I've only seen this from youtube, and that from what appears to be videotaped years ago from a TV broadcast. The other reviewers have it right - a cheesy, zero budget production, shocking to our eyes 40 years later for exposed (yet unattractive) breasts and the psychotronic visuals and segue fades.
But the history - which is why I was watching it - isn't bad at all, and tells an almost unknown story of the murderous Ptolemy family, the last Pharaohs, a Greek family established after Alexander conquered Egypt, and the last dynasty before the Romans ended what was left of the Egyptian empire, after a 2,500-3,000 year run. It gets better as it goes along, possibly because of the efforts of the redoubtable Robert Hardy, a hardy perennial in 1970s mini-series, and because the story is more familiar of the last Cleopatra, lover of Caesar and Marc Antony- Cleopatra VII. The costumes and dancing also seem to have been well researched, Even the strap-on beards are accurate, if a bit silly looking, and the Pharoahs do wear the battle helmet only when appropriate.
If you enjoy history, and 1970s mini-series (truly the golden age of history and other mini-series, at least with respect to historical accuracy), roll your eyes a few times and suspend judgement of bizarre effects and enjoy this series. It deserves to be dusted off and made available on DVD or streaming.
But the history - which is why I was watching it - isn't bad at all, and tells an almost unknown story of the murderous Ptolemy family, the last Pharaohs, a Greek family established after Alexander conquered Egypt, and the last dynasty before the Romans ended what was left of the Egyptian empire, after a 2,500-3,000 year run. It gets better as it goes along, possibly because of the efforts of the redoubtable Robert Hardy, a hardy perennial in 1970s mini-series, and because the story is more familiar of the last Cleopatra, lover of Caesar and Marc Antony- Cleopatra VII. The costumes and dancing also seem to have been well researched, Even the strap-on beards are accurate, if a bit silly looking, and the Pharoahs do wear the battle helmet only when appropriate.
If you enjoy history, and 1970s mini-series (truly the golden age of history and other mini-series, at least with respect to historical accuracy), roll your eyes a few times and suspend judgement of bizarre effects and enjoy this series. It deserves to be dusted off and made available on DVD or streaming.