Poster Art for THE VIKINGS (1958)

Been thinking about watching this one again.

 

Brief Thoughts - LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961)

In the glorious 1960’s Italian filmmakers tried their hand at every genre of film imaginable. Western, horror, crime tales, melodrama, war stories and comedies were churned out as fast as financing could be obtained. The general modus operandi for gaining production cash was to capitalize on the success of a Hollywood film to make similar movies in hopes of riding lucrative coattails to big box office returns. In 1958 Kirk Douglas produced the giant sized comic book of a film called THE VIKINGS and made a boat-load of money. It wasn’t long before the Italian copies and knock-offs started to appear. None of them reached the dizzying heights of THE VIKINGS but they still entertain in a big way – and there is nothing more fun than a full (or even half) scale Viking battle scene!

THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961) has all the ingredients needed for a great Viking epic - beer drinking, sword & ax fighting, pig-tailed wenches, nasty back-stabbing villains and bloody battles. The story follows the return of two brothers, Harald and Gunther, to the Viking village of their birth after ten years of travelling and raiding in far away lands. They are devastated to find their home in ruins, their people scattered and their father traitorously murdered by a rival king. Harald vows to rebuild the village and kill the man responsible. His plan involves infiltration, kidnapping and (best of all) a huge attack on a fortified castle.

This is a fun example of the genre that smartly hides most of its budget shortfalls with crafty filmmaking techniques. Tim Lucas reports that Mario Bava was brought in to do some work on the film when production went over schedule and he makes a good argument for the master's hand being discernable. Certain scenes bear a rather distinctive Bava flair for the atmospheric and creepy beyond the simple needs of hiding the edges of a small set. In an interview with Lucas star Cameron Mitchell made no bones about the fact that Mario worked on the movie and since he was the there (playing Harald) it’s hard to ignore his testimony.

I hope that one day a good Blu-Ray of the film is made available as I think a sharp, clear version would go far to raise the film's reputation.

What I Watched In May 2022

I’ve really enjoyed Robert Eggers’ previous films THE WITCH (2015) and THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019) so when I learned he was making a Viking epic my ticket was already purchased. With THE NORTHMAN (2022) he has made his most impressive movie yet even though I can hardly believe that he was given $65 million to create such a dark, violent period tale. Eggers and his co-writer based their screenplay on the legend of Amleth written by a 12th Century Danish historian which was the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. If you are familiar with that play, you will know the broad outline of this film’s plot but it does have a couple of surprise revelations not present in the Bard’s version.

The film’s explicit violence, bleak atmosphere, beautiful imagery and historically accurate setting are enough to sell it to someone like me, but I think curious action fans might get pulled in if they give it a chance. The brutal nature of the movie’s savage world is shown in gorgeous, barbaric detail making this rough story something to shield from young eyes. The cinematography is incredible, making use of firelit interiors, natural exterior lighting, and the stunningly beautiful landscapes of Ireland and Iceland, where most of the film is set. Beauty and horror blend together to create a brooding, ominous tone that persists for the entire running time including the stunning final battle. Not every scene is filled with dread but knife edge tension is maintained for the majority of the film with the main character nearly always close to being discovered as he struggles to carry out his quest for vengeance. There are also a few very impressive single-take shots which help create an enveloping, nearly immersive experience. This film seeks to draw you into its world ladling on detail after detail until you simply accept the reality of what is onscreen. THE NORTHMAN is an amazing achievement and one of the best films I’ve seen this year.

THE LIST

THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT (2022) – 7

PRIVATE DETECTIVE 62 (1933) – 7 (William Powell pre-code drama)

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022) – 7 (gorgeous, gory sequel)

LAST EMBRACE (1979) – 7

THE NORTHMAN (2022) – 9

DEMONIA (1990) – 6 (rewatch) (better than I remembered)

CHOOSE OR DIE (2022) – 6 (brief, interesting horror film)

TERMINAL (2018) – 7 (beautifully shot, stylish revenge tale)

WHODUNIT? (1982) – 3 (poor slasher) (a.k.a. Island of Blood)

SATAN’S TRIANGLE (1975) – 6 (Bermuda Triangle TV movie)

VALERIE (1957) – 7 (western remake of RASHOMON)

AMAZONS (1984) – 6 (interesting TV movie)

SAVAGE THREE (1975) – 8

WIVES ABOVE SUSPICION (1938)- 6

1922 (2017) – 8 (nasty little rural murder tale)

WARRIORS OF THE YEAR 2072 (1984) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

THUNDER IN THE NIGHT (1935) – 7 (fun murder mystery)

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022) – 8

SANTO VS THE DIABOLICAL BRAIN (1963) – 6 (rewatch)

THE GREEN ARCHER (1961) – 6 (rewatch)

MEN (2022) – 8 (fascinating)

HOLLOW (2011) – 5 (mediocre British found footage horror)

THE ECLIPSE (2009) – 8 (lovely, melancholy ghost tale)

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1998) – 5 (rewatch on Blu) (a mess but it entertains almost accidentally)

THE GIRL FROM CORTINA (1994) – 5 (OK drama that becomes a Euro-Gaslight)

99 AND 44/100% DEAD (1974) – 6 (rewatch)

FIRESTARTER (2022) – 4

THE NICKEL RIDE (1974) – 7 (Jason Miller in a crime character study)

CARVED – THE SLIT-MOUTHED WOMAN (2007) – 6 (Japanese ghost/possession tale)

SUMMER OF FEAR (1978) – 5 (Wes Craven TV movie)

A DANDY IN ASPIC (1968) – 8 (amazing espionage tale)

THERE’S SOMEONE INSIDE YOUR HOUSE (2021) – 6 (OK small-town slasher)

THE MECHANIC (1972) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

HAWK THE SLAYER (1980) – 3 (poor British sword & sorcerer tale)

THE DEVIL’S DAFFODIL (1961) – 7 (typically complex krimi) 

 

Women Who Kill Me- Rosanna Shiaffino

Yeah- she was a gorgeous lady. I first spotted Miss Shiaffino in a couple of her appearances in the Italian sword & sandal films of the 1960's but it was a distinct pleasure seeing her turn up in the viking epic THE LONG SHIPS (1964), the fascinating sort-of horror film THE WITCH (1966) and the cool little giallo THE KILLER RESERVED NINE SEATS (1974). Wow! 

Santa is Odin! by Eric W. Brown

I hope we are all on the same page now. 

Ernest Borgnine, RIP

I won't lie. The first film in which I took notice of Ernest Borgnine was ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981). As the sadly deluded and slow-witted Cabbie he was wonderful and his character's death is one of the darker moments in the action filled finale of that film. Soon afterwards I had my life changed by the violent, meditative THE WILD BUNCH (1969) and then had my pulp story loving heart filled with joy by THE VIKINGS (1958). Ever since then I've known that Mr. Borgnine's name in the credits means at least one solid performance is going to be in the movie. I think the most recently made film in which I saw him was the excellent science fiction film GATTACA (1997) and he was typically great.

I guess as a genre fan I didn't get to see most of his more acclaimed work until I went far out of my comfort zone to seek them out. His Oscar winning role as MARTY (1955) was something I had to dig into the videostore shelves to see and, if it hadn't starred Ernest Borgnine, I might have never caught it at all- but I'm glad I did. And just last week I finally watched FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953) where he plays a nasty stockade guard with a hate-on for Frank Sinatra's character. Strangely, I have to also admit I have never seen a single episode of McHale's Navy. Should I? And I ask this as someone that just saw him in DEADLY BLESSING (1981) and thought he was awesome!

I looked around for a scene that makes me think of this great actor when I hear his name but the moments in THE WILD BUNCH that came to mind involved several other of the great actors in that classic. This scene from THE VIKINGS is just Borgnine brilliance!

THE VIKINGS (1958) images

I got into a discussion this past weekend with William Stout about several movies and was disheartened to learn we disagree about this great movie. The last time he watched it was in preparation to work on the CONAN sequel back the early 1980s and he found it to be a terrible movie. He said that he had loved the film as a kid but as an adult it was just awful. I cannot disagree more! I love THE VIKINGS more each time I watch it and I may well upgrade to Blu-Ray if given the opportunity. Its a big, bold comic book of a film and I find it incredibly entertaining. Sorry, Mr. Stout! We agree about MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, though. 

Viking Dead

When the winter months descend on me I tend to want to find ways to hibernate or at least stay close to comfortable, warm surroundings. My usual outgoing nature becomes less so and I turn more than normal to older entertainments or at least ones that key some relationship to the joys of my youth. A part of this manifests itself in what I am inclined to read in the colder seasons and, since it also touches on one of my favorite films since childhood, I like to read tales of Vikings. I've been fascinated with the dreaded Northern raiders because of several forgotten tales in kids books, THOR comics from Marvel and the incredibly fun Kirk Douglas film THE VIKINGS (1958). I love this movie and rarely go a year without watching at least part of it just to enjoy the amazing pulpy energy of it. If you've never seen the film I highly recommend you do. If you like adventure tales involving swords, villains and lusty men battling over women I suspect you'll get a thrill or ten.

So, to supplement my desire for Viking tales I am always on the lookout for new or previously unknown examples of this admittedly small genre of fiction. I've been told by several friends that I need to read the classic novel 'The Long Ships' but I have as yet to find a copy. I'll get to it one day but it hasn't happened yet. But earlier his year I learned of a book that made my eyes widen in shock. The title is 'Viking Dead' and I was told that it was a novel length tale pitting Viking raiders against zombies! Holy Crap! Its like author Toby Venables looked inside my head and wrote the story I had been begging to read for years. There was no way I wasn't going to get my hands on this and read it as soon as possible. Actually, it took months but I finally did find a used copy and have now read it in a blaze of horror geeky speed.


I am glad to report that the book is very good. As a matter of fact it is much better than I expected in that I expected it to be a fairly silly romp, poorly written and badly researched that sloppily threw together these two iconic character types in a jumbled tale to make a quick buck. Imagine my surprise to find with in the first few pages a competently told story that spent plenty of time establishing strong characters and relationships before the living dead problem enters the picture. This is the author's first novel and his background as a Cambridge lecturer shows in the attention to detail and careful, evocative descriptions. As much as I love the zombie element of the book I have to admit that even if it were left out of the story it would still be a damned entertaining novel. It would have a very different ending (hoo, boy- would it) but it would still be a great read.

I won't give anything away so that potential readers can come to it fresh but just let me say that I rate this very highly and consider it a great piece of modern pulp adventure fiction. Check it out!

THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961)

In the 1960’s Italian filmmakers tried their hand at every genre of film imaginable. Western, horror, crime tales, melodrama, war stories and comedies were churned out as fast as financing could be obtained. The general modus operandi for gaining financing was to capitalize on the big success of a Hollywood film to make similar movies in hopes riding lucrative coattails to big box office returns. In 1958 Kirk Douglas produced the giant sized comic book of a film called THE VIKINGS and made a boat-load of money. It wasn’t long before the Italian copies and knock-offs started to appear. None of them reached the dizzying heights of THE VIKINGS but they still entertain in a big way – and there is nothing more fun than a full (or even half) scale Viking battle scene!

THE LAST OF THE VIKINGS (1961) has all the ingredients needed for a great Viking epic- beer drinking, sword & ax fighting, pig-tailed wenches, nasty back-stabbing villains and violent bloody battles. The story follows the return of two brothers, Harald and Gunther, to the Viking village of their birth after ten years of travelling and raiding in far away lands. They are devastated to find their home in ruins, their people scattered and their father traitorously murdered by a rival king. Harald vows to rebuild the village and kill the man responsible. His plan involves infiltration, kidnapping and (best of all) a huge attack on a fortified castle.

This is a fun example of the genre that smartly hides most of its budget shortfalls with crafty filmmaking techniques. Its been reported by Tim Lucas that Mario Bava was brought in to do some work on the film when production went over schedule and he makes a good argument. Certain scenes bear a rather distinctive Bava flair for the atmospheric and creepy. In an interview with Lucas star Cameron Mitchell made no bones about the fact that Mario worked on the movie and since he was the star (playing Harald) it’s hard to ignore his testimony.

I hope that one day a good DVD of the film is available as I think a sharp, clear version would go far to raise the film's reputation.