Maciste in Hell (1925)

Instant Favorite.

A Masterpiece!

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

So, before Enzo Castellari, Lucio Fulci etc, we have a nutso film where muscle man Maciste is drawn to hell to be corrupted. A silent film, no less, but full of mental imagery that is worth a look.For instance, at one point Maciste punches a guy's head clean off, only for it to land on a pitch fork, re-heal itself, then get tossed back to the headless body to be re-attached! That's good stuff right there. Also, Maciste takes a ride on a dragon at some point and meets Lucifer and other folk.At first I thought this silent film was a bit too heavy on the text, but you've got to admire the sheer ambition in the old visionary aspects, so I've marked the film up for that. I've watched quite a few silent films recently and there's always an emphasis on spectacle that makes them worth watching. This is no exception. Docked points for a) Not having built a time machine to get Massimo Vanni in it and b) Not having Edwige Fenech in it.Made before the Cinecitta existed!

The themes of hell, Satan, and other demonic entities as a source of entertainment have always been met with controversy. "Maciste in Hell" certainly has had its share after having met its audiences with images of scantly clad women, devils, demons, and even what I believe to be one of the first decapitions to be portrayed on film. Aside from all the uproar however, this movie also excelled in its use of special effects. It featured animatronics, stop motion, and costume design. Out of all the movies that make one wonder as to how "they did it?", this film is at the top of my list. I definitely recommend watching it whether you like silent films or not. It's certainly worth a watch.

I am going to try to convince you all that love is evil... at least in this picture it is.because of the bad projection, I saw more corpses on the screen than living creatures, but maybe it's because this movie was strong horror in its time. anyway, the story is a bit like the one we all know, the Faust dilemma.the situation of wanting to do everything for the one we love, can bring us torment and strong agony (this movie seems to say). if you forgive the wrongs of your love, you are cursed with your own pity... really? must we always believe in God and never follow our 'humble' Devil? are there demons among us and if so, are we one of them? in fact, the simple story of this film leaves us with more questions than answers (espacially the Spartacus-like ending). the message seems to be that if we do what we believe is right for the one we love, we can be able to do terrible things, even without knowing it ourselves.so Star Wars is right: love is the devil. you will never forget the devil in this picture. he's so cliché, but like that, we all will remember him (and the demons on the screen or in the 'war', that looks a lot like the rape scene in Flaming Creatures).but nowadays, this picture is terrible old and the effects does not always work very well. if you want to do yourself a favor, do not see this picture.

What a great looking movie.Several demons come to earth to begin plans for taking over the world. Standing in their way is Maciste a super strong good guy. The demons offer Maciste anything he wants if he will aid them however he turns them down. They eventually trick Maciste so that he ends up in hell where he proceeds to mop up the place.If you've ever seen any of the sword and sandal films from the 1950's and 1960's with Maciste you're looking at the same character. Created in the 1913 film Cabria the do gooding muscle man has been helping the down trodden ever since. Not dressed as a muscle man, but instead as a country gentleman, Maciste's appearance may throw some people off, but rest assured its the same guy.I love this movie. Its a great deal of fun. It looks great with demons,dragons and a giant that put most other film makers to shame (at least until the advent of computer graphics). This is an epic with thousands of demons and huge sets and great action and everything about a movie that makes you go WOW. There is a wonderful moral sense to the film that we no longer have and which adds a nice dimension to the film.It also doesn't go in the direction you think it will which is great for those who think they've seen it all.Silent or no, this is one of the best muscle man movies there is (trust me I've seen most of them) and is worth searching out. Even better its a damn fine movie in its own right. See this movie or I'll send the flying demons after you.