Goliath and the Vampires (Italian: Maciste contro il vampiro) is a 1961 Italian peplum film directed by Sergio Corbucci and Giacomo Gentilomo. The film features the famed superhero Maciste as its main character, although the American release changes his name to Goliath, as American International Pictures felt that the name "Maciste" was not significant to American audiences.
| Goliath and the Vampires | |
|---|---|
 Italian theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Produced by | Paolo Moffa[2] |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Alvaro Mancori[2] |
| Edited by | Eraldo Da Roma[2] |
| Music by | Angelo Francesco Lavagnino[2] |
Production company | Ambrosiana Cinematografica[1] |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures (United States) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
| Country | Italy[1] |
Plot
editSet in the ancient world, this film follows a powerful muscular man out to battle a vampire and his forces that go from village to village taking slaves and female victims.
Cast
edit- Gordon Scott: Maciste
- Gianna Maria Canale: Astra
- Jacques Sernas: Kurtick
- Leonora Ruffo: Guja
- Annabella Incontrera: Magda
- Mario Feliciani: Omar
Production
editBoth Giacomo Gentilomo and Sergio Corbucci are credited as directors of the film.[2] Barry Atkinson stated Corbucci's input to the film was minimal.[3]
Release
editGoliath and the Vampires was released theatrically in Italy as Maciste control il vampiro on 21 August 1961.[2][1] It was released theatrically in the United States in April 1964, with the main character's name redubbed to Goliath, as American International Pictures felt that Maciste was not significant to American audiences.[1] American International Television released the film to television as part of its 1968 Young Adult Theatre package as The Vampires.[4]
The film was made available on home video by Something Weird.[1]
Reception
editFrom contemporary reviews, the Monthly Film Bulletin stated that the film was a "mixture of handsomely decorated spectacle and the supernatural" with "first rate-editing".[5] The review concluded that the reviewer "missed the guiding hands of a Bava or Cottafavi; and it seems probable that the film's intermittent drive and suspense can be more safely attributed to Corbucci than to his co-director, Giacomo Gentilomo"[5] In Variety, the reviewer "Tube." declared that "even the most ardent devotees of these overstuffed, simpleminded muscle spasms from Italy figure to be disenchanted with this latest entry in that league."[6] The review found the film "ludicrously written and crudely executed" and that Gordon Scott's acting was unsubtle.[6]
From retrospective reviews, Howard Hughes wrote in his book on Italian cinema that Gordon Scott's performance was "above average" in comparison to other contemporary genre films.[7] In their book on Italian Sword and Sandal Films, Roy Kinnard and Tony Crnkovich noted that the film's production design by Kosta Krivokapic and Gianni Polidori was aided by Alvaro Mancori's cinematography, which was described as "striking" and that the film was a memorable entry in the peplum film genre.[1] The review also lamented that "most of the available prints have faded color."[1] In his book on Italian peplum films, Barry Atkinson also praised the set design and cinematography as "an artful blend of creepy fantasy and Gothicism".[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 76.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kinnard & Crnkovich 2017, p. 73.
- ^ a b Atkinson 2018, p. 115.
- ^ Craig 2019, p. 171.
- ^ a b "Goliath and the Vampires "(Maciste control il Vampir)"". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 31, no. 360. 1964. pp. 150–151.
- ^ a b Variety's Film Reviews 1964-1967. Vol. 11. R. R. Bowker. 1983. There are no page numbers in this book. This entry is found under the header "April 29, 1964". ISBN 0-8352-2790-1.
- ^ Hughes 2011, p. 9.
Bibliography
edit- Craig, Rob (2019). American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476635224.
- Atkinson, Barry (2018). Heroes Never Die!: The Italian Peplum Phenomenon 1950-1967. Midnight Marquee Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1936168750.
- Hughes, Howard (2011). Cinema Italiano - The Complete Guide From Classics To Cult. London - New York: I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-84885-608-0.
- Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (2017). Italian Sword and Sandal Films, 1908-1990. McFarland. ISBN 978-1476662916.
External links
edit
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