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The second film in the Beach Party series returns Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello to the land of endless summer and back-projection surfing. It's as giddy as the first movie. Two inane subplots are added:Frankie is wooed by a wealthy bombshell (knockout Luciana Paluzzi), and Don Rickles trains a team of bodybuilders. The usual Beach Party trademarks are in place, including real surfing footage (much improved from the first film), Candy Johnson's shimmy dancing, and Annette's modified bikini with mesh-covered cleavage. Music is provided by Dick Dale and a rockin' Little Stevie Wonder, with most of the songs penned by a triumvirate of surf-music royalty: Brian Wilson, Roger Christian, and Gary Usher. As Frankie says, "Now you swing with me on that, or you don't swing at all." We swing.

Ski Party transfers the Beach Party vibe to snow, with a Some Like it Hot ripoff thrown in. Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman go in drag to discover what girls really want, but Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig put them in the deep freeze. It's surprisingly fun, with deranged musical appearances by James Brown and Lesley Gore. The outdoor stuff was filmed at Sun Valley. Annette Funicello cameos as a sex-ed instructor. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Buy this if you like Frankie Avalon
The best scenes in the Beach Party sequel are with Frankie Avalon singing the song "A Boy Needs A Girl" and Annette singing the song "A Girl Needs A Boy".The best scenes in Ski Party are Frankie Avalon singing a song in the sleigh ride and Annette doing a small role.

worth it for one great moment!!!
Ok, this ski party movie(or as I like to call it, SNOW BEACH)has one of the greatest moments ever in a movie. James Brown sings I feel Good, but he takes off his coat...........and he's wearing a ski sweater...James Brown...in a ski sweater... You know how some people look weird in ski sweaters: Bruce Springsteen would look weird in one, Marlon Brando? Andy Williams looks good in one, Perry Como...but James Brown?

Obviously the movie is fun(I refer to Eric Lambeth's review for details) but tnothing beats this moment.

Party Hearty!
Side A of the DVD contains "Muscle Beach Party." Frankie, Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) and the gang uneasily share the beach with a group of musclemen and their trainer, Jack Fanny (Don Rickles). The muscle men are the natural enemies of the surfers, taking the place of Eric Von Zipper and the Rat Pack, who are sorely missed in this movie. The recently deceased Buddy Hackett is especially funny as the guardian of the rich Italian countess, played by the beautiful Lucianna Paluzzi. At first, the countess only has eyes for Flex Martian, played by Rock Stevens (actually, it's Peter Lupus of Mission Impossible fame). After she meets Frankie and hears him sing, she falls head over heels in love with him. Recording him live at Cappy's nightclub, backed by Dick Dale and the Del Tones, she's determined to release the record and make him an international singing star. The countess almost persuades Frankie to board her yacht and sail around the world with her, when Frankie realizes that Dee Dee is his one true love. Flex and the muscle men follow them to the nightclub and, in order to win over the countess, they duke it out with the surfers. Jack Fanny eggs on the fight, while Cappy (Morey Amsterdam) watches his nightclub get wrecked. Flex's father, played by the great Peter Lorre, comes in and breaks up the fight. The countess says good-bye and sails the seas in search of true love, while Frankie and Dee Dee go on to make more beach movies. Little Stevie Wonder makes his movie debut, performing a song at the nightclub and singing a song during the closing credits.

Side B of the DVD contains "Ski Party," marking the official release of this movie. In this film, Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman play the world's oldest college students, with Annette Funicello making a brief cameo at the beginning as a college professor. Frankie and Dwayne aren't getting anywhere with Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig, so they decide to join them on a skiing vacation. Finding the men's German ski instructor too tough, they do what any red blooded, all American boy would do. They dress up as women and go to the beautiful women's Swedish instructor to learn how to ski! Robert Q. Lewis plays the inept innkeeper, and Aaron Kincaid is the playboy all the girls are after. The musical numbers in this movie are outstanding, especially "Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows" by Lesley Gore and "I Feel Good" by James Brown. A comic highlight is Frankie's ski jump, which has to be seen to be believed! Just for good measure, the action follows the gang back to the beach in time for a swinging number by the Hondells and the obligatory happy ending. Even though the only special features are the theatrical trailers, you really get your money's worth with this double feature DVD. Both movies reflect a more innocent time in America, and their comic appeal is timeless. In addition, the colors are sharp and bright, and the sound quality is superb. I hope that MGM releases "The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini" soon, since it is the last of the beach related movies that remains unreleased.

The best of the beach movies
I was shocked to find out Ski Party would be released on DVD. It wasn't even released on video, for crying out loud. But here it is. Fun in the sun turns to the slopes with great songs, funny moments, and witty dialogue mixed in with childish nonsense that you can expect from all beach movies. The Rats aren't in this movie, and "Freddy" (who was Bobby in The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini) is the best and sharpest beach movie bad guy out of all of em. Robert Q. Lewis, the old timey game show host, plays a fun supporting role in the picture.
You get to see Deborah Walley looking pretty hot (much better looking than she was in Elvis' Spinout), Yvonne Craig and that drop dead gorgeous body (she has no rythm whatsoever), and James Brown dancing to "I Feel Good". That dude can move!
Leslie Gore gets one scene in this movie, singing "Sunshine, Lolipops and Rainbows".
Again, musically this might be the best movie of the bunch (I think it narrowly beats out Beach Blanket Bingo). This movie also has the best flow of any of the beach movies...there are no real parts in the movie that are so embarrassing that you need to fast forward, unlike many of the other beach movies.

Pajama Party is the second best, and Beach Blanket Bingo is third. Ski Party is definitely the best beach movie AI made, and definitely needs to be in your collection. Lots of fun.

Muscle Beach Party is a bonus. Buy the DVD for Ski Party. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Did Disney ruin it forever, or was it already too late?
I will make frequent reference to my copy, a discounted version on the notoriously low-quality "Goodtimes Home Video", especially the trademark misrepresentation of the sleeve. SLEEVE: "The Best Heroic Action Movie Ever Made" TRUTH: Probably one of the most ambitious plots. By this print in 1990, there may well have been better action movies. SLEEVE: SEE Hercules single-handedly wrestle a man-eating lion! TRUTH: LAUGH at Hercules as he single-handedly wrestles down a shag carpet. SLEEVE: SEE Hercules beat the infamous Cretan Bull down with his fists! TRUTH: SEE footage of a bull! SEE Hercules struggle for ten minutes with a taxidermist's rendition of a different bull. Strangely enough, these encounters in the first half mean nothing to the plot...because they are about Hercules. The movie, it turns out, is not about Hercules, as he just ends up being an Argonaut stooge. While better dubbed than--say--a Bruce Lee movie, it tries to be a similar style of action (fighting) movie, and these scenes fail miserably by today's standards. It's a given that no child will ever choose this film over the cartoon. However, it was probably doomed to the classic nostalgia crowd anyway. It's a shame Disney got hold of him before there could be a Godzilla-ish remake. All the classics seem to go one way or the other.

The Great Steve Reeves as Hercules
I remember seeing this movie as a child and interestingly enough, now that it is on dvd, my son has bought this for his family.There are no great special effects. And don't look for any great acting, but Hercules is a fun movie and Reeves is the perfect Hercules with a sculpted physique, handsome and charismatic. I hope more Reeves movies become available on dvd. He was the original action hero.

Buff Beyond Belief -- The Original Sand and Sandal Epic
I just watched the Italian film Hercules staring Steve Reeves in the title role. First of all it was a pleasure to see Hercules call on his father Jupiter (and not Zeus as so many would have it).

Hercules travels to Jialco where he finds himself first welcomed by the Throne and then despised. After defeating the Cretan Bull, Hercules finds Jason, lost heir to the throne of Jialco. To prove Jason is who he says he is, Hercules, Jason, Argos and others set out to find the lost Golden Fleece.

Originally shot in Italian, this film does suffer from bad dubbing. This film, and particularly its sequel, Hercules Unchained, are some of the best interpretations of the Hercules legend.

Steve Reeves is wonderful as the hero and looks like he could defeat Kevin Sorbo without even trying. Reeves spends most of the film sans shirt showing off one of the finest builds ever filmed. For those who prefer looking at bodies with more curves, there are plenty of women in short Grecian robes.

What a great pity
This is without doubt the worst film transfer to DVD I have ever seen. I saw the film recently on TV and it was 10 times the quality of this DVD. Dont waste your money on this DVD.
It is an insult to modern technology and frankly a rip-off. Amazon should be ashamed of selling this product.

When Times Were Simpler and Steve Reeves Was Hercules!
Ah, yes! Those were the days! Disregard the dubbed-in dialogue and hokey plot lines. The orginal 1957 "Hercules" is a treasure of fantasy and fun. To those Americans who possess a sense of the past (what used to be known fondly as "nostalgia" prior to the MTV generation and its contemptuous stance toward anything that occurred prior to the maturation of Jennifer Lopez's big, fat posterior), Johnny Weismuller was Tarzen. Bela Lugosi was Dracula. Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger. And Steve Reeves was Hercules. Long before Arnold there was Steve Reeves, the prototype body builder who in the 1940s and 50s surpassed what Charles Atlas initiated a generation earlier. A scrawny, unathletic kid who was teased unmercifully, Reeves decided to do something about his predicament. He made body building and fitness a way of life. Between 1945 and 1950, Reeves won every body building competition and award in the universe, and he did so without the use of steroids or any other drugs. It didn't take long for Hollywood to come calling. After being considered and then turned down for the role of Samson (for being "too muscular") in the 1949 MGM production of "Samson and Delilah" opposite Heddy Lamarr, Reeves spent a few years playing mostly forgetable parts in a number of films before achieving celluloid stardom in his adopted home, Italy. In 1957 Reeves portrayed the legendary Greek hero Hercules in the film of the same name, and repeated the role in its sequel, "Hercules Unchained," two years later. Reeves was extraordinarily handsome with black wavy hair and piercing blue eyes. With his beard and spectacular physique, Reeves looked exactly like the image of the Greek demigod as it had been depicted for thousands of years. So ingrained became his image in the minds of movie fans, that the names "Steve Reeves" and "Hercules" became synonomous. For a time in the late 1950s and early 1960s he was the highest-paid movie star in the world. To kids growing up in an innocent age of malt shops, high school dances, science-fiction comics, and "Father Knows Best," Reeves was the epitome of wholesome manliness. He became the idol and inspiration for a whole new generation of weightlifters and body builders, including Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbo, Reg Park, and old Arnold himself. He enchanted young and old alike as Hercules and as a number of other legendary Greco-Roman characters. In the late 1960s while still fit as a fiddle, very popular, and only in his early 40s, Reeves was asked by Sergio Leonne to star in a series of Spaghetti Westerns. But Reeves decided to leave the acting business. His place was taken by Clint Eastwood, and the rest is history (there's that anachronistic word again). Reeves continued living in Italy where he could be spotted daily "power-walking" (rapidly walking while carrying light weights in his arms) around all the famous sites in Rome. By the 1990s he and his wife returned to America where they raised horses and lived quietly on a beautiful ranch in Southern California. Reeves still looked great into his seventies and remained a steadfast advocate of drug-free athletics. Which is why it was so shocking to hear of his sudden death from cancer in 2000. Supposedly, Reeves visited his physician and was diagnosed with an accutely malignant form of cancer. In two weeks, he was dead. Upon hearing the news, I couldn't accept the fact of his passing. "Steve Reeves dead? Can't be." He always seemed so invincible. How time marches on. But the image of Reeves as the prototype celluloid demigod will endure. In the hearts and memories of many a young boy in the 1950s and 60s, there was no more popular person in the world than Steve Reeves. In many ways, Reeves may well have been the last great role model of an America that used to be. Malt shops are gone. Early sci-fi classic films with thoughtful plots like Howard Hawks' "The Thing From Another World" and Robert Wise's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" are now considered archaic by a generation whose attention span is measureable in nanoseconds. High school dances long ago devolved into loud, coarse, uncivil environments known as "clubs." There are no TV shows even remotely resembling the quaint idealism of "Father Knows Best." Yet certain images from yesteryear remain transfixed eternally in the minds of those still thoughtful enough to remember. Steve Reeves will always be the one and only "Hercules." So long, pal. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A hilariously campy piece of garbage
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better. The highlights has to be the scene in the bus station when Burton karate chops poor Cameron Mitchell nearly to death. The movie was so cheaply edited that you can clearly hear director Terrence Young yelling, "Cut, Cam! Get up! Cut!" They don't even bother to edit out the director's instructions. You will be laughing yourself into a choking fit during this lengthy bus station melee,

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one.

Truly disappointing!
Firstly, poor sound. Secondly, the film has been cut, heavily.
Let us hope that Paramount release it on DVD soon, as it is their film. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see this film then just buy the Paramount VHS tape- it's very good quality for picture & sound & it is UNCUT! Do not waste your money or time on this poor attempt at a DVD release!!!

"THE KLANSMAN" WAS A DISASTER
In the Spring of 1974 Director Terance Young and company came to Oroville, California to film the Klansman. The locals were excited to have a big studio film made in the small town. However, when it opened at the State Theatre in Oroville, there was widespread horror.

The film included a castration, an attempted rape and two rapes, plus a whole lot of racial comments and some god-awful acting. You would have thought that Richard Burton would have done well with his acting, but he was one of the worse. He was drunk and chasing an under-age girl for most of the shooting schedule and could not seem to handle the southern accent. (This may have been the incident that destroyed his and Liz Taylor's marriage.)

Lee Marvin, Cameron Mitchell, Lola Falana and a few others did well in their acting but the script shot them down. It was full of racial stereotypes that probably set back racial relations for the next 100 years. (This was OJ Simpson's first film.)

I was there in 1974 and saw a lot of the shooting of the movie. It's only redeeming value to me is the fact that it showed a lot of areas of Table Mountain, Cherokee, Oroville and Sugarloaf Mountain (75 miles north of Sacramento in Northern California).
The scenery is beautiful but the movie is awful.

There are many scenes that are unintentially funny because of the bad acting plus a hilarious scene where Richard Burton "slaps" Cameron Mitchell into a blood pulp. A Classic!

All in all a minor film but worth seeing if you want a laugh or two. Warning, the rape scene with Lola Falana is not for the faint of heart! Plus the castration scene makes ME grit my teeth!

Sad waste of two powerhouse talents
Richard Burton was one of the all-time great thespians and it's a travesty that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never honored him with an Oscar for any of his numerous nominations. Lee Marvin was a dynamic actor in his own right as well. Why they are wasting their time in this ugly, worthless (...) movie is anybody's guess.
Many films that incorporate a racist theme merit importance when they depict the horror and any subsequent violence that such bigotry and hatred derives. This film does nothing but present a shallow glimpse into the racial tensions stemming from the South (a common and unfortunate stereotype).
One interesting note: OJ Simpson made his film debut here as a radical "Black Panther"-type militant who murders white folks whenever he has a chance. (...)

Campy in the extreme!
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better.

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one. ... Read more

Reviews (132)

A Must Own on DVD
Explosive action, stunning locales, a tight plot and Sean Connery's most convincing turn as the world's favorite spy make Thunderball one of the finest-- if not the finest -- entries in the James Bond film series. Add to that a DVD package chock full of dynamic extras such as "behind the scenes" documentaries and two highly informative audio commentaries and you've got yourself a must own movie.

The most visually stunning of all Bond films, Thunderball's sheer cinematic beauty comes glistening through on the remastered DVD print. The light, tropical hues of The Bahamas radiate like never before and the vast scope of the dazzling underwater scenes are fully appreciated on the widescreen transfer. Having personally viewed this Bond classic at least 200 times on standard video, I felt as though I was seeing it for the first time via widescreen DVD.

The plot involves Emilio Largo(Adolfo Celi) as sinister SPECTRE baddie #2 who threatens to nuke Miami unless paid a hefty ransom by the British government and NATO. Of course, Bond has just four days in which to save the world -- four days filled with such distractions as an array of willing women, killer sharks, and exploding cars and boats!

Celi is absolutely captivating as Largo,the eye-patched criminal mastermind. Deliberate and understated, Largo catches on to Bond, and his intent, early on. The ensuing cat and mouse chase begins cordially before turning deadly. The pursuit of Bond through the Junkanoo Parade in the streets of Nausau is positively nerve-wracking. Ditto a pair of horrific scenes in Largo's swimming pool which convieniently doubles as a deadly shark tank.

Italian actress Luciana Paluzzi nearly steals the show as Fiona Volpe a femme fatale killer who yearns for Bond in more than one way. Paluzzi lights up the screen, oozing equal parts temptation and evil.

Former Miss France, Claudine Auger turns in a fine performance as Bond's main love interest Domino. The fact the Domino just happens to be Largo's mistress doesn't stop our favorite super-spy from pursuing her.

Rik Van Nutter's portrayal of CIA operative Felix Leiter is perhaps the series' finest. Of course, Moneypenny, Q and M all flawlessly reprise their respective roles.

A perfect blend of From Russia with Love's suspense and Goldfinger's fun-filled explosiveness, Thunderball is undoubtedly one of the best Bond films. MGM did a great job on the DVD, thus making Thunderball a necessary addition to every Bond fan's collection.

Connery at His Unadulterated Best on DVD
Double entendres abound in this aquatic tale of intrigue, action and adventure 007 style. And make no mistake about it; Sean Connery makes this his picture. This may not have the narrative flow of a "Goldfinger" but Connery's confident and energetic performance and the villain's well-laid out caper makes this one of the most entertaining, realistic and tongue-in-cheek films in the series. This film was made at the pinnacle of the James Bond phenomenon and it shows. No cost was too great. This movie is big and it looks and feels big in every way. The underwater bellicose -ballet is one of the best pieces of action ever put on film thanks to Lamar Boren's colorful and beautiful photography and John Barry's original, innovative and intuitive scoring. The opening fight scene between Bond and Jacques Boitier in the chateau is one the best choreographed and edited of the series. What really makes this film is the dialogue. Connery's one-liners, his banter with Adolfo Celi as Emilio Largo and Luciana Paluzzi as Fiona Volpe and his delivery is brimming with aplomb, wit, humor and confidence all rolled into one. Claudine Auger, Molly Peters, Luciana Paluzzi and Martine Beswick are the ultimate 'Bond Girls.' Production designer Ken Adam, Art design Peter Murton, Cinematographer Ted Moore, Special effects expert John Stears, Editor Peter Hunt, Composer John Barry, Screenwriter Richard Maibaum and Director Terence Young make this one of the best Bond films of the series. Bernard Lee as "M," Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny and Desmond Llewelyn as "Q" all give their best performances. One of the best looking Bond films! It sounds better than ever in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound!

The second best film of Bond series
Thunderball is a feast eye. Visually stunnig with advanced and ingenious twist and ideas.
The presence of Adolfo Celi as Emilio Largo and one of the most beautiful Bond's girls - Claudine Auger , are winners components.
The unforgettable submarine fight deserved for this film won Best special effects . And from its release became in a classic sequence.
Funny and plenty of chases , sharks and arresting locations.
After Goldfinger , this could be the most clever and kinetic movie of Bond series.

THUNDERBALL = Best Bond Movie
This movie is Awesome. The story is the best and score is fantastic. Sean Connery gives one of his best performances as James Bond along with everyone else in the film. This is truly one of my favourite movies ever and I've only become a mega fan this past year. Make your life better and get this along with every other James Bond film!

borderline classic, borderline franchise popcorn
this is the pivotal bond film because it has enough of the same qualitites that rank it nearly alongside dr no, from russia with love and goldfinger.
but, it also has enough hints of the rot that is you only live twice and diamonds are forever that follows.
the first three bond films can actually be considered good films period and not necessarily 'franchise films'.
thunderball truly is the beginning of the franchise that will become furmulaic popcorn with the next one and that was too bad,
and connery, wisely, knew this himself. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Curl up with the popcorn and indulge....
Okay, so it is VERY different from the original PEYTON PLACE, but so was the book! Carol Lynley and Tuesday Weld are gorgeous, adorable and totally enjoyable. Eleanor Parker and Mary Astor are campier than a couple of drag queens. It is kitschy, early 60s soap opera at is best. This should be playing in revival houses as a double bill with the original. Watch for Bob Crane in a cameo role as a talk show sidekick.

Horrible Follow Up To The Original Classic
The only thing good about this video is the opening song sung by Rosemary Clooney.

This was a terrible sequel to the original movie. Different cast, different feel. Rent the video before you buy this one.

Return to Peyton Place ... an entertaining sequel
This is an interesting sequel from the point of view that none of the cast from Peyton Place reprise their roles and the time period seems to have been moved up 10 or 15 years without the principal characters aging. This film retains the feel of the original in some of the scenes (especially behind the credits where many of the pastoral New England shots from the original were used), but it has a back lot studio look about it in other scenes. Unlike the original, a good portion of this story takes place in New York City as it revolves its focus amongst the pairs of main characters. The story is standard soap opera material, yet it does not fail to entertain thanks to fine performances from a menacing Mary Astor, a charming and gracious Jeff Chandler and a noble Robert Sterling. Not to its detriment nor benefit, the main characters of this piece consist of the film's younger cast members who's performances are just standard with the exception of Tuesday Weld. However, the film benefits from beautiful color photography and Franz Waxman's reworking of his original Peyton Place score, which is in stereo on this VHS copy. ... Read more

Description

The Notorious X-Rated ‘French’ Version!

For his epic shocker of caged women gone wild, legendary director Jess Franco (EUGENIE, SADOMANIA) brought together a once-in-a-lifetime cast of International beauties including Maria Schell (THE ODESSA FILE), Luciana Paluzzi (THUNDERBALL), Rosalba Neri (LADY FRANKENSTEIN) and Maria Rohm (VENUS IN FURS). Oscar winner Mercedes McCambridge (JOHNNY GUITAR) and Herbert Lom (THE DEAD ZONE, MARK OF THE DEVIL) co-star as the sadistic wardens of an island prison where abused yet luscious young lovelies surrender to their own depraved desires. Behind bars…without men…experience the unchained passion of 99 WOMEN!

This limited edition of the recently discovered ‘French’ version features all of its long-rumored scenes of extreme sexuality, now totally uncut for the first time ever in America! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Critically Disliked 1969 Women's Prison Film
{NOTE: There are two versions of this movie for sale on Amazon, both have been linked together; I'm reviewing the unrated director's cut not the x-rated French film}

1969 unrated director's cut.The movie has numerous alternate titles, including: "Isle of Lost Women," "99 Donne," "99 mujeres," "Island of Despair," "Prostitutes in Prison," "The Hot Death"

DVD features: The DVD contains a copy of the unrated director's cut plus "extras."The extras include: an interview with the director ("It was a time when the whole world was enjoying a freedom from censorship." - well, I guess he censored himself then; interesting, after the fact some more "hot" scenes were added); deleted & alternate scenes (3; nudity (hard to see) in one scene); trailer (which appears to contain most of the nudity); poster & still galleries and some DVD-Rom feature that I couldn't access.

Credits: Mercedes McCambridge (Superintendent Thelma Diaz; Oscar nomination for "Giant," won for "All the King's Men"), Maria Schell (Superintendent Leonie Caroll; "The Odessa File"), red-head Luciana Paluzzi (Natalie Mendoza), Rosalba Neri (Zoie; "The Arena"), Maria Rohm (Marie), Eliza Montes (Helga), Valentina Godoy (Rosalie), and Herbert Lom (Governor Santos; "The Pope Must Die").Written by Peter Welbeck.Directed by Jess Franco ("Incubus" (2002)).Filmed on an island in the Mediterranean.

Plot: The movie is about a female prison located on an island off the coast of Panama.The guards are "sadistic" (mostly occurs before the action or off-camera) and women are allowed to die (one shown).Also, forced lesbianism "abounds" (ok, once).Rumors float around saying that the new superintendent is a lesbian that is a little to close to the prisoners (spread by the ex-superintendent; their differences in discipline come into conflict).Attempting to escape these "horrible" conditions, three women flee (Marie (prisoner 99), Helga (prisoner 97), and Rosalie (short red-headed girl)).But one dies and the escaped prisoners are recaptured.The prison erupts after the women are returned (not necessarily for that reason).

Review: Interesting, the unrated director's cut of a movie that was originally released as an X rated film with an original run time of 70 minutes (odd, both of my movie guides state that the film is around 90 minutes long and rated R (one believes it is a turkey)). If I'm reading the DVD correctly, the unrated version adds about 20 minutes of footage (but if my movie guides are correct, then no additional minutes are added).One of the movie extras includes a news article about the film that notes that it is X rated and 70 minutes long, so I'm not sure what the real film length and rating was.

Good opening music.A relatively slow movie, takes a while to get going (especially since they cut out the normal "strip-search inspection" of the new prisoners).The prisoners wear the normal skimpy uniforms and girl fights occur, but the first nudity does not occur until around 23 minutes into the film.The director is an "artiste," and most of the "nude" sequences are artistically out of focus, or otherwise barely visible or very short (a shame considering some of the women are attractive).The director also keeps annoyingly moving from out of focus to very close up shots in these types of scenes. A very disappointing movie, I should have paid attention to the critics (though they had seen the original film, not the "director's cut"). As a "mainstream" movie it is disappointing, and as a "nudie pic" it is very disappointing.Some of the actors, though, do seem to be able to act (though the new superintendent smiles too much, and prisoner 99 cries too much).

A very slow movie with surprisingly few nude scenes, and a lot less violence and sadistic guard action.Going by the interview with the director, it would appear that the "unrated" version that I watched was actually one of the "softer" versions of the film (oh, and don't skip that interview, some of the missing "harder" scenes are included). The harder scenes were made by others and inserted into the film later (there are many versions of this film; and apparently one of the versions was at the top of the US box office at one point).(2.00)

Pure utter crap
Blue Underground have done it again. They've dredged up old bootleg footage and are selling this as an "x-rated version." Quality is junk. I will never buy a Blue Undergound DVD and would warn others not to. The inserted footage is merely that inserted. I think the inserted footage came from a fifth generation bootleg VHS. This film is junk. I also am really shocked at amazon carrying porn, and also I think Blue Undergound are actually breaking the law because this film is sold in all 50 states. There are many communities, locales, areas and states where adult material is specifically prohibited by law. Even if this is 35 year old porn - it is still porn. It would be great to see Blue Underground busted for selling this smut -- because they have done a really rotten botched job and are outright liars in deceiving us.

Spliced together nonsense..................
This is the French X-rated version of 99 women, directed by Jess Franco. The running time of this feature is 98 minutes, which means that this is probably the longest, least censored version of the film that is available. The story involves a women`s island prison, a sadistic female warden, a lustful male governor, and the young, lovely female inmates. Can you see where this is heading ? There ARE scenes of extreme sexuality (especially when you consider the film was released in 1969) which include (...). My big problem with this movie is that the hardcore scenes are haphazardly edited into the film. In a few cases, they don`t even seem to be part of the scenes that you have been watching. Also frustrating is the fact that some of the actors taking part in the sex scenes look nothing like the actors that they are doubling (standing-in)for. Just because a woman is wearing a blonde wig does not mean she is going to look like the lead actress that she is portraying. I guess that this movie was pushing the boundaries in 1969, but looking at the dumb story, lousy editing, and sex scenes from a 2005 perspective.....this is just a dated curio.

RIP OFF!!!!!!!!
This is a out right rip off!!!!! I deserve a $30 refund from Blue Undergrtound for out right lying to us! Please refer back to Jordan M. Oakes review it is true in everyword! You will not see any good hard porn from Maria Rohm or any of the well known actors in this flick, they added terrible scenes through out the movie where needed. Only thing he forgot to mention was that it is not even in widescreen and there is absolutely no speacial features, you can't even take the subtitles off. My only fault is I wish I had read his review before I paid for this RIP OFF!!!!! Shame to Blue Underground!

A blatant rip-off and an artistic blasphemy
This DVD is X-rated and hyped and advertised -- right on the box -- as being the "uncut French version." This is a lie. That implies previous versions had scenes *missing*. It misleads the consumer into believing there was lost footage discovered that was directed by Jess Franco -- footage that was intended to be part of the film. However, this is "inserted porn footage" with different actors. It doesn't even match the film. In one scene (in the legitimate movie) a woman is having a flashback about how she ended up in prison. "I was attacked by four men" she says. It cuts to a badly filmed porn scene wherein she is attacked by one man! I mean, if you're going to pad out a movie with porn, at least be sure it's porn with the budget to hire enough actors to make the scene congruous. I paid nearly $30 for this obviously overpriced, fraudulently marketed DVD. The added scenes actually ruin the rest of the movie. Blue Underground -- be honest with the consumer. That way he or she can know what they're getting. As it is, this is the DVD equivalent of turning back an odometer. RIP-OFF! ... Read more

Description

A successful and popular nightclub owner who believes financial independence is the path to equality and success must act as a go-between for his militant-minded brother and the white gang syndicate his brother has attacked and robbed. Their involvements lead to a breathless race-course chase, the destruction of a dope pusher and a violent waterfront climax. Stars Academy Award® Winner Martin Landau (1995, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Ed Wood) and Jim Brown (Any Given Sunday, Mars Attacks!, The Running Man). ... Read more

Description

Plucking the Daisy is just one of the two-dozen films of the 1950s that swiftly established Brigitte Bardot as the bold new model of female sexuality in post-war society.In the film, also known as Mademoiselle Striptease, Bardot plays the coquettish daughter of a stuffy French official.Finding herself in Paris at the center of several well-timed misunderstandings, BB's sexual high jinks culminate with an unforgettable performance in a striptease contest.Home Vision Entertainment is proud to present BB fans with this scintillating screwball romp in a stunning new digital transfer. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Epitome of striptease in all its restored glory
I first saw this movie when I was ten and it began my lifelong fascination with striptease. But, I had only seen a version (probably trimmed for North America) featuring only partial strip, a version which was later released on video. When I saw the DVD version, my eyes popped out of my head : the contestants performing just before Bardot in the striptease contest were fully nude at the end of their act! It was so unbelievable and unexpected that at first I thought that it was fake, that the remaining clothes had been digitally edited out, but no! As I saw by comparing with the VHS version, those are really different takes on the same scene! And the quality of the transfer is top-notch, much better than on the VHS.

Entertaining wacky comedy
Plucking the Daisy is a zany comedy in black and white.

The cast of characters do a fine job. Bardot here looks so very young.This lady always seems to be a joy to watch especially in lighter fare such as this movie. While maybe not one of her sexier performances it is still one of her better overall performances.

Bardot plays the role of a 'good girl' and a rather atypical shy and modest one. She gets into trouble by her own doing and enters an amateur striptease contest to win some much needed cash to bail herself out of her predictament. While other contestants take it all off during the competition, Bardot bares very little at all but still manages to win the contest (first phase).

Other versions of this movie are called Madamoselle Striptease and Please Mr. Balzac. Plucking the Daisy is the film you want to see since it has been digitally restored and is in excellent condition.

While I can't put Plucking the Daisy high on my list of favorite Bardot movies it is nonetheless an eminently watchable and entertaining flick. Those who enjoy wacky type comedies should really enjoy this one.

Enjoyable Fun!
The story line of this film is an enjoyable vehicle which displays the timeless beauty of Brigitte Bardot. This VHS version is marred, however, by the terrible audio and video quality. 5 Stars for Bardot + 0 Stars for the quality of the tape = 2 Stars. If you are a big fan of Bardot (such as myself) you may want to pick to this up to add to your collection, otherwise buy something else. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Did Disney ruin it forever, or was it already too late?
I will make frequent reference to my copy, a discounted version on the notoriously low-quality "Goodtimes Home Video", especially the trademark misrepresentation of the sleeve. SLEEVE: "The Best Heroic Action Movie Ever Made" TRUTH: Probably one of the most ambitious plots. By this print in 1990, there may well have been better action movies. SLEEVE: SEE Hercules single-handedly wrestle a man-eating lion! TRUTH: LAUGH at Hercules as he single-handedly wrestles down a shag carpet. SLEEVE: SEE Hercules beat the infamous Cretan Bull down with his fists! TRUTH: SEE footage of a bull! SEE Hercules struggle for ten minutes with a taxidermist's rendition of a different bull. Strangely enough, these encounters in the first half mean nothing to the plot...because they are about Hercules. The movie, it turns out, is not about Hercules, as he just ends up being an Argonaut stooge. While better dubbed than--say--a Bruce Lee movie, it tries to be a similar style of action (fighting) movie, and these scenes fail miserably by today's standards. It's a given that no child will ever choose this film over the cartoon. However, it was probably doomed to the classic nostalgia crowd anyway. It's a shame Disney got hold of him before there could be a Godzilla-ish remake. All the classics seem to go one way or the other.

The Great Steve Reeves as Hercules
I remember seeing this movie as a child and interestingly enough, now that it is on dvd, my son has bought this for his family.There are no great special effects. And don't look for any great acting, but Hercules is a fun movie and Reeves is the perfect Hercules with a sculpted physique, handsome and charismatic. I hope more Reeves movies become available on dvd. He was the original action hero.

Buff Beyond Belief -- The Original Sand and Sandal Epic
I just watched the Italian film Hercules staring Steve Reeves in the title role. First of all it was a pleasure to see Hercules call on his father Jupiter (and not Zeus as so many would have it).

Hercules travels to Jialco where he finds himself first welcomed by the Throne and then despised. After defeating the Cretan Bull, Hercules finds Jason, lost heir to the throne of Jialco. To prove Jason is who he says he is, Hercules, Jason, Argos and others set out to find the lost Golden Fleece.

Originally shot in Italian, this film does suffer from bad dubbing. This film, and particularly its sequel, Hercules Unchained, are some of the best interpretations of the Hercules legend.

Steve Reeves is wonderful as the hero and looks like he could defeat Kevin Sorbo without even trying. Reeves spends most of the film sans shirt showing off one of the finest builds ever filmed. For those who prefer looking at bodies with more curves, there are plenty of women in short Grecian robes.

What a great pity
This is without doubt the worst film transfer to DVD I have ever seen. I saw the film recently on TV and it was 10 times the quality of this DVD. Dont waste your money on this DVD.
It is an insult to modern technology and frankly a rip-off. Amazon should be ashamed of selling this product.

When Times Were Simpler and Steve Reeves Was Hercules!
Ah, yes! Those were the days! Disregard the dubbed-in dialogue and hokey plot lines. The orginal 1957 "Hercules" is a treasure of fantasy and fun. To those Americans who possess a sense of the past (what used to be known fondly as "nostalgia" prior to the MTV generation and its contemptuous stance toward anything that occurred prior to the maturation of Jennifer Lopez's big, fat posterior), Johnny Weismuller was Tarzen. Bela Lugosi was Dracula. Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger. And Steve Reeves was Hercules. Long before Arnold there was Steve Reeves, the prototype body builder who in the 1940s and 50s surpassed what Charles Atlas initiated a generation earlier. A scrawny, unathletic kid who was teased unmercifully, Reeves decided to do something about his predicament. He made body building and fitness a way of life. Between 1945 and 1950, Reeves won every body building competition and award in the universe, and he did so without the use of steroids or any other drugs. It didn't take long for Hollywood to come calling. After being considered and then turned down for the role of Samson (for being "too muscular") in the 1949 MGM production of "Samson and Delilah" opposite Heddy Lamarr, Reeves spent a few years playing mostly forgetable parts in a number of films before achieving celluloid stardom in his adopted home, Italy. In 1957 Reeves portrayed the legendary Greek hero Hercules in the film of the same name, and repeated the role in its sequel, "Hercules Unchained," two years later. Reeves was extraordinarily handsome with black wavy hair and piercing blue eyes. With his beard and spectacular physique, Reeves looked exactly like the image of the Greek demigod as it had been depicted for thousands of years. So ingrained became his image in the minds of movie fans, that the names "Steve Reeves" and "Hercules" became synonomous. For a time in the late 1950s and early 1960s he was the highest-paid movie star in the world. To kids growing up in an innocent age of malt shops, high school dances, science-fiction comics, and "Father Knows Best," Reeves was the epitome of wholesome manliness. He became the idol and inspiration for a whole new generation of weightlifters and body builders, including Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbo, Reg Park, and old Arnold himself. He enchanted young and old alike as Hercules and as a number of other legendary Greco-Roman characters. In the late 1960s while still fit as a fiddle, very popular, and only in his early 40s, Reeves was asked by Sergio Leonne to star in a series of Spaghetti Westerns. But Reeves decided to leave the acting business. His place was taken by Clint Eastwood, and the rest is history (there's that anachronistic word again). Reeves continued living in Italy where he could be spotted daily "power-walking" (rapidly walking while carrying light weights in his arms) around all the famous sites in Rome. By the 1990s he and his wife returned to America where they raised horses and lived quietly on a beautiful ranch in Southern California. Reeves still looked great into his seventies and remained a steadfast advocate of drug-free athletics. Which is why it was so shocking to hear of his sudden death from cancer in 2000. Supposedly, Reeves visited his physician and was diagnosed with an accutely malignant form of cancer. In two weeks, he was dead. Upon hearing the news, I couldn't accept the fact of his passing. "Steve Reeves dead? Can't be." He always seemed so invincible. How time marches on. But the image of Reeves as the prototype celluloid demigod will endure. In the hearts and memories of many a young boy in the 1950s and 60s, there was no more popular person in the world than Steve Reeves. In many ways, Reeves may well have been the last great role model of an America that used to be. Malt shops are gone. Early sci-fi classic films with thoughtful plots like Howard Hawks' "The Thing From Another World" and Robert Wise's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" are now considered archaic by a generation whose attention span is measureable in nanoseconds. High school dances long ago devolved into loud, coarse, uncivil environments known as "clubs." There are no TV shows even remotely resembling the quaint idealism of "Father Knows Best." Yet certain images from yesteryear remain transfixed eternally in the minds of those still thoughtful enough to remember. Steve Reeves will always be the one and only "Hercules." So long, pal. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Carlton-Browne of the F.O. is a little less tart and smart in itsassault on British diplomacy than the earlier satires by John and Roy Boulting.The much-loved Terry-Thomas plays the idiot son of a great ambassador, given asinecure in the Foreign Office that becomes a hot seat when crises rock thealmost-forgotten former colony of Gaillardia. Clod-hopping "dance troupes" ofevery world power dig for cobalt, a line of partition is painted across theentire island, and the young King (Ian Bannen) is undermined by his wicked uncle(John le Mesurier) and unscrupulous Prime Minister Amphibulos (Peter Sellers).There's a touch of royal romance as the King gets together with a rival princess(the winning Luciana Paoluzzi), but it's mostly mild laughs at the expense ofBritish ineptitude, with Thorley Walters as the dim army officer, Miles Mallesonas the gouty consul, and a snarling Raymond Huntley as the minister. The filmfinds Sellers's nonspecific foreign accent unusually upstaged, with Terry-Thomaswalking off with most of the comedy scenes. It fumbles a bit with obvioustargets, especially in comparison with similar films like Passport toPimlico and The Mouse That Roared, but you can't argue with a castlike this. --Kim Newman ... Read more

Description

For his epic shocker of caged women gone wild, legendary director Jess Franco (EUGENIE, SADOMANIA) brought together a once-in-a-lifetime cast of International beauties including Maria Schell (THE ODESSA FILE), Luciana Paluzzi (THUNDERBALL), Rosalba Neri (LADY FRANKENSTEIN) and Maria Rohm (VENUS IN FURS). Oscar® winner Mercedes McCambridge (JOHNNY GUITAR) and Herbert Lom (THE DEAD ZONE, MARK OF THE DEVIL) co-star as the sadistic wardens of an island prison where abused yet luscious young lovelies surrender to their own depraved desires. Behind bars…without men…experience the unchained passion of 99 WOMEN!

Long censored around the world, 99 WOMEN has been remastered from the producer’s own vault materials and now featuring all-new Extras including deleted scenes and an eye-popping interview with Jess Franco himself!

EXTRAS:
- Jess’ Women – Interview with Director Jess Franco
- Deleted & Alternate Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
- Poster & Still Gallery
- Jess Franco Bio ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Critically Disliked 1969 Women's Prison Film
{NOTE: There are two versions of this movie for sale on Amazon, both have been linked together; I'm reviewing the unrated director's cut not the x-rated French film}

1969 unrated director's cut.The movie has numerous alternate titles, including: "Isle of Lost Women," "99 Donne," "99 mujeres," "Island of Despair," "Prostitutes in Prison," "The Hot Death"

DVD features: The DVD contains a copy of the unrated director's cut plus "extras."The extras include: an interview with the director ("It was a time when the whole world was enjoying a freedom from censorship." - well, I guess he censored himself then; interesting, after the fact some more "hot" scenes were added); deleted & alternate scenes (3; nudity (hard to see) in one scene); trailer (which appears to contain most of the nudity); poster & still galleries and some DVD-Rom feature that I couldn't access.

Credits: Mercedes McCambridge (Superintendent Thelma Diaz; Oscar nomination for "Giant," won for "All the King's Men"), Maria Schell (Superintendent Leonie Caroll; "The Odessa File"), red-head Luciana Paluzzi (Natalie Mendoza), Rosalba Neri (Zoie; "The Arena"), Maria Rohm (Marie), Eliza Montes (Helga), Valentina Godoy (Rosalie), and Herbert Lom (Governor Santos; "The Pope Must Die").Written by Peter Welbeck.Directed by Jess Franco ("Incubus" (2002)).Filmed on an island in the Mediterranean.

Plot: The movie is about a female prison located on an island off the coast of Panama.The guards are "sadistic" (mostly occurs before the action or off-camera) and women are allowed to die (one shown).Also, forced lesbianism "abounds" (ok, once).Rumors float around saying that the new superintendent is a lesbian that is a little to close to the prisoners (spread by the ex-superintendent; their differences in discipline come into conflict).Attempting to escape these "horrible" conditions, three women flee (Marie (prisoner 99), Helga (prisoner 97), and Rosalie (short red-headed girl)).But one dies and the escaped prisoners are recaptured.The prison erupts after the women are returned (not necessarily for that reason).

Review: Interesting, the unrated director's cut of a movie that was originally released as an X rated film with an original run time of 70 minutes (odd, both of my movie guides state that the film is around 90 minutes long and rated R (one believes it is a turkey)). If I'm reading the DVD correctly, the unrated version adds about 20 minutes of footage (but if my movie guides are correct, then no additional minutes are added).One of the movie extras includes a news article about the film that notes that it is X rated and 70 minutes long, so I'm not sure what the real film length and rating was.

Good opening music.A relatively slow movie, takes a while to get going (especially since they cut out the normal "strip-search inspection" of the new prisoners).The prisoners wear the normal skimpy uniforms and girl fights occur, but the first nudity does not occur until around 23 minutes into the film.The director is an "artiste," and most of the "nude" sequences are artistically out of focus, or otherwise barely visible or very short (a shame considering some of the women are attractive).The director also keeps annoyingly moving from out of focus to very close up shots in these types of scenes. A very disappointing movie, I should have paid attention to the critics (though they had seen the original film, not the "director's cut"). As a "mainstream" movie it is disappointing, and as a "nudie pic" it is very disappointing.Some of the actors, though, do seem to be able to act (though the new superintendent smiles too much, and prisoner 99 cries too much).

A very slow movie with surprisingly few nude scenes, and a lot less violence and sadistic guard action.Going by the interview with the director, it would appear that the "unrated" version that I watched was actually one of the "softer" versions of the film (oh, and don't skip that interview, some of the missing "harder" scenes are included). The harder scenes were made by others and inserted into the film later (there are many versions of this film; and apparently one of the versions was at the top of the US box office at one point).(2.00)

Pure utter crap
Blue Underground have done it again. They've dredged up old bootleg footage and are selling this as an "x-rated version." Quality is junk. I will never buy a Blue Undergound DVD and would warn others not to. The inserted footage is merely that inserted. I think the inserted footage came from a fifth generation bootleg VHS. This film is junk. I also am really shocked at amazon carrying porn, and also I think Blue Undergound are actually breaking the law because this film is sold in all 50 states. There are many communities, locales, areas and states where adult material is specifically prohibited by law. Even if this is 35 year old porn - it is still porn. It would be great to see Blue Underground busted for selling this smut -- because they have done a really rotten botched job and are outright liars in deceiving us.

Spliced together nonsense..................
This is the French X-rated version of 99 women, directed by Jess Franco. The running time of this feature is 98 minutes, which means that this is probably the longest, least censored version of the film that is available. The story involves a women`s island prison, a sadistic female warden, a lustful male governor, and the young, lovely female inmates. Can you see where this is heading ? There ARE scenes of extreme sexuality (especially when you consider the film was released in 1969) which include (...). My big problem with this movie is that the hardcore scenes are haphazardly edited into the film. In a few cases, they don`t even seem to be part of the scenes that you have been watching. Also frustrating is the fact that some of the actors taking part in the sex scenes look nothing like the actors that they are doubling (standing-in)for. Just because a woman is wearing a blonde wig does not mean she is going to look like the lead actress that she is portraying. I guess that this movie was pushing the boundaries in 1969, but looking at the dumb story, lousy editing, and sex scenes from a 2005 perspective.....this is just a dated curio.

RIP OFF!!!!!!!!
This is a out right rip off!!!!! I deserve a $30 refund from Blue Undergrtound for out right lying to us! Please refer back to Jordan M. Oakes review it is true in everyword! You will not see any good hard porn from Maria Rohm or any of the well known actors in this flick, they added terrible scenes through out the movie where needed. Only thing he forgot to mention was that it is not even in widescreen and there is absolutely no speacial features, you can't even take the subtitles off. My only fault is I wish I had read his review before I paid for this RIP OFF!!!!! Shame to Blue Underground!

A blatant rip-off and an artistic blasphemy
This DVD is X-rated and hyped and advertised -- right on the box -- as being the "uncut French version." This is a lie. That implies previous versions had scenes *missing*. It misleads the consumer into believing there was lost footage discovered that was directed by Jess Franco -- footage that was intended to be part of the film. However, this is "inserted porn footage" with different actors. It doesn't even match the film. In one scene (in the legitimate movie) a woman is having a flashback about how she ended up in prison. "I was attacked by four men" she says. It cuts to a badly filmed porn scene wherein she is attacked by one man! I mean, if you're going to pad out a movie with porn, at least be sure it's porn with the budget to hire enough actors to make the scene congruous. I paid nearly $30 for this obviously overpriced, fraudulently marketed DVD. The added scenes actually ruin the rest of the movie. Blue Underground -- be honest with the consumer. That way he or she can know what they're getting. As it is, this is the DVD equivalent of turning back an odometer. RIP-OFF! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Long dismissed as the last gasp of a great directing career, Fritz Lang's two-part saga of India needs to be rescued from cinema's dustbin. While it has clear limitations, notably the listless actors and shoddy special effects (hard to overlook the fake tiger), this opus is marked by an awesome sense of formal design, immaculate camera composition, and the creeping sense of fate messing up the characters' lives. In the first part, The Tiger of Eschnapur, we delve into the political and personal intrigue that results from a maharaja's infatuation with a temple dancer (sawed-off, sexy Debra Paget). Lang's pacing is deliberate; sometimes the movie resembles an Indiana Jones yarn slowed to a stroll. But as Lang brings the many threads together, the scheme emerges, and the crisp location shooting in India presents a storybook exoticism that, admittedly, has little to do with reality.

In the second part, The Indian Tomb, a lovesick maharaja exacts his vengeance. Auteurists will recognize Lang's impeccable eye for screen space and his obsessive concern with the price of tempting fate. Even non-auteurists will appreciate the revolt of the underground leper colony and the cobra dance performed by Paget, who wears something less than a bikini. This is melodrama served up without apology by a director more interested in patterns than psychology. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Did Disney ruin it forever, or was it already too late?
I will make frequent reference to my copy, a discounted version on the notoriously low-quality "Goodtimes Home Video", especially the trademark misrepresentation of the sleeve. SLEEVE: "The Best Heroic Action Movie Ever Made" TRUTH: Probably one of the most ambitious plots. By this print in 1990, there may well have been better action movies. SLEEVE: SEE Hercules single-handedly wrestle a man-eating lion! TRUTH: LAUGH at Hercules as he single-handedly wrestles down a shag carpet. SLEEVE: SEE Hercules beat the infamous Cretan Bull down with his fists! TRUTH: SEE footage of a bull! SEE Hercules struggle for ten minutes with a taxidermist's rendition of a different bull. Strangely enough, these encounters in the first half mean nothing to the plot...because they are about Hercules. The movie, it turns out, is not about Hercules, as he just ends up being an Argonaut stooge. While better dubbed than--say--a Bruce Lee movie, it tries to be a similar style of action (fighting) movie, and these scenes fail miserably by today's standards. It's a given that no child will ever choose this film over the cartoon. However, it was probably doomed to the classic nostalgia crowd anyway. It's a shame Disney got hold of him before there could be a Godzilla-ish remake. All the classics seem to go one way or the other.

The Great Steve Reeves as Hercules
I remember seeing this movie as a child and interestingly enough, now that it is on dvd, my son has bought this for his family.There are no great special effects. And don't look for any great acting, but Hercules is a fun movie and Reeves is the perfect Hercules with a sculpted physique, handsome and charismatic. I hope more Reeves movies become available on dvd. He was the original action hero.

Buff Beyond Belief -- The Original Sand and Sandal Epic
I just watched the Italian film Hercules staring Steve Reeves in the title role. First of all it was a pleasure to see Hercules call on his father Jupiter (and not Zeus as so many would have it).

Hercules travels to Jialco where he finds himself first welcomed by the Throne and then despised. After defeating the Cretan Bull, Hercules finds Jason, lost heir to the throne of Jialco. To prove Jason is who he says he is, Hercules, Jason, Argos and others set out to find the lost Golden Fleece.

Originally shot in Italian, this film does suffer from bad dubbing. This film, and particularly its sequel, Hercules Unchained, are some of the best interpretations of the Hercules legend.

Steve Reeves is wonderful as the hero and looks like he could defeat Kevin Sorbo without even trying. Reeves spends most of the film sans shirt showing off one of the finest builds ever filmed. For those who prefer looking at bodies with more curves, there are plenty of women in short Grecian robes.

What a great pity
This is without doubt the worst film transfer to DVD I have ever seen. I saw the film recently on TV and it was 10 times the quality of this DVD. Dont waste your money on this DVD.
It is an insult to modern technology and frankly a rip-off. Amazon should be ashamed of selling this product.

When Times Were Simpler and Steve Reeves Was Hercules!
Ah, yes! Those were the days! Disregard the dubbed-in dialogue and hokey plot lines. The orginal 1957 "Hercules" is a treasure of fantasy and fun. To those Americans who possess a sense of the past (what used to be known fondly as "nostalgia" prior to the MTV generation and its contemptuous stance toward anything that occurred prior to the maturation of Jennifer Lopez's big, fat posterior), Johnny Weismuller was Tarzen. Bela Lugosi was Dracula. Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger. And Steve Reeves was Hercules. Long before Arnold there was Steve Reeves, the prototype body builder who in the 1940s and 50s surpassed what Charles Atlas initiated a generation earlier. A scrawny, unathletic kid who was teased unmercifully, Reeves decided to do something about his predicament. He made body building and fitness a way of life. Between 1945 and 1950, Reeves won every body building competition and award in the universe, and he did so without the use of steroids or any other drugs. It didn't take long for Hollywood to come calling. After being considered and then turned down for the role of Samson (for being "too muscular") in the 1949 MGM production of "Samson and Delilah" opposite Heddy Lamarr, Reeves spent a few years playing mostly forgetable parts in a number of films before achieving celluloid stardom in his adopted home, Italy. In 1957 Reeves portrayed the legendary Greek hero Hercules in the film of the same name, and repeated the role in its sequel, "Hercules Unchained," two years later. Reeves was extraordinarily handsome with black wavy hair and piercing blue eyes. With his beard and spectacular physique, Reeves looked exactly like the image of the Greek demigod as it had been depicted for thousands of years. So ingrained became his image in the minds of movie fans, that the names "Steve Reeves" and "Hercules" became synonomous. For a time in the late 1950s and early 1960s he was the highest-paid movie star in the world. To kids growing up in an innocent age of malt shops, high school dances, science-fiction comics, and "Father Knows Best," Reeves was the epitome of wholesome manliness. He became the idol and inspiration for a whole new generation of weightlifters and body builders, including Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbo, Reg Park, and old Arnold himself. He enchanted young and old alike as Hercules and as a number of other legendary Greco-Roman characters. In the late 1960s while still fit as a fiddle, very popular, and only in his early 40s, Reeves was asked by Sergio Leonne to star in a series of Spaghetti Westerns. But Reeves decided to leave the acting business. His place was taken by Clint Eastwood, and the rest is history (there's that anachronistic word again). Reeves continued living in Italy where he could be spotted daily "power-walking" (rapidly walking while carrying light weights in his arms) around all the famous sites in Rome. By the 1990s he and his wife returned to America where they raised horses and lived quietly on a beautiful ranch in Southern California. Reeves still looked great into his seventies and remained a steadfast advocate of drug-free athletics. Which is why it was so shocking to hear of his sudden death from cancer in 2000. Supposedly, Reeves visited his physician and was diagnosed with an accutely malignant form of cancer. In two weeks, he was dead. Upon hearing the news, I couldn't accept the fact of his passing. "Steve Reeves dead? Can't be." He always seemed so invincible. How time marches on. But the image of Reeves as the prototype celluloid demigod will endure. In the hearts and memories of many a young boy in the 1950s and 60s, there was no more popular person in the world than Steve Reeves. In many ways, Reeves may well have been the last great role model of an America that used to be. Malt shops are gone. Early sci-fi classic films with thoughtful plots like Howard Hawks' "The Thing From Another World" and Robert Wise's "The Day the Earth Stood Still" are now considered archaic by a generation whose attention span is measureable in nanoseconds. High school dances long ago devolved into loud, coarse, uncivil environments known as "clubs." There are no TV shows even remotely resembling the quaint idealism of "Father Knows Best." Yet certain images from yesteryear remain transfixed eternally in the minds of those still thoughtful enough to remember. Steve Reeves will always be the one and only "Hercules." So long, pal. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A hilariously campy piece of garbage
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better. The highlights has to be the scene in the bus station when Burton karate chops poor Cameron Mitchell nearly to death. The movie was so cheaply edited that you can clearly hear director Terrence Young yelling, "Cut, Cam! Get up! Cut!" They don't even bother to edit out the director's instructions. You will be laughing yourself into a choking fit during this lengthy bus station melee,

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one.

Truly disappointing!
Firstly, poor sound. Secondly, the film has been cut, heavily.
Let us hope that Paramount release it on DVD soon, as it is their film. In the meantime, if anyone wants to see this film then just buy the Paramount VHS tape- it's very good quality for picture & sound & it is UNCUT! Do not waste your money or time on this poor attempt at a DVD release!!!

"THE KLANSMAN" WAS A DISASTER
In the Spring of 1974 Director Terance Young and company came to Oroville, California to film the Klansman. The locals were excited to have a big studio film made in the small town. However, when it opened at the State Theatre in Oroville, there was widespread horror.

The film included a castration, an attempted rape and two rapes, plus a whole lot of racial comments and some god-awful acting. You would have thought that Richard Burton would have done well with his acting, but he was one of the worse. He was drunk and chasing an under-age girl for most of the shooting schedule and could not seem to handle the southern accent. (This may have been the incident that destroyed his and Liz Taylor's marriage.)

Lee Marvin, Cameron Mitchell, Lola Falana and a few others did well in their acting but the script shot them down. It was full of racial stereotypes that probably set back racial relations for the next 100 years. (This was OJ Simpson's first film.)

I was there in 1974 and saw a lot of the shooting of the movie. It's only redeeming value to me is the fact that it showed a lot of areas of Table Mountain, Cherokee, Oroville and Sugarloaf Mountain (75 miles north of Sacramento in Northern California).
The scenery is beautiful but the movie is awful.

There are many scenes that are unintentially funny because of the bad acting plus a hilarious scene where Richard Burton "slaps" Cameron Mitchell into a blood pulp. A Classic!

All in all a minor film but worth seeing if you want a laugh or two. Warning, the rape scene with Lola Falana is not for the faint of heart! Plus the castration scene makes ME grit my teeth!

Sad waste of two powerhouse talents
Richard Burton was one of the all-time great thespians and it's a travesty that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences never honored him with an Oscar for any of his numerous nominations. Lee Marvin was a dynamic actor in his own right as well. Why they are wasting their time in this ugly, worthless (...) movie is anybody's guess.
Many films that incorporate a racist theme merit importance when they depict the horror and any subsequent violence that such bigotry and hatred derives. This film does nothing but present a shallow glimpse into the racial tensions stemming from the South (a common and unfortunate stereotype).
One interesting note: OJ Simpson made his film debut here as a radical "Black Panther"-type militant who murders white folks whenever he has a chance. (...)

Campy in the extreme!
This is such an atrociously awful movie that it's a joy to watch. You have to be aware of the real life events that were ongoing during the making of "The Klansman." Burton and Taylor were busting up and Burton was awash in vodka. He arrived in Oroville, California and promptly proposed to an 18 year Denny's waitress. His costar, Lee Marvin, was also drinking a bottle a day. Neither was sober for a single syllable of this terrible movie and their struggles to appear sober make for some hilarious moments.

Burton, as usual, dreadfully overacts and his attempts at a Southern accent are pitiful, to say the least. Marvin's acting is much better, but when he has to speak inane lines from a miserable script, he can't fare much better.

This is a great movie to watch with a couple of beers. If you appreciate a terrible script, crude sets and two major stars who were drunk out of their minds while filming, you'll love this one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Long dismissed as the last gasp of a great directing career, Fritz Lang'stwo-part saga of India needs to be rescued from the movie dustbin. While it has clearlimitations, notably the listless actors and shoddy special effects (hard to overlook thefake tiger), this opus is marked by an awesome sense of formal design, immaculatecamera composition, and the creeping sense of fate messing up the characters' lives. Inpart one, The Tiger of Eschnapur, we delve into the political and personalintrigue that results from a Maharaja's infatuation with a temple dancer (sawed-off, sexyDebra Paget). Lang's pacing is deliberate; sometimes the movie resembles an IndianaJones yarn slowed to a stroll. But as Lang brings the many threads together, the schemeemerges, and the crisp location shooting in India presents a storybook exoticism that,admittedly, has little to do with reality. It ends with a cliffhanger, solved by part two,The Indian Tomb.--Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Two parts don't make a whole.
"Mean Mother" is actually two films in one. Infamously awful director Al Adamson once again took a foreign film and then shot some new footage to combine with it.

The old movie was an Italian film with a cast made up entirely of white people. Adamson decided to somehow make it into a blaxpl