Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World (Maciste alla corte del Gran Khan) – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1961
Director: Riccardo Freda
Writers: Oreste Biancoli, Duccio Tessari
Writers US Version: George Gonneau, Lee Kresel
Cast: Gordon Scott, Yôko Tani, Hélène Chanel, Dante DiPaolo, Gabriele Antonini, Leonardo Severini, Valéry Inkijinoff, Franco Ressel, Ely Yeh, Ham Chau Luong, Chu Lai Chit

Release Date: August 16th, 2022
Approximate running times: 95 Minutes 50 Seconds (International Version), 76 Minutes 19 Seconds (AIP Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $24.95

"Hordes of sadistic Mongol warriors descend upon China, enslaving its people and plotting to assassinate the beautiful young princess (Yôko Tani, The Savage Innocents)—until a musclebound hero (Gordon Scott, Tarzan the Magnificent) rises up and rouses the people to drive the Mongols from their nation’s majestic mountainscapes. A legendary warrior fulfills his destiny and becomes a miracle of a man in this classic peplum adventure film, also known as Maciste at the Court of the Great Khan." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (International Version), 3.75/5 (AIP Version)

Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.5 GB

Feature: 21.5 GB (International Version), 14.7 GB (AIP Version)

Though no information is provided about the sources used for both versions, the source used for the international version is in great shape, and other source imperfections are minimal. Colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

The source for the AIP version is not in as good condition. The opening and closing credits come from sources that look worn and are in rough shape. That said, the rest of the video looks considerably better, and it obviously comes from a different source than the one used for the opening and closing credits.

Audio: 4/5 (International Version), 3.5/5 (AIP Version)

Both versions come with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and both versions come with removable English SDH subtitles. The audio track for the international version sounds clean, clear, and balanced. The audio track for the AIP version has some syllabance issues, but the dialog comes through clearly enough to follow, and the ambient sounds are well represented. That said, when it comes to range, both audio mixes can sound limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a limited-edition slipcover, and an audio commentary with novelist and film critic Tim Lucas.

Other extras include trailers for The Revolt of the Slaves, Arabian Adventure, Jack the Giant Killer, The Magic Sword, and Sinbad of the Seven Seas, and a promo for Kino Cult.

Summary:

Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World was directed by Riccardo Freda, a versatile filmmaker who worked in whatever genre was popular at the time in Italian cinema. Notable films directed by Riccardo Freda include I Vampiri, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, The Ghost, Double Face, and The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire. Many of the sets and extras in Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World are reused from Piero Pierotti's Marco Polo, for which Riccardo Freda shot the action sequences. Also, actress Yoko Tani (The Savage Innocents) is in both films.

Though the Peplum genre had one of the longest runs of the genres which dominated Italian cinema in the 1950's, 60's and 70’s. The Plum peak period was between 1958 and 1965. With the last few years of this run suffering from the same elements that brought about the demise of all subsequent genre film cycles in Italian cinema, sub-genres within the genre are another element introduced by Peplum that would become a staple of later Italian film cycles. A case in point is Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World, a film that fits into a subgenre that revolves around a character named Maciste. It should be noted that the character's original name was Maciste, and it was changed for the US theatrical release to Samson.

The thing that immediately sets Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World apart from other Peplum is its setting in the Orient. And though Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World has many of the elements that one has come to expect from Peplum films, the mix of the Orient with the Peplum makes for an odd pairing.

Peplum films are most remembered for their leading men, who are usually former bodybuilders who have been chosen for their physique. Cast in the lead role of Samson is Gordon Scott, who before making a name for himself in Peplum, appeared as Tarzan in five films. He more than fulfills the psychical attributes of Samson.

Though Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World is a film that maximizes its resources, it is not a film without its shortcomings. Most notably, an unfocused narrative that suffers from a lack of Samson, who does not make his first appearance until about the twenty-minute mark. That said, when it comes to action sequences and moments of spectacle, Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World delivers in spades. Ultimately, Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World is a mid-tier Peplum that fans of this genre will get the most out of.

Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and an insightful audio commentary, recommended.

                                                       AIP Version Screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer