Hercules (DVD)

A former Mr. World and Mr. Universe, Olympic weightlifter Steve Reeves shot to movie stardom as Hercules in this action-packed retelling of the quest for the Golden Fleece by Jason and the Argonauts. After defeating a man-eating lion and the Cretan Bull, Hercules promises a dying friend that he will help Jason (Fabrizio Mioni) reclaim the throne of Iolcus from his evil uncle, King Pelias (Ivo Garrani). Hercules falls for Pelias's beautiful daughter, Iole (Sylva Koscina), sails aboard the Argo with Ulysses (Gabriele Antonini), and pulls the palace down with his stupendous strength in the spectacular climax. Originally titled Le Fatiche di Ercole (The Labors of Hercules), this 1957 epic was photographed by Mario Bava, later the director of such classic horror films as Black Sunday, and followed by a sequel.