Herkules voittaa helvetin (1961) Online

When it comes to films of style over substance, I don't care what the indie-film fans say, it's NOT us damned yanks who favor style over substance more than anyone; it's the Italians. Face it, most of Italy's great films are great because of storytelling and cinematography, not the stories those techniques served to enhance. Their films were just as studio-controlled as any in America, and director Mario Bava's films were no exception. He often said that he cared nothing at all for his famous monster flicks like 'Black Sunday'(One of the most overrated films in the horror genre), dismissing the critical analysis of his film's thematic content, and said that his true interests in horror lied with the concept of someone alone in a room; facing the darkest aspects of themselves(He would've loved Clive Barker), and in a sense, he never got to make that kind of film, so in a way, his films really were purely style over substance.

So it is ironic that perhaps his most rich film, in terms of style AND substance, would be a Sword & Sandle film about Hercules. As a result, the film is frequently dismissed as a lesser effort, and ignored by horror fans because it's not technically a horror film. Sad, as not only is this my favorite Bava film, but easily one of the finest fantasy films ever made.

The plot is quite convoluted, so pay attention: Hercules learns that his betrothed, Princess Deianara of Icalia has become stricken with an apparent mental illness where she is slowly dying, in order to save her, Hercules departs to Hades, first to win the Golden(it looks bronze)Apple that will see him through Hades, and then to find a power stone that will keep Deianara from dying, he departs with his horn dog best friend Theseus(!!??) and comedy relief warrior Telemachus(!!!?? Throw all notions of Mythology out the window), only to find that they may have carried away with them a far greater danger than the one they faced when Theseus seduces/is seduced by Hadean Princess Persephone and brings her home, only to find that the gods are not pleased by her absence. It would seem obvious to appease them by making Persephone leave, after all, Theseus goes through relationships like fundies through logic so it won't bother him, but wait a minute, this time he HAS found a perfect relationship, and he's not going to give her up without a fight, even against his best friend......

The film features all of Bava's themes; illusion of beauty, doomed romance, incest and the theme of the shattered family and friendship, and despite the juvenile inclinations of the genre, he handles them more maturely than anywhere else. But this isn't just some profound statement on the human condition, oh no, it still has more than it's fair share of mindless spectacle and fun; including two moments of sheer superhero badassery, such as when Hercules ties a boulder to a long whip in order to knock down the branch with the Golden Apple, then repeats the same trick in Hades with, get ready; TREE ROOTS OF THE VEINS OF ALL THE SOULS OF THE DAMNED STILL FILLED WITH BLOOD THAT SHRIEK WHEN THEY ARE CUT to cross a LAVA PIT. *WHEW*

It also has plenty of sword fights and an unconvincing but awesomely designed Rock monster too.

As impressive as the quest is, the film really hits it's stride after our heroes leave Hades, only to find Icalia ravaged by the vengeful gods, with the mentally unstable(and incestuous) King Lico becoming more and more warped, to the point he feels he needs to commit a sacrifice. What gives the film it's power, however, is Herc's conflict with Theseus, yet the conflict isn't clear cut. Theseus DOES love Persephone, and she loves him, and their romance is very convincingly played even if it blossoms ridiculously fast(within a minute of meeting each other), and although Hercules is willing to do whatever it takes to save his city, he also doesn't want to hurt his best friend, but Hercules also has a warrior's rage that can't be stopped when it gets started...the conflict between these two lifelong friends who have literally been to hell and back with each other is truly heartbreaking, and wonderfully symbolized by Theseus's fall thru the Lava pit wherein he meets Persephone; He has fallen, like Hades himself, can he be redeemed? Actor's Reg Park & George Ardisson may be a bit stiff in terms of dialog delivery, but the sheer emotion they express is Oscar worthy.

Franco Giacobini is hilarious as Telemachus, in spite of a few flat jokes, he never becomes annoying or forced and is genuinely amusing. Ida Galli gives a moving performance as Persephone. Leonora Ruffo grates as Deianara, but thankfully has little dialog. Strangely, the most problematic actor is the actor you'd expect to be the best; Christopher Lee as Lico. Not only is the character given little to do despite being the main villain, but his voice is dubbed!!! A dubbed Christopher Lee is like dubbing Elvis with Urkel, or dubbing Barry White with Woody Allen, just ridiculous. For that glaring waste of Lee and the horrible dubbing, I detract half a star for each offense, thus losing one star, with Lee's voice and more screen time for him, this would have been a 10/10.

Oh well, in spite of that, this is as perfect as a fantasy film can get, superior even to 'Jason & the Argonauts', where, face it; the stars were Harryhausen's monsters. It's visually stunning from start to finish; undeniably Bava's best looking film. Don't miss it.~

Definitely one of the better Hercules films with British born bodybuilder Reg Park (the man who trained Arnold Schwarzenegger) a better Hercules than most. Another thing that puts this one above most of the rest is the presence of British villain Christopher Lee, who's about three inches taller than Reg Park.

In this one Hercules literally goes to Hell so that he can retrieve a magical rock thing that will save his girlfriend. From there he battles the usual assortment of monsters against a backdrop of atmospheric sets. This one's good for Halloween or any dark, misty night by the fireplace.

Not really an action movie as you might be led to believe by the title and given the fact that these epics were invariably promoted with chunky poster art of Hercules holding a boulder aloft ready to drop it on some unfortunate adversary. In fact, he does manage to fill the mandatory quota of rock throwing in this particular sword and sandal outing but at other times it's a bit slow moving. Not that it really matters because it still has a lot going for it.

Apart from anything else, it's a gorgeous looking film. The sets, costumes, special effects and camera work are a joy to behold and director Mario Bava's distinctive style is very much to the fore. Bava specialized in the creation of surreal and subtly sinister atmospherics and there's plenty of that.

Reg Park had a vibrant and attractive screen presence and turned in a convincing performance as the muscle bound super hero. His fellow players were also well cast and provided (dare I say it ?) "strong" support. And there are enough suspenseful moments along the way to keep the sandman at bay.

You could never say that "Hercules in the Haunted World" moves along at a cracking pace. It's more like a pleasant, slow boat ride through a kaleidoscope of fairy tale images.

Fantoma has done an incredible job of bringing this film to light and I look forward to their Kenneth Anger compilation that is supposed to be coming out this summer.

I have read on and off over the years that this Hercules film by Mario Bava was supposedly the best one of all and after finally getting a copy, sat down to watch it and was truly knocked out by the visuals. I've never really been interested in the Herc. series, I've tried watching a few of them but they are soooo boring! Mario Bava lovingly designed this film and it has all of his special touches.

Fantastic set pieces are shown during the treks through Hades and a very creepy atmosphere that goes beyond smoke and mirrors draws you in. Film obsessives who appreciate interesting cinematography and lighting will definitely want to own a copy of this. I understand why in various genre film magazines, articles, etc. this film has been rated as the better of the Hercules films.

Without ruining it for anyone, I'd like to mention some of the most beautiful scenes include the visits Hercules makes to The Oracle, just breathtaking in its composition, lighting, and framing and when the zombies rise to battle Hercules (Truly Creepy! and these Zombies run! which surprised me especially since the film was made in the early sixties.) My advice to viewers is to watch the film in Italian with English subtitles. The dialogue just sounds more intense and the film in English just sounds incredibly stiff and cheesy and really distracts you. This release by Fantoma is definitely worth having in your film library.

In terms of story and plot, this HERCULES film is arguably every bit as good as(and quite often better than)many others. The main flaw being the common solution Hercules uses for every problem he faces.

Still this movie is great fun to watch in either language(as the dub isn't too bad--only its too bad Christopher Lee didn't do his own) and features lots of terrific haunting color visuals from a master-Mario Bava. Any Gothic Horror fan will find much to enjoy here.

This second film by Mario Bava is also known like ¨Hercules in the haunted world¨ or ¨Hercules vs. the vampires¨ . Here Hércules (a wooden Reg Park , the same of ¨The Conquest of Atlántida¨ by Vittorio Cottafavi) along with Teseo (Giorgo Ardisson) and Telémaco (Giacobini) travel to dead land located into center of earth . Hercules taking on king Lycos (Christopher Lee in similar acting his recent ¨Drácula¨ by Terence Fisher , though his voice was dubbed by another actor for the English-language version) has abducted his sweet-girl, Deianera (Leonora Ruffo) and she has lost her ordinary condition as well as senses . Hercules is accompanied by charming characters with mythological names as Teseo (from legend minotaur) , Telémaco (from Ulisses) , Perséfone (abducted by Hades) . As Hércules embarks on a risked quest for a stone , while he is unaware that Dianara's guardian , King Lycos , is the one responsible for her kidnapping . The trip is plenty of several dangers , a foggy sea , the garden of Hesperides plenty of apples , the encounter with Persefone or Proserpina , meeting with goddess Aretusa , the fighting against a monster of Stone , the bloody liana and trespassing a marshy lagoon with objective to achieve the magic rock . And the creepy final confrontation with Lycos and the eerie ghouls in some terrifying scenes .

The picture results to be a horror , sword and sandals epic with adventures , struggles , absurd humour , bizarre scenarios and being quite entertaining . The comic relief to be in charge of Telemaco's character was written by scriptwriter Duccio Tessari , who usually includes humorous touches , for example : ¨The Titans¨ and various Spaghetti Western . Besides , appearing famous Eurotrash babes as Rosalba Neri , Evelyn Stewart or Ida Galli , Leonora Ruffo and the habitual nasty , Raf Baldasarre . As usual , colorful cinematography by cameraman/filmmaker Mario Bava in gaudy colours and groundbreaking atmospheres . Appropriate music score by Armando Trovajoli . The motion picture was co-directed by Franco Prosperi , known director of shocking-documentary such as ¨Mondo Cane¨ and Conan rip-offs . The film belongs to sub-genre blending fantastic , horror and Peplum , like are : ¨Maciste in the inferno¨ (Riccardo Freda,1962) , ¨The conquest of Atlántida¨ (Vittorio Cottafavi , 1961) and ¨Maciste against the vampire¨ (Giacomo Gentilomo,1961) . The picture will appeal to Mario Bava fans.

Not being a big fan of other Hercules films from the '60s I had seen, I wasn't excited to watch this one. But I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The reasons for why it is good can be attributed to director Mario Bava, who takes a flimsy story and brings it to life with rich visuals and an otherworldly atmosphere. Reg Park has muscles on top of muscles, which is pretty much all that's required of him for the part of Hercules. As others have pointed out, Christopher Lee is dubbed and that is pretty much criminal. However, Lee still has enough screen presence to do more with a look than lesser mortals could with two hours of dialogue. It's quite easily the best Hercules movie I've ever seen. I do like the camp value of the Ferrigno movies from the '80s but I don't think they are good for anything other than laughs. This film is a stylish and fun piece of entertainment for people who enjoy escapist fantasy movies. If your rear is sans stick, you should be able to find something to like about this.

Sword-and-sandal afficionados will be happy to hear that this lush Mario Bava-helmed Hercules movie is getting a widescreen treatment on DVD. It's one of the more atmospheric Italian schlock epics, full of the imaginative and colorful set pieces distinctive to the renowned Italian filmmaker, Mario Bava. Reg Park was among the most impressive bodybuilders to ever play the mythical hero and he is given generous opportunity to strut his stuff. Hercules literally goes to Hell to defeat satanic villain Christopher Lee in this engaging muscleman movie, a definite kitsch classic of it's kind, now being made available in it's once-glorious Super Technirama format on videodisc.

ERCOLE AL CENTRO DELLA TERRA (1961) was one of Mario Bava's most fantasmagorical attempts at retelling the myths and legends of ancient times. Reg Park portrays the muscle-bound hero who is sent to the Underworld of Pluto to recover a magic apple to cure his love, the flaxen-haired Dianeira. Christopher Lee is the villainous Lyco, a sort of vampire/evil force in one of his best performances of the Sixties. Mario Bava's cinematography is dazzling with the entire spectrum of colors, fog and atmosphere that made him famous. Lee's resurrection of vampires in this film is bone-chilling and top-notch in terror. There is some annoying comedy relief involving Hercules' partners and some living stone creatures but overall this is second only to the two Steve Reeves films HERCULES and HERCULES UNCHAINED (Bava also worked behind-the-scenes on these). A cinematic treat for lovers of peplum, Bava and Sixties spectacle.

British bodybuilder Reg Park stars as Hercules and he's gone visitng Pluto's aka Hades realm of the underworld. His mission to rsue his true love Princess Dainera where she's been sent to sample the waters of forgetfulness.

It's all part of a big plan to take Dainera away by King Ligos. And playing Ligos is the main reason you shoud see this particular peplum film, Christopher Lee.

Of course Lee brings the same brand of double dyed villainy to this part as he does to any of his famous Hammer horror roles. He plays the role of the evil king completely straight without a hint of spoof.

That and Park's pecs are reason enough to see this film.

HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD was directed by Mario Bava. I rented it. And I don't see what the fuss is all about. Physically, Reg Park fits the bill as Hercules but he simply can't act and has no charisma whatsoever. The story is very slight and after a while, the excellent cinematography can do so much with so little. Some scenes are beautiful and the whole golden apple moment was excellent, and the living dead attacking Hercules was equally fun but there's simply nothing much going on here to warrant this much attention.

The problem with HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD is that, for an action film, it's very static. One only has to look at other Peplums, including those with Reg Park, and see how those film actually fit the bill as action films. HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, though somewhat more cheesy than this Bava flick, was more fun to watch because it moved like a serial of yore. Reg was more animated in that film too.

Mario Bava is a unique director, with a unique style, who was just not suited for action films.

The mythological character of Hercules was among the most popular heroes of the peplum (sword-and-sandal) genre within Italian cinema; in fact, its heyday was largely heralded by the unprecedented success of HERCULES (1957), with Steve Reeves – on which the director of this one had actually served as cinematographer! Having watched (and suffered through) quite a few of these low-brow entries over the years, it transpires that only a handful were truly worthy of attention; the film under review being certainly one of them, with another being Vittorio Cottafavi's HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN (1961), both of which just happened to feature the same leading man (Reg Park). At his best an unparalleled purveyor of atmosphere, Bava was ideal for helming the muscle-bound demi-God's adventures in the Netherworld, letting rip his imagination to conceive a color scheme and special effects that would transcend budgetary constraints – and, at the same time, make up for narrative shortcomings (notably such obligatory conventions as youthful romance and comedy relief); however, another definitive trump-card here is the presence of an imposing villain in Christopher Lee (his first of two satisfying collaborations with Bava). To get back to the film's fantasy elements, Hercules consults with a masked clairvoyant throughout (to determine the fate of his beloved, held for the longest time under the spell of Lee's malevolent influence) and combats a flying legion of the undead at the climax (their 'costume' would actually be borrowed by Bava himself for a later sci-fi effort, the equally fine PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES [1965]!); as expected, the action is plentiful, if a bit overly vigorous and obviously artificial: however, instead of destroying the illusion, this rather lends the whole added charm (at one point, Hercules amusingly disarms a throng of pursuers by effortlessly hurling a cart at them - just as he would dispatch the undead with an array of flying boulders)! Despite being best-known in the English-speaking world with the title at the top of this review, the opening credits of the print I watched (presumably culled from the Fantoma DVD) sports a literal translation of the original Italian one i.e. HERCULES IN THE CENTER OF THE EARTH!

HAUNTED WORLD is, hands down, the best of the hundreds of Hercules films churned out in Italy in the 1960's (if you think Hollywood today is an assembly line -- look at all the Hercules/ James Bond flicks done in Italy in the 60's -- there are more than stars in the sky, literally.) HAUNTED WORLD is all about Bava ... Bava ... Bava. He's the difference between this and any of the other hundreds of Hercules films -- some very good, some decent, some appalling -- and it's a prime example of why Mario Bava was, arguably, the greatest pulp director, ever. Reg Park is a terrible actor -- but it doesn't matter. Christopher Lee is dubbed -- but it doesn't matter. The producer had about twenty bucks and change for visual effects -- doesn't matter. What counts here is BAVA. He, through sheer force of visual genius (and I'm not kidding -- watch a bunch of other cut-rate fantasy/sci-fi films and you'll go back to Bava every time) -- well, he elevates this into something like psychedelic poetry, dammit. The scenes of Hercules going to the masked Oracle are probably my favorite ... the way she moves her arms, and the lights flicker ... it's the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore West, it's early Pink Floyd at the UFO Club. It's pure, unadulaterated movie magic for Chrissakes. This ranks with DANGER: DIABOLIK and the sadly unavailable ERIK THE CONQUEROR as pure Bava escapism. Dive in.

Using some of the same sets from Hercules and the Conquest of Atlantis, Mario Bava (Blood and Black Lace, Black Sunday) created a masterpiece with this film. Featuring Reg Park (who appeared in four Hercules films and was considered a mentor to Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Christopher Lee (The Satanic Rites of Dracula, The Wicker Man, everything good and right about horror movies), this would influence every sword and sandal movie that would follow, as well as films like Flash Gordon.

Despite the size of the budget and the cheapness of the sets, Bava crafts a totally unique world, filled with rich colors and billowing smoke. And with Lee as King Lico, there's finally a villain that feels worthy of Hercules' bold heroics.

As Hercules returns from many adventures, he discovers that the love of his life, Princess Deianira, has lost her memory. Unbeknowst to him, Lico is responsible. Working with the forces of the underworld, he wants her for himself (and Hercules out of the way). He sends Hercules, Theseus and Telemachus on a suicide mission to steal the Stone of Forgetfulness from a small island within a lake of fire. For love, Hercules will dare anything, diving headfirst into what normal men fear.

Indulge me in hyperbole for a moment, but Bava could be seen as very much the same. He made a bet with himself on this film, "attempting to shoot it with one segmented wall containing doors and windows and four movable columns." Facing down a challenge and attempting to outdo the past Steve Reeves Hercules films while crafting a visual style all his own - Bava exceeds expectations here.

To me, the heart of the film is the differences between Hercules and Theseus. Hercules is driven by duty, devotion and love, while Theseus is addicted to new experiences, whether they be violent or sexual. When he is turned against Hercules, you know that our hero will forgive him, no matter what. His strength goes beyond physical - it extends to his heart.

There's a scene in the film where the Queen of the Hesperides tells Hercules this advice: "Believe only what you do, not what you think you see." That's a perfect thought for this film. You may see fake rocks, silly costumes and a goofy plot. Or you can enjoy this film's simple pleasures, wild colors and otherworldly feel.

There's always a divide in how I see movies and how others do, which often leads me to not always want to share a film. Do you know what I mean? I honestly adore a film like Holy Mountain or The Beyond, but I know that by telling someone who isn't willing to accept some of he faults, to simply see it as a dumb movie instead of a treasured story, I'm just going to get upset. This L.A. Weekly article sums it so well. Bava was operating on a small budget, with a small script, but delivered beyond measure. A story where one of the main characters must realize that in order to find true happiness for all, he must give up his own happiness? That's deeper than the papier-mâché boulders and wooden performances here hint at.

Within the confines of what is expected, Bava is able to move us, to inspire us, to wow us, to take us to another, better world - one filled with smoke and lava and neon and beauty. We are limited now by the fact that every film must look perfect and clean and realistic. I'll take one Hercules in the Haunted World over every movie that will play in moviehouses this year.

Never heard of this film this morning (or March 2017, when I typed up this review), discovered while doing research in work by accident, honest, found it on YouTube, watched it. The wonders of the modern world never cease to amaze me.

This is a Hercules film made by Italian master Mario Bava, starring Christoper Lee! It's good before you even start watching it. Bava is very clever when it comes to cinematography, so you get loads of trick camera shots, great use of colour, amazing sets, and the guy knows that no one comes to these films for acting or political subtext. We want to see Herc smash things up, dammit!

Herc and his best mate Thesus return to Italian to find Christopher Lee in charge and Herc's missus out of her head, muttering and not noticing Herc is standing in front of her. Lee's all sympathetic even though he was keeping her in a coffin while murdering people he'd hired to kill Herc (by impaling them on about 20 spikes).

Herc figures somehow that he has to go to Hades to retrieve Pluto's stone to help his missus, but to get to hell he'll need to get the golden apple of the Aiedes, and to get that he'll need to get a special boat off of someone else! Bava luckily just piles on the crazy special effects until we just roll with the film instead of trying to figure out what's going on.

Herc gets his ship, gets to the Aiedes, makes a massive slingshot and gets his golden apple! Mean while his mates are being attacked by a huge monster made out of stone but that just gives Herc the chance to throw the monster through a wall, exposing the entrance to Hades!

Oh, after some trials, Herc gets his stone, but his mate Thesus has fallen in love with Pluto's daughter Persephone, which leads to all sorts of misery for everyone. So Herc's got crazy Christopher Lee trying to sacrifice his missus, the God Pluto hating on everyone, his mate Thesus trying to cut him up, and worst of all, a bunch of flying zombie ghouls after him. That last one came out of nowhere but was most welcome as it gave Herc the chance to throw huge rocks around the place.

600,000 times better than any other Hercules/Maciste film I've watched from the sixties (but nowhere near the insanity of the two Lou Ferringo eighties Hercules film), this one benefits largely from having a true expert behind the camera, and another, lesser expert by the name of Joe D'Amato backing him up. Joe of course will go on to forge his own legacy in film with the great self-gut munching classic Anthropophagus and the classic post-apocalyptic film Endgame (plus endless porn films).

Two things: Christopher Lee gets burned to a crisp by the sun, just like the last film I watched him in, and after a rather bloody murder involving the slashing of a girl's neck, Lee's face is revealed in the resulting pool of blood EXACTLY like David Hemming's face is reflected in the blood of the killer at the end of Dario Argento's Profondo Rosso. Coincidence?

I find this one quite fun! Hercules is clever and remembers what he is told about Hades: "Don't believe everything you see here". And what our hero is doing in Pluto's underworld, Hades, is to find a magic stone from there in order to free his lady love from evil.

Surreal and eerie imagery in this particular film - it is set in Hades. This film there isn't much in the way listen to but a whole lot to see... sure there is dialogue but as long as you know why Hercules is in Hades you really don't have to listen - just veg out and watch the film - dig on the cool imagery. LOL. The story is OK enough though.

What is weird: Seeing Christopher Lee's face and hearing another actor dub his voice into English. I guess Lee had other things going on so he couldn't dub his own voice back into English(?) - guessing.

This film is just a fun fantasy adventure - one to kick back and enjoy! 8/10

Mario Bava is one of the greatest directors who ever lived, in my opinion, not only in Italian Horror cinema, but regardless of country and genre. The magnificent Italian Horror deity died thirty years ago this April, and yet he remains unequaled in his unique talent to create a beautifully haunting atmosphere, and gorgeously uncanny mood. Like no other Horror director, Bava 's wonderful repertoire includes such a wide variety of brilliant gems that it is hard to pick favorites. The man's most essential masterpiece is doubtlessly "La Maschera Del Demonio" ("Black Sunday" / "The Mask of Satan", 1960), which was also the first film he took full credit for as a director, and which furthermore rose the wonderful Barbara Steele, the unrivaled goddess of Gothic Horror cinema, to fame. However, his filmography includes a variety of other true masterpieces that range among Horror's all-time greatest, such as the brilliant anthology "I Tre Volti Della Paura" ("Black Sabbath" / "The Three Faces of Fear", 1963), the unspeakably eerie "Operazione Paura" ("Kill Baby Kill", 1966), the incredibly beautiful "La Frusta E Il Corpo" ("The Whip and the Body", 1963), or the proto-Gialli "La Ragazza Che Sappeva Troppo" ("The Girl Who Knew Too Much", 1963) and "Sei Donne Per L'Assassino" ("Blood and Black Lace", 1964) with which Bava single-handedly created the wonderful Giallo-sub-genre. And even when dabbling outside his most familiar Horror genre, Bava surpasses all the rest as his insanely brilliant Crime Thriller "Cani Arrabbiati" (1974) proves.

Having adequately praised the master (as in any review on a Bava film that I write), I can finally come to this film. While "Ercole Al Centro Della Terra" aka. "Hercules in the Haunted World" aka. "Hercules Vs. The Vampires" aka "Hercules at the Center of the Earth" of 1961 isn't nearly en par with any of the man's masterpieces, it is yet another beautiful feast for the eyes that no lover of Gothic goodness could possibly resist. Co-directed by Mondo-great Franco Prosperi ("Mondo Cane"), this Hercules feature, which was inappropriately given a "Vampire" aka. title in order to cash in on Bava's Horror fame, is a Sword and Sandal film. However, it is a Sword and Sandal film by Mario Bava, and therefore has more to offer than the usual heroism, muscle-men, and beautiful nymphs in despair. "Hercules in the Haunted World" sends the eponymous Greek demigod (played by muscle-man Reg Park) to Hades. And who would be more predestined to bring the Greek underworld, the 'haunted' world of the dead to screen than Bava? No one, of course. Bava brings his wonderful Gothic style to ancient Greece here, and the underworld he creates is hauntingly beautiful as only Bava could do it. The almighty Christopher Lee, another great man whom I could praise forever, plays the villain in this film, but unfortunately has very little screen time. The female cast members are entirely beautiful, above all the gorgeous Ida Galli, who also had a part in Bava's own "The Whip and the Body" and many other Italian Cult productions.

Overall, "Hercules in the Haunted World" is obviously a lot cheesier than Bava's Horror films, and certainly not his most remarkable creation. People unfamiliar with the great director should first see the masterpieces named in the first paragraph. However, my fellow Bava enthusiasts can not afford to miss this excursion into a haunted Hades of Bava's creation. Highly recommended!

Mario Bava's distinctive touch is obvious in HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD; the beautifully-lit sets (and miniatures) literally shine. (As do Reg Park's glistening pair of pecs, for that matter.) This is my second-favorite Bava film- a close second to PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (which likewise boasts eerily-but-beautifully-lit sets). The highlight (for me) would have to be the non-stop attack by the flying vampires (whose resurrection reminds me more than a little of the resurrection-to-come in the kung fu fright flick, THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES). Just when it looks like our hero might tire from overexertion (ripping loose and lobbing stone pillars takes a lot out of you, you know), there's light at the end of that there long, dark tunnel. Suspenseful stuff, if you ask me. A bit slow at times, perhaps, but a good Bava film nonetheless.

Hercules must journey on sea to Hades to bring back a certain stone that'll remove the curse of anemia from his beloved Queen Deianira(Leonora Ruffo) caused by her evil uncle King Lyco(Christopher Lee)whose eyes are on her throne. Along with Herc are pals Theseus(George Ardisson)and Telemachus(Franco Giacobini, a weakling slapstick foil who provides the film's supposed comedy relief)..they must first find a specific golden apple in the land of Hermides before entering god Pluto's Hades to retrieve the special powerful stone. In Hermides, Herc must battle a stone creature while Theseus meets god Pluto's daughter with them falling in love instantly. She will return with Theseus causing Pluto to reign terror to Deianira's people. Lyco plans to separate Herc from Deianira and kill her before the dragon swallows the moon in the sky.

To be honest, the story is pure nonsense. This is about directors Mario Bava and Franco Prosperi creating colorful, surreal fantasy worlds. Using a Hercules film as a palate, both men make good use of fog and wild colors that mix and mingle. The film works as an adventure fantasy for children and one might could say it allowed Bava to evolve and mature as an artist/filmmaker honing his craft for future Gothic horror that would make him a legend. The tools for creating otherworldly atmospherics certainly is represented her. Christopher Lee is, as always, just fine as the villain of the film at first sending Herc on a wild goose chase when his King Lyco was the actual fiend behind the horrors of the Queen and the village. Throw in the sappy forbidden love-affair between Theseus and his rejected-goddess and the minor tasks Herc must overcome to retrieve the precious stone needed to bring his beloved back from the cursed spell that had weakened her. The stories aren't as interesting as the presentation. Reg Park Provides the muscular physique needed to represent the Hercules character..and the directors do let him toss boulders. I think we get a taste of vintage Bava at the end when Hercules must fight of zombies rising from their graves in Lyco's underground pit underneath Deianira's castle. But, without the exotic visual presentation, I don't think this would hold up as well..I just feel that the fantasy itself, particularly the tests Herc must overcome, are not as motivationally conceived as the look.

A Museum of Artistic Accomplishment in Cinema (M.A.A.C.) Review

Hercules in the Haunted World / Director: Mario Bava / Career Catalog #15 / Review #0005

5/10

Mario Bava's entry in the sword-and-sandal genre is not exactly traditional to say the least. Hercules must travel down into Hades and steal the Stone of Forgetfulness to save a supernaturally cursed Deianira from being overtaken by madness. I've always been a fan of Bava's work, but I've found some of his non-horror pieces to be a little suspect. Let's face facts here, the film opens with a fight sequence that makes anything out of "Xena: Warrior Princess" look like an epic five star brawl and Hercules tossing an oversized hay cart has to be one of the most laughably bad special effects this side of "Manos: The Hands of Fate." At least the battle on the beach between Theseus and Sunis that follows fairly soon after fares a bit better in the action department. Fortunately we don't have many more fight scenes after that.

Italian filmmakers have always had good cinematographic eyes for natural landscapes, so it's no surprise that the outdoor sequences are masterfully shot. However, the best visuals come from some of the darker moments in the film, particularly within the chambers of the oracle, the garden of the Hesperides, and the tombs in Re Lico's private quarters. Hades itself seems a little bright and inviting by comparison.

I genuinely believe that too many peplum presentations take themselves too seriously. This is not a problem from which "Hercules in the Haunted World" suffers. Not only does it not take itself too seriously, sometimes it feels like it's intentionally playing up its absurdities, particularly when one witnesses the goofy Procrustes who looks like a rejected monster idea from the Jon Pertwee era of "Doctor Who." Theseus's womanizing exploits are also mildly amusing, most notably when he unwittingly pulls Persephone, favorite daughter of Pluto himself, out of Hades in a fit of puppy love.

Every opportunity one has to see the outstanding Christopher Lee on screen is a welcome one. I only wish he had more screen time in this film . . . and that he would have done his own dubbing for the English language edition. Overall, this is a fun little entrant in the "Hercules" franchise but it's slightly clunky and ultimately forgettable when placed alongside some of the timeless masterpieces of terror the director crafted elsewhere.

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In order to save his beloved "Princess Deianira" (Leonora Ruffo) from a delusional trance "Hercules" (Reg Park) must venture through the land of the Hesperides and into Hades itself in order to retrieve a sacred stone which will revive her sanity. On the way he and his two friends "Thesus" (George Ardisson) and "Telemachus" (Franco Giacobini) must battle all sorts of evil creatures in order to accomplish their mission and return to Icalia. And even then they must also endure the wrath of Pluto for the abduction by Thesus of his favorite daughter "Persephone" (Ida Galli). Anyway, as far as the merits of this particular Hercules film is concerned it had some good points and some bad points as well. First, I thought some of the dark and gloomy sets featuring plenty of smoke and good lighting effects were a very nice touch. Additionally, having two beautiful actresses like Leonora Ruffo and Ida Galli certainly didn't hurt either. On the other hand, some of the special effects during the action scenes were almost laughable. Likewise the acting wasn't exactly top-notch either. Still, it was a fun movie all the same and I give it an average rating.

The success of Ben Hur led to a whole cycle of Italo knock-offs over the next few years. Reg Park has now taken over from Steve Reeves, but he comes from the same acting school. Wooden. Christopher Lee provided the villainy and most of the acting chops, and handled the expository dialogue for the audience' benefit, as Reg mostly stood around looking impressively pumped up. To be fair, he certainly looked Herculean, and despite his acting inexperience, Reg handled the sword action scenes with a certain panache, while projecting a certain heroic grit. Then first time director Mario Bava pulled out the stops to give the thing as lurid a look as possible - out-Hammering Hammer House in this regard, no small feat. Some of the dark fantasy imagery takes on a nightmarish quality and proves quite effective, setting Bava clearly on his long career path. However, once again, most of the entertainment value of the item comes from its cheese factor. The interiors look cheap and stagebound, and some of the 'epic' battles appeared to have no more than about six people in the scene. The wooden dialogue had a rubbery English-dubbed-into-English look as most supporting actors did their lines in Italian and these were over-dubbed into English, while Par k and Lee worked in English but without synched sound. The result is a D- list action fantasy with some decent stuntwork amidst the sweating and flexing.

This is a cute little Italian movie about Hercules, the strongest man on the earth. Actually Hercules is not so much a man but rather half a god. I won't go into Greek mythology to discuss the origins of Hercules though, but rather look at this film.

Hercules' beloved it dying and the only way to save her is to travel into Hades and get a rock. So he gets his friend Theseus, who is young, rash, and a lover of women, to come with him. Along with Theseus comes Telemachus, a man whose fiancé Theseus stole. They then travel into Hades, kill a rock man, avoid a half-naked woman, and cross a river of lava. As Des Mangan says: all in a day's work for the son of a God.

The movie has a bad guy – Leco, though it is difficult to understand what he actually wants to do. It seems that Leco wants to kill Hercules' beloved to make himself a God and to destroy Hercules, but Hercules manages to succeed in the end. But would you expect any other ending? Hercules in the Center of the Earth is nothing more than pulp fiction. There is little in the way of thought provoking ideas here. But still, this movie is not meant to be such a type. The thing I did notice is Hercules, the strong man, is actually the wise one. In myth Hercules is far from wise, but here he is. It is Theseus who is the foolish one, the one who thinks with his groin rather than his brain.

It is not a bad movie, though it is one that you watch just to watch. The effects are not the best, but what does one expect from a movie made in 1961. Des Mangan called it a cult movie: I personally don't know because I am that knowledgeable in such areas.

Hercules (Reg Park) must journey in Hades itself to retrieve the magic stone that will free his love from the powers of darkness.

I was drawn to this film because it has Christopher Lee and is directed by Mario Bava. Netflix claims it is a "horror film" and a "vampire film". Both are a bit of a stretch.

Now, I am not saying the film is all bad. We get to watch Hercules hurl large rocks at things, and there is a petrified monster that makes wry comments while torturing people on the rack. The Netflix version has atrocious video quality, but if it was cleaned up this might be a fun family film.