Circo romano

Goliath returns to a kingdom (Nefer?) on the Persian Gulf which has fallen under the cruel domination of Babylon. Each year a number of the kingdom's most beautiful virgins must be sent off to serve the evil Babylonian king. Goliath unites with some local rebels to end this domination, destroying by fire the city of Babylon in the process.

This "peplum" comes with a lot of action: the usual fights, a chariot race, a sea battle, and a climactic conflagration. There's also a touch of romance, (though not involving Goliath), and for comic-relief we're offered one of those midget sidekicks so dear to the hearts of Italian audiences. As usual our hero is subjected to a torture or test-of-strength. In this case he's spreadeagled face-up on a sloping table while spears drop toward him from holes in the ceiling. Some of these spears crash into the table just to one side of the hero's flesh while other spears are halted in their downward plunge mere inches above various parts of the hero's body. (The spear that hurtles toward Goliath's groin is a real attention getter!)

Fans of such goings-on will probably find this an adequate way to pass 80 or so minutes, but there's little to distinguish these goings-on from numerous similar movies. Had Steve Reeves played the lead, the situation might have improved, but here we have Mark Forest (born Lou Degni), a bodybuilder who has the necessary pecs but is short on charisma. Something about the way the skin crinkles around his eyes whenever he smiles makes him look a bit "wimpy."

Named as Sword & Sandal genre is one my favorite ones, my DVD copy has a Italian original language, therefore in the Italian version Mark forest is Maciste, arriving at Nefer he gathered with 41 revolutionary gladiators to put a close over send 40 virgins girls a year to Babylon to be sacrificed, it's was a price to maintain the peace, they hijack a ship to sink Babylon's ship that is coming to takes all girls to there, the picture has another highlight, a chariots race, likes Ben Hur, the love between the princess with Xandros (Gemma) however the most exiting sequence certainly was the Maciste was chained on a table with several spurs hold by ropes from the celing, their friends have to cut the rope that release the spur toward Maciste's body, many them reach closest, a true breathtaking haunting scene, by the way a true unique, many battles, betrays, lavish giant sets, among others things, has a Midge called Goliath on this version, a true amusing guy, bringing humor to small group, valuable and enjoyable adventure, unfortunately it already didn't come out officially in Brazil, my DVD-R copy is came from internet download!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2012 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD-R / Rating: 6.5

(1963) Maciste, the World's Greatest Hero/ Maciste, l'eroe più grande del mondo/ Goliath And the Sins of Babylon DUBBED MYTHICAL HISTORICAL FICTION

Saw this movie as the alternative title "Goliath And the Sins of Babylon" that has Mark Forest as Goliath joining rebels against a tyrant king King Rukus (Paul Muller) and his right hand man Morakeg (Erno Crisa) kidnapping young women (supposedly virgins) to be used as pawns.

I don't quite remember why I liked this movie for it has been awhile since I last saw this. All I know is that it was better than the average Italian/ Spanish co production sword and sandals movie. It was on one of those cheapo sword and sandals DVD sets cramming so many movies onto a single disc with no bonus features.

Pretty good sword and sandal "epic" if you will with using that term. Mark Forrest, who played second fiddle to the immortal Steve Reeves in most of the Hercules type films coming out of Italy, plays the legendary so called "Maciste" in the Italian version and is given the name "Goliath" in the American release of this film. Forrest as usual comes to the rescue of the populace in Babylon, where according to a peace treaty signed with warring Nephyr that 30 virgin girls a year must be either sent or sacrificed whatever as tribute. Naturally a secret band of rebels, led by the ever sword and sandal favorite, Livio Lorenzon with that patented bald head leads a revolt to stop the sacrifice. Forrest joins in with those bulging biceps on display throughout the film and leads the slaves to victory....pretty good chariot race, ala "Ben Hur" in the film with Goliath winning out over the Queen of Babylon, who by terms of the race must marry the winner. Goliath realizes that the queen is in love with another man, one of the slaves leading the revolt and he promises to get them back together at all costs. Plenty of action with fighting ships, and lions on the loose after being led out of dungeons in the city. Forrest displays some bulging pecs and biceps in one scene where he is pinned down on a table with dangling spears falling down one by one intent on keeping him guessing which one will inevitably kill him. Guess what, the biceps rip off the shackles and Goliath escapes...!! One of the better sword and sandal films. All it was missing was Steve Reeves or Gordon Scott to round out the cast.

Way above average for this type of thing. Lavishly produced, with plenty of truly rousing action sequences and a real sense of fun helped in no small way by the presence of Mark Forest. Forest had charisma to spare, with his teen idol good looks (impaired only slightly by a prematurely receding hairline!) and herculean physique. Most of all he really seemed to get into the action and fight scenes and in this film he's ably supported by the stunt choreographers, who bring a sense of humor reminiscent of the old Burt Lancaster epics (THE CRIMSON PIRATE etc.) or the early Jackie Chan. In addition SINS OF BABYLON is directed with real flair. Highly recommended for those into peplum.