Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Mr. Cannon Competition

Cannon Films bodybuilding competition featuring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man,  Lou Ferrigno as Hercules and that nuclear villian from Superman. Art by J. K. Woodward.

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno training for Hercules

Lou Ferrigno training for Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules (morphed and animated)

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (yes, it's morphed)

Lou Ferrigno and Sybil Danning

Lou Ferrigno and Sybil Danning

Hercules and the Temple of Torture

"With every awesome breath, the giant’s enormous barrel of a chest could easily be seen to expand to nearly three times the size of his waist. Even more magnificent were the two colossal blocks of pectoral muscle jutting out from his barrel of a rib cage to form an overhang of hard, square man-meat easily as thick as a grown man’s hand was wide. The evil observer’s lust multiplied as those slabs bounced and rolled sensually with the rhythm of the Greek’s proud stride. To add to the Egyptian’s lust even more, those mammoth slabs of hairless muscle were capped with reddish-brown cones twice the size of a gold coin and those cones glistened like eyes in the sun on that huge chest."

Read the first installment of Hercules and the Temple of Torture at Jayse's Brutal Ball Busting Stories! (Warning! Adult content)

The Washington Post on "Hercules"

By Gary Arnold August 31, 1983

 

"Hercules" is so littered with absurdities, cinematic as well as mythological, that it's difficult to single out the most representative example of defenseless dumbness. Writer-director Lewis Coates, a name to inscribe at the top of your Z list if you contemplate investing in a movie spectacle, leaves himself and an all-too-obliging, ponderous prop of a star, muscle-man Lou Ferrigno, open for nonstop ridicule.

At one point our attention is drawn to a magic potion called Black Lotus, whose nectar allegedly "numbs the mind and inflames the senses." Following this helpful standard of comparison, the movie itself must qualify as a Gray Lotus, since it ingeniously contrives to numb the mind and dull the senses. Unless you're in the market for a $4 nap, the Ferrigno edition of "Hercules" has little allure.

In its shoddy, immobilized way the production may be a unique labor of love. At any rate, the publicity material insists that Steve Reeves, the vastly more persuasive and heroic movie Hercules of a generation ago, was a boyhood idol of Ferrigno. Unfortunately, the inspiration hasn't rubbed off in photogenic respects. Ferrigno's monstro physique is diminished by a stiff posture and a duncelike screen presence, attributes that place him in the same class with the obscure lunks whom Reeves outclassed in his time by presenting a far handsomer, looser figure to the camera.

Planted like some gigantic, inexpressive obstacle of sculpture in the middle of dinky sets decorated in funny pastels, Ferrigno looks better qualified to impersonate the giant in a semi-animated remake of "Jack and the Beanstalk." One doesn't really expect brilliant line readings from him, especially in a script that limits the hero's verbal scope to questions like "Another one of your tricks, witch?" or "Why am I stronger than other men?" or "What?"

Moreover, the production is so execrably post-recorded that every voice sounds hollow and disembodied. Nevertheless, the slowness of Ferrigno's reaction time when called upon to utter one of these nifties or to show intense emotion by, for strenuous example, furrowing a brow or letting out an audible exhalation, tends to place an extra burden on lifeless, resourceless moviemaking.

Coates has two paralyzing methods of staging scenes. If there are actors involved, they tend to appear in long shot and slowly approach the distant camera. If he's working only with the miniature set models, the camera ambles toward them for a poky, disillusioning overview. Given pictorial schemes this inert, the old ambience cannot afford too much deliberation and brooding from the members of the cast.

Evidently a patsy as well as a novice, Ferrigno doesn't seem to realize that he needs, at the very least, to protect the credibility of his muscles. The chintziness of the operation undercuts the illusions meant to illustrate Hercules' fantastic strength. It's not particularly impressive when Hercules manhandles monsters that are obviously harmless little plastic toys or swings a Styrofoam rock so hard that the tissue-paper walls of the set begin to shake. A graceless, heavy object himself, Ferrigno doesn't pretend to lift or shove heavier objects with much flair or trace of humorous satisfaction. He's like a grimly earnest furniture mover.

No one asks a movie Hercules to sound like Plato, but if his feats of strength look laughable, the whole enterprise is bound to be stigmatized as a fraudulent bad joke. Curiously, there's a silly-looking stunt that more or less sums up Ferrigno's inability to carry this burdensome vehicle: Hercules is shown playing ox, cutting three parallel furrows with a yoke rigged to three boulders, but the progress is so painfully slow that you wish someone would tell the poor clod that he might get further plowing one furrow at a time with a more streamlined blade.

The plot is a mythological mishmash that garbles the legend of Hercules with goofy cribs from Ulysses, Moses, King Arthur, "Clash of the Titans" and other promiscuously scavenged sources. The principal "thread" is Hercules' attempt to rescue a kidnaped harem princess called Cassiopea (Ingrid Anderson) from a nasty tyrant, King Minos (William Berger), and his merciless henchslut, Arianna (Sybil Danning), whose almost totally exposed breasts seem to be deployed as a satiric affront to the star's overdeveloped and totally exposed pectorals. This kind of face-off was always a reliably hilarious aspect of muscle-man epics, so at least "Hercules" gets one mirthful element right.

The Washington Post

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Some pec bouncing from the Seven Magnificent Gladiators. No, this isn't morphed.

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno, Brad Harris and  Sybil Danning in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Who is the cutest?

Who is the cutest?

Lou Ferrigno goofing around with Michael Damian

Lou Ferrigno goofing around with Michael Damian (pics from current Ebay auctions)

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno training for Hercules

Lou Ferrigno training for Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno at the foreign press screening of Hercules

Lou Ferrigno at the foreign press screening of Hercules

Website back online

The Lou Ferrigno - Ultimate Hercules website is back online, this time at http://ultimatehercules.neocities.org (and, yes, the picture here is morphed).

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno and Brad Harris in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules

Minos!!!

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

The Hulk in Rome is a Gladiator

Stampa Sera June 28, 1982

The Hulk in Rome is a Gladiator

Revival of the mythological film
Lou Ferrigno is the new hero

ROME - With Lou Ferrigno, the American who has been twice Mr. Universe and once Mr. International, famous interpreter of the television series The Incredible Hulk, the peplum returns to Rome: the genre, one of the most popular in the Italian cinema, that disappeared about twenty years ago.

Lou Ferrigno, who thus takes the place that in the late 50’s belonged to Steve Reeves (the famous bodybuilder who also became an actor), has the leading role in the Seven Magnificent Gladiators directed by Bruno Mattei. It is a story inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai that after being adapted to the western (The Magnificent Seven by John Sturges) is now transferred to the ancient Rome.

The movie’s protagonists are gladiators who, like the samurai of ancient Japan, are fighting for their ideals. Based entirely on action and scenes of spectacular grandeur, the new film is going to be given global distribution because, according to the executive producer Alexander Hacchen, there is a huge demand for Lou Ferrigno and films of this type in the major markets. For this reason, it was decided to take up a genre that the Italian cinema has unjustly neglected.

In addition to Lou Ferrigno, whose physical presence has everything the ancient gladiators had (soon after he will interpret Hercules that Cannon Italy is going to do in Rome with the director Luigi Cozzi), the cast includes Brad Harris (who was a peplum hero in the early 60’s), Sybil Danning, Carla Ferrigno, Handy-Rick-Davies and Dan Vadis. The director of photography is Silvano Ippolito, set and costume designer Amedeo Mellone and production coordinator Marcello Berni.

The filming of the Seven Magnificent Gladiators began in Paestum, among the temples, and continued in Rome in the Circus of Maxentius. Now the crew has moved to the ancient Appian Way where they will do a scene that recreates a night-time chariot race, with the participation of racehorses and trotting drivers.

"It's a grand return – says the director Bruno Mattei – to the kind of cinema that we thought was forgotten. They have invested in it about three billion lire. The Americans say that the settings and the atmosphere of Rome are irreplaceable, so they have decided to encourage us to revive the peplum genre. Unlike previous films, this one and others that will come later will be able to use special effects that correspond to the latest trends of the imaginary."

***

Stampa Sera 28 Giugno 1982

Hulk a Roma è gladiatore

Revival di film «mitologici»
Lou Ferrigno è il nuovo eroe

ROMA — Con Lou Ferrigno, l'americano due volte mister Universo e una volta mister International, famoso interprete della serie televisiva L'incredibile Hulk, torna a Roma il genere storico-mitologico: un filone, tra i più popolari del cinema italiano, che da circa vent'anni non figurava più nel bollettini di produzione.

Lou Ferrigno, che prende così il posto che sul finire degli Anni 50 fu di Steve Reeves (il celebre mister muscolo affermatosi anche come attore), sta girando nel ruolo principale I sette magnifici gladiatori, di cui è regista Bruno Mattei. Si tratta di un soggetto ispirato a I sette samurai di Akira Kurosawa che dopo essere stato adattato al western («I magnifici sette di John Sturges) viene trasferito nella cornice dell'antica Roma.

I suoi protagonisti sono diventati gladiatori che, come i samurai dell'antico Giappone, combattono per gli ideali. Interamente basato sull'azione e su scene di spettacolare grandiosità, il nuovo film si propone una diffusione mondiale in quanto, a detta del produttore esecutivo Alexander Hacchen, per Lou Ferrigno e per film di questo tipo c'è una richiesta frenetica da parte dei principali mercati. Per questo è stato deciso di riprendere un genere che il cinema italiano ha ingiustamente trascurato.

Oltre a Lou Ferrigno, la cui imponenza fisica ha tutto degli antichi gladiatori (subito dopo sarà l'interprete di Hercules che la «Cannon italiana» girerà a Roma con la regia di Luigi Cozzi), il cast comprende, tra gli altri, Brad Harris (che fu un «eroe» dello storico-mitologico all'inizio degli Anni 60) Sybil Danning, Carla Ferrigno; Handy-Rick-Davies, Dan Vadis. Direttore della fotografia è Silvano Ippolito; scenografo e costumista Amedeo Mellone; organizzatore generale Marcello Berni.

Le riprese de I sette magnifici gladiatori sono cominciate a Paestum, tra i templi, e sono proseguite a Roma nel Circo di Massenzio. In questi giorni la troupe si è trasferita sull'Appia Antica dove viene realizzata una scena che ricostruisce la notte delle bighe, con la partecipazione di quadriglie per le quali sono stati scritturati cavalli da corsa e guidatori di trotto.

«È un ritorno grandioso — dice il regista Bruno Mattei — a un tipo di cinema che credevamo dimenticato. Sono stati investiti per questo circa tre miliardi di lire. Gli americani dicono che la cornice e l'atmosfera di Roma sono insostituibili per cui hanno deciso di incoraggiarci a rilanciare il genere storico-mitologico. A differenza dei film precedenti, questo e gli altri che verranno dopo avranno la possibilità di utilizzare gli "effetti speciali", secondo le ultime tendenze dell'immaginario».

Lou Ferrigno and Tom Platz

Lou Ferrigno and Tom Platz (around 1983)

Lift the shield, Hercules!

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Out of the debris emerged Hercules... pumped up and ready for the battle!

Damn you!!!

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

But how?... Herc is puzzled

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (yes, morphed)

Taste my sword, bitch!

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules with wife Carla

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules with wife Carla

Damn you, witch!

Lou Ferrigno as Hercules (morphed)

Hercules the thespian

Lou Ferrigno in Hercules (morphed)