Swords & Sorcery Films of the 1980's: PART I

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  • Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
  • The SWORDS & SORCERY genre experienced a huge boom in the 1980's!
    Join Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Arnold Schwarzenegger & more as Dan delves into the magical and mythical worlds that hit the big screens between 1980 & 1982. Don't miss PART II, coming soon!
    Check out the Letterboxd List: letterboxd.com/lunacyprods/li...
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    FILMS USED:
    "Black Angel" ©1980
    "Hawk the Slayer" ©1980
    "Excalibur" ©1981
    "Clash of the Titans" ©1981
    "Dragonslayer" ©1981
    "The Sword & the Sorcerer" ©1982
    "Conan the Barbarian" ©1982
    "The Beastmaster" ©1982
    #80semporium #eightiesemporium
    00:00 Welcome
    01:05 D&D
    01:36 Star Wars
    02:13 Black Angel
    02:32 Themes
    03:08 Hawk the Slayer
    03:41 Excalibur
    04:22 Clash of the Titans
    05:02 Dragonslayer
    05:50 The Sword & the Sorcerer
    06:47 Conan the Barbarian
    07:38 The Beastmaster
    08:47 Next Up...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 604

  • @cliffdixon6422
    @cliffdixon6422 11 місяців тому +136

    If yo haven't seen it, one of the best of the genre was Ladyhawke from 1985 starring Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Broderick. Absolutely loved that film in my late teens and still holds up well today

    • @darkangel15221
      @darkangel15221 11 місяців тому +5

      Ladyhawke seemed like more of a love story to me, as the action was minimal. Also, Matthew Broderick's character was incredibly annoying.

    • @narcissus79
      @narcissus79 11 місяців тому +6

      I loved that film, although I feel like the soundtrack was a bit cheezy.. imagine what it could have been like if it had the same music director as Excalibur or Conan?

    • @justaguy2365
      @justaguy2365 11 місяців тому +3

      Loved that movie!!

    • @garrick3727
      @garrick3727 11 місяців тому +2

      As much as I like Rutger Hauer, I think it's a boring movie. You're right though - it should be on this list.

    • @bluebird3281
      @bluebird3281 11 місяців тому +2

      @@darkangel15221 No Matthew Broderick's character was not annoying. Matthew Broderick is annoying and it rubs off on any character he plays. There were only two bad things in the movie "Glory". The Confederacy and Matthew Broderick.

  • @boyscout7277
    @boyscout7277 11 місяців тому +235

    Excalibur was so well made. That movie still holds up til this day.

    • @suzettehenderson9278
      @suzettehenderson9278 11 місяців тому +4

      Except for that one scene...

    • @buryitdeep
      @buryitdeep 11 місяців тому +6

      Excalibur changed my life

    • @EricLinstone
      @EricLinstone 11 місяців тому +8

      It's so shiny!

    • @ProfessorJayTee
      @ProfessorJayTee 11 місяців тому

      ROFL "Holds up" as an example of terrible historical accuracy. Inaccuracy, rather.

    • @ChrisisisB
      @ChrisisisB 11 місяців тому

      Excalibur is not a historical document. It is an operatic style retelling of the tales of the romantic era (19th century). Realize that, and the full plates etc wont bother you anymore, well not much.

  • @tripbreaker
    @tripbreaker 11 місяців тому +185

    Yes, folks, that’s Helen Mirren. I was 13 when I fist saw her play Morgana and have been in love with gothy pagan chicks ever since. In one scene with Merlin she actually f*cking hisses at him. Classic.

    • @reptiledisfunction2564
      @reptiledisfunction2564 11 місяців тому +5

      Same mate

    • @andershansen2861
      @andershansen2861 11 місяців тому +16

      My favourite movie and in my opinion the ONLY worthwhile rendition of the legend.

    • @fredlandry6170
      @fredlandry6170 11 місяців тому +2

      I was 11 when Excalibur came out but I didn’t see it till it came on cable later on.

    • @perfectallycromulent
      @perfectallycromulent 11 місяців тому +8

      i was 8 and not yet interested in women. but i was absolutely terrified of mordred in his creepy armor. he used poke up in a lot of my nightmares.

    • @guarddog318
      @guarddog318 11 місяців тому +19

      Helen can hiss at me anytime she wants.

  • @Izthefaithful
    @Izthefaithful 11 місяців тому +79

    Conan what is best in life
    “To crush your enemies! To see them driven before you and to hear the lamentation of their women!” 💪🏼

    • @margaretgarside5617
      @margaretgarside5617 11 місяців тому +4

      I think that's his first line of dialog.

    • @wanderingwhimsy4800
      @wanderingwhimsy4800 10 місяців тому +3

      Hell yeah!! Die with Honor can we get a All female Barbarian breakdown too??

    • @freewheeler8924
      @freewheeler8924 10 місяців тому +1

      Words I have endeavoured to live by.

    • @zhaoliang4217
      @zhaoliang4217 7 місяців тому

      It actual is a variation of this historical quote, but the last part removed for obvious reasons.
      “The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters.” --Genghis Khan.

  • @Briansgate
    @Briansgate 11 місяців тому +53

    Excalibur is still one of my favorite movies of all time.

    • @majesticfool
      @majesticfool 11 місяців тому +9

      it's actually a masterpiece. Full of themes, symbolism. great cinematography

    • @paulflecknell1974
      @paulflecknell1974 11 місяців тому

      And lets be honest, who doesnt get goosebumps when arthur drinks from the cup and becomes reborn....that music in the background.....🥶😁

    • @MoivinSulunker
      @MoivinSulunker 2 місяці тому

      What are the others?

  • @himonightbreeze
    @himonightbreeze 11 місяців тому +162

    I have a deep need to say that Conan wasn't originally a comic book character. Robert E. Howard's short stories were featured in Weird Tales magazine which was a pulp magazine for sci-fi nerds in the 20s & 30s, and was just a collection of short stories with a few illustrations.
    The first Conan panel-to-panel comic as we know them now was published in Mexico in 1952, 20 years after his first story was published in Weird Tales. It was an adaptation of "Queen of the Black Coast," and was featured in a pocket-sized anthology magazine. The first Marvel run of Conan comics didn't come until 1970, almost 50 years after that first short story. Then of course Dark horse was putting them out from 2003-2018, and in that time we got the so-so Jason Mamao flick heavily based on that run, and it's....a movie.

    • @guarddog318
      @guarddog318 11 місяців тому +12

      You tell 'em.
      My first exposure to Conan was in the novels by L. Sprague something-or-other, NOT THE Marvel comics.... though I did read those too.
      ...probably even have a few of 'em hanging around here somewhere. 🙄

    • @brentjablonski3730
      @brentjablonski3730 11 місяців тому +11

      Thanks for saying it. I came here to say the same thing!

    • @juniorjames7076
      @juniorjames7076 11 місяців тому

      @@guarddog318 I gotta say, as a kid I was more into Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter of Mars, Carson of Venus, Moon Trilogy) that Howards Conan books. Howards books, to me, were not that well written. But hey, people obviously liked them!

    • @gregwilson7818
      @gregwilson7818 11 місяців тому +9

      A couple things about Conan...Yes, the Conan stories were a collection of short stories by Robert E. Howard, and then later written by L. Sprague DeCamp and Lin Carter. But it was also a comic book, later on. I have only owned 2 comic books in my life - my mother bought them both in the 70's when I was 9-10 years old. One was Dracula, and the other was Conan. So, yes, the short stories came first, but there was also a comic book later on. I am not aware of any Marvel Comics of Conan, unless the one I owned from the 70's was Marvel. The other thing about Conan -- Arnold did not portray the real Conan - Conan would never have begged on his knees (you killed my mother, you killed my father...) to Thulsa Doom. In the books, although a barbarian, Conan was highly intelligent, could speak many languages and even read and write a few. He would never surrender, never kneel, and never bow to a king. When he was captured (many times), it was from being over-powered, hit from behind, or sorcery. He would fight to the death or until he couldn't stand anymore. The new Conan (Jason Momoa) was a better portrayal of his character than Arnold's. Robert E. Howard died when he was 30 years old (1936), and had a lot of unpublished manuscripts of Conan stories, and that's where L. Sprague Decamp and Lin Carter came in, finished the stories, and had them published. I own the entire set of paperbacks as well as the compiled hardback collections of short stories. There has been a dozen or so writers since, trying to continue writing the stories, but none of them capture the true Conan like Howard, Decamp, and Carter. Yes, I would call myself a super-fan...lol.

    • @guarddog318
      @guarddog318 11 місяців тому +1

      @@juniorjames7076 - I read all of those as well, but since nobody got around to making movies about 'em 'til after the millennium, I didn't mention them.
      Besides, Tarzan was by far a more popular character than John or Carson.

  • @pspboy7
    @pspboy7 11 місяців тому +57

    Conan, Dragonslayer, and Excalibur are my favorite films in this genre.

    • @Thurgosh_OG
      @Thurgosh_OG 11 місяців тому

      They are favourites with me too but I still have a soft spot for Hawk the Slayer.

  • @jasonsaenz2367
    @jasonsaenz2367 11 місяців тому +113

    Thulsa Doom from Conan the Barbarian is most certainly an evil wizard.

    • @4Mr.Crowley2
      @4Mr.Crowley2 11 місяців тому +9

      Yes, and he plays an amazing antagonist - a genuinely creepy cult leader - when he beheads Conan’s mother that gutted me as a little kid as I thought no man would just straight up murder a woman who was so dignified and so very beautiful but daaayyyyuuuum. Poor little Conan watching his mother fall away - Valeria was my absolute heroine growing up - her showing up once post mortem to help Conan, while dressed in shining armor like a Valkyrie, moved me to tears…also loved the divine Andromeda in Clash of the Titans. That ending with the head of Medusa retaining its very powerful dark magic is just amazing…

    • @ashbury137
      @ashbury137 11 місяців тому +10

      Came to the comment section to say this, guess I didn't need to.

    • @LawnDart98k
      @LawnDart98k 11 місяців тому

      He’s also my real Dad.

    • @swk38
      @swk38 11 місяців тому +2

      i would say he is more of an evil priest, that uses swords, and is able to polymorph himself into a snake... his charisma to charm people is off the scale
      and a wizard would be more reclusive in a tower and not really have many followers

    • @helixxharpell
      @helixxharpell 4 місяці тому

      Thulsa Doom is actually a demi-god who is(was) over 200 yrs old at the time of his beheading. The beheading to this day is often removed from network TV.

  • @OhNoNotAgain42
    @OhNoNotAgain42 11 місяців тому +26

    I LOVED “Excalibur”! Best dialogue of any “King Arthur” film, ever.
    “How did you become King?”
    “The Lady of the Lake gave me Excalibur”.
    “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Extreme executive authority derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!”

    • @rustythecrown9317
      @rustythecrown9317 11 місяців тому +9

      If I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bit lobbed a scimitar at me , they'd put me away.

    • @random_eskimo_in_the_rockies
      @random_eskimo_in_the_rockies 11 місяців тому

      @@rustythecrown9317 Help! Help! I'm being repressed!

    • @n.w.1803
      @n.w.1803 11 місяців тому

      @@rustythecrown9317 Bloody peasant!!

    • @Dilligff
      @Dilligff 11 місяців тому +3

      @@rustythecrown9317 Yeah, that kinda logic is a bit hard to swallow. Neither African nor European.

    • @gilbert8162
      @gilbert8162 11 місяців тому +4

      Good old Monty Python

  • @stevesetzer3361
    @stevesetzer3361 11 місяців тому +46

    I watched Beastmaster and Krull 10,000 times. Dragonslayer was fun.

    • @baron7755
      @baron7755 11 місяців тому

      I've only seen Beastmaster on TBS 10000 times

    • @loki2240
      @loki2240 11 місяців тому +2

      I loved Krull, but sucked at the arcade game. I guess I never played it often enough to get any good. 😂

    • @Thurgosh_OG
      @Thurgosh_OG 11 місяців тому

      Dragonslayer final scenes were filmed in my neck of the woods (Scotland) and seemed more realistic for it.

    • @goukeban6197
      @goukeban6197 11 місяців тому +2

      Krull was the shit!

    • @aldunlop4622
      @aldunlop4622 11 місяців тому +1

      Just about wore a hole in my Beastmaster VHS tape. You know why…

  • @redjacc7581
    @redjacc7581 11 місяців тому +22

    Excaliber is simply the best representation of armoured combat.

  • @davyboy9397
    @davyboy9397 11 місяців тому +57

    Excalibur is my favorite of the Arthurian films but second is definitely the 1998 mini series "Merlin" with Sam Neill playing the part of the legendary Wizard. If you haven't seen it yet check it out! It's so good , vastly underrated and overlooked

    • @towerjunikeka-tet1979
      @towerjunikeka-tet1979 11 місяців тому +3

      I remember that show when i was a kid,i cant recall anything but a huge feeling of epicness,thank you for the sweet reminder

    • @luiszuluaga6575
      @luiszuluaga6575 11 місяців тому

      Yesss! Also, wasn’t Helen Mirren in that? 🤷🏻‍♂️

    • @michaelgreen1128
      @michaelgreen1128 11 місяців тому +2

      Merlin was excellent!! Also had Lena Headey off GOT playing Guinevere!!

    • @davyboy9397
      @davyboy9397 11 місяців тому +1

      @@michaelgreen1128 She was excellent . I've had a crush on her from the moment I first saw her in The Jungle Book (1994). Interesting that Sam Neill was also in that

    • @michaelgreen1128
      @michaelgreen1128 11 місяців тому +1

      @@davyboy9397 - Yep! With you 100% on that!! Only watched the Red Baron becase she was in that too!! This has prompted me to dig out Merlin for another watch - haven't seen it in ages!!!

  • @jondspen
    @jondspen 11 місяців тому +25

    I remember when Excalibur and Conan came out. Both of these movies were incredible then, and still today. I have watched both in the last year or so, and they have aged very well. Not campy or dated at all, just as amazing and engaging as they were then. Speaks a lot to the writing, cinematography, and directors on the films.

    • @juniorjames7076
      @juniorjames7076 11 місяців тому

      I knew Conan was a solid film, but I'll have to give Excaliber a try then. Honestly, I always lumped it into "High 1980s B-Movie Euro-trash".

  • @naughtysmurf64
    @naughtysmurf64 11 місяців тому +14

    Excalibur is amazing both visually and story wise!!

  • @goodlookingcorpse
    @goodlookingcorpse 11 місяців тому +83

    You've listed Conan as not having an evil wizard.

    • @mookiewilson4166
      @mookiewilson4166 11 місяців тому +10

      There was a good and evil wizard in both films.

    • @brentjablonski3730
      @brentjablonski3730 11 місяців тому +30

      Thulsa Doom turned into a snake. And he made a snake into a seeking arrow.
      Sounds like an evil wizard to me!

    • @hamsely57
      @hamsely57 11 місяців тому +12

      You could also loosely argue the eye of the serpent was a magical gem.

    • @gosseuffe
      @gosseuffe 11 місяців тому +14

      This was the comment I was looking for.

    • @justaguy2365
      @justaguy2365 11 місяців тому +3

      Yep! Thulsa Doom and Thoth-Amon

  • @fredlandry6170
    @fredlandry6170 11 місяців тому +11

    These were great times to be a teenager.

  • @CarnorJast1138
    @CarnorJast1138 11 місяців тому +12

    Two of my favorite "S&S" movies are definitely Excalibur and DragonSlayer. DragonSlayer still, to this day, has the greatest on-screen dragon ever made. Vermithrax Pejorative has no equal, and is the quintessential dragon that is copied, but never duplicated, ever since.

  • @lostinpa-dadenduro7555
    @lostinpa-dadenduro7555 11 місяців тому +35

    Hawk The Slayer is a fun film. If you’re a fan of D&D it’s basically a D&D game session put to film.

    • @matthewgordon3281
      @matthewgordon3281 11 місяців тому +1

      I am obsessed with this film.

    • @lostinpa-dadenduro7555
      @lostinpa-dadenduro7555 11 місяців тому +2

      @@matthewgordon3281 I was 10 years old in 1980. I got to see all these films in the theater, aside from Black Angel and Excalibur, with my friends. My dad would take us. Great fun. I think we saw Conan three times. 😂👍

    • @grigorione7824
      @grigorione7824 11 місяців тому +2

      Still annoyed that I and many other people didn't hear about the raising of funds by the maker of this movie to make a second one.

    • @loki2240
      @loki2240 11 місяців тому +1

      ​@@lostinpa-dadenduro7555- I've been trying to remember the name of that movie for decades. I think I watched it on WGN or TBS one weekend, geeky me liked it, but football-concussed me hadn't been able to remember the name of it until now.

    • @lostinpa-dadenduro7555
      @lostinpa-dadenduro7555 11 місяців тому

      @@loki2240 I was able to purchase a digital copy of Hawk The Slayer on Amazon video. 👍

  • @mikewilson3581
    @mikewilson3581 11 місяців тому +8

    I absolutely love Excalibur. I'm not a huge movie fan (music is my thing) but if a film does get to me it's got to be good. The story, acting, and the sets are perfect to me.

  • @newsmith
    @newsmith 11 місяців тому +24

    I loved Hawk the Slayer. The ridiculous action sequences with the repeating crossbow and the Elf shooting 30 arrows a second was beyond cheesy but I still loved it.

    • @stanleysparkle6951
      @stanleysparkle6951 11 місяців тому +2

      I put Hawk on last Christmas evening for my adult children, they loved it! Krull, on the other hand, put them to sleep.

    • @johnhenry524
      @johnhenry524 10 місяців тому

      Given its budget, Hawk the Slayer was quite good. The special effects were limited because of the budget, but otherwise quite good.

    • @frankcortes6852
      @frankcortes6852 10 місяців тому

      I actually recommend Circle Of Iron (1978) if u guys REALLY want to see the real predecessor of theses 80’s sword and sorcery fad. NOW! The budget is far more limited than Hawk The Slayer and it’s more of a martial arts fantasy adventure than a sword and sorcery film, but it has all the cliches and style of the 80’s fantasy fad! 🗡️🔥

    • @spaceknight793
      @spaceknight793 14 днів тому +1

      Hawk the Slayer is the very best B-movie ever made! And one of my all time favorite fantasy movies.

  • @johnglue1744
    @johnglue1744 11 місяців тому +9

    Man I remember being almost a teen in the early 80s and it was such a great time for S&S films, I loved it.

  • @bryanboatwright1671
    @bryanboatwright1671 11 місяців тому +5

    I got to see Excalibur first run, I was only 15. Great movie.

  • @yegenek
    @yegenek 11 місяців тому +12

    Hawk the Slayer is like a D&D LARP with actors but it is incredibly fun and entertaining. Also the soundtrack is great.

    • @williambain2646
      @williambain2646 11 місяців тому

      One of my FAVORITES !!!!!!

    • @DisorderedArray
      @DisorderedArray 11 місяців тому +1

      That bit when the ping pong balls start flying!

    • @williambain2646
      @williambain2646 11 місяців тому +2

      @@DisorderedArray a storm of flying firebolts, you mean !!!!!!

  • @billlonee9470
    @billlonee9470 11 місяців тому +7

    Don't blame me for Dragonslayer's dismal BO, I saw it in the theater and loved it. Also, The Sword and the Sorcerer, with the amazing scenery known as Kathleen Beller... Oh, yeah, and that triple-bladed sword.

    • @caronstout354
      @caronstout354 11 місяців тому +5

      Starring Lee Horsley, who would later become Matt Houston on 📺..

    • @richardtracy8242
      @richardtracy8242 11 місяців тому +3

      Richard Moll(Night Court) played the Villain.

    • @frankcortes6852
      @frankcortes6852 10 місяців тому +1

      Yeah! That freaking cool triple bladed sword that is barely in the movie! I also don’t remember the sorcerer being in the movie that much either, unless you count his human identity. 🤷🏻

  • @justme-ti1rh
    @justme-ti1rh 11 місяців тому +27

    All those movies are a lot more enjoyable to watch than anything in the past 10 years.

    • @Halbared
      @Halbared 10 місяців тому

      True, true.

  • @mrkengage
    @mrkengage 10 місяців тому +1

    Glad to see The Sword & the Sorcerer covered here. That movie saturated cable TV back in the day and, despite it's flaws and slow pacing, is fondly remembered by us nerds. :D

  • @redbunnytail9528
    @redbunnytail9528 11 місяців тому +3

    'Excalibur' and 'Conan the Barbarian.' HBO had both of those movies on, multiple times a month in early 80's. I got 2 dollars a month for the arcades, so HBO absorbed all my time in the summers. Same thing every time, when I see Nigel Terry. How he look so young, as young, squire aged Arthur. Then evolve into this sage, warrior, King, with the greying hair and different sound to his voice. That one of the best 'transformations' I ever seen. Armor was as cool to see as it was to see the armor in 'Gladiator,' a few decades ago. It was just visually awesome for 'fantasy' sword sorcery people.

  • @mojoschmee9320
    @mojoschmee9320 10 місяців тому +2

    Conan, Beastmaster, Ladyhawk, Legend, Clash of the Titans... what a decade of escampism.

  • @KesselRunner606
    @KesselRunner606 11 місяців тому +5

    Back in those halcyon Red Box D&D days, Hawk the Slayer was required viewing on scratchy VHS pre game.
    It's like the Royal Shakespeare Company went to the woods to LARP, and as an after thought brought along a film crew and a dry ice machine.

  • @alisterfolson
    @alisterfolson 11 місяців тому +3

    Clash of the Titans ('81) still has one of the best Medusas ever put up on screen.

  • @lewucf
    @lewucf 11 місяців тому +2

    Man oh man, just going over these movies sure brings back tons of memories as a kid.
    Remember watching these a multitude of times throughout the 80’s on cable where eventually with VHS tapes, we would record off of & pause when a commercial came on.
    Miss those days……..

  • @marcussmith4913
    @marcussmith4913 11 місяців тому +6

    some great movies. I really miss this type of fantasy. The world needs more adventure.

  • @jerryhensley6255
    @jerryhensley6255 10 місяців тому +1

    The beastmaster is still in my all-time favorite movies

  • @MrVvulf
    @MrVvulf 11 місяців тому +1

    "The Sword and the Sorcerer" (1982) had a line that my friends and I still laugh about to this day:
    "But my sword is poised..."

    • @frankcortes6852
      @frankcortes6852 10 місяців тому +1

      The most hilarious scene was when the sorcerer was killing the bad guy and then the good guy appear telling the sorcerer: “I have no quarrel with you… out of my way” sorcerer: “Kromwel is mine!” The good guy: “Now we have a quarrel!” 🤣

  • @caronstout354
    @caronstout354 11 місяців тому +5

    "The Sword and The Sorceror"- classic 80's fantasy film!

    • @johnhenry524
      @johnhenry524 10 місяців тому +1

      Not to mention the bodasgious women. 😊

  • @MichaelLaing71
    @MichaelLaing71 11 місяців тому +8

    Hawk the Slayer is a classic. Yes, it feels cheap, the music is at times surreal (70's disco electronic pipe music) and the acting maybe not the best but the film is so much fun. It is basically The Magnificent Seven but with only six. It was fun when when I watched it as a child and equally fun to watch it now.

    • @stanleysparkle6951
      @stanleysparkle6951 11 місяців тому

      I got to see it in the cinema as a child. One of the perks of divorced parents - plenty of trips to the cinema with 'weekend Dad'. 😄

    • @margaretgarside5617
      @margaretgarside5617 11 місяців тому

      A camp classic, you mean.

    • @frankcortes6852
      @frankcortes6852 10 місяців тому

      I actually recommend Circle Of Iron (1978) to you guys. NOW! The budget is far more limited than Hawk The Slayer and it’s more of a martial arts fantasy adventure than a sword and sorcery film, but it has all the cliches and style that inspired the 80’s cheesy fantasy fad! 🗡️🧀

  • @4Mr.Crowley2
    @4Mr.Crowley2 11 місяців тому +1

    Nothing fills me with joy - as a retired college professor who specialized in medieval and Renaissance literature - like the sight of my fellow nerds rolling ye old 20 sided die and guarding their character sheet circa 1979…sigh. Cue “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks…

  • @NoneofyourBusiness-iv6pi
    @NoneofyourBusiness-iv6pi 10 місяців тому +1

    My 2 favorites.....Excalibur & The Beast Master

  • @djrichylaurence8991
    @djrichylaurence8991 10 місяців тому

    I was so impressed by Excalibur I got the dvd. Seen it a thousand times but never get bored with it. Great cast, great story, great movie settings.

    • @dionmcgee5610
      @dionmcgee5610 6 місяців тому

      i've lost count of how many times I watched it. Hated most of the movies on this list, but enjoyed Beastmaster.

  • @dyak0
    @dyak0 11 місяців тому +2

    I saw some of them. Conan is just classic. Beastmaster - I loved it too. Excalibur - I found it a bit strange (it is always strange to me when people wear armor 24/7 without any valid purpose), but, hey, there is nothing Helen Mirren can't save.

  • @rsacchi100
    @rsacchi100 11 місяців тому +2

    Brought back a lot of memories. Thanks for sharing.

  • @robertcatania1120
    @robertcatania1120 11 місяців тому +3

    Not sure if it's because of TBS and HBO or not, but Beastmaster will always hold a special place in my heart for this genre. The 80s were so good for these types of films. The Conans, Krull, Clash of the Titans, Legend, and Sword and Sorcerer are all favorites of mine and endlessly rewatchable.

    • @Halbared
      @Halbared 10 місяців тому

      I concur!

  • @bamabarrelracer
    @bamabarrelracer 11 місяців тому +1

    As a GenXer... THANK YOU for the AMAZING memories❤❤❤ YES... I STILL play D&D

  • @SkeeterHowitzer
    @SkeeterHowitzer 2 місяці тому +1

    " ... there we'll shout and sing His praisins in that land forevermore.".

  • @williamgee6654
    @williamgee6654 11 місяців тому +2

    EXCALIBUR, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, AND CLASH OF THE TITANS ARE IN A CLASS BY THEMSELVES HERE.

  • @jaimeosbourn3616
    @jaimeosbourn3616 9 днів тому

    Nice to see one of these sites finally remembering Dragonslayer.

  • @Halbared
    @Halbared 10 місяців тому

    The 80's, the best decade for fantasy, adventure and kids stuff I'd say. I can and shall re-watch many of these fantasy greats in the years to come. If we're not all locked inside our locust boxes in five years time.

  • @jasonabc
    @jasonabc 11 місяців тому +2

    These were the best movies of the genre by far

  • @Trevor_Bennett
    @Trevor_Bennett 11 місяців тому +2

    Never knew the TBS and HBO trivia about The Beastmaster was so widespread. We used to guess what movie was being shown on TBS before we turned it on. We would always say The Beastmaster.

    • @grannyweatherwax8005
      @grannyweatherwax8005 10 місяців тому

      I for one never once heard that in the 80s. But then my town didn’t get cable until about 1986. I suspect it’s a term the maker of this video and his friends used.

  • @brendannahor1460
    @brendannahor1460 11 місяців тому +2

    John Boorman's "Excalibur" is the Greatest film of all time!
    Nicol Williams IS the best version of 'Merlin' ever seen on screen!
    "Hawk the Slayer" is a pretty good 2nd place!
    🤔

  • @maniacaldude
    @maniacaldude 11 місяців тому +1

    When I was in high school, my mythology class showed "Excalibur", and it quickly became one of my favorite Arthurian movie adaptations to date, along with Monty Python And The Holy Grail. Nicol Williamson's portrayal as Merlin in particular was incredible, and I love the surreal dreamlike atmosphere. Clash Of The Titans was also really enjoyable. May have to check out some of the others, though I do know Hawk The Slayer and The Sword And The Sorcerer both got the Rifftrax treatment.

  • @Amrah75
    @Amrah75 11 місяців тому +1

    The only dungeons and dragons I knew back then was the excellent cartoon. Love, Excalibur, one of my all time favorites . I remember, Hawk the Slayer, with, Jack Palance, as the bad guy, go on then. Some many fantastic movies. Beast Master, Sword and the Sorcerer, Dragon Slayer, Hawk. All boss!

  • @davidfuertes1973
    @davidfuertes1973 11 місяців тому

    Ahhhh thank you for the trip down memory lane. I have seen everyone of these movies and owned a few of them on VHS , DVD and two on blue ray.

  • @MrJeffreyrichards
    @MrJeffreyrichards 11 місяців тому

    So many good movies and down memory lane and many still hold up today as great stories and adventure.

  • @coyote4237
    @coyote4237 11 місяців тому +1

    I so very much miss the 80s.

  • @stevemuzak8526
    @stevemuzak8526 4 місяці тому

    Fantastic series. I love 1980s fantasy movies.

  • @davidhabert
    @davidhabert 11 місяців тому +6

    Contrary to popular belief there was suppose to be a sequel to "Hawk The Slayer" it was going to be called "Hawk The Destroyer". Oddly enough in 2015, there was a kick starter campaign to finance another sequel called "Hawk The Hunter". Sadly it didn't get off the ground either. Director Terry Marcel has also got plans to create a TV series called "Hawk The Destroyer".
    However the adventures of "Hawk The Slayer" doesn't end here. It actually found new life as a set of comic books which were a direct sequel to the movie.
    I personally think the movie was brilliant and the story behind it was very simple to understand. OK I will admit that the special effects were a bit cheesy at best. (but you do need to consider that it was the 80s after all) But the main thing which got my attention was the soundtrack and music to that movie, it made you feel that you were at a disco and not watching a sword and sorcery movie. But it was still very easy to listen to.

    • @PREPFORIT
      @PREPFORIT 11 місяців тому +1

      Hawk the Slayer is a Great film there was nothing like it at the time.

    • @rikk319
      @rikk319 11 місяців тому +1

      My friends and I never expected Casablanca-level acting or Star Wars-level special effects from Hawk The Slayer, but what we got was fun and entertainment. It was very much like someone had recorded one of our D&D sessions, and had the seat-of-your pants excitement.

  • @mattjackson
    @mattjackson 11 місяців тому

    This is fantastic and contains some of my all time favorite films!

  • @frankspikes7858
    @frankspikes7858 11 місяців тому +1

    Cool video. Definitely some classic stuff. My favorite is Conan the barbarian. Love excalibur, beast master, and clash of the titans.

  • @mycroft16
    @mycroft16 11 місяців тому

    I had the high privilege of growing up in the 80s... so many memories with Swords and Sorcery films. They're just fun escapism. They knew what they were and stuck to it. :D

    • @frankcortes6852
      @frankcortes6852 10 місяців тому

      Don’t forget the videogames as well! I don’t know if you are into classic videogames, but there where AWESOME arcade games about sword and sorcery like: King Of The Dragons, Black Tiger, Rastan, Cadash, Dungeons And Dragons, Magic Sword, and more! 🤩

  • @dickstryker
    @dickstryker 11 місяців тому +1

    I was this many days old when I found out The Sword & The Sorcerer got a sequel.
    Thank you, dude! I know what I'm watching tonight.

  • @RenzorTheRed
    @RenzorTheRed 11 місяців тому +1

    Good video. I love how you made a clearly defined list of tropes.

  • @nairbvel
    @nairbvel 10 місяців тому

    I remember running (literally, we were late) to see "Conan the Barbarian" with my sister hanging onto me for dear life, practically flapping in the breeze behind me because my legs were a lot longer than hers. She remains thoroughly unimpressed with the film while I had a grand old time (Sandahl Bergman didn't hurt). However, to this very day, my family refers to someone being fall-down tired, or at least saying they're tired enough to just pass out and sleep, as "pulling a Conan" in memory of the soup scene. :-) I also remember thinking that the armor in "Excalibur" clanked an awful lot...

  • @snooge13
    @snooge13 11 місяців тому

    Love this - thank you!

  • @keithmacintyre1889
    @keithmacintyre1889 3 місяці тому +1

    My Top 25 Favorite Sword and Sorcery Films (followed by 15 Honorable Mentions) are:
    #01. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974)
    #02. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
    #03. Conan the Barbarian (1982)
    #04. Excalibur (1981)
    #05. Willow (1988)
    #06. Dragonslayer (1982)
    #07. Legend (1985 - Extended Director's Cut)
    #08. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
    #09. Clash of the Titans (1981)
    #10. Red Sonja (1985)
    #11. Highlander (1986)
    #12. The Dark Crystal (1982)
    #13. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
    #14. Heavy Metal (1981 - Animated Film)
    #15. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
    #16. She (1965)
    #17. Arabian Adventure (1979)
    #18. Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)
    #19. Labyrinth (1986)
    #20. Krull (1983)
    #21. Wizards (1977 - Animated Film)
    #22. Highlander 2 (1991 - Extended Director's Cut)
    #23. The Vengeance of She (1968)
    #24. Hercules in the Haunted World (1964)
    #25. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
    Bonus: 15 Honorable Mentions are:
    #26. The Hobbit (1977 - TV Movie)
    #27. The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
    #28. The Beastmaster (1982)
    #29. Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1985)
    #30. Hercules (1983)
    #31. Fire and Ice (1983 - Animated Film)
    #32. The Lord of the Rings (1978 - Animated Film)
    #33. Jabberwocky (1977)
    #34. Gawain and the Green Knight (1973 Version)
    #35. Jack, The Giant Killer (1962)
    #36. The Magic Sword (1962)
    #37. Hearts and Armour (1983)
    #38. Return of the King (1980 - Animated TV Movie)
    #39. Ladyhawke (1985)
    #40. Hercules Against the Moon Men (1965)
    Granted, most of the best came from the 1980's, but many of the worst came from the 1980's, too. These others I mentioned are worthy as well. I know this video focused on the 1980's, but check out these others if anyone reading this is not aware of them!
    PS: Regarding this debate over what IS a Sword and Sorcery film,
    and what is NOT a Sword and Sorcery film... My opinion?...
    Well, if the film has swords... and it also has sorcery ...
    Then it is a Sword and Sorcery film...Pretty simple, really!

  • @toddmccabe4122
    @toddmccabe4122 10 місяців тому

    Saw them all in the theater at that time. The standout was Excalibur. For the depictions of Wizards, Merlin was on the throne, but the old wizard in Dragon Slayer sat just beneath him.

  • @Ashgrom
    @Ashgrom 11 місяців тому

    Conan the Barbarian
    Krull
    Excalibur
    Some of my all time favorite movies. I could and will watch them forever.

  • @skeletonshorror5184
    @skeletonshorror5184 11 місяців тому +3

    The 80’s were the greatest time to be alive in human history. 💀🔥🏰🧙🏻‍♂️⚔️

    • @aldunlop4622
      @aldunlop4622 11 місяців тому +3

      Absolutely, better than this modern crap.

  • @user-jd2pl8tu4v
    @user-jd2pl8tu4v 11 місяців тому

    I had posters of many of these plus others. I'm preparing to retire to Fla. and will be putting them back up in my new home. Thanks, for the trip back.

  • @Crafty_Spirit
    @Crafty_Spirit 11 місяців тому +3

    Sometime in the late 2000s, I saw Dragonslayer on tv aged around 10 or so. I remember the movie deeply impressed me but it was also very depressing and frigthening. All the backstabbing and human moral failure was not child-friendly :-) What´s funny is that I did not realise that this was an old movie, I actually thought for a time that the main actor was Dom Monagham who played Merry in Lord of the Rings xD

  • @allenlovell1604
    @allenlovell1604 11 місяців тому +1

    Now, I'm going to have to search for " The Sword & The Sorcerer and Tales From An Ancient Empire". Hopefully, it's on DVD on Amazon or some other film sites. If my memory is correct, the actor that played "Talon," the hero, was the same guy who played Remington Steele on 📺

    • @richardtracy8242
      @richardtracy8242 11 місяців тому

      Tales From An Ancient Empire is Nowhere Near as Good as the Sword & The Sorcerer.
      I Would Definitely Skip That One.
      And Remington Steel was Pierce Brosnan, Not Lee Horsley, You're probably thinking of Matt Houston.

  • @BeeKool__113
    @BeeKool__113 10 місяців тому

    Conan the Barbarian is in my top 5 favorite movies. 🖤💀🗡

  • @hannalergenmuller
    @hannalergenmuller 11 місяців тому

    Excalibur, Legend, Ladyhawke, Conan…. Wow that’s my childhood ❤

  • @BigDaddyJinx
    @BigDaddyJinx 11 місяців тому +2

    This genre has to make a strong comeback. Of course, it HAS to be done RIGHT this time (I'm looking at you King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword). Fantasy movies like these are so underrated. They have a following and would make decent box office but again, it has to be done right. Fantasy and "sword and sandal" movies are usually a good romp.

    • @sirellyn
      @sirellyn 11 місяців тому

      Theres no chance of it being done right with the current wokeness infection. If that abates, then we have a chance to return to some of this.

    • @rikk319
      @rikk319 11 місяців тому

      @@sirellyn God, I hear more endless whining about "wokeness" than actually seeing any wokeness itself. It's like the nation has been taken over by limp-wristed, crybaby pussies.

  • @madarab37
    @madarab37 11 місяців тому

    1:22 love the kid on the left chewing his thumb at the DnD table. That must have been an exciting campaign.

  • @stewartmerrell8321
    @stewartmerrell8321 11 місяців тому

    Excalibur is one of my favorite movies

  • @theScytheofGod
    @theScytheofGod 11 місяців тому +2

    Dragonslayer; best dragon movie of all time.

  • @seanfaherty
    @seanfaherty 11 місяців тому

    Hawk the Slayer is one of my favourite movies, so is Excalibur

  • @Arlehs
    @Arlehs 11 місяців тому

    Thanks for this video, mate. I've found it by pure luck, and now I have a list of movies I've never watched!❤

  • @michaelsmyth3935
    @michaelsmyth3935 11 місяців тому

    What a memory blast. Caught all of those at the drive in.
    Sword opened for Conan, great double feature.

  • @marklechman2225
    @marklechman2225 11 місяців тому

    Excellent video! 👍

  • @gilesa.4052
    @gilesa.4052 11 місяців тому +1

    Dragonslayer is probably my favorite, love how dark it is, scared me so much as a kid.

  • @gregwilson7818
    @gregwilson7818 11 місяців тому +2

    Remember the movie "Sword and the Sorcerer"? With Richard Lynch, Richard Moll (Bull Shannon), and Lee Horsley? It's one of my favorites and I tried to find it to buy it -- $39.99 for the DVD on Amazon???? Why?

  • @SmashYamato
    @SmashYamato 11 місяців тому

    I'd never heard of Black Angel before. Worth the subscribe.

  • @lovemussb1940
    @lovemussb1940 11 місяців тому +3

    The sword and the sorcerer was good 👍🏼

  • @hydrolito
    @hydrolito 11 місяців тому +1

    Coman The Barbarian was released in pulp magazines in 1932 and comic books in 1970.

  • @erichartman5348
    @erichartman5348 11 місяців тому +4

    Excalibur. Look close and you see Patrick Stewart.

  • @VHDT10
    @VHDT10 4 місяці тому

    Conan has the best soundtrack of any movie, paired perfectly with scenery

  • @donstarlancer
    @donstarlancer 10 місяців тому

    Subscribed! Good stuff!

  • @zhaoliang4217
    @zhaoliang4217 7 місяців тому

    Regarding Conan the barbarian- in a director commentary it was reveals that after the movie Pumping Iron, producers were looking for a vehicle for Arnold, and were shown the Conan comic (with covers influenced/drawn by arts Frank Frazetta and Boris Valerjo (sic)) but not the original novels

  • @gregteigland4788
    @gregteigland4788 11 місяців тому +1

    Yet another reason why the 80s was so great.

  • @antonydrossos5719
    @antonydrossos5719 11 місяців тому

    5:54 THIS!!!! I had a friend who was one of the first people I knew that owned an amazing device called a VCR...This movie was one of the first rentals I'd ever watched, & my introduction to the genre outside of studying Medieval England in Grade 4. Campy af but also awesome.

    • @sandal_thong8631
      @sandal_thong8631 11 місяців тому

      I think VHS purchases helped a lot of movies make money that didn't at the box office.

  • @_JellyWalker
    @_JellyWalker 11 місяців тому +1

    I had no idea there was a short fantasy film made to play before The Empire Strikes Back. How rad is that?!

  • @jeromebobin3688
    @jeromebobin3688 11 місяців тому +2

    I expect Ladyhawk, with the goddess Michelle 😍.
    Nice movie !

    • @richardtracy8242
      @richardtracy8242 11 місяців тому

      An often overlooked but underrated film.

  • @swissfrank65
    @swissfrank65 11 місяців тому

    „Anal nafrat, ufas betut“ and so on, I can still remember this first lines of the spell, it haunted me for months after seeing Excalibur. I loved it!!

  • @spaceman9599
    @spaceman9599 11 місяців тому

    Love that there are still a couple here for me to get through!

    • @spaceman9599
      @spaceman9599 11 місяців тому +1

      Quick note. Arthur wasn't English, he was King of the Britons, e.g. British. Very important since a lot of the foundation of the Arthur legend was Celtic, not Anglo-Saxon

  • @viriathas9910
    @viriathas9910 11 місяців тому

    Great video, I grew up on these movies. One minor Nitpick though. For the Conan breakdown "Evil Wizard" is in red, but I would strongly argue that Thulsa Doom was very much an evil wizard in that one.

  • @lohengrin4009
    @lohengrin4009 11 місяців тому +1

    I always remember Jack Palance in one of these 80’s sword films but couldn’t remember the name, I never would have remembered Hawk the Slayer 😂

  • @craigjomaia
    @craigjomaia 11 місяців тому

    When talking about what influenced the swords and sorcery boom of the 80s you really need to mention the popularity of the collection of mostly foreign made Sinbad, Hercules and Steve Reeve led 'sword and sandal' movies of the 50 and 60s. Recurring genres, be they sword swingers, spacefarers, zombies, disasters, or pirates has always been a thing in Hollywood. One gets made, it's something 'new' at that time, makes bank and right away ten similar properties are commissioned.

  • @CB-ke7eq
    @CB-ke7eq 11 місяців тому

    Great stuff man. 👏