Yall went to the depths of my childhood..brought back many forgotten memories..I thank you for your amazing work! God bless your future endeavors ! And GOD BLESS YOU
That is the reason I subbed to them, despite lacking decent narration for quite awhile. It has gotten much better though. Every video here is yet another nostalgia trip. many of the vids are of things I've seen and loved as a child but many times I get some surprises and find new "classics" I was unaware of or had forgotten about.
IKR, I loved most of the 80's ones, especially Willow, Legend and Krull, which I had on video, the latter two being recorded on to the same tape. I even had Deathstalker on video as a 7 or 8 yo! Still got it somewhere, could probably still quote most of it!! :D It's funny Deathstalker was an 18 but Legend was PG, I could imagine some kids having a harder time with the latter; less violent and utterly without boob, but far darker I thought! So glad these were my childhood films. I know if, like me, you grew up in the 80's, you'd be biased by nostalgia, but I still think it was a golden era of film, family, fantasy, scifi and horror!
Yeah, the 80s were great. The world was divided in good and evil and a young farmboy or computer gamer or the average high school kid could be a hero by taking the chance and trying. The Goonies Iron Eagle Last Starfighter and so many more You just had to have the power to want to change the world around you. That was all you needed to be an 80's hero.
Wow! A list which includes: Conan, Red Sonya, Krull, Willow, Highlander, Legend, Lord of the Rings, Class of the Titans, Beast master, Excalibur, 300, Masters of the Universe is our Dream List Of All Time Favourites! Thank you guys! We love you here in Greece!
I absolutely LOVED Lady Hawk from the first minute on, watching it 20 years ago... and still do to this day. Beautifully shot, great acting, brilliant story. A timeless gem!
I would love to see it remade, to fix its two big issues. The fights were poorly shot, as it is super obvious the swords aren't connecting at all, plus the weapons are always shiny and clean, even after supposedly cutting someone. Just takes you out of the movie during what should be some of the more intense scenes. Then there's the choice of the synth soundtrack. "Lady Hawke bad" is a term I use to describe bad, poorly fitting soundtracks. But despite that, it has a charm of its own, with a relatively unique story and good performances of its leads.
Awful no, just didn't match with the era in movie(medieval).On the other hand Kreull is a sci-fi medievall movie,with a much more proprier soundtrack.You know the movie?
I first saw Lady Hawke in school as part of my Language class. I have loved it ever since. I can still remember my gasp at the alluring beauty of Michelle Pfeiffer's first reveal.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Hawk the Slayer, there waa even Dungeon & Dragons movie or 2 that showed up on Sci-fi channel, definitely Jason and the Argonauts was probably one of my most favored stories in the genre. The Odyssey with Billy Zane wasn't too bad either.
After diligently reading these comments I’ve decided to watch hawk the slayer as I acclimate to my day. Never seen it but I’m already heavily invested.
This list needs more Harryhausen (Specifically Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and the Golden Voyage of Sinbad) I've seen most of the movies on this list and was very impressed with the majority of your choices. Great Video Guys!
Omg! I remember Jason and the Argonauts, and Sinbad, and the Golden Fleece! Those were classics! I'll go you one better,. Do you remember the the Mighty Sons of Hercules? It seems like they were all on on Friday night ABC.
The list needs to look beyond Hollywood more....ive seen some stunning Chinese and Korean films that are 100% sword&sorcery but get no mention here, hell every Wuxia film ever made is basically sword&sorcery
DEFINITELY one of your BEST videos ever!!! 😃 But you forgot The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason And The Argonauts, Eragon, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Legend Of The Eight Samurai, Circle Of Iron, Castle In The Sky (Laputa), and The Black Cauldron.
@Devil Man you're right of course, but who knows he could put in an appearance long enough to pass the torch to a new barbarian ( who that might be I have no idea ). But yeah maybe it's best to just have the original by itself, to remember.
@@eukat3ch According to Dino deLaurentis (the producer) He did not want to work with Aanold (cant blame him if the only thing he saw was herkules in new york, rofl) So he allegedly gave deLaurentis a choice, either me or Arnold, Dino chose Arnold, the rest is history. I thought it was James Cameron though, maybe i misremember.
I don't know whether to be sad or pleased I've seen all the movies on this list. Sad because it means it's hard to find new sword and sorcery movies that capture the charm of fantasy storytelling.
@@thecandlemaker1329 yes the internet has ruined the imagination of the people. People without any imagination or hope end up watching Karen videos on youtube instead of creating fantastic stories for us to enjoy.
I think that he did the right thing by capping the last in the 80's. If you include Sinbad, then you have to include Ferrigno and Steve Reeve's Hercules, then you it's the 50's and talking about Samson & Delilah.
@@darkangel15221 ...Biblical epics or historical sword and horse operas (which in fact go back to the Silent era are hardly "Sword & Sorcery"...plus here is merely a count down of the Top 30 Fantasy films... not really a history of the genre (..either starting from the 80's or capping it from the 50's)...is he not talking the 30 best of all time?...my beef is that both Jason & the Sinbad series are certainly among the very best...Steve Reeves Hercules, or even later Lou Ferrigno's Hercules for that matter are not...among the best....to say the least.
I'm surprised that the Princess Bride isn't on this list. Still, I've seen nearly all these movies, and don't have any complaints about the ones on there.
@@8justintracy8 Sword fighting between the Dread Pirate and Inigio, as well as between Inigio and the six fingered man. You have sorcery used when they bring Wesley back to life. Sword and Sorcery is all through the movie!
Princess Bride is also a bit too light-hearted to be considered Sword & Sorcery. Sword & Sorcery usually has dark (and sometimes depressing) overtones.
My whole problem I had with Excalibur was that they left out the one knight who did the most important part. It was Sir Cumference who came up with the idea of the table design and usage.
Legend had a lot of issues while filming, including a fire that wiped out the first indoor set. I would suggest for anyone to watch the extras for that flick, just to hear what the cast and crew had to overcome. Real MVP? The birds that returned after the fire. And, of course, Tim Curry as Darkness.
First indoor set? It burned down the 007 studio at Pinewood, at the time the largest indoor soundstage in the world, built specifically for the Liparus oil tanker set in The Spy Who Loved Me.
Ya they used to beat Tim curry within an inch of his life in-between takes so he could act better. Apparently he kept forgetting his lines unless extreme pain was inflicted primarily with strikes to his head to make him act right.
Great video. So many gems and nostalgic moments! I would also have added Hawk the Slayer and Your Highness (a very underrated S&C movie. Probably cuz it's also a comedy).
I STILL love the way Skeletor looked in the live action Masters of the Universe! That portrayal was my favorite (really the ONLY GOOD) thing about that movie! I remember, even as a kid, hating that movie but loving Skeletor.
What stands out about Conan and Excalibur is they were the first to capture the myth the magic and the legend. Without them there wouldn't be any others
It was certainly better than Krull, and several others that made the list. But the omission of "Jason and the Argonauts" invalidates the list for me anyway.
@@williamg3165 That's true :) I first saw it when I was around 20 and I still remember my friends children with their eyes on top of their heads from the eaten princess and not speaking about anything else for a long time after that. lol :)
Thanks for your Work. I love fantasy and sword films! Hear my list from bad to good 30-1 30) Conquest 29) Ator 28) Dragon Slayer 27) Excalibur 26) Fire and ICE 25) Barbarian Queen 24) The Beastmaster 23) Kull the Conqueror 22) Krull 21) Amazons 20) Death Stalker 19) The Barbarians 18) The Sword and the Sorcerer 17) Jack the Giants Slayer 16) Clash of the Titans 15) Immortals 14) Legend 13) Red Sonja 12) Soloman Kane 11) The Scorpion King 10) Lady Hawke 09) Warcraft 08) Willow 07) Masters of the Universe 06) Dragon Heart 05) 300 04) Conan the Barbarian 03) The Hobbit 02) The Lord of the Ring 01) Highlander there can only be one !!!
Excalibur, Merlin, Conan, Red Sonya, heavy metal, Beast master, Hercules,Krull, highlander, Jason and the Argonauts. Classics I grew up on, hell even the Tv Series for highlander, Hercules, xena, merlin, and Arthur were great. I still have my krull five sided throwing star/knife XD I forgot all about Barbarians, but this brought it back, I can't tell you how many times it popped up on the weekend late nights on "USA up all night".
All these years I thought I might be one of the only people to think that. Until the Lord of the Rings, I could have said that there were no really good Fantasy movies besides the old Harryhausen flicks. (I think Conan is pretty awful. Willow (excluding a few decent fight scenes) lame, Legend- classic or contemptible depending on.the moment, Kull, Beastmaster, etc.. Watchable cheesefests at best. Unwatchable kitsch mostly. But I saw Excalibur when it first came out and i loved it then and after dozens of viewings it's still beautiful to see. Finally a wizard in a movie who was actually wise and quotable.
@@matimus100 Personally, I've been ordained a priest of the cat goddess Bast. Zeus is an a**hole most of the time. Simply an a** much of the rest of the time.
I really love this video, I love how you are talking about each of these movies saying a qualifier in it about watching for just good clean fun. Or to enjoy the way it is made and what it is what it is. Thanks for this great video. Now I know a few things I've got to get into my collection.
Sword and Sorcery is probably favorite genre of film besides horror. The Beastmaster was a favorite of mine growing up. It is the only movie I own in 4K (from Vinegar Syndrome)
Great list of good movies!! Honorable Mentions should be the old Sinbad flicks and a classic called, "Hawk the Slayer". It was cheesy as hell, but the sword rocked and you can't go wrong with Jack Palance as your villain. Nice job folks. Keep up the outstanding work!!
Nice list, but you guys left off a bunch of really good ones that should've definitely been included, such as... - Jason and the Argonauts (1963) - Conan the Destroyer (1984) - Hercules (1983) - Sorceress (1982) - Hawk the Slayer (1980) - The Princess Bride (1987) - Labyrinth (1986) - Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985) - Any of the 'Sinbad' movies of the 50's, 70's and 80's. - Jack the Giant Killer (1962) - The Warrior & The Sorceress (1984) Just to name a select few...otherwise, great list.
@@tootzy-the-roll Oh but it is. The goblins towards the end of the movie have swords in the big climatic battle, along with axes, maces, and spears...and Jareth uses sorcery in the movie, so hence...it IS in fact a "sword and sorcery" movie.
The Hobbit Trilogy... skip all three movies and watch one of the awesome fan edit versions that combine all 3 movies into one. The Maple Cut is my personal favorite. It makes the 3 movies into 1 awesome one that totally works as a respectful prequel to the LOTR movies
Funny you mentioning revealing outfits, I've always thought that one of the things that sets sword and sorcery apart from other sub-genres of fantasy is the prevalence of revealing outfits, and not just on ladies, but on everyone. Everyone is showing just a little bit too much skin.
Kull the Conqueror: Kull is the original name of Conan by Robert E Howard. The title of the story by Howard was called 'By this axe I rule'. Which the hero says at the end of the film.
Great to find out that there is someone who actually knows that. He rewrote the one story for Conan, when Kull failed in the one magazine where Howard wanted to get published. But you probably know that. First there was Acheron (when demons ruled the world), then Valusia (the age of Kull) and then Aquilonia (the age of Conan)
Are you sure Ku ll and Conan are the same person. I've read all of Howard's Conan stories ( not hard ti do- there weren't many). I believe the characters were distinct. Note: Howard was writing friends with H.P. Lovecraft- and with Robert Bloch ( Psycho) + many others back in the modern early days of sci-fi fantasy horror fiction.
@@Heroes_of_Qalanor_RPG yes. While Kull and Conan are separate characters Howard created, with distinctly different sensibilities- when Kull didn't take off Howard rewrote his last Kull story and changed the main character into Conan, and invented Hyperborea to place him in. Kull was from Atlantis, before it sank. I read all the Conan stories when I was a kid, tried Kull but couldn't get into it. Did a little reading yesterday to clear things up.
I loved Beastmaster when I was a kid. We had some Disney movies in the 80's growing up, but we also had these awesome, live action fantasy movies too. The 80's rocked!
Great list - brings back a lot of memories of great sword and sorcery movies I watched in my youth. There are a few I haven't see yet which I will track down. If your list included eastern sword and sorcery movies, I would highly recommend Tsui Hark's Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain which has been dubbed in English.
How can people complain about the historical inaccuracy of the movie "300" when the entire movie is based on a comic book version of this fight? 300 is fantastic, and so is this list. Thank you.
300 is supposed to be over the top and unbelievable, because the entire story is being told by the Spartan Orator, who is embellishing the story for the entertainment of the Spartan citizens listening to the tale.
One of my very favorite genres. Only missed a couple. My sons say I'm a "blood-thirsty Mom" and I say I love to watch a well choreographed fight. Thank you!
The 'trowing star' from Krull is named; Glaive. Great genre and seen almost every one of these, and i am that old to say i saw Conan (the original not the lame remake) in the theater as a kid, most of the movies on the list on rented VHS and later a hacked payperview box :)
"Wolfhound" should be on the list. I know that some people mockingly call it a Russian Conan. And, yes it has some very similar elements in the story, but this movie plays them well. For me, it was a much better movie than the actual Conan re-make.
I Remember these film on television as a child. I miss those days. Conan Willow Legend Beast master. Class of the titans. Ladyhawk Red Sonja. Lord of the rings. Krull Master of the universe. These are classic films. I love this genre.
As usual, your channel has provided top-notch summaries and analysis of our favorite movies from the 80s through 2000s. You guys did forget one pretty good sword and sorcery movie…Snow White and the Huntsman. It was nominated for multiple awards and won a couple of them, it had a star studded cast, and the action/plot was pretty good. It was so good, a sequel was made.
Thank you for thisgreat review. i am watching it for the first time, but i wish to comment about the magnificent soundtracks of both Conan and Excalibur; they contribute to the experience of watching these great films
Some brilliant choices, thanks. Der riddle of steel and what is best in life are peak moments in Conan. And Excalibur Merlin is the quintessential Merlin. And then Queen's searing 'Who Wants to Live Forever?' in context. Great films all. Still haven't seen Kull yet - or many of those 80s golden age films - looking forward to it!
Honurable mentions: Stardust (2007) - which feels like a spiritual successor of Legend, the reboot of Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans (2010/2012), and Beowulf (2007) - the latter strangely CGI. Then there's the retelling of Beowulf in Outlander (2008), and crossover fantasy/sci-fi. Although a series, in the same spirit of sword and sorcery: 'Legend of the Seeker'. Hard to find, well worth watching, very entertaining
I'd like to take a moment to thank you guys for not putting Star Wars on this list. Cinefix put Stars Wars as number 1 on their list of top 10 Western's of all time and I've been furious for years.
I love most of those films and I think I have all but ten of them in my collection. Instantly return to almost forgotten memories. Lord of the rings tops them all. But a couple of other films could also be mentioned. Eragon, Dungeon & Dragons (1 and 3), The mists of Avalon are not that bad either in this settings.
I agree with 90% of this list, but you forgot one movie that I love: Hawk the Slayer! Cheesy, cheap. And fun beyond belief! A D and D campaign come to life!
I love the older flicks from growing up. The Immortals is a great movie. Graphic, visual, and violent it shows the best of good and bad and how the good need to be a bit bad at times.
Willow is one of my favorite movies, My oldest daughter is still not happy her name is Elora. I didn't use the middle name though, dannon was too much even for me lol
@@Demiurge13 I love it, she doesn't really have a reason other than "people never say it properly". Our last name is far more difficult than her first. She's 18 now any way so less people will care what her name is lol.
Very good list. Also recommend Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Last Unicorn, Labyrinth, Flight of Dragons, Neverending Story, Jason and the Argonauts, and the animated Hobbit Movie
@@ronlaverdiere I disagree... a goblin king? come on thats as sword and sorcery as you can get. Also Atrau hunted a blue buffalo and rode on the back of a luck dragon? Also killed a damn werewolf with a rock he turned into a knife? man you seem to be way off in my mind with this comment.
Wow what a great list very well done. As an old fan of this genre I must of seen each one at least five times. I guess I need to bust out the old vcr and tapes =D
A highly under rated movie indeed! However, it is still one of the best from that time period. Particularly if you were looking for a DnD "compatible" flick. [smile]
Perfect! You start with the best films and work your way down. I would rank them almost like that...Conan, Excalibur, Lord of the Rings, Jason and the Argonauts (not mentioned), 300, Hobbit, Class of Titans, Beast Master, Red Sonja, Krull, Lady Hawk, and Willow
Krull...not my favorite movie but notable in my eyes for one bit of trivia... In the band of outcasts helping the prince, in a very minor role, you see Liam Neeson for the first time I can recall.
while I totally agree that some of the notable Excalibur actors are Nigel Terry & Helen Mirren, I'm surprised you also didn't mention Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne & a VERY young Liam Neeson! Great list, made notes so I can catch up on ones I missed. Keep up the good work! 👏
While I agree that’s how I personally categorize them, I’m not sure I’d argue it with someone. The reason stems from a post I made a while back on a cyberpunk video and I named Robocop as cyberpunk and to this day it still gets people arguing with me about it lol
@@ogrehaslayers605 I've never heard someone call robocop cyberpunk but it doesn't sound wrong doesn't really fit 100% but to be fair I've never looked at it that way either
Yall went to the depths of my childhood..brought back many forgotten memories..I thank you for your amazing work! God bless your future endeavors ! And GOD BLESS YOU
That is the reason I subbed to them, despite lacking decent narration for quite awhile. It has gotten much better though. Every video here is yet another nostalgia trip. many of the vids are of things I've seen and loved as a child but many times I get some surprises and find new "classics" I was unaware of or had forgotten about.
Go in to eBay to purchase these movies. I certainly have !
IKR, I loved most of the 80's ones, especially Willow, Legend and Krull, which I had on video, the latter two being recorded on to the same tape. I even had Deathstalker on video as a 7 or 8 yo! Still got it somewhere, could probably still quote most of it!! :D It's funny Deathstalker was an 18 but Legend was PG, I could imagine some kids having a harder time with the latter; less violent and utterly without boob, but far darker I thought!
So glad these were my childhood films. I know if, like me, you grew up in the 80's, you'd be biased by nostalgia, but I still think it was a golden era of film, family, fantasy, scifi and horror!
@@mrfooledyaa5430 same here. I learned about do many interesting movies from this list
@@homeaccount5943
Ahh, the Golden Age of fantasy!
This makes me proud to have grown up in the 80's.
It is sad, that now is no age of fantasy. Like if all adventureous spritis in people have died.
Amen, to that !
Ditto!
Yeah, the 80s were great. The world was divided in good and evil and a young farmboy or computer gamer or the average high school kid could be a hero by taking the chance and trying.
The Goonies
Iron Eagle
Last Starfighter
and so many more
You just had to have the power to want to change the world around you. That was all you needed to be an 80's hero.
Me the 90's
Wow! A list which includes: Conan, Red Sonya, Krull, Willow, Highlander, Legend, Lord of the Rings, Class of the Titans, Beast master, Excalibur, 300, Masters of the Universe is our Dream List Of All Time Favourites! Thank you guys! We love you here in Greece!
How do you say Andromeda?! Is it a Greek word, because I think he butchered the hell out of it, with his pronunciation. LOL greetings from USA
Lord of the rings is high fantasy, not sword and sorcery
Fire & Ice was also based on the artwork of Frank Frazetta... one of the BEST sword and sorcery artists of all time
Instantly recognizable. The father is talking to his naked daughter. Darn, Frank!
@@jmchez also that shot of the masked axe-wielding warrior on horseback on the cliff. That's directly from a classic Frazetta painting
I absolutely LOVED Lady Hawk from the first minute on, watching it 20 years ago... and still do to this day.
Beautifully shot, great acting, brilliant story. A timeless gem!
Yeah, some of these were great movies, but Lady Hawke was a beautiful film with a great love story.
I would love to see it remade, to fix its two big issues. The fights were poorly shot, as it is super obvious the swords aren't connecting at all, plus the weapons are always shiny and clean, even after supposedly cutting someone. Just takes you out of the movie during what should be some of the more intense scenes. Then there's the choice of the synth soundtrack. "Lady Hawke bad" is a term I use to describe bad, poorly fitting soundtracks.
But despite that, it has a charm of its own, with a relatively unique story and good performances of its leads.
And soundtrack Alan Parsons Project!Eye in the sky...
I would watch anything with Michelle Pfeifer
Awful no, just didn't match with the era in movie(medieval).On the other hand Kreull is a sci-fi medievall movie,with a much more proprier soundtrack.You know the movie?
In Dragon Slayer we cheered when the Dragon died at the end,
In Dragonheart we cried when the Dragon died at the end.
As an older child I cried as well my friend..its ok, hug time lol. What a GREAT movie!!!
LONG LIVE DRAAKO
🐲🐉👍
I loved the first one😘😘
I first saw Lady Hawke in school as part of my Language class. I have loved it ever since. I can still remember my gasp at the alluring beauty of Michelle Pfeiffer's first reveal.
I really like how you guys try to play up the positive aspects of each movie.
Along with the Clash of the Titans, you might’ve find a place for the 1963 Jason and the Argonauts
I for one think that beside those the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans is also very good (unlike the latters sequel).
Lol i feel like i start to repeat myself, but the zanimations guy also has jason and the aronauts from 63 haha
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Hawk the Slayer, there waa even Dungeon & Dragons movie or 2 that showed up on Sci-fi channel, definitely Jason and the Argonauts was probably one of my most favored stories in the genre. The Odyssey with Billy Zane wasn't too bad either.
@@christophersims7060 What about
Sinbad The Eye of the Tiger
The seventh voyage of Sinbad
After diligently reading these comments I’ve decided to watch hawk the slayer as I acclimate to my day. Never seen it but I’m already heavily invested.
This list needs more Harryhausen (Specifically Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and the Golden Voyage of Sinbad) I've seen most of the movies on this list and was very impressed with the majority of your choices. Great Video Guys!
Omg! I remember Jason and the Argonauts, and Sinbad, and the Golden Fleece! Those were classics! I'll go you one better,. Do you remember the the Mighty Sons of Hercules? It seems like they were all on on Friday night ABC.
agreed
Would also add Jack the Giantkiller to this list
The list needs to look beyond Hollywood more....ive seen some stunning Chinese and Korean films that are 100% sword&sorcery but get no mention here, hell every Wuxia film ever made is basically sword&sorcery
Yeah, these movies filled my summers as a kid, all leading up to Harryhausen's Opus 'Clash of the Titans'.
Solomon Kane ..I just watched that one the other day…what a great movie, good story, the actor playing Kane was great..wish they made more of these.
DEFINITELY one of your BEST videos ever!!! 😃
But you forgot The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason And The Argonauts, Eragon, Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Legend Of The Eight Samurai, Circle Of Iron, Castle In The Sky (Laputa), and The Black Cauldron.
The 13th Warrior should have been on this list, and probably Beowulf as well.
indeed
And 300 wasn't a sword or sorcery movie, it was a spear and shield movie.
I agree! Also the Princess Bride.!!
I really liked that one.
Beowulf was crap
Conan The Barbarian was directed by John Milius.
Speaking of which... Would be awesome to see a continuation directed by Scott, with Arnold back in action.
@Devil Man you're right of course, but who knows he could put in an appearance long enough to pass the torch to a new barbarian ( who that might be I have no idea ). But yeah maybe it's best to just have the original by itself, to remember.
Poor Milius doesn't get the recognition he deserves TO THIS DAY IT SEEMS
I was about to post it, Ridley denied directing the movie. thank you :)
@@eukat3ch According to Dino deLaurentis (the producer) He did not want to work with Aanold (cant blame him if the only thing he saw was herkules in new york, rofl) So he allegedly gave deLaurentis a choice, either me or Arnold, Dino chose Arnold, the rest is history. I thought it was James Cameron though, maybe i misremember.
20/30 are from the '80s. Evidence that the 1980's was such an awesome decade.
Man...i miss the 80s, so many great movies & not just in the fantasy genre.
I have loved this genre since I was a kid... that was centuries ago...
"...that was many Winters ago..."
Lol
@@killingfields07 It was many winters of an age of ages! remember the badassery!
Strange homosexual comment 🤔
I arrived in the summer of 72 which I think is probably the best time to be born as a fantasy fan
I hope...."The Sword And The Sorcerer" is on this lovely list....the Sword shoot blades for God sake ...every kids dream!!
Yes! Such an underrated movie😁👍👍
I have this movie 🍿🎥 Lee Horsley as Talon👍🏽
That was a badass weapon. 😁
@@gtrman69777 the Sly sword 🗡️
Man sword and the sorcerer and hawk the slayer where firm favourites of mine when I was a kid
I don't know whether to be sad or pleased I've seen all the movies on this list. Sad because it means it's hard to find new sword and sorcery movies that capture the charm of fantasy storytelling.
tottally right
also sad cause it makes me feel old..
The early 80s was the perfect time to be a teenager obsessed with sci-fi/fantasy movies.
Right now is the worst time, lmao
@@thecandlemaker1329 It went mainstream and got ruined.
@@thecandlemaker1329 yes the internet has ruined the imagination of the people. People without any imagination or hope end up watching Karen videos on youtube instead of creating fantastic stories for us to enjoy.
...you forgot entirely "Jason and the Argonauts"..and the Sinbad series(7th, Golden, Eye of the Tiger)..
EXACTLY
I think that he did the right thing by capping the last in the 80's. If you include Sinbad, then you have to include Ferrigno and Steve Reeve's Hercules, then you it's the 50's and talking about Samson & Delilah.
@@darkangel15221 ...Biblical epics or historical sword and horse operas (which in fact go back to the Silent era are hardly "Sword & Sorcery"...plus here is merely a count down of the Top 30 Fantasy films... not really a history of the genre (..either starting from the 80's or capping it from the 50's)...is he not talking the 30 best of all time?...my beef is that both Jason & the Sinbad series are certainly among the very best...Steve Reeves Hercules, or even later Lou Ferrigno's Hercules for that matter are not...among the best....to say the least.
I'm surprised that the Princess Bride isn't on this list. Still, I've seen nearly all these movies, and don't have any complaints about the ones on there.
How is PB “sword and sorcery”? Different genre
@@8justintracy8 How is 300 sword and sorcery?
@@8justintracy8 Sword fighting between the Dread Pirate and Inigio, as well as between Inigio and the six fingered man. You have sorcery used when they bring Wesley back to life. Sword and Sorcery is all through the movie!
@@8justintracy8 A good half of this list is dubious.
Princess Bride is also a bit too light-hearted to be considered Sword & Sorcery. Sword & Sorcery usually has dark (and sometimes depressing) overtones.
So many good ones. Lady Hawke has been underrated imo, it is one of the better story driven ones.
Lots of good choices here for the 80s, with most of the good ones represented - however, leaving off "Hawk The Slayer" was a big omission!
My whole problem I had with Excalibur was that they left out the one knight who did the most important part. It was Sir Cumference who came up with the idea of the table design and usage.
🤣Take my angry upvote.
w/o him the knights of the round would just be... squared
Legend had a lot of issues while filming, including a fire that wiped out the first indoor set. I would suggest for anyone to watch the extras for that flick, just to hear what the cast and crew had to overcome. Real MVP? The birds that returned after the fire. And, of course, Tim Curry as Darkness.
LEGEND !!!
First indoor set? It burned down the 007 studio at Pinewood, at the time the largest indoor soundstage in the world, built specifically for the Liparus oil tanker set in The Spy Who Loved Me.
@@aaronleverton4221 I meant their first indoor set. Not THE first indood set.
Ya they used to beat Tim curry within an inch of his life in-between takes so he could act better. Apparently he kept forgetting his lines unless extreme pain was inflicted primarily with strikes to his head to make him act right.
Legend, Highlander, HE-MAN and CONAN all the work is done life is complete 💪👍💪
This video made my day. Brought back many forgotten memories. Ahhh...gotta love the 80's.
I Can't believe that Hawk the Slayer wasn't on this list. That was a very entertaining movie with numerous magical beings and Elves and Dwarves.
my personal favourite
Great video. So many gems and nostalgic moments! I would also have added Hawk the Slayer and Your Highness (a very underrated S&C movie. Probably cuz it's also a comedy).
36:11. You really dug deep. I’ve been watching the genre for decades and never heard of conquest!
Conquest was an attempt by Spanish Actor Jorge Rivero to break into the International Market. He was also in the Action film Fistfighter.
That was an accurate and comprehensive list of sword and sorcery. Badass.
Excellent video.! 👍👍
3:15 Ridley Scott? You mean John Milius.
haha exactly!
I STILL love the way Skeletor looked in the live action Masters of the Universe! That portrayal was my favorite (really the ONLY GOOD) thing about that movie! I remember, even as a kid, hating that movie but loving Skeletor.
Frank Langella was so good, and he had a great time doing it.
@@kurtwhite1498 He also genuinely loved his role and defended it from criticism.
The cartoon Skeletor looked like a right pansy compared to Frank's portrayal.
Frank really chewed up the scenery when portraying Skeletor. Great acting 😁
also evil lynn was hot too
I wouldn't classify Lord of the Rings as Sword and Sorcery. Just straight fantasy. But your video was an enjoyable watch
What stands out about Conan and Excalibur is they were the first to capture the myth the magic and the legend. Without them there wouldn't be any others
A near perfect list,great job👏👏👏👍👍😊
I loved Ladyhawk so much when I was little, that I made all my friends watch it with me at my 9th birthday sleepover party. Lol.
I love this format, it’s great content!
You have to include Hawk the Slayer on this list for it to be legit. It's one of the all time best S&S movies.
They should replace Kull the Conqueror with it, because that movie shouldnt be on ANYONE's list
It was certainly better than Krull, and several others that made the list. But the omission of "Jason and the Argonauts" invalidates the list for me anyway.
@@MrVvulf Also a very glaring omission.
I can forgive omitting the 60s era Harryhausen films because it seems to be an 80 forward list… that said, missing Hawk the Slayer is a big gaffe.
Outrageous!
Dragonslayer. The movie where the princess gets eaten by the dragon. Simply memorable :)
Technically, she gets eaten by the dragons offspring! 😜
@@williamg3165 That's true :) I first saw it when I was around 20 and I still remember my friends children with their eyes on top of their heads from the eaten princess and not speaking about anything else for a long time after that. lol :)
Conan is “THE “ SWORD ⚔️ AND SORCERER MOVIE 🍿!!!
Thanks for your Work.
I love fantasy and sword films!
Hear my list from bad to good 30-1
30) Conquest
29) Ator
28) Dragon Slayer
27) Excalibur
26) Fire and ICE
25) Barbarian Queen
24) The Beastmaster
23) Kull the Conqueror
22) Krull
21) Amazons
20) Death Stalker
19) The Barbarians
18) The Sword and the Sorcerer
17) Jack the Giants Slayer
16) Clash of the Titans
15) Immortals
14) Legend
13) Red Sonja
12) Soloman Kane
11) The Scorpion King
10) Lady Hawke
09) Warcraft
08) Willow
07) Masters of the Universe
06) Dragon Heart
05) 300
04) Conan the Barbarian
03) The Hobbit
02) The Lord of the Ring
01) Highlander
there can only be one !!!
The fact that the scorpion king is nearly 20 years old really makes me feel old. 😂
Stop. Just stop. They're is no need for you to say such hurtful facts.
@@johnmatthews8577 it’s true though. But the movies now a days aren’t as good as back then. The movies nowadays are predictable
Excalibur, Merlin, Conan, Red Sonya, heavy metal, Beast master, Hercules,Krull, highlander, Jason and the Argonauts. Classics I grew up on, hell even the Tv Series for highlander, Hercules, xena, merlin, and Arthur were great. I still have my krull five sided throwing star/knife XD I forgot all about Barbarians, but this brought it back, I can't tell you how many times it popped up on the weekend late nights on "USA up all night".
Ah the merlin with sam neill? I liked that one alot too
Especially the smoker voice witch :D
God I love Excalibur still hands down the best Sword in the stone story ever!
Dude I agree 100%!
Best movie, love the sound track too.
It is the doom of men that they forget!
All these years I thought I might be one of the only people to think that.
Until the Lord of the Rings, I could have said that there were no really good Fantasy movies besides the old Harryhausen flicks. (I think Conan is pretty awful. Willow (excluding a few decent fight scenes) lame, Legend- classic or contemptible depending on.the moment, Kull, Beastmaster, etc.. Watchable cheesefests at best. Unwatchable kitsch mostly.
But I saw Excalibur when it first came out and i loved it then and after dozens of viewings it's still beautiful to see. Finally a wizard in a movie who was actually wise and quotable.
Is Zeus your God?
@@matimus100 Personally, I've been ordained a priest of the cat goddess Bast.
Zeus is an a**hole most of the time. Simply an a** much of the rest of the time.
I really love this video, I love how you are talking about each of these movies saying a qualifier in it about watching for just good clean fun. Or to enjoy the way it is made and what it is what it is.
Thanks for this great video. Now I know a few things I've got to get into my collection.
Simple fun is the only reason to watch these!! Only a fool would expect Oscar Material.
Excalibur is the definitive telling of the Arthurian legend.
Its an amazing movie 👍
Yep, great film.
The King and the Land Are One.
A who’s who of British actors as well.
Sword and Sorcery is probably favorite genre of film besides horror. The Beastmaster was a favorite of mine growing up. It is the only movie I own in 4K (from Vinegar Syndrome)
Watched that so much on TBS 🙂
Did you watch the series as well
Excalibur (1981) First and one of few movies where armor actually works
Like always a great recommendation. Kudos to the team.
Great list of good movies!! Honorable Mentions should be the old Sinbad flicks and a classic called, "Hawk the Slayer".
It was cheesy as hell, but the sword rocked and you can't go wrong with Jack Palance as your villain. Nice job folks. Keep
up the outstanding work!!
Nice list, but you guys left off a bunch of really good ones that should've definitely been included, such as...
- Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
- Conan the Destroyer (1984)
- Hercules (1983)
- Sorceress (1982)
- Hawk the Slayer (1980)
- The Princess Bride (1987)
- Labyrinth (1986)
- Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985)
- Any of the 'Sinbad' movies of the 50's, 70's and 80's.
- Jack the Giant Killer (1962)
- The Warrior & The Sorceress (1984)
Just to name a select few...otherwise, great list.
Labyrinth is not a sword and sorcery.
@@tootzy-the-roll
Oh but it is.
The goblins towards the end of the movie have swords in the big climatic battle, along with axes, maces, and spears...and Jareth uses sorcery in the movie, so hence...it IS in fact a "sword and sorcery" movie.
@@cyberray1976 😂😂😂
Also the Dark Crystal
Red Sonja is one of my all time favourites! Always feel bad for poor old Falcon, he puts up with so much for his Prince! ❤️
The Hobbit Trilogy... skip all three movies and watch one of the awesome fan edit versions that combine all 3 movies into one. The Maple Cut is my personal favorite. It makes the 3 movies into 1 awesome one that totally works as a respectful prequel to the LOTR movies
Funny you mentioning revealing outfits, I've always thought that one of the things that sets sword and sorcery apart from other sub-genres of fantasy is the prevalence of revealing outfits, and not just on ladies, but on everyone. Everyone is showing just a little bit too much skin.
Kull the Conqueror: Kull is the original name of Conan by Robert E Howard. The title of the story by Howard was called 'By this axe I rule'. Which the hero says at the end of the film.
Great to find out that there is someone who actually knows that.
He rewrote the one story for Conan, when Kull failed in the one magazine where Howard wanted to get published. But you probably know that.
First there was Acheron (when demons ruled the world), then Valusia (the age of Kull) and then Aquilonia (the age of Conan)
Are you sure Ku ll and Conan are the same person. I've read all of Howard's Conan stories ( not hard ti do- there weren't many). I believe the characters were distinct.
Note: Howard was writing friends with H.P. Lovecraft- and with Robert Bloch ( Psycho) + many others back in the modern early days of sci-fi fantasy horror fiction.
@@dionmcgee5610 yes.. read the post above.. Kull failed to take off so he rewrote him as Conan adding in more detail etc.
@@Heroes_of_Qalanor_RPG yes. While Kull and Conan are separate characters Howard created, with distinctly different sensibilities- when Kull didn't take off Howard rewrote his last Kull story and changed the main character into Conan, and invented Hyperborea to place him in.
Kull was from Atlantis, before it sank.
I read all the Conan stories when I was a kid, tried Kull but couldn't get into it.
Did a little reading yesterday to clear things up.
I loved Beastmaster when I was a kid. We had some Disney movies in the 80's growing up, but we also had these awesome, live action fantasy movies too. The 80's rocked!
Are you still in love
Evil Lyn .... Meg Foster .. Stunning
She has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. Truly lovely lady!
John Milius not Ridley Scott directed “Conan the Barbarian”
Yes and he did a stellar job, glad delaurentis fired cameron in milius's favour
And Richard Fleisher directed Conan the Destroyer
Sloppy research...
Yup... 👍
I thought I was going crazy when he said Ridley Scott directed it.
A few You might have put on your list The 7th voyage of Sinbad--The Last Unicorn--The 13th warrior--The Princess Bride--First Knight--Beowulf--
Great list - brings back a lot of memories of great sword and sorcery movies I watched in my youth. There are a few I haven't see yet which I will track down. If your list included eastern sword and sorcery movies, I would highly recommend Tsui Hark's Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain which has been dubbed in English.
How can people complain about the historical inaccuracy of the movie "300" when the entire movie is based on a comic book version of this fight? 300 is fantastic, and so is this list. Thank you.
300 is supposed to be over the top and unbelievable, because the entire story is being told by the Spartan Orator, who is embellishing the story for the entertainment of the Spartan citizens listening to the tale.
@@thebarbaryghostsf Yep !
No:1 " Hawk The Slayer " !!!
Always ... for me anyway, LOTR OGT a real close 2nd.
One of my very favorite genres. Only missed a couple. My sons say I'm a "blood-thirsty Mom" and I say I love to watch a well choreographed fight. Thank you!
The 'trowing star' from Krull is named; Glaive.
Great genre and seen almost every one of these, and i am that old to say i saw Conan (the original not the lame remake) in the theater as a kid, most of the movies on the list on rented VHS and later a hacked payperview box :)
This channel makes alot of mistakes I noticed
later in the video he says that Dar (protagonist of the Beastmaster) uses the Glaive... jesus christ...
The Conan remake is the only movie in which I have walked out of the theater. I only made it 1/3 thru. It was like watching the Sci-fi channel.
Fantastic vid. So many classics in here. I know what I’ll be (re-)watching for the next couple months. 😁
"Wolfhound" should be on the list. I know that some people mockingly call it a Russian Conan. And, yes it has some very similar elements in the story, but this movie plays them well. For me, it was a much better movie than the actual Conan re-make.
I Remember these film on television as a child. I miss those days. Conan Willow Legend Beast master. Class of the titans. Ladyhawk Red Sonja. Lord of the rings. Krull Master of the universe. These are classic films. I love this genre.
As usual, your channel has provided top-notch summaries and analysis of our favorite movies from the 80s through 2000s. You guys did forget one pretty good sword and sorcery movie…Snow White and the Huntsman. It was nominated for multiple awards and won a couple of them, it had a star studded cast, and the action/plot was pretty good. It was so good, a sequel was made.
I never got around to seeing the sequel. Was it any good?
@@JP-1990 It was God awful. 2 hours of my life I will never get back.
Thank you for thisgreat review. i am watching it for the first time, but i wish to comment about the magnificent soundtracks of both Conan and Excalibur; they contribute to the experience of watching these great films
Some brilliant choices, thanks. Der riddle of steel and what is best in life are peak moments in Conan. And Excalibur Merlin is the quintessential Merlin. And then Queen's searing 'Who Wants to Live Forever?' in context. Great films all. Still haven't seen Kull yet - or many of those 80s golden age films - looking forward to it!
Honurable mentions: Stardust (2007) - which feels like a spiritual successor of Legend, the reboot of Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans (2010/2012), and Beowulf (2007) - the latter strangely CGI. Then there's the retelling of Beowulf in Outlander (2008), and crossover fantasy/sci-fi.
Although a series, in the same spirit of sword and sorcery: 'Legend of the Seeker'. Hard to find, well worth watching, very entertaining
this lineup gave me the feels. my childhood right here. Thanks for this!
I'd like to take a moment to thank you guys for not putting Star Wars on this list. Cinefix put Stars Wars as number 1 on their list of top 10 Western's of all time and I've been furious for years.
Uhm... Star Wars wasn't a western? Firefly was a western... right? I'm offended right along with you.
Swordplay in a futuristic dimension
Could easily been done on the Atlantic ocean between continents in the 16th century
Western ? Nah !
Great list! Here's one more that I didn't see on your list: Wizards (1977)
Yes, I agree
I love most of those films and I think I have all but ten of them in my collection. Instantly return to almost forgotten memories. Lord of the rings tops them all. But a couple of other films could also be mentioned. Eragon, Dungeon & Dragons (1 and 3), The mists of Avalon are not that bad either in this settings.
Easy lover
The Beastmaster is so underrated. Loved that movie.
I agree with 90% of this list, but you forgot one movie that I love: Hawk the Slayer! Cheesy, cheap. And fun beyond belief! A D and D campaign come to life!
Oh yes! Hawk was great!
Love the elf in that movie reminded me of Eol the dark elf from Tolkiens silmarilion .
Yes! Remove conquest and add hawk the slayer!
Not only is the original Conan the greatest sword and sorcery movie, it’s also the greatest Schwarzenegger movie ever.
"What Dragonheart lacks is a decent villain." ARE YOU KIDDING? David Thewlis was awesome.
nah man, he was a pansy
The editor managed to spoil the ending of EVERY movie. Please replace this person.
59:00, Sean Connery, we miss you.
I love the older flicks from growing up. The Immortals is a great movie. Graphic, visual, and violent it shows the best of good and bad and how the good need to be a bit bad at times.
Willow is one of my favorite movies, My oldest daughter is still not happy her name is Elora. I didn't use the middle name though, dannon was too much even for me lol
whats wrong with Elora? I think its a nice name
@@Demiurge13 I love it, she doesn't really have a reason other than "people never say it properly". Our last name is far more difficult than her first. She's 18 now any way so less people will care what her name is lol.
Excalibur is one of the best tellings of the story in my opinion great movie
Very good list. Also recommend Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Last Unicorn, Labyrinth, Flight of Dragons, Neverending Story, Jason and the Argonauts, and the animated Hobbit Movie
Time Bandits
Labyrinth and Never Ending Story were great movies but they were not sword and sorcery.
@@ronlaverdiere I disagree... a goblin king? come on thats as sword and sorcery as you can get. Also Atrau hunted a blue buffalo and rode on the back of a luck dragon? Also killed a damn werewolf with a rock he turned into a knife? man you seem to be way off in my mind with this comment.
@@marcussmith4913 in your mind, not in mine though.
@@ronlaverdiere I suppose if I forced you to be attacked by a unicorn. You would just claim it was A man that buggered you from behind?
Glad too see Willow, Dragonslayer and Ladyhawke on this List great Job and I've been looking for that Blue Bow movie for a bit. Lol. Thanks.
42:01, another one of my sister's favorite movies!!
Wow what a great list very well done. As an old fan of this genre I must of seen each one at least five times. I guess I need to bust out the old vcr and tapes =D
What about Hawk the slayer?
One of the first of the 1980s
Oh wow that is amazing
My first favourite movie that was.
A highly under rated movie indeed! However, it is still one of the best from that time period. Particularly if you were looking for a DnD "compatible" flick. [smile]
Hm, I've seen most but not quite all of these. Thanks!
Can you please do a video on paranormal/Supernatural fiction.
Perfect! You start with the best films and work your way down. I would rank them almost like that...Conan, Excalibur, Lord of the Rings, Jason and the Argonauts (not mentioned), 300, Hobbit, Class of Titans, Beast Master, Red Sonja, Krull, Lady Hawk, and Willow
We need more top 30 list videos.
Now we need videos on top 30 Italian and French Eurocrime movies Part 1.
I admire the courage to completely disregard consistency with present and future tense when summarizing a movie's plot.
Krull...not my favorite movie but notable in my eyes for one bit of trivia... In the band of outcasts helping the prince, in a very minor role, you see Liam Neeson for the first time I can recall.
Neeson was in Excalibur too.
A veritable host of British star including a post Grange Hill, pre Eastenders Todd Cartier
Not to mention Robbie Coltrane and Bernard Bresslaw
while I totally agree that some of the notable Excalibur actors are Nigel Terry & Helen Mirren, I'm surprised you also didn't mention Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne & a VERY young Liam Neeson! Great list, made notes so I can catch up on ones I missed. Keep up the good work! 👏
I love the sword and sorcery genre. I also love the Lord of the Rings, but it's not sword and sorcery, it's high fantasy.
idk whats the difference.
I thought the same when I saw TLOTR in the list
While I agree that’s how I personally categorize them, I’m not sure I’d argue it with someone. The reason stems from a post I made a while back on a cyberpunk video and I named Robocop as cyberpunk and to this day it still gets people arguing with me about it lol
High fantasy has many races - that's what separates it from Sword and Sorcerery. Sword and Sorcerery is humans only.
@@ogrehaslayers605 I've never heard someone call robocop cyberpunk but it doesn't sound wrong doesn't really fit 100% but to be fair I've never looked at it that way either
The Fantasy movies of that era never let go of their charm. How would modern fantasy movies compare to them nowadays?