Sandokan Fights Back (1964)

Original title: Sandokan Alla Riscossa

Pirate/Exotic adventure. Italy/West Germany. Starring Ray Danton, Guy Madison, Mario Petri, Alberto Farnese & Raf Baldassarre. Directed by Luigi Capuano.

Elephant Video (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

I love the Sandokan adventures but this one didn't do much for me. Also, Ray Danton is a lame Sandokan compared with Kabir Bedi, or even Steve Reeves. 2/5

The Mystery of Monster Island (1981)

Original title: Misterio en la Isla de los Monstruos

Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Adventure. Spain/USA. Starring Terence Stamp, Peter Cushing, David Hatton, Ian Sera, Blanca Estrada, Frank Braña, Paul Naschy, Gérard Tichy, Daniel Martín & Luis Barboo. Directed by Juan Piquer Simón.

CBS Fox Video (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

I usually like J. P Simón's Jules Verne-films, but this is the exception: an abysmal film that doesn't work on any level. It will leave you irritated and annoyed at the poor level of filmmaking on display here. And Naschy fans needn't bother either: the lovable spanish bear is hardly in the film for a minute... 1/5

Ator the Invincible (1984)

Original title: Ator L'invincibile 2

Fantasy. Italy. Starring Miles O'Keeffe, Lisa Foster, David Brandon, Charles Borromel & Salvatore Baccaro. Directed by Joe D'Amato.

VTC (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

I like all the other Ator's so I should like this too, but I find it boring beyond words. Just writing about it now makes me sleepy. If only the film was as good as the cover... 1/5

Quest for the Mighty Sword (1990)

Fantasy. Italy. Starring Eric Allan Kramer, Margaret Lenzey, Donald O'Brien, Laura Gemser & Marisa Mell. Directed by Joe D'Amato.

RCA (UK). English language. Fullscreen.

The last entry in the Ator series - or perhaps the first Son of Ator? Either way it's a hilarious bad movie classic with too much fun stuff to mentioned! What are you waiting for, find yourself a copy right now! 4/5

Hearts and Armour (1983)

Original title: I Paladini - Storia D'armi e D'amori

Fantasy. Italy/USA. Starring Ron Moss, Rick Edwards, Tanya Roberts, Tony Vogel, Al Cliver & Hal Yamanouchi. Directed by Giacomo Battiato.

Warner Home Video (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

A stylish and reasonably entertaining fantasy/knights film from Italy. The verdict may be either "better han usual" or "not cheezy enough" depending on your point of view. 3/5

Ironmaster (1983)

Original title: La Guerra del Ferro - Ironmaster

Fantasy. Italy/France. Starring Sam Pasco, Elvire Audray, George Eastman, William Berger & Peter McCoy. Directed by Umberto Lenzi.

Medusa Video (UK). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

One of the best covers on this blog - and the film is not bad either. Fun stone age nonsense with bearlike Eastman in one of his best roles as the villanous Vood (sporting one of the best fur hats in history). Sam Pasco as the hero Ela on the other hand... Yeeesh, I don't think I have ever seen a worse bodybuilder-come-actor before (he makes Kirk Morris look like Marlon Brando) - it's been a long journey but you finally did it, Sammy boy! 3/5

Treasure Island (1972)

Pirate. France/Italy/Spain/UK/West Germany. Starring Orson Welles, Kim Burfield, Walter Slezak, Rik Battaglia, Lionel Stander, Maria Rohm, Paul Muller & Aldo Sambrell. Directed by John Hough, Andrea Bianchi (uncredited) & Antonio Margheriti (uncredited).

Guild Home Video Ltd (UK). English language. Fullscreen.

Three Supermen in the Jungle (1970)

Original title: Che Fanno i Nostri Supermen Tra le Vergini della Giungla?

Superhero/Jungle adventure/Comedy. Italy/Spain. Starring Brad Harris, George Martin, Salvatore Borghese & Frank Braña. Directed by Bitto Albertini.

Derann Video (UK). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

This time the three dandy supermen encounters amazons, cannibals and goofy communists in the jungle. A fun spoof comedy, but not in the same class as the best in the series. 3/5

Warlords of Atlantis (1978)

Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Adventure. UK. Starring Doug McClure, Peter Gilmore, Cyd Charisse, Shane Rimmer & John Ratzenberger. Directed by Kevin Connor.

Thorn-Emi (UK). English language. Fullscreen.

Entertaining brittish fantasy flick. 3/5

Erotic Dreams of Cleopatra (1985)

Original title: Sogni Erotici di Cleopatra

Erotica/Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Marcella Petrelli, Jacques Stany, Rita Silva & Andrea Coppola. Directed by Rino Di Silvestro.

Jezebel (UK). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

I haven't gotten around to watch this yet (I wonder why...) but it's said to contain a lot of inserts from old sword and sandal movies.

79 A.D

Original title: Anno 79: La Distruzione di Ercolano

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Brad Harris, Susan Paget & Carlo Tamberlani. Directed by Gianfranco Parolini.

Preview Video (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen. Long 2 hour version.

Hawk of the Carribean (1963)

Original title: Lo Sparviero dei Caraibi

Pirate yarn. Italy. Starring Johnny Desmond, Yvonne Monlaur, Armando Francioli, Piero Lulli & Luigi Batzella. Directed by Piero Regnoli.

EKO (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

Colorful and highly entertaining pirate-swashbuckler with big band singer Johnny Desmond (of all people) . Johnny's not so much an actor as a bundle of charm, he should have starred in more films! One of the best of its kind! 4/5

Slave of Rome (1961)

Original title: La Schiava di Roma

Peplum. Italy. Starring Guy Madison, Rossana Podestà, Mario Petri, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart & Raf Baldassarre. Directed by Sergio Grieco & Franco Prosperi.

VPD (UK). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

Revenge of the Barbarians (1960)

Original title: La Vendetta dei Barbari

Peplum. Italy. Starring Anthony Steel, Daniela Rocca, Robert Alda & Arturo Dominici. Directed by Giuseppe Vari.

Inter-Ocean Video (UK). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

Kinky, and surprisingly good, peplum melodrama! 3/5

Hercules Conquers Atlantis (1961)

Original title: Ercole alla Conquista di Atlantide

Peplum. Italy/France. Starring Reg Park, Fay Spain, Ettore Manni, Luciano Marin & Mario Petri. Directed by Vittorio Cottafavi.

Videoform (UK). English dubbed. Widescreen. Excellent print - I haven't seen the Retromedia DVD but considering their track record I would guess that this video snuffs it!

Considered by me and many others as one of the most accomplished, visually imaginative and entertaining peplas out there. Reg Park is the perfect Hercules, it's a shame he only starred in a handful of films. 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

Hercules Against the Sons of the Sun (1964)

Original title: Ercole Contro i Figli del Sole

Peplum. Italy/Spain. Starring Mark Forest, Anna Maria Panaro, Giuliano Gemma, Andrea Scotti & Ángela Rhu. Directed by Osvaldo Civirani.

Pirate Video (UK). English dubbed. Letterboxed (slightly).

Hercules travels to South America in this Grade Z peplum. So bad it's... just bad. 1/5

The Treasure of Bengal

Original title: Il Tesoro del Bengala

Exotic adventure. Italy. Starring Sabu, Luisella Boni, Luigi Tosi & Carla Calò. Directed by Gianni Vernuccio.

EKO Video (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

The Kings of France (1959)

Original title: I Reali di Francia

Sword. Italy. Starring Rik Battaglia, Chelo Alonso, Gérard Landry, Livio Lorenzon, Liana Orfei & Carlo Tamberlani. Directed by Mario Costa.

EKO (UK). English dubbed. Fullscreen.

I had a really hard time sitting through this film, due to the completely worthless dubbing. Two or three bored dubbers do all the voices with a complete lack of feeling - and you could still hear the italian dub in the background! My grade represents this crap version of the film. 2/5

Women Gladiators (1963)

Original title: Le Gladiatrici

Amazons/Peplum. Italy. Susy Andersen, Joe Robinson, Janine Hendy & Harry Baird. Directed by Antonio Leonviola.

Inter-Ocean Video (UK). English dubbed. Letterboxed.

A band of amazons are enslaving the men of the region, but thankfully the dumb hero Tor steps up to show those "redsocks" their right place! The better follow-up to Tor: Mighty Warrior adding more action and amazons to the mix, thus adding a dose of misogynism to the already strong doses of racism (yes, Ubaratutu is back too...). 3/5