mark.waltz It's not "King Cobra" that's being sacrificed for, but a giant mythological creature, unseen for all but the last few minutes of this entertaining action/adventure that features Rosanna Schiaffino in a delicious dual role. She's twin sisters, just as Maria Montez was in "Cobra Woman", separated at birth because of her father's concern of the Greek prophecy that any younger twin must be sacrificed to the notorious Minotaur, a horned and fanged giant gorilla like creature that could destroy all of Crete if unleashed out of the will of the Gods. Like Montez's campy 1944 cult classic, the one remaining in her homeland is evil and sinister, while the other, raised by foster parents, is sweet and kind. Upon discovering the existence of her twin, the evil Schiaffino sets into motion a plan to kill her so she won't end up a Minotaur sacrifice and become queen when her father (Carlo Tamberlani) dies. The evil queen's men kill the foster parents, but before they can do away with the good sister, she is rescued by Athenian prince Bob Mathias and his pal Rick Battaglia, determined to protect her. But with the evil Alberto Lupo by the evil queen's side, any attempt for good by her decent father and the attempts of the two heroes to protect the good sister are threatened, with the aide of some torturous intentions that are truly heart burning!Some fantastic art direction and good photographic effects makes this Italian made sword and sandal film as close as you can get to a Ray Harryhausen masterpiece, minus that master's artistic touch that make those films classics. The "Cobra Woman" connection for me was instantaneous from the very beginning, and fans of "I, Claudius" will also delight in the similarities in the court intrigue of the Greek rulers here. The two heroes are both brave and handsome, willing to sacrifice their own lives to protect the good princess, and this leads to some shocking twists in the last 20 minutes, and some good endings for a few of the villains. The appearance of the actual Minotaur is a bit disappointing, although I had to turn my head as Mathias got the better of this huge ugly creature. I've had mixed reactions to the dozen or so Italian period fantasies of this nature, some ridiculously stupid and some surprisingly above average. None of them, outside perhaps the original "Hercules", are truly great, but this one is as close as you can come to one where all the pieces fit nicely together to make a very entertaining package. Schiaffino is added to my list of great screen villainesses for her portrayal of the very determined Fedra, although her performance as Ariadna, the good princess, seems lethargic in comparison. Not since Joan Collins creeped up on an unsuspecting victim in "Land of the Pharaohs" and schemed to become all powerful has there been such a fascinating ancient queen of mean, and thus with that characterization, Schiaffino steals the film.

jadflack-22130 Well made, good looking " Sword And Sandal" fantasy with famed athlete Bob Mathias in his sole acting role and he gets to show off some of his athletic skills.Rosanna Schiaffino is lovely in both twin sister roles and for it's time and aimed as a family entertainment. it is at times quite violent.The actual monster itself, isn't seen fully until the film's last four minutes and although it does not have the Bull head as in the legend, it is a passable effect. Entertaining film.

gavin6942 In ancient Crete, a monster called the Minotaur can only be satisfied by virgin sacrifices. The evil ruler of Crete is determined to keep the monster happy by sacrificing as many of the island's virgins as he can, but a pair of friends determine to kill the monster and stop the sacrifices.Director Silvio Amadio is unfortunately not well known, perhaps best remembered for "Wolves of the Deep" (1959), and even that is rather obscure. Star Bob Mathias has a much more fascinating biography -- he was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a Marine Corps officer, actor and Republican Congressman representing the state of California.For movie buffs, the most recognizable might be Paul Mueller, who would go on to appear in a few 60s and 70s horror films by Jess Franco, including his version of "Count Dracula".Anyway, that was all just to full space. You should watch this.

bens_dream This opera was played on 7 June 2008, it is bad. I watched it with my family and we laughed at it, calling it "compulsive viewing", due to it being laughably bad... Do not watch this, I will never get that hour of my life back. Every "song" sounds the same, and when the writers cannot find anything that works, they chuck in a bit of Greek. If you like "opera", do not watch this. If you don't like "opera", don't watch this. Only watch this if you want something to laugh at. Terrible. The orchestra managed to chuck in every note that exists, and then some. Get a book, like Macbeth, and just sing the words to it in an "operatic" style, and you will get what The Minotaur sounds like. Don't let anyone convince you that it is too sophisticated for you to understand. IT IS STUCK UP TOSH!!!