10 Sword and Sorcery Movies of the 80s

[00:00:00][music] >> In the 1980s, the sword and sorcery genre really took off in the world of cinema.

[00:00:08]Yes, sword and sorcery movies had existed before the decade and since then, but the '80s seemed to be when the genre really thrived, creating hit after hit after hit. Indeed, the sword and sorcery movies of the 1980s really were the gold standard of these types of movies. So, today we're going to explore 10 iconic sword and sorcery movies of that decade in the order of when they were released to try and tell a story of this genre's growth and development throughout that decade to understand how it grew and thrived. So, get ready to see many humbled warriors who are seemingly at first out of their league but still destined for greatness go on quests to stop a larger-than-life tyrannical evil. [music] Seriously, these movies had a lot of quests, where along the way we'll see a ragtag group of heroes travel across fairytale landscapes, aka across Europe, the UK, or sets built on the 007 sound stage. Oh, and often helpless damsels in distress who need rescuing from the evil antagonist are often thrown in for good measure. So, get ready to frequently hear me say that although these movies weren't financial hits when they were released, they would go on to become cult movies as we check it out.

[00:01:25]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Number 10, Dragonslayer.

[00:02:02]In 1980, Paramount Pictures and Disney teamed up to create a movie based on Popeye. The following year in 1981, the two powerhouse movie studios decided to team up again to give us Dragonslayer, a movie foaming at the brim with dark fairy tale atmosphere and special effects that were very impressive for its time. So, if you ever wanted to see Janosz from Ghostbusters 2 slay a dragon, then this is the movie for you.

[00:02:29]Where Peter MacNicol plays a sorcerer's apprentice called Galen, who must set out to destroy an evil ancient dragon called Vermithrax Peridoritava, who frequently requires the sacrifice of young virgin girls because, [music] I guess dragons have to have a hobby.

[00:02:45]Seriously though, if this dragon was alive and doing this now, he's bound to be canceled before you even know it.

[00:02:52]Okay, well technically this was all part of a corrupt lottery system by the kingdom in order to appease the dragon with virgins so it would leave the rest of the village alone. Yeah, it doesn't sound like a great scheme, does it?

[00:03:04]The movie was the brainchild of writer-director Matthew Robbins, who at that time was a frequent collaborator of Steven Spielberg's. And his inspiration for the movie was the apprentice scene from the Disney movie Fantasia. And Dragonslayer used the services of the newly formed at that time George Lucas special effects company Industrial Light & Magic, which I believe made it the first movie outside Star Wars that the company would provide special effects for. With Industrial Light & Magic alumni Phil Tippett working on the effects.

[00:03:38]The shoot for the movie took place in North Wales and Scotland. And Dragonslayer was also quite controversial for a Disney movie, especially at that time, thanks to its use of violence and nudity. But hey, Mickey Mouse was going to hit puberty sooner or later, right? Despite the movie's impressive presentation and loyal fan base, it was a flop upon its release, apparently due to audiences being confused as it was marketed as a family movie, but it was actually a lot more darker and more grown-up than that.

[00:04:10]But, Dragonslayer is still a good time, [music] and it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Special Effects, but lost to Raiders of the Lost Ark.

[00:04:21]Number nine, Excalibur.

[00:04:24]>> [music] >> Also in 1981, Excalibur came out, which chronicles the life and times of King [music] Arthur. This medieval dark fantasy is a haunting exploration [music] of the Arthurian legend, where Arthur pulls the sword Excalibur from the stone, and guided by the sorcerer Merlin, he becomes king, where he unites Britain and forms Camelot. However, as king, he must face many foes and betrayals, some of which have truly devastating consequences. The movie doesn't shy away from violence and nudity, so naturally it became an instant classic and a top-tier sword and sorcery movie. I can remember the first time I watched it and thought to myself, "Damn, this movie's really randy.

[00:05:08]There's so much spicy tango going on."

[00:05:11]Back in medieval times, those Brits sure did like playing bury the spotted dick.

[00:05:16]I've done that joke before.

[00:05:18]But above all, Excalibur would also be really creepy and disturbing, which doesn't shy away from shocking visuals.

[00:05:26]>> [music] >> As it explores the dark arts and witchcraft, and doesn't sugarcoat the story or Hollywood-ize it. It's dark, dirty, and gritty. The movie came to be because British filmmaker John Boorman was originally working on a movie of Lord of the Rings, but as that production went on, the Lord of the Rings aspect completely crashed and evolved into being a movie about King Arthur, of which the movie, interestingly, was originally called The Knights of King Arthur. Then it was called Merlin until finally it got its title of Excalibur. There was one problem though, Boorman needed funds to get Excalibur off the ground and he had just directed Zardoz, which was a massive flop, so he won't be getting any help there. So, he directed The Exorcist II: The Heretic in order to get funds to film Excalibur. Yes, I guess we all had to go through one terrible movie to get a great one. Exorcist II may be a steaming pile of demonic [ __ ] but, you know, look, it did at least generate the funds for Excalibur.

[00:06:28]The movie was filmed entirely in Ireland and there were a few mishaps that happened along the way, including the actors wearing the medieval armor being unable to move due to how heavy it was, as well as bad weather delaying filming due to heavy rainfalls, and the movie's director of photography suffering a nervous breakdown due to all the strains of the shoot. And finally, Helen Mirren, who played the villainous Morgan le Fay, and Nicol Williamson, who played Merlin, really did not get along during the shoot. In fact, they apparently despised each other. However, [music] Excalibur would be a huge hit, with it becoming the 18th highest grossing movie of 1981 and a landmark example of a sword and sorcery movie done right. It should be dark, creepy, haunting, and sexy, but above all, exhilarating.

[00:07:18]And if you ever do find yourself watching Excalibur, just remember, this one's pretty morbid. There are no happily ever afters to be found here.

[00:07:28]>> [music] >> Number eight, Clash of the Titans.

[00:07:34]>> [music] >> It's time to unleash the Kraken and go back to the ancient world of Greek mythology, a strange and mysterious time long before CGI where fantastical creatures and monsters were brought to life thanks to an old magic known as stop-motion.

[00:07:51]Released in 1981, Clash of the Titans is a fantasy movie like no other as the special effects may look aged and out of time they are still somehow timeless and completely legendary. In a story where the big guy is Zeus himself played by Laurence Olivier has to deal with other gods throwing tantrums which leads to his earthbound son Perseus to go on a dangerous quest in order to save his newly bride Andromeda. Where along the way he must face many extraordinary monstrous perils [music] and prove himself a brave warrior and ruler. And there are many fantastical [music] and wonderful monsters and creatures along the way some of whom may or may not have been nightmare fuel for me as a kid. But I still loved it. In a palate-cleansing movie which has a joyful heart with a wondrous sense of adventure. Now Clash of the Titans had been in development ever since the 1950s at the hands of movie effects legend Ray Harryhausen.

[00:08:51]But he just felt the technology wasn't up-to-date yet for his epic vision.

[00:08:55]However, when Clash of the Titans finally did go into [music] production in the late 70s this was actually intended to be a swan song for Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer both of whom had worked on many creature feature movies from the 50s onwards and had a love of movies and Greek mythology. And the stop-motion effects are truly out of this world. I can remember seeing Medusa as a kid and she scared the Saturday morning Cocoa Pops out of me. In fact, at one stage it was felt that the scene of Perseus defeating Medusa by chopping off her head may be a little too violent. So it was decided to have Perseus to just throw his shield at her and boom she's defeated. But Perseus actor, Harry Hamlin, was so against this, feeling it went against the original [music] Greek mythology, he wouldn't come out of his trailer and threatened to walk out of the film. But, thankfully, the scene got changed back.

[00:09:50]Incidentally, Arnold Schwarzenegger was the original choice for Perseus, but he was too busy making Conan at that time.

[00:09:57]Clash of the Titans had a shoot that took [music] place in several European countries, including Malta, Italy, and Spain, as well as the 007 sound stage at Pinewood Studios, England. Clash of the Titans opened up in the number two spot in the box office, just not being quite able to top Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it was still hugely financially successful, [music] becoming an instant classic. And of course, the movie featured Bubo. And come on, like seriously, who doesn't love Bubo? Yeah, rock on, Clash of the Titans.

[00:10:29]>> [music] >> This movie rocks.

[00:10:33]Number seven, Conan the Barbarian.

[00:10:39]Conan made his debut in 1932, appearing in pulp comics, where he would become a landmark character. However, during the '70s, Conan's popularity would have a resurgence, thanks to the Marvel comic book series. And [music] so, throughout the '70s, a movie script was frequently changing hands, as well as being turned down, until the movie's co-script writer and director, John Milius, got producer Dino De Laurentiis involved, which thankfully put the movie into production. Several actors were considered to play Conan, including Charles Bronson and Sylvester Stallone, till the producers saw Pumping Iron and cast the Austrian tough guy himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. So, with the part of Conan now being cast, the cast and crew headed to Spain to film this movie, which is how we got Conan the Barbarian, a movie about a powerful warrior who must break away from his chains of slavery and destroy the evil sorcerer Thulsa Doom, played by James Earl Jones, an evil cult leader who can summon demons and apparently turn into a snake.

[00:11:45]Conan must also save a princess called Princess Yasmina and protect the world from the terrifying clutches of doom so he can fulfill his prophecy of his people, the Cimmerians, and become the world's most powerful warrior and avenge his parents. Wow, that's quite the to-do list. And here I am struggling to take the bins out every Wednesday.

[00:12:08]Yep, Conan has his work cut out on this one. In this movie, which has kind of become the embodiment of sword and sorcery movies and may even be what first comes to people's minds when they think of sword and sorcery movies of the 1980s.

[00:12:23]It wasn't all smooth sailing, though.

[00:12:25]When making the picture, there would be several injuries on set, including Schwarzenegger falling from a pile of rocks and slicing his back open, requiring 40 stitches. Apparently, when the injury happened, they just kept filming and told Schwarzenegger to keep going because the injury on his back apparently looked really badass.

[00:12:46]And in another scene, a trained wolf was released too early by its handler, causing it to chase Schwarzenegger, which led to him falling into a bush creating more wounds.

[00:12:57]I can just picture Arnold Schwarzenegger running away from a wolf and being like, "Come on! Come on! You got to get the doggie away! You are not sending me TO THE CORNER!"

[00:13:10]AND ACTRESS Sandahl Bergman would suffer a severe cut to her finger, which went to the bone, as well as severe burns.

[00:13:17]Yikes. Yeah, it sounds like our two main stars were lucky to barely make it out alive making this movie. Regardless, Conan the Barbarian was a massive hit when released in 1982 and made Arnold Schwarzenegger become mainstream. And it would also lead to a sequel called Conan the Destroyer and a sort of spin-off with Red Sonja.

[00:13:40]No matter how big Schwarzenegger would become in the following years with his career really taking off and his days of being chased in the middle of the desert by wolves being long behind him, Conan the Barbarian will forever be truly adored.

[00:13:57]Number six, The Beastmaster.

[00:14:02]So, in the height of the sword and sorcery craze of the early '80s, Phantasm [music] director Don Coscarelli wanted to get in on the action and make his own sword and sorcery movie taking inspiration [music] from the 1959 book The Beastmaster, which was like a science-fiction Western following a Native American on an alien planet where the story was drastically changed to fit [music] the sword and sorcery template where the book's author, Andre Norton, demanded her name to be removed from the movie's credits as she was really displeased with all the changes. So, this is how we get The Beastmaster where we follow Dar, played by Marc Singer, who has magical powers in which he can [music] telepathically communicate with animals where he sets out on a quest of revenge to destroy an evil sorcerer who was responsible for Dar's adopted village to be destroyed.

[00:14:51]The sorcerer, of course, being played by Rip Torn who looks like he's having way too much fun making this movie. Where along the way Dar finds companionship in Kiri, played by Tanya Roberts, where in his adventures he gets help from some thieving ferrets who are pretty much kleptomaniacs as they steal so much [ __ ] along with a panther which was actually played by a tiger painted black.

[00:15:16]Unlike most other films on this list, The Beastmaster wasn't filmed in locations in Europe or on sets in the UK, but was actually filmed in the States, namely around California and Nevada. Now, there were some tensions during the filming, particularly between director Don Coscarelli and Beastmaster's producer Sylvio Tabbet.

[00:15:37]Namely, Coscarelli wanting things one way with Tabbet then overriding him and doing something else. For example, Coscarelli wanted Demi Moore to play Kiri, but Tabbet ignored this and cast Tanya Roberts [music] instead. And eventually, Tabbet would lock Coscarelli out of the editing room during the movie's post-production.

[00:15:55]Uh, I guess not everyone's going to get along, right?

[00:15:59]And also, I can't help but think that The Beastmaster would have been a huge source of inspiration for when He-Man was created. As Dar looks like He-Man, as well as having a sacred sword and his own ferocious cat companion.

[00:16:13]Miraculously, The Beastmaster managed to get a PG rating despite all its nudity, probably making it the only PG movie of that time that you'll see on repeats on the Playboy Channel.

[00:16:25]>> [laughter] >> Unfortunately, The Beastmaster was released 5 months after Conan the Barbarian. And because of that, it was often compared to Conan or seen as the movie that isn't Conan. And so, it didn't perform well upon its release.

[00:16:39]But it would find huge success on cable TV with HBO getting the nickname, "Hey, Beastmaster's on."

[00:16:47]Where it would become a cult movie. And in time, this action-adventure proves that it doesn't need to be compared to Conan. The Beastmaster has enough gusto to stand tall on its own two feet.

[00:17:02]So, seeing how we're halfway through the countdown, here are some bonus entries.

[00:17:06]Bonus number one, Hawk the Slayer.

[00:17:11]Released in 1980, Hawk the Slayer is the first movie to be released in this countdown. And given that this was the heart of the Star Wars craze, I can't help but feel like on the movie's poster, they've made our main hero look like Han Solo. Is it just me or what?

[00:17:28]It tells the story of a heroic warrior called Hawk, played by an actor called John Terry, who I'm pretty sure played Felix Leiter in a James Bond movie.

[00:17:38]Yeah, anyway, he sets out on a quest to stop his evil brother Voltan, played by Jack Palance, aka Sugar Lumps, who must become evil, powerful, and tyrannical.

[00:17:48]In other words, he's a pretty bad dude.

[00:17:51]With Hawk recruiting a team in order to set out and rid the land of Voltan's evil rule, while also avenging their father, whom Voltan killed. Hawk the Slayer was the brainchild of English filmmaker Terry Marcel and Scottish musician Harry Robertson, who incidentally scored a heap of Hammer horror films, as they were a fan of the sword and sorcery genre, and just simply wanted to make a sword and sorcery movie. Simple as that. And so that's how Hawk the Slayer came to be.

[00:18:20]The movie was shot over a period of 6 weeks at Buckinghamshire in England.

[00:18:25]Although Hawk the Slayer has gone on to become a cult classic and a highlight of the genre by fans, it actually had a really unfortunate release, as when originally released in the UK, the movie was actually doing really well. But then the company that was distributing Hawk the Slayer, ITC, had financially collapsed. Stan had gone kaput, meaning the movie couldn't get a theatrical release in the States. Damn, them's the breaks, I guess. It would, however, find its way to US shores when presented as a TV movie for CBS's late movie series.

[00:18:59]Once again, despite its hardships, it would still find a loyal fan base.

[00:19:04]>> [music] >> Bonus number two, The Sword and the Sorcerer.

[00:19:12]And so, The Sword and the Sorcerer was released in 1982. And how can I not include a movie in a countdown about sword and sorcery movies where the words sword and sorcerer are literally in the movie's title? Interestingly, this is another US-based movie with the filming of The Sword and the Sorcerer taking place around the Los Angeles area.

[00:19:33]The Sword and the Sorcerer tells the story of Talon, a mercenary who discovers his important heritage and sets out on a quest to save a princess and stop an evil king and a demonic sorcerer so he can save the land. And of course, Talon is seeking revenge because at this point it wouldn't be a sword and sorcery movie if there wasn't some kind of revenge subplot where our hero is avenging the death of a loved one, >> [music] >> in this case Talon's parents. The main thing people seem to remember the most about this movie is Talon's unique triple-bladed projectile sword.

[00:20:06]Now, there's plenty of behind-the-scenes scrapes that took place in the making of this movie, namely a stuntman who died, who jumped off a cliff to film a scene for the movie, but upon landing missed the airbag, which is really sad and does put a damper on things. And actor Richard Moll, who played the evil sorcerer, wore contact lenses, but when filming a scene where he rises from a liquid-filled crypt, the chemicals that were used for the liquid caused the contact lenses to fuse with his eyes.

[00:20:34]Ugh. Which led to emergency surgery. And for the rest of the shoot, stand-ins would have to play his part. And it was intended for Oliver Reed to provide a narration for the movie, but Reed turned up to the recording sessions drunk as a skunk, [music] where he proceeded to break things and insult everyone. So I guess the producers decided that they don't want to deal with that. I don't care how great Oliver Reed is, life is too short. No drunk Reed today, thank you very much.

[00:21:02]Despite its behind-the-scenes issues, The Sword and the Sorcerer made profit considering its tiny budget, with it becoming the highest-grossing independent movie of 1982.

[00:21:16]Bonus number three, The Princess Bride.

[00:21:21]Now, I was originally hesitant to add The Princess Bride to this list as I've always seen it as a children's fairy tale. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized, nope, it has swords and sword fighting and the aesthetic of a dark fantasy. So, it passes the Pepsi challenge. Based on a 1973 book with the whopping title of, get ready for this, The Princess Bride S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure, The Good Parts Version by author William Goldman. Director Rob Reiner loved the book so much, he really wanted to adapt it into a movie.

[00:21:59]Although, trying to get this movie made was easier said than done. Apparently, at the start, no one really wanted to have anything to do with it. And so, after a really rocky start, he did manage to get the movie off the ground.

[00:22:12]The Princess Bride tells the story of Fred Savage in current-day 1980s, who is sick at home. So, Columbo turns up to read him a story within a story, [music] of which is about Buttercup, played by Robin Wright, and her true love, a farm boy called Westley, played by Cary Elwes. After Westley is presumed dead, Buttercup gets kidnapped by three bumbling outlaws, whom have a heroic turn. Except for the Inconceivable guy, he ends up dead.

[00:22:42]Where it turns out Westley is alive and takes on the guise of a masked hero, kind of similar to Zorro, very swashbuckling, where he goes on an epic quest to save Buttercup from a cruel prince, whom is forcing her to marry him. Yep, some of that good old rescuing action [music] going on again.

[00:22:58]Seriously, so many of these movies are about rescuing helpless princesses, especially from evil powerful dictators.

[00:23:06]The Princess Bride was mainly filmed around England and Ireland. And upon its release in 1987, although not a flop, it wasn't a knockout success either.

[00:23:16]Apparently, this is because 20th Century Fox just didn't really know how to market the movie. So, they just advertised it as a wacky zany comedy, with it failing to reach a widespread audience. I mean, yeah, don't get me wrong, the movie does have its funny parts, but it's not exactly Revenge of the Nerds, either. This is a family-friendly dark fantasy. And the mismanagement of the movie's advertising was something that really frustrated Rob Reiner, especially considering it wasn't reaching the numbers that he hoped. It, however, got acclaim from critics. And The Princess Bride would become a classic adored by generations and beyond. Like, this is a really well-loved movie. We may not have picked it up straight away, but it was there.

[00:23:58]The magic was always there. And above all, this had lovers of cinema uttering the sentence, "As you wish." In conclusion, this was a wonderful and fantastical story that Rob Reiner wanted to tell. So, all said and done, I'm glad he got to tell it.

[00:24:15]I still can't believe he's gone.

[00:24:20]Number five, Krull.

[00:24:24]Oh, yeah, in 1983, the fantasy crowd-pleaser Krull was released, which gives the sword and sorcery trope of a horror alien science fiction twist, where we follow Prince Colwyn and his ragtag group of warriors who set out on a quest to rescue his bride, Princess Lyssa, from an alien monster known as The Beast. What? Another kidnapped princess bride? Say it ain't so. I will not go. Turn the lights off and carry me home. Jeez. Where along the way he gets help from an ancient magical device known as the Glaive, which is a spherical object made up of five blades.

[00:25:02]The movie went into production in 1980.

[00:25:05]In order to make a fantasy movie that could capitalize on the Dungeons and Dragons craze of that time. Now, Krull was originally going to have a medieval setting till it was decided to make it more of a fantasy far, far away world, which led to expensive sets rather than filming on location. And there was even going to be a snake lady in the movie, but it was felt that that was too similar to the as mentioned Medusa in Clash of the Titans.

[00:25:31]Krull would be directed by British filmmaker Peter Yates, and it was filmed at Pinewood Studios in England. Once again, the 007 sound stage. Seriously, all these fantasy movies owe a debt to James Bond. With some location filming taking place in Italy and Spain.

[00:25:50]However, it was not an easy film to shoot, mainly due to the costs and complications of its special effects. So much so, during the shoot, director Peter Yates just got up and took off for a holiday at the Caribbean. To which the special effects artist was like, "Well, if he's going on a holiday, I'm going on holiday, too." So, he did. Sounds like everyone just packed up and went on holiday. Well, the two most important people who are making the movie at least. Due to expensive effects, lavish sets, and groundbreaking prosthetic makeup, Krull had an incredibly high budget for its time at $30 million.

[00:26:26]Compare that to Clash of the Titans and The Beastmaster, both of which had budgets of about $9 million. But, you know what? It shows. The movie looks great and has an otherworldly atmosphere, as well as a great score by the soon-to-be legendary James Horner.

[00:26:42]Sadly though, upon its release, Krull was a financial flop, unable to recoup its money. But, like so many movies on this list, it would go on to be an adored cult classic. And the Glaive is still one of the most celebrated movie props to come out of the 1980s.

[00:27:00]What a weird and wonderful and sometimes frightening adventure this one was.

[00:27:07]Number four, Ladyhawke.

[00:27:12]Okay, this one is really fascinating. I mean, I can't help but think of another word to describe Ladyhawke than baffling, as it's such a strange movie, which is often forgotten about these days, which just adds to its obscurity.

[00:27:26]I mean, just look at the schematics here. You have this medieval fantasy directed by Superman the Movie director Richard Donner, the exact same year he directed The Goonies.

[00:27:37]Wow, if anything, the guy had range.

[00:27:39]You've got to give him that. Starring Matthew Broderick and Michelle Pfeiffer, two actors who are really starting to break out at that time, as well as a really somber-looking Rutger Hauer. Even the movie's poster looks confused and doesn't quite know what it wants to be.

[00:27:54]Well, let's try to discover just that.

[00:27:57]The story focuses on a pair of star-crossed [music] lovers, a knight called Etienne and Lady Isabeau, where due to a curse, Etienne becomes a wolf at night and Isabeau becomes a hawk during the day, meaning they can never really be together. Damn those annoying transformation curses getting in the way of your love life, I guess.

[00:28:18]The curse was put on them by disgruntled bishop, who of course is corrupt [music] and all-powerful and must be stopped.

[00:28:25]Joining the couple on their quest to lift the spell is a young thief called Philippe, who was played by Broderick.

[00:28:31]Yeah, don't you just love third-wheeling in the middle of an awkward medieval curse?

[00:28:37]Now, this was actually something of a passion project of Richard Donner's, as he had been trying to get the movie off the ground for several years.

[00:28:45]Originally, Kurt Russell was cast as Etienne, but he bailed during rehearsals as he was lovesick and missed his partner, Goldie Hawn, and wanted to be with her, which is how we got Rutger Hauer. And the part of Philippe was originally envisioned with Dustin Hoffman in the role, but the production then wanted a young person who was going to draw in a young hip crowd. So, they got Matthew Broderick, who was one more sick day off away from being Ferris Bueller.

[00:29:11]Although the production was toying with either filming the movie in England or Czechoslovakia, ultimately the movie shoot mainly took place around Italy.

[00:29:20]And I think something that adds to the confusion and bafflement of Ladyhawke is the movie's main theme by composer Andrew Powell, which honestly sounds like '80s synth pop. And I think many people at the time felt it was just really odd and out of place for a movie that has medieval dark fantasy settings.

[00:29:40]Like, the two just ain't meshing.

[00:29:43]They're not in alignment. You know, one of those the math ain't mathing [music] kind of situations.

[00:29:50]I'll admit, it does sound like music from a 1980s infomercial about speedboats. I mean, just look.

[00:29:59]>> [music] >> Ultimately, when released in 1985, Ladyhawke didn't share the same success as The Goonies and was a financial flop.

[00:30:07]Although, it did get positive reviews from critics. It has since become a cult classic and I see why. It's a strange, quirky movie that has its own unique identity.

[00:30:18]>> [music] >> So, having a movie that goes against the grain and and try to take things into unique directions does make for an interesting movie. Strange and baffling, but interesting.

[00:30:30]Number three, Highlander.

[00:30:35]What if you could live forever, but instead of it being a wonderful, glorious thing, it's actually really sad and tragic as you spend an eternity seeing your loved ones grow old and die.

[00:30:46]This is the question Highlander puts forward in this exhilarating fantasy movie that crosses the medieval sword and sorcery trope with 1980s gritty New York, where we follow the journey of Connor MacLeod played by Christopher Lambert, an immortal who originates from the Highlands of Scotland, where he comes to terms with his immortality through the mentoring and guidance of fellow immortal Ramirez played by Sean Connery. There are rules. Namely, an immortal can only be killed by having their head severed [music] from their body. And the last immortal standing will win the prize. The film often cuts back to seeing Connor in his Highlander days in the 1500s to him now living a life wandering the seedy streets of New York City, where all the remaining immortals have come to fight it out and seek the prize. Connor must face the evil and ruthless immortal known as the Kurgan to make [music] sure the prize doesn't fall into his evil and corrupt ways.

[00:31:45]Highlander was the brainchild of American filmmaker Gregory Widen, who took inspiration from the movie The Duelist, as well as a visit to the Tower of London, where while observing old armor and battle gear, he pondered, "What if someone who once wore all this armor was still alive now?" Where he then wrote a script. Interestingly, the original script was called Shadow Clan.

[00:32:08]Directing duties were given to Australian director Russell Mulcahy, who at that time mainly filmed music videos and Razorback, an Australian horror movie about a killer boar. Because we need more Australian horror movies about killer boars, I tell you.

[00:32:24]The shoot took place in Scotland, Wales, and New York City. And just like Ladyhawke, Kurt Russell was originally cast as Connor MacLeod. But once again, he bailed. Man, he was just ditching everyone that year for Goldie Hawn.

[00:32:40]I guess she made him happy in his horn.

[00:32:44]After then considering Mickey Rourke and Sting, the production then found French actor Christopher Lambert after seeing him in a Tarzan movie and just feeling like he had the right look for the part.

[00:32:56]Although, he could barely speak any English, of which he had to very quickly learn as well as also learn how to put on a Scottish accent.

[00:33:05]According to Clancy Brown, who played the Kurgan, the movie shoot could be challenging because most of the people involved just wanted to make a good movie. Whereas the producers were always trying to find ways to cut costs, which caused tensions on set. But they eventually backed down when even Sean Connery got involved and was telling them to back off and no doubt also telling them, "Yeah, I'm sick and tired of that shit."

[00:33:31]Yep, I guess you don't mess with Sean Connery.

[00:33:34]When the movie was released in the States, it was a major flop with Highlander losing heaps of money. Like it lost a ton. Director Russell Mulcahy, he put it down to the movie's marketing in which the poster just had this very unflattering, grainy [music] picture of Christopher Lambert's head looking really creepy. And that the movie was better marketed in Europe, who seemed to know exactly what the movie was.

[00:33:58]Thanks to home video, Highlander's popularity really took off and became a beloved movie, which it still is to this day.

[00:34:05]Something I like about Highlander is on one hand, it looks and feels like a sword and sorcery movie mixed in with an aesthetic of the Terminator in that you have these two warriors from another time tracking each other down in the dark, seedy streets of a metropolitan 1980s with our main villain even taking on the guise of a street punk just like the Terminator, as well as hanging out in seedy hotel rooms. Biggest difference is the Terminator is about a war of the future and Highlander is a war of the past.

[00:34:37]Thanks to an almost arthouse style of directing and some kickass songs by Queen and some truly heartfelt performances, Highlander had arrived and it was here to stay and it immortalized the sentence there can be only one and gifted us with a unique mythology.

[00:34:55]Highlander truly is an amazing movie.

[00:34:57]The less we say about the sequels, the better.

[00:35:04]Number two, Legend.

[00:35:08]Oh yeah, this very obscure movie from the 80s which is probably most famous for being that movie where Tim Curry looks like this.

[00:35:16]Yes, this devilish makeup has become legendary and no pun intended. Directed by Ridley Scott, Legend tells the story of two unicorns who protect the world's light and seasons. A young man of the forest called Jack, played by Tom Cruise, takes his crush Princess Lily, played by Mia Sara, to visit the unicorns. However, upon their visit the unicorns get corrupted by the Lord of Darkness, played by Curry as mentioned, where he can now strike and plague his evil upon the world and takes Lily to be his bride. Jack and other mystical creatures of the forest head out on a quest to save Lily and defeat darkness.

[00:35:55]Legend was a pet project of Scott's who was originally making a movie about Tristan and Isolde, but when that fell through, he decided to make a different fairy tale story, one that was completely original, which is how he conceived the idea for Legend and hired William Hjortsberg to write the script.

[00:36:13]So, he was good to go, but then he went and made Alien instead.

[00:36:18]And then Blade Runner.

[00:36:20]Then finally he got to work on Legend.

[00:36:22]He wanted the movie to visually resemble a Disney movie, particularly Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But when Disney were approached to back the movie, they didn't like the dark themes of Legend and said no. Where it became a joint venture between Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox, depending on which part of the world you're from.

[00:36:41]Robert Downey Jr., Jim Carrey, and Johnny Depp were considered to play Jack, but the part went to Tom Cruise, whose career was just about to take off thanks to Top Gun. [music] And Tim Curry was cast because of his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[00:36:56]Sadly, disaster [music] struck when making Legend, as the movie was mainly being filmed on sets on the 007 sound stage at Pinewood Studios. However, during the filming, a fire broke out, which completely destroyed the studio.

[00:37:11]Yep, this famous sound stage, which was the home to so many movies I've discussed today, was destroyed. Now, the studio would be rebuilt, but for its time, it was devastating, as this was the largest studio in the world with many movies being filmed there. These events even affected the production of the then upcoming Bond film A View to a Kill. But, in the meantime, the Legend production had to improvise and film scenes in the formal gardens on the back lot at Pinewood Studios. Oh boy, but the dilemmas of Legend don't end there, as when the movie was released in 1985, there was two different versions, an [music] international cut and an American cut. So, how did this happen?

[00:37:53]Well, it was good old-fashioned studio interference.

[00:37:56]After test screenings, there was a panic that Ridley Scott's original cut [music] wouldn't appeal to younger audiences, so cuts and changes were made. But because the movie had split distribution rights, with Universal Pictures releasing the movie in the States and 20th Century Fox releasing it internationally, this meant countries outside the States got the original cut, the one that was closer to Ridley Scott's vision, which had a musical score by Jerry Goldsmith and the US [music] cut had all the changes and a new score by Tangerine Dream. Most people seem to agree that the international cut is better. [music] Regardless, one way or another in 1985, the movie had to be released. Firstly, the movie looks gorgeous. It looks like a vibrant, crisp fairy tale movie. Every frame is full of eye candy visuals and looks like a masterpiece.

[00:38:46]But above all, Legend has a fairy tale otherworldly list about it. Like you feel like you've stepped into a different dimension when you watch it.

[00:38:54]Sadly though, upon its release, Legend was a financial flop. Reasons given is the US cut felt disjointed and after all, the US is where all the money is.

[00:39:04]In fact, many felt that this cut was disastrous. And another thing that was blamed was just changing tastes. It was now a time of energetic action movies and it was felt that this old dark fantasy trope was just now out of fashion. But despite all its trials and tribulations, Legend was still get nominated for an Academy Award for best makeup thanks [music] to the glorious Darkness makeup by Rob Bottin. A nomination well deserved. In fact, I would argue that the Darkness makeup is the standout feature of Legend and what everyone instantly remembers the movie for and talks about the most whenever Legend is brought into discussion.

[00:39:43]>> [music] >> Number one, Willow.

[00:39:49]Willow's origins date back to the early 70s when George Lucas first conceived the idea. It seems that at that time, Lucas was coming up with several mythologies including Star Wars and Indiana Jones. In fact, at one stage when Lucas was putting the [music] pieces together for Star Wars, he toyed with the idea of making Luke Skywalker a little person from a community of little people. The idea was that such a big, large, evil, powerful empire could be taken down by someone who appears to be small and unassuming. So, in a way, Willow and Luke Skywalker are one in the same.

[00:40:25]The original script for this fairy tale fantasy was called Munchkins till it was wisely changed to Willow. And Lucas started to get serious about this tale when making Return of the Jedi upon meeting the legendary Warwick Davis who played Wicket the Ewok, [music] which prompted Lucas to cast him as Willow. Lucas also hired his friend Ron Howard as director with the filming of this sword and sorcery fantasy epic taking place in California, Wales, and New Zealand, which is unique as at that time not many Hollywood movies were filmed in New Zealand. This was long before Lord of the Rings with additional onset filming taking place at Elstree Studios in England.

[00:41:06]Willow tells the story of well, Willow of course, an aspiring magician who lives in a medieval fairy tale like community of little people whom one day finds a baby of whom is prophesied to one day overthrow the evil and powerful dictator Queen Bavmorda played by Jean Marsh who previously played Princess Mombi in Return to Oz and she's just as freaky deaky here.

[00:41:30]Willow sets out to return the baby to her people and along the way joins forces with the bumbling rough around the edges yet dashing Mad Martigan played by Val Kilmer where they embark on an adventure full of excitement, horrific creatures, and plenty of magic and spells to boot. Something that I want to add is I always thought that Warwick [music] Davis and Val Kilmer had really good chemistry in this movie and it's that chemistry that really brings the movie to life in in my opinion of course.

[00:42:01]Now, the warning signs that Willow may not be as groundbreaking as Star Wars was already there from the start [music] as originally no studio wanted to touch the movie on the account that by this stage in the 1980s, dark fantasy movies were notoriously known for being flops, namely many of the movies I've just mentioned in this countdown. You might get a few that slip through the cracks and would be successful, but most of them for that time were flops. Willow, however, would be picked up for cinematic distribution by MGM [music] with Columbia Pictures company RCA handling the home media distribution.

[00:42:37]You may remember seeing the logo at the start of old video tapes from back in the day. It was the one that had the flying spinning refrigerator.

[00:42:46]Well, that's what it looks like.

[00:42:48]Now, despite popular belief, Willow actually wasn't a flop. It did bring in some dollarydoos. [music] However, it wasn't as big as anticipated. Lucas was hoping Willow would be the next ET, but upon its release, it was no match for Crocodile Dundee II and Rambo III.

[00:43:07]It also got fairly mixed reviews from critics, too, with some finding the movie to be average. All I can say is the movie deserves so much more as it is a classic and a fun adventure full of wonderful characters, great for their time special effects, and yet another mesmerizing score by James Horner.

[00:43:26]Seriously, back in the day that guy rocked. I miss James Horner.

[00:43:33]I also guess it's fitting that this countdown started with a movie where Industrial Light & Magic provided the effects and also ends with one Industrial Light & Magic provided the effects again.

[00:43:44]As the passing of time has taken place, I feel like Willow has definitely become beloved. Yes, even more so than Crocodile Dundee II and Rambo III.

[00:43:55]It's now an absolute [music] treasured classic and a staple of many people's childhoods, including my own. I can remember watching it on home video for the first time when I was a kid and it both [music] fascinated me, intrigued me, got me in the mood for an adventure and also terrified the crap out of me, too. Yeah, I had plenty of nightmares that night, but you know, totes worth it.

[00:44:17]It is a wonderful timeless movie of which deserves so much more upon its original release, but darn it, I'm glad it was made anyway and that I've grown up with Willow being a part of my life and I'm sure many others feel the same.

[00:44:32]Thank you so much for watching. This episode has definitely been the most biggest, most longest and most swordiest I've ever made. I truly hope my bad jokes and impersonations haven't caused you all to have nosebleeds.

[00:44:47]Now, when it comes to making sword and sorcery movies of the 1980s, I think I've cracked the code. I reckon I now have the built-in knowledge of how to make one of these movies if I ever find myself back in the '80s, but there are guidelines, rules that you have to follow and here they are. One, make the antagonist an evil powerful king or ruler who rules supreme over the land and if necessary, give them supernatural powers or even make them a physical monster to add to their threat. [music] Two, have a damsel in distress who gets kidnapped by our evil powerful villain.

[00:45:25]Preferably, make her a princess or a bride to our main hero or both. Three, make our hero seemingly appear to be an underdog at the start of the story, someone who appears to be low in the pecking order, who seems really mundane and like they're not really going to go anywhere and doesn't in any way look like they could possibly be a physical threat to our main villain where it turns out they are indeed destined for greatness and will find a way to destroy the ever powerful villain and fulfill some kind of prophecy and if possible, end the hero's journey with some kind of curse being lifted. Four, give our main hero a MacGuffin or some kind of device that will grant him magical powers that'll help him along his journey.

[00:46:11]Five, have our main hero put a ragtag [music] team together so they can go on a long quest, usually by foot, in order to confront the main villain. Six, don't cast Kurt Russell as the main hero, even if he agrees. Eventually, he's going to return to Goldie Hawn so she can Goldie his horn. Seven, film around locations in the UK and Europe, particularly England, Wales, Italy, and Spain.

[00:46:37]Eight, do onset filming on the 007 sound stage at Pinewood Studios, unless the director is Ridley Scott.

[00:46:46]Then maybe not.

[00:46:47]Nine, get James Horner to score the movie. Back then, he perfected the sound. And 10, brace for a flop as these movies don't tend to do well upon their releases, despite becoming cult classics. [music] So these here are the foundations of making a sword and sorcery movie of the 1980s.

[00:47:08]Anyway, I'm Minty and I think the sword and sorcery movies really endured because, let's be honest, who doesn't love an exciting adventure that'll lead to the ultimate battle of good versus evil?

[00:47:20]Until next time, see ya.

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