Ursus

I taped this off late-night TV 10+ years ago, and dusted it off recently on a free evening for a return engagement. Maybe I was distracted the first time I watched it back then, because I was quite impressed with it this time around. First, although Ed Fury's acting is sometimes criticized by writers about the peplum genre, he handles the role with the seriousness it deserves, yet has an undeniable charm that such a hero needs on

the screen. I need to dig out some more of his films. Second, the sets are quite imaginative for a low budget film and are able to suggest much more than they actually show. Third, the plot has a number of nice twists in its final third, and the film culminates in a genuinely exciting climax and satisfying resolution. Story-writer Guiseppe Mangione was also responsible for such offbeat items as Tony Anthony's first two "Stranger" films, Barbara Steele's "Angel for Satan," the interesting "Hypnosis," and others. Finally, director Carlo Campogalliani has credits dating back to the silent era, and he manages to use his directorial sleight-of-hand to make the film seem much bigger budgeted than it actually was... always the sign of a true professional and artist. The bullfight scene was very well done, with a combination of Fury, a stuntman, and a stuffed Ed Fury doll (at least, I'm guessing that was how it was done). The editing is fine in that scene also. Computer effects have spoiled many young film fans today--this kind of combination of director and editor creating a magical sleight-of-hand that makes us "see" what isn't actually happening is always worthy of praise and is exciting to watch. In short, an excellent entry in the sword-and-sandal genre, and a credit to star Ed Fury (who has always reminded me of a muscular version of Edd Byrnes or the young 1950s Clint Eastwood)