User Reviews

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?

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.

Terrific sword and sandal stuff from Mario Bava! Reg Park is Hercules who finds himself sucked into a netherworld trying to rescue a fair maiden from the clutches of evil Christopher Lee. The special effects are not particularly special, but that only adds to film's fun. Lee is suitably nasty and Park is suitably wooden. Bava, who also did the dynamite cinematography, brings his demented sensibility to the Hercules franchise and the addition of Lee is a real plus. Surely this is one of the most enjoyable films of its ilk. Leonora Ruffo is very fetching as Princess Deianira.

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.~

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.

©2018 berringercrossreviews

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.