the HERCULES films

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Is there an uncut, widescreen, anamorphic edition of HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959) anywhere, does anyone know?

A friend who is unhappy with the domestic choices asked me to look for it.

The only Hercules film I know is the one directed by Mario Bava.

[bgart13 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bgart13]

France or Germany, I think. Check Latarnia, there was a discussion there a few years back.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I'm 99% sure that the French version is uncut and anamorphic. I'm also pretty sure it's out of print.

Here's a very quick review that confirms the French disc is 2.35.1 and runs 97:51.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Thanks guys.

I may have found Italian editions on amazonFrance that meet the standards:

http://www.amazon.fr/Fatiche-Di-Erco...I2S1ND9HR1S4CF

http://www.amazon.fr/Ercole-La-Regin...I1E76P7FLAZ820

... which is way over my neighbors' head. He likes Hercules the way he likes John Wayne westerns but dealing with multi-region players and region 2 DVDs is too much complexity.

But since looking up the film my goals have changed. Mario Bava did the opticals and photography on HERCULES UNCHAINED. Therefor an uncut widescreen restored edition belongs in every collection. Might as well get the first HERCULES, too. If only the postage didn't cost twice as much as the DVD. Still looking for a contact in France and Italy who can take my paypal and send me the disc and cover-art without the bulky cases. Plenty of empty cases here to put them in.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Have you seen Hercules In The Haunted World, Right? Bava directs, Christopher Lee is in it.... it's pretty great.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Jeez, the whole film is on utube.

Yeah, I have this one:



the film would be yawn city if it weren't for Bava's magic. The story is a drag but the visuals are stunning. Love the color and the pictorialism.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I more or less agree. It's not a particularly strong narrative but it sure is nice to look at. I enjoy it quite a bit.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

I think I've become a Bava completest. I have all the films he directed beginning with I VAMPIRI. It's time I gathered all the films he photographed and did optical effects for.

[Jason C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jason C]

The only Hercules film I know is the one directed by Mario Bava.

The only Hercules film I know is the one where the Incredible Hulk punches a bear into outer-frickin-space. I can't imagine that being topped so I stopped there. ;)

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

That's pretty violent for a character who stepped off the label on a can of green beans.

The only other film of this type that I'm remotely curious about is DUEL OF THE TITANS which I vaguely remember seeing at a kiddie matinee in the late 1960s. Evidently there's a German DVD under the title ROMULUS AND REMUS. Anyone see that? Is it English friendly, does anyone know.

[John Bernhard Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close John Bernhard]

A must have is the widescreen 1960 epic ESTHER and the KING.
Bava's hand is all over this one, especially in a wonderfully shot kill scene involving a beautiful 21 yr. old Rosalba Neri.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

I may have seen it on television. Terrible actor, Richard Egan.

Thanks for the tip. I'll look for it.

[Geten Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Geten]

Romulus + Remus (Koch Media) is English-friendly, good DVD and a great movie. The DVD is OOP though.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

I'll keep my eyes open for the Koch Media DVD then. Thanks, Geten.

Bava also photographed THE GIANT OF MARATHON (1960). I just sat through the Retromedia DVD which is the only edition to get. A widescreen anamorphic transfer of an original dye-transfer print. Not in the best shape, but acceptable. The film merits a restoration and hi-def scan because Bava's aesthetics and optical magic are on full display:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...F8&me=&seller=

or in the box-set:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...F8&me=&seller=



By the way, the opening shot (right after the title) is hilarious. I didn't know Jacques Tourneur had that kind of humor in him. How did he get away with it in 1960.

There is no end to the discrimination against women in this film. The actresses are so beautiful, they should have been afforded the equality to be as bare-chested as Steve Reeves. Fair is fair.