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The new Kino Lorber release of MARCO POLO (1962) starring Rory Calhoun and Yoko Tani (below) will be available for purchase on February 7. It can be pre-ordered now. Even though the release is next week, no reviews or screenshots have been made available yet.
The passing of a legend. Gina Lollobrigida died on January 16 at the age of 95. She starred in a handful of PEPLUM movies, with SOLOMON AND SHEBA (1959) being her biggest movie. Yul Brynner also starred in it. You can check out a rundown of her PEPLUM movies at the main blog.
Rest in peace, Gina.
Happy New Year to all my followers and visitors, regulars and casual lurkers!
German Blu-ray edition of HANNIBAL (1959) starring Victor Mature and Rita Gam, will be available in 2023.
Here’s the brief info on it:
Theatrical version (German & US version identical), uncut , 2 discs, BD (2x), contains bonus disc, extras in HD (partly), media book
It’s being sold as a Bud Spencer – Terence Hill movie. Hill’s role is extensive but Spencer’s role is almost a cameo.
Mylène Demongeot died today at the age of 87. I made an overview of her career in PEPLUM movies at the main PEPLUM TV site:
I won’t do an overview here. Here are some of my favourite photos of her.
THE GIANT OF MARATHON with Steve Reeves
ROMULUS AND THE SABINES
GOLD FOR THE CAESARS
I wasn’t aware that HERCULES AGAINST THE BARBARIANS had a German DVD. It was released in January 2020. I guess the pandemic made everyone overlook everything. Anyway, the DVD has a German and English audio which is a yeah!!! But looking at the specs (below), and the aspect ratio is standard 4:3. So it’s a definite no for me. This is one of those PEPLUM titles with needs to be seen in widescreen.
One of the aspects of the PEPLUM genre which irks me is the dismissive attitude of the success of HERCULES (1958). Many say that it became popular because of clever marketing by Joseph E. Levine. The marketing aspect for the U.S. release might be one of the reasons but not the only reason. This claim basically says the movie is worthless and that it didn’t have any redeeming qualities.
I’ll be writing about this for an article in the soon to be published magazine of BY THE GODS!.
What do you think made this movie such a success? The movie rivalled along much bigger Hollywood movies.
What is it just clever marketing? The movie is just darn good? The casting of Steve Reeves as Hercules?
Steve Reeves as Hercules and crew of the Argonaut.
KINO LORBER has announced the upcoming release of MARCO POLO (1962) starring Rory Calhoun and Yoko Tani (above) on Blu-ray. The movie will be available early 2023. It will be the US print, with opening credits in English, as opposed to KINO LORBER’s version of SAMSON AND THE 7 MIRACLES OF THE WORLD, which didn’t have a genuine new transfer of the US version but a Fan Dub they created. Hugo Fregonese is credited for the English version while Piero Pierotti is credited for the Italian one. Can’t wait to see this.
From the KINO LORBER Facebook account:
The release will only include one cut. The credits on our master are in English and Hugo receives directing credit, so I’m sure it’s not the Italian version where Piero is credited as the director. The running time is 104 minutes and 13 seconds.
The seldom seen (or shown) Italian TV series AENEID (1971) will have a DVD release in Germany. It will be in 4 episodes (the original had 7 episodes). Like so many DVD or Blu-ray releases from Germany, the DVD set will only be in German. No English track or subtitles. I will buy it.
At $61 at Amazon.ca. I like the Maria Montez – Jon Hall movie but that’s too much to pay…even it there are two additional movies with this collection.
If I buy it on Amazon.com, which goes for $31 US, plus shipping + the difference in currencies and we’re close to $61 Canadian.
