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1980s Action Fantasy Films

Started by checkoutgirl, July 14, 2017, 11:11:51 AM

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checkoutgirl

You know the type, Krull, Legend, that one with David Bowie. Recently I was watching Willow from 1988, purely for nostalgia reasons. I remember the cornflakes box had a Willow toy and the box had Willow imagery on it. I never watched the film as a kid because I never caught in on telly and going to the cinema was a bi annual event at best. Well it's not too bad. The critics seemed to not like it but it's got a capable turn from Warwick Davis and a very nice star quality performance from Val Kilmer. Joanne Whalley is in her prime and is very easy on the eye. Throw in some witchery, morphing effects, a few soldiers and a battle scene or two and it's a diverting enough 2 hours. Not amazing but worth a nostalgia watch.

I gave Krull a go about a year ago and when I watched it as a kid I was entranced and very impressed. Well the rewatch as an adult was nowhere near as good. Decent enough but there's something about being 9 or 10 years old watching a fantasy film and being completely engrossed. Watching again as an adult doesn't have the same magic.

I'll be drinking heavily and watching fantasy films from the 1980s in the coming weeks. I might be  arsed to spew my witless opinions on here about it.


Blumf

Yeah, Krull is a bit of a mess, but there are some nice bits to it, you can't hate the film.

Lets see...
Return to Oz, always unfairly forgotten
The Dark Crystal, possibly the best thing to come out of Jim Henson's workshop
Ladyhawk, no nonsense 80s action-fantasy, does exactly what it should
The Never Ending Story, that title is a bloody lie!

And, if you want to go a bit more adult, I've always enjoyed The Company of Wolves

Not a film, but would the Robin of Sherwood series from the 80s count?

billtheburger

Conquest by the Lucio Fulci has been on my want to see list for a while due to my admiration of a few of his horror and gialli films. Apparently the baddie spends the entire film with her baps out getting aroused by her pet snake.

Bad Ambassador

The opening title theme from Ladyhawke sounds like the most exciting regional news bulletin you can imagine.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Hawk the Slayer.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTDt5PuETLA

Viero_Berlotti

Yeah, I used to love these film as a kid. You're right though, they often don't stand up to repeat viewing as an adult though.

One of my faves was The Beastmaster

https://youtu.be/f7h7frRoAPk

I missed this one at the time but Lucio Fulci's Conquest is one I watched recently. I quite enjoyed it, it has all the usual Fulci chutzpah and insanity you'd expect. (Plus an ace Claudio Simonetti synth soundtrack).

https://youtu.be/Pwi9pudxLWE


checkoutgirl

Quote from: Blumf on July 14, 2017, 11:31:15 AM
Not a film, but would the Robin of Sherwood series from the 80s count?

a) As you said it's not a film and b) it's been fairly extensively covered in my television from your childhood, mostly 1980s thread.

If you want Robin Hood style stuff in a 1980s fantasy flick you can't beat Hawk The Slayer. It's pretty decent and has Jack Palance, Biggy favourite Bernard Bresslaw and a guy with a bow an arrow that fires like a machine gun. Lovely stuff and worth a watch.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: Blumf on July 14, 2017, 11:31:15 AM
Return to Oz, always unfairly forgotten
The Dark Crystal, possibly the best thing to come out of Jim Henson's workshop
Ladyhawk, no nonsense 80s action-fantasy, does exactly what it should
The Never Ending Story, that title is a bloody lie!

I find puppets offputting but Ladyhawk and The Dark Crystal will certainly go on my watch list. The Never Ending Story just looks absolute shit. I think disliking that film as a kid will prevent me from watching it again.

Viero_Berlotti

The Never Ending Story is perfect. I introduced my kids to it recently and I still get goosebumps watching it and a lump in my throat during the emotional bits.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: billtheburger on July 14, 2017, 11:39:05 AM
Conquest by the Lucio Fulci has been on my want to see list for a while due to my admiration of a few of his horror and gialli films. Apparently the baddie spends the entire film with her baps out getting aroused by her pet snake.

Well I'm definitely sold on that film already!! Fantasy Film Saturday this week.

Bazooka

Quote from: Viero_Berlotti on July 14, 2017, 12:24:42 PM
The Never Ending Story is perfect. I introduced my kids to it recently and I still get goosebumps watching it and a lump in my throat during the emotional bits.

It's bloody brilliant, Gmork is such a menacing presence.


checkoutgirl

Quote from: Viero_Berlotti on July 14, 2017, 12:24:42 PM
The Never Ending Story is perfect. I introduced my kids to it recently and I still get goosebumps watching it and a lump in my throat during the emotional bits.

I dunno, I remember having disdain for it as a 12 year old boy. The theme tune is a bit...ye know. A bit Disney. It was well uncool when I was a nipper. I think most of these fantasy films are a bit dodgy. It's all about either enjoying as a kid and getting completely swept up in it or remembering enjoying it as a kid years later. If you hated it as a kid there's less reason to hark back because the plots are unbelievable anyway.

Viero_Berlotti

Another one that still stands up is the Flash Gordon movie. The sets and costumes are something else, it has the lavish production values of a golden era Hollywood biblical epic that not many 80s fantasy films had.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: billtheburger on July 14, 2017, 11:39:05 AM
Conquest by the Lucio Fulci has been on my want to see list for a while due to my admiration of a few of his horror and gialli films. Apparently the baddie spends the entire film with her baps out getting aroused by her pet snake.

Whilst the last bit of that is true, the rest of the film is shit and exceptionally boring.  Don't listen to Viero Berlotti.

Let's see...

I still think Legend is brilliant, despite Tom Cruise.  Still the best screen representation of the devil as well.

John Boorman's Excalibur, of course.

Clash of the Titans (the original).  Never liked the Sinbad films, though.

Dragonslayer holds up well.

Salute of the Jugger/Blood of Heroes is pretty decent, although not much in the way of fantasy.

I used to love Red Sonja as a child - always thought it was better than the Conan films - but I've not seen it for the best part of 20 years, so take that as you will.

I can always watch Ruggero Deodato's The Barbarians, but only because the Barbarian Brothers are such bad actors and total meatheads their presence overtakes just how dull the rest of the film is.

The only other half decent ones I can think of are The Devil's Sword (with Barry Prima), Ralph Bakshi's Fire and Ice (animated, though), and The Sword and the Sorcerer.

Sebastian Cobb

Does Lifeforce count? It's basically about Space Vampires. It's not for kids, there's a lady vampire wandering about in the nip for quite a lot of it.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on July 14, 2017, 01:01:13 PM
Does Lifeforce count? It's basically about Space Vampires. It's not for kids, there's a lady vampire wandering about in the nip for quite a lot of it.

When someone says 80s action fantasy, my mind goes straight to sword and sorcery stuff.  So, on that basis, I would say not.  But then this isn't my thread, so I could just be told to cunt off.

Viero_Berlotti

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on July 14, 2017, 12:55:01 PM
Don't listen to Viero Berlotti.

I said I 'quite enjoyed it', hardly a raving endorsement. As a trashy Saturday night beer movie it ticked the boxes for me, and at 88 mins it didn't overstay its welcome. Worth it for me for the Claudio Simonetti score alone being a Goblin fan.

biggytitbo


Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Viero_Berlotti on July 14, 2017, 01:07:08 PM
I said I 'quite enjoyed it', hardly a raving endorsement. As a trashy Saturday night beer movie it ticked the boxes for me, and at 88 mins it didn't overstay its welcome. Worth it for me for the Claudio Simonetti score alone being a Goblin fan.

I still think you're overstating it.  That 88 minutes seemed like 4 hours to me.  Lovely tits aside.

Harpo Speaks

The Princess Bride of course. Though I don't love it as much as many do.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on July 14, 2017, 01:06:01 PM
When someone says 80s action fantasy, my mind goes straight to sword and sorcery stuff.  So, on that basis, I would say not.  But then this isn't my thread, so I could just be told to cunt off.

No you're right, Lifeforce is more sci-fi and not what I'm honing in on.

Sebastian Cobb

Oh well sorry everyone. You should all probably still watch it because it's a good film, with amazing effects for a b-movie and without wanting to sound all legend gary, the naked space vampire has some amazing bristols.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on July 14, 2017, 01:28:22 PM
Oh well sorry everyone.

No, it's too late. You must leave the room with your trousers 'round your ankles.

Small Man Big Horse

Mystery Science Theatre 3000 recently covered Wizards of the Lost Kingdom and it's sequel, and whilst the second film is a terrible pile of shite I actually quite enjoyed the first, at some points I wished they'd stop riffing on the movie as it was spoiling it a bit. I mean it is slightly naff without a doubt but there is something quite endearing about it.

Blumf

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on July 14, 2017, 12:55:01 PM
I used to love Red Sonja as a child - always thought it was better than the Conan films - but I've not seen it for the best part of 20 years, so take that as you will.

I'd rate Conan the Barbarian over Red Sonia, but RS over Conan the Destroyer, but would watch any of them when they turn up on TV.


mothman

There's also The Sword and the Sorceror, and Flesh and Blood...

mobias

#27
Quote from: Blumf on July 14, 2017, 11:31:15 AM

And, if you want to go a bit more adult, I've always enjoyed The Company of Wolves


The Company of Wolves is an incredible movie, utterly unique. One of my favourite movies of all time. It was actually made as a film for older children. Director Neil Jordan was very pissed off when it was given an 18 certificate in the UK and the US, where it was marketed as a horror movie, which it pretty much isn't. Curiously though in Europe they saw it for what it was as a dark fantasy coming of age film and gave it a much more broader age certificate.

From what I've read Terry Jones initial ideas and script for Labyrinth would have had it much more as a Company of Wolves/Pans Labyrinth type dark fantasy for kids rather than the Jim Henson fest that it became.

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on July 14, 2017, 12:55:01 PM

I still think Legend is brilliant, despite Tom Cruise.  Still the best screen representation of the devil as well.



Definitely. Tim Curry is amazing. You really have to see it with the Tangerine Dream sound track though. Its not the same film with the orchestral Hollywood score, that seems to be the default one for TV showings.

Its a far more watchable Ridley Scott film than fucking Prometheus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifz6WYnp5n4

biggytitbo

Quote from: checkoutgirl on July 14, 2017, 01:30:59 PM
No, it's too late. You must leave the room with your trousers 'round your ankles.


You'll have your trousers round your ankles if you watch Lifeforce, I know the 14 year old me did.

billtheburger

I've just remembered The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak (1984).
And I recommend it to all.