[3] Goliath and the Vampires was released theatrically in Italy as Maciste control il vampiro on 21 August 1961.

declared that "even the most ardent devotees of these overstuffed, simpleminded muscle spasms from Italy figure to be disenchanted with this latest entry in that league.

"[6] The review found the film "ludicrously written and crudely executed" and that Gordon Scott's acting was unsubtle.

[6] From retrospective reviews, Howard Hughes wrote in his book on Italian cinema that Gordon Scott's performance was "above average" in comparison to other contemporary genre films.

"[1] In his book on Italian peplum films, Barry Atkinson also praised the set design and cinematography as "an artful blend of creepy fantasy and Gothicism".