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[EviLore]

Everyone has breakfast, lunch, and dinner in gleaming full plate armor. The visual design and cinematography are consistently incredible, taking advantage of elaborate set design and practical effects. An otherworldly blend of Celtic mysticism and early Christian lore transports you convincingly to the age of legends.

I long for the days of the earnest epic.

 

[niilokin]

Beautiful movie! The visual direction is top notch for sure. I love this type of "low fantasy" sword and sorcery stuff.

 

[jason10mm]

Like fine wine...

 

[willothedog]

"Anál nathrach, orth' bháis's bethad, do chél dénmha", Williamson is stand out in his portrayal as Merlin.

Top-notch armour designs by the legendary Terry English.

 

[FeralEcho]

Some movies will just stand the test of time,It's a fact. And it'll always be fascinating to me to see how much more filmmakers were able to do with so much less technology than nowadays.

Passion, talent and ingeniousness beats raw technology any day of the week. Of course,the secret would be to combine them all but there's a sheer lack of talent,passion and an overreliance on cgi nowadays that it completely takes the ingeniousness out of any production leaving us with all these boring stale movies that get released nowadays and you forget in a week.

 

[DeepEnigma]

I feel the same way about 'Legend' as well.

 

[EviLore]

"Anál nathrach, orth' bháis's bethad, do chél dénmha", Williamson is stand out in his portryal as Merlin.

Top-notch armour designs by the legendary Terry English.

Yes, he did excellent work.

Saw he did a youtube series with Adam Savage some time ago to make a suit of King Arthur armor as an Excalibur tribute, will have to give it a watch:

 

[Mr1999]

4K HDR when?

 

[jason10mm]

I feel the same way about 'Legend' as well.

I've not seen it in a looong stretch, but LadyHawke has fond memories.

But fir my money the Paul Verhoven flick Flash + Blood also with Rutger Hauer is the best medieval film (maybe it's technically Renaissance?)

 

[Liljagare]

Probarly my favourite movie of all time.

Please do not remake it..

Ladyhawke and Ivanhoe are superb too..

Ivanhoe (TV Movie 1982) ⭐ 6.7 | Adventure, Drama, Romance

2h 22m | Not Rated

www.imdb.com

(Fun thing, Ivanhoe is played every new years day on TV here in Sweden for some reason, a tradition since 1994.. ).

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

What a great movie.

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

I've not seen it in a looong stretch, but LadyHawke has fond memories.

But fir my money the Paul Verhoven flick Flash + Blood also with Rutger Hauer is the best medieval film (maybe it's technically Renaissance?)

Classic early Verhoeven. Top movie.

 

[EviLore]

Classic early Verhoeven. Top movie.

And an inspiration for Berserk

 

[GladiusFrog]

 

[RagnarokIV]

Haven't seen this movie in decades. Will definitely rewatch it with the mrs. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[EviLore]

I was in awe of this scene rewatching it earlier today. No drawn out speeches required, just straight to the point with a fiery intensity and resolve, color returning to the world as they ride. Absolute cinema.

 

[Nintendo's Witch]

I'm rewatching this and Flesh & Blood tonight, thanks to this thread. Sounds like a great Saturday night plan.

 

[Vyse]

Haven’t seen since I was a kid in the 80s. Need to give another watch.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Watched Dragonslayer last year I think. I miss how everything looked... Real, they aren't gritty but filming in the woods for real just has this Earthy feel to it that green screen could never capture.

 

[ManaByte]

I feel the same way about 'Legend' as well.

Director’s Cut cut with the original Jerry Goldsmith score.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Director’s Cut cut with the original Jerry Goldsmith score.

Yep, more shots of Lili too

 

[bender]

I've never seen any of the movies in this thread.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Like fine wine...

More beautiful with every passing year...

 

[Clear]

I love Excalibur, I can't think of another movie that on one hand tells an ancient tale so literally, yet manages to be so engaging and oddly modern.
Nicol Williamson's Merlin, and the way he's used throughout is just brilliant, going from comic relief to being pretty fucking scary when he's angered...

John Boorman's such an eccentric film-maker, its crazy to think how he made his name in the late 60's with Point Blank and Deliverance, then spins off in the 70's with Zardoz and Exorcist 2, all the while trying to get Excalibur made...

 

[jason10mm]

I've never seen any of the movies in this thread.

So, some other really fun 80s fantasy flicks...

Beastmaster

Yor: Hunter from the Future

If you have the kiddoes, this forgotten Disney jewel (and one of my top picks for a new series if they stick to the books)

and once the kids (and maybe the wife) go to bed, then fantasy...after dark

 

[jason10mm]

Damn, there are sooooooo many. Beastmaster, BTW, despite that PG rating, had some NICE full frontal, quite exciting for a boy seeing it in the theater

But, moving on. Another classic that could actually be remade because it was too ambitious for its time, KRULL

and while it wouldn't be quite as cool as the original in 3D (which is an interesting effect with hand drawn animation, Starchaser: Legend of Orin

and another one perhaps best enjoyed later at night, Sword and the Sorcerer, if only for that wicked shooting blade sword thing.

 

[AJUMP23]

I agree something cool and fun about that movie.

 

[jason10mm]

For my money Excaliber is the best Arthurian adaptation. Like Lynch's DUNE, it favors STYLE over substance but still gives you a 2 hour tour de force experience that I think encapsulates why the source material is so compelling.

Another one I like is the Sam Niel MERLIN mini-series.

and hey, there's Rutger Hauer again

I think Marion Zimmer Bradley's "Mists of Avalon" novel kinda forever recast the Arthurian saga as a tale of women dealing with these obnoxious men, rather than the story of leadership, brotherhood, and chivalric masculinity you might find in earlier retellings. Even the Disney version kept focus on Arthur and Merlin, like it should be. There have been other Aurthur or Merlin shows (that BBC one...ooph, though I did watch like 5 seasons of it The Starz Camelot show, albeit short lived, got too bogged down in the soap opera drama, from what I recall, though mostly i just remember it for Eva Greens boobs

 

[Liljagare]

Rutger Hauer

Incredible actor and person.. Julian Sands is another sore loss.

If you like theese type of movies, there is also:





There are too few good movies about Knights in Shining Armour.

 

[Complistic]

Posting in here so I remember to come back to it.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Incredible actor and person.. Julian Sands is another sore loss.

If you like theese type of movies, there is also:





There are too few good movies about Knights in Shining Armour.

Arn was fantastic!

 

[Dithadder]

Arthur: i offer you my love.
Mordred: thats the only thing of yours i DONT want!

I saw this movie when i was a kid and oh how i hated that little shit.

 

[CGNoire]

Everyone has breakfast, lunch, and dinner in gleaming full plate armor. The visual design and cinematography are consistently incredible, taking advantage of elaborate set design and practical effects. An otherworldly blend of Celtic mysticism and early Christian lore transports you convincingly to the age of legends.

I long for the days of the earnest epic.

The cinemagraphy is fantastic. I think its the same person who worked on Legend 1985.

 

[LimanimaPT]

I know I loved this movie but haven't watched it in a long time.
Another great movie from the 80s, the best time for movies.

 

[RJMacready73]

Everyone has breakfast, lunch, and dinner in gleaming full plate armor. The visual design and cinematography are consistently incredible, taking advantage of elaborate set design and practical effects. An otherworldly blend of Celtic mysticism and early Christian lore transports you convincingly to the age of legends.

I long for the days of the earnest epic.

Thanks for the reminder of this movie I'd long forgotten about, I'll have to see if there's a 4k remaster, been going through a bit of a old movie renaissance of late and recently watched the absolutely bonkers but excellent

Lifeforce, that got a stellar 4K release, somehow this movie about bloody space vampires and naked ladies completely bypassed me back in 1986, I have no idea how as it has all the ingredients for my type of movie, anyways Excalibur is another of those movies I have fond memories of

 

[Trunx81]

Amazing movie. Interesting that they had Lord of the rings in mind when they started production.

 

[Trilobit]

Everyone has breakfast, lunch, and dinner in gleaming full plate armor. The visual design and cinematography are consistently incredible, taking advantage of elaborate set design and practical effects. An otherworldly blend of Celtic mysticism and early Christian lore transports you convincingly to the age of legends.

I long for the days of the earnest epic.

Imagine if they would make the Zelda movie with that kind of pazazz!

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I've never seen it. I should rectify that. I love that era of fantasy. Legend is a favorite of mine.

 

[Alx]

Damn, there are sooooooo many. Beastmaster, BTW, despite that PG rating, had some NICE full frontal, quite exciting for a boy seeing it in the theater

But, moving on. Another classic that could actually be remade because it was too ambitious for its time, KRULL

Yes Krull is incredibly creative, with a world rich in settings, creatures, magic rules etc. Its visual effects are indeed quite dated, but it's still worth a rewatch.

I love Excalibur too. I remember watching it several times as a kid (at home and once at school), and bought the DVD for multiple rewatches later. Only thing that changed is that I'm spending too much time now wondering if the armors are really representative of the time, but really who cares, it's a legend with witches and wizards (and a dragon, sort of).

 

[Senua]

The entire thing feels like a dream, incredible film.

 

[Lunarorbit]

Arthur: i offer you my love.
Mordred: thats the only thing of yours i DONT want!

I saw this movie when i was a kid and oh how i hated that little shit.

The part later on when mordred is running around in his gold armor and there's that tree with bodies all over it.

Another movie I saw way too young! Badass though

 

[Clear]

The cinemagraphy is fantastic. I think its the same person who worked on Legend 1985.

Yeah, Alex Thompson. Wonderful cinematographer. This, Legend and The Keep are all tremendous visually, although the latter is let down a bit by its extremely troubled production involving a lot of hastily done reshoots by another DP that lower the overall quality.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Another great fantasy film from 81 is Dragonslayer. I haven't seen it in forever but I loved it as a kid.

 

[Nonehxc]

So, some other really fun 80s fantasy flicks...

Beastmaster

Yor: Hunter from the Future

If you have the kiddoes, this forgotten Disney jewel (and one of my top picks for a new series if they stick to the books)

and once the kids (and maybe the wife) go to bed, then fantasy...after dark

Ew, that Black Cauldron Poster in the 00's new design is all kinds of urrgh.

Better use the classic one:

 

[Laptop1991]

Excalibur is a great film watched it many times over the years and Merlin with Sam Neil, much better than the TV series they ruined with the reset at the end of every episode in the end, i found that annoying.

 

[jason10mm]

Thanks for the reminder of this movie I'd long forgotten about, I'll have to see if there's a 4k remaster, been going through a bit of a old movie renaissance of late and recently watched the absolutely bonkers but excellent

Lifeforce, that got a stellar 4K release, somehow this movie about bloody space vampires and naked ladies completely bypassed me back in 1986, I have no idea how as it has all the ingredients for my type of movie, anyways Excalibur is another of those movies I have fond memories of

Mathilda May was about the hottest chick ON THE PLANET for about a year after I discovered (over and over) this film as a teen. It's a wacky film but daaaaaaamn, it holds up with all those creepy practical effects and spectacular....uh, tracts of land

 

[CGNoire]

Yeah, Alex Thompson. Wonderful cinematographer. This, Legend and The Keep are all tremendous visually, although the latter is let down a bit by its extremely troubled production involving a lot of hastily done reshoots by another DP that lower the overall quality.

Yes. I just saw the Keep finally a year ago. It could have been so much better but still visually awesome. I love Noir Deco's music video for it on his YT channel.

 

[CGNoire]

As a Superfan of Legend I cant believe it took me till last year to see both Excalibur and The Keep.

 

[jason10mm]

Im still not sure I've seen The Keep straight through. I think my folks watched The Stuff and The Keep together one night and little kid me blended them together. I did like the book though

 

[RJMacready73]

Mathilda May was about the hottest chick ON THE PLANET for about a year after I discovered (over and over) this film as a teen. It's a wacky film but daaaaaaamn, it holds up with all those creepy practical effects and spectacular....uh, tracts of land

Haha I would've worn out that VHS if I had it, apart from the magnificent Mathilda the rest of the movie was just pure 80's cheese and I loved every bit of it, granted the load of beers I had beforehand probably helped, the whole opening was a cross between Alien/2001