Ancient Fantasies presents
Hercules Against the Moonmen (1964)

Director - Giacomo Gentilomo
 

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Plot
Commentary
Facts and Fancies
Production Credits

The Plot

Queen Samarra of the Land of Samar has enslaved her people with the aid of The Moon Master. Each month she offers a human sacrifice to the Mountain of Death. Hercules is summoned by the rebels to defeat the Queen and her monstrous allies. But before he starts tearing the mountain apart and winding up with the girl, he has a bit of a thing with the evil, sexy Queen.

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Commentary

It took three writers to concoct this Hercules adventure. An bizarrely entertaining sci-fi fantasy melange, Hercules is played by Alan Steele (real name- Sergio Ciani). Jany Clair does her thing as the red hot Queen. Rock men, monsters, spiked torture machines, sandstorms and biceps and triceps to die for, it's all here.

Though often criticized for taking Hercules a bit too far out of his mythological milieu, the science fiction element actually provides the film with a hypodermic shot of space-age fun.

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Facts and Fancies

Though the character is called Hercules in the American version of the film, he is called Maciste in the original Italian and French versions.

Take note of The Moon Master; he could very well have been the inspiration for George Lucas' Darth Vader.

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Production Credits

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For information on Hercules...

Watch Ingmar Ozu-Bresson's experimental film meditation on Hercules - Herculin/Feminin (only on Alameda TV Ch. 31).