Hercules

Plot synopsis:
Hercules is on the road to the court of King Pelias of Iolcus to tutor Pelias' son Prince Iphitus in the use of arms. Pelias' beautiful daughter Princess Iole updates Hercules on the history of her father's rise to power and the theft of the kingdom's greatest treasure, the Golden Fleece. Some suspect—and it eventually proves true—that King Pelias has acquired the throne through fratricide. Hercules and Iole are attracted to each other and a romance eventually develops.
King Pelias is warned by a seeress about a stranger wearing one sandal who will challenge his power. When his nephew Jason, the rightful King of Iolcus, arrives in town wearing one sandal, Pelias takes fright and packs him off to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the distant land of Colchis. Jason and Hercules sail aboard the Argo with their friends Ulysses and his father, Laertes, Argos, the twins Castor and Pollux, the lyre-strumming Orpheus, the physician Aesculapius and others.
After weathering a tempest at sea, the Argonauts dally in a lush garden-like country with Antea, the Queen of the Amazons and her ladies. Jason falls in love with Antea, but, when the Amazons plot the deaths of the heroes, Hercules forces Jason to board the Argo and secretly set sail in the night. On the shores of Colchis, the heroes battle hairy ape-men while Jason slays a dragon and retrieves the Golden Fleece. The Argonauts embark for home with their prize.
In Iolcus, the populace greet the returning heroes but Pelias and his henchman Eurysteus steal the Golden Fleece, deny Jason's claim, and plot his destruction. A tense battle between Pelias' forces and the heroes follows. Hercules halts Pelias' cavalry dead in its tracks by toppling the portico of the palace upon them. The defeated Pelias drinks poison. Jason ascends the throne while Hercules and Iole set sail for new adventures.
Subplots involve the death of Pelias' headstrong son Prince Iphitus, and exploits for Hercules resembling the Labors of the Nemean Lion and the Cretan Bull.

Tags: cult, grindhouse film, violence

Review:
Cheesy greatness from Cannon and those geniuses Golan-Globus combines post-Star Wars science fantasy with 1960s Italian sword & sandal movies.
Ingrid Anderson is gorgeous and her revealing outfit in the latter half of the movie made me drool.The dubbing, special effects, sets, and costumes are all cheap but fun.
The highlights of the movie are Hercules' many impressive feats of strength, such as hurling a bear into space and creating the constellation Ursa Major or pushing apart two bodies of land and creating the continents of Europe and Africa.
Certainly, if you cannot sit through a bad movie, you should avoid this one; however, as bad movies go, this is an epic...a mighty effort of special effects, bad writing, poor dialog and what looks like a single costume shared by every female member of the cast.
No woman in this movie wears anything substantial below the belt...even Dedalus, who for reasons unknown, is a woman in this film.If your children see this movie, please remember to tell them that the movie has absolutely NOTHING to do with the actual myth of Hercules, Minos, Circe or even Ursa Major (the great bear).Use as directed....
And was the scene with bear meant seriously???" The stunning idiocy of the author and incredibly bad performance of all the actors are making this movie simply fascinating.
Hercules directed and written by Luigi Cozzi stars the great Lou Ferrigno as the title character and takes great liberties with his story.
What i liked about it was the steady pacing, the absolutely weird musical cues and Lou's solid, if perhaps too straight performance.Forget all you know about Herc, this film stands on its own.
I am the one who loves you!"Cool movie, what I didn't like was the cheesy robots, they simply looked bad!
This, then, is yet a later variation clearly sparked by the recent spate of Hollywoodian mythological epics like CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981) and CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1981) but giving the old formula a new twist by sprinkling it with a dash of special effects wizardry a' la the STAR WARS saga!
Anyway, although I clearly recall watching this version of HERCULES (and its sequel; see below) on Italian TV at Christmas time in the late 1980s, the details of it all were so hazy in my mind that I virtually remembered nothing of the narrative other than that Hercules gets to do battle with several mechanical monsters and that there was a lot of footage of stars and planets and the like.
Indeed, the film starts with a lengthy, potentially heretical prologue about the start of creation which, apparently, had everything to do with Zeus and the rest of the Greek gods colonizing the moon eons before the Russians did (by way of ultracheesy visual and sound effects) and nothing at all to do withbut this is not the right place to start debating the existence of God or otherwise – lest this review gets confused with another anti-THE GOLDEN COMPASS (2007) argument!
TV's THE INCREDIBLE HULK and former "Mr. Universe" Lou Ferrigno certainly looks the part of the mightiest man alive but, unfortunately, can't act a lick and rarely changes his facial expression throughout the generous 100 minutes of screen time!
He is abetted by a lovely Cassiopea (Ingrid Anderson – whose first and only film this was before going briefly into TV and then quitting for good!) and sultry villainess Sybil Danning and the supporting cast features a decent roster of both veteran and nascent Euro-Cult figures like ex-peplum beefcake Brad Harris, William Berger (as Hercules' No. 1 nemesis, King Minos), Claudio Cassinelli (as Zeus, Hercules' creator here – out of pure light, no less!
– rather than his natural father), former Helen Of Troy Rossana Podesta' (her penultimate film, playing the rebellious deity Hera), Gianni Garko and Eva Robbins (as Berger's enigmatic scientific acolyte, with an unbelievably campy costume to match).Once one accepts the film's bizarre notion of setting the old Greek legends in outer space, this gets to be a veritable "so bad it's fun" show which possibly has few peers: an elaborately staged (relatively speaking), bloodthirsty coup d'etat early on comes to naught when the tyrant is never seen again in the rest of the movie!; Zeus's giant hand emerges from within a waterfall to catch Baby Hercules in his tiny boat inside which, however, are two snake-like creatures whom the infant soon squeezes the life right out of!; Hercules is adopted (in full-on Clark Kent fashion) by a family of simple folk and he is soon farming the fields single-handed via unwieldy contraptions but, when his putative father gets mauled by a grizzly bear, our Herculean hero gets so upset that he hurls the beast straight out into orbit and instant immortality as one of the stars in the constellation (I kid thee not)!; next up are a trio of mechanical assailants which, however, expire even before one gets to have a real good look at them (which is just as well, I guess as, otherwise, one starts to wonder why the weapon Hercules uses to dispatch one of the monsters looks suspiciously like a modern-day giant anchor)!; then Hercules tries his hand at a jousting tournament wherein he holds a dozen contestants simultaneously with their backs to the wall by means of a giant log which, once it serves its purpose in gaining him the championship title, also gets hurled into outer space!; later, Hercules sets his eyes on the veiled Cassiopeia and, to prove his worthiness, he cleans up the dilapidated stables (housing a thousand stallions we're told) with the aid of a nearby flowing river!
I don't have time to go into all the other labyrinthine trials Hercules goes through before meeting up with King Minos for a hilarious confrontation with lightsabre-like swords but, in case you were wondering who was responsible for dividing Earth into the various continents, enquire no further!
This Italian-made would-be epic – which also features a suitably rousing Pino Donaggio score – was a Cannon Group production (namely Israeli film-makers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus) and followed hot on the heels of the similar THE SEVEN MAGNIFICENT GLADIATORS (my memories of which are even more lost within my subconscious) which reunites Ferrigno, Danning and Harris from HERCULES; the latter must not have done too badly at the box office because other films of its ilk came in its wake: not just the sequel but also SWORD OF THE VALIANT (1984), THE BARBARIANS (1987), MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (1987) and the troubled SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1989; also with Ferrigno)..
But once you notice, it get pretty hilarious.The sound effects when Hercules throws the bear into space (it bounces around to the sound of a pinball machine) is another great cinematic moment; we watched this one scene half a dozen times, laughing our heads off..
What is there to hate about this movie?I have seen it and I really can't figure out what's so bad about it.The acting is good the costumes are good the script is good and to tell you the truth the scene where Hercules fights the bear is breathtaking in my vision.Yes,it's aimed at children but that's really not a reason to call it the worst movie ever made.I really don't understand what's wrong with it.The fact that it isn't too violent?That there aren't any guts pulled out or heads ripped off?What?Tell me because I really want to know.However I am not surprised,people here give 10 stars to stupid movies like LOTR and mock great great movies with 3-4 stars,these people ought to be permanently banned from here..
Hercules ,god bless him,actually THROWS a bear into outer space.
Right from the ludicrous account of the "creation" at the start, to Zeus, Athena, and Hera bitch fighting on the moon, to the image of Hercules in skin coloured panties posing in outer space, to the mechanical mythological monsters....
Some people just can't appreciate bad art when it punches them in the face.I think I have seen this over 50 times since I was a kid - we taped it off ABC when they showed Hercules movies late at night for a time.
This is definitely such a "hey, WTF?!" bad movie, you wonder why it was ever made at all.For all the special effects, there's very little real money getting spent here - the poverty shows in the costumes and make up and virtually unadorned sound-stages, but primarily in the casting; not only are the actors and extras incapable of convincing performances, but there aren't enough of them!
This is the most underpopulated version of the ancient world I've every seen.Although there are references to the actual Hercules myths, there is also a lot of loony rewriting of Greek mythology; apparently there's a point to it all - an attempt to comment on the conflicting universes of classical magic and the coming age of 'science,' which point reaches conclusion in the film's sequel.
And one last point - when the Aussies decided to put together "Hercules: the Legendary Journeys" TV show, they actually used the visual style of the Ferrigno films as their reference, just playing it up for laughs..
Cozzi's rendition of "Hercules" with Lou Ferrigno is so hilariously funny that no-one should miss it from his personal list of "10 worst movies of all time".
Lou Ferrigno stars as Hercules the muscle-man who battles a sorceress and others to save the princess who he loves, and who he plans to marry (After cleaning out horse stalls.) in this disastrous epic of Greek mythology, bad special effects and horrendous dubbing.
Aside from the hilariously bad special effects (The throwing of a bear in outer-space is truly laughable in its stupidity.) and the lame fight sequences you have what is the one of the worst movies ever made.
Interestingly however, despite the rather splendid Greek mythology at hand, Cossi instead opts for a bizarre sci-fi themed version of events involving robot monsters and Gods in space(!) Um....anyway, moving swiftly on, our eponymous hero is played here by none other than the awesomely ripped Lou (The Hulk) Ferrigno who proceeds to show us exactly just how mighty he is by throwing a bear into space(!) and breaking sword blades mounted on chariot wheels on his manly thighs(!) Woah!!!
While on earth, Herc throws styrofoam boulders, beats up stuffed bears, and fights the evil hordes of King Minos (William Berger) with plastic swords.
But to a Tween Boy , they were larger than life !!!Lou Ferrigno's take on Hercules was so funny whether he throws a bear into outer space to become the Constellation Ursus or growing into a Giant to separate Europe from Africa with one push !!!
Lou Ferrigno, overdubbed and letting his pecs do most of the acting, is a riot all by himself, but it's the guys playing Zeus and King Minos that really push this thing over the edge.
I defy anyone to keep a straight face when Minos points to a crappy prop robot-monster and says in his booming Shakespearean tones, "He is programmed...to destroy Hercules?" And don't even get me started on the scene where Hercules invents constellations by exploding a ratty-looking fake bear in outer space.
This is a bad movie made good by such a pitiful attempt at film making, but beware - there are instructions to make it through and have a story to tell...
(The peak of the movie: Hercules fighting a grizzly bear, ends up throwing him into outer space.) Basically, pure comedy that is sure to provoke some dissapointing groans.
Grade triple Z special effects, bad dubbed voices and LOU FERRIGNO!
Lou Ferrigno is an impressive muscleman but an untalented actor, and several scenes (like Hercules' battles with the metallic monsters) are too preposterous for words.
After being adopted, he grows into Lou Ferrigno, who sets out to find his place in the world after his mother is killed by a giant mechanical fly.This brings him in contact with Cassieopea, her dad, a King Minos who's out to get Herc on behalf of the Goddess Hera.
Kid's movie, plain and simple.And that's not a criticism as much as a description of "Hercules".Lou Ferrigno's got the physique and certainly looks the part, doing such heroic things as swinging his sword about, slaying fierce beasts and claiming his spot as the muscle king of Roman mythology.
Either way, if you make a Hercules movie, don't get your scripts written by the guys who do the special effects in your movie (especially when they're as fake as these ones are).But with Sybil Danning around, who needs great lines?
They don't make great films like this much anymore there aren't many movies I've dug up from my childhood but this one was one of the top at my list along with Conan and beast master.
If you like the older classics try this film I don't see you being disappointed as the quality is better than most story lines in movies being released now..
Visually entertaining take on the Hercules myth starring Lou Ferrigno minus his real voice as the titular Greek demigod.
Along his quest to defeat the evil King Minos Hercules fights a robotic three-headed dragon and wins the love of Cassiopea who along with most of the women in this movie wear just enough to not show any naughty bits.
Lou Ferrigno does an astoundingly disgusting acting job as Hercules and ranks right at the bottom of the trash bin with Miles O'Keeffe (the star of such movies as "Ator, the Fighting Eagle" and "Ator, the Blade Master") and the Paul twins (The Barbarians).
The sets are huge and the special effects - utilising the familiar back projection and matte shots - whilst not always convincing, are at least spectacular.Watching this movie, you might be forgiven for thinking you've tuned into a science fiction film instead because this is Hercules unlike ever before.
Then the mythic heroic character - played by dozens in the peplum films of the 1960s and best-remembered in the persona of Steve Reeves - is transported into a quasi-futuristic universe, where the gods all live on the moon and people can fly through space just like that.
Instead of the traditional monsters for Hercules to fight, he finds himself up against some giant robots, stop-motion relics which look like they're left over from STARCRASH.
Hercules (Lou Ferrigno) is a big man, like a King-Kong.
The brave and mighty Hercules (an earnest, but extremely inept performance by brawny behemoth Lou Ferrigno of "The Incredible Hulk" fame) must rescue fair maiden Cassiopea (ravishing Ingrid Anderson) from the foul clutches of the wicked King Minos (William Berger, who somehow manages to keep a straight face while saying all this laughable philosophical hogwash) and his equally evil, yet bodacious daughter Ariadne (buxom blonde B-flick bombshell Sybil Danning vamping it up with deliciously lip-smacking brio).
I feel bad for anyone who dislikes either Hercules or Cozzi movies.
And woe be to anyone who dislikes this one!Following the success of Conan the Barbarian, this was an opportunity for the Italian film industry to return to the peblum sword and sorcery films that they once did so well decades before.Originally announced to be directed by Bruno Mattei from a Claudio Fragrasso script (it was shot at the same time as The Seven Magnificent Gladiators, which does boast the talents of both), Hercules stars Lou Ferrigno from TV's The Incredible Hulk.You have to respect any movie that doesn't start with people and instead is all about Pandora's Jar. That's right - it wasn't a box.
Hercules responds by throwing the bear into space and turning it into stars.
Hercules ends up in conflict with King Minos (William Berger, who was in seven Jess Franco movies) and Ariadne (Sybil Danning!), who force him to do things like clean up horse stables.
Our hero also falls in love with Cassiopea while battling the mechanical monsters that Minos has under his command.Hercules ends up getting help from Circe, a witch who is played by Mirella D'Angelo from Tenebrae.
The story of Hercules, brought to you by the Cannon, the greatest producers of cheese in the nineties, and starring Lou Ferrigno, a beefcake who is overdubbed within an inch of his life.So you end up with a Beefy cheese Pitta bread based movie, with a side of ham.It's really hard to be angry at a film that is as bad as Hercules.
They were The Asylum of their time.Don't get me wrong, I'm a Cannon group addict, they made some fantastic movies in the eighties, and each one, including this, had a charm about them, in only a way that the eighties could emulate.The effects are mind numbingly bad, especially the part where baby Hercules gets attacked by two really stiff rubber snakes, and the scene where his arm gets frozen and burnt.But Ferrigno, bless the big chunk o' man, he really seems to be trying hard to be a big star, and I could imagine that Golan and Globus promised him the worlds riches, just as long as he didn't see that film called Conan.But all in all, it's ridiculous stuff, light effects that Lloyd Webber would be proud of, and some atrocious acting from the likes of the extras, who look like they are taking a lunch break from a desk job.And then there's the sequel..
It's really funny to see people making fun of Lou Ferrigno's acting and speaking, without actually knowing, HE IS DEAF.
These are the guys responsible for Masters of The Universe, The Barbarian Brothers, and of course, the movie made back to back with Hercules;  The 7 Magnificent Gladiators.
At least this movie is better than its horrendous sequel, Hercules 2:The Quest for Zeus's Seven Thunderbolts.
If if you like this one, i recommend: "Hercules 2"(Luigi Cozzi) and maybe "Battle Beyond Stars" (well, don't ask me why, but i find similarities)".