Hercules Against the Moon Men / The Witch's Curse

Hercules Against the Moon Men / The Witch's Curse


Starring:Sergio Ciani, Jany Clair, Anna Maria Polani, Nando Tamberlani, Delia D'Alberti, Jean-Pierre Honoré, Franco Morici, Goffredo Unger, Giuliano Raffaelli, Roberto Ceccacci, Stefano Carletti, Paola Piretti, Anna Maria Dionisi, Attilio Dottesio, Kirk Morris, Hélène Chanel, Vira Silenti, Andrea Bosic, Remo De Angelis, Angelo Zanolli
Director: Giacomo Gentilomo, Riccardo Freda, Antonio Leonviola
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
There's more well-muscled beef on display here than at a cattle farm in Texas, but for fans of camp/cult titles or action with a mythological bent, this double bill of Italian-made sword-and-sandal adventure films will provide some old-school thrills. In the widescreen Hercules Against the Moon Men, Alan Steel (née Sergio Ciani) steps into the toga as the World's Mightiest Mortal (though in the original Italian version, he was called Maciste) to defeat a hot-blooded queen in cahoots with a race of evil invaders from the Moon. And in Riccardo Freda's The Witch's Curse, Kirk Morris is Maciste, who must travel to Hell in order to save a woman possessed by the spirit of a dead witch. While the atrocious English dubbing renders these films into laugh fodder (Moon Men made for one of the funnier "experiments" on Mystery Science Theater 3000), their lush photography, frenetic pacing, and moments of pure budget surrealism (the ape creature in Moon Men, the visit to Hell in Curse) are solid reminders to both novice and veteran viewers of the Italian film industry's inventiveness and eye for spectacle, as well as the unadulterated fun these films provide. --Paul Gaita
Description
Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964, 86 min.) - It's muscles versus monsters when a meteor-like object crashes into the ancient country of Samar, where Moon Men set up headquarters inside "The Mountain of Death" and demand hundreds of human sacrifices. Evil sexpot Queen Samara secretly joins the Moon Men after being promised she'll be "The Most Powerful Women on Earth" once their dead queen returns to life. And it just so happens that the dead Moon Queen is a dead ringer for pure-in-heart Princess Billis, whose blood must be given to the Moon Queen when the planets align and everyone is "under the evil of Uranus." Fortunately their dastardly plans are spoiled by Hercules, who also confronts a gorilla-like beast with gigantic fangs, the Moon Men's "huge deformed rock-like creatures," and the Queen's spike-covered torture machine. But when Herc isn't looking, Samara slips him an aphrodisiac that turns the muscular superhero into her own personal love slave! This colorful sci-fi sword and sandal fantasy is one of the most enjoyably wild and wacky of the Italian Muscleman movies, presented here in gorgeous widescreen "Cromoscope!" "C'mon men, let's storm the palace!" "The Witch's Curse" (1963, 75 min.) - When the villagers of a Scottish town believe an innocent woman is the reincarnation of a witch once burned at the stake, Maciste sets things right by going to Hell, literally, in the 1963 feature pitting Kirk Morris against The Witch's Curse!
Hercules Against the Moon Men/The Witch's Curse
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Hercules Against the Moon Men/The Witch's Curse
    Starring: Kirk Morris , Hélène Chanel , Vira Silenti , Andrea Bosic , and Remo De Angelis
    Director: Riccardo Freda , and Giacomo Gentilomo
    Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

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    Similar Items:
    1. Son of Samson/Son of Cleopatra
    2. Goliath and the Dragon
    3. Hercules/Mole Men Against the Son of Hercules
    4. The Giant of Metropolis/Hercules and the Princess of Joy
    5. Hercules The Avenger / Hercules And The Black Pirate

    ASIN: B000089Q5R
    Release Date: 2002-10-15
    Hercules Against the Moon Men / The Witch's Curse
    Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    • Best Ever!
    • Attack of the Muscle Men !
    • Somewhat lacking --
    • So bad it can be great
    		 Hercules Against the Moon Men / The Witch's Curse

    Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
    ProductGroup: DVD
    Binding: DVD

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    ASIN: B00006IUIJ
    Release Date: 2002-10-15

    Amazon.com

    There's more well-muscled beef on display here than at a cattle farm in Texas, but for fans of camp/cult titles or action with a mythological bent, this double bill of Italian-made sword-and-sandal adventure films will provide some old-school thrills. In the widescreen Hercules Against the Moon Men, Alan Steel (née Sergio Ciani) steps into the toga as the World's Mightiest Mortal (though in the original Italian version, he was called Maciste) to defeat a hot-blooded queen in cahoots with a race of evil invaders from the Moon. And in Riccardo Freda's The Witch's Curse, Kirk Morris is Maciste, who must travel to Hell in order to save a woman possessed by the spirit of a dead witch. While the atrocious English dubbing renders these films into laugh fodder (Moon Men made for one of the funnier "experiments" on Mystery Science Theater 3000), their lush photography, frenetic pacing, and moments of pure budget surrealism (the ape creature in Moon Men, the visit to Hell in Curse) are solid reminders to both novice and veteran viewers of the Italian film industry's inventiveness and eye for spectacle, as well as the unadulterated fun these films provide. --Paul Gaita

    Description

    Hercules Against the Moon Men (1964, 86 min.) - It's muscles versus monsters when a meteor-like object crashes into the ancient country of Samar, where Moon Men set up headquarters inside "The Mountain of Death" and demand hundreds of human sacrifices. Evil sexpot Queen Samara secretly joins the Moon Men after being promised she'll be "The Most Powerful Women on Earth" once their dead queen returns to life. And it just so happens that the dead Moon Queen is a dead ringer for pure-in-heart Princess Billis, whose blood must be given to the Moon Queen when the planets align and everyone is "under the evil of Uranus." Fortunately their dastardly plans are spoiled by Hercules, who also confronts a gorilla-like beast with gigantic fangs, the Moon Men's "huge deformed rock-like creatures," and the Queen's spike-covered torture machine. But when Herc isn't looking, Samara slips him an aphrodisiac that turns the muscular superhero into her own personal love slave! This colorful sci-fi sword and sandal fantasy is one of the most enjoyably wild and wacky of the Italian Muscleman movies, presented here in gorgeous widescreen "Cromoscope!" "C'mon men, let's storm the palace!" "The Witch's Curse" (1963, 75 min.) - When the villagers of a Scottish town believe an innocent woman is the reincarnation of a witch once burned at the stake, Maciste sets things right by going to Hell, literally, in the 1963 feature pitting Kirk Morris against The Witch's Curse!

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Best Ever!.......2006-11-08

    I, like many, have seen this film more times than I would openly admit and, I must say that this is the BEST EVER version of Hercules against the Moon Men I've seen. I am referring to the picture quality. It is very sharp. I did not notice the "compressed aspect" as has been mentioned in other reviews here. The Witch's Curse does not look as clean unfortunately but, it also is the best version I've seen -with respect to picture quality.
    There are some nice extras and I am very happy with the overall item.

    2 out of 5 stars Attack of the Muscle Men !.......2002-11-25

    First of all, let's not kid ourselves--"Hercules Against the Moon Men " ( HAMM ) and the "Witch's Curse" ( WC )are pretty bad movies. However, for people like me who remember those dubbed, Italian "spear and sandal" epics from the early 60s, these films still provide good fun. If you are expecting big-budget production values, plots that make sense and great special effects--stay away !

    HAMM gives us "Alan Steel" as Hercules--he certainly has the physique but, for me, Steve Reeves was, and always will be, the best Hercules. Reeves was always knocked for his acting--well, Steel makes Reeves look like Olivier ! Basically Herc has to overcome one obstacle after another to battle forces from the Moon ( don't expect too much here ) and the evil queen who is under their control. Probably the highlight is when our hero is captured, and placed between two slabs of wood with huge knives pointing toward him--as those nasty points get closer, Steel gets to flex his muscles all over the place. This is a classic moment for Hercules' fans. Actually, I found the finale of the film very quick and disappointing. Overall, if you like a healthy serving of cheese and muscle, HAMM delivers.

    As another reviewer has pointed out, an error occurred in the transfer of HAMM--figures seem abnormally stretched--if a corrected version is released will my friends at Amazon send a replacement ( hint--hint )? Added note, dated 15 July 2006--I guess the answer to my last question is a resounding "NO" !

    WC is even more outlandish--it is 17th century Scotland--everyone is heavily clothed ( Scotland can be chilly ! )--and here comes muscle-bound Kirk Morris running around in briefs. This is one of many smiles you will get from this "so bad it's good" movie. Again, in his search through the underworld for an evil witch, our hero--Maciste--must use all of his strength to defeat various phony-looking monsters, and avoid one scrape after another. This is a very bizarre movie, but I found that I had to keep watching it.

    The transfer of WC is not great--but it is not poor enough to spoil your fun.

    Overall, a fascinating double bill--what's that expression--" they don't make them like that anymore " !

    3 out of 5 stars Somewhat lacking --.......2002-11-12

    The main feature, "Hercules Against the Moon Men" to my eyes looks very compressed. The figures are stretched out as if they spent time on a Medieval torture rack. The images call to mind old Cinemascope movies mooshed together to be shown on fullscreen TV. Sort of hard to watch. Nice, bright, colorful pictures, though. The back-up feature "The Witch's Curse" is so-so. Many of these things are bought on the basis of the extras. HOWEVER: Many of the "coming attractions" trailers for the peplum movies are in black and white.

    3 out of 5 stars So bad it can be great.......2002-11-10

    If you love bad films - I mean really bad films - this double feature is incredible. The gladiator cycle of the 1950's and 1960's that started with Steve Reeve's very decent Hercules was running out of ideas and was becoming increasingly far fetched in plots. In Hercules versus the Moon Men, we enter science fiction territory as Herc battles silly masked aliens, cardboard rock monsters, and an ape creature with a serious lower jaw problem (how does he eat?). There's also a dust storm that lasts forever. In Witch's Curse we are in Mario Bava's Black Sabbath territory as our hero Maciste is in 17th century Scotland (without much clothes, where people have no Scottish accents) and literally goes to hell to save an innocent woman accused of witchcraft (the first thing he meets is a lion - how does he eat?). Logic and consistency are never allowed to stand in the way of advancing the plot. If you demand things in movies like believability or halfway decent acting, these are not for you. Otherwise, enjoy. The DVD is loaded with tons of tongue in cheek extras but no commentary - you get to supply that on your own. This has "MST3K fodder" written all over it.

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