Heracles returns to Icalia with his friend Theseus to marry the princess Deianira, but Deianira has changed a lot. Lico, her guardian and uncle, thinks that a shadow has settled around her spirit. After questioning the oracle Medea, Heracles learns that a magical stone hidden deep in Hades can help her. Together with Theseus and Telemachus, Heracles conquers the horrors of the underworld and comes into possession of the stone. Back in Icalia, however, Heracles finds out that Lico is responsible for the disaster. Lico has made a pact with the powers of darkness and plans to make Deianira his wife, so that he can become the new king. Now, Heracles has to deal with an extremely powerful enemy who is able to bring the dead back to life.

In Hercules in the Haunted World, the muscle-bound Reg Park, who embodies the role of Hercules for the second time after Hercules and the Captive Women, has to deal with vampires, undead and rather cuddly stone monsters. Thanks to Mario Bava in the director's chair, the pepulum is so full of harmonious staging, great sets and special effects and gaudy colours that you almost forget that you are dealing with a trivial film. Not always quite rounded, but surely one of the better Heracles/Hercules movies.

In the US, Kino Lorber released a set with two Blu-rays containing three different versions, which shed some light on the confusion of edits. On the one hand, the Italian original version of the film is included. This is the longest cut of the film, which begins with a monologue by Lico in his crypt, who deals about his alliance with the powers of evil. Apparently, Kino Lorber had access to the same master that Koch Media used for the German Blu-ray release, as both the opening credits and the end credits are in German. For the UK version, which is rather the international version of the movie, Lico's monologue was removed. So the movie starts right away with the opening credits. Otherwise there are no further differences.

More interesting now is the US version of the film, for which we'll have a separate comparison coming in a bit.

The big advantage of the US Blu-ray is that you have the possibility to see the US version of the movie in good picture quality, otherwise the Italian version is preferable.

Runtimes:

UK/International version: 81:31 min.
Italian version: 85:53 min.
US version: 84:10 min.

The UK/international version was compared to the Italian version. Both are included on the US Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.

[00:00:00][00:00:00]

In the Italian version, Lico begins with a gloomy monologue about the powers of evil. Various undead can be seen retreating into their stone coffins.

Lico: "The time shall come when day shall turn to night and night shall rule our lives. Their cries shall sound like music. The wailing and screaming we hear now shall be songs that soothe us. The time shall come when the moon, devoured by the Great Dragon, shall bring eternal darkness. I shall be the master of darkness and of light. When the sun ravages the Earth, and the rivers run dry, and every mortal soul freezes in death, then evil shall triumph, the absolute master, that shall dominate the Earth.

IT: 2:06 min.


[00:00:00][00:02:06]

The UK version has the English and the Italian version the German opening credits. They are longer in the Italian version.

UK: 48 sec.
IT: 3:06 min.


[01:21:12][01:25:34]

Alternative end fade-in.

No time difference.