Maciste e la regina di Samar (1964)

User Rating:

2.0/10   

Director:

Giacomo Gentilomo

Writers:

Arpad DeRiso (screenplay)
Arpad DeRiso (story)

Release Date:

May 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Planets On Collision Course!

Plot:

Hercules is summoned to oppose the evil Queen Samara, who has allied herself with aliens and is sacrificing her own people in a bid to awaken a moon goddess.

Plot Keywords:

Moon | Queen | Hercules | Evil Queen | Sacrifice

Cast

Sergio Ciani	...	Maciste (Hercules) (as Alan Steel)
Jany Clair	...	Queen Samara
Anna Maria Polani	...	Agar
Nando Tamberlani	...	Claudis
Delia D'Alberti	...	Billis (as Delia d'Alberti)
Jean-Pierre Honoré	...	Derax
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stefano Carletti	...	Mogol
Roberto Ceccacci	...	Redolphis
Anna Maria Dionisi	...	Tavernkeeper's Wife
Attilio Dottesio	...	Remar
Franco Morici	...	Timor
Paola Pitti	...	Taris (as Paola Piretti)
Giuliano Raffaelli	...	Tavernkeeper
Goffredo Unger	...	Tarin

Also Known As:

Hercules Against the Moon Men (USA)
Hercules and the Queen of Samar (International: English title) (informal literal title)
Hercules vs. the Moon Men (International: English title)
Maciste contre les hommes de pierre (France)
Maciste contro gli uomini della Luna (Italy)
Maciste et la reine de Samar (France)
Maciste vs. the Moon Men (International: English title)
Maciste vs. the Stone Men (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min | USA:88 min

Country:

France | Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Comptoir Français du Film Production (CFFP)

Trivia:

This would be the final film project for director Giacomo Gentilomo. He left the film industry to pursue a career as a full-time painter.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When the Queen tries to drug Hercules, she pours powder into a cup. She then grabs the cup behind it and hands Hercules the undrugged cup while she drinks from the drugged one.

Quotes:

Maciste: [to Claudis] Your daughter is as courageous as she is beautiful.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Hercules Against the Moon Men (#5.10)" (1992)

Pretty good Peplum

A large asteroid falls on earth and from that emerges a group of aliens who try to take over the ancient world by bringing an evil witch back to life. The story is, like some many of these films, incidental to the action but I really enjoyed the mix of fantasy and sci-fi. The alien is cool looking. The rock monsters are slightly underwhelming (it's the way the walk) but they're fun nonetheless, in a B-movie kinda way. Alan Steel (née Sergio Ciani) is agile even if he's more beefy (and older looking) than Steve Reeves or Mark Forest. The film transfer I saw was bad but even so I had fun watching it. I could see that it was very colorful film in its original state and I'm certain that if this film had a decent transfer, people would be pleasantly surprised by how much fun HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN actually is.

There are several good moments in it, including the "nicer dicer" scene, when Hercules (or Maciste) is trapped within a giant contraption which looks like the jaws of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Cool scene. I thought the film moved at a good pace and was never dull. The actress who played the Queen was a pretty good villainess. She looked like she came straight out of an anime. The actress who played the sister had a massive rack which would make Dolly Parton jealous. The only weakness in the film would be the soundtrack. It's not really impressive.

Peplums like this one are often derided and dismissed for showcasing too much muscle. First of all, so what? Secondly, films like this were made, first and foremost, for kids. Kids back then (and today) are impressed by big burly guys. Just look at the success of the über trashy WWE today, which shows more skin than any of these sometimes overlooked action flicks. Third of all, Sword and Sandal films are probably the most underrated genre ever. Without these films there wouldn't have been a Ridley Scott's Oscar winning GLADIATOR or the current box office smash, 300.

Just watch HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN for what it is: just a fun, colorful action movie, which happens to have some beefcake and cheesecake thrown in for good measure.