SuperHeroBooks - Hercules and the Captive Women/Hercules, Prisoner of Evil
|
List Price: $9.98
Our Price: $8.01
Your Save: $ 1.97 ( 20% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Starring: Reg Park, Fay Spain, Ettore Manni, Luciano Marin, Laura Efrikian
Directed By: Antonio Margheriti, Ruggero Deodato, Vittorio Cottafavi
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0014381113624
Format: Color
Label: Image Entertainment
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Image Entertainment
Region Code: 0
Release Date: 2007-02-13
Running Time: 180
Studio: Image Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: 1963-04-15
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best Peplums ever
Comment: HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (also known as HERCULES CONQUERS ATLANTIS), is one of the best Sword & Sandal films ever made. It's big, colorful and very fun. If Frederico Fellini had directed an action film, it would look like this.
The film was way ahead of its time, regarding the psychedelic colors and imagery, the massive sets, the surreal action. It looks and feels like a big summer blockbuster made 47 years ago (it was made in 1961 but released in 1963 in North America). The film had a big budget and was shot in 70mm film stock and the DVD transfer, which is presented in widescreen here, has an amazing amount of details, even if the transfer itself could have been a bit better. I can't imagine how more amazing the film would look like with a perfect transfer or projected on a big cinema screen.
Reg Park fits the bill as Hercules and he does a good job but he's no Steve Reeves, Mark Forest or even Richard Harrison when it comes to acting or looks. Park is believable during the action scenes but he's a bit stiff during the acting scenes. The cast is excellent, including Fay Spain, Mimmo Palmara and the beautiful Laura Efrikian, who's a revelation here. But the best actor in this film is Ettore Manni. His acting is effortless and always believable. The DVD has the US version of the soundtrack, including the score. The only weak point I could about this film is the soundtrack. It needed more omph. I wish the Italian soundtrack was available on the DVD.
In all, I highly recommend this Peplum.
p.s.: the original title was HERCULES CONQUERS ATLANTIS but the more sensational HERCULES AND CAPTIVE WOMEN still makes sense because Laura Efrikian is seen bound to rock, with other petrified women, when Hercules fights Proteus. In fact, the whole plot is about Laura being a sacrifice.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The title makes no sense; there are no captive women
Comment: This is another surreal Hercules movie from Italy, this time with Reg Park as the slab of oily beef mixed up in an incoherent plot and cheesy effects. Herc ends up on Atlantis where he saves a young woman from being sacrificed. However, the girl is the queen's daughter and is immediately sent back out to be sacrificed again. This time Herc's son, who stowed away on Herc's ship, saves the girl. Herc spends some time with the curvy queen who wants to keep him in the palace so he doesn't find out what's going on. If only the writers had let the rest of us in on what was going on. There are slaves who Herc frees only to have them killed in their rebellion. The queen is raising an army of super warriors somehow through the power of Uranus. It's never exlained just how Uranus has done whatever it is he's done. They're supposed to be super fighters but Herc throws them around like they're nothing.
The only reason to watch this movie is to see Herc fight a six foot tall red lizard which is obviously a man in a lizard suit. And what the fight has to do with the plot is anybody's guess.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hercules and the Captive Women
Comment: What can be said about this movie. Ive seen this more than any Hercules Movie. This is one of 2 Hercules movies that I can really recommend. The other being Hercules in the Haunted World (also with Reg Park)
These were made in the 1960s where Italy was doing movies with the Gods, more or less rewriting the myths. First there was Hercules, then Maciste,Samson,Taur/Thor, the Son of Hercules Movies (some of those arent bad either)etc
Now on to this movie
Hercules & the Captive Women has Hercules taking on bad guy / monster on the Island of Proteus AND Atlantis (hes searching for his friend who was captured during a sea quest) as well as fighting people who worship Uranus (!!).. Along for the ride are his son (Hinus?) a funny midget, a damsel in distress, Fay Spain(!!!) and some the corniest effects yet...totally entertaining
Proteus is the island/man turns into a lizard, a snake, a lion(that clearly becomes a puppet when he gets tossed by Herc) and a bird on visible wires. This had the scene with a captured female who says "Kill me, kill me" This was the best scene of the movie, and also the campiest cheesiest effects...the rest is still good - a lot of fun & goofy fight scenes..and the funny stock footage ending of volcanic eruptions...
This was good enough (or bad) to be on MST3k- Mystery Science Theater 3000 and this was a wise choice. The film was cut quite a bit for the show, being that the show was 97 minutes minus the commericals and this movie is 96 minutes. The best segment was Joel and the Bots doing some good natured brawling, a smack on the opening scene where crow sees Reg Park for the first time and goes "I hope thats not Hercules!"
I like this movie on its own or via the MST3K version. I found it to be entertaining. Not a masterpiece, but some really good popcorn fun & entertaining. Glad its on DVD and in widescreen...check it out. I rate it 4 stars for its campy low budget entertainment :)..
On the DVD that Retromedia put out was Hercules Prisoner of Evil, again with Reg Park.
Other Herc films I will recommend
Hercules in the Haunted World
Medusa Against the Son of Hercules
Fire Monsters against the Son of Hercules
As much as I like Steve Reeves in Hercules and Hercles Unchained, they are a bit long & dull..better as MST3K experiments
Avoid the Hercules movies with Lou Ferrigno (sorry Lou)
Customer Rating:
Summary: I felt like I was the CAPTIVE!!
Comment: I think I know how they wrote this "gem". They got about 50 writers and had each one write one sentence. After they cycled thru all the writers, the first one started over again with his next sentence. They continued the process until the proper script length was attained. Then they just stopped. At no point did any writer have any contact with any other writer, nor did he see the work of the writers before him. It was all a grand experiment. Thats the only way they could have come up with such a disjointed, incoherent mess.
It's a shame because Reg does a good job looking like Hercules, even though he waddles around like he has a load in his tunic. Maybe his bulging thighs kept slamming into each other when he tried to run.
And the movie has a lot of interesting themes that should have translated into a fun movie. It has a shape changing wizard,intrigue, a magic rock, an evil queen,Atlantis, a master race of ultimate warriors, stock footage of volcanic eruptions and a feisty midget. And lots of loose talk about the "Power of Uranus". As a matter of fact an entire nation worshipped Uranus. But to no avail. The ingredients were there but the writing and direction were dismal and this thing collapsed like a bad souffle. They should have done a sequal with the midget.. ***EDIT***Alright guys I've watched it again and on further consideration I will bump my rating up to 3 1/2 stars. It is pretty cool.
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
Here's a double dose of mighty muscles courtesy of champion bodybuilder Reg Park as Hercules. In his debut, Hercules and the Captive Women, Hercules and Androcles (Ettore Manni), the King of Tebes, journey to the island of Atlantis where the evil queen (Fay Spain) has hatched a diabolical plan for world domination. Filmed on a particularly lavish scale, this was the only Hercules film photographed in 70mm; this stunning widescreen presentation preserves its sumptuous spectacle for your home viewing enjoyment. Then Reg and Ettore return in Hercules, Prisoner of Evil, helmed by famed Euro-horror director Antonio Margheriti, who combines elements of the sword-and-sorcery and horror genres. An evil sorceress seduces Hercules and gives him a magic potion which turns him into a terrifying monster bent on death and destruction!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
