Too much of everything

Admirable film.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Never heard of this film this morning (or March 2017, when I typed up this review), discovered while doing research in work by accident, honest, found it on YouTube, watched it. The wonders of the modern world never cease to amaze me. This is a Hercules film made by Italian master Mario Bava, starring Christoper Lee! It's good before you even start watching it. Bava is very clever when it comes to cinematography, so you get loads of trick camera shots, great use of colour, amazing sets, and the guy knows that no one comes to these films for acting or political subtext. We want to see Herc smash things up, dammit!Herc and his best mate Thesus return to Italian to find Christopher Lee in charge and Herc's missus out of her head, muttering and not noticing Herc is standing in front of her. Lee's all sympathetic even though he was keeping her in a coffin while murdering people he'd hired to kill Herc (by impaling them on about 20 spikes). Herc figures somehow that he has to go to Hades to retrieve Pluto's stone to help his missus, but to get to hell he'll need to get the golden apple of the Aiedes, and to get that he'll need to get a special boat off of someone else! Bava luckily just piles on the crazy special effects until we just roll with the film instead of trying to figure out what's going on.Herc gets his ship, gets to the Aiedes, makes a massive slingshot and gets his golden apple! Mean while his mates are being attacked by a huge monster made out of stone but that just gives Herc the chance to throw the monster through a wall, exposing the entrance to Hades!Oh, after some trials, Herc gets his stone, but his mate Thesus has fallen in love with Pluto's daughter Persephone, which leads to all sorts of misery for everyone. So Herc's got crazy Christopher Lee trying to sacrifice his missus, the God Pluto hating on everyone, his mate Thesus trying to cut him up, and worst of all, a bunch of flying zombie ghouls after him. That last one came out of nowhere but was most welcome as it gave Herc the chance to throw huge rocks around the place.600,000 times better than any other Hercules/Maciste film I've watched from the sixties (but nowhere near the insanity of the two Lou Ferringo eighties Hercules film), this one benefits largely from having a true expert behind the camera, and another, lesser expert by the name of Joe D'Amato backing him up. Joe of course will go on to forge his own legacy in film with the great self-gut munching classic Anthropophagus and the classic post-apocalyptic film Endgame (plus endless porn films).Two things: Christopher Lee gets burned to a crisp by the sun, just like the last film I watched him in, and after a rather bloody murder involving the slashing of a girl's neck, Lee's face is revealed in the resulting pool of blood EXACTLY like David Hemming's face is reflected in the blood of the killer at the end of Dario Argento's Profondo Rosso. Coincidence?

Mario Bava is one of the greatest directors who ever lived, in my opinion, not only in Italian Horror cinema, but regardless of country and genre. The magnificent Italian Horror deity died thirty years ago this April, and yet he remains unequaled in his unique talent to create a beautifully haunting atmosphere, and gorgeously uncanny mood. Like no other Horror director, Bava 's wonderful repertoire includes such a wide variety of brilliant gems that it is hard to pick favorites. The man's most essential masterpiece is doubtlessly "La Maschera Del Demonio" ("Black Sunday" / "The Mask of Satan", 1960), which was also the first film he took full credit for as a director, and which furthermore rose the wonderful Barbara Steele, the unrivaled goddess of Gothic Horror cinema, to fame. However, his filmography includes a variety of other true masterpieces that range among Horror's all-time greatest, such as the brilliant anthology "I Tre Volti Della Paura" ("Black Sabbath" / "The Three Faces of Fear", 1963), the unspeakably eerie "Operazione Paura" ("Kill Baby Kill", 1966), the incredibly beautiful "La Frusta E Il Corpo" ("The Whip and the Body", 1963), or the proto-Gialli "La Ragazza Che Sappeva Troppo" ("The Girl Who Knew Too Much", 1963) and "Sei Donne Per L'Assassino" ("Blood and Black Lace", 1964) with which Bava single-handedly created the wonderful Giallo-sub-genre. And even when dabbling outside his most familiar Horror genre, Bava surpasses all the rest as his insanely brilliant Crime Thriller "Cani Arrabbiati" (1974) proves.Having adequately praised the master (as in any review on a Bava film that I write), I can finally come to this film. While "Ercole Al Centro Della Terra" aka. "Hercules in the Haunted World" aka. "Hercules Vs. The Vampires" aka "Hercules at the Center of the Earth" of 1961 isn't nearly en par with any of the man's masterpieces, it is yet another beautiful feast for the eyes that no lover of Gothic goodness could possibly resist. Co-directed by Mondo-great Franco Prosperi ("Mondo Cane"), this Hercules feature, which was inappropriately given a "Vampire" aka. title in order to cash in on Bava's Horror fame, is a Sword and Sandal film. However, it is a Sword and Sandal film by Mario Bava, and therefore has more to offer than the usual heroism, muscle-men, and beautiful nymphs in despair. "Hercules in the Haunted World" sends the eponymous Greek demigod (played by muscle-man Reg Park) to Hades. And who would be more predestined to bring the Greek underworld, the 'haunted' world of the dead to screen than Bava? No one, of course. Bava brings his wonderful Gothic style to ancient Greece here, and the underworld he creates is hauntingly beautiful as only Bava could do it. The almighty Christopher Lee, another great man whom I could praise forever, plays the villain in this film, but unfortunately has very little screen time. The female cast members are entirely beautiful, above all the gorgeous Ida Galli, who also had a part in Bava's own "The Whip and the Body" and many other Italian Cult productions. Overall, "Hercules in the Haunted World" is obviously a lot cheesier than Bava's Horror films, and certainly not his most remarkable creation. People unfamiliar with the great director should first see the masterpieces named in the first paragraph. However, my fellow Bava enthusiasts can not afford to miss this excursion into a haunted Hades of Bava's creation. Highly recommended!

Hercules in the Haunted World (1961) *** (out of 4) In order to save his love, Hercules (Reg Park) must travel to Hell and bring back a magical stone but even after returning he has another bad guy to face (played by Christopher Lee). When this was released to DVD several years ago, many came out of the woods to say how great this movie was and what magic it created. Well, the praise is overrated but there's no doubt director Bava could do miracles with small budgets. This is the first Hercules movie I've seen so I have nothing to compare it to but it's not too hard to believe that this is perhaps the best one made. The biggest problem with the film is its story, which is rather bland and at times there are large holes where not too much is going on. What does work is the brilliant work by Bava who creates a terrific looking world. The atmosphere is very rich and beautiful to look out and there are plenty of great scenes including the dead rising at the end to stop Hercules. Another great moment, and the highlight for me, is when Hercules must battle a rock monster. Park is pretty good in his role but I was bored by the supporting cast and that includes Lee who just comes off bland and not too much fun.

Mario Bava's distinctive touch is obvious in HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD; the beautifully-lit sets (and miniatures) literally shine. (As do Reg Park's glistening pair of pecs, for that matter.) This is my second-favorite Bava film- a close second to PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES (which likewise boasts eerily-but-beautifully-lit sets). The highlight (for me) would have to be the non-stop attack by the flying vampires (whose resurrection reminds me more than a little of the resurrection-to-come in the kung fu fright flick, THE LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES). Just when it looks like our hero might tire from overexertion (ripping loose and lobbing stone pillars takes a lot out of you, you know), there's light at the end of that there long, dark tunnel. Suspenseful stuff, if you ask me. A bit slow at times, perhaps, but a good Bava film nonetheless.