Movie Review: Maciste in Hell

Maciste in Hell (Maciste all'inferno)
Starring: Bartolomeo Pagano, Elena Sangro, Lucia Zanussi, Franz Sala, Umberto Guarracino, Mario Saio, Pauline Polaire, Domenico Serra, Sergio Amidei, Andrea Miano, Felice Minotti 

Director: Guido Brignone 

Fert-Pittaluga, Italy, 1925.

This movie is published as a part of Nightmare Worlds 50 movie pack box published by Mill Creek Entertainment. 

Master of Hell Pluto (Umberto Guarracino) sends demons to visit the Earth. His troops disguise as humans. Strongman Maciste (Bartolomeo Pagano a.k.a. Ernesto Paganti) gets an unexpected and unwanted visitor. Devil Barbariccia (Franz Sala) promises Maciste gold, pleasures and power. Maciste does not yield to temptations and throws Barbariccia out. 

Demonic task force

Barbariccia visits Maciste

Prince George (Domenico Serra) has wronged Maciste's cousin Rosabel (Pauline Polaire) (= George left Rosabel alone with a baby). Maciste goes to right the wrong and beats up George's servants. As George seems reasonable man, Maciste gives him one week to settle things with Rosabel. 

Maciste interrogates servants

Prince George

Rosabel and baby

Barbariccia steals Rosabel's baby. Barbariccia tries to get Rosabel's soul by lying that the baby is dead. Priest wanders conveniently to the scene and drives the devils away. Maciste saves the baby from the woods. Maciste then goes to beat up the devils but it is a trap. 

Proserpina

Pluto and Gerione

Maciste finds himself in Hell. Demons poke him with pitchforks. Maciste fights them valiantly. Maciste tries to stick a fat demon Gerione (Mario Saio) with a pitchfork, but he just breathes out fire. Hell has a rule that Maciste must be released from Hell after three days unless a female demon kisses him. Scantily clad demon ladies try to lure Maciste. Barbariccia is in love with Pluto's wife Proserpina (Elena Sangro). Proserpina falls in love with Maciste. 

Maciste fighting the demons

Gerione

Luciferina

Meanwhile George returns to Rosabel. Pluto's daughter Luciferina (Lucia Zanussi) shows Maciste the sights of Hell. There is also an infernal television where they can see what is happening on Earth. George and Rosabel are now living together. Maciste kisses Proserpina and turns into a demon. 

Television of Hell

Demon-Maciste

Even in Hell, women are fickle!

Barbariccia is jealous and plans a revenge. He wants to overthrow Pluto. A huge battle follows with hundreds of devils clashing. Demon-Maciste defends Pluto's court. He easily wins the demon army as he is now hundred times stronger. Surviving demons abandon Barbariccia and join Maciste. Barbariccia is attached to the floor of Hell for all eternity. Grateful Pluto promises to return Maciste back home. Proseprine does not want to let him go and chains him to a wall. Couple of years later on Christmas Eve Rosabel's son prays for Maciste so he is saved.

Army of devils

Maciste is chained to wall

Although Maciste is known as a hero of peplum films, this is not a really a peplum as it is not set in ancient times. The story seems to be set in 18th or 19th century. This was one of Federico Fellini's favourite films and he was inspired by the weird fairy-tale style. The Mill Creek version runs 65 minutes (not 95 minutes as is noted on the sleeve). The picture quality is terrible, this film deserves a good restoration. 

Christmas prayer

Maciste returns home

There are great and surreal special effects. Clay animation was used in a scene showing a demon regenerating his smashed face. A headless demon just puts his head back on. Giant Lucifer sits in a frozen lake eating tiny humans. Dragons serve as Hell's airplanes. Giant Minos works as a liftboy. There are huge battle scenes and Dantesque scenes of sinners being tormented by devils. Still the movie has quite humorous atmosphere, perhaps this is one of the earliest examples of horror comedy. In 1920s the movie had problems with censorship. Its official Italian premiere was in 31 March 1926, in Finland and Sweden it premiered much earlier. Of the Maciste films this is one of the weirdest.

Lucifer

Rating: Very good