Christopher-Lee Movie Reviews

Most of the Italian Hercules movies made during the '60s were silly sword & sandal sagas. And so is this one. But, as directed by the great Mario Bava, it's also an atmospheric exercise in cinematic style. The photography is great, the special effects are innovative, and Bava uses colour as strikingly here as he did in Baron Blood. Christopher Lee makes a great villain, too. So what if the silly storyline wanders far afield from its mythic origins? The weird flying zombies alone are worth the price of admission.

Fantoma's DVD release of Mario Bava's Hercules in the Center of the Earth ought to elevate his stature in the film world, if not as a "serious" movie director, then certainly as one of the cinema's most talented and artistic lighting cameramen/cinematographers. The story is fairly generic muscleman stuff and the acting is competent if unexceptional (although three-time Mr. Universe Reg Park definitely has a believable physical presence as Hercules); what really sets this movie apart from virtually any other peplum flick are Bava's neon-hued Technicolor visuals, which at times border on the hallucinatory. Throughout most of the movie he tosses off shot after stunning shot, many only a few seconds long, nearly every one impeccably lit, artfully composed, and accented with vibrant color. Bava's interweaving of light, shadow, color, and sometimes literal "smoke and mirrors" to define space, mood, and even character is consistently impressive, even more so after reading the liner notes describing how little he had to work with. Cool sequences and striking set-pieces abound, including Deianira rising from her sarcophagus and floating across the room (like Lon Chaney in Son of Dracula); Hercules's eerie visits with the sibyl; the psychedelic ocean vistas on the voyage to the Hesperides; Lyco (Christopher Lee) reflected in a pool of his victim's blood; the flying ghouls rising from their slimy crypts (which must have given nightmares to the kiddie matinee crowd in 1964); and the climactic showdown between Hercules and Lyco, shot in an atmospheric Roman grotto. There's almost too much to appreciate in a single viewing. While I'm not normally a huge fan of sword-and-sandal flicks (though I did watch lots of them on Saturday afternoons as a kid), and I could've done without the 'comedy relief' character, I still have to strongly recommend this movie not only to fans of Bava's other movies (particularly Planet of the Vampires), but also anyone who simply appreciates breathtakingly beautiful color cinematography.
Fantoma's DVD is transferred in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and anamorphically enhanced, from a virtually pristine Technicolor print of the original Italian-language dub. There is only the lightest of speckling evident; otherwise it's crisp and clean, with lush, richly-saturated color, and excellent contrast and detail. Optional English subtitles are included, as well as the (continental) English-dubbed soundtrack. Unless you're extremely subtitle-phobic, I recommend the Italian-language soundtrack with the subtitles. The English dubbing gives the film a campier, less serious tone and often renders the dialogue much more prosaically than the subtitles (example: Hercules's final words to Deianira in the subtitled version, "Man's love is passionate, but often inconsistent. Ours will last forever"; in the English dub, "As long as Theseus steals other men's girls, I have nothing to worry about.") Unfortunately we don't get to hear Christopher Lee's actual voice in either version. The DVD also includes excellent Tim Lucas liner notes; a gallery of approximately 45 color and B&W stills, posters, and ad mats; and a comparatively rough-looking trailer, matted to about 1.66:1 and suffering from medium to heavy scratching and lining, poor color, and merely acceptable sharpness and detail. The film is broken into 16 chapter stops and the Dolby 2.0 mono sound is full and clear. The definitive edition of an unmercifully neglected film.

This is the great Mario Bava's first work in colour (1961) and atypical of his usual output of horror and thriller films (although Bava certainly excelled in many genres!)
I hadn't seen this film before and was anticipating a certain level of campness to be on display - yes, the script is ludicrously bad and the acting varied - but I was genuinely lifted by what I saw. There is a very strong current of nobility running through the film and REG PARK as the titular hero gives a very warm and engaging performance. There are also two stunning young women so typical of European films of this era: LEANORA RUFFO as Hercules' love and MARISA BELLI as Persephone, whose love for Hercules' best friend Theseus causes so many problems later in the story. Both manage to be attractive and convincing in their roles.
All of Bava's trademark beautiful photography is evident here. The blues and reds used to paint Hades in so rich a colour really do make us forget how low the production budget was (and it really WAS low!)
CHRISTOPHER LEE is the villain of course and is as reliable as ever (Though inexplicably dubbed yet again!)and this is the first time EVER that I can recommend listening to a film with the dubbed English soundtrack instead of the original Italian (which I usually prefer) as it's done very well and adds certain pieces of dialogue not on the European dub.
Never destined to be a great film, this is however a fascinating look at the work of one of the greatest directors of the last century - It's stunning to look at and never once boring.
My only complaint: The "comic" sidekick of Hercules becomes annoying within a minute of his first appearance! Try to ignore him and you'll enjoy 80 minutes of imaginative fantasy. PROCRUSTES, the stone creature, is especially fun so watch out for 'it'!

Apart from being plain-old fun, as all Madeline books and videos are, this video teaches children the important of preserving historical buildings rather than destroying them. (If you want to share that concept with your kids in other ways, you might also want to read your children the book, "Barn Savers", by Linda Oatman High.)

I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive in buying my son Madeline videos. But to my surprise, they're absolutely fantastic for boys and girls! He particuliarly loves this one. He imitates some of the funny sounds (like when the girls are going up the elevator and make a "whuuuuup" sound). Then there is the "Aww cots!" that the girls yell out in disgust. Madeline and the girls dislike their new quarters from the get go. But, as usual, Miss Clavel shows them the brighter side of the situation and sings a wonderful little song (Home Is Where the Heart Is) where all the little girls join in in unison. Watching my son stand in front of the tv joining in as well almost brought tears to my eyes. It's so cute seeing him interact with all the videos. I just ordered him 3 more Madeline tapes and will continue buying them!

IN THE PARI

I am a very big horse lover and this was the best horse movie I have seen, except for the horse in the grey flannel suit. It has adventer, mystery, rewards and love. Buy it today!

My mother recently said that I could get a horse. So I set out to find out just what kind of horse I wanted. My grandmother bought a lot horse movies for me to see, to help me make up my mind. After watching almost all of them, I came upon this one. I figured, "Oh, This is probably some baby movie!" but watched it any way. After this, I ran into the kitchen to tell my mom. Needless to say, I am now the pround owner of a white stallion named Pericles.

As a fan of Madeline and a dog lover, this is my favorite Madeline book and video. The video contains some great songs which I love to keep on singing even after the video is over. My Mommy and Daddy have rented this video so many times, they think it's time we just buy it! I will love having my own copy.

My daughter would watch this everyday if she could. She loves Madeline and her indomitable spirit - but when you add a lovable mutt to the mix it makes a combination little girls can't resist. Genevieve is a resourceful and clever dog who not only saves Madeline from a 'watery grave,' but also steals the hearts of Miss Clavel and the rest of the residents of the old house in Paris. The songs are catchy and the story of loyalty and friendship win out grumpy Lord Cucuface in the end. Highly recommended.

Martin Mull stars in this comedy about upper-middle class life in Marin County, north of San Francisco. The movie is a good adaptation of the book by the same name and pokes fun at the "mellow speak" and new age fads of the late 70's. Contains lots of funny dialog you'll be quoting back to your friends, just like a Monty Python skit.

Great movie about life in Marin county in the late seventies. Martin Mull just wants to lead a normal, middle-class life. His wife (Tuesday Weld) and friends won't let him. They try to drag him into every fad and fashion of the 70's and early 80's, from drugs and free sex to wacky "therapists" and cults. Very funny and prescient movie, with very good performances, and great lines- especially from the supporting cast.

Sleepy Hollow was an awesome movie. If you ever heard the Tale of Sleepy Hollow growing up then you must see this movie. This story about the Headless Horseman terrorizing the people of a small time village is both attention-grabbing and frightening. The actors, directors, and scriptwriters did an amazing job of portraying the tale of sleepy hollow in a different fashion. Its the same basic tale but with a few new twists that make it as great as possible. A word to the wise however, the amount of blood shed in the film is vast. If you're queasy, make sure you're prepared to close those eyes tight! Nonetheless, the film is perfect for young and old, well, not too young!

A great movie. There is tons of suspense and the movie is awesome. It's best if you watch it at night. With tons of popcorn at hand!

I've always been a fan of Ed Begley Jr. Me and all my pals in Langwarrin tend to have Ed Begley Jr. movie marathons, and this movie tends to be everyone's favorite. (A close second would be "Transylvania 6-5000"). I've always enjoyed a mystery, and this one's a doozy.

This movie is great! It keeps you guessing until the end! Harry Anderson plays a guy who may or may not be a secret agent on a mission from the President. Just when you think you have it figured out, it twists on you. Incredibly entertaining, though you'll see the ending coming well before it gets there. Was hard to get for a long time, but I'm glad to see it's back!

This was a good film all around. Though it was a low budget film it had a good story line. The action was beleivable through most of the film. Cynthia has some good passion shots in this film that you don't see much of in her other films. I think this is one of the best films Cynthia has done thus far. I think Cynthia enjoyed doing this film because her character is convincing.
This is worth owning...

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The story in the video is nice and should teach perseverance. These are the comments on the reviews. However, my daughter of 3 and half soon realized that Madeline was lucky only because she found the prima ballerina willing to help her to take part into the show, despite Madeline made a lot of mistakes during the selection.
In fact, the story does not hightlight when and how Madeline is working hard in order to catch up with her companions.
Anyway the story is still nice.
Another point I want to make is the resemblance with Dora the Explorer. The differences are about context, but the role of a little girl as heroine is quite similar.
Dora's VHS contains two episodes (half an hour each), Madeline only one (about half an hour).

Charming Madeline story of the 12 little girls and their adventure dancing with the Paris Ballet. Madeline dreams of being a Prima Ballerina and gets help from an unexpected friend. Delightful!

Madeline is usually a very capable girl, but because she is so small she has a hard time being as good a dancer as her friends. Her class is invited to participate in the Paris ballet production of "The Happy Swan," but her clumsiness causes one disaster after another and almost doesn't get to dance at the primere. She dreams of being a prima ballerina, so the revelation of her inadequacy is discouraging to her. To her credit, she does not give up, and along the way is encouraged by Miss Clavel and an unexpected friend. In the end, even though she isn't perfect, she tries her hardest. My daughter loves the dancing and can relate to Madeline's frustrations of being too small and too clumsy. It's a sweet story that encourages girls to do their best even when disappointed.

The story goes that director Luc Besson began writing THE FIFTH ELEMENT in his teens, incorporating all the Sci-Fi elements he loved into one over-the-top, grand space opera...sort of an "E.E. 'Doc' Smith 'Skylark' Meets Flash Gordon and Barbarella" hybrid with sex, intergalactic action, and even some pseudo-religious overtones tossed in...in other words, a teenage daydream come true! Critics panned the end result for this very reason, sneering at Bruce Willis' Earth-saving (yet again!) Korben Dallas, and Besson's then-girlfriend, clothing-optional Milla Jovovich, as the innocent demigod, Leeloo.

The critics were wrong!

THE FIFTH ELEMENT is, in the best sense of the word, a classic 'B' movie, a space opera where a prologue vaguely similar to STARGATE leads to a future Earth where traffic jams occur thirty stories above the ground, humanity is ruled by beefy 'Tiny' Lister Jr., and where the Ultimate Evil is served by everyone's favorite villain, Gary Oldman, sporting a Southern accent! If this DOESN'T convince you that this is a 'popcorn' flick, not to be taken too seriously, there is Chris Tucker, sporting a blond hairdo, as the Galaxy's favorite media personality, promoting himself as he hits on his adoring female fans; Ian Holm, as the monk who knows 'the Secret', forced, despite himself, to become an active participant in the adventure; and some of the most ... ugly alien mercenaries you'll ever see, terrorizing a space resort, until they meet their match in Bruce Willis' 'DIE HARD in Space' protagonist! Yippee-Ki-Yay, indeed!

The FX are astonishing, the comedy, broad and sly, the heroics, macho, and as Leeloo, sent to save Earth, Jovovich manages to be both naive and sexy, with broken English and a gymnast's grace.

Bruce Willis is a joy, as always, to watch, and he carries the film with charm and self-depreciating humor, whether dealing with endless phone calls from his mother, driving his sky taxi recklessly (cabbies change very little in the future!), taking on terrorists single-handed, or falling for the exotic Leeloo. When he blows away a roomful of hostage-holding aliens, then asks, "Does anyone else want to negotiate?", you KNOW Besson picked the right guy for the lead!

If you want Profound Science Fiction, watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY again...but if you want to kick back and just have fun, look not further...THE FIFTH ELEMENT delivers!

It's up to Bruce again to save the wolrd from destruction. It's in the furture and Bruce is a taxi driver/ex marine commando who needs to help out our military cause they don't know what's going on. Mia gets naked and can't speak a lick of English. There's a priest and he thinks he knows it all but in the end Bruce saves the day, Duh!

Absolutely fabulous. Dazzling scenery and effects. Amazing vision of the future. Stellar casting. Brilliant soundtrack. Wonderful story (when isn't love wonderful). Unless you look for the GErman release of this which has a number of documentaries on it and an English 5.1 track, you will not find ant extras whatsoever on the DVD's released in North America. For this reason you may as well get the Superbit version - especially if you have a home theatre. The DTS 5.1 track is stunningly brilliant!