspring. Mike Eustace reports:
"THE BARBARIANS/IL SACCO DI ROMA is a high quality NTSC DVD from Wellspring, shown in it's original 4:3 apect ratio. The beautiful, luminous monochrome photography by Tonino delli Colli is well preserved from an excellent print that shows only minor signs of damage, although I am fairly sure that censor cuts have removed some of the more serious moments of murder, rape and naked female flesh from this highly dramatic and hugely spectacular re-telling of the16th century sack of Rome.
"The lighting and photographic effects are highly reminiscent of those old Michael Curtiz/Errol Flynn swashbucklers - the swordfight played out in huge shadows looming on a castle wall; a lovers tryst in a rain-drenched garden illuminated by sudden flashes of lightning; a church interior split by a diagonal shaft of sunlight in which the dust dances like golden flakes. There is a plethora of lovely girls - Anna Maria Bugliardi was apparently Miss Italy of 1951 - and since one of the main characters is Benvenuto Cellini, there is plenty of excuse for scenes of half-naked girls posing as wood-nymphs whilst the artist sculpts, which the movie consistently delivers."

BATTLE OF THE AMAZONS. From Eurovista. Letterboxed. Mike Eustaces writes, "This is a disappointingly below par DVD. Picture is soft, particularly on the right of screen where you get a sort of green halo on backlit images. Colour is mostly muddy and lacking in punch. It's Letterbox, but they haven't quite got the squeeze ratio correct, so ZOOM has people a bit thin, and WIDE has them a bit fat. Surprisingly the SMART button gets it just about right, which is about the first time I found a use for this usually stupid feature. The original print is quite worn, has occasional green or bright yellow vertical scratches, variable colour, and several jump cuts where bits have gone missing."

CALIGULA II - MESSALINA, MESSALINA. Soft Touch Video from Woodhaven Entertainment. Full Screen. Poor quality transfer.

CONSTANTINE AND THE CROSS. From Diamond Entertainment. Letterboxed. Slightly soft images, washed out colour, old and damaged print. Full 2.35:1 anamorphic.

DAVID AND GOLIATH. From Diamond Entertainment. Full Screen.
Trevor Thomas reports that "the recording transfer is poor." He also reports that Platinum Disc Corporation and Gemstone Entertainment have also released this title.

DUEL OF CHAMPIONS. From Diamond Entertainment. Full Screen.

ESTHER AND THE KING. From Diamond Entertainment. Full Screen.

GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON + THE CONQUEROR OF ATLANTIS - From Something Weird/Image Entertainment. GOLIATH is letterboxed, CONQUEROR is not.

HERCULES. From Sterling Home Entertainment. Full Screen.

HERCULES UNCHAINED. From Gemstone Entertainment. Full Screen.

HEROD THE GREAT. From Gemstone Entertainment. Full Screen.

KNIVES OF THE AVENGER. The Mario Bava Collection from Image Entertainment. Letterboxed and Anamorphic 16:9. Mike Eustace writes, "Image Entertainment's KNIVES OF THE AVENGER is an excellent NTSC DVD transfer, 2.35:1 anamorphic Widescreen, good colour and sharpness. Extras include the usual filmographies, and trailers for this and six other Mario Bava films. Of particular interest is the imaginative original trailer for THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH/THE EVIL EYE featuring all sorts of creepy moments from the film accompanied by a sleazy jazz saxophone score in stunning counterpoint. It's lack of voice-over makes the threatening tone of US trailers seem moronic by comparison. Special mention goes to the four-page booklet by Tim Lucas, extracted from his upcoming Bava book, which gives fascinating background information to the making of this film that Bava took over and virtually re-shot in a week. Interestingly, Lucas describes it as more of a Western than Bava's proper Westerns, and claims that SHANE was its inspiration! I can find no reason to disagree."

QUEEN OF SHEBA. From Wellspring. Mike Eustace reports:
"An English language version of Pietro Francisci's 1953 movie THE QUEEN OF SHEBA has now been released on DVD by Wellspring. It's an excellent quality transfer from a well-preserved print in the correct 4:3 ratio, which preserves the beautiful luminous quality of the original monochrome camerawork.
"Leonora Ruffo's acting is about as subtle as a sledgehammer - all pouting lips, flaring nostrils and flashing eyes. I haven't seen anything this over-the-top theatrical since Cherkasov's full blown performance as Ivan the Terrible. But there's no denying that she's absolutely gorgeous. Shame then, that this version has been cut and does not feature her bath in gazelle milk (as teasingly mentioned on the cover), nor a few other harem scenes. The box states 93 minutes NTSC, comparing rather unfavourably with the more complete Spanish PAL VHS which runs at 99 minutes, thus giving an NTSC and original Cinema duration of 103 minutes.
"Extras include filmographies, film facts and a set of slightly worn trailers featuring amongst others THE QUEEN OF SHEBA and an upcoming THE BARBARIANS.

Region 1: NTSC

CALIGULA. From Penthouse. Letterboxed. Available in Unrated and R-Rated Versions.

ULYSSES. From Fox Lorber. Full Screen.

Region 2: PAL

CAESAR THE CONQUEROR / JULES CESAR CONQUERANT DE LA GAULE (France). From Sony Music Video France. Mike Eustace reports that this "is a good quality 2.35:1 anamorphic Widescreen DVD from a well-preserved print that shows only occasional minor damage. It's sharp and clean with good colour, but the DVD does suffer from a motion-blur effect where the general sharpness is considerably reduced whenever the camera moves. The language is French only, no subtitles, so it is hard going, since the action is very infrequent and there are long dialogue scenes. The battles are clumsily staged and indistinguishable from each other, featuring only small numbers of extras whose swordfighting skills are non-existent. It almost makes you wish they'd bought the Hannibal/Constantine stock-shots package like everybody else. The only delight is when you realise that the marching Romans in the Gallic countryside are being accompanied by composers Stellari & Robuschi's wonderful plagiarised version of Alex North's battle theme from SPARTACUS.
"Cameron Mitchell provides a strong, commanding figure for Caesar, and I particularly like the scene where he's attending martial games performed by Gallic prisoners. Rik Battaglia does particularly well in his wrestling/boxing free-for-all and Caesar gives him his freedom. Almost as an afterthought he asks 'what is your name?'
"'Vercingetorix', replies Battaglia.
"And as we absorb the frisson, there is a splendid forward mix to him in full battle gear superimposed over a burning Roman Fort - for as we all know, Vercingetorix is to be Caesar's major foe in his campaign to conquer Gaul. "This is the second Amerigo Anton movie released on DVD by Sony Music Video France, after

MACISTE ET LES FILLES DE LA VALLEE, and what with

LE BRIGAND DE LA STEPPE (The Mighty Khan) and

LE TRESOR DES TSARS (Giant of the Lost Tomb) promised to come, it looks like we're in for a major retrospective.
"Some new "extracts" show that we can look forward to good quality letterbox versions of LE TRESOR DES TSARS (Atlas against the Tsar/Giant of the Lost Tomb) and

LES GEANTS DE THESSALIE (Giants of Thessaly/Jason and the Golden Fleece)."

COLOSSUS OF RHODES / LE COLOSSE DE RHODES (France). From Canal+ Video. Letterboxed and enhanced for 16x9.
Olivier Tocanne comments on the disc and the running time for the film. To read it, click here.
Mike Eustace also has some comments regarding the French DVD of COLOSSUS OF RHODES. To read it, click here.

COLOSSUS OF RHODES/IL COLOSSO DI RODI (Italy). From CVC. Anamorphic widescreen (2.35), italian language only, without subtitles. Bonus : "Chi era Sergio Leone?", an interview with Sergio Leone. Running time: 142 mins. Mike Eustace confirms this: "The DVD clocks in at 136 minutes and 49 seconds, but this is TV speed of 25 frames a second for PAL. If you convert this to the correct Cinema speed of 24 frames per second, then you get a running time of 142 minutes and 7 seconds."
Olivier Tocanne reports it has an "excellent picture, excellent master".

CORIOLANUS HERO WITHOUT A COUNTRY / CORIOLANUS, EROE SENZA PATRIA / DIE SCHLACHT DER GLADIATOREN (Germany). From Marketing Film. German language only. 97 mins.
Mike Eustace reports, "DIE SCHLACT DER GLADIATOREN is CORIOLANUS EROE SENZA PATRIA/THUNDER OF BATTLE. This a good quality DVD from a rather scratched and contrasty print in 2.35:1 Letterbox, German language only. Good value at £8.24 from www.amazon.de , as is it's sister release

DIE RUCKKEHR DER STARKSTEN GLADIATOREN DER WELT." www.amazon.de

LES DERNIERS JOURS DE POMPEI/Last Days of Pompeii (France). Mike Eustace writes, "Another excellent high quality anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 PAL DVD with French or English dialogue tracks. French subtitles are obligatory on the English Language version, but are removable on my machine with the previously mentioned hack. Despite the age of the film, there are very few duped or slo-mo sections to hide the original damages to the negative. It's so sharp and highly coloured that you can even see Christine Kauffman's modern white knickers under her flimsy blue dress when Steve Reeves rescues her from the runaway chariot!"

EL CID (Spain). "2.35:1 Letterbox, which is only available at 4:3 in England," writes Mike Eustace. "The picture is good quality, but a little dark, and occasionally suffers from those black lines off highlights during the second hour. I'm convinced they've just dug out the old Master they used for the VHS version. However, it comes with both Spanish and English Language (Stereo) and sub-titles, and for the full immersement in Spanish History, I recommend watching the Spanish Language version, and reading English sub-titles. For me, it improves Heston's mannered performance immeasurably."

EL CID/LE CID (France). Mike Eustace writes, "Excellent High Quality anamorphic widescreen with English Stereo soundtrack (box says mono). Obligatory French subtitles are removable with the 4:3/16:9 hack (see **** below)."

FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE/LA CAIDA DEL IMPERIO ROMANO (Spain). Same specs as EL CID (Spain).

FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE/ROMERRIGETS FALD (Denmark). Mike Eustace writes, "This is far inferior to the French version, and far inferior to the general quality of the Danish western DVDs. It's 2.35:1 Letterbox, non-anamorphic, good colour, but rather soft, and has only a mono soundtrack. The big joke is that it's from the same print as the French Version, because it's got that big purple-ink sync mark over the end of Commodus Triumphal entry into Rome!"

FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE/LA CHUTE D'EMPIRE ROMAN (France). Mike Eustace writes, "Exceptionally high quality Anamorphic 2.35:1 Widescreen DVD, with high definition and glowing colour; the only flaws being some minor damage within the original film master, like scratches and sparkle, presumably due to it's age and the way in which it was stored. There is also a nasty purple-ink sync mark stamped on a frame, just as the camera tilts up to the summit of the Roman Forum during Commodus' Triumphal entry to Rome, but I'm not going to quibble about that. The electronic French sub-titles are non-removable on the English Language version, but are subtle enough not to be distracting. Despite what the cover says about mono sound, the English Language track is thunderingly, gloriously Stereophonic. One bizarre note: the chapter list on the inlay card is printed over stills from LES TRAVAUX D'HERCULE, identical to the one that accompanies that film!"

****Mike Eustace writes: "Here's a hot tip that I've just discovered - the obligatory French sub-titles on the anamorphic versions of LA CHUTE D'EMPIRE ROMAIN & LES TRAVAUX D'HERCULE can actually be removed. This may only work on my Wharfedale 750s, and it may be a fluke, but it has possibilities. Start the movie, stop, select set-up, choose 4:3, resume play, stop, select set-up, choose 16:9, resume play - Voila! No subtitles."****

HERCULES/LES TRAVAUX D'HERCULE (France) 2.35 Anamorphic Letterbox. French, Italian and English language. Mike Eustace writes, "Beautiful, sharp, brightly coloured. High Quality 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. The only flaw being a tendency to graininess. Three Languages: French, Italian and English, the latter two being accompanied by non-removable French subtitles, which is not too much of a distraction, since they are quite subtly sized. English soundtrack is a little buzzy, but the Italian is much clearer - all suffer from plops and clicks due to extreme age."

HERCULES CONQUERS ATLANTIS/HERCULE A LA CONQUETE DE L'ATLANDIDE (France). From Canal+ Video. Scope 16X9. Mike Eustace writes, "Excellent High Quality French Pal DVD, 2.35:1 anamorphic Widescreen, French and Italian Languages only, optional French subtitles. Extras include some French Interviews with famous director Bertrand Tavernier (D'Artagnan's Daughter) and "Cineaste" Luc Mollet, plus the usual filmographies. This is the same version as the original Italian and the UK Cinema release; thankfully not the butchered HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN."

THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII/LES DERNIERS JOURS DE POMPEII. (France) From Sony Music Video France. Mike Eustace reports that this "is the Marcel L'Herbier Franco-Italian co-production from 1950 with Georges Marchal and Micheline Presle. It's an original format 4:3, black and white DVD, French Language only. It bears little resemblance plot-wise, to the Sergio Leone/Mario Bonnard version, being a rather creaky piece about love-philtres and frame-ups for murder which result in the hero finding himself in the arena facing a mangy Lion. A rather uninspiring eruption of a cardboard Vesuvius and the destruction of the city wraps everything up, although there are some nice vignettes, like the crying child separated from it's family, and a man scrabbling to pick up jewellry from the cobbles before being engulfed in lava, that have become well-used cliches."

MACISTE ET LES FILLES DE LA VALLEE (The new French title has dropped the final "PERDUES" - Maciste and the women of the forgotten valley) or HERCULES OF THE DESERT, as it is known in the US. (France) From Sony Music Video France. Mike Eustace reports that this "is a high quality 2.35:1 Letterbox transfer, with good sharp images from a well preserved print, in French Language only.
"This is a rather dull entry amongst Kirk Morris' often dull series of Maciste adventures, with very little happening for very long periods, some shots being held interminably to fill out what would otherwise have been a really short movie. There is hope of a little excitement when the titular girls are captured by the villain and put on the slave block to lure Maciste in to rescue them, but their harem costumes are disappointingly voluminous and unrevealing, and not at all what we have come to expect from previous such moments in other Peplum. The original Italian title is LA VALLE DELL'ECO TONANTE (Valley of the resounding echo), and this is embodied by a splendid matte painting which extends the cliffs of Anzio beach to enormous heights, and provides the movie with a monumentally bizarre climax in a Hellish cavern, where Maciste discovers the source of the resounding echo and puts a stop to it. I shouldn't tell you any more about this because a) you wouldn't believe me, and b) I need to watch it again to make sure I wasn't dreaming. There are some mild pleasure on the way, including a scene where Maciste is trapped in a vault whose walls are being gradually pushed towards him by means of a giant windlass, and the magical scene in the Temple where Maciste is created in a cloud of smoke by the prayers of the oppressed people. Plus any film with Helene Chanel, Rosalba Neri and Spela Rozin has got to be easy on the eye. Strangely, the French pronounce "Maciste" as "Maseest" and not "Macheestay" as we normally hear from the original italian.
"Released by Sony Music Video, and obtainable from www.amazon.fr."

Odissea, the TV film by Franco Rossi. (Italy) From Multimedia San Paolo SARL. Italian language only, with italian subtitles. (2 discs, 370 mns, Full Screen).

THE RETURN OF THE STRONGEST GLADIATORS IN THE WORLD / IL RITORNO DEL GLADIATORE PIU FORTE DEL MONDO / DIE RـCKKEHR DER STؤRKSTEN GLADIATOREN DER WELT. (Germany) From Marketing Film. German language only. Letterboxed 2.35:1. Extras: Chapter selection, slideshow. Running time 81m27s, not 94 as stated on the sleeve.
Henrik Larsen writes: "This is a very obscure peplum from 1971 (!), directed by Adalberto Albertini, starring Brad Harris. A silly, not particularily good film, but the picture quality is great."
Mike Eustace reports, "DIE RUCKKEHR DER STARKSTEN GLADIATOREN DER WELT is RETURN OF THE STRONGEST GLADIATOR IN THE WORLD, and not a Joe Robinson TAUR movie as www.amazon.de from whom I purchased it will have you believe. The DVD is of good picture quality from a well-preserved print in 2.35:1 Letterbox, German language only, and represents excellent value at £8.24. Of particular note is the huge amount of material in the film taken from CONSTANTINE AND THE CROSS, which means that new scenes featuring 'John Barracuda' (Massimo Serato) sit fairly comfortably with ten year old scenes he filmed for CONSTANTINE. The only jarring note is that his recent beard and moustache are fairly rough and straggly compared to the trimly cut youthful set he wore for the original. In the early scenes, you may also wonder why Alberto Farnese sports such a terrible wig, but it's only when he dies, and the epic funeral scene unfolds from CONSTANTINE, that you realise his wig has to match the body of the dead emperor from that film. It comes as no surprise that in the long shots, Brad Harris's character is played by Cornel Wilde.
"Of particular interest is the appearance of a belly dancer with incredibly mobile wobbly bits."

SAMSON/SAMSON CONTRE HERCULE. (France) From Sony Music Video France. Mike Eustace reports, "It's always disappointing when the picture quality of the main feature is of lesser quality than the accompanying trailers for forthcoming releases. This is a rather soft-looking DVD from an old variable-quality print, presented in about 2.2:1 Letterbox, with the sides slightly cropped, French language only. The box says 1.33/4:3, but in Europe this appears to be an indication of the TV system that the DVD is suitable for, i.e not 16:9 anamorphic, rather than what rectangular shape the movie is presented in. It appears to be a from a TV master tape, since there are some intrusive fades-to-black not present in the original, one of which occurs mid-scene. There is also a ridiculous trim at the end of the scene in which Brigitte Corey is threatened with torture by red-hot irons, but saved when the torturer is skewered by an arrow from who-knows-where. At least in the original you get a dolly-back beyond the prison bars to reveal the group of bow-carrying rebels who have infiltrated the dungeons and temporarily saved her.
"The trailers, or to be exact, the short scene extracts from other movies in the collection show an improvement in picture quality, with JULES CESAR CONQUERANT DE LA GAULE coming off best in 2.35:1 anamorphic.

LA TERREUR DES BARBARES is also 2.35:1 anamorphic, but from a rather low-contrast print. Still, it's a nice change to see Chelo Alonso performing her sword-dance to the original Carlo Innocenzi score, rather than Les Baxter's re-write.

LA COLERE D'ACHILLE and LE BRIGAND DE LA STEPPE are reasonable-looking Letterbox versions, but the sharpest and brightest extract is from a letterboxed MACISTE ET LA VALLEE DES FEMMES (VALLEY OF THE RESOUNDING ECHO).

The fact that the SAMSON extract is no better than the movie itself, suggests that these clips are probably indicative of the quality of the up-coming DVDs."

Thank you for information:
Mike Eustace, John Charles, Trevor Thomas, Olivier Tocanne, Al Tran, Carl Morano, Gordon Harmer and Video Watchdog.