Maciste in Hell (1925)
October 22, 2022 5:24 PM - Subscribe

Guido Brignone transfigured Dante’s vision of Hell into a grandiose cinematic spectacle of fantasy and imagination. Legendary actor Bartolomeo Pagano plays a strongman, who descends into the inferno in order to restore order, a role he reprised 27 times in this long-running film series. The enthralling contrasts between the realistic scenes on Earth and the surrealist ones in Hell, huge cast of demons, decapitations, (and an un-decapitation!), and a terrifying dragon, fashioned from the most state of the art special effects of the day, all inspired Fellini to get into the movies.

Make sure to see the restored, uncut version, which is available free on YouTube. The version on Tubi is the butchered one. Skip that.
posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
The hell scenes are AMAZING.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 5:28 PM on October 22, 2022


How long is this? Sounds fascinating!
posted by Saxon Kane at 7:03 PM on October 22, 2022


The version you want is the one that's--I think--95-97 minutes long. The 65 minute long one is brutally chopped.

The plot is silly, so if the beginning tests your patience, hang in there until Maciste gets to hell.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:47 PM on October 22, 2022


Thank you, DOT! I’m delighted to learn about this film and series!
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 8:32 AM on October 23, 2022


« Older Atlanta: Snipe Hunt...   |  Movie: Hellbound: Hellraiser I... Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

poster