80s Sword & Sorcery
The 80s fantasy craze and the films worth watching
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- DirectorJohn MiliusStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerJames Earl JonesMax von SydowA powerful warrior seeks to avenge the genocide of his people and the murder of his parents at the hands of a snake cult.This is the film that set it all off. Perfectly cast, perfectly directed. It deviates from the Melancholic Cimmerian of Robert E Howard, but it in its stead is a solid and well made film.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerGrace JonesOlivia d'AboConan leads a ragtag group of adventurers on a quest for a princess.A rushed and ill conceived sequel. CtB emphasized the Ubermensch qualities of Nietzsche over the expected Hyborian fantasy, so CtD just frontloaded with the expected fantasy tropes. It lacks the raw energy of CtB but has its fun moments.
- DirectorRichard FleischerStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerBrigitte NielsenSandahl BergmanThe fearless warrior Red Sonja sets out to avenge her family's murder and rid her kingdom from the tyrannical rule of evil Queen Gedren.Let me be clear, this movie is awful. The plot, the acting, the entire production is crap. But its the last of Arnold in the Sword and Sorcery genre (for now) and while its NOT Conan 3, it tries to be.
- DirectorDon CoscarelliStarsMarc SingerTanya RobertsRip TornA sword-and-sorcery fantasy about a young man's search for revenge. Armed with supernatural powers, the handsome hero and his animal allies wage war against marauding forces.One of the most successful (relatively) of the Barbarian clones, it's got a cult following today, and deservedly so. It has nothing to do with Andre Norton's 1959 novel, but that's not a bad thing. It got a sequel that is in no way worth mentioning, as well as a third film and a television series, all of which are disposable.
- DirectorPeter YatesStarsKen MarshallLysette AnthonyFreddie JonesA prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet, Krull.Krull became a strange pastiche of Star Wars "Space Opera" and the planetary romance of Burroughs. It relied on the post-modern indetermination of the previous film genres. Defiinitely love it or hate it, but I can't help but love it.
- DirectorAlbert PyunStarsLee HorsleyKathleen BellerSimon MacCorkindaleA mercenary with a three-bladed sword rediscovers his royal heritage's dangerous future when he is recruited to help a princess foil the designs of a brutal tyrant and a powerful sorcerer in conquering a land.Another rapidly produced ripoff of Conan and previous Sword & Sandals epics. It's a strange one. Come for the 3 bladed projectile sword and stay for Jack Palance at his *beep*
- DirectorFritz KierschStarsUrbano BarberiniRebecca FerrattiJack PalanceAmerican professor Tarl Cabot is transported via a magical ring to planet Gor, where he must help an oppressed country overthrow its evil king and his barbarian henchmen.A late addition to the Barbarian clones, fitting more into the planetary romance. It's fun, it's trite, and it can easily be passed over.
- DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsNoah HathawayBarret OliverTami StronachA troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.One of the great fantasy films before the LotR trilogy, it manages to spark that childish subset of fantasy that speaks to your earliest ideas of what fantasy could be. At least for me.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsTom CruiseMia SaraTim CurryA young man must stop the Lord of Darkness from destroying daylight and marrying the woman he loves.Ridley Scott directs a young Tom Cruise and Tim Curry at his most Satanic. It to this day is just jaw dropping.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsMatthew BroderickRutger HauerMichelle PfeifferThe thief Gaston escapes the dungeon of medieval Aquila through the latrine. Soldiers are about to kill him when Navarre saves him. Navarre, traveling with his spirited hawk, plans to kill the bishop of Aquila with help from Gaston.Other films in this period tend to be set in a timeless bronze age milieu where iron and steel are the lightsabers of their time. Ladyhawke moved this forward to a Medieval European setting while still retaining the timeless otherworldy quality. Also, the only film in which I can stomach Matthew Broderick.
- DirectorMatthew RobbinsStarsPeter MacNicolCaitlin ClarkeRalph RichardsonA young wizarding apprentice is sent to kill a dragon which has been devouring girls from a nearby kingdom.An incredible epic, unfairly forgotten. The special effects unnervingly stand up to this day, and the simple tale hearkens to a heroic time. It manages to blend magic with an early iron age culture so seamlessly.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsVal KilmerJoanne WhalleyWarwick DavisA young farmer is chosen to undertake a perilous journey in order to protect a special baby from an evil queen.George Lucas' Willow was, for all intents and purposes, the endpiece to the 80s fantasy renaissance. It eschews the shirtless barbarians of Conan and Beastmaster in favor of a Star Wars/Hidden Fortress approach of telling an epic story from the lowest perspective. Mad Mardigan is great.