Alien from LA. At least, the MST3K version. Though, I did see Alien from LA on HBO a few times before it got the MST3K treatment. I'm guessing Dollman was Brandon's favorite.
He Directed this Movie called Dangerously Close and It's Nothing like the Movies He's Known For...It proves that he was capable of doing different Genres...And That's why I Choose that one
I have been told by many people that Albert Pyun was a super cool guy, and totally loved what he did. He relished in low budget cinema, despite it's limitations. Sure. He would have liked more of a budget on his films. But he definitely did his best with what he had, showing just how creative him and his crew could be
I used to take the piss out of myself by saying shit along the lines of "my level as a filmmaker would have been Albert Pyun if I got into directing." But I was full of shit, because I would never have worked as hard as that guy. I'd have been really lucky to make anything as watchable as his filmography. Rest in Peace, Albert Pyun. Your stuff may not be high art, but it was sincere and distinct.
One has to wonder why he didn't do that again at any other point in the movie. That power would have come in real handy both times before getting stabbed.
That's because the 80s experimented with ANY concept, no matter how ridiculous or out there the concept was. Plus, you didn't have to worry about TOO many moral issues regarding derivative concepts and characterization, so filmmakers got away with a lot more stuff than they legally should have been able to. You'd NEVER be able to do something like that in current day.
Saw this in the theater with my older brothers and my mom. It turned out to be one of my mom's favorite movies and she would watch it once or twice every year. I think it had a lot to do with Lee Horsley playing the lead, since she was a fan of his TV show Matt Houston. When she passed my son got her VHS collection (several hundred tapes) and the well worn box of this one is in there.
Fun fact: My High School did a musical version of this film in 1986. I only wish someone had a VHS Camcorder to record this outstanding classic of a musical.
This is unabashedly one of my all-time favorite movies and I'm so happy you finally reviewed it! It has everything! Naked wenches, ridiculous weapons, Richard Moll in heavy makeup and an early Reb Brown! (Meaning Albert Pyun has worked with TWO Captain Americas!) The movie was a huge hit when released, 40 million against a 4 million budget, and Richard Lynch received the Saturn Award for supporting actor, but strangely never had a followup. Also, something about Cromwell's slave wench, she's really Talon's little sister. Yep, connect the dots from when she's captured at the beginning of the film to when she's grown up and kisses Talon. Apparently Pyun cribbed from Star Wars - only he knew they were siblings. 😂😂
@@mrwookie72 I assumed you just don't see him awkwardly pull the blades out of the bodies and stick them back on, but I imagine they do indeed grow out of the hilt...provided of course you feed it a steady supply of blood.
Never even knew Pyuns name until just before he passed away. Stuff like Sword and the Sorcerer, Nemesis, and Dollman were staples of my childhood rental sprees. Had to fill out those 5 movies for 5 days deals. Sword and the Sorcerer is a total gem.
As a kid who played D&D, I absolutely mainlined this movie on HBO in the early 80s every time it was on. Loved it and the way it went a bit against type in certain things you expected from a movie in this genre. And I liked how it wasn't afraid to indulge in a little bit of irreverent humor.
All of those plus Conan and Willow. A few other titles, that escape my overcrowded memories. Forever DM, with 25+ years running games. Man. We were spoiled; for imagination fuel back then, weren't we?
And don't forget Hawk the Slayer. Also, Dragon Slayer had the Best Dragon until maybe GoT ( 40 years! ) which gave her ( Vermathrax) a mention making her canon to the series.
My dad bought this movie on VHS when I was 10 and I watched it almost daily after school. No one even knew about the nudity until my grandma came into the living room one time and she freaked out. XD I guess I can say this movie is the reason for my love of the fantasy genre and womens' behinds.
I absolutely loved this movie as a kid. Watched it countless times and it delivers on so many levels. Violence, boobs, unexpected turns, boobs, gore, sexual innuendo, boobs...everything my eleven year old self dreamed of in a nice little package. A hearty contender for the Best Fantasy Film of the early 80s. As for his other films, I'd recommend Nemesis. RIP Albert Pyun, my heartfelt thanks for everything.
I saw it first run in the theaters. Yeah, it's cheesy, but the effects, costumes, and acting are good. It's a lot of fun. I was into D & D at the time, as well. I still think it's one of the best fantasy movies out there.
Same here, except for that last part. I enjoyed it, about on the same level as Krull, but I still don't count it as one of the best. Fun times - especially for a 10-year-old watching it in the theaters for the first time.
My dad, brother and myself saw this film at a small theater in my home town back in 1982. We were the only people there. We quipped out loud at it without fear of being told to be quiet. It was like MST3K before MST3K.
My favorite Lynch movie is Deathsport. Love the exchange with David Carridine when Lynch says "You aren't as good as your mother." "But I'm far better than you!"
Seems i remember Lynch was a villain in an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th century. And i definitely remember Richard Moll was in one episode as a henchman to Jerry Orbach, strangely.
Rest in peace. Legend. I unashamedly love this movie. Watched it so much as a kid. Even watched it recently from my 3 disc set that also includes Beast Master and Barbarian Queen.
I destroyed two VHS copies of this movie growing up because I watched it so much! I LOVED it! It was with Conan and Beastmaster part of my "Barbarian triple feature" I would watch to get me through the 80s. Thanks for finally doing a review of this film!!!!
Albert Pyun is in many ways a modern Ed Wood meets John Waters a true indie/gonzo film maker (He truly deserves so much more attention and respect! He’s legacy will live on for a very long time….. RIP Mr. Pyun 😢😢😢😢😢
You should review Hawk the Slayer. It's an 80's fantasy movie with everything, a dwarf, an elf, a bad ass sword wielding hero, and Jack Palance as the villain. Seriously.
I admit I've always been a sucker for the Ridiculously Famous Hero trope, where the hero has become incredibly well known off camera and most everyone who is anyone knows him and probably owes him their lives. Buckaroo Banzai also did this well.
This finally solves a personal mystery for me because I have a memory of being at my grandmother's house and my grandfather and an uncle or two were watching what must have been this movie. I only saw the scene in the dungeon of the sorcerer revealing himself and then we left. Recently, due to people talking about this director and his health, I began to suspect this must have been that movie. Seeing this episode finally solidified it. That is one less random haunting mystery.
I saw this roughly after release on cable, I thought it was great. A fun romp, great villains, and really felt like a D&D type adventure. I loved the triple sword with the firing blades. It was original and appealed to me.
I'm old enough have seen this movie in the theater, but I mostly remember it for a stuntman being killed during the filming. Stuntman Jack Tyree was killed when he jumped off a cliff and missed the airbags. The movie was dedicated to him of course in the credits. But didn't know about Richard Moll's trouble with the contacts, and how his later scenes where done by a stand-in and dubbed by Moll.
I watched all of those movies you listed in the beginning. Oliver Grunner was another Martial arts badass that doesn't get much recognition he deserves. Hell yes the "Goofy" scream. Tied for one if the best screams next to the "Wilheim" scream.
0:40 Is one of those flicks the closest we'll get to a STAR WARS: Shadows of the Empire movie? 3:38 I know Richard Moll as the voice of Two-Face from BATMAN:TAS 11:56 Could have used another Goofy scream, but that's just me. 19:05 So he had THAT weapon on him all along? Remember that Assassin's Creed joke you made earlier? Yeah, this movie actually looks badass! I might check it out.
My dad took us to watch this when it hit the theaters. I actually liked Lee Horsley from the TV series Nero Wolfe and later Matt Houston, so it was kinda neat seeing him here. Plus, the movie bucked expectations, which was a big deal (even to 10-year-old me) when every other movie was following all conventions. I'd actually owned this on Beta, VHS, and LaserDisc, even though I only ever just kinda liked it. Fun fact: Lee Horsley's Talon shows up in the sequel. He may not be the main character, but he's still there.
This film was actually pretty high budgeted, and it was spent well. The stuntman on Xuxia's cliff fall died in the attempt, only his death was cut out, as he missed the airbag.
Can we do Hawk the Slayer next please. The film that influenced Conan the Barbarian. Ok it didn’t, but was made before Conan and has the coolest magical sword.
That scene captures the whole sword & sorcery dark fantasy theme so well. Always thought highly of it since seeing it as a child, back when it creeped me out. Love that stuff.
In 1983, so the year following this film, the BBC broadcast a commerative Dr Who adventure called The Five Doctors. The plot culminates in the tomb of Rassilon (the founder of Time Lord society) and his sarcophagus also features the frantic, trapped (but mute) faces of previous Time Lords who were tempted by the promise of immortality, and who were trapped in his tomb forever as a result. Wonder if the script team had seen this film. No boobs sadly, but hey, that's stingy BBC budgets for you.
the story was pretty interesting, a tree way fight, the villian being paranoid the wizard going to take revenge. found it funny that that small army pretty much came out of nowhere to rescue the hero. i liked the scene where the wench died, her not caving in and having her tongue cut out and killing herself as the prisoners looked on helpless was heartbreaking, plus Cromwell wantingva fair fight was pretty cool as well.
The triple swords in this movie, the magic bow from Conquest, and the magical glaive from Krull are three of my favorite weapons fron the fantasy-genre movies of the '80s
I've covered the late 1970s-mid 80s fantasy boom on my godforsaken blog, and I concluded that the Conan films were a little too late to have had much impact either way. What I have considered very seriously as the precipitating event was of all things Disney's Black Cauldron. It may have come out even later than Conan the Destroyer, but it was in Development Hell so ridiculously long that a whole generation of scripts could have been greenlit on the assumption that it was about to stomp the box office.
Richard Moll wasn't the only actor contractually obligated to play bad guys in the 80s. Richard Lynch who played 'Cromwell' in this movie, consistently played villains (several of 'em in the Sword and Sorcery genre), throughout the decade.
Thanks for all the b-movies reviews : ) They bring back a lot of good memories of times with my dad and little brother. I remember watching this one in the theater when it was 1st released.
Brandon you Son of a Gun! You haven’t failed to deliver with these last five reviews. I look forward to the 90’s Captain America movie review movie one of these days.
i think this was (one of if not) the first film i rented out on vhs wheni was a 10year old kid and we got our first video recorder!! I still love it to this day, and its on youtube! have probably seen it at least a dozen times so far!!!!
I was always wondering who made cyborg and nemesis. This guy def formed some of the core memories of my first decade alive. Now id like to see some of his other work.
Growing up I saw this on HBO. We all thought it was Excalibur and were very disapointed when this came on instead. Still it was on so often you grew to love it.
Hey Brandon. I just wanted to say thank you for making these videos, but I do have one complaint, which is you need to double your output lol. You're one of the few on TH-cam I'm subscribed to, and I always look forward to your videos. Keep on keeping on, bud, and good luck to you. What's the name of the song you play at the end of your videos? I really like the bass, but don't know the song. Thanks again, hoss.
I think it's from the TH-cam Music Library (dunno if it's still called that) . I was surprised a few years ago when I found a completely different channel that also used it!
OMG, this one. I saw it as a die-hard 13-year-old D&D player when it first came out, and I thought it suuuucked. One bit of trivia I just learned though is that Kathleen Beller was the pretty girl in Godfather II that Genco has a crush on, the theater-owner's daughter with a couple of lines of (very badly-spoken) Italian in the "Senza Mamma" vaudeville skit. She's also been married to Thomas Dolby since 1988. What a life, huh?
The main problem is it's disjointed. It feels like scenes were deleted and information we needed to set up later scenes wasn't there. It was great fun.
0:20 I have "DOWN TWISTED" on my own VHS collection and bootleg DVD. That one, the one you're reviewing. and "RADIOACTIVE DREAMS" are the only best ones he's EVER made.
I always find it amusing/depressing that, aside from the sweet superspy sword, The Sword & the Sorcerer is genuinely more "Conan-style" than any of the official Conan movies have been.
I watched this movie as a child in the late 80's early 90's, never knew its name, thanks for doing this one i have been searching for years for the movie name!
The video "store" we used to rent movies at was actually the lobby of a real estate office (it was the early 80s and no one knew how to market VHS yet...I guess). Anyway, we must have rented this damn movie 50 times from that place (they even had a couple of posters for it).
This is one of those movies you see as a kid and liked, then forget about for 30 years. I remember it had the dude from the Matt Houston TV show. For anyone under 50, that show was like a poor man's Magnum PI.
If possible i would love to see you review the Swedish movies The brothers lionheart, The Land of Faraway and/or Ronja robber's daughter. These are all low budget fantasy movies based on the books of the renowned children book writer Astrid Lindgren. A lot of her works was adapted to live action, but all of it was filmed during the 70's and 80' and yet people still love these works and show it to their own kids. Despite being quite old and filmed very cheap these movies are still beloved in the hearts of many. Not only because it is well written books, but also because Lindgren did the Roald Dahl approach of not looking down at children, respecting their intelligence and knowing that children can handle scary themes.The brothers lionheart pretty much opens with the tragic death of 2 children and the movie itself got an impressive body count for a children's movie. I would love to see you review one of these if only to see the perspective from someone who might not have grown up with these works. The black bars might also finally get a vacation. Fun fact: The land of Faraway was Christian Bale's very first featured film, had a lot of similarities to Harry Potter to an almost plagiarizing extent, was filmed in Ukraine when the Chernobyl accident happened so members of the crew had to use Geiger counters on set and the main villain was played by Christopher Lee.
Sup Brandon Could you please do a video on the piranha series? I think they would be a good mine for this Channel (Like this comment of you agree that Brandon should do the piranha series)
I have been waiting for this review since the always! Grew up with this & every one of the "you saw these at [Blockbuster]" movies! Have to watch again, couldn't stop laughing & yelling OH YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHH I REMEMBER THAT! 😂 😎
Good man! I worked at a video store 93-95 when in high school. These movies and late night snacks were great. Thank you for going back and educating folks on these great movies.
What's your favorite Albert Pyun movie?
Brandon pins his own comments
Alien from LA. At least, the MST3K version. Though, I did see Alien from LA on HBO a few times before it got the MST3K treatment.
I'm guessing Dollman was Brandon's favorite.
N E M E S I S
Captain America.1990
He Directed this Movie called Dangerously Close and It's Nothing like the Movies He's Known For...It proves that he was capable of doing different Genres...And That's why I Choose that one
Fun fact: the opening narration was originally to be voiced by Oliver Reed, but he showed up drunk and trashed the director's office.
In fairness to Oliver, anyone casting him should've known in advance he'd show up drunk.
@@TheBrandonTenold They should have cast Oliver Reed's liver.
@@TheBrandonTenold I believe his role in "Oliver Twist" he wasn't acting, he just showed up and the director just kept his most "iconic" scenes
We just call that “being Oliver Reed”.
Oliver Reed showing up drunk,, say it ain't so
Respect for Richard Moll's professionalism and dedication to his craft.
I always remember him as Bull in Night Court. Best character in the show.
Richard Moll was the best part of many a low budget movie. Always quality.
Wasn’t he the voice of Two Face?
@@srstriker6420 Yes, he was.
I have been told by many people that Albert Pyun was a super cool guy, and totally loved what he did. He relished in low budget cinema, despite it's limitations. Sure. He would have liked more of a budget on his films. But he definitely did his best with what he had, showing just how creative him and his crew could be
I used to take the piss out of myself by saying shit along the lines of "my level as a filmmaker would have been Albert Pyun if I got into directing." But I was full of shit, because I would never have worked as hard as that guy. I'd have been really lucky to make anything as watchable as his filmography. Rest in Peace, Albert Pyun. Your stuff may not be high art, but it was sincere and distinct.
That scene where Xusia telekinetically rips a heart out is straight out of "People of the Black Circle" by R. E. Howard.
Legend says that scene gave Mola Ram an orgasm.😏
People are fans of the works of REH
@@jasonsantos3037 I would love a short God In the Bowl movie. A hour long Conan murder mystery.
One has to wonder why he didn't do that again at any other point in the movie. That power would have come in real handy both times before getting stabbed.
RIP Albert, enjoyed his movies a lot, and had just watched Radioactive Dreams with some friends the day before he died.
Pyun was the Asian equivalent to Roger Corman. A true film maverick
Rest in Power
Roger Corman was never a maverick. Ever.
Maverick or not look how much Roger Corman is celebrated today .
Pyun’s films were better made.
@@michaelsinger4638 Pyun had higher budgets. Much higher.
@@jonahfalcon1970 agreed. He fucked me out of a script.
One of my All-Time favorites! They just don't make movies like this anymore. The 80s was, hands down, the Golden Age of Pop Culture.
That's because the 80s experimented with ANY concept, no matter how ridiculous or out there the concept was. Plus, you didn't have to worry about TOO many moral issues regarding derivative concepts and characterization, so filmmakers got away with a lot more stuff than they legally should have been able to. You'd NEVER be able to do something like that in current day.
Saw this in the theater with my older brothers and my mom. It turned out to be one of my mom's favorite movies and she would watch it once or twice every year. I think it had a lot to do with Lee Horsley playing the lead, since she was a fan of his TV show Matt Houston.
When she passed my son got her VHS collection (several hundred tapes) and the well worn box of this one is in there.
That’s a great memory right there
Fun fact: My High School did a musical version of this film in 1986. I only wish someone had a VHS Camcorder to record this outstanding classic of a musical.
Nothing preventing you from "recreating" it with some friends? ;)
RIP Pyun, may you rest in B movie heaven, and may your legacy live on
The 3 bladed sword and the head vs grindstone scene are the two things I remembered from this 'so bad it's good' 80's bargain-bin classic.
This is unabashedly one of my all-time favorite movies and I'm so happy you finally reviewed it! It has everything! Naked wenches, ridiculous weapons, Richard Moll in heavy makeup and an early Reb Brown! (Meaning Albert Pyun has worked with TWO Captain Americas!) The movie was a huge hit when released, 40 million against a 4 million budget, and Richard Lynch received the Saturn Award for supporting actor, but strangely never had a followup. Also, something about Cromwell's slave wench, she's really Talon's little sister. Yep, connect the dots from when she's captured at the beginning of the film to when she's grown up and kisses Talon. Apparently Pyun cribbed from Star Wars - only he knew they were siblings. 😂😂
Richard Lynch was the best 80s bad guy
"Why does it feel like I'm kissing my brother?"
I loved this one as a kid. Swords, sorcery, hot chicks.... and of course the most ridiculous sword ever fashioned.
to this day i can't figure out what power the sword blade to launch like that. gunpowder would had blown the holder hand.
@@Marveryn yeah and no explanation for how the side blades are replaced either!! (Am presuming that they just magically "grow back" every day!!!! )
@@mrwookie72 I assumed you just don't see him awkwardly pull the blades out of the bodies and stick them back on, but I imagine they do indeed grow out of the hilt...provided of course you feed it a steady supply of blood.
Ridiculous and impractical
Good lord, that fact about Richard Moll's contacts might one of the most f'd up behind the scenes I've ever heard
Never even knew Pyuns name until just before he passed away. Stuff like Sword and the Sorcerer, Nemesis, and Dollman were staples of my childhood rental sprees. Had to fill out those 5 movies for 5 days deals. Sword and the Sorcerer is a total gem.
As a kid who played D&D, I absolutely mainlined this movie on HBO in the early 80s every time it was on. Loved it and the way it went a bit against type in certain things you expected from a movie in this genre. And I liked how it wasn't afraid to indulge in a little bit of irreverent humor.
At least lm not the only 80s kid who saw this because of D&D :)
Yeah, that one, Beastmaster, and Krull...
All of those plus Conan and Willow. A few other titles, that escape my overcrowded memories. Forever DM, with 25+ years running games. Man. We were spoiled; for imagination fuel back then, weren't we?
And don't forget Hawk the Slayer. Also, Dragon Slayer had the Best Dragon until maybe GoT ( 40 years! ) which gave her ( Vermathrax) a mention making her canon to the series.
Myself also with the d&d fantasy stuff. Also liked the boobs.
My dad bought this movie on VHS when I was 10 and I watched it almost daily after school. No one even knew about the nudity until my grandma came into the living room one time and she freaked out. XD
I guess I can say this movie is the reason for my love of the fantasy genre and womens' behinds.
I absolutely loved this movie as a kid. Watched it countless times and it delivers on so many levels. Violence, boobs, unexpected turns, boobs, gore, sexual innuendo, boobs...everything my eleven year old self dreamed of in a nice little package. A hearty contender for the Best Fantasy Film of the early 80s. As for his other films, I'd recommend Nemesis. RIP Albert Pyun, my heartfelt thanks for everything.
Yes, Nemesis was a fun movie and I wanted more, but the sequels to it were unrelated and terrible.
I dunno, coulda used more...uh...boobs.
I'd recommend KNIGHTS.
...Boobs, Snake, Boobs...
You forgot to mention boobs...
Nemesis actually showed in the theater by me! But I couldn't sneak in. :( I love that movie.
I was 15 when I saw this. It was perfect at the time.
Thanks as always to the king of sarcastic reviews.
That shot of Talon jumping into the battle with everything lit in read and all the actors just a silhouette of black looks so fucking good.
Being a 13 year old at the time, and being into D&D this move was glorious for a kid!
I saw it first run in the theaters. Yeah, it's cheesy, but the effects, costumes, and acting are good. It's a lot of fun. I was into D & D at the time, as well. I still think it's one of the best fantasy movies out there.
Same here, except for that last part. I enjoyed it, about on the same level as Krull, but I still don't count it as one of the best. Fun times - especially for a 10-year-old watching it in the theaters for the first time.
My dad, brother and myself saw this film at a small theater in my home town back in 1982. We were the only people there. We quipped out loud at it without fear of being told to be quiet. It was like MST3K before MST3K.
I'll always remember Richard Lynch (Cromwell in this movie) as Rostov in Invasion U.S.A. (my favorite Cannon movie).
My favorite Lynch movie is Deathsport. Love the exchange with David Carridine when Lynch says "You aren't as good as your mother."
"But I'm far better than you!"
Seems i remember Lynch was a villain in an episode of Buck Rogers in the 25th century.
And i definitely remember Richard Moll was in one episode as a henchman to Jerry Orbach, strangely.
Getting to see this movie was a birthday gift from my parents the year it came out, and its still a fun watch today.
Rest in peace. Legend. I unashamedly love this movie. Watched it so much as a kid. Even watched it recently from my 3 disc set that also includes Beast Master and Barbarian Queen.
Actually own a DVD copy of this, I know saying this is kinda sad but it's one of my most prized possessions. Watch it every couple of years.
Sad nothing! Let me know when and where and I'll bring snacks. Maybe make/get a 3 bladed cheese knife or something!
Same and finding the dvd and VHS copy was tedious
Found it at Great Escape used
Nashville, TN about 16 years ago...umm
$5.99😳
I also have this on DVD. I watch it about once a year. I love it. It has a certain charm and atmosphere.
I actually have the novelization. Bought it new when the movie came out.
I destroyed two VHS copies of this movie growing up because I watched it so much! I LOVED it! It was with Conan and Beastmaster part of my "Barbarian triple feature" I would watch to get me through the 80s. Thanks for finally doing a review of this film!!!!
Albert’s greatest legacy to the movie industry is that sci-fi B-movie lasers always make the sound
Pyun-pyun-pyun
This was one of my favorite movies as a kid.
Albert Pyun is in many ways a modern Ed Wood meets John Waters a true indie/gonzo film maker (He truly deserves so much more attention and respect! He’s legacy will live on for a very long time….. RIP Mr. Pyun 😢😢😢😢😢
My favorite movie as an 8 year old. After this I'm STILL your friend Brandon.
You should review Hawk the Slayer. It's an 80's fantasy movie with everything, a dwarf, an elf, a bad ass sword wielding hero, and Jack Palance as the villain. Seriously.
And magic ping-pong balls.
I admit I've always been a sucker for the Ridiculously Famous Hero trope, where the hero has become incredibly well known off camera and most everyone who is anyone knows him and probably owes him their lives. Buckaroo Banzai also did this well.
This finally solves a personal mystery for me because I have a memory of being at my grandmother's house and my grandfather and an uncle or two were watching what must have been this movie. I only saw the scene in the dungeon of the sorcerer revealing himself and then we left. Recently, due to people talking about this director and his health, I began to suspect this must have been that movie. Seeing this episode finally solidified it. That is one less random haunting mystery.
I saw this roughly after release on cable, I thought it was great. A fun romp, great villains, and really felt like a D&D type adventure. I loved the triple sword with the firing blades. It was original and appealed to me.
I'm old enough have seen this movie in the theater, but I mostly remember it for a stuntman being killed during the filming. Stuntman Jack Tyree was killed when he jumped off a cliff and missed the airbags. The movie was dedicated to him of course in the credits. But didn't know about Richard Moll's trouble with the contacts, and how his later scenes where done by a stand-in and dubbed by Moll.
I watched all of those movies you listed in the beginning.
Oliver Grunner was another Martial arts badass that doesn't get much recognition he deserves.
Hell yes the "Goofy" scream.
Tied for one if the best screams next to the "Wilheim" scream.
And then they apparently goat-fucked the sequels.
Yes, yes they did
Rip albert pyun ... thank you for make some of my favorite b movies of all time . U will be missed by many 😢
*that Jump into the crowd is the most badass scene ever in film history*
Go ahead ... say otherwise!
Oh my gosh! I LOVED this movie when I was a kid. I totally forgot about it.
0:40 Is one of those flicks the closest we'll get to a STAR WARS: Shadows of the Empire movie?
3:38 I know Richard Moll as the voice of Two-Face from BATMAN:TAS
11:56 Could have used another Goofy scream, but that's just me.
19:05 So he had THAT weapon on him all along? Remember that Assassin's Creed joke you made earlier?
Yeah, this movie actually looks badass! I might check it out.
My dad took us to watch this when it hit the theaters. I actually liked Lee Horsley from the TV series Nero Wolfe and later Matt Houston, so it was kinda neat seeing him here. Plus, the movie bucked expectations, which was a big deal (even to 10-year-old me) when every other movie was following all conventions.
I'd actually owned this on Beta, VHS, and LaserDisc, even though I only ever just kinda liked it.
Fun fact: Lee Horsley's Talon shows up in the sequel. He may not be the main character, but he's still there.
This film was actually pretty high budgeted, and it was spent well.
The stuntman on Xuxia's cliff fall died in the attempt, only his death was cut out, as he missed the airbag.
Can we do Hawk the Slayer next please. The film that influenced Conan the Barbarian. Ok it didn’t, but was made before Conan and has the coolest magical sword.
Hawk the Slayer's rubbish!
When I was a kid in the 80's, this was on HBO quite a bit and that wall of faces haunted me for a week. lol
That scene captures the whole sword & sorcery dark fantasy theme so well. Always thought highly of it since seeing it as a child, back when it creeped me out. Love that stuff.
That scene of the coffin with the moving faces reminds me the ending of the Anime Berserk... WOW! Great work as always Brandon!
Reminds me of Freddy Krueger
In 1983, so the year following this film, the BBC broadcast a commerative Dr Who adventure called The Five Doctors. The plot culminates in the tomb of Rassilon (the founder of Time Lord society) and his sarcophagus also features the frantic, trapped (but mute) faces of previous Time Lords who were tempted by the promise of immortality, and who were trapped in his tomb forever as a result. Wonder if the script team had seen this film.
No boobs sadly, but hey, that's stingy BBC budgets for you.
the story was pretty interesting, a tree way fight, the villian being paranoid the wizard going to take revenge. found it funny that that small army pretty much came out of nowhere to rescue the hero. i liked the scene where the wench died, her not caving in and having her tongue cut out and killing herself as the prisoners looked on helpless was heartbreaking, plus Cromwell wantingva fair fight was pretty cool as well.
The stock footage at 3:09 comes from The Court Jester, my favorite Danny Kaye movie.
Bro i have been waiting for this! Saw this in the theaters as a kid and was scarred for life. Gonna enjoy this.
The triple swords in this movie, the magic bow from Conquest, and the magical glaive from Krull are three of my favorite weapons fron the fantasy-genre movies of the '80s
You're so good at spotting actors in these movies! At least when their name is in the credits! 😁
Omg thank you! I've been trying to find this movie forever. I remember watching it as a kid but never knew what it's name was!
One of my favorite Sword and Sorcery movie from the '80's ...
The screaming tomb made out of faces is literally in Kentaro Miuras "Berserk." The blue eyed one s the behêlit in the story. That was very unexpected.
Albert Pyun put out some awesome movies. Very underrated director.
My dad and I just watched this movie, we laughed so hard at one of the characters being named Crackus.
This movie feels more like a parody of fantasy epic than anything else.
I've covered the late 1970s-mid 80s fantasy boom on my godforsaken blog, and I concluded that the Conan films were a little too late to have had much impact either way. What I have considered very seriously as the precipitating event was of all things Disney's Black Cauldron. It may have come out even later than Conan the Destroyer, but it was in Development Hell so ridiculously long that a whole generation of scripts could have been greenlit on the assumption that it was about to stomp the box office.
Ah yeah, some '80s sword & sorcery cheese!
Need more! 😊
Richard Moll wasn't the only actor contractually obligated to play bad guys in the 80s. Richard Lynch who played 'Cromwell' in this movie, consistently played villains (several of 'em in the Sword and Sorcery genre), throughout the decade.
Yes I do remember watching this movie quite a bit on HBO back in the day.
Thanks for all the b-movies reviews : ) They bring back a lot of good memories of times with my dad and little brother.
I remember watching this one in the theater when it was 1st released.
I love this move, this was so scary when it just came out. Tales of an Ancient Empire looks like a Hercules: The Legendary Journeys movie
ToAE wasnt that good!
Tales was disappointing compared to this film.
The Sword And The Sorcerer is one of my All-Time Favorite Films! My list also includes Beastmaster and Legend! R.I.P. Albert Pyun!
Pyun's films were my gateway to b action movies. Loved his stuff, may he rest in peace.
Brandon you Son of a Gun! You haven’t failed to deliver with these last five reviews. I look forward to the 90’s Captain America movie review
movie one of these days.
The bald guy from Murphy Brown was also in "Missing" with Sissy Spacek and Jack Lemon. Quite a career for a character actor.
The jailer (the guy who dies via grindstone) is Robert Tessier. He played Chief Thor in Starcrash.
Saw this about one BILLION times on HBO. It was on CONSTANTLY.
And if it wasn't this, it was Beastmaster.
@@jasonblalock4429 And let’s not forget Hawk the Slayer.
@@johnglue1744 I never saw Hawk the Slayer once on HBO. I think you're confusing HBO with Cinemax.
i think this was (one of if not) the first film i rented out on vhs wheni was a 10year old kid and we got our first video recorder!! I still love it to this day, and its on youtube! have probably seen it at least a dozen times so far!!!!
"He died this earlier this year"
> damn
"at the age of 69"
> nice
"He died at the age of giggity".
That scene where the Socerer splits his outer skin in two, has lived rent free in my subconscious for 40yrs.
I was always wondering who made cyborg and nemesis. This guy def formed some of the core memories of my first decade alive. Now id like to see some of his other work.
Growing up I saw this on HBO. We all thought it was Excalibur and were very disapointed when this came on instead. Still it was on so often you grew to love it.
Watched this again just the other day. Great movie. 👍 👍👍👍. This along with krull and hawk the slayer. Great childhood memories
"veiled in the mists of legendry" is a quote from the Robert E Howard Conan pulps.
3:14 love how you can tell there’s just three guys off screen throwing flowers past the camera
Hey Brandon. I just wanted to say thank you for making these videos, but I do have one complaint, which is you need to double your output lol. You're one of the few on TH-cam I'm subscribed to, and I always look forward to your videos. Keep on keeping on, bud, and good luck to you.
What's the name of the song you play at the end of your videos? I really like the bass, but don't know the song. Thanks again, hoss.
I think it's from the TH-cam Music Library (dunno if it's still called that) . I was surprised a few years ago when I found a completely different channel that also used it!
OMG, this one. I saw it as a die-hard 13-year-old D&D player when it first came out, and I thought it suuuucked. One bit of trivia I just learned though is that Kathleen Beller was the pretty girl in Godfather II that Genco has a crush on, the theater-owner's daughter with a couple of lines of (very badly-spoken) Italian in the "Senza Mamma" vaudeville skit. She's also been married to Thomas Dolby since 1988. What a life, huh?
I watched this movie for the time back in October. It's a really good film.
The main problem is it's disjointed. It feels like scenes were deleted and information we needed to set up later scenes wasn't there.
It was great fun.
@@dbsommers1 I didn't feel that when watching it. But, looking back I can see that.
@ 1:40 Richard Moll is in this movie? Bull Shannon from the 1980's sitcom 'Night Court'? I like it already.
Damn Cyborg was and always will be a classic
0:20 I have "DOWN TWISTED" on my own VHS collection and bootleg DVD. That one, the one you're reviewing. and "RADIOACTIVE DREAMS" are the only best ones he's EVER made.
I always find it amusing/depressing that, aside from the sweet superspy sword, The Sword & the Sorcerer is genuinely more "Conan-style" than any of the official Conan movies have been.
I watched this movie as a child in the late 80's early 90's, never knew its name, thanks for doing this one i have been searching for years for the movie name!
Imagine a timeline where Moll was the voice of Darth Vader that would be great
I like moll, but there is no way his voice is anywhere near Jones'.
@@chrisbaker8533 But he was perfect as Two-Face.
Could you do 1981 Caveman? Might not be up your alley, but it is different.
Zug zug
Agreed! It's one of those movies that people think was a weird dream because no one ever shows it! Ringo Starr as a caveman. Yep, it happened! LOL
The video "store" we used to rent movies at was actually the lobby of a real estate office (it was the early 80s and no one knew how to market VHS yet...I guess). Anyway, we must have rented this damn movie 50 times from that place (they even had a couple of posters for it).
Surprising how many fantasy things Kevin Sorbo has been in. The Hercules series, God's not Dead... What? That is a fantasy movie right?
It had the Duck Dynasty guy speak coherently and sound well informed. Sounds like fantasy to me.
This is one of those movies you see as a kid and liked, then forget about for 30 years. I remember it had the dude from the Matt Houston TV show. For anyone under 50, that show was like a poor man's Magnum PI.
This sort of felt like a live action Berserk movie.
I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, Brandon!
You can't offer to have sex with someone and not have it be consensual...
If possible i would love to see you review the Swedish movies The brothers lionheart, The Land of Faraway and/or Ronja robber's daughter. These are all low budget fantasy movies based on the books of the renowned children book writer Astrid Lindgren. A lot of her works was adapted to live action, but all of it was filmed during the 70's and 80' and yet people still love these works and show it to their own kids.
Despite being quite old and filmed very cheap these movies are still beloved in the hearts of many. Not only because it is well written books, but also because Lindgren did the Roald Dahl approach of not looking down at children, respecting their intelligence and knowing that children can handle scary themes.The brothers lionheart pretty much opens with the tragic death of 2 children and the movie itself got an impressive body count for a children's movie.
I would love to see you review one of these if only to see the perspective from someone who might not have grown up with these works.
The black bars might also finally get a vacation.
Fun fact: The land of Faraway was Christian Bale's very first featured film, had a lot of similarities to Harry Potter to an almost plagiarizing extent, was filmed in Ukraine when the Chernobyl accident happened so members of the crew had to use Geiger counters on set and the main villain was played by Christopher Lee.
Sup Brandon
Could you please do a video on the piranha series? I think they would be a good mine for this Channel
(Like this comment of you agree that Brandon should do the piranha series)
I have been waiting for this review since the always! Grew up with this & every one of the "you saw these at [Blockbuster]" movies! Have to watch again, couldn't stop laughing & yelling OH YEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHHH I REMEMBER THAT! 😂 😎
Good man! I worked at a video store 93-95 when in high school. These movies and late night snacks were great. Thank you for going back and educating folks on these great movies.