Philippe Hersent Movies
Based on a novel by Gabriele d'Annunzio, The Innocent (L'Innocente) is set amongst the aristocracy of 19th-century Italy. Wealthy Tullio (Giancarlo Giannini) thinks nothing of squiring his mistress (Jennifer O'Neill) in full view of his friends and the public. But when Giannini's cast-off wife (Laura Antonelli) begins an affair with a young novelist (based, it is said, on author d'Annunzio), it is too much for the philandering aristocrat. Outside of Erich von Stroheim, few directors were as masterful at combining lavishness with depravity as Luchino Visconti. The Innocent turned out to be Visconti's last film; he died in 1976, shortly before the picture's premiere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Antonelli, Giancarlo Giannini, (more)
- 1974
An introverted American professor (Burt Lancaster) has retired to an Italian house, but finds his life interrupted when a decadent family moves upstairs. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Lancaster, Silvana Mangano, (more)
- 1967
In this drama, a CIA agent must race against time to find a purloined nuclear bomb, "Bloody Mary", which had been taken by a ring of foreign spies. He soon finds himself aboard an Athens-bound freighter where he encounters Russian and Chinese agents. Will he find the weapon in time? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This spooky Italian thriller is set in a remote medical clinic for the deaf-mute in a town terrorized by a mysterious hooded slasher. Many suspect that the doctor himself has been killing lovely young women. The rumors say that he does the grisly deeds to help reconstruct the quick-lime burned face of his formerly beautiful sister-in-law. Though it looked as if her falling into the vat of lime was an accident, some believe the doctor pushed her. The mystery comes in because the doctor is not the only one at the clinic with murderous tendencies. Other suspects include his crippled wife, a crazed patient, or an extortionist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Berger, Max Dean, (more)
- 1965
In this horror movie, a brave Roman soldier and a slave girl must battle an insane man and his zombie army in order to bring back the treasure they stole. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1964
A slave unites the people of Rome against their emperor, Messalina. The Italian film was dubbed into English. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Harrison, Lydia Alfonsi, (more)
- 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)
After being accused of kidnapping the English king, a man is forced to investigate the identity of the ones who actually did it. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1962
A beautiful warrior queen battles it out with her rivals in this adventure fantasy set in the 1400s. As a girl, the Hun girl was orphaned when her tribe's enemies attack and raze her village. She then is raised by a friendly tribe and with them learns warrior's ways. Complicating her upcoming battle is the fact that she has fallen in love with the enemy leader. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1961
Even within its category of stock sword-and-sandal films from Italy, this is a weak entry set in the Middle Ages and featuring the adventures of the Crusaders as they capture Jerusalem. Lacking panoramas of battles any larger than a handful of people at a time, some of the oomph is necessarily missing. The story itself is based on the growing love between Tancrid (Francisco Rabal), one of the leading Crusaders, and Glorinda (Sylvia Koscina), the daughter of the king of Persia. Glorinda does not sit home and embroider, she dons armor and goes into battle with the best of them. This may not turn out to be such a good idea, since Tancrid will be among the many enemies she may encounter in her iron-clad persona. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francisco Rabal, Sylva Koscina, (more)
- 1961
In this romantic Italian swashbuckler, a tyrannical 17th-century Spanish governor of a small Carribbean island mercilessly slaughters all who refuse to grovel at his feet. Two brave young men manage to escape the island and take over a ship to become pirates. They name their new vessel the Black Witch and use her to get their revenge upon the cruel island ruler. During the battle, one of the pirates is injured while the other is captured. The injured pirate meets and falls in love with the governor's lovely daughter who helps him recover. Meanwhile, his imprisoned partner joins the governor's army and teams up with the vengeful woman his former buddy spurned to get rid of the pirates. A great final battle ensues until at long last, the village is vanquished. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don McGowan, Emma Danieli, (more)
On the heels of muscleman Steve Reeves' low-budget Italian sword and sandal epics comes this unintentionally hilarious knock-off that is largely comprised of footage from an Italian mythic epic in which a brawny hero ("Maciste" in Italy and "Goliath" in the US) takes on wicked King Eurystheus' cheesy monsters that included a three headed fire belching dog, a gigantic, murderous bat (both of which appeared in the original film) and a ludicrously unscary dragon (in some scenes, only the huge head shows, while for long-shots the filmmakers used stop animation from Jim Danforth). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Forest, Broderick Crawford, (more)
Rather than telling a dramatized version of the exploits of the Greek runner Phidippides (or Philippides, as used here), this standard Italian costume drama has the great athlete almost single-handedly defeating the Persians. Set in 490 B.C. when the Persian armies were ready to finish conquering Greece and head into Europe, Phidippides (Steve Reeves, who else?) rallies the Athenians and they fight a series of spectacular, massive battles. In reality, Phidippides had run 140 miles to Sparta and back to ask for their help before any battles began. The Persians had already landed on the plains of Marathon, 26 miles from Athens but thanks to Phidippides forewarning, they were defeated by advancing Athenian forces. Phidippides' final run from Marathon back to Athens to warn them about a second attack by the Persian forces is not depicted in this drama -- that last run on top of the futile, 280-mile round trip to Sparta, cost him his life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, (more)
- 1956
This war drama is based on actual events from World War II. The Nazis invade the Netherlands and capture an important British agent who relays daily messages from Amsterdam to London. When the Germans continue to send these messages (unknown to the British), it creates havoc for the British and Dutch underground. Many agents are captured or killed, and the British must smuggle a female agent into Amsterdam to access the troubled situation. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Curd Jürgens, Dawn Addams, (more)
