Sandro Continenza Movies

In this anthology made up of three shorter comedies, Ugo Tognazzi, Paolo Villaggio and Alberto Sordi each bring their own special brand of humor to the screen. In "Saro Tutta Per Te" (I Will Be All Yours), Tognazzi is Enrico, a dentist who has agreed to vacation with his ex-wife at her lover's villa. All he really wants to do is take her to bed one more time, but he is consistently interrupted in his attempts by the arrival of yet more guests. In "Si Buana" (Yes, Buana), Villaggio is Wilson, a man in charge of a group of tourists in Kenya. One of this segment's highlights is the outspoken homesickness of his "native" black guide for the beauties of his homeland -- Rome. In the final episode, "La Vacanze Intelligenti" (Intelligent Vacation), Alberto Sordi is Remo, a greengrocer who, along with his wife, gets sent on a vacation by their well-meaning children who want to "improve" their parents' minds by sending them off to see Etruscan tombs, hear performances of atonal modern music, and appreciate the wonders of avant-garde modern art. In one of the most amusing vignettes, they see an art exhibit consisting of an enclosure filled with sheep with purple spots painted on their backs. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

When state officials test out a new experimental pest-control device that uses subsonic waves to kill insects, it produces an unwelcome but interesting side-effect: the noise is enough to wake the dead -- literally -- and the corpses of the recently deceased begin to rise from their dirt-naps with ravenous appetites for warm human flesh. Since the predicted zombie jubilee starts off with more than a whimper than a bang (actually it's more of a wheeze, since these are particularly asthmatic undead), viewers are left with a rather mundane police drama as clueless detectives try to pin the mutilation murders on a group of free-wheeling hippies. Despite high production values and some audacious gore effects by Giannetto De Rossi (who would later lend his splattery talents to Lucio Fulci's Zombie and many more Italian zombie films), this Spanish/Italian co-production falters in the middle thanks to sluggish pacing and dull investigation scenes, which are devoid of suspense since the zombies' existence is already made known. Also released under the quaint title Breakfast at the Manchester Morgue, among others. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Two crime families battle for supremacy in 1929 Chicago in this Italian crime spoof. One group, known as the "Sons of Mammasantissima" thereby professes its (ironic) dedication to the Virgin Mother. The other family works undercover from a Salvation Army soup kitchen. Neither family seems capable of accomplishing anything of note until a wily Sicilian arrives on the scene and sorts things out. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This bloody Spanish horror film mines the same vein (no pun intended) as Hammer's Countess Dracula (even released the same year), taking as its source the allegedly true tale of the Hungarian Countess Bathory -- who believed she could maintain eternal youth by routinely bathing in the blood of slain virgins. In an attempt to seduce and marry a charming young soldier, she is compelled to murder young maids again and again, while masquerading as her own teenage daughter. Unfortunately, she finds that she needs more frequent applications of this ghastly beauty treatment in order to prevent herself from transforming into a withered old hag -- naturally, both her plans and her body end up falling to pieces. Written and directed by Jorge Grau, who would later find more success with the equally-imitative but genuinely eerie zombie-fest Don't Open the Window. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

A crackdown on drugs leads a burned out cop (Michel Bouquet) to take the law into his own hands and seek revenge against villainous drug dealers. Word comes down from above that the United States feels French authorities have been lax on their arrests of the dealers. A violent action feature finds the harried inspector battling his colleagues as much as the criminal element targeted for extermination. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

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

Courtroom tomfoolery provides the basis for this four-episode Italian anthology comedy. In the first segment "Adultery in 16mm," an angry wife attempts to sue her neglectful husband by charging him with abandonment. Meanwhile, he charges her with adultery and claims to have a few reels of home-movie footage to prove it. The films are shown and the courtroom gasps when they learn the identity of the woman's lover. The second "The Priest and the Prostitute," centers on a self-righteous clergyman who pursues the streetwalker who picked his pocket. The hunted and hunter end up in a pool hall. When she attempts to give her ill-gotten loot to her pimp, the priest pounces and a melee erupts. The police end up taking all of them to jail where more fun follows. In the third episode, "Indecent Exposure," an overly health-conscious fellow religiously swims naked in a Roman ditch every day. The trouble begins on the day in which his clothes are stolen. In the final episode, "The Lustful Lieutenant," an old hooker is charged with soliciting. The attending judge is struck by her resemblance to his old wartime love, but he isn't sure whether it is really her or not. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Comedian Ugo Tognazzi as Umberto and Vittorio Gassmann as Domenico are featured in this comedy-drama about the 1920 march to Rome that saw the beginning of fascism in Italy. As the duo make their way to the capital along with many others, several misadventures highlight the trip, providing opportunities for comedy as well as a certain amount of ironic commentary on the political nuances of the march. The ambiance and setting of the era has been aptly re-created to more effectively bring home the story's main themes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

This is a typical costume drama and adventure story with plenty of fencing, and swash and buckle but not much ingenuity. Based on a story by Anthony Marshall, a swordsman by the name of Thomas Stanwood (Stewart Granger) finds himself fending off a multitude of attackers before he is captured and realizes he was defending himself against the very duke, Don Carlos (Riccardo Garrone), that he is supposed to be helping. The Duke overlooks the mistake and puts Thomas to guard his intended spouse, Orietta Arconti (Sylvia Koscina). She is a cold, arrogant woman who immediately antagonizes Thomas -- until he begins to realize a few things. Orietta's father was killed by the Duke when he took over their city, so how could she really be on the side of Don Carlos? As certain as night follows day, Thomas and Orietta are going to make an unbeatable pair when it comes to righting the wrongs of the past. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Hercules (Reg Park) and King Androcles (Ettore Manni) are on an ocean expedition when Androcles is washed overboard during a storm near a mysterious island. Making landfall, Hercules finds that the island is the kingdom of Atlantis, ruled by a beautiful, cruel, and ambitious queen, Antinea (Fay Spain), who controls a mysterious source of power. She has transformed her personal guard into super-strong warriors -- each nearly a match for Hercules, put Androcles under her spell, and inflicted terrible wounds on her people, all in preparation for her plan to conquer the world. Hercules finds that her power stems from a source older than the gods on Olympus, one over which he has virtually no power. He must save his friend, release Antinea's people, and prevent her from carrying out her plans. ~ Bruce Eder, 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