“An All New Height in Fright and Might!” Director Mario Bava’s sword-and-sandal spectacle is one of his most visually stunning pictures, as mythological hero Hercules (Reg Park) descends into a hellish netherworld in search of a magic stone that will restore his comatose princess fiancée (Leonora Ruffo) to life. Christopher Lee is wicked Lycos, the vampiric necromancer bent on defeating the legendary Olympian demi-god, stealing the princess and usurping control of the above-ground empire. Bava’s color palette and matte work is lush, intricate and dreamlike, a triumph of imagination over an impossibly low budget.
“Bava’s interweaving of light, shadow, color, and sometimes literal ‘smoke and mirrors’ to define space, mood, and even character is consistently impressive… striking set-pieces abound, including Deianira rising from her sarcophagus and floating across the room; Lycos reflected in a pool of his victim’s blood; the flying ghouls rising from their slimy crypts…There’s almost too much to appreciate in a single viewing.” – Savage Cinema
