Isarco Ravaioli Movies
Diabolik (John Phillip Law) is the criminal mastermind who has just pulled off a huge heist. He spends most of his free time with his girlfriend, Eva (Marisa Mell), in fond embrace. The police minister (Terry-Thomas) is approached by Valmont (Adolfo Celi), a master criminal who proposes to use his underworld connections to catch Diabolik for the police. In between their gratuitous lovemaking, he and the exotic Eva are chased by police and the mob in this plodding crime drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, (more)
- 1968
There must be some significance to the fact that neither Jean Negulesco nor chroniclers of his career are eager to include The Invincible Six in the director's credits. This US/Iran coproduction (obviously filmed before 1977) stars Stuart Whitman as the top dog of a group of criminals. Failing to swipe the Tehran crown jewels, Whitman's gang heads for the rural regions, where they offer protection (for a price) to a small village. Elke Sommer wants the crooks to help her find a treasure, using a map that she's appropriated through questionable means. But when Whitman's minions defend the village against an attack by Iranian bandits, the map is destroyed. Only momentarily daunted, Elke joins the Invicible Six for the next adventure. Oh, almost forgot: There's some dancing in The Invincible Six, choreographed by Rudolph Nureyev. No, really. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
In this comedy, a hapless fellow's life changes dramatically after he is accidentally (a computer malfunctioned) "playboy of the year," by an international men's journal. The publisher's know it's all a mistake, but decide to turn this regular joe into every woman's fantasy. In true "pygmalion" fashion, the suddenly suave finds himself paraded across Europe and getting his picture taken with the most beautiful women around. Trouble brews when a female reporter learns the truth and tries to decide whether or not to publish the story. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Alexander, Renato Salvatori, (more)
- 1965
Also known as Snow Devils and Devil Men From Space, this Italian melodrama is a muddled mixture of two popular film genres. Part of the story is given over to a search for the destroyers of a Himalyan weather station. When the search party reaches their destination, they are captured by what seems to be a tribe of abominable snowmen. We soon learn that the blue-tinted beasties are actually the vanguard of an invading army of extraterrestrials. Heading the cast of Snow Demons are Jack Stuart (also known as Giacomo Rossi Stuart) and Amber Collins (aka Ombretta Coli); the director was Anthony Dawson (aka Antonio Margheriti; do we detect a pattern here?) The film was originally released as I Diavolo della Spazzio. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In this campy Italian sci-fi adventure wicked aliens from outer space abduct and miniaturize Earth's leaders to make it easier to destroy the planet until a courageous hero appears to fight against him and his legion of skintight leather-clad robot women. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Russell, Lisa Gastoni, (more)
In this crime drama, two bank robbers foil their own plans to commit the perfect crime when they begin fighting over a woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1963
My Son the Hero started out in 1961 as a straightforward Italian sword and sandal affair titled Arrivano i Titani, all about the quest for a magic helmet in ancient Thebes. Well cast (Pedro Armendariz is the star) and extremely well photographed, the original film was still not sufficient different from all the other Italian strongman films glutting the American market in 1963. Thus the American distributors hit upon the notion of transforming the film into a satire, by redubbing all the actors and hoking up the sound effects. What resulted was a heady mixture of Yiddish accents, Borscht-belt one-liners and rippling pecs. The single joke wears out pretty quickly in My Son, the Hero, but the concept is a workable one, as Woody Allen proved two years later with What's Up, Tiger Lily? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pedro Armendáriz, Jacqueline Sassard, (more)
- 1962
A horrific storm forces two ballerinas to take shelter in a spooky castle owned by a beautiful but ravenous lady vampire. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helene Remy, Tina Gloriani, (more)
- 1962
Louis Malle directed this drama about the toll fame takes upon a women pursuing a May-December romance. Jill (Brigitte Bardot) is a lovely 18-year-old girl who lives with her mother on a comfortable estate in Lake Geneva. Jill has dreams of some day becoming a ballet dancer, but her immediate concerns often focus upon Fabio (Marcello Mastroianna), a attractive older man who publishes a magazine and has married one of Jill's closest friends, Carla (Ursula Kubler). In time, Jill decides Fabio will never love her, and she runs away to Paris to study dance. While her career in ballet never pans out, she becomes an immediate success as a fashion model, and goes on to become a top film star. Five years after leaving home, Jill has become weary of fame, and comes home to her mother's home to rest. Jill discovers that Fabio and Carla have divorced, and he now takes a very keen interest in her. While stardom has now made Jill desirable to Fabio, it also attracts the attention of the world's press when word gets out that the screen goddess is dating a man almost fifteen years her senior. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brigitte Bardot, Marcello Mastroianni, (more)
