Reviews

I bought the new Blu-Ray version thinking that it would be perfect. There is an Italian version in English and a so-called American International USA/Canada version. Both show the "ring the gong of freedom" scene but it was so DARK, you could barely see Gordon Scott. Just black screen in parts. Whereas the Oldies.com and others I have had, show that scene in clear color. Strange how they messed that up? When Samson is being chased by the guards, he runs up to the city stone wall and "appears" inside the palace in the dubbed Italian copy, but in their API copy, they show the HIDDEN DOOR which they clumsily edit in. (narrower screen and much different color. Also missing from the Italian copy is a Horseman riding across a river, which incidentally is taken from Goliath Against the Barbarians. It is in their AIP copy though. The commentator, doesn't even mention either of these two omissions. Their AIP copy has "small screens" "odd color" and seems to be strung together from many different versions, even though they say "it is the theatrical AIP version shown in theaters". It definitely is NOT. The only thing that is good about this release is the English dubbing on the Italian copy. Larry Anderson.

I ran across this DUD when I was watching many Guy Madison movies. I grew up cheering him on in the TV show WILD BILL HICKOK. This Bullwhip movie is so bad I could hardly finish it. Just a dreadful story line that goes no where. When they enter Rhonda Fleming's wagon, it is a normal size from the outside but the interior has a bed, chairs, box and has to be 20 feet long on the inside. Very strange. The "marriage" arrangement makes no sense what so ever. The sleazy sidekick drifts in and out of the story and controls all the action. I wouldn't trust that guy as far as I could throw him.

Note: Rhonda Fleming and Burt Nelson later made REVOLT OF THE SLAVES together in Italy.

THE IRON HAND OF THE MAFIA MAFIA: A LEAGUE WHICH DOES NOT FORGIVE Working title: MAFIA Original release title: THE LAST SAIL OF AUTUMN This film was ever released under the title LAST SAIL OF AUTUMN, even though there were many ads in trade papers suggesting that it was. (I have added one to the gallery). From the ad, it looks like this was screened at the MIFED in Milan to attract buyers, which it apparently didn't. I do wonder if it may have been a re-edited (possibly with some new scenes shot?) to emphasize the sentimental plot points with the sick child, or if it was simply a repackaging of the film under a new title to take advantage at the current trend (back then), to make Mafia type movies. This has happened often with Italian movies.

MIFED was short for 'Mercato internazionale del film e del documentario', meaning International market for film and documentary. It was an international film market located in Milan, for companies and professionals that were buying or selling rights for cinema and television. It was formed in 1960 and closed sometime in the 2000s. Many Italian movies were screened at MIFED in the hope of attracting a distributor.

However, in the ad for LAST SAIL OF AUTUMN you can clearly see a mid-sized sailboat and in the movie, THE IRON HAND OF THE MAFIA, there are many scenes, in the second half, which take place on such a ship. This movie went through a transition and was finally released on DVD in English as IRON HAND OF THE MAFIA.

Larry Anderson.

I only chased this movie because my friend Roger Browne is in it. He looks great in designer suits and the women are fantastic. The story is just a "story" with nothing special or memorable. Just scene after scene with nothing remarkable happening. Nice color and photography but not much else. Even the action scenes are dull. At first I thought it might turn into a Euro-Spy style action thriller but it didn't. Roger Browne made a lot of great euro-Spy movies in the 1960s and is noted as one of the best SPYS ever. This is a truly a rare movie that is impossible to find in normal channels. I have posted it on Y/T for all to see. Roger Browne fans will love it.

I have always liked Treasure Hunting movies shot on location. Here several groups of divers are in Nassau, Bahamas where fun and sun are usually the order of the day. They even state in the movie that "very little happens around here" Amidst the usual eating and drinking it becomes known that a Sunken Spanish Galion, "The Huldalgo" has been found. It seems like everyone knew about it but just didn't know exactly where it was located. Well, one of the adventures did find it and the other groups want to steal it. They battle underwater and some die. Aaron Kincaid, who originally discovered it ends up with 5 million dollars and an offer from Lana Wood to help spend it. The fool turns her down.

I knew about this Italian TV series ages ago. In fact Gordon Mitchell sent me a letter about it, raving about how good it is. I found it boring and slow but His parts were pretty good. I have posted a short clip of Gordon Mitchell's parts on my Y/T channel in case you want to see it. The main story is about a young couple who run away because their families don't approve of their marriage only to find the outside world is mean and nasty. Plague, theft, violence, hunger are now a reality from their lavish lifestyles at home with their rich families. This only played on Italian TV so it is very rare.

I ran across this movie on Y/T and looked forward to watching it after I learned it was filmed in Acapulco MX, where I have been twice. (1979, 1994). Unfortunately most of the story takes place indoors with only a short visit to Acapulco at the end. Even then we only see Franciosi water skiing around Carletta Beach, a few balcony shots and nightclubs. All of which could easily been copy/pasted together. The La Quebrada cliff diver segments were genuine. Gina and Tony were both in their 30s but playing 20 year olds in the story. The gang rape at the end was brief because sex hadn't yet been invented in 1960. However the end result was a real twist.

All Steve Reeves fans anticipated the release of A LONG RIDE FROM HELL in 1970. Unfortunately it was hard to find as it had LIMITED release. It was seen as "just another Spaghetti Western" like so many released in the 6 years before it. Steve Reeves bought the rights to the movie book and helped write the script and was counting on it's success. Unfortunately the world only saw Steve Reeves as the movie HERCULES and had trouble accepting him in a Western role. I first saw the film on video and enjoyed it. It is too bad that it wasn't made years earlier. Reeves was great in the lead role and the supporting cast displayed believable characters.

Steve Reeves was so dedicated to the authenticity of this movie, he flew to Yuma, Arizona and photographed the old prison there and then had it duplicated in Spain for this movie. Now that is dedication.

It is now on Y/T f or you to enjoy.

This movie starts by "introducing" Margaret Lee, even though she has made several notable movies in the past few years. Successful titles like Samson and the Sea Beast and From the Orient With Fury. Her real name is Margaret Box , which might have been a more noticed name in show biz, than Lee. In this movie she is just the girlfriend of Herbert Lom. She repeatedly suggest that "we go and lay down somewhere". The move just goes along from scene to scene with no real story unfolding. Harry Alan Towers produced the movie and we see his real life wife. Maria Rohm in the carriage during the opening scene. Watch it for fun and the scenery. I can't believe they smashed up the beautiful 1964 Chev near the beginning but used it later in the film.

Kingdom in the Sand was the title by which I first saw this movie. (I have posted the cover of the U. K. Press-book in the photo section. This press-book was given to me by the late cult U. K. director Michael J. Murphy back in 1973, when he visited me in Canada). Kirk Morris was at his physical best at the end of the muscleman movie cycle and does well in this movie as the undefeatable hero. Hercules finds himself on a beach at the edge of a desert and gets involved with tribesmen fighting a strange group of "Phantoms" who live in a desert stronghold. He teams up with the desert tribesmen and decides to attack the Phantoms. They arrive at the "City of the Dead" where they live and confront their Queen, Amin. She is the Queen of Atlantis and the phantoms are actually corpses brought back to life whos intent is to conquer the world. After destroying this new kingdom, Hercules and his friends return to their peaceful life in the desert.

This movie was released in theaters while blockbusters like HERCULES, HERCULES UNCHAINED and many other similar titles were filling the theaters Tarzan wasn't one of the movies people wanted to see anymore. The story itself is a good one with Tarzan leading a rag-tag group through the jungle to escape a ruthless gang hot on their heels. Jock Mahoney, who later played Tarzan was the lead Heavy of the gang. The trailer for this movie (available to see on Y/T), declares, "Courage of Hercules, strength of Samson". In an effort to compete with the other movies competing in the theaters. Watch it as an OK timewaster.

I started this movie and got pulled into the story. I was hoping the love affair between the hooker and Quinn would develop into something permanent but just dribbled off into nothing. He did send her a gift at the end. The shoot out in the bull ring remined me of the ring I visited in Acapulco in 1979. Too many memories. The entire premise is a good one with lots of action and shoot outs. You FEEL for Quinn even though a lot of people lost their life savings because of scoundrels just like him. The hooker Mary keeps the story going as we all feel for her and her plight of getting old and "wrinkled" as she says. Also, If he had all the billions of dollars, why didn't he just HIRE a protection team of his own, instead of hiding from everyone else?

I watched this Charles Bronson "adventure vehicle" with great hopes of a fantastic treasure hunt movie. There were bad quality English postings on Y/T but I ended up watching the beautiful wide screen, perfect color one in Spanish. There are a few clips of local girls laying about in the nude, which only shows well in the Spanish version. The story of the movie is an old one, where get rich quick characters try to outsmart each other in order to be the winner. I couldn't figure out why Bronson evens bothered to star in this clunker, as he was at the height of his popularity, and this movie just doesn't fit into any of his others like Death Wish. I wonder how many people went to the theater and were disappointed with this entry? It was filmed near Manzanillo MX. But takes place in Peru. I have vacationed in that area and it is a great place to visit, especially Colima..

Even after 63 years, this story still holds up as the GREATEST TARZAN MOVIE ever. (I watched it on a dull cloudy day). The action and the suspense are top notch. The cast superb and the settings are believable. The interaction between Gordon Scott and Sara Shane could have lead to a sequel but instead She leaves for civilization and Tarzan just walks off into the jungle. I felt sad for him as he leaves the Tarzan character forever. Gordon Scott did however, have several smash box-office hits in Italy as Samson and Goliath. Sara Shane died in 2033 at 94. The Tarzan character and her flamboyant style were cinema magic for the 1960 era.

This movie is very well constructed and holds your attention until the very end. After being "set-up" by a group of strangers, our hero gets BURNED in the worst possible way. He is a struggling writer with "writers block" who is encouraged by a stranger with dark motives who is out to trap him. Watch this movie until the end and you will see how people, with no friends are easily "tricked" into believing "strangers" can enter your life and be genuinely your "friend". I have had this happen to me and it hurts on a severe scale. Nothing as serious a Antonio Banderas , but still painful and long lasting.

Many fans of the movie THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY got together and spent their time clearing the site where the movie was originally filmed. They had to clear away 7 inches of dirt to reveal the center circle and put dirt on the graves to make them appear freshly dug. It looked like back breaking work but they managed to clear everything up and then film this great documentary. They made standees of the various characters from the movie so fans could take selfies with their heroes. Clint Eastwood made a short tribute clip which is shown in the movie. In order to raise money for the project, they "sold" name plates for each of the graves. Only TRUE Spaghetti Western fans would want their name displayed there. Someone should talk Mike Ferguson into getting his name on one of those crosses. If you like Spaghetti Westerns, you must see this Documentary. Larry Anderson.

The title is somewhat misleading as the Bangkok "massage" know as Yum-Yum and Boom-Boom can be seen more in-depth on Y/T with lots more explicate scenes. A 70 year old widower, who has never travelled beyond his native village, all of a sudden realizes he is Old" and wants to have sex, just one more time. He tells some relatives who either "judge" him or ridicule him in a cruel was, behind his back. He gets brave and travels to Bangkok Thailand in search of a sex partner. First he gets tricked in to just seeing a stage play. Then hires a hooker but falls asleep while she is showering which prompts her to just leave without any "action" taking palace. He then meets a beautiful Russian girl who is travelling around, just SEEING the world. Realizing that he hasn't really LIVED, he decides to join her in her travels. Now he is starting to really live and enjoy the time he still has on earth. Aside from the happy ending, the rest of the movie is all about ridicule and extreme "judgement" by his entire family. The sooner he gets away from all of them the better. The loneliness of being single in old age is explored throughout the movie. I didn't find much to laugh at but I suspect is was made as a comedy for Indian audiences.

I was just searching around Y/T and ended up watching a few episodes of this series. I had never even heard of this title before and it took a little research to figure out what Coronado 9 even meant. (the only lime I ever heard the name Coronado was that he was one of the Conquistadores who searched for the fabled, 7 Lost Cities of Gold). As I watched more and more I realized the extensive use of rear-projection in many of the scenes. In other words, they hardly ever left the studio and relied on visual tricks so we would believe we were on location for the stories. A couple of the episodes were great, but the others I watched were totally uninspiring. This series never played in my area in 1960, so I missed it entirely. (those were in the days when we had only 2 or 3 channels). Watch it now and enjoy.

The Grinch got away with stealing and nastiness. She should have been paid back for her meanness. Her best line was ?no, go lower". (figure it out). She stole money and his drugs TWICE. She got away with everything. Too bad she didn't end up under a fallen Xmas tree or something. She was NASTY in the sex scenes, which were probably cut out of most tV versions. However her selfish display of greed took most of the fun away from the lively pace of the movie in general. The train ride at the party entrance was a clever touch. The reindeer/horses were a clever addition to the story. Watch it a few times to figure most of it out.

John Garfield does just about everything wrong as he tries to get out of debt. He is a family man who is trying to support his wife and family but has a "dangerous" edge in his character that affects all that he does and the decisions he makes. He is afraid to ask for his fees for his charter boat and instead of demanding payment, he just hangs his head and walks away. If he had just stood up for himself, he would not be in the financial jamb he finds himself in. He is easily talked into crooked deals, even though he knows there is a huge risk involved. He just never seems to learn from his previous mistakes. He does get a lucky break here and there or the movie would have been over in an hour. Watchable entertainment which will have you crying out "stand up for yourself". Patricia Neal as the good-hearted party-girl, doesn't add much to the story.

This movie was a financial success in the early 1960s, playing endlessly at theaters and drive-ins. The original shorter cut version told the story well but in order to enjoy the entire movie, you will have to find the original uncut DVD. Rory Calhoun had so many tattoos on his shoulders and arm that they all had to be hidden with make-up before each shot. Many of the port and battle scenes from this movie were used in several other similar films. The Colossus Statue was built to scale but in several sections. (legs, head &shoulders and interior). This sweeping epic captures the ancient era well. When I visited Rhodes, I delighted in "imagining" what the giant Colossus Statue might have looked like.

I first saw this in the mid 1960s and was impressed then as I still am. Great story which has Mark Forest righting wrongs in ancient Rome and falling for a young Christian girl. If you like lots of Gladiator fighting and clashing armies, this is the movie for you. The original title was MACISTE; GLADIATOR OF SPARTA which is a more fitting title for this story. However, they needed movies to fit into THE SON OF HERCULES series and this fit in well Enjoy it for what it is ...an action packed Gladiator movie with lots of action. Mark Forest fits the part well. The only thing I didn't like about it was that they always changed these movies to include a Religious theme even when it didn't make any sense to include it.

This is Mark Forests first movie which was originally titled VENDETTA DI ERCOLE, REVENGE OF HERCULES but was changed to GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON. Stop motion animation and a lively musical score brought this story to life and propelled it to a great box office run. The original story was about Hercules only wanting to return home to rest with his family. The DRAGON story has the hero battling all sorts of strange monsters and leading his armies to defend his city of Thebes. (the one in Greece). Mark Forest fell off a horse and broke his leg during filming so they had to shoot around him to complete the movie. Mark Forest then went on the make THE SON OF SAMSON (filmed in Egypt), which was another smash hit. Mark's real name is Lou Degni, a famous body builder and opera singer. This movie is well worth viewing again just for the monster scenes.

Non stop action for the entire length of the movie. Alan Steel had yet to star in the Mega-Blockbuster, HERCULES AGAINST THE MOONMEN which played in theaters for years after the initial run and later on late nite TV. In this movie, Hercules is somehow transported the the 17th. Century and is a soldier in the Spanish navy of the time. I guess "Hercules" means MAN OF GREAT STRENGTH who helps the weak and oppressed...etc. Alan Steel is believable as the main character. When this movie showed in Jamaica, it was re=titled as HERCULES AND THE PIRATE. I guess they didn't want a riot on their hands. Find and watch this gem and you won't be disappointed..

I first saw this movie on a B&W TV back in the 1960s and was very impressed by it then and even more so now that there are full color versions available . Brad Harris told me that he always enjoyed making these ancient epics during the Olympics that were held in Rome at the time. SAMSON was made at the same time as FURY OF HERCULES and use all the same sets and most of the same actors. Alan Steel was in both after he lost his "stand-in" job on GIANT OF MARATHON. Alan Steel later went on to star in many successful blockbusters of his own. HERCULES AGAINST THE MOONMEN was his biggest. The story in SAMSON. Is a simple one with the main purpose of this film being to show "incredible feats of strength" that were in demand at the time. Brad Harris and Alan Steel make a great dueling pair of muscle heroes.