Sword and Sorcery Movies from the 80's

[flat-top]

Please be gentle with me, it was only a guilty pleasure when I was a wee lass

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092615/ lol lol lol

The Barbarian Brothers!!

 

[MrBern]

Wasn't there a project around where John Milius was writing an "older Conan" with sons and stuff, for Arnie? That would be something, the original is pretty much the ne plus ultra of the genre. Excalibur deserves a mention though, I still watch it every few months, but the only problem with that is the clowning of Nicol Williamson...where that came from I don't know, it prevents it from being one of the best films ever made, let alone a classic of the genre and the best telling of the Arthurian legend.
And in that vein, I can recommend this
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402057/
far superior to that cartoon nonsense that came out recently.

I remember hearing that a 'KingConan' movie was in the works...but that was all shelved when he became Governor.
It mightve been based on this novel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_of_Aquilonia
As well, Im told the insurance agencies were giving the Arnold movies a lot of guff after his heart troubles.

RobertEHoward

 

[MrBern]

One of my favorites from the 80's was Time Bandits...
It starred John Cleese and Sean Connery.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081633/

I think that was the beginning of Connery showing up as a supporting character & not the lead. A fine King Agamenon.

Anne Rice mentioned this film in one of her Vampire novels, along with Bladerunner.

 

[Feraud]

I remember hearing that a 'KingConan' movie was in the works...but that was all shelved when he became Governor.

King Conan with Arnold would have rocked!

 

[flat-top]

King Conan with Arnold would have rocked!

I used to read that comic. I loved it.
I think I read somewhere that this new movie is based on the younger, wilder Conan, as seen in Savage Sword of Conan. That would be cool IF (big IF) it were done right.

 

[Charlie Noodles]

There can be only one truly great eighties sword and sorcery movie.

(Not really, there's plenty of them; but how else was I going to work that in there?)

 

[Lady Day]

Directed by Bret Ratner. I don't know how I feel about that...

I never understood in most of these movies how they could have armor and intricate smithing work (check out that sword), yet still run around in ripped pelts and loin cloths...:eusa_doh:

LD

 

[Feraud]

But pelts and loinclothes are so comfortable!

 

[flat-top]

I never understood in most of these movies how they could have armor and intricate smithing work (check out that sword), yet still run around in ripped pelts and loin cloths...:eusa_doh:

LD

The answer might lie within The Riddle Of Steel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian_(film)#The_Riddle_of_Steel
Or then again...maybe not.

 

[Charlie Noodles]

I remember reading years back they were planning a full Conan revival to come out not far from Lord of the Rings. I guess it's happening after all.

 

[Lady Day]

Oh, its not just Conan, its the entire genera.

I just fail to think that the arch of castle building, armor work, and civilization surpassed the thought of invention the loom

LD

 

[flat-top]

Directed by Bret Ratner. I don't know how I feel about that...

..........
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/38775

 

[flat-top]

Hmm....
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iebbbd387ec9a77d4347f88856c08ad94

 

[Leesensei]

I have to say that I love all of these movies. I loved "Conan" but have to say that it was disappointing story wise. It could have been a true classic if they had been truer to the original books. Arnold looked great but perhaps really wasn't ready acting wise to take on the character. Visually though, the movie was stunning. And Sandahl Bergman was not bad to look at either!

On the other end of the scale, although it was terribly low budget, I really enjoyed movies like Beastmaster. It was just a fun popcorn movie.

 

[Leesensei]

Wasn't "the Sword and the Sorcerer" the one where the warrior had the sword with three blades? If I remember correctly at some point you find out that the two extra blades could be projected from the sword and impale the enemy from a distance? I think I saw this one with a group of friends at a drive in movie.

 

[Leesensei]

I thought that Legend was a beautiful film. Tim Curry was fabulous as the Darkness. An incredible makeup.

 

[mike]

I know that in the last few years the Conan comic books have been very well received. I never read them but a good friend of mine always talks them up. Maybe the new film is based off of those books..? [huh]

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Let me throw my vote in for "Excalibur". My memory is this: I was 17, had friends who were 18, and we traveled to a Medieval Faire (still a big thing on the OU campus, and something I've been vending at for the past 13 years). We wandered 'round in our makeshift costumes, then found a cinema that was screening 'Excalibur'. Though the standard R rating was for not under 17, I think in our state it was not under 18; we hoped our pals would count as 'responsible adult companions' but we were turned away for not being old enough. Can you believe it?

Who remembers "Knightriders" - a modern day jousting, medieval thing, with guys on motorbikes, starring Ed Harris, with Brother Blue as Merlin. That was one crazy film. George Romero wrote it, and I'm sure Stephen King had a bit part as a fair audience member, saying something about not having the balls to wear tights....

 

[Haversack]

Excalibur, for it is only movie I know that explicitly deals with The Matter of Britain. That scene towards the end when Arthur and his remaining knights ride to the Last Battle and the Land leaps into spring with his passing by still raises the hair along my spine. They truly tapped into something ancient and ur with that. The King is the Land. The Land is the King.

Ah, Knightrider. Romero is reputed to have observed a rather contentious crown tourney of the Society for Creative Anachronism's East Kingdom before making that movie. Reportedly there are some rather distinct parallels in some of the personalities involved.

Haversack.

 

[Elaina]

Highlander is one of my favorite films of all time, to the point my son yells at me "I know it's the Kurgan, mom!" when SpongeBob comes on, but it's not really sorcery with it IMO (no. 3 would qualify for both sword and sorcery and terrible 90s films).

I gotta go with Excalibur. Not only was it one of the first grown up films I remember getting to see in the theater (I saw Star Wars when I was 2, and I remember that), it was very well done. It's another film I watch at least once a year.

I also like The Black Cauldron. But I'm a big kid and still watch my cartoons.