Hercules in the Haunted World (1961)

Hercules in the Haunted World (1961)

From Zombie Strains by John Corey, Andy Rau, Bradley Dumont

February 25, 2026 · 1h 21m · Season 2 · Episode 33

About this episode

The episode discusses the 1961 film 'Hercules in the Haunted World' and its themes involving zombies and Greek mythology.

Can Hercules (Reg Park) thwart the evil machinations of usurper King Lico (Christopher Lee!) in time to save his beloved Deianira (Leonora Ruffo) from spending the rest of eternity as a ... zombie?! Swords and sandals once again meet the living dead in this 1961 Italian fantasy adventure: Hercules in the Haunted World. Hercules and his "helpful" friends Theseus and Telemaco enter Hades to save Deianara, but will they ever escape? Andy, John, and Producer Brad done their sandals and encounter not one, but two different types of zombies in the movie that inspired Arnold Schwarzenneger to become a body builder. SHOW NOTES: Theatrical release date: November 16, 1961 (Italy) April, 1964 (US) Reg Park official fan site Reg Park Obituary Reg Park's influence on Arnold Schwarzenneger Christopher Lee interview Christopher Lee obituary D'Aulaire's Greek Mythology Mario Bava's legacy Corti, Roberto. Italian Gothic Horror Films: 1957-1969 Theme music composed by Neil Dube. www.pond5.com Contact: zombiestrainspodcast@gmail.com www.zombiestrainspodcast.com Follow us on Andy's Substack "Fortress of Regret" Instagram Facebook

People in this episode

Hosts: Andy Rau, John Corey, Bradley Dumont

Topics covered

  • Hercules
  • zombies
  • Italian fantasy
  • film analysis
  • 1960s cinema

Keywords

  • Hercules
  • zombies
  • Reg Park
  • Christopher Lee
  • Italian cinema
  • fantasy adventure
  • 1961 film

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Hercules in the Haunted World

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