Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics (The Colossus of Rhodes / Land of the Pharaohs / The Prodigal)
by Howard Hawks, Richard Thorpe, Sergio Leone
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Actor: Alex Minotis, Dewey Martin, Jack Hawkins, James Robertson Justice, Joan CollinsDirector: Howard Hawks, Richard Thorpe, Sergio Leone
Brand: Warner Brothers
Writer: Ageo Savioli
Writer: Carlo Gualtieri
Writer: Cesare Seccia
Writer: Duccio Tessari
Writer: Ennio De Concini
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 344 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-06-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: 114524
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Sand, swords, pagans and pyramids abound in these historical tales! The collection includes Sergio Leone's debut Colossus of Rhodes, Land of the Pharaohs and The Prodigal which stars Lana Turner. Runtime: 383 min Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SCI-FI/FANTASY Rating: NR Age: 085391145240 UPC: 085391145240 Manufacturer No: 114524
DVD Reviews of Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics (The Colossus of Rhodes / Land of the Pharaohs / The Prodigal)
DVD Review: Some films are less campy than others in this trio of historical epics including one by Hawks and another by Sergio Leone
Summary: 4 Stars
There was a time where camp classics weren't exactly intentional but were every bit as enjoyable as the camp films we have now. "Historical Epics" is the fourth in Warner Home Video's "Cult Camp Classics" and at least two of these three films are actually quite good outside of the classification.
The first "The Colossus of Rhodes" was the first film that Sergio Leone took credit on as a director. Set during during the Hellenistic era before the rise of Rome, this film features cowboy b-movie star Rory Calhoun as a Greek(!) hero vacationing in Rhodes who gets pulled into an attempt to overthrow the Emperor. The centerpiece of this film a 180 foot high statue that stood astride the waterways of Rhodes and could be used as a weapon to defend the city by dumping hot molten lead on invaders or would be revolutionaries.
Featuring risable dialogue, great action sequences and impressive production design, this international production (featuring actors from Italy, Spain, America and France)features a number of stunning set pieces that hint at Leone's great Italian Westerns such as "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and "Once Upon a Time in the West". The film looks quite good with an excellent commentary track by Leone biographer and film historian Christopher Frayling who covers everything from the historical context of the film (the real statue of Rhodes was believed to be about 38 feet high and overlooked the city)and the original theatrical trailer. Frayling points out the good (Leone's stunning use of the camera), the bad (often the dialogue is quite ripe)and the ugly (the overwrought performances of some of the actors)but still finds merit in the film.
Leone does a hommage to Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" and "Sabteour" particularly during the end sequence on top of the Colossus of Rhodes where there is a fight sequence. Fans of cinema will see other references to other films that Leone sneaks in to this historical epic which is still quite enjoyable both as a memorable peek into what would come later from Leone's classic films as well as the silly plot devices and dialogue.
"Land of the Pharaohs" was directed by Howard Hawks and co-written by William Faulkner(!)so how could one go wrong with this historical epic about the building of the pyramids? Joan Collins plays a Nellifer in this epic production while Jack Hawkins is the Pharaoh Cheops putting thousands to work to build is massive tomb. It's interesting because the structure of this film echoes Hawks' great western "Red River". "Pharoahs" is an excellent minor Hawks classic with an epic scale and of the three here is the least camp best film of the bunch. Collins brings the camp element to the forefront with her performance as the scheming Nellifer.
The film features Peter Bogdanovich providing a commentary. Bogdanovich doesn't think much of the film (nor did Hawks as is evident in the interview excerpts included here)but it's a pretty good historical epic with the massive spectacle and production design that one expects from the genre. If it fails to live up to Hawks best films, that could be because he was working in a genre that he wasn't totally comfortable with.
The last film included here "The Prodigal" featuring Lana Turner fits into the camp camp quie well. It apes the Cecil B. DeMille Biblical and historical epics quite well. Basically this tells the story of the prodigal son (Edmund Purdom) who falls for a pagan priestess (Turner).
Dr. Drew Casper gives a frentic and interesting commentary track that makes more of this film than is there. Casper mentions in his commentary that he feels this is a remake of Raoul Walsh's "The Wanderer" from 1926 which I've never seen. He also provides interesting biographical information on many of the actors in the film.
All the films included here look extremely good with some looking much better than others depending on the source print and its condition. Warner does an excellent job of putting this together much as they did with some of the other "Cult Camp Classics" sets in the series (the other two I purchased I haven't watched yet--I wanted to go for the set that had the Hawks and Leone films first). Some of these sets have no or minimal extras (such as a trailer only)but most have commentary tracks and all the ones here even when they aren't perfect provide background on the films. Frayling is always entertaining and does an outstanding job adding humor and has a relaxed conversational style that makes his informative commentary the best of the bunch here.
Three stars for the films with an extra star for the commentary tracks.
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Description of Cult Camp Classics 4 - Historical Epics (The Colossus of Rhodes / Land of the Pharaohs / The Prodigal)
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