Son of Hercules
William Comstock & John Kirk, director.
USA, 2001, presentation/film clips, 80 min.

In this entertaining presentation, MGM archivist John Kirk opens the vault and traces the peculiar rise and decline of the "sword and sandal" genre.

Lavish historical spectacles were a staple of Italian cinema since silent days, but in 1957 the genre exploded with the international box office success Hercules, starring American bodybuilding sensation Steve Reeves, putting musclemen at the centre of the show. Imitations and sequels followed and from 1957 to 1965 the Italian film industry alone produced over 150 gladiator films.

The homoeroticism of these films is apparent from the blatant beefcake stars' sculpted physique, fetishized by peek-a-boo costumes and subjecting his hyper-masculine body to trials of strength and lingering torments. However, the queer camp appeal of these films went further with exuberant and showy wild dance numbers breaking out in the midst of historical drama, vicious and over-the-top female villains tormenting and humiliating the heroes, and garishly theatrical sets alternating universes of bizarre glamour.

Yet, behind the glamour, all was not so pretty. Productions schedules were impossibly rushed, scripts hardly existed and actors were forced to do their own stunts. As the genre declined, the sadomasochistic elements of the earlier films, once used for suspense, moved front and centre and the torture of the hero becomes an end in itself.

John Kirk's presentation is accompanied by clips from more than 70 of these screen gems, some of them rarely or never seen in North America, as well as exclusive interviews with such stars as Richard Harrison, Gordon Mitchell and Mickey Hargitay. Also, bodybuilding legends Steve Reeves, Ed Fury and Reg Park appear in cameos. Equal parts serious scholarly endeavour and queer camp fun, Sons of Hercules is a fascinating look to an almost totally neglected film genre.

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