Maciste, l'uomo più forte del mondo

In the opening scene, Maciste captures a giant whale and pulls it ashore. Normal people would settle for a trout, but that's superheroes for you! Before he can have his modest breakfast, he watches some people hunted and killed by riders with white capes. These mysterious strangers are the Mole Men who disappear at the beginning of daytime, only to return at night for slave raids. They cannot stand the light, it is even a method of execution for them to expose the condemned to sunshine. Maciste lets them capture him on purpose, so he can find out where their hiding-spot is. The Mole Men have a mine underground, where slaves have to work on a mill. Maciste intends to free the slaves and put an end to the terror of the Mole Men. But they are prepared and make plans to kill Maciste in many interesting, but complicated ways...

Funny little flick with a truly bizarre story. John Garko, later a successful western movie star, appears as an ambitious young Mole Man who wants to marry the queen (Moira Orfei), while Mark Forest stars as Maciste, Son of Hercules.

No of course not but they could be related. This is as bad as the people who make fun of the Sword and Sandal films think they are, but its also a hell of a lot more interesting than many better films. This film is very silly, we have white mole men with afros, a black actor who acts like he's a character out of a racist 1930's film, people falling off horses when Maciste just runs towards them...This film has a jaw dropping quality to make one wonder if the film makers knew what a turkey they were producing when they made it. Even if they didn't I'm kinda glad I did since it a laugh out loud gem.

MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES is another Maciste film, repackaged as one of the "Sons of Hercules" series. All for American audiences.

Enjoying a relaxing day of whale beaching, Maciste (Mark Forest), is interrupted by a horde of bleached wig-wearing, pasty-skinned interlopers! Thankfully, Maciste is basically a boulder with eyes, and his glistening body oil repels their weaponry like a shining shield of shimmering sheen! He proceeds to mow them down like crabgrass.

Enlisting the aid of his equally enormous friend, Bango (Paul Wynter), the two chuckling heroes flex their tree-like appendages, while ridding the land of Mole men. That is, until they're captured, taken to the subterranean lair, and introduced to the Mole men's queen.

Of course, there are other enslaved prisoners to be freed, and the queen wants Maciste. Bad! Let the obligatory "test of strength" begin! This time, Maciste must fight a "beast man" (aka: a guy in a go-rilla suit) in a cage match to the death! There's also a torturous, triceps-tearing, testosterone-tapping test of endurance, as a bonus!

This movie is a gift from the muscleman gods! There's even -yet another- princess to be rescued! This could very well be the Mount Olympus of entertainment!

Be sure to watch for the "human shish kabob", and "world's biggest chain" sequences!...

Italian production typical of the genre with haunting scenarios , wonderful indoors and functional production design. Here Maciste (Mark Forest) arranges enemies for himself and he befriends a new pal called Bangor (Paul Wynter) to be captured by a strange band of white-clad marauders and taken to an underground city . There the two are forced to turn a huge wheel along with other captives as part of a gold-and-diamonds mining operation . The underground city's queen, Halis Mosab (Moira Orfei) , takes note of the bouncing Maciste and chooses him to be her consort if he can meet such challenges as saving the abducted Princess Saliura (Rafaella Carra) from a gigantic ape . Maciste faces off the ape and fights a deadly struggle with the giant gorilla . As Maciste is up to his pecs in trouble as he fights nasty Mole Men in order to save the abducted lady , carrying Saliura back to the aboveground world . As the bare-chested warrior goes on an all-out rampage to save her , being mercilessly chased by the mysterious masked warriors . Meanwhile, high priest Kahab informs his son, Katar (Gianni Garco) , that he has to marry the powerful queen to inherite the underground empire . Later on, Maciste must use his strength to rescue his friends and attack the hidden city . As he battles the evil queen and attempting to destroy the unstoppable wheeling machine .

This is a so-so spaghetti , myth-opera with action , love , battles and interior scenarios . The movie has not mythological accuracy neither expecting historical , but it results to be a simple and plain fantasy . Breathtaking scenes when take place at the underworld with the enormous wheel and overwhelming final battle . It stars handsome, muscular Mark Forest , he is perfect as the mythical hero who encounters many dangerous situations while trying to save a princess of numerous odds . Forest who played the mythic Maciste in great number of movies was randomly assigned the identity of Hercules , Goliath , Samson or Aron for U. S. viewing . Bouncing and strong Forest was the second American actor bodybuilder , after Steve Reeves , to be recruited by Italian producers to star in Peplum films . The muscle-man Forest left allegedly the sword and sandals genre for the Opera . He used the amount of money he made acting as hero and gladiator films in Italy to study Opera , he currently teaches in the Los Angeles zone . He was one along with Ed Fury , Dan Vadis,Brad Harris , Alan Steel , Reg Park , Gordon Scott whom to seek fortune acting absurdly as muscle mythological figures but nobody topped Steve Reeves in popularity . Forest only starred Peplum , such as : 1964 Hércules against sons of sun , 1964 Lion of Tebas , 1964 Maciste Nell'inferno Gengis Khan , 1964 Maciste, Gladiatore Sparta , 1963 Maciste Contro i Mongoli ,1963 Maciste, l'Eroe più Grande del Mondo ,1962 Maciste, Gladiatore più forte Mondo , 1961 Maciste, the Son of Hercules , 1960 La Venganza De Ercole . In the picture turns up Peplum and Spaghetti ordinaries such as : the recently deacased Raffaella Carrà (at 78), Roberto Miali , Nando Tamberlani , Graziella Granata and spaghetti star Gianni Garco , the popular actor of Sartana and other Western antiheroes .

It contains a moving and thrilling musical score by Armando Trovajoli. As well as colorful cinematography by Alvaro Mancori , including spectacular vistas of falls , shot in Lacio, mount Gelato and and Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome . The motion picture was middlingly directed Antonio Leonviola (1913-1995) who often used pseudonym Leon Viola or as Leonviola. He was a craftsman , a writer and filmmaker who directed all kinds of genres as dramas , wartime , comedy , such as : Le due verità , Sul ponte dei sospir , Al suo più grande amore,Noi cannibali , Human Torpedoes , Rita da Cascia, Fiera di tipi and outstanding in Peplum , Sword and sandal and adventures such as : The Women gladiators , Taur the Mighty , Maciste, the Colossus and this Maciste el invencible. Rating : 5/10 .

Son of Hercules vs. sun-sensitive subterranean Sicilians in this anti-"Beach Blanket Bingo" bunko beneath the bowels of Italy! The most "dramatic" scene depicts a guard (punished for allowing the hero to escape) stripped, strapped to a slab, and subjected to sunlight (which causes him to disintegrate). The viewer realizes that it is NOT the words to the 1966 hit "Sunny" ("Sunny, thank you for the sunshine you gave...") the tortured titan is singing as he screams "No! No! Not the sun! Aieee!!" This flick never should have seen the light of day. I say "No! No! Not "Mole Men Vs. The Son of Hercules"! Aieee!!"