Hercules in the Haunted World

Hercules in the Haunted World
by Mario Bava, Franco Prosperi

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Movie Reviews of Hercules in the Haunted World

Movie Review: Bava's peplum epic
Summary: 5 Stars

Bava's Hercules (played capably by Reg Park) must set out on yet another quest the results of which will have a profound effect on the residents of a Greek city. It seems that the female princess of this town is under some zombie like spell, completely unable to function beyond rambling and stumbling about. In her place, a sinister man named Lyco (Christopher Lee!) "generously" agrees to rule the city until Hercules and his buddy Theseus return from their mission. According to an oracle, Hercules must head into the depths of Hades--ruled over by the evil god Pluto--to secure a special stone that will restore the faculties of the young princess. Of course, our heroes must undertake several other minor tasks before marching into the world of the dead. In order to enter Hell, Hercules must first obtain a magical boat from some large guy who likes to draw and quarter people. Then Theseus and Hercules must sail the boat to the Hesperides, a bleak land beyond the sun where a bevy of beautiful women banished by the gods live. Once they arrive here, one of the men must climb an enormous tree in order to procure a golden apple that will allow them to enter and exit Hades safely. The underworld itself presents a host of problems, including oceans of fire, sexy but fatal mirages, and vines that groan and bleed when cut. Hercules surmounts all of the obstacles through a combination of brute strength and intelligence, arriving back at the city just in time to take on Lyco and some weird flying creatures. The final showdown is fierce, but will our man save the princess and restore the monarchy in time?

Peplum films often rate high on the cheese scale. Bava's film is no exception, but (and this is a big but) "Hercules in the Haunted World" is an enormously entertaining and beautifully made film guaranteed to provide a good time. Sure, some of the miniatures looked schlocky. Sure, the comic relief sidekick Theseus and Hercules take along with them is more of an annoyance than a boon. Sure, Christopher Lee sports a funny Prince Valiant haircut and doesn't really do much. Yes, many scenes and characters in Bava's film possess a decidedly cheesy quality, but the movie succeeds wildly despite these flaws. Just check out the performances. I thought Reg Park made an excellent Hercules; the guy could actually act and really looks the part. Moreover, there are more babes in this film than I remember seeing in 1950s and 1960s cheese flicks. The girl who plays Persephone, the woman Theseus rescues from Hades, looks eerily similar to a young Sophia Loren. In fact, all of the female roles have beautiful women in them, something I greatly appreciated when watching the film.

If you don't want to waste time watching the actors and actresses (dubbed, by the way, since the film was shot in Italian), you can appreciate how Bava overcame a tight budget to create a truly bizarre world. When Theseus, Hercules, and the sidekick sail across the ocean to the Hesperides, the horizon takes on a weird, almost psychedelic tone of red, yellow, and black that is very well done. Just as neat is the desolate landscapes of Hades, a world of smoke, styrofoam rocks, and lava pits that swallow up the unwary. As Hercules and Theseus move through the blasted terrain of Pluto's domain, the camera often draws way back to show the two men from afar jumping off cliffs and climbing hand over hand on a vine rope. Again, it does look a bit cheesy, but it also works in an inexplicable way. The scenes where Hercules talks to the oracle and where he battles Lyco and his undead minions are, without doubt, simply wonderful to look at and stylish as all get out. "Hercules in the Haunted World" is a prime cut of peplum that even a non-fan of the genre can appreciate.

I was surprised to see Franco Prosperi had a hand in making this film; he went on to worldwide fame as one of the co-creators of the notorious "Mondo Cane" series. I suspect, however, that Bava was primarily responsible for the technical brilliance of the movie. Thanks to Fantoma for bringing us the film in a beautifully restored DVD version with a trailer and stills as extras. Bava completists simply must pick up "Hercules in the Haunted World" as quickly as they can. Even non-fans would do well to invest an hour and a half of their time with this one; you're unlikely to see another peplum film as entertaining as this one.