Duel of the Champions (1961)

Original title: Orazi e Curiazi

Peplum. Italy. Starring Alan Ladd, Robert Keith, Luciano Marin, Andrea Aureli & Franca Bettoia. Directed by Ferdinando Baldi & Terence Young.

EVC (Holland). BETA. English dubbed. Letterboxed.

Fine, medium-budget peplum with fading american moviestar Alan Ladd (who looks way too old for the hero part). 3/5

Son of Spartacus (1962)

Original title: Il Figlio di Spartacus

Peplum. Italy. Starring Steve Reeves, Jacques Sernas, Gianna Maria Canale & Ombretta Colli. Directed by Sergio Corbucci.

Video Alsen (Greece). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

Solid peplum with Steve Reeves (a class act as usual). Enjoyed this one quite a bit but I have a feeling it would improve a lot when seen in proper widescreen, unlike this pan-and-scanned and generally shitty greek print. 3/5

Queen of the Tartars (1960)

Original title: La Regina dei Tartari

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Chelo Alonso, Jacques Sernas, Mario Petri, Piero Lulli, Raf Baldassarre, Philippe Hersent & Andrea Scotti. Directed by Sergio Grieco.

Delta Video (Holland). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

This one was quite a surprise! It's kinda like the first 10 minutes of a sword and sorcery flick, where a bunch of barbarians dressed up as Manowar pillage some village, but for 90 minutes. It even features a man in a bear costume! The tartar queen is really a kick-ass girl, who takes no crap and is a better leader than the men (ps! she's really cute too). I wouldn't go an call it feminist masterpiece, but well... it's about as feminist as the peplum genre gets (remember this is the genre where women with black hair are automatically cunning and evil). Great peplum with lots of charm! 4/5

Goliath and the Vampires (1961)

Original title: Maciste contro il Vampiro

Peplum. Italy. Starring Gordon Scott, Gianna Maria Canale & Jacques Sernas. Directed by Sergio Corbucci & Giacomo Gentilomo.

Mariann Video (Sweden). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Goliath gets my vote for the best ever peplum - and one of all-time favorites of any genre I might add. This film is the essance of everything that is fun and entertaining with the peplum - there's just no beating it! 5/5

Conqueror of Corinth (1961)

Original title: Il Conquistatore di Corinto

Peplum/Historical. Italy/France. Starring John Drew Barrymore, Geneviève Grad, Gianna Maria Canale, Gordon Mitchell & Jacques Sernas. Directed by Mario Costa.

VTC (Sweden). English dubbed. Letterboxed. Very nice print!

Lots of talk and treason in the roman senate. Not one of adventure expert Mario Costa's more exciting films. 2/5

Duel of the Champions (1961)

Original title: Orazi e Curiazi

Peplum. Italy. Starring Alan Ladd, Robert Keith, Luciano Marin, Andrea Aureli & Franca Bettoia. Directed by Ferdinando Baldi & Terence Young.

EVC (Holland). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

Fine, medium-budget peplum with fading american moviestar Alan Ladd (who looks way too old for the hero part). 3/5

Samson and the Mighty Challange (1964)

Original title: Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus Gli Invincibili

Peplum/Comedy. Italy/Spain/France. Starring Alan Steel, Howard Ross, Nadir Moretti, Yann Larvor & Moira Orfei. Directed by Giorgio Capitani.

Key Video Productions (Greece). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

It's Hercules against Samson against Ursus against Maciste in this pretty funny comic peplum. 3/5