Last movie watched...

[Funt Solo]

I can't figure out if I actually saw it back then - I remember Krull, Hawk the Slayer and even some of Blue Thunder and Manimal - it feels like Beastmaster would have been right up my alley (fnarr), but no memory.

Is that the same actor as the guy in Stargate SG-1?

[pictsy]

Dragonslayer

Better paced and more interesting than Beastmaster, for sure.  Questionable gender politics in this one.  I'd go so far to call it ignorantly chauvinistic.  None of the characters are especially likeable or charming with the exception of Tyrian played by John Hallam.  The story follows a classic formula that works for good reasons.  The dragon effects are mostly good with some really excellent stop motion animations sprinkled in.

There is something odd about the film.  The setting is part our world and part fictional, but it has all the trappings of being an independent fantasy setting.  It not being particularly explicit about the setting made the Christianity stuff come out of nowhere for me and I had difficulty reconciling it all.

The main character Galen's arc lacked any real agency as did his love interest Valerian.  Anything interesting that could have been done with the characters is squandered.  The film has ideas but fails to do much with them.  I stinks of wasted potential.  I'd say in that regard it was a disappointment once I got to the end. 

Overall, it's okay.  Nothing amazing, missed opportunities but not terrible.

[TordelBack]

 Dragonslayer is another one where the poster was the best bit. Who wouldn't want to see this when they were 10?



This one was quite nice too, but I don't remember it at the time.

[Colin YNWA]

I was shocked recenty when I released the hero Dragonslayer was actually that bloke who liked a 'clean boil' in Ally McBeal. I couldn't settle that in my head!

[TordelBack]

I was shocked recenty when I released the hero Dragonslayer was actually that bloke who liked a 'clean boil' in Ally McBeal. I couldn't settle that in my head!

I prefer to think of him as the Camp Counsellor from Addams Family Values, or even Vigo's enabler in Ghostbusters II. Makes a great creep, dragonslaying hero less so.

[Pyroxian]

Is that the same actor as the guy in Stargate SG-1?

No, but he played Marc Donovan in 'V'

[Funt Solo]

Is that the same actor as the guy in Stargate SG-1?

No, but he played Marc Donovan in 'V'

That's where I've seen him from - thanks. 'V' was such a big event series.

[pictsy]

The Sword and the Sorcerer

Fuck this film.  I bailed on it half way through as obvious love interest goes from meeting one rapist to another including the fucking "hero" of the film.  So I skipped ahead to check that she does, in fact, fall in love with the would be rapist (she does) only to see the insinuation of her getting raped by a snake.  Seriously, fuck this film.

[Barrington Boots]

Hmm, sounds like it is the rapey film I remembered it was originally. I'll avoid it too.

[pictsy]

Hmm, sounds like it is the rapey film I remembered it was originally. I'll avoid it too.

It ruined my evening.  I'm just glad I bailed on it when I did and that I didn't see any actual rape... except maybe that snake thing, because that was very heavily implying penetration as she screams and the snakes  writhes over her crotch.  It's probably not explicit because a real snake was used.  Then again, it might just look like rape because how rapey it got before I turned it off.

At least I have enough warning about Deathstalkers not to go near that garbage.

[von Boom]

If you're looking for another 80s fantasy then avoid Sorceress (1982). Basically soft-porn staring twin centrefold playmates. It interested me at the time (you guess why) but I tried watching it about a year ago and couldn't get past the first 10 minutes.

[pictsy]

If you're looking for another 80s fantasy then avoid Sorceress (1982). Basically soft-porn staring twin centrefold playmates. It interested me at the time (you guess why) but I tried watching it about a year ago and couldn't get past the first 10 minutes.

Thanks for the heads up.  I saw this on IMDB and it looked like crap, so I'll take that as affirmation of my initial impression. 

[TordelBack]

The Sword and the Sorcerer

Just awful, even if a few individual bits are awful enough to be mildly amusing. I'm trying to think of a single '80s fantasy film that was actually any good, and after Conan and Dark Crystal I'm stuck. Labyrinth? (I love the aesthetic, but you have to be prepared to ignore some fairly dodgy stuff in that one too).

No wonder I inhaled Robin of Sherwood when it finally appeared.

[pictsy]

Just awful, even if a few individual bits are awful enough to be mildly amusing. I'm trying to think of a single '80s fantasy film that was actually any good, and after Conan and Dark Crystal I'm stuck. Labyrinth? (I love the aesthetic, but you have to be prepared to ignore some fairly dodgy stuff in that one too).

No wonder I inhaled Robin of Sherwood when it finally appeared.

I'd say that Excalibur is a good movie.  It's rape scenes have more point to them and, for me, don't come across as exploitative. 

There's also Willow, Princess Bride and maybe The Neverending Story.  I don't know about Legend.  I haven't been able to reassess that one because I stopped watching films with Tom Cruise in.

Krull isn't good, but it is a lot of fun.

Nevertheless, I think the Fantasy genre is grossly under-represented in film.  It might be because it's more costly than it's genre cousins Sci-Fi and especially Horror.

[Jim_Campbell]

I don't know about Legend.  I haven't been able to reassess that one because I stopped watching films with Tom Cruise in.

Looks amazing, Tim Curry is fantastic, but the film is boring as fuck. It's not that long (from memory) so it's probably worth half-watching once, to let the visuals wash over you and pausing briefly to pay attention when Curry is on-screen.