Contents

The Movie

Synopsis

Hercules Against the Moon Men

After a meteor crashes into a mountain, Moon Men emerge and demand human sacrifices from the city below. This goes on for years until Claudis, adviser to Queen Samara (Clair), sends for the mighty Hercules to save them all. The evil Queen Samara however, is in league with the Moon Men, and does everything in her power to stop Hercules. The Moon Men need a final human sacrifice on the night of the convergence of the planets in order to bring their queen Selena back to life. The sacrifice turns out to be the princess Phyllis, and Hercules must rescue her and stop the Moon Men before it's too late.
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Information

Hercules Against the Moon Men

While sword-and-sandal epics like this were primarily made in Italy and filmed in Italian, most of the lead actors were from other countries. Native Italians were usually relegated to supporting roles, but Alan managed to build a career. Alan, whose real name is Sergio Ciani, has appeared in twenty-three different Italian films. He has been credited under the names Alan Steel (as in this movie) and John Wyler. [2]

Because American audiences were unfamiliar with the Italian film character Maciste, the title character’s name was changed to Hercules, similarly to The Magic Voyage of Sinbad.

The Episode

Host Segments

The Bots Booby Trap

Prologue: Believing the grass is always greener on the other side, Tom and Crow decide to run away to the other side of the ship. It doesn't last.

Segment One: While Joel and the bots have invented the Super Freak-Out Kit, the Mads' invention of DEEP HURTING is woven into the experiment itself.

Segment Two: Crow and Tom use Joel as the subject of their amazing BOOBY trap illusion, with innuendos abounding.

Segment Three: Joel gives the Bots new muscular arms and they all come up with their new tough guy names (the rules: a virile first name and a last name that is something hard, as in "Alan Steel"). Unfortunately Tom's suggestions aren't all that aggressively tough and his body rejects his new donor limbs.

Deep Hurting

Segment Four: Having finally had enough with all the toga/skirt action in these Hercules films, Joel and the Bots sing the stirring song Pants!

Closing (Segment Five): The SOL crew discuss the replacement of actors in sequels and TV series, but Tom is forced to read the letter alone after Crow breaks Gypsy's heart by mentioning Richard Basehart was just such a replacement and Joel has to dismember him. Dr. F is alarmed by Joel and the Bots' ability to survive a movie like this, but works out some of his anxiety by enacting a little DEEP HURTING on Frank.

Stinger: Old guy gets skewered on a booby trap.

Other Notes

Miscellanea

Outside References: Crow's alter ego in segment three, "Drake Tungsten", was used as the name of one of the comic book lines in the video game Fallout 3.

Obscure References

"...by Four Dead in Ohio Art! Tin soldiers and Nixon sold separately!"

A reference to both the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song "Ohio", and the toy company Ohio Art.

Rob Reiner is a bald, bearded, heavyset actor and director who is perhaps best known for the role of Michael Stivic ("Meathead") on the show All in the Family. The thug attacking Hercules does look something like Reiner in his later years.

Aristophanes was an Ancient Greek playwright; a "spec script" is one which is written in the hope that it can later be sold (as opposed to one paid for in advance).

Dang Me, Dang Me, Trailer for Sale or Rent, etc.

For unknown reasons, Joel and the 'bots have the slaves operating the torture device singing the songs of Roger Miller (some know him best as the voice of Allan a Dale, the lute strumming rooster, in Disney's 1973 version of Robin Hood; his song "Whistle Stop" is heard repeatedly throughout the film).