Monster of the Day #1012

Updated on October 13, 2014 By Ken Begg 24 Comments

This is from a kind of film I really need to delve more deeply into.

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  • The Rev.

    It’s been a while, but I seem to recall this being about the only interesting part of the movie, and only because I love the giant rubber critters.

    You’re right, though; you’ve not really reviewed anything pablum-related, have you? There’s a couple I can think of off-hand that’d be potential choices.

  • Eric Hinkle

    Sorry, but “Pablum-related”? And may I know what movie this is?

  • Beckoning Chasm

    Too bad this wasn’t posted yesterday…it would have been Monster 1012 on 10-12.

  • Gamera977

    Sad that Rock’s dad and brother build better looking suits in their garage these days. Still ya gotta love this stuff!

  • I don’t think I’ve seen anything of this particular genre, but if it has monsters like this in it I need titles. Lots of titles.

  • Beckoning Chasm

    I’d guess that the “peplums” means it’s from a Hercules-Samson-gladiator type thing.

  • bgbear_rnh

    auto-correct error?

  • bgbear_rnh

    I found Hercules (1958) for this critter. You can barely make out Jason.

  • Rock Baker

    HERCULES, 1958. The monster footage was re-used in a later Herc film as well. LAND OF DARKNESS, I think?

  • Rock Baker

    Try GOLIATH AND THE DRAGON, HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN, HERCULES AGAINST THE MOONMEN, THE WITCH’S CURSE, THE FIRE MONSTERS AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES, ATLAS IN THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPS, HERCULES AND THE PRINCESS OF TROY, and, oh, oodles more. The sword and sandal genre would frequently toss in the odd dragon, dinosaur, plant monster, etc, in addition to occasional science fiction elements like zombies, robots, and “vampires” for good measure. More than one dealt with Atlantis-type civilizations (sometimes Atlantis itself). One film’s take on the Medusa legend featured a shambling tree monster cyclops as it’s gorgon.

  • Rock Baker

    The forced perspective work on this thing was great. I remember being particularly thrilled by this as a kid (TNT used to run a lot of sword and sandal epics when I was growing up) because the dragon here had an Angillas-like head (you can really see it in the upward shots) and Godzilla’s roar! It was the first time I’d heard Godzilla’s roar used in another film, and I wondered how it was they ever got away with it!

  • Rock Baker

    That’s the term they’ve adopted for sword and sandals these days, although I don’t care for the word myself. It refers to the loincloth garments worn by the heroes of sword and sandals.

  • bgbear_rnh

    “Godzilla”, it is an old Italian name ;)

  • Eric Hinkle

    Thanks, Rock.

  • Eric Hinkle

    Ah, thanks for explaining that. Yeesh but what an ugly word.

  • zombiewhacker

    I prefer “sword and sandal” myself. I can’t possibly see how “peplums” could possibly become a catchphrase.

  • The Rev.

    Er, yes. Peplum. Whoops!

  • The Rev.

    I just used peplum because that’s how I see them referred to a lot. Frankly I think they should be called “toga bash” movies. Lots of togas, lots of bashing.

    Okay maybe not.

    I really failed to punch the shark there.

  • The Rev.

    There’s also Hercules Conquers Atlantis which has a similar rubber monster, albeit not giant; sadly it only features for about as long as this guy does. The Loves of Hercules has a pretty nifty hydra, some treemen, a sasquatch and also Jayne Mansfield.

    I haven’t seen it, but that Lou Ferrigno Herc movie has some critters, too, as I recall. The sequel, which I’ve only caught part of, has one of the most egregious thefts from another movie I’ve ever seen, and I was torn between being impressed by their chutzpah and being utterly outraged. It is related to our monster talk, but I don’t want to say anymore because it is one of the bigger mind blows I’ve encountered.

  • David Fullam

    A very interesting and surreal forced perspective scene. Strong evidence that Mario Bava did indeed direct some of this film as rumored.

  • Rock Baker

    My pleasure!

  • Rock Baker

    I know exactly what you mean. I’m still torn on how to feel about it.

    You’re right, though, both Ferrigno movies featured an abundance of critters of various sorts. Most of us are still confused by the mechanical nature of those in the first film. I know it came out after STAR WARS was such a big hit, and science fiction was the current thing, but it’s still really weird.

  • Rodford Smith

    I think in Italy the genre is Maciste movies. Very few of them are actually about Hercules and his sons.

  • Rock Baker

    I think “maciste” is the Italian word we’d translate as “macho” and was thus given as the name of a Hercules-like character they invented for the movies. While there were lots of Maciste movies, I’m not sure the title ever applied to the genre itself. Hercules came along first and made such an impact that Maciste followed his lead. I guess you could call it as Hercules is to Godzilla what Maciste is to Gammera. Kinda.

    As a character, though, Maciste would just kind of show up in whatever location and time period he was required to be in.