After a year, the SEQUEL is finally here. A year ago, Part 1 debuted and I made my place in the TH-cam Universe. Hope you enjoy this incredible look at some of the famous and infamous Fantasies of the 80s.
I once saw a sword and sorcery film where a guy was suspended by a rope above a swordpit, while a candle burned the rope. It had really intense scenes, but I forgot the name of the movie, really sucks!!
Wonderful researched video. Thank you. I was always surprised the GOR epics were never turned into film, certainly wasn't because of a lack of material.
1980's pulp sword-and-sorcery films have a special place in my heart, with CONAN THE BARBARIAN, EXCALIBUR and HIGHLANDER being the Holy Trinity of that particular subgenre.
@@samuelferrell9257 Yeah if I had to pick 3 - for changing my life and putting on the "Fantasy" path for the next 40 or so years it would be beastmaster, Hawk the Slayer & Conan (with Krull close behind)
@@fullovstars9447 In contrast, I'll never forget that "The Barbarians" is the first & only movie I ever walked out of which I'd paid to see in the theater. Heavens, but that was an awful movie...
Hawk the Slayer in one of my favorite fantasy films, it didn't need skin to get my attention! The 80's were the best time to be a teen boy! Red Sonja is the third Conan film!
I always thought Red was the 3rd, but Arnold didn't play Conan in it, so I didn't bother with that. Hawk is a great early example of the genre. Very exciting.
It brutal as hell, and very unpleasant, and have "real" naked violence, compare to the more common entertainment violence, but that is not a fantasy movie, but a historical movie.
@@GENXPERIENCE You can freeze Conan 1 at pretty much ANY POINT and it looks like a Frazzetta painting. A real movie with a vision, it just happens to be swords and sorcery. Many others were just as described, a move to cash in on temporary popularity.
The single greatest. Three bladed sword, 1000 year old demon wizard ( Richard moll of night court). Vengeance and revenge from every character. Story was very underrated.
I remember watching Conan the Destroyer a number of times at college in 1986. We joked about how young Olivia d'Abo looked in the movie; I swear, we didn't know she actually was about fifteen.
It would be great if anyone was ever to bring the art of Frazetta or Boris Vallejo to life on screen. I know there's the animated feature Fire and Ice but maybe should be another. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was proof a scifi action film could be done in cgi.
Always afraid of CGI overdose, but I do believe it can be done to make those creative and intensely imaginative pieces of art come to life in good stories could happen.
Would love an ai that can enhance all the scene of these vintage movies into crisp 4k standard. Fix choppy scene (stop motion animatronics by upgrade its fps). And then upgrade the color grading into more closer to frazetta/boris... ah its okay to dream right?
In the Barbarian Brothers movie, there was exposition and foreshadowing of a badass werewolf that was coming, and all the hinting and it was supposed to be a big bad monster, when it entered the cave the brothers were in, they just jumped it from the side and chopped its head off, it was hilarious. The other funny bit was when the wyrm dragon was crawling, they were hiding in a hole and it crawled over the hole and they stabbed upward and all the blood and gore just flushed down on them, so funny.
As an 80s kid, I watched and loved everything you showed here. What's sad is today's attempts to dive into this genre, they are unable to capture the magic (pun intended) that drew us in and made us fall in love.
The Sword & the Sorcerer remains my third-favorite fantasy film of that era (behind Excalibur and Dragonslayer) because it captures the disreputable grime, the gray morality, and the literal darkness of the Sword & Sorcery genre far better than more polished fare like Legend and the Conan films.
I have seen almost all of these as a child and teen, loved them despite the cheesy acting. I own most of them in my digital library. I believe this helped me to fall right into the Dungeons and Dragons games when that red box was released in the 80s. when i was 9. Excalibur, Willow and Highlander being my favorites. I had to replace the VHS copies several times. and the Cartoons like thunder the barbarian and Dungeons and dragons were Saturday morning favorites. great memories, thank you.
The cartoon ones were some of my favorites as well, especially Thundarr. And yes, many of these were on rewatch...mostly because of cable. Thanks for watching and sharing.
this video hits all the right beats and gets the appeal of the sword films of the 80s. I loved all the good and bad of this genre and as this was also the land of the video rental you could get all of whatever drove you with most of these. I worked in a video store and saw most of these movies. Great fun was had by all.
You're awesome. Thanks for comment and seeing the videos intent. I loved all the sclock, and the incredible imagery presented to us back then. Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts.
Yep - the Main product has become a weird mash-up of Anime, superheroes & video game tropes? But thankfully loads of products out there to replace it in the RPG world?
Fantastic video again! Love The Sword And The Sorcerer,but wasn't E.T. the number one movie of 1982? "Inquiring minds want to know" (a quote showing my age haha 😉).1982,as is often mentioned, was THE year for S&S,Sci-Fi & fantasy. Period. Hats off again,Victor;keep 'em coming!
Oh my....it changes things when you forget to say "Indpendent Film", most profitable INDEPENDENT film of 82. Thank you. For someone who is emotionally connected to ET...I should have thought of him when talkingb1982, but too involved I this week's topic. Thans again for pointing that out.
@GENXPERIENCE No problem,amigo! And as someone who is emotionally connected to ALL of the 1982 movies(well the cool ones,not the snoozefests like Gandhi haha 😁),it's sad that I practically know the Top Ten of that year without Googling it...though very few of my favorites, aka the BEST,actually hit the top ten...all becoming classics,cult or otherwise,later.
I really enjoyed your video. "Ladyhawke" is an absolute favorite of mine. Just curious, would you classify 2009's "Solomon Kane" as Sword and Sorcery? IMO it's a very under rated movie.
Hmmm, only my opinion, but if feels more Epic Fantasy with its slight historical bend on it (like Excalibur) from a certain time period. But...I am not a pro. Thanks for watching.
Hawk the Slayer-WOW! I still love this movie and watch it every year. Yes, I own a copy. I also try to get people I game with to watch Hawk, just to get some context for 80s adolescent D&D. This was also when relatives were shocked when they went to see some of these movies. My maiden aunts took me to see Sorceress. One of the most awkward movie experiences. From Beastmaster, I loved the creepy and disturbing Winged Devourers. They were among the most creative creatures of that era. Thank you for bringing back some great memories!
You and I were probably both affected the same way with those Winged Devourers...YIKES. Oh, yeah, movies with moms...awkward. Hawk is still one of the more awesome.
Ladyhawke crystallized for me how to play a Thief. I had been all around that personae like The Mouse, so it was great to see it portrayed clearly on the screen. You can play a Thief that is still "good".
@@GENXPERIENCE It was some of my best early teen experiences. 6 people at a table, staying up very late, rolling dice. Then going to the D&D book store in South Bend, Indiana to buy figurines. I also played Snit's Revenge and some other Avalon Hill games like Wooden Ships and Iron Men.
Funny at 16 remembering how much I loved Hawk the Slayer, I watched it a few years ago. Didn’t hold up so much- lol. I agree Dragonslayer has always been underrated. BTW- ET was far and away the highest grossing movie of 1982. Thanks for the video
Thank you for watching. And I MISTAKENLY forgot the word INDEPENDENT film of 1982. Yes, it was top for INDPENDENT. I am such an ET fan, I would never speak ill of that.
IIRC, it was an ok B sort of movie. I saw it a while back after I had gotten to know of Amanda Donohoe from L.A. Law. I might have to check it out again as I noticed the credits for the movie listed in IMDB stated it also had Peter Capaldi who became the Doctor in Doctor Who many years later.
The main character of “Deathstalker” is more of a bounty hunter than an actual warrior. He accepts the request to slay a wizard and rescue a princess. He even has a scene where he twirls his sword, much like the gun twirling scenes in westerns.
That is true and I do like how he does that. While it is firmly planted in a Swords and Sorcery setting, I see your analogy well...kind of like Manadalorian is a western. Thank you for that.
Deathstalker! is that your first or last name? We loved that series, after a few beers, it felt like you were losing your mind watching the third film, so much of it was taken from the first and second film or just a looped scene, lol.
I was 11 when 'Conan the Barbarian' came out in 1982, that was also the year I first discovered 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'. So, I was _huge_ into the fantasy genre. However, when I discovered most of it was worthless tripe, I focused on the best, used that as my inspiration & moved on. It's the core elements of Heroic risk and Sacrifice, rescuing the Princess, no matter the cost, this is something deep within the human experience. Sadly, our 'Modern' culture _hates_ that kind of heroism with a passion. The cost of denying and hating our natures has been great & likely will be greater still. The one thing these tales, even the best of them did not prepare me for however, is that while if you are willing to put everything on the line & push yourself to where you never thought you could go, you _can_ defeat the Dragon & his Minions & Rescue your Princess. But if, when you reach the Monster in his lair, only to discover your Princess languidly laying across the Beast's back, because she has fallen for the lies it whispered in her ear? _That_ is a fight no Mortal Man can win. Dragons of the Ancient World were feared far more for their power to mislead & beguile, than for their power to destroy.
@GENXPERIENCE Thanks again! I leave comments everywhere but it is rare to hear back from the channel host. You are part of that rare exception so I wanted to be sure to recognize and appreciate the fact. 😁
Oh damn....I was just going wax rhapsodic about the REAL Danaerys Targaryan...Heavy Metal's incomparable Taarna the Tarrakian, but I guess Sorceress will have to do..
I've always thought of 'LadyHawk' as more of a Fairy Tale rather than a Fantasy or Sword and Sorcery movie. Its the only one of these you could make into an animated film for kids without changing anything in the story.
I loved Dragonslayer so much that I always wished they would make a sequel or eventually a remake. Then I remember its by Disney. Forget what I said, don't give them any ideas. 😟
lol...I have to admit that although I would love to have it just tweaked a bit for a new release, Hollywood does not REMAKE movies, they shoot them dead.
I tried to be an extra for Dragonslayer but missed the applications time because of being away on holiday, then tried again for Highlander but was working a summer job and they wouldn't give me time off. Those times are gone now... but not forgotten.
I have seen Beastmaster. I didn't know they made two sequels. I was surprised to see Ladyhawke mentioned. I like that film and also Excalibur. Highlander was later done as a TV series.
Krull could have been analyzed a bit more. The team of heroes on a quest was a good way to carry the plot. The stop motion animation in Clash of the Titans was scary in its day. It was later remade using CGI.
I'll throw one other up for consideration... "Yor: The Hunter from the Future" (1983) starring Reb Brown. It starts out somewhat pre-historic and ends up with laser battles, so it's all over the place, but it's so over-the-top fantasy by an Italian director, it's one of my favorite films in this genre. It's obvious that someone involved in the production fell in love with Flash Gordon (1980) and the Queen soundtrack, giving this movie a soundtrack that has to be heard to be believed... seriously... look up the lyrics... And his pee like a flower! If you been travel, he'll be there to fly the bat Winning Saaaaand! YOR'S WORLD! He's the maaaan! There's a lot more lyrics like that.... lol
All over the place is right. I have seen only scenes from Yor, and thought about it, but figured I would leave that to Science Fantasy, lol. YOu are probably right about Flash...but I am still pondering PEE LIKE A FLOWER, lol.
I worked with this one girl...she had a very serious demeanor, never laughed, never engaged in small talk. Her name was Sheena. When I finally got to know her well enough, which took forever if you can imagine, I asked her if her name had anything to do with Tanya Robert's character from Beastmaster. She looked at me very seriously, and said yes, her dad named her after 'that' character, from 'that' movie. And that's how I learned why she was the way she was.
@GENXPERIENCE Yes - he shaped my view on fantasy and fantasy women. He did most of the posters and cover pictures for Roger Corman's barbarian flicks. Maybe you can ao one day a video about him? Or a synopsis with Frank Frazetta and other artists? That would be really cool 😎
Man, who doesn't love an over the top performance by Jack Parlance?!? I've seen all of these but a few that hold a special place in my heart are Conan the Barbarian, Excalibur and Highlander. Was Princess Bride not from the 80s? That was another favorite but that may have come out in the 90s.
Hey there! His performances are one to savor, aren't they? Princess Bride was 87 and I do briefly mention it at the end of the show. It is slightly different, but it does seem to have all the elements. Still certainly part of Fantasy. Thanks for the comment.
I had a bad Dungeons and Dragons experience in the 80's - my friend's mom saw a demonic/sexual picture and freaked out, threw the book into the fireplace 🔥 Bye bye D&D
My buddy's mom tried to throw away the D&D books he borrowed from me when she found them in his room. He told her that they were mine and he'd just give them back and she said my parents would thank her for getting rid of the satanic books for them. That was until he told her that my grandmother had bought them for me so she reluctantly allowed him to return them. So much drama over a game.
@@InformationIsTheEdge and Gygax was raised JW and converted to fairly-orthodox Protestantism (hence possibly his fixation on the need to best Evil). ironic.gif
Thanks for this overview of S&S and Fantasy movies, the good, the bad and the lousy. Loved that Venn diagram of speculative fiction too. If only the lesser-talented, cheap-ass filmmakers and studios hadn't chosen to glom onto the perceived popularity of S&S movies and crank out barely watchable crap. In many cases, the poster art by Boris Vallejo was the best aspect of the production, but it was deceptive in what was suggested you'd get in the movie. And there was so much S&S literature to drawn from to make good movies, but not knowing anything about it, the studios didn't even bother to search for good stories. They figured a lot of action, fantastic locales, sets, costumes, SFX, and bare breasts would be enough to put asses in seats. Pathetic.
Love your comment, thank you. Yes, the cranked out crap did ruin it for everyone, lol. And this did not last long. The artwork is what I was drawn to, loved the creativity and the imaginary worlds I could go into. The movie looked nothing like them, and that was SAD
Swords, sorcery and sex makes me think of the drummer in Spinal Tap who says his life philosophy is sex, drugs and rock and roll but so long as he’s got sex and drugs he’s not to bothered about the rock and roll
Well, in my opinion not all of those movies are real sword & sorcery movies. Excalibur is based on a legend and thus belongs to the genre of medieval fantasy. Ladyhawke is also medieval fantasy, because it takes place on our earth in medieval times. Highlander is urban fantasy. And Clash of the Titans is epic fantasy.
Clash is definitely sword and sandal. Luckily, I prefaced the whole show with MOSTLY sword and sorcery, even showing off the Speculative Fiction chart. All good
Sorry, but I gotta say it: THE SWORD AND THE SORCERESS was nowhere near the highest grossing movie of 1982-not with big hitters like POLTERGEIST, ROCKY 3, STAR TREK II and a little film called ET (which would become Hollywood’s highest-grossing film for years to come) premiering the same year. (It’s still fun, though. 😊)
You neglected to mention Rutger Hauer's other Medieval themed movie from the 80s, Flesh & Blood. It was directed by Paul Verhoven and had a ton of female nudity in it, much of it courtesy of Jennifer Jason Leigh. 😊
Sybil Danning was never in any good S&S movies but for some reason I found her compellingly memorable. One movie left out is the Italian made Hearts and Armor with Tanya Roberts from 1983. Kind of goofy retelling of Italian epic Orlando Furisoso but Barbara De Rossi is very fetching in her plate armor.
The biggest flaw of LADYHAWKE ... is the 80s electro music. That might have been a popular style at the time, but it doesnt fit the theme of such a movie. How much better would it be if you had a proper CLASSIC soundtrack for it? I can only hope someone tries to fix this ...
Sure, and maybe they could do the same for "Chariots of Fire" while they're at it? 🙄 Ladyhawke's score was an experiment with uneven results, but it does have its fans. And there were a LOT of big productions of the era that were experimenting with electronic music. The German version of "The Neverending Story" doesn't use any of Giorgio Moroder's electronica. Don't even get me started on "Legend" (1985), which has two different scores, one orchestral, one electronic (by Tangerine Dream, no less). Oh, and..."Labyrinth." 'nuff said? Yes, the score dates the picture, but then, so does a 22-year-old Matthew Broderick, who was only two years on from "WarGames" and a year ahead of "Ferris Bueller." It works for what's on screen, and isn't that what it's all about?
Wizards should be at the head of this list, even though it had no direct connection to D&D. The "Lord of the Rings" by the same director though was SERIOUSLY hampered by it's short run time to try to cover the whole trilogy. Even Jackson's TRILOGY had to cut some pieces. with more than 4 times the run time available.
@@GENXPERIENCE Yes, the Ralph Blakshi (sp?) semi-animated. Parts of it was "rotoscoped" or something like that, especially when dealing with "Blackwolf as a new Hitler".
@@bricefleckenstein9666 Wizards, and that character, Peace, were highly influential to me as a kid. They have a special place. I did an animated version of this topic one year ago...so that is why I did not spend anything more than a mention of this time. Please enjoy that one, too.
I, a "boomer", can't really remember that GenX was so high on consuming movies only from the POV of a slobbering tongue... rather from the adrenaline kick from the manliest of manly muscles of Arni & co. Conceded, there was an aspect of additional teasing for adolescents, but everybody knew how to take this stuff, as high powered advertising of protein shakes and bodybuilder studios. It's only up to the adoption of modern bigotry by GenXers, to follow the current narrative "everything is sex, aka sexist, aka toxic masculinity". We are in a lot of trouble, if "modern" people don't stop judging earlier times through their narrow-minded, microscopic point of view.
@@GENXPERIENCE I'm not the one searching for "sex" with a microscope every couple of seconds, and no, a tight bikini doesn't make for a sex-movie, only from the pov of US prudishness or wokeness.
Saw all the Deathstalker films, but the one that really made it for me was D2. Funny as all hell, and it could only have been deliberately done. The outtakes at the end of the film added to its appeal for me
I would love a Ladyhawke remaster, with a different score. The synth score, though production period appropriate, just doesn't sit well in the film. Fantastic otherwise.
After a year, the SEQUEL is finally here. A year ago, Part 1 debuted and I made my place in the TH-cam Universe. Hope you enjoy this incredible look at some of the famous and infamous Fantasies of the 80s.
I once saw a sword and sorcery film where a guy was suspended by a rope above a swordpit, while a candle burned the rope. It had really intense scenes, but I forgot the name of the movie, really sucks!!
Wonderful researched video. Thank you. I was always surprised the GOR epics were never turned into film, certainly wasn't because of a lack of material.
@@NathanEllisBodi Thanks a lot. With so much material, maybe they found it difficult to tackle. You just never know.
ET was the highest grossing movie in 1982. Are you on drugs? Plus Matthew Broderick was the star of Ladyhawke not Rutger Hauer.
@@GMitchell2012 Get over yourself. Drugs? What a dumb comment. And NO Rutger was a bigger star, everyone knows that.
1980's pulp sword-and-sorcery films have a special place in my heart, with CONAN THE BARBARIAN, EXCALIBUR and HIGHLANDER being the Holy Trinity of that particular subgenre.
Great choices. Great genre. Thanks for the comment.
Don't forget Beastmaster
@@samuelferrell9257 Yeah if I had to pick 3 - for changing my life and putting on the "Fantasy" path for the next 40 or so years it would be beastmaster, Hawk the Slayer & Conan (with Krull close behind)
@@fullovstars9447 In contrast, I'll never forget that "The Barbarians" is the first & only movie I ever walked out of which I'd paid to see in the theater.
Heavens, but that was an awful movie...
@@fyrchmyrddin1937 You know I dont think ive ever watched it and I even had the Deathstalker movies 🙂 🙂
Hawk the Slayer in one of my favorite fantasy films, it didn't need skin to get my attention!
The 80's were the best time to be a teen boy!
Red Sonja is the third Conan film!
I always thought Red was the 3rd, but Arnold didn't play Conan in it, so I didn't bother with that. Hawk is a great early example of the genre. Very exciting.
@@GENXPERIENCE He was Conan, but went under a different name!
I love Hawk the Slayer , I grew up watching that and the Sword on the Sorcerer over and over long before I saw Conan
@@krs4976 You were raised right!
@@shallendor Totally over my head as a kid, lol. Thanks
Y'all forgot Paul Veerhoven's gloriously batshit Flesh + Blood (1985), filled to the brim with brutal violence and lurid sex.
LOL, you are right...I totally should have included. I did see that. YIKES
It brutal as hell, and very unpleasant, and have "real" naked violence, compare to the more common entertainment violence, but that is not a fantasy movie, but a historical movie.
@@kirgan1000 Oh, it's fantasy. Just more grounded and realistic. I mean, the bit with the lightning bolt freeing a dude FROM HIS CHAINS? It's fantasy.
Best film set in that time.
Rutger Hauer 👍
There was a time when H.B.O. stood for "Hey! Beastmaster's on!"
i'm surprised it wasn't noted in the video in fact
"Starring a David Carradine so obviously drunk off his ass it's amazing he could even hold his sword."
And I don't know about you, but not much of a leading man
And it was also a loose remake of “Yojimbo”, which was also remade as “A Fistful of Dollars”.
I'm glad you included Clash of the Titans. That was my and my 1st husband's go-to movie for getting "in the mood"!
Oh, such a fav of mine
Judi Bowker!
TMI!
eeeew!
Dragonslayer was so good, fans used it for trailers for The Desolation of Smaug.
I loved Dragonslayer. And it still holds up.
Totally holds up and just get pulled into that story and the moment.
I love that you posted the "E.T." D&D scene!
Thanks. It is what my mind conjured when I think teens playing D&D. And I love ET.
Very well done, me 58, played AD&D in the late 1970s and got my friends into it.
Way to go. I am slightly younger, and was always intrigued. I actually loved looking through and reading all the illustrated guides/books/etc.
Basil Poledouris' soundtrack for Conan propelled the film to a different level to the other fantasy films of the time.
Agreed. Along with some other great production quality, a score elevates any movie, and that one was sweeping.
@@GENXPERIENCE You can freeze Conan 1 at pretty much ANY POINT and it looks like a Frazzetta painting. A real movie with a vision, it just happens to be swords and sorcery. Many others were just as described, a move to cash in on temporary popularity.
Glad to see Sword and the sorcerer on your list, my kids I discovered this movie at the video store in the 90's, absolutely one of our favorites
Its still worth a watch. And thank you for watching.
The single greatest. Three bladed sword, 1000 year old demon wizard ( Richard moll of night court). Vengeance and revenge from every character. Story was very underrated.
@@paulcooverjr.6947 The sword shooting was so unique
Thanks again Victor for the trip back to childhood. I saw just about all of these growing up. Begged my mom to rent them from the video store! 😂
Lol, sometimes begging is what we resorted to. Often, I was able to catch them on early HBO. THANKS FOR WATCHING. I've always loved this topic.
I remember watching Conan the
Destroyer a number of times at college
in 1986. We joked about how young
Olivia d'Abo looked in the movie; I swear,
we didn't know she actually was about
fifteen.
Yikes, 15! Although I'm not surprised about anything from the 80s. Thanks for the comment
@GENXPERIENCE Yes, I looked it up to check. She was born in January 1969 and filming ran from November 1983 to February 1984.
Yeeeessshhh...
SUPER AWESOME Castle Greyskull in the background!!!
Appreciate that. Will always have a special place in my heart for Grayskull and ALL of that. Thanks
Brastmaster OMG totally forgot about that one, but loved it. Thanks for the memories.
You bet. Love to recall and revisit
that's a funny typo: almost "breastmaster" for all the... well...
It would be great if anyone was ever to bring the art of Frazetta or Boris Vallejo to life on screen. I know there's the animated feature Fire and Ice but maybe should be another.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was proof a scifi action film could be done in cgi.
Always afraid of CGI overdose, but I do believe it can be done to make those creative and intensely imaginative pieces of art come to life in good stories could happen.
Would love an ai that can enhance all the scene of these vintage movies into crisp 4k standard. Fix choppy scene (stop motion animatronics by upgrade its fps). And then upgrade the color grading into more closer to frazetta/boris... ah its okay to dream right?
@@wintermoon244 YOu've got something there.
Blasts from the past, appreciated, thank you 👍
Happy you stopped by. THank you
In the Barbarian Brothers movie, there was exposition and foreshadowing of a badass werewolf that was coming, and all the hinting and it was supposed to be a big bad monster, when it entered the cave the brothers were in, they just jumped it from the side and chopped its head off, it was hilarious. The other funny bit was when the wyrm dragon was crawling, they were hiding in a hole and it crawled over the hole and they stabbed upward and all the blood and gore just flushed down on them, so funny.
That worm part is classic. Seriously they knew what they were dong with that one.
Love Ladyhawk. Love sword and sorcery in general.
Me too. EPIC and Beautiful.
As an 80s kid, I watched and loved everything you showed here. What's sad is today's attempts to dive into this genre, they are unable to capture the magic (pun intended) that drew us in and made us fall in love.
You're 100% correct. Even if they want to, the stars are no longer aligned so they end up making something that can never compare.
The Sword & the Sorcerer remains my third-favorite fantasy film of that era (behind Excalibur and Dragonslayer) because it captures the disreputable grime, the gray morality, and the literal darkness of the Sword & Sorcery genre far better than more polished fare like Legend and the Conan films.
Love the review of it. It is a good one, TOTALLY...but glad you said Dragonslayer before it, lol. Really, thank you for the comment.
I have seen almost all of these as a child and teen, loved them despite the cheesy acting. I own most of them in my digital library. I believe this helped me to fall right into the Dungeons and Dragons games when that red box was released in the 80s. when i was 9.
Excalibur, Willow and Highlander being my favorites. I had to replace the VHS copies several times. and the Cartoons like thunder the barbarian and Dungeons and dragons were Saturday morning favorites.
great memories, thank you.
The cartoon ones were some of my favorites as well, especially Thundarr. And yes, many of these were on rewatch...mostly because of cable. Thanks for watching and sharing.
1000 times better then the current 'modern audience' slop.
I've always thought Dragonslayer was the best of the 80s fantasy. Glad you mention it!
It is such a great watch. Thank you
this video hits all the right beats and gets the appeal of the sword films of the 80s. I loved all the good and bad of this genre and as this was also the land of the video rental you could get all of whatever drove you with most of these. I worked in a video store and saw most of these movies. Great fun was had by all.
You're awesome. Thanks for comment and seeing the videos intent. I loved all the sclock, and the incredible imagery presented to us back then. Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts.
Ironically, modern D&D is probably the furthest it has ever been thematically from sword & sorcery.
I am afraid you are right.
Yep - the Main product has become a weird mash-up of Anime, superheroes & video game tropes? But thankfully loads of products out there to replace it in the RPG world?
@@fullovstars9447 Thankfully, because that sound absolutely awful.
Plenty of Lawful orc paladins and pink haired woke warriors fighting the evil Orange Troll.
@@Lurker_Above you had to ruin it by saying the word, "woke," didn't you?
Great montage
Appreciate that. I thought the selection was pretty well rounded. Thank you
Appreciate you. I thought the collection of titles was a diverse array of the genre.
'Highlander. There should have been only One.' :D (Found that on the internet decades ago)
I'm not surprised it declined as it continued. Thanks for watching.
Fantastic video again! Love The Sword And The Sorcerer,but wasn't E.T. the number one movie of 1982? "Inquiring minds want to know" (a quote showing my age haha 😉).1982,as is often mentioned, was THE year for S&S,Sci-Fi & fantasy. Period. Hats off again,Victor;keep 'em coming!
E.T. was definitely the number one movie in 1982.
Oh my....it changes things when you forget to say "Indpendent Film", most profitable INDEPENDENT film of 82. Thank you. For someone who is emotionally connected to ET...I should have thought of him when talkingb1982, but too involved I this week's topic. Thans again for pointing that out.
@GENXPERIENCE No problem,amigo! And as someone who is emotionally connected to ALL of the 1982 movies(well the cool ones,not the snoozefests like Gandhi haha 😁),it's sad that I practically know the Top Ten of that year without Googling it...though very few of my favorites, aka the BEST,actually hit the top ten...all becoming classics,cult or otherwise,later.
I really enjoyed your video. "Ladyhawke" is an absolute favorite of mine. Just curious, would you classify 2009's "Solomon Kane" as Sword and Sorcery? IMO it's a very under rated movie.
Hmmm, only my opinion, but if feels more Epic Fantasy with its slight historical bend on it (like Excalibur) from a certain time period. But...I am not a pro. Thanks for watching.
Hehe, I own, Wizards, Heavy Metal and both the Hobbit Movies!
Part of my growing up playing D&D. I watch every single one of these movies.
Well, for the most part they're all awesome. Some better than others...but what a great ride.
Hawk the Slayer-WOW! I still love this movie and watch it every year. Yes, I own a copy. I also try to get people I game with to watch Hawk, just to get some context for 80s adolescent D&D.
This was also when relatives were shocked when they went to see some of these movies. My maiden aunts took me to see Sorceress. One of the most awkward movie experiences.
From Beastmaster, I loved the creepy and disturbing Winged Devourers. They were among the most creative creatures of that era.
Thank you for bringing back some great memories!
You and I were probably both affected the same way with those Winged Devourers...YIKES. Oh, yeah, movies with moms...awkward. Hawk is still one of the more awesome.
Ladyhawke crystallized for me how to play a Thief. I had been all around that personae like The Mouse, so it was great to see it portrayed clearly on the screen. You can play a Thief that is still "good".
A Thief CAN be good. Great how you took some learnings from Ladyhawke.
I have my original D&D game in the White Box. I also have the original hardcover Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual and Player's Handbook.
Those are probably still better than today's versions. Nice job.
@@GENXPERIENCE I am old lol. Started playing in 1976. Miss the pizza parties and the "nerdness" of it all!
@@FreiherrDinkelacker What a great memory to keep with you. SOunds like my kind of night, to be honest.
@@GENXPERIENCE It was some of my best early teen experiences. 6 people at a table, staying up very late, rolling dice. Then going to the D&D book store in South Bend, Indiana to buy figurines. I also played Snit's Revenge and some other Avalon Hill games like Wooden Ships and Iron Men.
Funny at 16 remembering how much I loved Hawk the Slayer, I watched it a few years ago. Didn’t hold up so much- lol. I agree Dragonslayer has always been underrated. BTW- ET was far and away the highest grossing movie of 1982. Thanks for the video
Thank you for watching. And I MISTAKENLY forgot the word INDEPENDENT film of 1982. Yes, it was top for INDPENDENT. I am such an ET fan, I would never speak ill of that.
@@GENXPERIENCE no worries. I actually saw ET opening night in Palm Springs and Kirk Douglas sat in front of me.
@@robertjames-life4768 Well, if opening day was impressive enough, KIRK DOUGLAS. I hope he liked it, too.
@@GENXPERIENCE I talked to him in the walk up the isle on the way out- loved it.
@@robertjames-life4768 Great story to have. Thank you
The Lair of the White Worm (1988), based on the Bram Stoker novel, sits well with some of the movies on this list.
I remember that name, but will have to familiarize myself with it again. Sounds exciting, and you're probably right.
IIRC, it was an ok B sort of movie. I saw it a while back after I had gotten to know of Amanda Donohoe from L.A. Law. I might have to check it out again as I noticed the credits for the movie listed in IMDB stated it also had Peter Capaldi who became the Doctor in Doctor Who many years later.
@@kevincozens6837 NOw that is interesting about the Dr.
That trapper keeper hit me with a whiff of nostalgia, I could smell it….weird 😅
Not weird at all. Totally makes sense. Smell nostalgia is strong with that one.
The movie budgets were spent on the posters😂
100%, sometimes you were better off just seeing those.
Still some of the best movies ever made. They certainly captured my adolescent imagination in between D&D games.
You bet. I will give MOST of them a rewatch for sure. Thanks for the comment.
I saw Excalibur at a drive-in. Not a great idea - it was like having a convention of blacksmiths hammering away in the car.
Holy Sh##, this is awesome. I can only imagine, lol.
The main character of “Deathstalker” is more of a bounty hunter than an actual warrior. He accepts the request to slay a wizard and rescue a princess. He even has a scene where he twirls his sword, much like the gun twirling scenes in westerns.
That is true and I do like how he does that. While it is firmly planted in a Swords and Sorcery setting, I see your analogy well...kind of like Manadalorian is a western. Thank you for that.
Deathstalker! is that your first or last name?
We loved that series, after a few beers, it felt like you were losing your mind watching the third film, so much of it was taken from the first and second film or just a looped scene, lol.
I did research that they reused a lot of footage, so I can only imagine that mind F
Masters of the Universe & Willow are both underrated. Frank Langella's Skellator was outstanding.
MOTU is not exactly a good movie, though. I mean, I saw in theatre's and lived it. But my vision was cloudy at that age. Willow is wonderful.
I was 11 when 'Conan the Barbarian' came out in 1982, that was also the year I first discovered 'Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'. So, I was _huge_ into the fantasy genre. However, when I discovered most of it was worthless tripe, I focused on the best, used that as my inspiration & moved on.
It's the core elements of Heroic risk and Sacrifice, rescuing the Princess, no matter the cost, this is something deep within the human experience. Sadly, our 'Modern' culture _hates_ that kind of heroism with a passion. The cost of denying and hating our natures has been great & likely will be greater still.
The one thing these tales, even the best of them did not prepare me for however, is that while if you are willing to put everything on the line & push yourself to where you never thought you could go, you _can_ defeat the Dragon & his Minions & Rescue your Princess. But if, when you reach the Monster in his lair, only to discover your Princess languidly laying across the Beast's back, because she has fallen for the lies it whispered in her ear?
_That_ is a fight no Mortal Man can win.
Dragons of the Ancient World were feared far more for their power to mislead & beguile, than for their power to destroy.
HBO = Hey, Beastmaster is On :)
"I was fighting the dragon!"
"You were fighting the dragon? What do you think this is on me? Dragon piss?"
lol....still funny
@GENXPERIENCE WOW! A note from the channel! Thanks!
@@InformationIsTheEdge sorry, if I missed any of yours before. I do try to get to any positive ones.
@GENXPERIENCE Thanks again! I leave comments everywhere but it is rare to hear back from the channel host. You are part of that rare exception so I wanted to be sure to recognize and appreciate the fact. 😁
Missed a couple of the Corman flicks, but have seen the rest. Good list!
True, there was definitely at least 11...but I was not going to include them all, lol. Thanks for watching.
@@GENXPERIENCE I did not mean you missed them, I missed them LOL
@@Shadowace724 lol, oh...I appreciate the reply. But you are right, some great watches to be sure.
Oh damn....I was just going wax rhapsodic about the REAL Danaerys Targaryan...Heavy Metal's incomparable Taarna the Tarrakian, but I guess Sorceress will have to do..
Wax away, my friend...on both, lol. Check out my Part 1, the animated version. Thanks for watching.
You forgot the D&D inspired TV film -
The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire
You are only the 2nd who has brought that up from 1981. Thanks
Name! Substitute, archer and thief? What are you doing here? "Dinner for wolves«
Cool video!
Hi, Don. Glad you stopped by to watch...and Comment.
I've always thought of 'LadyHawk' as more of a Fairy Tale rather than a Fantasy or Sword and Sorcery movie. Its the only one of these you could make into an animated film for kids without changing anything in the story.
I would love to see it as an animated movie. That would be beautiful.
I just love the 80s mature content.😅 Ngl. So raw..
Totally raw. We weren't traumatized....we got stronger.
I'm old enough to have owned the old ZX Spectrum version of Barbarian with Wolf and Maria Whittaker on the cover of the tape box.
That is a rare find indeed.
I loved Dragonslayer so much that I always wished they would make a sequel or eventually a remake. Then I remember its by Disney. Forget what I said, don't give them any ideas. 😟
lol...I have to admit that although I would love to have it just tweaked a bit for a new release, Hollywood does not REMAKE movies, they shoot them dead.
I tried to be an extra for Dragonslayer but missed the applications time because of being away on holiday, then tried again for Highlander but was working a summer job and they wouldn't give me time off. Those times are gone now... but not forgotten.
I have seen Beastmaster. I didn't know they made two sequels. I was surprised to see Ladyhawke mentioned. I like that film and also Excalibur. Highlander was later done as a TV series.
Wanted the good, the bad, and the ugly. They are all related, so picked some of the best and worst. HOpe you enjoyed it.
Did you do The Sword and the Sorceror or did I just miss it?
You bet it is in there. Perhaps it was brief, but Yes.
Krull could have been analyzed a bit more. The team of heroes on a quest was a good way to carry the plot.
The stop motion animation in Clash of the Titans was scary in its day. It was later remade using CGI.
Yes, and that CGI was hardly better than the scary original.
10:06 oh dang the tiger doing blackface?! XD
I will NOT cancel that Tiger, lol.
A Great list Sir!
Boris sez Hi!
Hello there, and THANK YOU so much. It was a good collection of the best and worst, for sure. Thank you
12:38 What in hell was that beep? Made me think that an alarm was going off.
Time to wake up
To this day I still say that when it comes to Highlander, There Should Have Been ONLY ONE.
YOu aren't the first to say it, so I am sure you are correct.
Excalibur and Highlander are two of the best movies ever...of any genre!!!
Here's your sign
I'll throw one other up for consideration... "Yor: The Hunter from the Future" (1983) starring Reb Brown. It starts out somewhat pre-historic and ends up with laser battles, so it's all over the place, but it's so over-the-top fantasy by an Italian director, it's one of my favorite films in this genre. It's obvious that someone involved in the production fell in love with Flash Gordon (1980) and the Queen soundtrack, giving this movie a soundtrack that has to be heard to be believed... seriously... look up the lyrics...
And his pee like a flower!
If you been travel, he'll be there to fly the bat
Winning Saaaaand!
YOR'S WORLD! He's the maaaan!
There's a lot more lyrics like that.... lol
All over the place is right. I have seen only scenes from Yor, and thought about it, but figured I would leave that to Science Fantasy, lol. YOu are probably right about Flash...but I am still pondering PEE LIKE A FLOWER, lol.
I worked with this one girl...she had a very serious demeanor, never laughed, never engaged in small talk. Her name was Sheena. When I finally got to know her well enough, which took forever if you can imagine, I asked her if her name had anything to do with Tanya Robert's character from Beastmaster. She looked at me very seriously, and said yes, her dad named her after 'that' character, from 'that' movie. And that's how I learned why she was the way she was.
Okay, I would feel damn proud if I were her. Really. Too cool.
Could be
Dar is a beautiful name.
To each their own, of course.
Don't forget that Clash of the Titans had collectable action figures, much like the 80s Star Wars action figures.
Had all 4 of the figures (not the beasts, though). LOved them. They were really very well done, too.
15:27 Why is the hilarious artwork of Boris Vallejo not mentioned
Who doesn't love his style, though. It is true, he could be campy with it, but boy that realism and depth of storytelling with a piece of art. NICE
@GENXPERIENCE Yes - he shaped my view on fantasy and fantasy women. He did most of the posters and cover pictures for Roger Corman's barbarian flicks. Maybe you can ao one day a video about him? Or a synopsis with Frank Frazetta and other artists? That would be really cool 😎
@@yesyesyesyes1600 I was huge Frazeta fan. Had a decopage piece of art on my wall. I could see his work in the Roger Corman posters, for sure.
Hawk The Slayer is F in Awesome. It was great, especially for a TV 2-part special in The UK.
I agree that was NOT bad, and it would have been an incredible TV event.
Beastmaster also had the "Butter face Witches" in it too.
Especially that "O" Face. YIKES
interesting , thank You for the reminder
Sure thing. That is what this is all about.
An incredibly hard to find movie "hearts and armor" had Tanya Roberts in a small role, was actually pretty quirky good..
I might have to look it up now. Thanks
Hawk the Slayer was an early LOTR. A man who gets his sword goes on a quest with who a dwarf, elf magician
Hawk was one of the good ones. Thanks for watching.
Man, who doesn't love an over the top performance by Jack Parlance?!? I've seen all of these but a few that hold a special place in my heart are Conan the Barbarian, Excalibur and Highlander. Was Princess Bride not from the 80s? That was another favorite but that may have come out in the 90s.
Hey there! His performances are one to savor, aren't they? Princess Bride was 87 and I do briefly mention it at the end of the show. It is slightly different, but it does seem to have all the elements. Still certainly part of Fantasy. Thanks for the comment.
I remember Highlander best because of its magnificent scene segues.
And I should have mentioned those. So original and exciting, too. Thanks for the reminder.
My favorite of all of those mentioned has to be Lady Hawk.
Such an underrated treasure.
Vermithrax was epic on the big screen.
100%....they need to put in some theaters on occasion. One of those Fathom events, or something.
They need to revive this genre 🤔🤔
It is time. Couldn't agree more.
I had a bad Dungeons and Dragons experience in the 80's - my friend's mom saw a demonic/sexual picture and freaked out, threw the book into the fireplace 🔥 Bye bye D&D
Yikes. There was that PANIC back then. I guess that mom was convinced. Sad, though. Did the book explode in the fire with all its evil destroyed, lol
My buddy's mom tried to throw away the D&D books he borrowed from me when she found them in his room. He told her that they were mine and he'd just give them back and she said my parents would thank her for getting rid of the satanic books for them. That was until he told her that my grandmother had bought them for me so she reluctantly allowed him to return them. So much drama over a game.
@@GENXPERIENCE that was the question I also thought of, lol
Ahh, book burners. Always such an enlightened, accepting, nurturing bunch.
@@InformationIsTheEdge and Gygax was raised JW and converted to fairly-orthodox Protestantism (hence possibly his fixation on the need to best Evil).
ironic.gif
The Internet says Sword and the Sorcerer was only the 17th highest grossing movie of 1982.
As my pinned note says, I forgot to say the word INDEPENDENT film. So, there you go.
@@GENXPERIENCE Always read the fine print before watching a video. Gotcha! So, there you go.
Thanks for this overview of S&S and Fantasy movies, the good, the bad and the lousy. Loved that Venn diagram of speculative fiction too. If only the lesser-talented, cheap-ass filmmakers and studios hadn't chosen to glom onto the perceived popularity of S&S movies and crank out barely watchable crap. In many cases, the poster art by Boris Vallejo was the best aspect of the production, but it was deceptive in what was suggested you'd get in the movie. And there was so much S&S literature to drawn from to make good movies, but not knowing anything about it, the studios didn't even bother to search for good stories. They figured a lot of action, fantastic locales, sets, costumes, SFX, and bare breasts would be enough to put asses in seats. Pathetic.
Love your comment, thank you. Yes, the cranked out crap did ruin it for everyone, lol. And this did not last long. The artwork is what I was drawn to, loved the creativity and the imaginary worlds I could go into. The movie looked nothing like them, and that was SAD
HBO aka *"Hey, Beastmaster's on!"*
Funny, because it's true
Also, TBS (Turner Broadcasting Station) or The Beastmaster Station
Fun video could have used Gor and Gor 2. Sinbad 1989 sword of the barbarians and thor1983 etc.
I could have kept going, but those are GREAT choices. Thanks
Swords, sorcery and sex makes me think of the drummer in Spinal Tap who says his life philosophy is sex, drugs and rock and roll but so long as he’s got sex and drugs he’s not to bothered about the rock and roll
That is awesome. So many great lines in that film...and that about sums it up, lol.
As my wife always says, obviously the smaller the outfit, the better the armor protection. 😁
Of course she's right.
@@GENXPERIENCE Obviously Playboy Playmates are extremely competent warriors, as well as Caroline Munro.
@@danielvandersall6756 I have no doubt they've needed to fight a few times, lol.
@@GENXPERIENCE More likely with Mace...
Well, in my opinion not all of those movies are real sword & sorcery movies. Excalibur is based on a legend and thus belongs to the genre of medieval fantasy. Ladyhawke is also medieval fantasy, because it takes place on our earth in medieval times. Highlander is urban fantasy. And Clash of the Titans is epic fantasy.
Clash is definitely sword and sandal. Luckily, I prefaced the whole show with MOSTLY sword and sorcery, even showing off the Speculative Fiction chart. All good
Hey U missed Ator the Fighting Eagle with Myles O'Keefe'/!!!
I do remember seeing that come up, but just not room for everything this time. Thanks
Sorry, but I gotta say it: THE SWORD AND THE SORCERESS was nowhere near the highest grossing movie of 1982-not with big hitters like POLTERGEIST, ROCKY 3, STAR TREK II and a little film called ET (which would become Hollywood’s highest-grossing film for years to come) premiering the same year. (It’s still fun, though. 😊)
I agree with all of that....however, it was highest grossing INDEPENDENT film...I missed that word.
@ I kinda figured. 😋 And thanks for giving HAWK some well-deserved love.
@@scribewell YOu know it. That one is a diamond in the rough.
You neglected to mention Rutger Hauer's other Medieval themed movie from the 80s, Flesh & Blood. It was directed by Paul Verhoven and had a ton of female nudity in it, much of it courtesy of Jennifer Jason Leigh. 😊
I think she spent the entire decade nude… 😂. I’m not mad about it, just sayin’. Lol. I did enjoy flesh and blood as well.
Did I catch a glimpse of Prisoners of the Lost Universe early in the video?
Hey there. Not by intent, as I was trying to stray from more sci-fi, but if it did get in there..SCORE
@GENXPERIENCE Prisoners of the Lost Universe goes where it wants to. It cares naught of your intentions.
So "The Sword and the Sorcerer" is where "The Legend of Zelda" sword beam spell comes from!!
Okay, that made SS even better. Who doest love Link? Thank you
Altho more Historical than Fantasy, Flesh & Blood also sits in my "Fantasy" movie collection
Close enough, right. I agree with you.
Sybil Danning was never in any good S&S movies but for some reason I found her compellingly memorable. One movie left out is the Italian made Hearts and Armor with Tanya Roberts from 1983. Kind of goofy retelling of Italian epic Orlando Furisoso but Barbara De Rossi is very fetching in her plate armor.
Interesting, I didn't know Tanya did a few Italian ones, too. Thanks for the info.
The biggest flaw of LADYHAWKE ... is the 80s electro music. That might have been a popular style at the time, but it doesnt fit the theme of such a movie. How much better would it be if you had a proper CLASSIC soundtrack for it? I can only hope someone tries to fix this ...
You might have just fixed it's longevity. Perhaps a new score when remastered would give it some love. Nice idea.
Sure, and maybe they could do the same for "Chariots of Fire" while they're at it? 🙄
Ladyhawke's score was an experiment with uneven results, but it does have its fans. And there were a LOT of big productions of the era that were experimenting with electronic music.
The German version of "The Neverending Story" doesn't use any of Giorgio Moroder's electronica. Don't even get me started on "Legend" (1985), which has two different scores, one orchestral, one electronic (by Tangerine Dream, no less). Oh, and..."Labyrinth." 'nuff said?
Yes, the score dates the picture, but then, so does a 22-year-old Matthew Broderick, who was only two years on from "WarGames" and a year ahead of "Ferris Bueller."
It works for what's on screen, and isn't that what it's all about?
So why didn't you have Krill and Legend on here?
I mention them both....you may have stopped watching by then.
@GENXPERIENCE just the mention at the end. That's why I brought those two up in particular. Two memorable movies, but without the sex portion.
@GENXPERIENCE great video by the way. I definitely watched to the end.
@@LandofMert76 I appreciate it really. I am a big fan of Krull, so I should have spent more time on it. Thanks for watching.
Wizards should be at the head of this list, even though it had no direct connection to D&D.
The "Lord of the Rings" by the same director though was SERIOUSLY hampered by it's short run time to try to cover the whole trilogy.
Even Jackson's TRILOGY had to cut some pieces. with more than 4 times the run time available.
Are you talking the 70s Wizards animated? I may not know the LIve Action one. Hmmm.
@@GENXPERIENCE Yes, the Ralph Blakshi (sp?) semi-animated.
Parts of it was "rotoscoped" or something like that, especially when dealing with "Blackwolf as a new Hitler".
@@bricefleckenstein9666 Wizards, and that character, Peace, were highly influential to me as a kid. They have a special place. I did an animated version of this topic one year ago...so that is why I did not spend anything more than a mention of this time. Please enjoy that one, too.
I, a "boomer", can't really remember that GenX was so high on consuming movies only from the POV of a slobbering tongue... rather from the adrenaline kick from the manliest of manly muscles of Arni & co. Conceded, there was an aspect of additional teasing for adolescents, but everybody knew how to take this stuff, as high powered advertising of protein shakes and bodybuilder studios. It's only up to the adoption of modern bigotry by GenXers, to follow the current narrative "everything is sex, aka sexist, aka toxic masculinity".
We are in a lot of trouble, if "modern" people don't stop judging earlier times through their narrow-minded, microscopic point of view.
You must have watched a different video....that's bananas.
@@GENXPERIENCE I'm not the one searching for "sex" with a microscope every couple of seconds, and no, a tight bikini doesn't make for a sex-movie, only from the pov of US prudishness or wokeness.
For 'educational' swords and sorcery Deathstalker and Deathstalker 2 are hard to match.
I know where you're coming from...and totally agree.
Saw all the Deathstalker films, but the one that really made it for me was D2. Funny as all hell, and it could only have been deliberately done. The outtakes at the end of the film added to its appeal for me
I would love a Ladyhawke remaster, with a different score. The synth score, though production period appropriate, just doesn't sit well in the film. Fantastic otherwise.
YOu are the second to note that, and I agree. Perhaps just a rescore!