Yôko Tani

In this celebrated sci-fi classic, a mysterious object from outer space is found in the Gobi desert. An international expedition, dispatched to Venus to decipher the message it contains, discovers it is a declaration of war – on Earth!

The first sci-fi film made in East Germany by the legendary DEFA film studio, The Silent Star is a masterpiece in story, art and set design, and technology and was the forerunner of 2001: A Space Odyssey and, later, Contact. Based on the novel The Astronauts by Stanislaw Lem (who also wrote Solaris) and made during the U.S./U.S.S.R. space race set off by the Sputnik launch.Read More »

The mightiest adventurer of them all! In this sumptuous sword-and-sandal feast, Rory Calhoun (Apache Territory, The Colossus of Rhodes) stars as Marco Polo, the legendary 13th-century explorer who journeys to China with the aim of expanding world trade. There he meets Princess Amuroy, amorously played by Yôko Tani (The Savage Innocents, Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World), and an old hermit who has just invented gunpowder. With this explosive new “magic,” Marco builds a special cannon and spearheads a rebellion against an evil warlord. Directed by Piero Pierotti (Hercules and the Masked Rider) with additional scenes by Hugo Fregonese (The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse), it’s an epic, action-packed peplum adventure in sweeping CinemaScope and eye-popping Technicolor.Read More »

The Emperor of China, facing harsh attacks from the Tartars, enlists the help of the Grand Khan of the Mongols. But he betrays the Emperor and intend to despatch this usurper of the Celestial Empire. In truth, the Grand Khan need only kill the rightful heirs to the throne, Prince Kalaf and Princess Li-Ling to definitely insure power for himself. But with the arrival of the hero Maciste, the tyrant is forced to change his plans.Read More »