The Call of the Wild 1972 PG, 100 min. Genre: Family / Adventure
Director: Ken Annakin Cast: Charlton Heston, Raimund Harmstorf, Michele Mercier, George Eastman, Sancho Garcia, Rik Battaglia, Maria Rohm, Juan Luis Galiardo, Friedhelm Lehmann, Horst Heuck, Alf Malland, Alfredo Mayo, Sverre Wilberg, Olov Pedersen, Per Amvik
In this version of Jack London's story about gold prospecting during the Alaskan gold rush, mail carriers John Thornton (Charlton Heston) and Pete Smith (Raimund Harmstorf) deliver supplies across the Yukon in 1898. John buys a stolen German Shepherd, "Buck," that has been trained as a sled dog. John and Buck bond, but problems lie ahead when John decides to prospect for gold.
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Esther and the King 1960 N/R, 109 min. Genre: Drama
Director: Raoul Walsh Cast: Joan Collins, Richard Egan, Denis O'Dea, Sergio Fantoni, Rik Battaglia, Renato Baldini, Gabriele Tinti, Daniela Rocca, Robert Buchanan, Folco Lulli
This is a weary, biblical tale set in fourth century B.C. Persia and tells the story of the Persian King (Richard Egan), his dealing with the Persian hatred of the Jews, and of Jewish woman Esther (Joan Collins) who was to become his bride. Director Walsh must have been tiring of his trade, or of the subject matter, since there is no conviction in the players.
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A Fistful of Dynamite 1972 PG, 139 min. Genre: Western / Drama / Action / Adventure aka: Duck, You Sucker
Director: Sergio Leone Cast: Rod Steiger, James Coburn, Maria Monti, Romolo Valli, Rik Battaglia, Franco Graziosi, Antoine Saint-John, Vivienne Chandler, David Warbeck, Giulio Battiferri, Roy Bosier, John Frederick, Michael Harvey, Biagio La Rocca, Poldo Bendandi
Set during the Mexican Revolution, Rod Steiger is excellent in his role of Juan Mirando, a peasant bandit drawn into action with Irish explosives expert, John (James Coburn).
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The Great Battle 1978 PG, 97 min. Genre: Drama aka: Battle Force The Greatest Battle
Director: Umberto Lenzi Cast: Helmut Berger, Samantha Eggar, Giuliano Gemma, John Huston, Stacy Keach, Henry Fonda, Edwige Fenech, Ray Lovelock, Aldo Massasso, Venantino Venantini, Rik Battaglia, Guy Doleman, Orson Welles, Ida Galli, Andrea Bosic
Narrated by Orson Welles, this German film relates the final tank battles of the Panzer Corps in Tunisia during World War II. Poorly made and poorly acted by big-name stars.
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Hannibal 1960 N/R, 103 min. Genre: Foreign / Adventure / Action / Drama aka: Annibale
Director: Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, Edgar G. Ulmer Cast: Victor Mature, Rita Gam, Gabriele Ferzetti, Milly Vitale, Rik Battaglia, Franco Silva, Terence Hill, Mirko Ellis, Andrea Aureli, Renzo Cesana, Andrea Fantasia, Bud Spencer, Franco Dominici, Enzo Fiermonte
Hannibal (Victor Mature) has crossed the Alps with his elephants and is advancing on Rome when he captures Sylvia (Rita Gam). The two fall in love, but love will not conquer all as Hannibal's failings prove his undoing–both with Sylvia and with the Romans.
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Mannaja 1977 N/R, 100 min. Genre: Foreign / Western aka: A Man Called Blade
Director: Sergio Martino Cast: Maurizio Merli, John Steiner, Donald O'Brien, Martine Brochard, Sonja Jeannine, Philippe Leroy, Rik Battaglia, Salvatore Puntillo, Antonio Casale, Enzo Fiermonte, Aldo Rendine, Sofia Lombardo, Nick Alexander, Franco Ukmar, Sergio Tardioli
Bounty hunter Blade (Maurizio Merli) starts out in this late spaghetti Western by throwing his hatchet at, cutting off the hand of, and capturing bad guy Burt Craven (Donald O'Brien). Things get even meaner when another bad guy blinds Blade by burying him up to his neck and sewing Blade's eyes open. But Blade is saved by Burt, who Blade freed after not being able to get a reward. After learning to shoot by sound rather than sight, Blade gets his revenge.
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Nightmare Castle 1965 N/R, 90 min. Genre: Foreign / Horror / Thriller aka: Night of the Doomed The Faceless Monster
Director: Mario Caiano Cast: Barbara Steele, Paul Muller, Helga Line, Laurence Clift, Giuseppe Addobbati, Rik Battaglia
Mad scientist Dr. Arrowsmith (Paul Muller) uses his wife (Barbara Steele) and her lover (Rik Battaglia) in his experiments. He electrocutes both of them and preserves their hearts while using their blood to make his servant young and beautiful. Alas, things do not go as planned when his wife's fortune does not go to him but, rather, goes to her mentally unstable sister (also played by Barbara Steele). Watch out Doc, you may have trouble dealing with her.
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Sodom and Gomorrah 1962 N/R, 154 min. Genre: Drama / Adventure aka: The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah
Director: Robert Aldrich Cast: Stewart Granger, Pier Angeli, Stanley Baker, Rossana Podesta, Anouk Aimee, Claudia Mori, Rik Battaglia, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., Aldo Silvani, Gabriele Tinti, Scilla Gabel, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, Enzo Fiermonte, Daniel Vargas, Massimo Pietrobon
Lot (Stewart Granger) is the Hebrew leader who takes his people to the Valley of Jordan and finds that they are caught between the sinful cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The wicked Queen Bera (Anouk Aimee) rules, and she makes a deal with Lot. She wants to use Lot's Hebrews as her line of defense against the Helamites and, as part of the deal, she gives Lot her slave Ildith (Pier Angeli) as his wife. When Lot realizes that his people are being corrupted by the evil people of Sodom and Gomorrah, he receives a vision from God to lead his people out of the area. As they leave, Ildith turns to look at the crumbling cities and is turned into a pillar of salt.
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Treasure Island 1972 G, 94 min. Genre: Family / Adventure
Director: John Hough Cast: Orson Welles, Kim Burfield, Walter Slezak, Lionel Stander, Rik Battaglia, Paul Muller, Maria Rohm, Aldo Sambrell, Angel del Pozo, Jean Lefebvre, Michel Garland, Adolfo Thous, Alibe, Jose Luis Chinchilla, Victor Israel
Jim Hawkins' (Kim Burfield) treasure map is the key that gets him involved with the band of pirates headed by Long John Silver (Orson Welles) in this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale.
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| 1. The Call of the Wild (1972)
2. Esther and the King (1960)
3. A Fistful of Dynamite (1972) aka: Duck, You Sucker
4. The Great Battle (1978) aka: Battle Force aka: The Greatest Battle
5. Hannibal (1960) aka: Annibale
6. Mannaja (1977) aka: A Man Called Blade
7. Nightmare Castle (1965) aka: Night of the Doomed aka: The Faceless Monster
8. Sodom and Gomorrah (1962) aka: The Last Days of Sodom and Gomorrah
9. Treasure Island (1972)
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