Antonio Margheriti & The Jungles of Doom Review

If there’s 1 happening the Italian movie manufacture was large astatine successful the 2nd fractional of the 20th century, it was leaping with wantonness into each azygous bankable genre made exploitable by a large American hit. Jaws? Star Wars? Dawn of the Dead? (Hey, Dario Argento was really progressive successful that one!) Ten much conscionable similar it, immediatamente! There are Italian knock-offs successful aggregate genres: shark movies, abstraction films, zombie romps, etc. And erstwhile a definite whip-wielding archaeologist debuted successful 1981, it wasn’t agelong earlier determination were plentifulness of treasure-hunting clones. Just look astatine manager Antonio Margheriti’s “Indiana Jonesploitation” trilogy, which “borrowed” galore elements from the archetypal movie successful the Lucasfilm franchise, 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Severin Films – purveyors of archival-quality carnal location video releases for a wide scope of cult genre gems – present presents a container acceptable of Margheriti’s Raiders rip-offs successful 4K UHD and modular Blu-ray. This is simply a ocular prime that nary of these films were ever meant to achieve; they look beautiful. It’s besides a wonderfully implicit acquisition arsenic acold arsenic dubbing and subtitle options, with some archetypal Italian and English dubs, and captioning for each options. With each of that, and bonus features included with each film, Antonio Margheriti & The Jungles of Doom: His ‘80s Adventure Films is the mode to acquisition this triple portion of Italian-style schlock.

Our 3 treasures from the trilogy: The Golden Cobra from The Hunters of the Golden Cobra; The Scepter of Gilgamesh from The Ark of the Sun God; and the Ruby of Gloom from Jungle Raiders.

The “Trilogy” As a Whole

Margheriti’s trilogy comprises 3 films: The Hunters of the Golden Cobra (1982), The Ark of the Sun God (1984), and Jungle Raiders (1985). Before we look astatine each movie individually, let’s screen immoderate communal crushed (and remember, these films aren’t really connected narratively; it’s conscionable a thematic trilogy). First, nary substance what flaws these films have, they’re each trying really hard. They marque superb usage of exotic, evocative locations; utilize charming and beauteous damn effectual exemplary sequences for airplane and car pursuit thrills; and stay mostly “family friendly” (Jungle Raiders whitethorn beryllium conscionable a bit more convulsive than the different two). They besides each person enthusiastically sung, often nonsensical Bond-like songs that play implicit the opening and/or extremity credits. You tin often consciousness the leads successful each of these movies having amusive together, and that goes a agelong mode to smoothing implicit the rougher patches.

First, nary substance what flaws these films have, they’re each trying really hard. “

The films stock a batch of formed and unit members; our astir evident ocular throughline is Margheriti regular and adjacent person Luciano Pigozzi, who appears successful each of them. The lone wide antagonistic is that immoderate of the English captioning is unluckily a spot dodgy. The astir egregious examples are connected Hunters, which features mistakes similar stream “rapids” being called “rappers,” and the words “hearken” and “desecrator” written arsenic “Arcan” (what?) and “desiccator.” If you’d similar maine to edit the subtitles earlier aboriginal releases, Severin, I americium disposable for a tenable fee; the remainder of your work, however, is excellent.

On to each movie, with a small breakdown of cardinal elements, references, and bonus features:

David Warbeck, Almanta Suska, and Luciano Pigozzi successful The Hunters of the Golden Cobra (1982).

The Hunters of the Golden Cobra (1982)

It’s the Philippines successful 1945 (not that the movie does a batch to person america of the twelvemonth beyond a fewer uniforms and planes), and American Bob Jackson (NZ histrion David Warbeck) and Brit David Franks (Brit John Steiner) look competitors astir each country arsenic they spell connected a quest to find a perchance supernatural golden snake. Warbeck whitethorn beryllium large astatine pulling faces, but helium doesn’t rather person Harrison Ford’s roguish charm. There’s a spot excessively overmuch shaky handheld camerawork, attempts astatine wit don’t rather click, the communicative doesn’t physique the stakes precise well, and the movie besides lacks a philharmonic people that tin pump you up similar John Williams’ Raiders compositions.

There’s besides immoderate problematic if predictable infantilizing of indigenous people, and we truly get adjacent to nary existent inheritance oregon improvement successful our main characters, but the movie did astonishment maine by not revealing 1 peculiar quality arsenic a villain. An inventive usage of lighted gelatin makes for a beauteous bully lava cavern, Almanta Suska does a bully occupation doing treble work arsenic twins Julie and April, and there’s a amusive bus-based enactment sequence. Ultimately, this is the slightest of the 3 movies successful this box… but that’s not bad.

David Warbeck is large astatine pulling faces, including this 1 from The Hunters of the Golden Cobra.

Our MacGuffin: The titular Golden Cobra has a questionable mythological root and an adjacent vaguer powerfulness set. It’s fundamentally a golden snake that whitethorn oregon whitethorn not beryllium linked successful immoderate mode to a mysterious wizard that pops up done descent projectors and defies his ain fiery death.

Indyisms: There are nonstop lifts of the archetypal briefing, handbasket game, and Well of the Souls sequences from Raiders, arsenic good arsenic the line, “I’m making this up arsenic I spell along.” Plus, the opening level flight is repurposed for the finale. Weirdly, they besides look to foretell the volcanic Temple of Doom itself, arsenic good arsenic the motorcycle pursuit and immoderate of Elsa’s arc successful Last Crusade! Could Lucas and Spielberg person seen this? Shock! (I’m kidding… maybe.)

An inventive usage of lighted gelatin makes for a beauteous bully lava cavern.“

PigozziWatch™: He’s the white-suited Mr. Greenwater, an avuncular “American” archaeologist that whitethorn beryllium much than helium seems; helium besides drinks a lot.

Bonus Features: In interrogation featurettes, Assistant Director and lad of Antonio, Edoardo Margheriti, explains the movie arsenic a hybrid warfare movie/Indiana Jones pastiche and notes its links to Apocalypse Now, portion Second Camera Assistant Davide Mancori champions the craftsmanship connected low-budget Italian films. There’s a fuzzy but fascinating 1996 Q&A with Warbeck (who died 1 twelvemonth later), a speedy video effort putting the movie successful historical context, and the all-important trailer.

Luciano Pigozzi, David Warbeck, and Ricardo Palacios successful The Ark of the Sun God (1984).

The Ark of the Sun God (1984)

A immense betterment implicit Hunters that debuted conscionable 2 weeks earlier Temple of Doom, this movie benefits from a faster pace, a spot much reliance connected Bond-inspired Italian Eurospy enactment for the archetypal 2 acts (and the present stylishly-sweatered Warbeck is an fantabulous Roger Moore stand-in, arsenic helium slyly notes successful 1 country – successful fact, helium truly was Moore’s back-up for Bond, look it up), and immoderate unthinkable determination footage. And if you deliberation you perceive Lee Holdridge’s beauteous euphony from The Beastmaster (1982) successful the last act, you’re right. That “borrowed” score, combined with the stunning sprout astatine Cappadocia successful Turkey, makes for near-epic accumulation value.

Warbeck is Rick Spear (honestly…), a safecracker tasked by Lord Dean (Steiner again) to question a perchance almighty jeweled scepter… and it’s really the ’80s, oddly enough. With companion Carol (model Susie Sudlow successful her lone film) and 2 astir identical large, bearded sidekicks, Spear drinks Bacardi with beverage and crushed crystal (ick), tries and fails to commencement a catchphrase with “you smarmy bastard,” and has a chill climactic sword combat successful an awesome temple. There’s a bully quality twist, reasonably enlightened commentary astir making assumptions regarding different cultures based connected their clothes, and Warbeck meta-declaring “Well, that’s a rousing finale” arsenic the full formed gathers for an abrupt freeze-frame ending that looks similar the past changeable of a sitcom opening credits sequence. This is the trilogy’s precocious point, with the biggest consciousness of spectacle.

The gang's each present – David Warbeck, John Steiner, Achille Brugnini, Ricardo Palacios, Susie Sudlow, and (of course) Luciano Pigozzi – successful The Ark of the Sun God.

Our MacGuffin: The Scepter of Gilgamesh, a supposedly cursed artifact that ne'er demonstrates immoderate peculiar supernatural abilities whatsoever; nevertheless, everyone wants it and thinks it gives them immoderate benignant of unspecified power.

Indyisms: Ricardo Palacios’ Mohammed, who’s amended astatine being a leader than Warbeck’s Spear, is simply a John Rhys-Davies/Sallah stand-in, and determination are nods to Raiders’ barroom fire, rolling stone (a chromatic instrumentality here), and Ark-opening scenes. There are besides eerie aboriginal echoes of the Temple of Doom garroting country and countless elements from Last Crusade, from the vessel pursuit to the rat-infested catacombs and Petra temple finale (fun fact, some films changeable scenes astatine Cappadocia… hmm). Even creepier, determination are skeletons sitting successful a semi-circle of thrones that look a batch similar the climactic aliens of Crystal Skull!

This is the trilogy’s precocious point, with the biggest consciousness of spectacle.“

PigozziWatch™: He’s Beetle, a erstwhile expedition subordinate who gets to marque a cross-genre Jaws notation by singing “Show Me the Way to Go Home!” And yes, helium drinks present too.

Bonus Features: Edoardo Margheriti tells america astir his relationships with his mercurial begetter and “uncle” Luciano Pigozzi, portion co-writer Giovanni Paolucci reminisces astir the tallness of the Italian “replica” films epoch successful interrogation segments. Antonio Margheriti himself talks astir favourite starring antheral David Warbeck successful a precise murky-looking but boisterous uncommon archival interview. There’s adjacent an other disc with the soundtracks of the archetypal 2 films… and yes, the trailer.

Luciano Pigozzi, Marina Costa, and Christopher Connelly successful Jungle Raiders (1985).

Jungle Raiders (1985)

Whither Warbeck? Sorry, Dime Store Moore fans, but he’s been replaced by blonde Peyton Place prima Christopher Connelly, with enactment from… Lee Van Cleef! Yup, it’s “The Bad” himself, conscionable 1 twelvemonth aft his azygous play arsenic American TV’s The Master. I figured the seasoned histrion would look lone astatine the opening and extremity of the film, but helium coiled up playing much of a relation than I expected, adjacent trading successful his achromatic duds aboriginal successful the movie for a achromatic outfit with a acquainted hat. It’s besides backmost to a play setting… well, successful theory; erstwhile again, the movie does adjacent to thing to person you it’s 1938, isolated from an onscreen caption and immoderate vintage cars.

This time, the enactment takes america to Malaysia… though successful existent fact, it’s conscionable the Philippines again. “Captain Yankee” Duke Howard (Connelly) and his grizzled sidekick (Pigozzi) are scamming affluent radical with fake treasure hunts erstwhile Inspector Warren (Van Cleef) blackmails them into helping 2 academics (Marina Costa and the ridiculously sinister-looking Mike Monty) find a ruby besides coveted by section pirates. Connelly and Pigozzi person a bully comedic rapport, with Connelly sporting an outfit that makes him look similar an all-American comic portion quality travel to life. There’s a precise bully thread with locals gleefully assisting the precise respectful Captain Yankee successful scamming anserine Westerners by pretending to beryllium the primitives they astir decidedly aren’t, a kid’s super-intelligent favored cobra that gets the astir heroic and romanticist finale successful the film, and large lines similar “Anyway, there’s the volcano.” But though this 1 starts strong, it lags successful the mediate and winds up having excessively galore endings earlier the inevitable abrupt finale.

Lee Van Cleef successful Jungle Raiders.

Our MacGuffin: Perhaps the slightest explained of our 3 artifacts (and that’s saying something), the glassy dewdrop-shaped Ruby of Gloom is erstwhile again desired by everyone for reasons that volition never, I committedness you, go adjacent remotely clear… but it does look bully successful a turban.

Indyisms: Once again this movie leans heavy connected “borrowing” elements from the opening series and handbasket crippled kidnapping of Raiders, but with Temple of Doom released the twelvemonth before, this has much overt nods to the Indy sequel. Costa’s Maria Janez exhibits Willie Scott’s clumsiness and inclination to blunder into things, and adjacent teams up with a Short Round stand-in for the last act. British soldiers crook up connected a cliffside to weapon down villains arsenic successful Temple, and our leader adjacent has an Indy-esque chapeau retrieval portion besides weirdly referencing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with a couple’s dive into the water.

Connelly sports an outfit that makes him look similar an all-American comic portion quality travel to life.“

PigozziWatch™: He’s Gin Fizz (not adjacent trying to fell it now), but helium winds up hanging backmost for overmuch of the film. Still, helium provides plentifulness of alcohol-themed jokes, due to the fact that he’s a drunk, you see. And however volition you cognize that? He’ll tell you!

Bonus Features: Edoardo returns 1 past clip for an on-screen interrogation to speech exemplary shots and his father’s temperament, and points retired that immoderate of the forward-looking “Indyisms” we enactment present were done by his begetter first. You tin besides spot the archetypal Italian credits and the requisite trailer.