PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*
TYRANTS is uncanny as well, and within the same "outre" category, but in the more traditional *peplum* style. Rock Stevens (aka Peter Lupus of 1960s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE fame) stars as Hercules, who does toss around some good-sized rocks against various evildoers. He journeys to Babylon to rescue a coterie of Greek captives, among whom is Queen Esperia of the Hellenes, for whom Hercules has a thing.
Three Babylonian co-rulers are responsible for the enslavement of Hercules' fellow Greeks. Two of the villains are just standard bad Orientals, but the third ruler takes on greater stature, thanks to the always sultry performance of Helga Line, as Queen Tanit (pronounced "Taneel," as in "Captain and.") Line schemes more against her fellow rulers than against Hercules, and unlike most ancient rulers has her own Bond-like doomsday device: a giant mill-wheel set to bring the city of Babylon tumbling down so that Tanit can rule the land alone from Nineveh. A similar effect is pulled off with considerably more flair in 1961's MOLE MEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES. Here the effects of the city's destruction are pretty penny-ante, but any film with Line in it scores a little higher than average.
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