Just dreadful film about George Hamilton playing some rich playboy type seeing his sister being engaged at the film's beginning and then, strapped for cash, needing to locate some will so he can continue his relative life of ease. Hamilton and his sister have a very, very close relationship it seems. Anyway, Hamilton owes money to thug/gangster/loan shark/over-actor Cameron Mitchell, and he must do whatever is needed to restore his income. This movie is just flat-out one big bore. It is directed by that awful director Gordon Hessler who could have Vincent Price and Christopher Lee in the same film(even in one film having Peter Cushing as well)and make them boring. Hessler is competent behind the camera lens in terms of framing a picture, etc..., but he has little talent in getting his audience interested in what he films or interested in his hangups which abound in almost all of his films. Hamilton is embarrassingly bad mugging to the camera spouting ridiculous dialog and mimicking the likes of Cary Grant, Clark Gable, and Humphrey Bogart. Overact he does and to the point of nausea for the viewer. I cannot say much in favor of this film: it has nothing it would seem to do with Medusa, the location shots in Greece are made to be quite mundane, and the plot...well, let's just say it makes little sense nor creates little interest. The "payoff" at film's end can be seen miles away, and it is yet another Hessler sick, twisted, perverted aspect. Mitchell is fun to watch considering his enthusiasm for the role, which allows him to flood one man's lungs with water via a garden hose and use a bulldozer to push a man in a car over a cliff. As for the rest of the thespians, they are all Greek to me...nearly. This is primarily a Greek production with an American "star" and a German director. Go figure huh? Lucianna Paluzzi plays Hamilton's very, very devoted sister with little appeal. The only performance which I would say offered any merit is that of Takis Kavouris as a somewhat witty, somewhat eccentric police inspector. He has what little dialog that has any worth. But all in all this one is literally a sleeper. It tries to be artsy and intelligent in parts, even having Hamilton narrate ala William Holden from Sunset Boulevard at the beginning. I was so not impressed! Like the lost city of Atlantis, this one sinks right to the bottom, "like a plastic boat in a bath tub." Again, just dreadful.
20 Reviews
"Medusa" will turn you to stone-cold boredom...
Jonny_Numb20 July 2006
George Hamilton shows why he became more popular for his tan than acting ability with "Medusa," a terribly insipid attempt at a crime thriller with would-be supernatural undertones. The plot...ummmmm...doesn't really make any sense (and not in the good David Lynch way). Okay, imagine Andrezej Zulawski's "Possession," with made-for-TV production values, none of the surreal sh1t, and a bunch of cop-thriller baloney. Set against a Greek backdrop, George (our hero?) plays a character more obnoxious and muggy than what you'd find in a typical "Saturday Night Live" sketch; anyway, he runs afoul of scenery-chewing gangster Cameron Mitchell (whose presence in any movie is like the official stamp of bad taste) who is whacking a bunch of guys(?); George spends the rest of the film running around Greece, wooing (and killing) random females, and finally fleeing to 'Atlantis' on a boat with his unusually devoted sister. Some existential hokum about the body dying, but the soul living forever is tossed in like an afterthought. Blandly directed by Gordon Hessler, "Medusa" is a slow-moving bore, its only amusing moments belonging to Mitchell ("The Toolbox Murders"), who gives an epic bath-house speech that is brilliant in its own head-scratching incoherence.
I don't know WHY this movie's called Medusa
vegeta398624 July 2009
That's one of the biggest problems i have with this movie. i have NO idea why it's called Medusa. She doesn't appear in the movie, there's no mention of her, and it's not even one of those cheesy things like "cat on a hot tin roof" where they use her name in a metaphor one time. they NEVER mention her or allude to her. EVER. if you name a movie "Medusa", then it better FRIGGIN HAVE MEDUSA IN IT! but enough of that, how's the actual movie? well it comes in the chilling movie 50 pack, and that's probably the only reason anybody would see this stinker. and it has a problem a lot of the other movies do. number 1. it's not a horror movie and therefore does not belong in a horror set. number 2. it's boring. BORING BORING BORING. God how do all these 70's movies keep getting more and more boring? but OK. lets discuss plot. Guy (Hamilton) needs to find the new will to destroy it so he and his sis can get all the inheritance money so he can pay off the mob. along the way people die. why? i'm not sure. there's really no justification of WHY these people are dying, they just kind of are. This movie was actually incredibly hard to follow. There were several characters doing things that i didn't know what they were doing and i didn't really care.
this movie made me stop several times to take breaks. and as a film lover. i hate doing that. i despise stopping movies and taking breaks. i saw epic movie in one sitting. i should be able to sit through anything. But not Medusa, oh no. you have to break this crap up.
Even the kills are dull as dirt in this movie. there's a lot of strangulations and offscreen deaths with no tension because i couldn't tell who was dying half the time because of oh yeah. the lighting! This movie must have a hard on for night shots because over half of this movie is filmed like someone forgot to bring a flashlight on their camping trip. The picture gets so dark you can't see who's doing what or what's going on. it's confusing and stupid.
The payoff (if you can call it that) isn't really a payoff because the beginning of the movie shows you what happens at the end. so it's not really a payoff.
Unless you want to see all 50 movies in your box set, (in which case know you're in for a boring one here) for the love of GOD do not search for this movie by itself, but if you HAVE to sit through it, just know you're in for a snoozer.
Medusa gets 2 scenes in pitch black dark, out of 10.
this movie made me stop several times to take breaks. and as a film lover. i hate doing that. i despise stopping movies and taking breaks. i saw epic movie in one sitting. i should be able to sit through anything. But not Medusa, oh no. you have to break this crap up.
Even the kills are dull as dirt in this movie. there's a lot of strangulations and offscreen deaths with no tension because i couldn't tell who was dying half the time because of oh yeah. the lighting! This movie must have a hard on for night shots because over half of this movie is filmed like someone forgot to bring a flashlight on their camping trip. The picture gets so dark you can't see who's doing what or what's going on. it's confusing and stupid.
The payoff (if you can call it that) isn't really a payoff because the beginning of the movie shows you what happens at the end. so it's not really a payoff.
Unless you want to see all 50 movies in your box set, (in which case know you're in for a boring one here) for the love of GOD do not search for this movie by itself, but if you HAVE to sit through it, just know you're in for a snoozer.
Medusa gets 2 scenes in pitch black dark, out of 10.
Attack of the over actors!
Bezenby21 December 2011
I got this as part of a box set and ignored it for years. Desperate to tidy up the unwatched films in my collection prior to Christmas, I threw this one on and watched it in a flu haze. George Hamilton sure is annoying, isn't he? This film is part crime caper, a quasi-giallo for a while, then a tragedy. I must have very low standards because I didn't find this one too slow at all, but the over-acting of George Hamilton really scuppers the film. His character is so absolutely smug and irritating it nearly derails the film. On the other hand, Cameron Mitchell, who is also way over the top here, manages to entertain as a cackling old gangster.
What you have here is a bunch of people you don't care about after an amended will. A mysterious person is killing off folk involved, but it ain't that hard to figure out who it is. Medusa was worth one watch, but throughout I wanted to reach into the screen and strangle George Hamilton, who constantly acts like a moron who's been put in front of the camera for the first time.
You can get this film free through public domain - that should ease the pain a little.
What you have here is a bunch of people you don't care about after an amended will. A mysterious person is killing off folk involved, but it ain't that hard to figure out who it is. Medusa was worth one watch, but throughout I wanted to reach into the screen and strangle George Hamilton, who constantly acts like a moron who's been put in front of the camera for the first time.
You can get this film free through public domain - that should ease the pain a little.
Borrring.
Steve_Nyland10 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Good lord. Talk about having my will to live sapped out through the eyeballs. This movie was long, this movie was boring, and this movie is rather hard to find so readers can relax and go rent BOAT TRIP or maybe KANGAROO JACK instead. Just insert rusted razor blade shards underneath your fingernails and watch a wall of fresh paint dry to simulate the viewing experience of Gordon Hessler's MEDUSA. There are no women with snakes for hair and nobody gets turned into stone, other than unwary viewers who watch this movie without some form of intoxicant to numb the pain.
THE PLOT: George Hamilton plays a rich, insane Warren Beatty wannabe who lurks around the Isle of Rhodes (thats off the Greek coast, unless they were lying) disrupting wedding parties in what I guess is an Elvis costume, wandering around drunk, and annoying people by wearing a stupid denim jacket with the image of a Native American stitched on the back. A series of murders takes place that seem to implicate Hamilton and/or his attractive local "handler", embodied by former 007 girl Luciana Paluzzi. Cameron Mitchell wanders in from a different movie to menace various people before being abandoned miles from the coast during a swim from Hamilton's boat in the film's most effective scene. I mean, what would you do thrown overboard so far from shore that you can't even see it? You'd DIE. So there!!
One of the problems with the movie is that it assumed we cared about what was going on the screen, and other than a few jolting moments of creepiness the movie just sort of whimpers along, not helped in the least by Hamilton's mugging and mincing for the camera with that stupid jean jacket with the Indian on the back. Every time it appeared on camera all I could think was, what a stupid jacket. Sadly that is the only level on which the film engaged me and was not campy or self aware enough to be fun on a bad level. It was long, it was boring, and when it was over I was delighted.
THE PLOT: George Hamilton plays a rich, insane Warren Beatty wannabe who lurks around the Isle of Rhodes (thats off the Greek coast, unless they were lying) disrupting wedding parties in what I guess is an Elvis costume, wandering around drunk, and annoying people by wearing a stupid denim jacket with the image of a Native American stitched on the back. A series of murders takes place that seem to implicate Hamilton and/or his attractive local "handler", embodied by former 007 girl Luciana Paluzzi. Cameron Mitchell wanders in from a different movie to menace various people before being abandoned miles from the coast during a swim from Hamilton's boat in the film's most effective scene. I mean, what would you do thrown overboard so far from shore that you can't even see it? You'd DIE. So there!!
One of the problems with the movie is that it assumed we cared about what was going on the screen, and other than a few jolting moments of creepiness the movie just sort of whimpers along, not helped in the least by Hamilton's mugging and mincing for the camera with that stupid jean jacket with the Indian on the back. Every time it appeared on camera all I could think was, what a stupid jacket. Sadly that is the only level on which the film engaged me and was not campy or self aware enough to be fun on a bad level. It was long, it was boring, and when it was over I was delighted.
Sock it to ya, right on
catfish-er30 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I just started working my way through the Chilling Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection and MEDUSA is the third movie in the set. Why this movie is called MEDUSA was a riddle. But thank goodness for Wikipedia, which says, Medusa has since been adopted by many women as a symbol of female rage.
Set in the Greek Isles, MEDUSA stars George Hamilton as Jeff. a recently deceased playboy, recounting his life's mistakes. Starting at his sister's wedding, where he attempts an Elvis impersonation; and, is promptly ejected from the celebration. Next are his drug dealings; and, other nefarious activities, like getting involved with loan sharks, torture, murder, and mayhem.
In my opinion, his worst offense is horrendous impersonations of American icons of the time. How George Hamilton ever got another acting job after this one is as much a mystery as the film's title.
The entire thrust of the movie is that someone has died. Apparently, the will of whoever has died must stipulate that Jeff and his sister inherit the fortune. That way, when Jeff gets his share, he can pay off the loan shark; and, the "syndicate" whose money it is that someone in this mess of a movie has managed to lose.
The BEST SCENE in the whole movie is the car rolling down the embankment – finally a realistic "car falls over cliff" scene that doesn't end with a bang! (Note: See Mythbusters "Crash and Burn" that aired on 11/11/2009 for definitive proof!)
The BEST LINE in the whole movie is when the police show up; and, the occupant says, "Look, this is a bad time" the policeman responds, "That's okay, I've got bad news!" Now that's PURE GOLD!
Set in the Greek Isles, MEDUSA stars George Hamilton as Jeff. a recently deceased playboy, recounting his life's mistakes. Starting at his sister's wedding, where he attempts an Elvis impersonation; and, is promptly ejected from the celebration. Next are his drug dealings; and, other nefarious activities, like getting involved with loan sharks, torture, murder, and mayhem.
In my opinion, his worst offense is horrendous impersonations of American icons of the time. How George Hamilton ever got another acting job after this one is as much a mystery as the film's title.
The entire thrust of the movie is that someone has died. Apparently, the will of whoever has died must stipulate that Jeff and his sister inherit the fortune. That way, when Jeff gets his share, he can pay off the loan shark; and, the "syndicate" whose money it is that someone in this mess of a movie has managed to lose.
The BEST SCENE in the whole movie is the car rolling down the embankment – finally a realistic "car falls over cliff" scene that doesn't end with a bang! (Note: See Mythbusters "Crash and Burn" that aired on 11/11/2009 for definitive proof!)
The BEST LINE in the whole movie is when the police show up; and, the occupant says, "Look, this is a bad time" the policeman responds, "That's okay, I've got bad news!" Now that's PURE GOLD!
Mesmerizingly bad
Poseidon-314 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Proof positive that stars are better off not being left to their own devices, this mess of a film is one made during Hamilton's foray into producing his own movies. Having found his work with the studios increasingly minor and benign (and after suffering through the public flop of the TV-series, "The Survivors"), Hamilton began producing and starring in his own projects. "Evel Knieval" came first and was no "Citizen Cane", but this is even worse. He plays a (half?) Greek heir who shares the family fortune with his sister (Paluzzi), but whose funds are threatened when a new will is reported to have been drawn up which leaves them in the lurch. With the help of his henchman friend Mitchell, Hamilton tries to locate the will at any cost, but, as he struggles to get it, people begin dying right and left, sometimes with his involvement and sometimes not! Meanwhile, he and the recently-engaged Paluzzi appear to have far more than the usual brother-sister relationship. A tireless police inspector wanders around trying to make sense of it all (as does the viewer!) Hamilton gives an utterly embarrassing performance here, but since he controlled the purse strings, it isn't likely that the director was going to rein him in too much. He offers up a series of lame movie star impersonations and generally hams it up mercilessly when he isn't staring catatonically. Paluzzi really tries to give a performance in a non-playable role, but winds up looking rather foolish at times. At least here she's allowed to use her own voice unlike in her later disaster "The Klansman". It's safe to say that Mitchell's fans will not see anything like his work here in another project. he is given carte blanche to be as outrageous as he pleases, straddling a torture victim and calling him "baby", flooding a man's lungs with water from a hose, spitting out dialogue through a bread-filled mouth and soaping himself up in a Turkish bath while trying to act through the suds. At least he gives a lively portrayal, ridiculous as it is. Rambow plays Paluzzi's patient fiancé. Also appearing is Hamilton's then-wife Stewart, who plays a photojournalist that may figure into the location of the will. She seems to be having fun attempting to act, though the audience may not be experiencing the same reaction. Anyone who likes hearing authentic Greek music played loudly and frequently may bump up the rating of this thing since it's practically overrun with mandolins and singing. It's just an incoherent, senseless, mean-spirited, faux-kinky piece of junk that's only interesting as a curio. It's hilarious to think that Hamilton sunk his money into a turkey like this when it's the type of film most contract players would have gone on suspension to avoid! No wonder he went back to supporting performances in glossy junk like "Once is Not Enough" before enjoying a late-career renaissance with "Love at First Bite" and "Zorro: The Gay Blade". No one seems to know what the title means or implies. The only person turned to stone is the one who sits idly through all 103 minutes of the movie!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Hitchcoc18 December 2006
George Hamilton. What an argument for birth control. I have never seen this guy in anything worthwhile, yet he still seems to hang around. This terrible film involves his being tiresome and obnoxious. He goes from place to place, acting like an idiot, drunk, living a life he wants to continue. If this is why he needs the money, don't give him any. He serves no purpose at all. The title of the movie is misleading. If someone can explain it to me. I found it in a horror collection. I thought it was about Greek mythology. There is no Medusa. That's the thing that when looked at would turn a person to stone. Just about the same thing happened to me. Only I was snoring the whole time. There is nothing campy or bad movieish about this. It is an hour and half of dreadful dullness. Oh yes, George is known for his tan.
A great Greek tragedy..............that this movie was made.
Zeegrade29 January 2009
According to what I've read about Medusa it was partially produced by "star" George Hamilton which puts it into the category of vanity projects that tend to become tedious stories that overexpose the actor who in some way feel that their particular talents aren't utilized more. Clocking in at a whopping 103 minutes, Medusa, a title that bares no significance whatsoever to the plot, delivers a dagger to any possibility of Hamilton seen as anything other than a hammy, Warren Beatty clone.
George Hamilton plays the role of Jeff an American playboy, drunk, gambler, screwup delux that is purportedly in line to inherit millions through a will. Jeff has a very unhealthy relationship with his sister, here played by Luciana Paluzzi who has been betrothed to financially successful Theodore Roubanis as Nikos. The fact that Jeff and Sarah are brother and sister when Hamilton is unabashedly American and Italian Paluzzi, thick accent and all, seem so odd that it would have been better to say that perhaps they were former lovers than siblings. They certainly act the lovers part anyway. Jeff desperately needs to be included in the will because he owes money to friend and gangster loan shark Angelo, ( Cameron Mitchell) who in turn owes money to his bosses. Mitchell is the loan bright spot as he appears to have fun as the tough-talking wise ass who seems conflicted with what to do with Jeff. The rest of the film is about Jeff's decline into the depths of darkness as he and a "mysterious" accomplice go on a murder spree in order to extract information about the will. Takis Kavouras rounds out the cast as a Greek inspector with the hairiest hands I've every seen!
Between Hamilton's mugging to the camera and the dragging plot it truly is a task to watch this in its entirety. George even manages to cast his wife, Alana Stewart, in a pointless role as Eleana. Gordon Hessler of MST3K's Master Ninja fame directs this made for television clunker that provides no surprises whatsoever. There is a Greek musical score that is bashed over your skull repeatedly. If a viewer drank a shot of ouzo every time it blares onto a scene you might actually be drunk enough to make it through Medusa in one sitting. I did not succeed.
George Hamilton plays the role of Jeff an American playboy, drunk, gambler, screwup delux that is purportedly in line to inherit millions through a will. Jeff has a very unhealthy relationship with his sister, here played by Luciana Paluzzi who has been betrothed to financially successful Theodore Roubanis as Nikos. The fact that Jeff and Sarah are brother and sister when Hamilton is unabashedly American and Italian Paluzzi, thick accent and all, seem so odd that it would have been better to say that perhaps they were former lovers than siblings. They certainly act the lovers part anyway. Jeff desperately needs to be included in the will because he owes money to friend and gangster loan shark Angelo, ( Cameron Mitchell) who in turn owes money to his bosses. Mitchell is the loan bright spot as he appears to have fun as the tough-talking wise ass who seems conflicted with what to do with Jeff. The rest of the film is about Jeff's decline into the depths of darkness as he and a "mysterious" accomplice go on a murder spree in order to extract information about the will. Takis Kavouras rounds out the cast as a Greek inspector with the hairiest hands I've every seen!
Between Hamilton's mugging to the camera and the dragging plot it truly is a task to watch this in its entirety. George even manages to cast his wife, Alana Stewart, in a pointless role as Eleana. Gordon Hessler of MST3K's Master Ninja fame directs this made for television clunker that provides no surprises whatsoever. There is a Greek musical score that is bashed over your skull repeatedly. If a viewer drank a shot of ouzo every time it blares onto a scene you might actually be drunk enough to make it through Medusa in one sitting. I did not succeed.
How George Got Dead
bkoganbing2 July 2011
With a bow to Sunset Boulevard with the late George Hamilton narrating as William Holden did in that Billy Wilder classic just how it came that he got himself dead, Medusa did an impossible thing. It has the beautiful scenery of the Grecian Isles, photographed in color and it's in one dull and confusing picture.
When Hamilton and his sister Luciana Paluzzi are not living totally useless lives as international playboy and playgirl, he's got a very interesting sideline killing people just for the thrill of it and he's got Luciana cleaning up after him.
One of the folks he kills is a guy who does a little of it himself in his line of work, gangster Cameron Mitchell. That one might have had some rational basis because Hamilton's in deep and he's been cut out of his late father's will so no payback money from that source. Truth be told Mitchell's on the hook for that particular bad investment with his bosses.
In the end one really doesn't care one way or the other how Geroge got dead.
When Hamilton and his sister Luciana Paluzzi are not living totally useless lives as international playboy and playgirl, he's got a very interesting sideline killing people just for the thrill of it and he's got Luciana cleaning up after him.
One of the folks he kills is a guy who does a little of it himself in his line of work, gangster Cameron Mitchell. That one might have had some rational basis because Hamilton's in deep and he's been cut out of his late father's will so no payback money from that source. Truth be told Mitchell's on the hook for that particular bad investment with his bosses.
In the end one really doesn't care one way or the other how Geroge got dead.
"The Rhodes Incident" is a far more appropriate title
gridoon202411 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
"Medusa" has a promising opening: a dead body will narrate to us the events that led to his and his sister's death. Unfortunately, the story that unravels from that point on is unpleasant, incoherent, and overlong. Apart from the opening shot of a medusa head statue, the title of the movie has no significance or connection to its content. And yet, there are redeeming virtues: wonderful Greek music, a haunting title song, genuine Rhodian locations, and Luciana Paluzzi, who does the best acting job in the movie. It's a pity that the current DVD prints of "Medusa" are too faded to do full justice to the beauty of the locations. ** out of 4.
Please Make George Hamilton Go Away
evanston_dad8 October 2010
Quite terrible international "thriller" that stars George Hamilton as an obnoxious playboy who may or may not be involved in the murders of a bunch of people connected to his father's will.
I guarantee you you won't care whether he is or not, or whether or not he's bonking his sister in a weird relationship the film suggests might lean toward the incestuous, or why the film's called "Medusa," or how Hamilton managed to have a career despite being worthless in pretty much every category necessary to being a successful entertainer. You will only care about the movie ending so that Hamilton's annoying, twerpy jerk of a character will no longer be assaulting your T.V. screen, or rather you will only care if you are still awake, as I certainly wasn't.
Grade: F
I guarantee you you won't care whether he is or not, or whether or not he's bonking his sister in a weird relationship the film suggests might lean toward the incestuous, or why the film's called "Medusa," or how Hamilton managed to have a career despite being worthless in pretty much every category necessary to being a successful entertainer. You will only care about the movie ending so that Hamilton's annoying, twerpy jerk of a character will no longer be assaulting your T.V. screen, or rather you will only care if you are still awake, as I certainly wasn't.
Grade: F
Greece Is The Word...
azathothpwiggins2 July 2022
Jeffrey (George Hamilton) is a frivolous, quite possibly psychotic playboy. He and his sister stand to inherit the family fortune through their zillionaire father's will. It's not long before those involved with the will begin dying at the hands of a mysterious strangler.
Not even fellow psycho and loan shark, Angelo (Cameron Mitchell) is a match for this shadowy figure!
MEDUSA is a semi-dark, somewhat twisted tale of greed, violence, and murder. There are a few memorable scenes, like Angelo's swimming sequence. Though kooky and dull, this movie is worth watching to witness Hamilton and Mitchell face off in their dueling histrionics. Hamilton is his usual smirking self. So, if you're a big fan of "The Man With The Tan", that'll bump this one up a couple of notches...
Not even fellow psycho and loan shark, Angelo (Cameron Mitchell) is a match for this shadowy figure!
MEDUSA is a semi-dark, somewhat twisted tale of greed, violence, and murder. There are a few memorable scenes, like Angelo's swimming sequence. Though kooky and dull, this movie is worth watching to witness Hamilton and Mitchell face off in their dueling histrionics. Hamilton is his usual smirking self. So, if you're a big fan of "The Man With The Tan", that'll bump this one up a couple of notches...
Greek Tragedy of Storytelling
Chase_Witherspoon6 July 2010
Confusing tale of hell-raising playboy (Hamilton), a rogue mercenary thief based in Greece and living a bizarre double life as a cold blooded murderer. Enchanting though she may be, Paluzzi's Medusa connection is tenuous, instead the film focuses on Hamilton's bloody conquests with a succession of exotic imports, among them, Alana Stewart and the beautiful (and unknown) Nora Valsami. The rub of course is that Hamilton never actually recalls doing the deeds, while the manipulative Paluzzi disposes of the evidence (complete with mop and bucket) before suspicion is aroused.
Takis Kavouras is effective as the no-nonsense, yet ineffectual police inspector, while Cameron Mitchell is wasted as a local mobster who ends up, literally, swimming with the fishes in a sadistic demise. Hamilton is suitably hammy as he feigns drunken stupor one moment, fractured lunatic on the edge the next. The relationship between Paluzzi and his character is complex and, to my mind, never properly revealed (there's an implied incestuousness never realised). Paluzzi, for her part is assured and suitably sinister as the title character, with just a hint of the mythology to make the title linkage (revealed in the film's final act).
Authentic and attractive location work, combined with some effective chills and suspense are hampered by the convoluted storyline, making for a very uneven thriller. "Medusa" seems to dramatically change track at intermission, switching from a routine crime drama to a twisted "Bonnie & Clyde". Director Hessler's plot is full of sadism, lust and jealousy - just the ingredients necessary for a Greek tragedy of this ilk, but it ultimately lacks cohesion and sense.
Takis Kavouras is effective as the no-nonsense, yet ineffectual police inspector, while Cameron Mitchell is wasted as a local mobster who ends up, literally, swimming with the fishes in a sadistic demise. Hamilton is suitably hammy as he feigns drunken stupor one moment, fractured lunatic on the edge the next. The relationship between Paluzzi and his character is complex and, to my mind, never properly revealed (there's an implied incestuousness never realised). Paluzzi, for her part is assured and suitably sinister as the title character, with just a hint of the mythology to make the title linkage (revealed in the film's final act).
Authentic and attractive location work, combined with some effective chills and suspense are hampered by the convoluted storyline, making for a very uneven thriller. "Medusa" seems to dramatically change track at intermission, switching from a routine crime drama to a twisted "Bonnie & Clyde". Director Hessler's plot is full of sadism, lust and jealousy - just the ingredients necessary for a Greek tragedy of this ilk, but it ultimately lacks cohesion and sense.
Became Very Boring Quickly To Me
Rainey-Dawn16 October 2016
I like all of the actors in this film - I really do and they did their best in this film as always - they were fine - but the storyline is boring! The first few minutes of the film I really enjoyed... it started out very cute and I thought I was in for a treat but severe boredom set in and I watched the rest of the film in fast-forward. I'm sorry but I found this film extremely boring after the first few minutes which was really cute.
And classifying the film as a thriller? I guess so, but I personally would call it more of a "bore-iller" lol. I don't know, maybe it's my current mood? Maybe the film really is that boring? I think Medusa is referring to Cameron Mitchell's character Angelo who is a murderous gangster - but I'm really unsure. Sorry guys but there is no Gorgon in this film.
2/10
And classifying the film as a thriller? I guess so, but I personally would call it more of a "bore-iller" lol. I don't know, maybe it's my current mood? Maybe the film really is that boring? I think Medusa is referring to Cameron Mitchell's character Angelo who is a murderous gangster - but I'm really unsure. Sorry guys but there is no Gorgon in this film.
2/10
Very pretty scenery
loujackandrandy21 February 2017
I thought this movie actually started out pretty good! It sounded interesting, especially when he said he died. That got my attention! The scenery was beautiful! But it was overly long. I mean, it kept my attention pretty much although I was confused for a while. Also, was this movie called medusa just because she ended up being a villain? And that brother and sister relationship was a little odd to me. It almost seemed they were....ewwww....a bit more? Her fiancé was quite easy on the eyes though I must say! Not bad movie , just a little too long.
What a rough movie (and not in a good way)
BandSAboutMovies2 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
N Greece, a stewardess is murdered by a masked maniac, with the authorities feeling like it can only be one of two people: a drunken American playboy (George Hamilton) and a murderous gangster (Cameron Mitchell). Yes, the Mill Creek Chilling Classics set really knows how to give you quite the mix of films!
According to screenwriter Christopher Wicking, this film was only made because George Hamilton was willing to do it. He was about to marry Alana Stewart (she's in the film in a small role) and he figured it was the chance to have a great honeymoon with all expenses paid, as well as an acting salary.
As for the film that emerged, well...it tries to be a giallo yet has none of the trademark verve and energy of that genre. It does have Luciana Paluzzi from The Green Slime as Harrison's incestuous sister. So it has that going for it.
Man, I usually love Gordon Hessler's films, like Scream, Pretty Peggy and Sho Kosugi's Pray for Death. But this film plods like no other film has plodded before. It's hour and thirty-nine minute running time may as well be three years and nine months.
I guess I can honestly say that this is both the best and worst George Hamilton vanity project that I've ever seen.
According to screenwriter Christopher Wicking, this film was only made because George Hamilton was willing to do it. He was about to marry Alana Stewart (she's in the film in a small role) and he figured it was the chance to have a great honeymoon with all expenses paid, as well as an acting salary.
As for the film that emerged, well...it tries to be a giallo yet has none of the trademark verve and energy of that genre. It does have Luciana Paluzzi from The Green Slime as Harrison's incestuous sister. So it has that going for it.
Man, I usually love Gordon Hessler's films, like Scream, Pretty Peggy and Sho Kosugi's Pray for Death. But this film plods like no other film has plodded before. It's hour and thirty-nine minute running time may as well be three years and nine months.
I guess I can honestly say that this is both the best and worst George Hamilton vanity project that I've ever seen.
So it is definitely intrigue turnabout filled
Apollo15AnnoPianoCatDogSnailAnt22 August 2020
First Hamilton movie and for Paluzzi, besides the Bond movie, counts as first filled with lots of turnabouts, for this type of like thriller/mob flick of the era, many made. George is great, has a zaniness to his portrayal along with the intrigue, Luciana shows the sinister quality, and all the greaseball mob guys play their parts well. The title is good, but what is this exactly I am assuming the spirit of the whole mob thing eventually destroys, yeah. Also because takes place in Greece, like current spirit of this beast still holds dominion. I would prefer more fantastical elements, this has too much realism but for this type which is part of this cycle of 70s gritty movies, it is well made.
The audience who went to see this movie initially didn't stay because they liked it. They stayed because they fell asleep.
mark.waltz9 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"Hamilton the Greek" is an excruciatingly dull crime drama focusing on excruciatingly dull people who should be exciting based on what's going on in their life. Well, it's life for everybody but George Hamilton who is discovered dead in the opening scene and comes back to life through some truly tedious flashbacks. Obviously American actors will do anything for a free trip plus salary to exotic places, including appear in an excruciatingly bad film, and along with Cameron Mitchell (then on a downswing so it's understanding why he took the job) and Luciana Paluzzi, struggles to make it through a messy story where even the action scenes don't keep the audience awake.
I was expecting so much more after the great credit that showed a statue of medusa, and as it has been noted, this great set film has nothing to do with the gorgon of mythological fame, even as a metaphor. After a while, the bazookie music becomes tedious and the great location footage becomes all the audience really has to hang on to. Mitchell spends most of the film yelling at Hamilton over money that he stole from him that wasn't his to begin with, and the situation involving a murder is underdeveloped. I did my best to stick with it, but like the soldiers whom Medusa turned to stone, I just sat there expressionless. There's a reason why forgotten movies like this end up in discount multi packs on DVD. Nobody researching it would buy it any other way.
I was expecting so much more after the great credit that showed a statue of medusa, and as it has been noted, this great set film has nothing to do with the gorgon of mythological fame, even as a metaphor. After a while, the bazookie music becomes tedious and the great location footage becomes all the audience really has to hang on to. Mitchell spends most of the film yelling at Hamilton over money that he stole from him that wasn't his to begin with, and the situation involving a murder is underdeveloped. I did my best to stick with it, but like the soldiers whom Medusa turned to stone, I just sat there expressionless. There's a reason why forgotten movies like this end up in discount multi packs on DVD. Nobody researching it would buy it any other way.
A very confused Greek thriller
Red-Barracuda10 August 2011
A rich brother and sister live on the island of Rhodes in Greece. The brother gets himself into some bother with a loan shark. While he needs to locate some will that will somehow allow him to keep the cash flow going so that he can continue his life of luxury.
To be honest, I had no idea what the hell the will sub-plot was all about. It didn't make a lick of sense. What the movie boiled down to was George Hamilton and his sister going round killing people for purposes I could not really fathom. Maybe they were supposed to be maniacs? Perhaps, seeing as they seem to have a border-line incestuous relationship. Cameron Mitchell plays the loan shark and is a much better presence than Hamilton who is in the main just a smarmy presence. I can't honestly remember seeing Hamilton in anything else; I am now beginning to understand why. The Greek setting is definitely one of the strong points about this endeavour, although other than it being a Greek legend I still cannot work out why this was called Medusa. Before watching I was hoping for a story about a snake-haired woman. Sadly that never came to pass. Medusa is watchable to be fair. It's OK in a Wednesday afternoon kind of a way. But it isn't a well made movie, as it is too senseless for what it is. If you want to watch a Greek film about a murderous incestuous brother and sister then you are advised to check out Island of Death instead.
To be honest, I had no idea what the hell the will sub-plot was all about. It didn't make a lick of sense. What the movie boiled down to was George Hamilton and his sister going round killing people for purposes I could not really fathom. Maybe they were supposed to be maniacs? Perhaps, seeing as they seem to have a border-line incestuous relationship. Cameron Mitchell plays the loan shark and is a much better presence than Hamilton who is in the main just a smarmy presence. I can't honestly remember seeing Hamilton in anything else; I am now beginning to understand why. The Greek setting is definitely one of the strong points about this endeavour, although other than it being a Greek legend I still cannot work out why this was called Medusa. Before watching I was hoping for a story about a snake-haired woman. Sadly that never came to pass. Medusa is watchable to be fair. It's OK in a Wednesday afternoon kind of a way. But it isn't a well made movie, as it is too senseless for what it is. If you want to watch a Greek film about a murderous incestuous brother and sister then you are advised to check out Island of Death instead.
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