Atlas Against the Czar

As the "sword-and-sandal" genre inspired by Steve Reeves' "Hercules" began to run out of fresh material, outlandish variations began to appear. One of the most accomplished and amusing is this bizarre melange which has our bare-chested strongman, (referred to in the dubbed dialog as "Maciste"), revived in late-medieval Russia where he fights the tyranny of an evil czar. Just imagine -- Cossacks in fur hats and baggy pants fighting off a muscleman wearing nothing more than a leathery loincloth! Of course it's silly and easily scorned but it's done with a straight face and darn if it doesn't hold one's interest. The sets, by the way, look more Arabian Nights than Moscow and there's not much in the way of spectacle, but leading man Kirk Morris -- despite his unconvincingly "blond" hair -- has an impressive set of pecs. As is usual in these cases, he sweats and strains in glorious fashion as he passes a test of strength and courage involving two teams of horses which try to snap him like a wishbone.