Demetrius And The Gladiators DVD

Advantages: The story!!!
Disadvantages: somewhat rigid performances

...- English Certification - PG Director - Rudolph Maté Writers - Gian Paolo Callegari, Remigio Del Grosso, Giovanni d'Eramo, Ugo Liberatore, George St. George Year of Release - 1962 --- Special Features --- Using limited to describe the special features would be an understatement. They consist of a theatrical trailer from the movie, as well as trailers for other historic epics of the time (Cleopatra, The Robe, and Demetrius and the Gladiators). To be fair though the trailers are quite interesting especially --- Cost and Availability --- This DVD has an RRP of £12.99, and when I checked everywhere seemed to be sticking to this value. The major stores such as HMV and Virgin both stuck to the RRP as did Amazon. --- Overall Thoughts --- A person's response to this film is dependant almost entirely on whether they like historical epics. I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Lavish sets and gorgeous costume, great cast, the lascivious undertones and the whole damn campy lot of the rest of it!
Disadvantages: Dated and cheesy, jumbled themes, muted action scenes, product constrained by its times

..."The Robe" is one of the classic movies from yesteryear. It's one of those lavish, sermonising, somewhat naive biblical epics which simply wouldn't work in modern cinema but makes for highly entertaining Sunday afternoon viewing whatever your religious persuasion in modern times. I saw The Robe recently for the first time and aside from the odd chuckle and frequent eye-rolling(because I am a cynical heathen) thoroughly enjoyed it as many have before me. Somewhat lesser known however(to me anyway :oP) is its sequel, "Demetrius and the Gladiators", which follows on directly from the events which conclude "The Robe" but this time focuses entirely on the greek slave Demetrius(Victor Mature). In a nutshell, we pick up with Roman emperor Caligula's(Jay Robinson) continuing search for the robe(as worn by Jesus when he was crucified) which he... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Reminder of the "Fall of Rome classics"
Disadvantages: Not for the faint hearted

...Just when we thought we had the decline and fall of the Roman Empire action epic -- films like Ben-Hur, Demetrius and the Gladiators and Spartacus -- Gladiator appears. This new summer blockbuster is fully armed with 21st- century, hi-tech sound and fury. So much so that the movie loses even its entertainment value. In Ridley Scott's bludgeoning new period epic, Gladiator, there is so much limb hacking, impaling, and beheading going on, that you begin to get the distinct feeling that Scott takes the term, "hack work," literally. But then Ridley Scott has always been the purveyor of slickly-made pulp. In Gladiator, he's just out to work you over, pummel you, and then add a little humanistic window-dressing to justify all the brutality. Maximus (Russell Crowe) is the brave and fiercely loyal military general who serves under the Emperor... Read review

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...Gladiator, the latest historical epic takes place between the years when the Roman empire grew strong and then over time subsided. Though the story is largely fictional, Gladiator uses actual historical figures and tells its story in the context of the events of the day. This is the kind of film is that which makes 'Blockbusters', it is packed with action and good special affects. The story is in depth and look on a modern Roman empire where the vicious death matches loved by the public and organised by the dictator rule.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average off topic