Colossus of Rhodes R1 DVD 6/26/07

[Tucumcari Bound]

Yes, I know it's not like his other films from what I hear, but I just want to watch it.

[dave jenkins]

More confirmation: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents

BTW, I assume we're getting the 127 minute version, not the Italain one that's 139.

[cigar joe]

Its not bad, its very watchable, you even get inklings of the great camera angles to come from the ones that he uses during the swordfights on the Colossus. You'll see what I mean, TCM showed it letterboxed almost about a year ago.

I'd like to see what he did with Sodom & Gomorrah

[The Peacemaker]

I'd like to see what he did with Sodom & Gomorrah

Wasn't he only second unit director on that one?

[cigar joe]

Wasn't he only second unit director on that one?

Yes I think so at first.

[dave jenkins]

specs are up at dvdtimes.co.uk. Note the Frayling commentary!


The Colossus of Rhodes (1961)
Filmmakers often begin their directing careers with works of limited scale. Sergio Leone (Fistful of Dollars) began with a Colossus. Spectacle is king in The Colossus of Rhodes, Leone’s first credited film as a director. Sun-bronzed heroes (including toga-wearing Rory Calhoun) battle tyranny. Prisoners scramble for their lives in coliseum pageants of doom. Usurpers connive. Revolution erupts. And towering over all the excitement is the mighty bronze Colossus that straddles the harbor, fighting foes by dropping burning oil from the huge cauldron it holds and firing streams of molten lead from the catapults in its headpiece.

DVD Special Features:

    * Commentary by film historian Christopher Frayling
    * Theatrical trailer
    * Subtitles: English & Français (feature film only)

[Price Check update: $8.29 w/free shipping at deepdiscount.com]

[Tucumcari Bound]

I can't wait to pick this up and Fistfull of Dynamite!

[Man with no dame]

I have not made a lot of posts about Leone's films, yet. Wanted to read around the forum a little bit before I comment on the Big 6. Anyway, I would like to begin at the beginning of Leone's career. Noticed a lot of disinterest in Leone's pre-SWs. This, to me, is kind of inexcusable. Would you ignore all of Nicholas Roeg's pre-directorial work, simply because he was an assistant cameraman on little, forgettable films like Lawrence of Arabia? Would you write off film editor and lifelong collaborator Alma Hitchcock as just the great director Alfred's wife? The sword and sandal epics of post-war Italy were the first major financial successes of their film industry. Inumerable talent was borne from those films. Leone would probably not have gotten to do his films without the S&Ss. This is where it all started, folks. These are must-see and must-appreciate films, for these are the cornerstones of his great career. They are as important, especially to this forum, as Godzilla movies are to the emergence of Japanese cinema. These films, along with his producer-credited works in the 70's deserve a special and seperate discussion. If anyone would care to put it to a vote, I'm down with it. Now that I have that out of my system, I think I'll have a Guiness and a good cigar.

[cigar joe]

agreed, I remember seeing a lot of the S&S films in theaters & TV in the late 50's early 60's

[Man with no dame]

They rode on the back of Hollywood bible spectacles like 10 Commandments & Ben Hur, but some were equally as good. Colossus is usually regarded as one of the better ones, Pompeii too.

[cigar joe]

Maybe we should make a definitive list of Essential Sword & Sandal Films:

So off the top of my head the ones I remember:

Ben Hur
Colossus Of Rhodes
Last Days of Pompei
Barabas
Spartagus
Hercules
The Robe
Cleopatra
Quo Vadis
Jason & The Argonauts
Clash of the Titans
The Maciste Flicks
The Ten Commadmants
Valley Of The Kings

[Man with no dame]

Maybe we should make a definitive list of Essential Sword & Sandal Films:


Spartagus
I'm hoping this is just a mis-spelling, and not some movie about a Roman gas station attendant, that I might have missed.

[mike siegel]

I agree heavily with you about your earlier speech
As much as I like this GREAT website, it is a bit strange that
one has to persuade 'die-hard' Leone fans to watch his films.
If it was Ford, o.k... 150+, but ol' Serge only made 7!

I don't like the Peplum genre much, maybe I always have to
think of Paul Newman, stating after THE SILVER CHALICE: 'won't
do another one, 'don't have the legs for it..'

But they're essential. Corbucci, Tessari, they all made them.
They probably suffer a lot in english a lot I guess?

Most of them look cheap and dull.
But not his entry. It is good. And those who can't connect it with his later
work I can't support: It's almost like FOD. A guy comes to town and is devided
between to groups of fighting people. He changes his 'allies', get's caught
and tortured. What else does one need to make a connection?? Clintus?
Well, Rory was a western star, wasn't he?

Seeing Leone directing with his usual passion should one make
wish to see it:

[cigar joe]

Spatacus, Spatagus is Asparagus' brother

[Man with no dame]

Now there's a scenario! What if Leone had carried over Calhoun to star in his next pic? This conversation wouldn't even be happening. Quantum physics. Didn't Asparagus rebel against Emperor Okra?