My Peplum Movies
by bertramprodutora | created - 15 Jan 2023 | updated - 2 weeks ago | PublicHistorical and Fantasy Sword-and-Sandal movies made in Italy I watched over the years (more or less in personal order of love)
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1. The Giants of Thessaly (1960)
86 min | Adventure, Fantasy
In order to placate the angry gods, who have allowed Thessaly to be overrun with barbarian invaders and beset with natural disasters, King Jason takes his Argonauts on a search for the ... See full summary »
Director: Riccardo Freda | Stars: Roland Carey, Ziva Rodann, Alberto Farnese, Nadia Sanders
Votes: 381
I still remember watching as a child. The climbing in the statue is awesome and one of my favorite magical moments in cinema history.
2. Hercules in the Haunted World (1961)
G | 84 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
Hercules must journey into Hades itself to retrieve the magic stone that will free his love from the powers of darkness.
Director: Mario Bava | Stars: Reg Park, Christopher Lee, Leonora Ruffo, George Ardisson
Votes: 2,350
Two things you need to know: Mario Bava directed and Christopher Lee is the villain.
3. The Last Days of Pompeii (1959)
Approved | 103 min | Action, Adventure, History
A demobilized centurion returns home to Pompeii to find his father murdered by a gang of black-hooded Christian robbers that terrorizes the city and he decides to investigate the matter while the nearby volcano threatens to erupt.
Director: Mario Bonnard | Stars: Steve Reeves, Christine Kaufmann, Fernando Rey, Barbara Carroll
Votes: 1,302
In my childhood memories, it's a gorgeous spectacle.
4. Hercules (1958)
G | 107 min | Adventure, Fantasy, History
The muscular Hercules performs his Labors, sails with the Argonauts, and romances the fair Iole.
Director: Pietro Francisci | Stars: Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Fabrizio Mioni, Ivo Garrani
Votes: 2,335 | Gross: $10.90M
The one that started that 60's craze.
5. The Colossus of Rhodes (1961)
Approved | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, History
While holidaying in Rhodes, an Athenian war hero becomes involved in two plots to overthrow the tyrannical king: one from Rhodian patriots, and the other from sinister Phoenician agents.
Director: Sergio Leone | Stars: Rory Calhoun, Lea Massari, Georges Marchal, Conrado San Martín
Votes: 4,217
Sergio Leone before become Sergio Leone.
6. Valley of the Lions (1961)
94 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The evil dictator Ajak sends his armies to attack a neighboring kingdom, and during the battle, the besieged King Annurius orders one of his subjects to take his son Ursus to a place of ... See full summary »
Director: Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia | Stars: Ed Fury, Moira Orfei, Alberto Lupo, Giacomo Furia
Votes: 216
Orlando Orfei is the animal wrangler and stunt in this one. Latter on, he came to Brazil with his circus and became a reference in popular culture.
7. The Trojan Horse (1961)
Not Rated | 105 min | Adventure, Drama, History
A retelling of the events leading to the use of the Trojan Horse, to bring down the great city of Troy.
Director: Giorgio Ferroni | Stars: Steve Reeves, Juliette Mayniel, John Drew Barrymore, Edy Vessel
Votes: 642
They tried really hard with this one.
8. The Fury of Hercules (1962)
97 min | Adventure
In a tyrannical kingdom there is an evil ruler and a queen who lusts after Hercules who is attracted to a handmaiden. A rebellion overthrows the ruler.
Director: Gianfranco Parolini | Stars: Brad Harris, Luisella Boni, Mara Berni, Elke Arendt
Votes: 239
A personal love from my saturday afternoons in Brazilian TV in the 80's.
9. Goliath Against the Giants (1961)
90 min | Adventure
Muscleman fights sea monsters, a horde of giants and a tribe of Amazonian warriors.
Director: Guido Malatesta | Stars: Brad Harris, Gloria Milland, Fernando Rey, Barbara Carroll
Votes: 147
It's bad, but it's also all over the place with monsters, lions, amazons and poor looking giants. Another love since childhood.
10. My Son, the Hero (1962)
Not Rated | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
An evil king makes a bargain with a devil in order to get away with murdering his wife.
Director: Duccio Tessari | Stars: Pedro Armendáriz, Giuliano Gemma, Antonella Lualdi, Serge Nubret
Votes: 460
Nice twist: the hero is a smartass, not a beefcake.
11. Goliath and the Dragon (1960)
Approved | 87 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A warrior returning home to his country must battle giant bats, three-headed dogs and a vicious dragon to save his wife, and his people, from the machinations of an evil ruler.
Director: Vittorio Cottafavi | Stars: Mark Forest, Broderick Crawford, Gaby André, Renato Terra
Votes: 615
The USA version have additional stop-motion by legend Jim Danforth.
12. Son of Samson (1960)
Unrated | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Maciste travels to Egypt, where he leads a revolt against an evil queen.
Director: Carlo Campogalliani | Stars: Mark Forest, Chelo Alonso, Vira Silenti, Angelo Zanolli
Votes: 299
Good childhood memories with this one.
13. Hercules Unchained (1959)
G | 105 min | Adventure, Fantasy
While negotiating peace between two brothers contesting the throne of Thebes, an amnesiac Hercules is seduced by the evil Queen Omphale.
Directors: Pietro Francisci, Mario Bava | Stars: Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Gabriele Antonini, Patrizia Della Rovere
Votes: 2,324 | Gross: $5.45M
Nice, but kind of flat.
14. Attila (1954)
TV-14 | 80 min | Biography, Drama, History
Attila, the leader of the barbarian Huns and called by the Romans "The Scourge of God", sweeps onto the Italian peninsula, defeating all of the armies of Rome, until he and his men reach the gates of the city itself.
Director: Pietro Francisci | Stars: Anthony Quinn, Sophia Loren, Henri Vidal, Claude Laydu
Votes: 790
Look too Hollywood-made, for better and for worse.
15. Ulysses (1954)
Not Rated | 94 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A movie adaptation of Homer's second epic, that depicts Ulysses' efforts to return to his home after the end of ten years of war.
Director: Mario Camerini | Stars: Silvana Mangano, Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Rossana Podestà
Votes: 4,649
Uninspired. But nice FXs from german expressionism legend Eugen Schüftan.
16. Perseo l'invincibile (1963)
95 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A warrior does battle against the evil Medusa, her army of stone warriors and a monstrous dragon.
Director: Alberto De Martino | Stars: Richard Harrison, Anna Ranalli, Arturo Dominici, Leo Anchóriz
Votes: 436
You got to love the craziest Medusa ever, courtesy of Carlo Rambaldi.
17. Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964)
Unrated | 88 min | Adventure, Fantasy
Hercules is summoned to oppose the evil Queen Samara, who has allied herself with aliens and is sacrificing her own people in a bid to awaken a moon goddess.
Director: Giacomo Gentilomo | Stars: Sergio Ciani, Jany Clair, Anna Maria Polani, Nando Tamberlani
Votes: 1,991
Mythology meets creatures from outer space.
18. The Giant of Marathon (1959)
90 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A Greek soldier leads the fight against an invading Persian army.
Directors: Jacques Tourneur, Bruno Vailati, Mario Bava | Stars: Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, Sergio Fantoni, Alberto Lupo
Votes: 1,076
Too bureaucratic.
19. The Last of the Vikings (1961)
Unrated | 103 min | Action, Adventure, War
Harald and his brother Guntar return to Norway to find their father murdered and his throne usurped. They try to take revenge on Sveno, but a traitor amongst them puts both brother's lives at risk.
Director: Giacomo Gentilomo | Stars: Cameron Mitchell, Edmund Purdom, Isabelle Corey, Hélène Rémy
Votes: 233
Save your friend from crucifixion using a sword as lever
20. Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules (1961)
Not Rated | 95 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Maciste arranges for himself and his new friend Bangor to be captured by a mysterious band of white-clad marauders and taken to an underground city. There the two are forced to turn an ... See full summary »
Director: Antonio Leonviola | Stars: Mark Forest, Moira Orfei, Paul Wynter, Gianni Garko
Votes: 377
Good intentions in the road to molemen realm.
21. Fury of Achilles (1962)
118 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In the tenth year of the Trojan War, tensions between Achilles and Agamemnon divide the Greek camp while giving hope to the Trojans.
Director: Marino Girolami | Stars: Gordon Mitchell, Jacques Bergerac, Cristina Gaioni, Ennio Girolami
Votes: 356
Nothing remarkable.
22. The Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete (1960)
Not Rated | 105 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A mythological hero attempts to rescue a princess from being sacrificed to a half-man, half-bull creature.
Director: Silvio Amadio | Stars: Bob Mathias, Rosanna Schiaffino, Alberto Lupo, Rik Battaglia
Votes: 387
SPOILER: the monster only appears at the end.
23. Atlas Against the Cyclops (1961)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Strongman Maciste must battle the one-eyed Cyclops monster that is ravaging the land of Sadok, while at the same time fending off the advances of the evil Queen Capys, who wants to do a little ravaging of her own.
Director: Antonio Leonviola | Stars: Gordon Mitchell, Chelo Alonso, Vira Silenti, Dante DiPaolo
Votes: 370
SPOILER: the monster only appears at the end (again).
24. Conquest of Mycene (1963)
Not Rated | 102 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A prince passes himself off as Hercules and does battle with an evil queen and her bloodthirsty religious cult in Mycene, in order to free the people of a neighboring kingdom.
Director: Giorgio Ferroni | Stars: Gordon Scott, Alessandra Panaro, Rosalba Neri, Arturo Dominici
Votes: 309
Just boring.
25. Hercules (1983)
PG | 98 min | Adventure, Fantasy, History
The story of the Greek mythological figure, updated in this '80s version.
Director: Luigi Cozzi | Stars: Lou Ferrigno, Brad Harris, Sybil Danning, Rossana Podestà
Votes: 4,408 | Gross: $10.68M
Bad. So bad that's good. But still bad.
26. Scipione l'africano (1937)
83 min | Drama, History, War
A story of the Second Punic Wars, beginning with Scipio's futile pleas to the Roman Senate to build an army to battle Hannibal, that climaxes with the battle of Zama.
Director: Carmine Gallone | Stars: Annibale Ninchi, Camillo Pilotto, Fosco Giachetti, Francesca Braggiotti
Votes: 318
Fascist crap.
27. Cabiria (1914)
Not Rated | 148 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Cabiria is a Roman child when her home is destroyed by a volcano. Sold in Carthage to be sacrificed in a temple, she is saved by Fulvio, a Roman spy. But danger lurks, and hatred between Rome and Carthage can only lead to war.
Director: Giovanni Pastrone | Stars: Italia Almirante-Manzini, Lidia Quaranta, Bartolomeo Pagano, Carolina Catena
Votes: 3,959
An unsung epic that deeply influenced cinema evolution.
28. Hercules and the Captive Women (1961)
Unrated | 94 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Strong yet sleepy Hercules discovers that the Queen of Atlantis is plotting to take over the world with superhuman warriors.
Director: Vittorio Cottafavi | Stars: Reg Park, Fay Spain, Ettore Manni, Luciano Marin
Votes: 1,635
A nice destruction scene at the climax.
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