DOUBLE FEATURE!!!!! In 1957, Steve Reeves, a champion American bodybuilder and struggling actor, was hired to play the lead role in Hercules. The rest, as they say, is history. The film was to inspire countless imitati... more »ons in the years that followed and proved to be a turning point in Steve Reeves career. His classically sculpted physique, rugged good looks and commanding presence combined made him one of the most natural and dignified actors to ever assume the role. He became one of the highest paid and biggest box-office stars in the world due to his signature role in Hercules and its sequel, Hercules Unchained. Hercules - In this mixture of characters and events from separate mythological stories, Hercules falls in love with a beautiful, scantily clad Princess. Before he can win her, he must succeed in a series of quests laid down by her father. Hercules Unchained - En route to Thebes for an important diplomatic mission, Hercules drinks from a magic spring and loses his memory. He becomes a prisoner and has to compete in several grueling trials before he is freed. Extra Features: The success of Hercules and Hercules Unchained spawned a new action genre known as the sword-and-sandal epic. These delightfully quirky fantasy-adventures are typically set in the ancient world and follow the exploits of the main character as he saves beautiful women or entire cities from danger. This collection of trailers from the genre highlights the films and the stars that made swords and sandals a hit. Alexander the Great was one of the most extraordinary people in history. King of Macedonia and one of the greatest military leaders of all time, he conquered much of the known world before he was 30 and was dead by the age of 32. In this color presentation set in 330 B.C., we join Alexander and his mighty army marching through Persia on a mision to conquer the world, but there is trouble brewing. Karonos, one of Alexander's campaigns is foolhardy. He plans a coup, after which the war-weary soldiers can head home. Alexander the Great is a noteworthy film as a launching pad for several careers including soon-to-be Captain Kirk, William Shatner, as the man who leads his men into battle. There is a pre-Batman, Adam West as Cleander, Alexander's right hand man. The turncoat Karonos is played by John Cassavetes, who would distinguish himself both as an actor and behind the camera as a director. Also on board is an aging Joseph Cotton who, like Alexander, is victimized by the betrayal of Karonos. After being digitally restored, this Phil Karlson directed program is now available on DVD for the first time. Extra Feature: Since the early days of motion pictures, story lines concerning world history have been a mainstay of the cinema, but in the 1950s, historical epics exploded onto the big screen like never before. In this mini-documentary, we will revisit this Golden Age of Hollywood, a period when astronomical budgets and extravagance was the norm.« less
