Maciste all'inferno (1962)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Director:

Riccardo Freda

Writers:

Oreste Biancoli (writer)
Ennio De Concini (writer)

Release Date:

November 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

After the fires of Hades and frenzied attacks by ferocious beasts, there remained only the venom of 'The Witch's Curse'

Plot:

Maciste travels to Hell to find a witch and make her undo a curse she put on the surface world. |

Plot Keywords:

Hell | Witch | Curse | Eagle | Peplum

Cast

Kirk Morris	...	Maciste
Hélène Chanel	...	Fania
Vira Silenti	...	Young Martha Gunt
Andrea Bosic	...	Judge Parrish
Remo De Angelis	...	Prometheus
Angelo Zanolli	...	Charley Law
Charles Fawcett	...	Doctor
Gina Mascetti
John Karlsen	...	Burgomeister
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pietro Ceccarelli		(as Puccio Ceccarelli)
Veriano Genesi
Trent Gough	...	Assorted Characters (English Language dubbing)
John Francis Lane	...	Servant
Donatella Mauro	...	Doris
Neil Robinson	...	Villager
Howard Nelson Rubien	...	Old Villager

Also Known As:

Maciste in Hell
The Witch's Curse

Runtime:

79 min | Netherlands:88 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Castellana Grotte, Bari, Apulia, Italy

Company:

Panda Film

Trivia:

The US distributor used the English language track that was recorded in Italy. This resulted in this film being one of the few in which the hero's name, Maciste, was used in the English dubbed version. For other films involving Maciste, when the English language track was recorded in the US, his name would usually be changed to a more familiar name such as "Goliath" or "Samson."

Movie Connections:

Featured in Shiver & Shudder Show (2002) (V)

If you haven't seen the uncut version, you haven't seen it

I saw a version of MACISTE IN HELL under the boneheaded title of THE WITCH'S CURSE. That version was OK but nothing really remarkable. While watching the film, I realized it was cut down to pieces, that I wasn't watching the original version but even so I thought, meh. Lo and behold, I got a hold of the original uncut Italian version in beautiful crystal clear widescreen and the difference was WOW!

MACISTE IN HELL is, suffice to say, a Peplum masterpiece. It's a stand-out S&S remake of the silent version, which, obviously doesn't look anything like this 1962 version. Aside from a few weak points and an ending that doesn't rise to the occasion, the rest is a visual masterpiece directed by maestro Riccardo Freda. 15 minutes were cut for the US version, THE WITCH'S CURSE, and those 15 minutes make a HUGE difference. What looked like amateur night suddenly looks like a super smooth atmospheric classic fantasy filled with at times jaw dropping visuals. By cutting those 15 minutes, the careful pacing and mood was destroyed/eliminated and what was left was a clunky simplistic adventure.

The film is, first and foremost, an atmospheric film. There's almost no plot and the film follows a lone Mascite (played to uber beefcake perfection by Kirk Morris, aka Adriano Bellini) going from one feat to another. In other words, except for the intro, the dialogue is minimal. Even the Scottish scenes, which looked somehow out of place and silly in THE WITCH'S CURSE suddenly look just right in the uncut version. The contrast between the somber gray, colorless prison setting with the colorful, eye-filling world of Hell is remarkable. Having Maciste appear almost out of nowhere half-naked in Scotland suddenly makes sense with the expanded scenes that show Maciste as some sort of Hero who's not bound by time and space, thanks mainly to stock footage taken from ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS, SAMSON AND THE 7 MIRACLES OF THE WORLD and MACISTE IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS (SON OF MACISTE).

This film looks so good in its original state that they should re-release it on the big-screen. It would be like seeing an all new film. Some might find some of the effects risible, like when Maciste fights with a giant, but I think they just add to the surreal aspects of an adventure that takes place in Hell. But there are several standout, beautifully realized effect scenes that would wow current moviegoers including a trail of flames following Maciste's footsteps, Maciste's walk through a landscape of damned people or Maciste holding a boulder over his head to protect him from a shower of flames. The latter is the film's highlight.

It's also a very sensual film. It's not just a standard S&S action film but it's a film of the senses. The way Kirk Morris (and Helene Chanel) is shot, the cave settings, the music, all add up to a wonderful experience that often transcends its Peplum root. In essence, the story is about Maciste, who represents spiritual and physical purity and how primordial it is for his spirit and (his clearly exposed) body to remain pure amidst all the temptations or dangers around him, such as Fania or whatever attacks him and tries to kill him. This new angle to a familiar story is, for a film made in 1962, cool and somewhat daring.

The uncut version of MACISTE IN HELL is a classic fantasy waiting to be re-discovered. It's a must see for fans of Peplum or any genre films.