Hercules of the Desert (1964) User Reviews

Hercules and the Valley Girls

[PeplumParadise · 5/10 · 27 April 2012]

The presence of Kirk Morris in a peplum could usually be a guaranteed sign of weirdness (Atlas against the Czar, Witch's Curse), and here is no exception.

A rather dull Maciste/Hercules-worshipping cult (who bear a worrying resemblance to the standard peplum portrayal of Christians) conjure up their hero in a ceremony involving lots of smoke and sparks, and before you know it he's throwing things around, hobnobbing with royalty, and rescuing the rather ordinary valley girls (as the French title calls them).

Helene Chanel does her standard turn as the evil Queen Masura with fabulous hair and a whip who is in cahoots with with duplicitous Alberto Farnese, while Spela Rozin is the drippy love interest, Nando Tamberlani is the high priest and Rosalba Neri is wasted as a hand maiden who is Farnese's bit on the side.

It's all pretty average stuff, not bad with Morris heavily tanned and looking buff, but with nothing to set it apart from the pack.

A really dull first third is made up for by the cheesy action later on

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 29 July 2016]

HERCULES OF THE DESERT is yet another peplum yarn starring one of my favourite muscle-bound actors, Kirk Morris. At first glance it looks to be a contender for the award of "most boring peplum film made", beginning as an overly-talky desert set adventure concerning some clichéd warring tribes, concentrating on human relationships over spectacle and excitement. For the first half of the film, nothing much happens at all, other than Morris (playing Hercules this time around, at least in the US dubbed version) appearing in a puff of smoke after a prayer is sent to the gods for help! This is the first explicitly supernatural event surrounding the Italian peplum hero that I've seen; usually he just kind of appears in the thick of the action or is discovered in a cave or tomb, but here he appears to be the real deal, a mythical god sent from the heavens to kick ass and do good, although not necessarily in that particular order. But I guess he can't be that godly, seeing as he still manages to drink a drugged potion and fall slave to an evil queen like Steve Reeves did in HERCULES UNCHAINED...

The action isn't extensive, but does feature some bloody amusing shots of Morris lifting statues and rocks easily five or six times his own body mass and lobbing them at the bad guys. The talents of the beautiful Helene Chanel and Rosalba Neri (LADY FRANKENSTEIN) are exploited to the full at every opportunity for male viewers delight. For the girls (and certain boys...) watch out for openly homoerotic scenes of Morris flexing his muscles for the camera, or the cameraman zooming in on his crotch and taut thighs. Other fun moments include one of those "closing wall" traps, although they're too cheap to have any spikes in the walls here, and the ultra-bizarre finale in which Hercules descends into a hellish pit and battles a race of huge-eared Neanderthals, who seem to spend their waking hours banging large sheets of hanging metal with hammers! The thundering noise and oppressive atmosphere would make this showdown suitably horrific, if it wasn't for the absurd-looking creatures that Hercules battles. Not that good or that bad for a peplum flick; undeniably cheap, and saddled with a really dull first third, but it does contain enough cheesy fun to make it worth watching in my opinion.

More than a Little Odd

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 25 October 2014]

Led by an attractive young woman named "Selina" (Spela Rozin) the Gameli tribe has wandered the desert in search of a land which was prophesied to them long ago. Unfortunately, they are barred from entering it because the only way to get there is through an extremely deadly pass known as the "Valley of the Thundering Echo". On top of that, a greedy queen named "Farida" (Helene Chanel) wants this land for herself and has ordered the complete annihilation of the Gameli tribe so that she can have it. However, the high priest of the Silver Temple knows all of this and summons "Hercules" (Kirk Morris) to guide the Gameli tribe to their rightful homestead. Now, as far as this movie is concerned I have to admit that it wasn't the best "Sword and Sandal" film ever produced. Far from it as the story meandered all of the place with some parts being more than a little odd. Still, it had a few good-looking women most notably Rosalba Neri (as the sorceress "Ramhis") along with the aforementioned Spela Rozin and Helene Chanel so I suppose it wasn't a complete waste. Still, it wasn't necessarily that good and I rate it as slightly below average.

Like watching grass grow.

[diddlycrap · 2/10 · 20 April 2021]

Absolute tripe. Don't bother.

Find yourself something constructive to do.

Hercules of the Desert

[coltras35 · 4/10 · 2 February 2024]

Land of green pastures is protected from invasion by the mysterious Valley of the Thundering Echo. Queen Farida draws together the desert tribes to conquer the land, even though a prophecy has promised the land to the Gameli tribe. The Gameli journey to the Silver Temple, where the High Priest summons the legendary Maciste from the mountain rock to defeat their enemies and guide them to their promised land. Maciste materializes magically from a rock wall in a cave in this film, tying in with Maciste's claim in earlier films that his name means born of the rock.

There's another evil princess/ruler, well played by Helene Chanel, and she, like the other female players - Spela Rozin, Rosalba Neri and Genevieve Audrey- are a sight for sore eyes and a distraction from the tale - not that it's difficult as this Machiste set in the Arabian nights time is below average. It has too many characters and it seems to be a bit lethargic in its execution, however there are grand costumes and sets, rugged scenery. And beautiful horses! The idea of the thundering echo is good but I feel it needed more mystery and investigation - it concentrates too much on politics of the rulers. But hey it's not totally awful, but it's not spellbinding either.

KIRK MORRIS IS GREAT IN THIS ODD STORY

[larryanderson · 6/10 · 5 October 2021]

Kirk Morris is in the best shape of his career in this odd story about Muslims fighting over land in the middle east. I should say trying to steal it from other tribes in the area. HERCULES is formed out of a "puff of smoke" and leads the oppressed on the path of justice. The title is clear when he has to stop slaves in a cave who bang on large metal sheets all day in the hope of keeping out intruders. That entire cave sequence was very well staged. Nadir Baltimore, who was a late comer to the Hercules era, has a small part as a chieftain. Kirk Morris (Adriano Bellini), usually looks too young in his movies but here he looks fitting in his role as the hero. Unfortunately the story doesn't even fit in with the Hercules legend. Morris is WASTED in this story.