Witchfinder General 666 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!

TheFinalAlias When it comes to films of style over substance, I don't care what the indie-film fans say, it's NOT us damned yanks who favor style over substance more than anyone; it's the Italians. Face it, most of Italy's great films are great because of storytelling and cinematography, not the stories those techniques served to enhance. Their films were just as studio-controlled as any in America, and director Mario Bava's films were no exception. He often said that he cared nothing at all for his famous monster flicks like 'Black Sunday'(One of the most overrated films in the horror genre), dismissing the critical analysis of his film's thematic content, and said that his true interests in horror lied with the concept of someone alone in a room; facing the darkest aspects of themselves(He would've loved Clive Barker), and in a sense, he never got to make that kind of film, so in a way, his films really were purely style over substance.So it is ironic that perhaps his most rich film, in terms of style AND substance, would be a Sword & Sandle film about Hercules. As a result, the film is frequently dismissed as a lesser effort, and ignored by horror fans because it's not technically a horror film. Sad, as not only is this my favorite Bava film, but easily one of the finest fantasy films ever made.The plot is quite convoluted, so pay attention: Hercules learns that his betrothed, Princess Deianara of Icalia has become stricken with an apparent mental illness where she is slowly dying, in order to save her, Hercules departs to Hades, first to win the Golden(it looks bronze)Apple that will see him through Hades, and then to find a power stone that will keep Deianara from dying, he departs with his horn dog best friend Theseus(!!??) and comedy relief warrior Telemachus(!!!?? Throw all notions of Mythology out the window), only to find that they may have carried away with them a far greater danger than the one they faced when Theseus seduces/is seduced by Hadean Princess Persephone and brings her home, only to find that the gods are not pleased by her absence. It would seem obvious to appease them by making Persephone leave, after all, Theseus goes through relationships like fundies through logic so it won't bother him, but wait a minute, this time he HAS found a perfect relationship, and he's not going to give her up without a fight, even against his best friend......The film features all of Bava's themes; illusion of beauty, doomed romance, incest and the theme of the shattered family and friendship, and despite the juvenile inclinations of the genre, he handles them more maturely than anywhere else. But this isn't just some profound statement on the human condition, oh no, it still has more than it's fair share of mindless spectacle and fun; including two moments of sheer superhero badassery, such as when Hercules ties a boulder to a long whip in order to knock down the branch with the Golden Apple, then repeats the same trick in Hades with, get ready; TREE ROOTS OF THE VEINS OF ALL THE SOULS OF THE DAMNED STILL FILLED WITH BLOOD THAT SHRIEK WHEN THEY ARE CUT to cross a LAVA PIT. *WHEW*It also has plenty of sword fights and an unconvincing but awesomely designed Rock monster too.As impressive as the quest is, the film really hits it's stride after our heroes leave Hades, only to find Icalia ravaged by the vengeful gods, with the mentally unstable(and incestuous) King Lico becoming more and more warped, to the point he feels he needs to commit a sacrifice. What gives the film it's power, however, is Herc's conflict with Theseus, yet the conflict isn't clear cut. Theseus DOES love Persephone, and she loves him, and their romance is very convincingly played even if it blossoms ridiculously fast(within a minute of meeting each other), and although Hercules is willing to do whatever it takes to save his city, he also doesn't want to hurt his best friend, but Hercules also has a warrior's rage that can't be stopped when it gets started...the conflict between these two lifelong friends who have literally been to hell and back with each other is truly heartbreaking, and wonderfully symbolized by Theseus's fall thru the Lava pit wherein he meets Persephone; He has fallen, like Hades himself, can he be redeemed? Actor's Reg Park & George Ardisson may be a bit stiff in terms of dialog delivery, but the sheer emotion they express is Oscar worthy.Franco Giacobini is hilarious as Telemachus, in spite of a few flat jokes, he never becomes annoying or forced and is genuinely amusing. Ida Galli gives a moving performance as Persephone. Leonora Ruffo grates as Deianara, but thankfully has little dialog. Strangely, the most problematic actor is the actor you'd expect to be the best; Christopher Lee as Lico. Not only is the character given little to do despite being the main villain, but his voice is dubbed!!! A dubbed Christopher Lee is like dubbing Elvis with Urkel, or dubbing Barry White with Woody Allen, just ridiculous. For that glaring waste of Lee and the horrible dubbing, I detract half a star for each offense, thus losing one star, with Lee's voice and more screen time for him, this would have been a 10/10.Oh well, in spite of that, this is as perfect as a fantasy film can get, superior even to 'Jason & the Argonauts', where, face it; the stars were Harryhausen's monsters. It's visually stunning from start to finish; undeniably Bava's best looking film. Don't miss it.~

ma-cortes This second film by Mario Bava is also known like ¨Hercules in the haunted world¨ or ¨Hercules vs. the vampires¨ . Here Hércules (a wooden Reg Park , the same of ¨The Conquest of Atlántida¨ by Vittorio Cottafavi) along with Teseo (Giorgo Ardisson) and Telémaco (Giacobini) travel to dead land located into center of earth . Hercules taking on king Lycos (Christopher Lee in similar acting his recent ¨Drácula¨ by Terence Fisher , though his voice was dubbed by another actor for the English-language version) has abducted his sweet-girl, Deianera (Leonora Ruffo) and she has lost her ordinary condition as well as senses . Hercules is accompanied by charming characters with mythological names as Teseo (from legend minotaur) , Telémaco (from Ulisses) , Perséfone (abducted by Hades) . As Hércules embarks on a risked quest for a stone , while he is unaware that Dianara's guardian , King Lycos , is the one responsible for her kidnapping . The trip is plenty of several dangers , a foggy sea , the garden of Hesperides plenty of apples , the encounter with Persefone or Proserpina , meeting with goddess Aretusa , the fighting against a monster of Stone , the bloody liana and trespassing a marshy lagoon with objective to achieve the magic rock . And the creepy final confrontation with Lycos and the eerie ghouls in some terrifying scenes .The picture results to be a horror , sword and sandals epic with adventures , struggles , absurd humour , bizarre scenarios and being quite entertaining . The comic relief to be in charge of Telemaco's character was written by scriptwriter Duccio Tessari , who usually includes humorous touches , for example : ¨The Titans¨ and various Spaghetti Western . Besides , appearing famous Eurotrash babes as Rosalba Neri , Evelyn Stewart or Ida Galli , Leonora Ruffo and the habitual nasty , Raf Baldasarre . As usual , colorful cinematography by cameraman/filmmaker Mario Bava in gaudy colours and groundbreaking atmospheres . Appropriate music score by Armando Trovajoli . The motion picture was co-directed by Franco Prosperi , known director of shocking-documentary such as ¨Mondo Cane¨ and Conan rip-offs . The film belongs to sub-genre blending fantastic , horror and Peplum , like are : ¨Maciste in the inferno¨ (Riccardo Freda,1962) , ¨The conquest of Atlántida¨ (Vittorio Cottafavi , 1961) and ¨Maciste against the vampire¨ (Giacomo Gentilomo,1961) . The picture will appeal to Mario Bava fans.

Maciste_Brother HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD was directed by Mario Bava. I rented it. And I don't see what the fuss is all about. Physically, Reg Park fits the bill as Hercules but he simply can't act and has no charisma whatsoever. The story is very slight and after a while, the excellent cinematography can do so much with so little. Some scenes are beautiful and the whole golden apple moment was excellent, and the living dead attacking Hercules was equally fun but there's simply nothing much going on here to warrant this much attention. The problem with HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD is that, for an action film, it's very static. One only has to look at other Peplums, including those with Reg Park, and see how those film actually fit the bill as action films. HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, though somewhat more cheesy than this Bava flick, was more fun to watch because it moved like a serial of yore. Reg was more animated in that film too. Mario Bava is a unique director, with a unique style, who was just not suited for action films.