Colossus and the Headhunters
| Colossus and the Headhunters | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster. | |
| Directed by | Guido Malatesta |
| Produced by | Giorgio Marzelli |
| Written by | Guido Malatesta |
| Starring |
Kirk Morris Laura Brown Alfredo Zammi |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release date | 1963 |
Running time | USA:79 min |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Colossus and the Headhunters, also known in its original Italian title as Maciste contro i cacciatori di teste ("Maciste against the head-hunters"), is a sword and sandal film created in Italy and released in 1963. It is notable for having no monsters, which was a hallmark of the sword and sandal genre, instead featuring the titular Headhunter tribe as antagonists. Another alternate title was Fury of the Headhunters.
Plot
Maciste arrives on an island only to find it rocked by a catastrophic volcanic eruption...and sinking. The survivors board Maciste's raft, and he pilots it toward a nearby yet unknown island. The group gets captured by a tribe led by Queen Amoa. Her people are under continuous attack by another tribe on the island—a tribe of savage headhunters. Maciste and his survivors decide to help her, so he and some of his friends set out to find Amoa's father. They travel to a ruined castle occupied by the headhunters—which used to be a great city of gold—and find Amoa's father, now blind, imprisoned alone in one of the dungeon rooms by the headhunters. Meanwhile, the leader of the headhunters captures Amoa and decides to marry her by compelling her father to give his blessing. A large battle erupts at Queen Amoa's village when the headhunters attack. During the fight, the headhunter leader abducts Queen Amoa. Maciste pursues them, saves Amoa, and fights and defeats the wily leader of the headhunters. Having saved the day, Maciste rides away on his raft with Amoa in his arms.
Popular culture
The film was featured in a season six episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.