Puños de hierro

I am a peplum fan, especially in its original form. Did American International executives really think that they were improving Italian pepla by shortening and dubbing them, changing the Greco-Roman characters' names for those of Philistine and Jewish men from the Bible, and replacing the original scores with Lex Baxter's pastiches? The American version of this highly enjoyable wide-screen production is a fine example of the cheapening effect their strategy had. Starting with the substitution of the name Maciste, perhaps the father of all strong men in films since 1914 (when "Cabiria" was released), they had no idea of anything, just as well as Baxter with his atrocious pop cue for a belly dance in a tavern. Nevertheless, the good news is that Maciste is in good shape and in the very good and capable hands of American star Gordon Scott. He goes this time after a vampire tyrant called Kobrak, who is helped by a slave witch called Astra. Maciste lives many adventures with the assistance of Kurtik, a rebel fighter, and his not-very efficient army of blue men. But Maciste is Maciste and you know that he will win. Scott is helped by a fine cast that includes Jacques Sernas, Gianna Maria Canale and Leonora Ruffo. Hope one day someone will release the original version in Italian.

From the mid 1950s' too the mid 60s' there was a Tsunami of 'Sword and Sandal' films. In their native Italy they were referred too as 'pepla/peplum'. Heroic strongmen bestrode the land defeating Monsters, Evil Tyrants and rescuing Damsels In Distress (D.I.D.). They went under many names. Hercules, Maciste, Ursus, Samson, Goliath and even 'The Son's of Hercules'. Which had a catchy tune in the intro and exit of the film.

Most of these films had either a brief appearance at the 'Drive-In' or went directly to T.V. in the U.S.A. Production values were not the equivalent of a film like SPARTACUS (1960) nor the star power. Though occasionally a name Actor needing a quick cash fix made a appearance, like BRODERICK CRAWFORD or ORSON WELLES. Most times the lead was played either by a Italian 'Body-Builder' with a Americanized name or a American such as STEEVE REEVES, MARK FORREST or in this film GORDON SCOTT.

'Maciste contro il vampiro' (1961) made its appearance in the U.S.A. in 1964 as GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES or THE VAMPIRES. My Brother and I saw it on T.V. in a double feature of such movies that ran Saturday's during the Fall/Winter', circa 1966. Great Stuff! Our Hero 'Maciste' now 'Goliath' played by GORDON SCOTT was up too our expectations. As well as the Evil Villain, 'Kobrak' the Vampire. 'Goliath's' mission, save the abducted Women (D.I.D.) of his village. Restore the rightful ruler of Salmenak to the throne, 'Kurtik', JACQUES (Jack) SERNAS and rid the World of 'Kobrak' and his minions. Mission accomplished in a entertaining ninety-one (91") minutes.

These films have a certain charm and nostalgic appeal, particularly for those who grew up with them. I remember them fondly and particularly my Mother's home made Pizza we were treated too while watching for lunch. Many are a pleasant surprise like this one which is credibly done. Rewatching this film and seeing JACQUES SERNAS was in itself a surprise. Remembering him from HELEN OF TROY (1956), IMDb********Eight. The main problem with these films is obtaining quality copies. In the U.S.A. most of the DVD's come from non-source material and that is reflected in their poor condition. If you can get by that you will find many worthwhile.

Those incredible Sword and Sandal movies freely based on Greek mythology always thrilled me, mystical tales on ancient world, primitive civilizations, modulated the popular imagery by the producers who found an attractive business niche as the Italians did on profound form and create a new genre, this movies are my guilty pleasure, this kind are cheaper, cheese, camp or whatever, but has their enchants, this one we have the strong American star Gordon Scott as Maciste (Goliath) who wants a revenge against the Salmanak's kidnappers who impose a heavy massacre in his village, killing and burning including his beloved mother and kidnapping his girl, arriving in the island he will faces an weird villain a sort of vampire, amazing adventure on Salmanak's underground, mixing mysticism and chemistry, also having these famous Italian legends as Duccio Tessari and Bruno Corbucci as writer and director, on the cast the gorgeous Gianna Maria Canale, Leonora Ruffo and Jacques Sernas!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2012 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD-R / Rating: 6

Introducing non-traditional elements into the standard sword-and-sandal formula can be risky. The results often collapse into confusion and absurdity. Here, however, the merging of horror-movie with mythic- strongman motifs results in a "peplum" which stands a notch or two above its competitors. There are, of course, the standard but always-welcome virtues: a lively brawl in a town square and again in a tavern, a hoochy-koochy dance number inside the Sultan's palace, a beefcake-bondage scene in which our sweaty, bare-chested hero struggles with a wooden yoke bound across his brawny shoulders and outstretched arms, etc. Then there are the spooky, supernatural vampire elements -- not as hokey as you'd fear -- and a memorable fight which pits our hero against none other than his clone. Thrown in for good measure is an ear-drum torture scene carried out inside a giant bell which conjures up memories of similar moments in MGM's "The Mask of Fu Manchu" and Rory Calhoun's "Colossus of Rhodes." Finally, a word of approval must be given to this movie's refusal to use the boy, Ciro, for the comic relief usually provided by those annoying Italian midgets.

There are, not surprisingly, weaknesses. Leonora Ruffo isn't given much to do as the heroine and, as a result, seems pale, lifeless, and forgettable, especially when compared to the vibrant, dark-haired "bad girl," Gianna Maria Canale. Secondly, the role of the Sultan is so poorly developed that the political situation inside Salmanak remains needlessly muddled. What's more, not enough is done with the character played by Jacques Sernas -- somewhat surprising considering Sernas' star-power.

Assets clearly outweigh detriments, however, and towering over everything is the impressive figure of Gordon Scott, an underrated screen presence who was somehow more than just a glorious physique.

Due to the potential horror elements inherent in the title, I had been intrigued since childhood by a one-page still from this film in a large book about "Epics" owned by my father's showing Gordon Scott grappling with an unseen assailant; only in hindsight do I realize he was battling 'himself' (22 years before SUPERMAN III!) by way of some amusingly modern wrestling tactics! Therefore, I was glad to finally get to watch this via a faded, English-dubbed print available on a "You Tube" channel dedicated to peplums...since, strangely enough, the film has never been shown on Italian TV or available on VHS in my neck of the woods! After donning Tarzan's loincloth 6 times, it was a natural step, I suppose, for American muscleman Scott to go to Italy and incarnate their household mythological hero Maciste (although Mark Forrest had already done so before him) – albeit ludicrously redubbed with the Biblical moniker of Goliath for U.S. export! – a role he would officially repeat twice more later on in the decade.

Speaking of the film's title, the American one also misleadingly hyped up the number of horrific villains in it by going for the plural word "vampires" rather than the more accurate singular one of the original; in fact, the vampire attacks here are nothing more than the collection of blood from sword or claw wounds suffered by the victims of the vampire's acolytes, which is then apparently used to revive the master villain Kobrak's desiccated wax-like warriors (described as "robots with blood"!) stored in his red-lit (netherworld?) cave; disappointingly, Kobrak's true skeletal visage is only really ever seen towards the film's closing moments! Maciste starts out as a village farmer but he is soon pelting soldiers with uprooted trees and stone columns or piles of chains! The biggest laugh-out loud moments are when Maciste slaps an assailant and literally sends him flying to the roof and when he is shown standing around whirling his arms into people like one of those gladiatorial training contraptions!

Thankfully, however, the film delivers aplenty in the atmosphere department and, all in all, this is yet another satisfying work from prolific and versatile Italian director Gentilomo – assisted here by future Spaghetti Western expert Corbucci. Indeed, GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES emerges as one of the most bizarre and entertaining peplums ever, punctuated as it is by lively action sequences (a protracted market place scuffle early on is a particular highlight) but also an atypically grim countenance (not only are there no dwarfish comic relief figures but the characters of Maciste's mother and the little brother of Maciste's fiancée end up dead! But, wait, there is more: the prerequisite Arabian-style dance routine is anachronistically accompanied by modern-day jazzy sounds and goofy crab-like creatures lurk in the villain's pit! Besides, it turns out to be surprisingly blood-thirsty for what is traditionally kiddie fare with an arrow shot at point-blank range right into a villager's eye during the initial attack, another slides off a pole and ends up impaled on spikes, Kobrak's ominous threat of torturing Maciste by the use of sound-waves is nothing more ingenious than slipping him inside a giant bell and having his men clang the hell out of it(!) and, hilariously enough, old women are thrown to the sharks off of a slave ship (so what was the point of abducting them in the first place?). Actually, with all of this going on, the film still manages to lose some momentum in the build-up to the climactic attack on Kobrak's cave!

Apart from Scott, the cast includes genre stalwarts like Gianna Maria Canale (as Astra, ostensibly The King's favorite slave but truly Kobrak's servant), Leonora Ruffo (as Maciste's girl) and Jacques Sernas (rather than playing the obligatory romantic second lead, he plays an ambiguous alchemist leading a rebel army of Blue Men)! While I could tell the female lead here was an attractive blonde. I did not associate her with the stunning brunette from THE QUEEN OF SHEBA (1952); looking over her filmography, I realize that I have already seen her in 5 other movies and have another one (her last, Fernando Di Leo's BURN, BOY, BURN released in 1969) in my unwatched pile!