S&S in Film & Television

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Posts regarding S&S films & TV series (are there any?) should be posted here.

[[deleted user]]

Well, just watched SOLOMON KANE - though not a very well-educated SK reader, I did think it a good movie (outside one badly edited big scene splice), one of the best dark fantasy sword slashers I've seen. I realize many reviews I've read by SK fans aren't happy with it, but by and large I think it did a far better job than the latest Conan movie did.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as Conan (~2015 "Legend of Conan" movie). Multiple news sources claim it will ignore the silly Conan The Destroyer and poorly produced 2010 Conan reboot (with Jason Momoa, who did okay but not well enough to compensate for other issues)...in other words, the 2015 movie is being designed as a direct sequel to the 1982 Conan the Barbarian.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

I read about this on Black Gate. I'm really interested to see where this goes. My only fear is that Schwarzenegger's performance will overshadow "Conan", and instead of a good S&S film we'll be watching a nostalgic homage to the muscular action hero of the '90s. Fingers crossed that there is going to be a solid script behind this.
An upcoming film I've spotted and I'm curious about, is the Norwegian "Escape".
It looks like a series of more-or-less S&S styled films, like "13th Warrior", "Black Death", "Centurion" or even "Valhalla Rising"...

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Rogue Blades wrote: "Well, just watched SOLOMON KANE - though not a very well-educated SK reader, I did think it a good movie (outside one badly edited big scene splice), one of the best dark fantasy sword slashers I'v..."
In many ways Solomon Kane reminded me of Milius' Conan. Both movies adapted Howard's stories loosely but delivered a solid film.

[Charles]

If anything is as good as the 13th warrior I want to seeit.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Quite possibly of Sword & Sorcery interest, the trailer for "Hammer Of The Gods" debuted today.
According to Imdb: "a passionate young man transform into a brutal warrior as he travels the unforgiving landscape in search of his long lost brother Hakan The Ferrocious, whose people are relying on him to restore order to their kingdom.

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

It's a total parody, but I have a great fondness for
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire .

And a great fondness for Thundarr the Barbarian, come to think of it.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Joseph wrote: "It's a total parody, but I have a great fondness for Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire .And a great fondness for Thundarr the Barbarian, come to think of it."

I really liked the Kröd Mändoon pilot. Also, you might like Korgoth of Barbaria.

[Robin]

If you have a high tolerance for schlock, the Roger Corman's Cult Classics Sword And Sorcery Collection DVD set is pretty fun and readily available.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Phil wrote: "If you have a high tolerance for schlock, the Roger Corman's Cult Classics Sword And Sorcery Collection DVD set is pretty fun and readily available."

I really enjoyed most of these films on DVD or VHS. In fact The Warrior And The Sorceress was a really good Yojimbo rip-off. Out of these four, I think only Deathstalker II was quite unbearable to watch...

[Robin]

Deathstalker II's blatant recycling of Deathstalker I footage (the orc/pig-man, the skinny guy with the horned helmet eating at the pub) was pretty amusing.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Phil wrote: "Deathstalker II's blatant recycling of Deathstalker I footage (the orc/pig-man, the skinny guy with the horned helmet eating at the pub) was pretty amusing."

I think you'll enjoy a 2003 film, titled Barbarian. It's a Roger Corman production, somehow retrofitted around the first Deathstalker film (the palace scene near the ending of the original film takes place in this movie's background at some point).

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

Periklis wrote: "I really liked the Kröd Mändoon pilot. Also, you might like Korgoth of Barbaria."

Thanks for pointing that out. I vaguely remember hearing about Korgoth back in, I suppose it would've been 2005 or thereabouts, but then it dropped off my radar. The episode was kind of amusing, but I'm also not too surprised it didn't get picked up.

I'm not saying it's a good sword & sorcery film, but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Beastmaster yet. It was another of my formative films back in the day.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Joseph wrote: "I'm not saying it's a good sword & sorcery film, but I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Beastmaster yet. It was another of my formative films back in the day."

I really enjoyed Beastmaster. That and The Sword and the Sorcerer.

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

It's not actually sword & sorcery, but I could see the Hong Kong movie Dragon Inn being turned into a sword & sorcery story with minimal surgery. To quote IMDB:

During the Ming Dynasty, Tsao Sui Yan, the power-hungry and ruthless eunuch leader of East Chamber, craves his own kingdom. He intends on destroying the rebelling clans by using a traitorous secretary's children as bait. Ultimately, the two warring factions - the rebels led by Chow Wai-on and Mo-yan Yau, the East Chamber led by Tsao - end up in the rundown Dragon Inn right in the middle of the desert. Jade King, the beautiful owner and proprietor of Dragon Inn, hopes to cash in on the incident. But problems arise when Wai-on, desperate for the quickest route of escape, attempts to marry Jade in hopes of prying her for information; and the two clans go head-to-head in a no-holds barred finale battle.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Indeed, most Wuxia films could be considered (the Eastern equivalent of) S&S cinema. I'm thinking of the recent Detective Dee (who reminded me of W.H. Hodson's Carnacki character). Perhaps what doesn't make those films S&S on first glance, is the "epic" scale of them. On Dragon Inn, in particular, there are three versions of the same story (Dragon Gate Inn (1967), New Dragon Gate Inn (1991) and the recent Flying Swords of Dragon Gate 3D) and each of them takes a step towards "widescreen" epic.
King Hu's (director of the first Dragon Gate Inn) films feel more S&S , mostly due to the morally tormented characters. I'd highly recommend Come Drink With Me (1966) and Touch of Zen.

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

Yes, I've seen both Come Drink With Me and Touch of Zen (thanks to Netflix) and really enjoyed them. The Dragon Inn version I've seen was the one from 1991 -- I could easily have seen it as a story by Karl Edward Wagner or something where the two opposing parties are trapped in the Inn, both trying to avoid being recognized, and the night is filled with all manner of skullduggery and treachery.

I'll have to see if I can track down the other two versions.

[Robin]

Hand-painted sword & sorcery movie posters from Ghana

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Phil wrote: "Hand-painted sword & sorcery movie posters from Ghana"

Interesting link Phil, thanks for sharing. Funny thing is, the last painting (the "Deathstalker 1") looks almost like a hagiography painting (painting of a holy patron)...

[Sean]

Just found this episode of a radio show in TuneIn Radio

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/programs/movie...

Movies on the Radio: Sword and Sorcery

A pretty fun listen through various Sword and Sorcery soundtracks with a decent host.

[Dan]

Fire and Ice is the most essential S&S film other than the original Conan: The Barbarian. It's a cartoon with character designs by Frank Frazetta and animated by Ralph Bakshi and co.

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

OK, this thread has been pretty quiet of late ... Has anybody else been watching Vikings? I think it airs on the History channel but I've been watching it via Netflix. Not much sorcery but plenty of dudes bashing each other with swords (and axes and spears and arrows and ...). Reminds me that I have yet to read Eric Brighteyes.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Joseph wrote: "OK, this thread has been pretty quiet of late ... Has anybody else been watching Vikings? I think it airs on the History channel but I've been watching it via Netflix. Not much sorcery but plent..."

Joseph, I am a Netflix'er too (DVD type). Instead of getting sucked into Vikings, I am readying for Game of Thrones season-3 which is issued in 3days (Feb 18 2014). That should cover me for a few weeks.

Did you see the movies Valhalla Rising or Hammer of the Gods? You probably did....but if not...they are "recent" Viking movies that are ~90% Sword and 10% Weird Myth ("Sorcery" would be a stretch).

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Dan wrote: "Fire and Ice is the most essential S&S film other than the original Conan: The Barbarian. It's a cartoon with character designs by Frank Frazetta and animated by Ralph Bakshi and co."

Dan, another Ralph Bakshi favorite is "Wizards." I just watched that again this past weekend. Sword & Sorcery with a bit of "technology" thrown in. Have you seen that?

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

S.E. wrote: "Did you see the movies Valhalla Rising or Hammer of the Gods? You probably did....but if not...they are "recent" Viking movies that are ~90% Sword and 10% Weird Myth ("Sorcery" would be a stretch)."

I did see Valhalla Rising; just added Hammer of the Gods to my queue. I also need to get caught up on Game of Thrones, now that you mention it. Vikings is definitely worth checking out when you get a chance.

And speaking of animation ... Berserk is also worth checking out -- kind of a Japanese take on western heroic fantasy.

[Phil]

'Eric Brighteyes' is a good one - but could I recommend his 'The World's Desire'? Haggard co-wrote it with Andrew Lang the folklorist and it makes the book much different in style from Haggard's usual prose.

[Joseph, Master Ultan]

Phil wrote: "'Eric Brighteyes' is a good one - but could I recommend his 'The World's Desire'? Haggard co-wrote it with Andrew Lang the folklorist and it makes the book much different in style from Haggard's ..."

I've already read World's Desire during one of my previous Ballantine Adult Fantasy read-throughs (and will do so again when I reach that point in the list on my current run) but otherwise an excellent suggestion!

Another great Viking novel, now available after about 80 years out of print, is Styrbiorn the Strong by E.R. Eddison.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Joseph wrote: "And speaking of animation ... Berserk is also worth checking out -- kind of a Japanese take on western heroic fantasy..."

Beserk does look good. This thread inspired me to make another IMDB list (just started this one today) Sword & Sorcery TV Series: http://www.imdb.com/list/wXBRtsvsDj0/

Will need input on that one to expand it!

Another list is dedicated to movies: Sword and Sorcery: Past and Future Listings: http://www.imdb.com/list/TuXvLT7s874/

The IMDB lists are useful, especially with the right-side-bar that filters the list and shows where to stream them online.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Just two upcoming movies I've spotted, probably of marginal S&S interest...

Last Knights / Trailer

The Last Witchhunter / Trailer

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

"The stirring of ancient magic has awakened the Black Goddess of the South Gates. Sacrifices of flesh and fire have given her power to take human form to walk among the living as a demigod. All around her the Old World is being destroyed by a violent New Age. She calls upon a Witch to search the forests for a slain warrior and resurrects him with a Shroud of Sacrifice. Yet, she does not wage war against her enemies, and instead sends the warrior into battle with other demigods of the Old World. He is sent to defeat them, to take their powers, to become her Champion, her undead Knight... to become the destroyer of symbols; the Iconoclast."

Iconoclast (2012) / Trailer

[Charles]

Sound good

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

Charles wrote: "Sound good"

Fingers crossed Charles!
The sword choreography looks reaaaally slow... ;(

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

"Back in 1980, George Lucas wanted a film to play with Empire Strikes Back in the UK and ended up commissioning then art director Roger Christian to make it. Christian, who had set-directed Star Wars, and art-directed both Alien and Monty Python’s The Life Of Brian, made the short film in Scotland and titled it Black Angel. The film is a swords-and-sorcery tale of a knight traversing a plague-stricken land with many elements of dream imagery and mythical archetypes woven throughout."

Watch it here.

[S.E., Gray Mouser (Emeritus)]

Perikilis, thanks for sharing. Black Angel is a nice short film. Its influence on Excalibur is obvious... The trippy quest and musical score in particular. Great find.

[Periklis, Fafhrd (Emeritus)]

There is a new S&S tv series coming out from ITV network.
Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands is based on the epic poem but seems willing to break new ground also. Video gamers will probably be reminded of Skyrim, due mostly to the architecture in the show but also the ambient cave crawling.

The first episode airs in the UK on January 3 and in the United States on January 23rd.

Trailer

[Dan]

I'm curious how many here have seen Fritz Lang's Siegfriend and Kriemhild's Revenge? Two connected silent films based on The Nibelungenlied. They have a definite sword & sorcery feel to them. Very dark and fantastic. Absolutely beautiful cinematography and set design (which if you are familiar with Fritz Lang should come as no surprise). Unfortunately they are the only two films I know of this style, and I wish they weren't. But I can't recommend them more.