Hercules Unchained (1959)

Original title: Ercole e la Regina di Lidia

Peplum. Italy/France/Spain. Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Sylvia Lopez, Gabriele Antonini, Patrizia Della Rovere, Mimmo Palmara & Daniele Varga. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

Standard Video )Holland). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

The follow-up to Francisci's Hercules is even better than the first one. Essential viewing. 4/5

Original title: La Guerra di Troia

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Steve Reeves, John Drew Barrymore, Edy Vessel, Arturo Dominici, Lidia Alfonsi, Mimmo Palmara & Carlo Tamberlani. Directed by Giorgio Ferroni.

Sunrise Tapes (Holland). English dubbed. Letterboxed. Dig the waltzing Reeves dental work on the (über-gay) cover.

Well-made, above average sword and sandal spectacle with Steve Reeves. 3/5

The Trojan War (1961)

Original title: La Guerra di Troia

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Steve Reeves, John Drew Barrymore, Edy Vessel, Arturo Dominici, Lidia Alfonsi, Mimmo Palmara & Carlo Tamberlani. Directed by Giorgio Ferroni.

DVD: New Entertainment (Germany)English/german language options. Widescreen. Nice quality.

Well-made, above average sword and sandal spectacle with Steve Reeves. 3/5

The Last Days of Pompeii (1959) + Gli Ultimi Giorni di Pompei (1913)

Original title: Gli Ultimi Giorni di Pompei

Peplum. Italy. Starring Steve Reeves, Christine Kaufmann, Fernando Rey, Mimmo Palmara & Carlo Tamberlani. Directed by Mario Bonnard & Sergio Leone.

Marketing Film (Germany). English/german/italian language options. Widescreen. Very good quality. This 2-disc edition also includes the 1913 silent Gli Ultimi Giorni di Pompei (sadly no english options there).

Well made, glossy peplum with impressive earthquake FX by Leone. 3/5

Sandokan the Great (1963)

Original title: Sandokan, la Tigre di Mompracem

Pirate/Exotic. Italy/France/Spain. Starring Steve Reeves, Geneviève Grad, Andrea Bosic, Rik Battaglia, Adolfo Celi & Mimmo Palmara. Directed by Umberto Lenzi.

DVD: Impulso Records & Films (Spain). English/spanish language options. Widescreen. Good quality, except for a 5-10 minute part in the middle which appears to be sourced from VHS.

Lenzi's first Sandokan flick - 100% classic stuff! My favorite Steve Reeves film. 5/5

Duel of the Titans (1961)

Original title: Romolo e Remo

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Virna Lisi, Piero Lulli & Germano Longo. Directed by Sergio Corbucci.

DVD: Koch Media (Germany). English/German language options. Widescreen. Excellent quality!

Excellent, dramatic peplum with a familiar "Cain and Abel" storyline. Two of my favorite peplum stars, Reeves and Scott, are pitted against each other in a manly story of rebellion, sacrifice and brotherly jealousy and betrayal. Apparently the two beefcake actors hated each other in real life which might explain the (negative) chemistry between them. Highly recommended film - Corbucci was not only one of the best directors of spaghetti westerns, he was just as good at cranking out pepla! 4/5

The Trojan War (1961)

Original title: La Guerra di Troia

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Steve Reeves, John Drew Barrymore, Edy Vessel, Arturo Dominici, Lidia Alfonsi, Mimmo Palmara & Carlo Tamberlani. Directed by Giorgio Ferroni.

Epic Home Video (South Africa). English dubbed. Widescreen. Very good quality. Selltape or possibly a bootleg.

Well-made, above average sword and sandal spectacle with Steve Reeves. 3/5

Sandokan the Great (1963)

Original title: Sandokan, la Tigre di Mompracem

Pirate adventure/Exotic. Italy/France/Spain. Starring Steve Reeves, Geneviève Grad, Andrea Bosic, Rik Battaglia, Adolfo Celi & Mimmo Palmara. Directed by Umberto Lenzi.

VTC (Sweden). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

Lenzi's first Sandokan flick - 100% classic stuff! My favorite Steve Reeves film. 5/5

Giant of Marathon (1959)

Original title: La Battaglia di Maratona

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, Daniela Rocca, Philippe Hersent, Alberto Lupo, Daniele Vargas & Alan Steel. Directed by Jacques Tourneur & Mario Bava.

VTC (Sweden). English dubbed. Widescreen.

Brilliant peplum! 4/5

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

Hercules Unchained (1959)

Original title: Ercole e la Regina di Lidia

Peplum. Italy/France/Spain. Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Sylvia Lopez, Gabriele Antonini, Patrizia Della Rovere, Mimmo Palmara & Daniele Varga. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

DVD: Concorde (Germany). English or german language options. Widescreen. Nice quality.

The follow-up to Francisci's Hercules is even better than the first one. Essential viewing. 4/5

Hercules (1958)

Original title: Le Fatiche di Ercole

Peplum. Italy/Spain.

Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Fabrizio Mioni, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici & Mimmo Palmara. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

DVD: Concorde (Germany). English and german language options. Widescreen. Nice quality. It's has a few seconds worth of insignificant cuts though, so the french disc is preferable for the peplum aficianado. But this disc also have the best version of Hercules Unchained, so both discs are needed.

The original muscleman epic! Not my all time favorite peplum but still, classic stuff. 4/5

Hercules (1958)

Original title: Le Fatiche di Ercole

Peplum. Italy/Spain. Starring Steve Reeves, Sylva Koscina, Fabrizio Mioni, Gianna Maria Canale, Arturo Dominici & Mimmo Palmara. Directed by Pietro Francisci.

DVD: DVDY (France). English and french language options. Widescreen. Nice quality.

The original muscleman epic! Not my all time favorite peplum but still, classic stuff. 4/5

Goliath and the Barbarians (1959)

Original title: Il Terrore dei Barbari

Peplum. Italy. Starring Steve Reeves, Gabriele Tinti & Chelo Alonso. Directed by Carlo Campogalliani.

Medusa Video (Sweden). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

Steve Reeves fights some raiding mongolians. I remember it as a pretty dull affair but I think I will have to give it another chance on DVD some day... 2/5

The Pirates of Malaysia (1964)

Original title: I Pirati della Malesia

Pirate adventure/Exotic. Italy/Spain/West Germany/France. Starring Steve Reeves, Jacqueline Sassard, Mimmo Palmara, Pierre Cressoy & Dakar. Directed by Umberto Lenzi.

VTC (Sweden). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

The follow-up to Sandokan the Great is not quite as brilliant as the first movie, but still a wonderful adventure film and one of Lenzi's best! Steve Reeves is at his best, even if you don't believe him as an indian. 4/5

Duel of the Titans (1961)

Original title: Romolo e Remo

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Virna Lisi, Piero Lulli & Germano Longo. Directed by Sergio Corbucci.

Spectrum Video (Holland). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

Excellent, dramatic peplum with a familiar "Cain and Abel" storyline. Two of my favorite peplum stars, Reeves and Scott, are pitted against each other in a manly story of rebellion, sacrifice and brotherly jealousy and betrayal. Apparently the two beefcake actors hated each other in real life which might explain the (negative) chemistry between them. Highly recommended film - Corbucci was not only one of the best directors of spaghetti westerns, he was just as good at cranking out pepla! 4/5

The Thief of Bagdad (1961)

Original title: Il Ladro di Bagdad

Arabian fantasy/Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Steve Reeves, Giorgia Moll, Arturo Dominici & Daniele Vargas. Directed by Arthur Lubin & Bruno Vailati.

Videosonic/Embassy (Greece). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

Good, well made arabian fantasy. Steve Reeves is total class as always, but plays the thief of Bagdad-role like his usual barechested peplum roles, which is fine by me. 3/5

Goliath and the Barbarians (1959)

Original title: Il Terrore dei Barbari

Peplum. Italy. Starring Steve Reeves, Gabriele Tinti & Chelo Alonso. Directed by Carlo Campogalliani.

Wahlters Video (Sweden). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

Steve Reeves fights some raiding mongolians. I remember it as a pretty dull affair but I think I will have to give it another chance on DVD some day... 2/5