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Hercules in the Haunted World

Started by lester1/2jr, August 25, 2007, 08:34:15 AM

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lester1/2jr

      This was a gay "barberella" disguised as a macho swords and sandals epic.  The theme of forbidden love between theseus and persophone was unmistakable.  Still,  it was very colorful and I even liked the comic relief guy.  the biggest problem I had with it was the tiny letterbox format.  i used the zoom feature on my tv, but that made the image less clear.  They are in a cave for more than half the movie, so alot of the time I was watching Caravaggio type chiaroscura however you spell it.  I had the same issue with "danger Diabolik"  which was simliarly entertaining but unfortunately squinty.

RCMerchant

 I did a imdb sarch on it-Directed by Mario (BLACK SUNDAY) Bava And with Christopher Lee as the bad guy? Wow. Sounds interesting!
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Kester Pelagius

Quote from: lester1/2jr on August 25, 2007, 08:34:15 AM
      This was a gay "barberella" disguised as a macho swords and sandals epic.

What?   :question:

If you're going to attempt to dismiss a movie by drawing an analogy to another movie you feel to be similar in style and content, a movie you are also, by way of comparison, claiming was made in imitation of the movie being referenced at least do a cursory check to be sure that the movie you are using was actually made PRIOR to the movie you are citing.  Your criticism may sound more valid this way.

Case In Point: Barbarella was made circa 1968 while Hercules in the Haunted World was made circa 1961.

BTW:  Calling a movie "gay" is not a valid criticism.  You could, instead, refer to "blatant homoerotic undertones" or "confused gender roles" but using "gay" really adds nothing to your critique.
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Joe the Destroyer

Quote from: RCMerchant on August 25, 2007, 09:33:09 AM
I did a imdb sarch on it-Directed by Mario (BLACK SUNDAY) Bava And with Christopher Lee as the bad guy? Wow. Sounds interesting!

That makes me want to see it even more!

lester1/2jr

kester- I was simply describing what it was like to me.  I didn't mean to imply i didn't like it.  I thought it was great.  nor did I want to imply it ripped off Barberalla.

there are no rules to criticism.  and  all swords and sandals episc have homo erotic undertones

BoyScoutKevin

Quote from: lester1/2jr on August 25, 2007, 08:34:15 AM
      This was a gay "barberella" disguised as a macho swords and sandals epic.  The theme of forbidden love between theseus and persophone was unmistakable.  Still,  it was very colorful and I even liked the comic relief guy.  the biggest problem I had with it was the tiny letterbox format.  i used the zoom feature on my tv, but that made the image less clear.  They are in a cave for more than half the movie, so alot of the time I was watching Caravaggio type chiaroscura however you spell it.  I had the same issue with "danger Diabolik"  which was simliarly entertaining but unfortunately squinty.

I just want to try to clear up some confusion, which I had and which others may have had,  in the review of this film. The love between Theseus and Persephone may have been "forbidden," but it was not a "gay" love. Theseus, the king of Athens, and played by George Ardisson, was a man. Persephone, queen of the Underworld and consort of Hades, and played by Ida Galli, was a woman, thus it could not be a "gay" love. If it was "forbidden," it was more likely forbidden on the grounds of a mortal loving a goddess, and one who was married to another god, at that.

Still, this is a film I've always wanted to see, if only because it stars Christopher Lee.

Kester Pelagius

Quote from: lester1/2jr on August 25, 2007, 12:20:16 PM
kester- I was simply describing what it was like to me.  I didn't mean to imply i didn't like it.  I thought it was great.  nor did I want to imply it ripped off Barberalla.

FYI: If that was your intent you failed.  Especially when you employ a incindary (and very politically incorrect) perjorative bit of slang such as "gay" as your primary adjective.

Quote from: lester1/2jr on August 25, 2007, 12:20:16 PMthere are no rules to criticism.

Aristotle might disagree wity you.  As might some "professional" critics.

Quote from: lester1/2jr on August 25, 2007, 12:20:16 PMand  all swords and sandals episc have homo erotic undertones

That is an prejudicial stereotype of that really doesn't apply to sword-and-sandal genre as a whole, and very rarely to the "epics".

Are there homo-erotic undercurrents in Cleopatra?  The Fall of Rome?

Now those so-called "muscle man movies", which are something of a sub-genre within the genre, those are an entirely different matter altogether.   :wink:
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lester1/2jr

I gave it 4 stars.  apparently you didn't care for my ireverant approach. 

QuotePersephone may have been "forbidden," but it was not a "gay" love.

that's true,  but like ABBA and the village people would have songs about like napolean at waterloo that was really about doing coke and experimenting with your sexuality.

I wonder if mario bava ever said anything about this movie that would shed light on this issue.

and "gay" was not an insult.  I meant it was like a homosexual version of barberella.  and in a way it is, taken out of it's filmographic historical context.  It features scantily clad men instead of scantily clad jane fonda and other worldly comic book type imagery.