Jose Greci Movies
- 1966
A dictatorship is the target of a rebellion led by a single man. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1964
In this sword-and-sandal fantasy, Goliath must rescue twenty-four virgins who are being sent as a tribute to an evil conqueror. First the hero liberates one of the women. He then teams up with two other titans to save the rest. Action, adventure, and romance ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1964
Mark Forest stars as Hercules in this sword-and-sandal affair from 1960 (its American release occured two years later). The film bears a striking resemblance to the like-vintage Hercules Against the Barbarians, right down to the choice of leading man. We suspect that both films were excerpted from a longer Hercules epic, then released separately to engender a higher box-office take. Oh, yes the plot: Hercules takes on the three sons of Genghis Khan, quite a remarkable feat for a superhero from ancient Greece. Jose Greci also appears in this tribute to testosterone. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Sword of the Empire is set in 190 AD. Lang Jeffries stars as a Roman consul who hopes to stave off a Barbarian invasion. Disguising himself, Jeffries infiltrates the enemy camp. First he must prove his worthiness to the barbarians, then he must figure out a way to escape when he's found out. Jose Greci costars in this outsized Italian sword-and-sandal adventure. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Secret Agent 077 (read that carefully!) is back on the scene when a high-tech weapon goes missing in this spy thriller. Professor Graff (Alfonso Rojas) is a scientist working with the International Atomic Energy Agency when he comes up with a powerful innovation in defense technology -- a molecular disintegration ray that can make objects instantly disappear. The works for Graff's disintegration ray are contained in a small metallic plate, and not long after he demonstrates the weapon for the first time, it's stolen by a team of masked martial arts experts. Globetrotting super spy Mike Murphy (played by Luis Dávila, and named Marc Mato in the Spanish language prints) is called in to find the plate before it can fall into the wrong hands, and when he's not busy romancing beautiful women, Murphy tracks the valuable gizmo to Rigo Orie (Alberto Dalbes), a suave thief with no scruples and an appetite for money and danger. However, things become complicated when several buyers begin vying for the deadly ray, and Mike has to find out not only who has the plate, but who is willing to pay the price for its power. An Italian and Spanish co-production helmed by a Greek director, Espionage In Tangiers (ala Marc Mato, Agente S. 077) features a brief appearance from George Lazenby; it was Lazenby's film debut, four years before he would play the ultimate super-spy, James Bond, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 1963
In this sword and sandal film, the courageous Ursus fights to free his people from slavery by taking on the fiercest gladiator in Rome. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1963
This unexceptional Duel of the Titans takes place on two different levels at once. The legendary brothers Romulus and Remus go at it to see who will ultimately survive and found the city of Caesars. And the slightly less legendary but still impressive Steve Reeves (Romulus) and Gordon Scott (Remus) are brought into a kind of body-building competition. Romulus and Remus are shown from their earliest beginnings as abandoned babes on the Tiber River, destined to face all sorts of challenges. First come their adventures after they are adopted by a female wolf as her own offspring. Then they later handle catastrophes like an erupting volcano or hand-to-paw combat with an irate bear. Once the two brothers have reached adulthood, they become enemies, as Remus seeks to aggrandize his power and Romulus seeks to cut him down to size. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, (more)
- 1962
Roger Browne was the latest entry in the Steve Reeves/Gordon Scott beefsteaks--er, sweepstakes--in 1962's Revenge of the Gladiators. Utilizing standing Cinecitta sets and well-worn costumes, the film has the husky Browne rescuing a princess from marauding barbarians. The damsel in distress is played by sword 'n' sandal "regular" Scilla Gabel. The director is Michel Lupo, he of the "Shout 'action', close your eyes and hope for the best" school of filmmaking. If you don't like the action highlights, you'll get a thrill out of watching the actors flap their mouths in a Babel of foreign languages while the English soundtrack tries to keep pace. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Roger Browne, Scilla Gabel, (more)
This 1959 version of Lew Wallace's best-selling novel, which had already seen screen versions in 1907 and 1926, went on to win 11 Academy Awards. Adapted by Karl Tunberg and a raft of uncredited writers including Gore Vidal and Maxwell Anderson, the film once more recounts the tale of Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), who lives in Judea with his family during the time that Jesus Christ was becoming known for his "radical" teachings. Ben-Hur's childhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) is now an ambitious Roman tribune; when Ben-Hur refuses to help Messala round up local dissidents on behalf of the emperor, Messala pounces on the first opportunity to exact revenge on his onetime friend. Tried on a trumped-up charge of attempting to kill the provincial governor (whose head was accidentally hit by a falling tile), Ben-Hur is condemned to the Roman galleys, while his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O'Donnell) are imprisoned. But during a sea battle, Ben-Hur saves the life of commander Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins), who, in gratitude, adopts Ben-Hur as his son and gives him full control over his stable of racing horses. Ben-Hur never gives up trying to find his family or exact revenge on Messala. At crucial junctures in his life, he also crosses the path of Jesus, and each time he benefits from it. The highlight of the film's 212 minutes is its now-legendary chariot race, staged largely by stunt expert Yakima Canutt. Ben-Hur's Oscar haul included Best Picture, Best Director for the legendary William Wyler, Best Actor for Heston, and Best Supporting Actor for Welsh actor Hugh Griffith as an Arab sheik. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, (more)
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