''Rome Against Rome'' (), also known as ''War of the Zombies'', is a 1964 Italian
''peplum'' film directed by
Giuseppe Vari
Giuseppe Vari (9 March 1924 – 1 October 1993) was an Italian film director, editor and screenwriter.
Life and career
Born in Segni, Rome, Vari started his career as an editor of films and documentaries, collaborating among others with Fed ...
.
Synopsis
Roman centurion Gaius is dispatched to the fictional province of Salmacia to investigate the cessation of tributes to Rome. Upon arrival, Gaius discovers that the local authorities, including the pretern Lutetius and his duplicitous wife Tullia, have fallen under the influence of a cult dedicated to a Moon Goddess, led by the high priest Aderbad. This cult practices human sacrifices and has enslaved much of the local population. Gaius uncovers Aderbad's sinister plan to resurrect the spirits of fallen Roman soldiers to form an undead army aimed at conquering Rome. With the help of the enslaved girl Rhama, Gaius attempts to thwart Aderbad's scheme, leading to a climactic battle between the living and the spectral warriors.
Cast
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John Drew Barrymore as Aderbad
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Susy Andersen as Tullio
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Ettore Manni as Gaius
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Ida Galli
Ida Galli (born 8 October 1939) is an Italian film actress best known for her roles in spaghetti Western and ''giallo'' films in the 1960s and 1970s. Galli has appeared under several pseudonyms, including Arianna, Evelyn Stewart and Isli Oberon. ...
as Rhama
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Mino Doro as Lutetius
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Ivano Staccioli as Sirion
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Philippe Hersent as Azer
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Andrea Checchi
Production
Director Vari filmed at CSC Studios. ''Rome Against Rome'' was the second last film by the production company Galatea studio and the film historian
Tim Lucas described as representing the end of the ''
peplum'' cycle as it was a "victim of the burgeoning "
Spaghetti Western
The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
" movement".
Release
''Rome Against Rome'' was distributed theatrically in Italy by
Cineriz
''Cineriz'' was an Italian Filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company, founded in 1956 by the businessman Angelo Rizzoli. The company produced and/or distributed films by Federico Fellini, Gillo Pontecorvo, Luchino Vi ...
on February 13, 1964. Lucas noted that the original English export print titled ''Rome Against Rome'' was dubbed under the direction of
Tony Russel and that its soundtrack was "a chaotic mess". The film was cut for foreign release with its original 110 minute running cut to 97 minutes for its British release as ''Rome Against Rome'' and cut further on its American release for
American International Pictures
American International Pictures, LLC (AIP or American International Productions) is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution c ...
as ''War of the Zombies''.
Reception
In his book ''Italian Horror Film Directors'', Louis Paul described the film as " a visually arresting and colorful but minor contribution to both the horror film genre and the heroic adventure sagas from which its origins sprung."
References
Footnotes
Sources
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External links
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1964 films
1960s fantasy films
Italian fantasy films
Films directed by Giuseppe Vari
Films set in the Roman Empire
Italian zombie films
Sword-and-sandal films
1960s Italian-language films
1960s Italian films
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