hkfilmnews.blogspot.com/2007/05/hercules-against-moon-men-1964-review.html


Hercules Against the Moon Men

I first came across HATMM when I was watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 a year or two ago. I had stumbled across a very funny little film full of action, bright (well their faded now) colors, and crazy rock men. I had figured I would never see it again outside of the MST3K episode, but much to my surprise it was on a 50 pack Sci-Fi DVD set from Mill Creek Entertainment, which was likely taken from a copy put out by Retromedia (which looks just like the print on MST3K).

So I put the film film in yesterday not sure what to expect, but much to my surprise, besides the infamous sandstorm thrid act which really slows the picture down, I found a really fun sword and sandal film. It succeeds generally in being a briskly paced (once again ignoring the sandstorm) Italian epic with nice costumes and sets and some really out there villains in regards to the rock people of the moon. Hercules must help liberate a kingdom ruled by a Queen of pure evil, who makes the villagers scrafice their children in order to please her cruel moon men overlords (nice, huh?).The action is generally pretty good too as Alan Steel (aka Sergio Cian) (as Hercules plays a really upstanding guy full of energy and also blessed with a decent dubber), finds creative ways to dispatch his enemies. This is instead of the simple, toss a guy across the room school of ass-kicking. While I like the voices on the dubbers the lip-syncs are really off (not as a tech error, just poor syncing in the script), but once you get into the swing of things you no longer mind it as I said the voices are generally good. The costumes like on most Italian epics are gorgeous and a pleasure to look at.

This title can be found easily on numerous PD sets or from Retromedia (it is the same print through). I highly recommend you give this great Italian sword and sandal film a try.

Here is a little fun fact from wikipedia

If you like HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN you should upgrade from the Retromedia and other PD prints, and pick up the Something Weird/Image release. It's a beauty--widescreen, uncut, gorgeous color--and the disc has a lot of sword and sandal extras.

I agree about upgrading to the excellent Something Weird/Image DVD, but be careful--the first issue of the title on Image wouldn't unsqueeze properly, so Image recalled the first release. It's possible that some remaining unsold copies in stores might still be the flawed ones. The reissue disc, which does have excellent color and proper widescreen enhanced for 16X9 TV, bears the serial number ID0047SWDVD. Something Weird Video may still sell it via direct mail order. It was a classy move by Image to remaster it, because I can't imagine that the title was a big seller for them.

There's a chance you'll get a faulty disc if you order it online, but I think most of the copies on store shelves are the corrected version. Defective discs have the serial number 11845 on the spine of the case. The number I had for the corrected version is close to what John posted: I had it as 00475, and John lists it as ID0047SWDVD. (Maybe I got the "S" confused with "5".)

Other widescreen sword 'n' sandal discs:

HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN/HERCULES, PRISONER OF EVIL (Retromedia)
SON OF SAMSON/SON OF CLEOPATRA (Retromedia)
GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON (Something Weird/Image)
GIANTS OF THESSALY/SINS OF ROME (VCI)
HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (Fantoma)
HERCULES THE AVENGER/HERCULES AND THE BLACK PIRATE (Retromedia)
GLADIATORS 7 (VCI)

And if you have an all region player, there are some great widescreen PAL discs:

LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (Steve Reeves)
GOLIATH AND THE BARBARIANS (Reeves)
ROMULUS AND REMUS aka DUEL OF THE TITANS (Reeves and Gordon Scott)
HERCULES UNCHAINED (Reeves)
SAMSON (Brad Harris)
GOLIATH AGAINST THE GIANTS (Brad Harris)

Just a note about the replacement disc, though. Yes, the new spine number for the corrected version is ID0047SWDVD. However, the artwork on the actual disc was not changed so even on the corrected disc, it has the old defective serial number 001184SWDVD. Confused yet?

. . . I checked with amazon.com - when you go to the listing for the HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN for which they say there is no image available, then click on the cover (they actually do appear to have an image available!!), they show the new spine number ID0047SWDVD for that which they say is in stock - we shall see what I end up getting in the mail . . .

The disc itself still bears the older serial number, but the outer packaging has the correct number displayed, as I and others have listed it.

Another great widescreen disc is Bava's ERIK THE CONQUEROR, curently available on PAL, and hopefully to be released in the US later this year.

COLOSSUS OF RHODES will be released in NTSC on June 26th.

While not a peplum, Dark Sky's widescreen disc of THE HELLFIRE CLUB is very good, although not the Continental version.

I'm also hearing rumors of a new Steve Reeves title, but would rather see a copy of the disc myself before commenting about the quality and the aspect ratio.

HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN is a color film but the scenes that take place in the lair of the moom men were filmed in sepia tone, a process that the film's press materials refer to as 'Cosmicolor.' The Something Weird print preserves this fun, William Castle-style gimmick.

Forgot to mention two other Region 1 widescreen discs available, both from Retromedia--the original HERCULES, and the double feature WAR GODS OF BABYLON/WAR GODDESS.

Retromedia's SON OF SAMSON sports some fairly violent scenes in the beginning (an offscreen beheading, villagers being buried headfirst in the ground, etc.). These scenes were cut from US playdates and TV showings, and Retromedia's transfer is apparently derived from a French print that restores them.

A couple changes to the list of widescreen titles in my previous post:

VCI's GIANTS OF THESSALY doesn't belong on the list, as it's not a widescreen transfer; it's 1.66:1.

VCI's scope disc of HANNIBAL should be added to the list.