Hercules (1983 film)
| Hercules | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan | |
| Directed by | Lewis Coates |
| Produced by | Yoram Globus |
| Written by | Lewis Coates |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Pino Donaggio |
| Cinematography | Alberto Spagnoli |
| Edited by |
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Production company | |
| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 99 minutes[1] |
| Country |
Italy United States |
| Language |
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| Box office | $11 million (USA)[2] |
Hercules is a 1983 Italian-American science fiction-fantasy adventure film written and directed by Luigi Cozzi (credited as Lewis Coates) and starring Lou Ferrigno. The film is based on Greek mythology and follows the exploits of Hercules.
Part of the adventure finds Hercules battling giant robots brought to life by stop motion animation. The musical score was provided by Pino Donaggio.
Despite not being a critical or box office hit, the film has become something of a cult favorite. A sequel called The Adventures of Hercules (also starring Ferrigno and written and directed by Cozzi) was released in 1985.
Plot
The film is a retelling of the story of Hercules (Lou Ferrigno) battling the wizard Minos (William Berger), who uses "science" in an attempt to take over the world. Hercules must stop him and rescue his princess love in the process.
Cast
- Lou Ferrigno as Hercules
- Sybil Danning as Ariadne
- Brad Harris as Augias
- Ingrid Anderson as Cassiopea
- William Berger as King Minos
- Rossana Podestà as Hera
- Mirella D'Angelo as Circe
- Bobby Rhodes as King Xenodama
- John Garko as Valcheus
- Yehuda Efroni as Dorcon
- Delia Boccardo as Athena
- Claudio Cassinelli as Zeus
- Frank Garland as The Thief
- Gabriella George as Mother
- Ralph Baldassar as Sostratos
- Eva Robin's as Dedalos
Production
Filmed back-to-back with The Seven Magnificent Gladiators in Italy in the summer of 1982. The Seven Magnificent Gladiators was filmed first, followed by the shooting of Hercules, which began on 12 July 1982.[3]
Release
Box office
Hercules opened theatrically in Italy on 12 August 1983 and in the United States on 26 August 1983. The film ranked fourth in the United States box office in its opening weekend, earning $3,473,635.[4] The film ultimately grossed $11 million.[2]
Critical reception
The film received largely negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 14% rating based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 2.2/10.[5]
Accolades
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Raspberry Award | Worst Actor | Lou Ferrigno | Nominated |
| Worst New Star | Won | ||
| Worst Supporting Actress | Sybil Danning | Won | |
| Worst Screenplay | Luigi Cozzi | Nominated | |
| Worst Picture | Yoram Globus | Nominated | |
References
- ↑ "HERCULES (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. 29 July 1983. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- 1 2 Andrew Yule, Hollywood a Go-Go: The True Story of the Cannon Film Empire, Sphere Books, 1987 p47
- ↑ http://www.varietyultimate.com/search/?search=Gladiators+Hercules+Ferrigno&startYear=1982&endYear=1982
- ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for August 26-28, 1983". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. 29 August 1983. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ↑ "Hercules (1983)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
External links
- Hercules at the Internet Movie Database
- Hercules at the TCM Movie Database
- Hercules at Box Office Mojo
- Hercules at Rotten Tomatoes