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Last week, I received the final version of the first BY THE GODS! magazine edition, with barcode and all. I examined it and it’s all fine.
I hope followers of the blog have purchased it. It’s cool to have a magazine dedicated exclusively to the PEPLUM genre.
You can purchase it at MagCloud or click the link below.
https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2574706
You can get the new BY THE GODS! magazine at MagCloud.
Go to this link: https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2574706
A few things about this:
For now, subscriptions are not available. MagCloud doesn’t offer subscriptions. So the best way to know if there’s a new issue available is to visit this blog or PEPLUM TV on a regular basis.
You can preview the contents of the magazine but personally I would suggest not to. As to keep the element of surprise.
Shipping and handling: MagCloud are the ones who decide how much it will cost to ship to your address.
There’s currently a discount going on until Oct. 8. It’s 15% off the regular price. The code is OCT15. I don’t know if you need to have an account at MagCloud for the discount to work but personally I would create an account regardless as they’ll send emails with discounts that range from 10% to 25%.
Digital copies, or PDFs, will become available in the future, once a good number of editions have been published.
MagCloud is not affiliated with online sellers such as Amazon, which is a bummer. Eventually, I would like the magazine to be available at Amazon but for now the only place you can purchase it is at MagCloud.
You can also donate via the donate button above right, to support the continuation of the blog and this new project.
Enjoy!
Like HERCULES (1958) recently, there’s a new RAI TV HD of HERCULES UNCHAINED (1959) making the rounds on the internet. Like the HERCULES one, the HERCULES UNCHAINED print is the same as the Japanese Blu-ray. It’s sorta nice but it’s not a new transfer. The biggest issue is that it’s cropped or zooming in. It doesn’t have the original aspect ratio which makes it pretty much worthless. Here’s are screenshots of the RAI TV broadcast and the German DVD (below, from my collection).
The screen shot above is from the German DVD. It’s the correct aspect ratio. Below is the one from RAI TV (and also the Japanese Blu-ray). The image is zoomed in or cropped.
Above is a screen shot from RAI TV version (and Japanese Blu-ray) and below is the same scene from the German DVD. Everything inside the red rectangle is what you see in the RAI TV version. Everything outside the red rectangle has been cropped out. That’s a lot of information.
I really don’t like this cropped print. The original framing should be available. If RAI TV can’t even show the correct version of this classic, I’m afraid the movie will never get released properly in HD.
The long delayed BY THE GODS! magazine was completed a few weeks ago and I got the first published edition. I examined the printed magazine, which is cool, to see if there were corrections to be made. Here’s a small preview.
Cover of the magazine.
Inside the magazine.
I found a couple of minor errors in the magazine and I’ve corrected them. I’m waiting for a few things to sort out. Once everything is done, the magazine will be available, hopefully in September. The magazine is a print on demand type. There will be a printed version and a digital version. I’m sorting out everything before it goes live.
Anyway, more on this in the near future!
This blog was created in anticipation of a magazine I had been planning for a while but the unexpected events of the last 2 years or so delayed everything. The first edition of BY THE GODS! is completed and I’ve used an online service that publishes magazines on demand. It will soon be available. I’m just making sure everything is right.
More on this in the near future.
A new HD version of HERCULES was recently shown in Italy, on RAI (see screenshot above with the RAI logo), and it s now available at some websites. Hurray! Well, hold on there. The version is the exact same version as the Japanese Blu-ray, with that odd filter. The image is sharp but the filter gets in the way of enjoying it. The good thing is, someone added the English audio to it. The bad thing, it’s not the preferred English audio. Here’s a quick observation of this print:
Runtime:
The runtime of this new print is 1:38:54. The Japanese Blu-ray is 1:43:10. The Italian TV broadcast is in PAL which explains the shorter time but it’s the same print.
Audio:
The audio of the Italian broadcast is identical to the Japanese Blu-ray which is not good since it’s very weak.
Someone added the English audio to this print, and this one is robust and stronger than the soft Italian one.
The question is: who added the English audio to this Italian broadcast? I’m happy it was added but unfortunately, it’s not my preferred English dub. The one included on this print is the International English audio, dubbed in Italy. The version seen in North America, the ‘Avco Embassy’ version, is, imo, better. Even though there are some quirks in regards to the dialogue, the voices are more warm, less shrill than the International English version.
Steve Reeves and Sylva Koscina. Beautiful!
Intro:
This Italian broadcast doesn’t have ‘Joseph E. Levine presents’ at the beginning, which is correct since Levine acquired the movie while it was in cinemas in Italy. The Japanese version also doesn’t have the Levine intro.
Opening and closing credits:
The opening credit in this one is the original Italian version with the red mural and Italian text.
The International English version of it has an English version, with HERCULES as title with the red mural. But the US version is different with an animated opening credits. I like both but since this is from an Italian broadcast, the Italian version is to be expected.
The closing credit is whole other matter. Back in the past, movies had THE END when a movie concluded. In Italian, it’s FINE. Well, this copy doesn’t have the FINE closing credit. The Japanese Blu-ray also doesn’t have the FINE closing frame. The music, which culminates when FINE appears, is missing. The movie and score peter out and it fades to black. The US copy has a THE END and closing credit with lists of actors and crew.
Above: US version with THE END over Steve Reeves and Sylva Koscina. Below is the FINE with the robust score, familiar with all fans of this movie. In this new copy, there’s no FINE. The movie just fades to black before the crescendo followed by FINE. It’s the same on the Japanese Blu-ray.
Image:
The image is sharp and it’s always nice to see the movie at such a resolution. But if you have the Japanese Blu-ray, it’s not much of an improvement since they are the same.
Above: screenshot from the RAI broadcast. Below: screenshot taken from Japanese Blu-ray. They’re the same. It’s has that odd filter which softens the image, certainly the skin of the actors. It makes everyone ‘glow.’
I’m happy this copy exists but it’s not the actual version seen in movie theatres back in the 1950s. I don’t know why this movie is so plagued with odd aspects. Why is so difficult to get a proper copy without defects?
Maybe it’s cursed.
The new German Blu-ray of THE SON OF SPARTACUS is excellent. The image is clear and the English audio is actually available which is often not the case with German releases. My only issue, and it might be seen as a small one, are the colours. This print seems to have various colour tones and hues.
The German Blu-ray edition (above) vs the Warner Archive edition (below). The Warner one is terrible: too dark and overly red but the sky and ocean seem more realistic than the overly yellowish one of the German Blu-ray. The bag on the lower right is also more true to nature in the Warner release than the German one. Though there’s more general details in the German release, the Warner one seems to have more definition (the ground and bag…) Which is the correct one?
This image above is sharp, much sharper than the Warner archive release but it’s overly greyish blue.
This cropped screenshot from the new Blu-ray has beautiful colours here. Not the yellowish or too blue. Skin tones look great.
The German Blu-ray is excellent but there are some discrepancies in regards to the colour tone in many scenes.
I received the three German Blu-rays last Friday. I got to look at them for a while and I’m pleased with all of them. The BDs are:
Steve Reeves (or Giovanni Cianfriglia…) in THE SON OF SPARTACUS (1962)
Fausto Tozzi and Christine Kaufmann in a familiar setting in CONSTANTINE AND THE CROSS (1961)
Massimo Serata in THE GOLDEN FALCON (1955)
The best of the three is THE SON OF SPARTACUS since it includes the English audio. A definite plus but the image is also excellent. The other two are missing the English dubs and the image quality is good but a bit murky. The super widescreen of THE GOLDEN FALCON is impressive. I wish all these BDs had the English audio but alas it’s often something too hard to ask for.
I’ll have more detailed overviews of each release soon.
I purchased three new Blu-rays from Germany. The cost of shipping is almost as much as the cost of the BDs themselves. I dislike this but I don’t have any choice.
I will post about these new releases once I get them and viewed them.
A batch of new Blu-ray releases of PEPLUM titles from Germany has been announced. Getting all of these will be costly as Amazon Germany adds Shipping & Handling.
THE MONGOLS – In German and Italian only
THE LION OF ST MARK – In German and English
CONSTANTINE AND THE CROSS – In German and Italian only!
THE SON OF SPARTACUS (aka The Slave) – In German, Italian and English!
THE GOLDEN FALCON – In German only
And there’s the HANNIBAL Blu-ray I already mentioned before. There’s also a new boxset of GOR and GOR II from Germany that was released in January.
