Carlo Tamberlani Movies

Francesco Rosi utilizes the breathtakingly beautiful Italian landscape in an unspecified Italian city to hatch this mystery film involving murder and corruption in high places. As the film begins, a well-known prosecutor is killed. The murder turns out to be the first in a series of murders -- and all the victims are judges. With Italy lapsing into chaos because of the crimes, the craggy and careworn Inspector Rogas (Lino Ventura) is brought in to solve the murders. Rogas thinks that a man, sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit, is the person responsible for the killings. But when Rogas reports that fact to his superiors, they want nothing to do with the case. When more killings occur, Rogas uncovers a plot involving his superiors who are using one man's revenge murder as a ploy in order to affect nefarious changes on the entire country. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Spaghetti Western fans used to the likes of Django and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly might be taken by surprise when watching Sabata. True, the film does star spaghetti Western star Lee Van Cleef as the tight-lipped hero of the title, but it has a very different feel from the genre's traditional, Sergio Leone-derived style. Director/co-writer Gianfranco Parolini (alias Frank Kramer) takes things in a direction that seems to fall halfway between The Wild Wild West TV series and a James Bond movie; the film is packed with colorful characters, exotic weapons, and the action scenes that mix wild stunts with pyrotechnics. Parolini appropriately gives the film a light touch, playing up the colorful and humorous aspects while delivering the action. The end result is a little too long for this sort of light material, causing it to drag a bit in the middle, but it is too good-natured and entertaining to dislike. In short, Sabata is likely to make fun viewing for Euro-cult fans and anyone interested in an offbeat Western. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

In this adventure, set in the South Seas near Fiji, a boozy veteran from the Korean War gets involved with a native girl trying to escape a cruel nightclub owner. She claims that because she refused the marriage arrangements made by the island's high priest that she is tabu, off limits to all men. The man, not being a native, disregards the native customs and the two lead a long and happy life together. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This epic Italian costume drama is loosely based on historical fact. It chronicles the struggle of a Roman emperor and general to build his troops for an upcoming battle in Gaul. The Senate opposes him. The emperor's charge and her lover are taken by the Gauls. They are ruled by Battaglia. Fortunately, Queen Astrid let's them go. The lovers return to warn the Romans in time for the emperor to take his troops and capture Battaglia. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Steve Reeves gives the most dramatically demanding performance of his career (and a surprisingly good one) in The Trojan Horse. Essentially a retelling of the final year of the siege of Troy from the point of view of Aeneas (Reeves), the movie is filled with fascinating portrayals. Aeneas, taking the interpretation from the poet Virgil, is the wisest of the Trojans and, after ten years of war, has become the leading advocate for finding an end to the fighting. His wisdom and nobility have earned him a place at the table with King Priam and the other rulers, which puts him at odds with the vain, jealous Paris and his Helen. Opening with the slaying of Hector by Achilles, the film is steeped in complex personal relationships and mythological conceits. John Drew Barrymore is the other "name" actor here, playing Ulysses as a clever, cynical, and bold warrior among the Greeks. Reeves brings real nobility to Aeneas and relies on his acting skills as much as his physique to bring off this movie, often mixing the two in a script filled with ironies, as when Aeneas must kill a Greek warrior for whom he earlier expressed respect. Along with Reeves' two Hercules films from the end of the 1950s, and Vittorio Cottafavi's Hercules and the Captive Women, this is one of the best examples of Italy's sword-and-sandal genre. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Sergio Leone's first solo directorial effort was this colorful sword-and-sandal epic set in ancient Greece. Rory Calhoun stars as Dario, a captain in the Greek army who must travel to the island of Rhodes to destroy the huge bronze statue of Colossus, which hurls molten lead at its attackers. Dario also battles for his life in the arena and saves victims from a torture chamber before the climactic earthquake which brings the Colossus down. Many of the supporting players in this Italian-French-Spanish co-production went on to become regulars in the exploitation films of Jesus Franco. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

According to the Greeks, the Minotaur was a legendary half-man, half-bull who lived on Crete and demanded the sacrifice of humans, according to the scripters of this typical Italian costume drama, the real story is about twin sisters (both played by Rosanna Schiaffino), one evil and one pure-hearted. This story has the Minotaur as a secondary figure, all bull, who stands up on his hind legs to indicate his god-like status. The real hero is Theseus (Bob Mathias) who ultimately kills the Minotaur (for the Greeks, too) because he has fallen in love with the good sister and has to save her from being sacrificed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Like Vittorio De Sica before him, writer/director Silvio Siano utilizes a largely nonprofessional cast in Alone in the Streets. A Neapolitan urchin named Peppino, playing "himself", sells loterry tickets to help support his family. Neorealistic in its approach, the film emulates Hollywood in its happy outcome. A kindly police magistrate (Carlo Tamberlani), taking pity on Peppino, his family and his pals, acts as surrogate father, shielding the kids from harm. Because it is less downbeat than, say, The Bicycle Thief or Shoeshine, Alone in the Streets was afforded a healthy American release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Vespro Siciliano has its roots in a true story. In 1821, the Sicilian people staged a revolt against the provisional leader and his occupying army. In this cinemazation, Roldano Lupi stars as legendary Sicilian patriot Giovanni da Procida. Paul Muller co-stars as the villainous leader, who is drawn in broad, wholly evil strokes. Clearly a labor of love for all concerned, Vespro Siciliano was lavishly produced on the scale of a super-spectacular. By its very nature, the film's audience appeal was limited, though it enjoyed a healthy second life on American television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Set in the 19th century, Buried Alive is placed in context with the struggles of Italian patriot Garibaldi to bring unity and equality to his land. The hero is Giorgio (Piero Palermini), a pro-Garibaldi activist. The villain, Federico (Paul Muller), is not only a despot, but an ungrateful son: he murders his stepmother and throws his stepsister into a dungeon (hence the film's English-language title). Will justice prevail? The film served as an important stepping-stone to stardom for Milly Vitale, cast as the woebegone prisoner. Buried Alive didn't make much of an impression when it was distributed theatrically in the U.S., though it did show up with great frequency on television in the 1950s and 1960s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide