Considered a protégé of genre pioneer Sergio Leone, Tonino Valerii had already distinguished himself in his debut Taste of Killing (1966), and what was initially designed to be a B-level production suddenly became more high-profile when popular actor Giuliano Gemma wanted to tackle the role…
It’s hard to believe Taste of Killing stems from the same director as Day of Anger (1967), but there’s a sense the film was hampered by a low budget and meddling producers which reduced the film to 85 mins. – a length that actually feels interminably long due to an absolutely dreadful screenplay by handful of novices…
After a steady stream of films, screen star Tyrone Power had his eyes on producing his own biblical epic, given the genre had become a mainstay in cinemas with widescreen formats and stereophonic sound – perfect for exploiting sprawling vistas, rich colours, and lavish romantic soundtracks that bridged classic tales of romance and tragedy with modern audiences…
Though Mario Camerini’s perhaps better known for his mythic film versions of Ulysses (1955) and the Kali Yug diptych from the Sixties, he certainly proved himself an able comedy director with his adaptation of the Anna Bonacci play (“L’Ora della Fantasia”)…
In 1990, producer Joel Silver was riding high from the success of a string of films that not only became profitable franchises, but brought into vogue a glossy production style that also reflected his philosophy of spending good money to distinguish one’s product from the competition – but much bigger, louder, and prettier…
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