Piero Pierotti Movies
The low-budget horror film Rome Against Rome concerns the Roman military doing battle against an army of zombies who have been reanimated thanks to the force of an ancient goddess. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1964
With a forced marriage imminent, the daughter of the late emperor is thankfully saved by Hercules. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Steel
- 1963
In this horrifying and exciting sword-and-sandal epic, a courageous Roman centurion sallies forth to retrieve a fabulous stolen treasure from the leader of a zombie cult who uses the reanimated bodies of dead soldiers to enable him to conquer the world. The warrior discovers that the demented despot's power lies in an enigmatic and powerful idol. He engages in many battles with the corps of corpses before he finally triumphs, saves the world, and recovers the treasure. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Drew Barrymore, Susy Andersen, (more)
- 1962
In this epic, a medieval adventurer heads to China and winds up saving the Grand Khan's daughter from bandits. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rory Calhoun, Yoko Tani, (more)
- 1962
While the Elizabeth Taylor version of Cleopatra was still in production, all sorts of quickie productions and previously produced European epics concerning the Queen of Egypt began burrowing out of the woodwork. The Italian Queen for Caesar (Una Regina per Cesare) is listed as a 1962 release, though chances are it was lensed a few years earlier. Pascale Petit stars as Cleo, with sword-and-sandal veteran Gordon Scott as one of her paramours. The film covers the years between Cleopatra's ascendancy to the throne to her dalliance with Roman emperor Julius Caesar. Cleo's subsequent romance with Marc Antony is only hinted at in the film's last reels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
In this sci-fi film, an alien android escapes from his home planet and ends up on Earth where he discovers that everyone he touches dies. In the end, he is defeated by a ship from his planet and the Italian army. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Italian director Mario Bava took a brief hiatus from horror films to make this fairly interesting Viking-themed adventure. Iron (Cameron Mitchell) is a Viking leader whose long-lost brother Erik (Giorgio Ardisson) was raised by Queen Alice of England. Alice's counselor, Gunnar (Andrea Checchi) betrays her and helps the Vikings take over, while the shipwrecked Erik is nursed back to health by Rama (Alice Kessleri), the twin sister of Iron's wife Daja (Ellen Kessleri). Naturally, Erik returns home and must fight Iron and defeat Gunnar in order to save the country. It doesn't quite work out that way, however, as the ruthless counselor kills Iron, leading the Vikings and British to join forces with Erik and take Gunnar down. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Mitchell, Andrea Checchi, (more)
- 1961
In this high-seas adventure set in the 15th century, a dashing hero is released from prison and assigned to save the governor of Rhodes' kidnapped daughter from a wicked pirate. Instead, the parolee joins the pirates, but when they catch him staring at the girl, they beat him senseless and leave him to die. They then leave to sell the girl to a white slaver. Fortunately, the hero remembers right from wrong, enlists the aid of local fishermen, and saves the girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Maciste, here played by Kirk Morris, is instead a legendary Italian superhero of long standing. In this one, the mighty Mr. M journeys to seventeenth-century Scotland (this is Hell?) His foe is a fearsome Scottish witch who holds awesome power over the local wildlife, and for a while it looks like our hero will get killed. As with many other Maciste films, this Technicolor opus was bundled into the "Sons of Hercules" package syndicated to local TV stations in the mid-1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Morris
Hercules and the Masked Rider stars beefcaker Alan Steel. Since the story takes place in 17th century Spain, we suspect that the character's name wasn't "Hercules" when the film was originally released in Italy. No matter: the steely-eyed Steel is most impressive as he tilts with gypsies and evil dons. Just as impressive is the cleavage displayed by the ladies in the cast. Filmed in 1960, Hercules and the Masked Rider came to America in 1963 as part of TV's Son of Hercules package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1959
This chilling swashbuckler set in the 16th-century follows the exploits of a daring swordsman who must brave the horrors of a strange castle to defeat his nefarious foe. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
In the last stages of his career, veteran American director Robert Z. Leonard dabbled in international productions. One of the best-distributed of these was the Gina Lollobrigida vehicle Beautiful But Dangerous. Lollobrigida is cast as Lina Cavaliari, an earthy Italian peasant who becomes a world-renowned opera singer. She also matriculates into something of a mantrap, making up for all the years that she was spurned and ignored by her "betters." One of Lina's many swains is played by none other than Robert Alda. Originally titled La Donna piu bella del mondo, Beautiful But Dangerous benefits immeasurably from Mario Bava's sumptuous cinematography. And as a bonus, La Lollo does her own singing! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gina Lollobrigida, Vittorio Gassman, (more)
- 1953
This filmed biography of 19th-century composer Pietro Mascagni ignores his eventual descent into poverty and obscurity. However, the script is unstinting in its re-creation of the tragedies facing Mascagni during his rise to fame. Pierre Cressoy plays Mascagni, whose ultimate success leads to a tender reconciliation with his long-estranged father. Highlighting Melodie Immortali is an abbreviated performance of Mascagni's greatest triumph--actually his only triumph--the one-act opera "Cavaleria Rusticana." This sequence is dominated by the superb tenor voice of Metropolitan Opera star Mario Del Monaco. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Cressoy, Vera Molnar, (more)
