The Sword and the Sorcerer

Starring:Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis, Richard Lynch, Richard Moll, Anthony De Longis, Robert Tessier, Nina Van Pallandt, Anna Bjorn, Jeff Corey, Joseph Ruskin, Joe Regalbuto, Russ Marin, Earl Maynard, George Murdock, John Davis Chandler, Emily Yancy, Christopher Cary, Peter Breck
Director: Albert Pyun
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Meet Talon, a daring mercenary who conquers castles and dungeons alike with his lethal three-bladed sword. But when Talon learns that he is the prince of a kingdom controlled by an evil sorcerer, he is thrust into the wildest fight of his life. Can Talon rescue the beautiful princess and slay the warlock, or will he fall prey to the black magic of medieval mayhem? Lee Horsley (THE FACE OF FEAR), Kathleen Beller (TIME TRACKERS), Simon MacCorkindale (JAWS 3) and Richard Moll (HOUSE) star in this action-packed adventure saga, filled with brutal battles, luscious madiens, savage monsters and more!

System Requirements:
Starring: Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, Richard Lynch
Director: Albert Pyun
Producer: Brandon Chase & Marianne Chase
Running Time: 99 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Lean, lanky Lee Horsley (TV's Matt Houston) is hardly the iconic image of a medieval warrior, but in this cheesy Conan the Barbarian knockoff he makes his swaggering, mercenary Talon a genial smart aleck of a barbarian hero. The plot is pure pulp cliché: evil Cromwell (Richard Lynch) raises a demon to conquer a peaceful kingdom, kill the rulers, and imprison the royal heirs, and the son of a murdered patriot returns to take his righteous vengeance with a projectile-loaded, three-bladed sword. First-time director Albert Pyun apprenticed under Akira Kurosawa and brings with him an eye for handsome images and a fluid sense of action that helps overcome B-movie dialogue ("Unlock this door, wench, and leave that to us!"), scenery-chewing performances, and bargain-basement budget. In one fight sequence a guard punches a rock wall--and dents it! Kathleen Beller (the dark-eyed beauty of The Betsy) is the rebel princess who enlists Talon to the cause, Route 66's charming wanderer George Maharis is a conniving traitor under an unflattering mop of greasy hair, and Richard Moll dons a latex monster mask to play the double-crossed demon. It's utterly silly and often awkward, but it does have energy to spare. The sequel promised at the end of the film was never produced and Pyun went on to direct some of the best straight-to-video action films of the 1990s, including Nemesis. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Oldie but a goodie!.......2007-06-11

I was very surprised watching this ancient dungeons and dragons-esque film. it reminded me of the days of going to arcades and playing games like "asteroids"! this is a great nostalgia flick from the 80's that is filled with the cliche' "hero" type elements. evil king cromwell (richard Lynch)wants dominion over the land and attempts to do so through the aid of a demon's help (richard Moll as Xusia which is a very well playeed role) to rid himself of all competition. Enter Talon a daring mercenary, whom conquers dungeons, and castles alike! But when Talon learns that he is Prince of a kingdom controlled by an evil sorceror he seeks out the Tri-Bladed sword (the slide sword) and seeks out the demon and the king to save a beautiful princess. can Talon arrive in time? or will Cromwell and the Demon win? watch this excellent albeit old film and find out!

one of the few films like Krull, Conan the Barbarian, Legend, LOTR trilogy and more (just not quite the buget of LOTR) a wonderful adventure suited for advenurers everywhere! (Rated R by the motion picture association of america) color 99 minutes widescreen (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 tv's theatrical trailers and a tv spot wrap this dvd up nicely in a 4 Star package!
The Sword and the Sorcerer

The Sword and The Sorcerer.......2007-03-29

This was one of the better sword fantasy movies of the 70's. I enjoyed watching this movie when I was younger and purchased this movie for my teenage son to watch. He enjoyed it as well, although he commented on the special effects being very cheesy compared to what they have now. I reminded him that this was 30 years ago. For then, I think the special effects were rather good.

The Best Cheesy Fantasy Movie Ever.......2007-02-23

So what if some of the dialogue is bad and some of the props are lame? This movie is fun, fast and never takes itself too seriously. Lee Horsley plays the archetypal mercenary/barbarian/Conan figure to perfection and is so likable it makes it all work.

Cromwell is great as is Xusia and Rodrigo and all the rest. A lot of these actors went on to successful TV roles in Murphy Brown, Night Court and of course Horsley in Matt Houston. Look through the credits to see.

I love the three bladed sword that shoots, I love the harem scene and the girls that trip up the soldiers chasing Talon, I love how Kathleen Bell keeps kneeing guys in the crotch until being blocked by the demon (and I learned a very important fact of life: demons have no nads), I love how the mercenaries all get caught trying to sneak back in the castle (hey potatoe head!), I love it all! It is all so much fun. I watch this movie at least once or twice a month and enjoy it again and again.

This film actually won some awards back in the day and made a ton of profit at the box office. It cost around 2 mil to film and raked in over 40 mil. That is why no sequel was ever made b/c the producers retired. But never fear fans of The Sword and the Sorcerer, I am in the works of obtaining the rights and making the sequel come true. Tales of the Ancient Empire will happen. Oh yes, it shall be done!

Talon and His Gillette Mach3 Turbo Razor.......2007-01-30

Our friends at Gillette would have us believe that three blades are better than one. Well then, Prince Talon in The Sword and the Sorcerer was waaaayyyy ahead of his time! Talon's triple-bladed sword not only would break any foe's single blade to pieces, it could launch two of its blades at its target(s).

Not to be one-upped, Gillette has launched the five-blade, battery powered (use a Gillette owned Duracell AAA please) Fusion shaving system that features a patented on-board micro-chip to optimize performance by regulating voltage and frequency. Good God...are consumers really so stupid as to go for such a crock? Oy.

Anyway....

How many movies do you remember seeing back in a different lifetime that you thought were really cool only to check 'em out in the current day and find that they really were average at best? The Sword and the Sorcerer is definitely one of those movies. 25 years is a long time, and my viewing of this film back in 1982 at age 20 was...let's just say..."enhanced" by...well...the things I used to do prior to plopping myself in front of cable TV at 2 a.m.

But The Sword and the Sorcerer is still fun. The audio magicians did a little sorcery of their own and gave Sword a surround sound update back in 2001, but the DVD picture is still as grainy as a VCR would be.

The story is cool. A fictional Days of King Arthur-ish tale of Tyrant Titus Cromwell's rise to power, and, Son of King Richard, Prince Talon's fight to take back the throne that would have been his. Throw in evil Sorcerer Xusia (also vying for the Crown), have him conjure up a ton of camp and a lack of continuity, and you have what-seemed-a-lot-better-at-the-time The Sword and the Sorcerer.

The Sword and the Sorcerer was Albert Pyun's directorial debut (and it shows). But the movie's $40MM box office take surprised even the producers that had originally planned a sequel called Tales of the Ancient Empire that continued the adventure of Prince Talon. Pyun said that Sword was so profitable that ironically a decision was made to scrap the sequel and just bank the profits of the original. Smart move.

Pyun went on to direct a score of B movies and clunkers. The little known lead actors all went on to lead pretty successful TV careers. No sequel was ever made. We all lived happily ever after.

Sword and Sorcerey.......2007-01-10

Loved this movie when I first saw it and now I can see over and over again, arrived in great condition.

Average customer rating:

Teenage nostalgia does not age well.
Slow moving rotoscoped animation
Action Packed Fantasy Fun!
One of my all-time favorites. A real gem of a film.
Frazetta animated, 'nuff said!

Fire and Ice (2-Disc Limited Edition)
Starring: Randy Norton , Cynthia Leake , Steve Sandor , Sean Hannon , and Leo Gordon
Director: Ralph Bakshi , and Lance Laspina
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
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Icon

ASIN: B000A2LV4W
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Amazon.com

The mighty-muscled heroes and big-bottomed babes of fantasy artist Frank Frazetta inspired animator Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Wizards) to create the swords-and-sorcery epic Fire and Ice. Bakshi uses a technique called rotoscoping, which uses live-action film of actors as the template for animation, allowing him to put realistic action into fantastic environments. The verisimilitude of movement in a cartoon can be startling, but that's about all Fire and Ice has to offer; the wafer-thin story, overwrought characters, and clumsy dialogue are vapid cliches. Of much greater interest are the extras in this two-disc set, including a making-of feature that demonstrates the painstaking process of rotoscoping; enthusiastic commentary from Bakshi, who's a jovial, down-to-earth guy with a thick Brooklyn accent; deliriously fatuous diary notes from one of the actors; and a feature-length documentary called Frazetta: Painting with Fire, which reveals the artist to be more intriguing than any of the barbarians he's famous for. The effusive praise of other fantasy artists and "Frazetta historians" occasionally veers into Spinal Tap territory, but it's fascinating watching Frazetta turn from a 1950s James-Dean-style tough guy into the king of fantasy art. Though his work is often dismissed as adolescent kitsch, the documentary persuasively argues that Frazetta deservedly dominates his corner of the art world. --Bret Fetzer

Description

From The Director Of The Original Animated LORD OF THE RINGS And The Illustrator Of CONAN THE BARBARIAN

It began as a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between two of the greatest icons of the fantasy genre: Controversial animator Ralph Bakshi (director of FRITZ THE CAT, WIZARDS and the original THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and legendary illustrator Frank Frazetta (creator of the iconic CONAN THE BARBARIAN, VAMPIRELLA and Edgar Rice Burroughs book covers). It became - and remains - one of the most startling animation epics of all time. Now experience a world unlike any ever seen, where savage warriors, horrific monsters and luscious maidens battle for the soul of a civilization in a time of good and evil, pleasure and pain, and FIRE & ICE

This long-unavailable cult favorite has been remastered in High Definition from the original vault materials, remixed in stunning 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX, and loaded with exciting Extras.

Disc 2 contains FRAZETTA: PAINTING WITH FIRE, the acclaimed 93 minute documentary that explores the remarkable life and career of the man who changed fantasy art forever.

Archer Winsten, NEW YORK POST
"Fantastic Monsters, Nightmarish Visions And Gobs Of Action!"

Customer Reviews:

Teenage nostalgia does not age well........2007-06-26

Fire and Ice (Ralph Bakshi, 1983)

Sometimes I wonder what on earth filmmakers were thinking when they made movies. More often, I wonder what I was thinking when I was enthralled with them. In this case, though, I don't need to do either--when Fire and Ice came out, I was fourteen years old, male, and not terribly experienced with the opposite sex--in other words, I was Ralph Bakshi's exact target audience. Now I'm thirty-eight, married, and have a more encyclopedic knowledge of eighties and nineties exploitation cinema (read: porn) than I'm sure anyone in my family would like to acknowledge; rewatching Fire and Ice these days, I look back and grieve that my fourteen-year-old self had such bad taste. (But then, in 1983, my all-time favorite movie was Deathsport. No, I can't explain it either.)

Fire and Ice, which All-Movie Guide calls "Bakshi's last stab at epic fantasy", concerns two kingdoms, the established human kingdom ruled by fire, and the upstart kingdom of outcasts and half-breeds, the kingdom of Ice. Needless to say, one is wise and good, and the other is twisted and evil. Interestingly, there are a few places in the script where denizens of either kingdom could waver from their one-dimensionality and suddenly bring depth and richness to the script; we're dangling there waiting for Bakshi to drop the apple into our mouths, but of course it's snatched away as quickly as it's offered. Cruel, I tell you. But then, no one's supposed to be paying attention to the script; we're supposed to be too busy, erm, "watching" Tigre (voice of Cynthia Leake), who starts the movie wearing something that looks as if it's supposed to be a diaphanous lavender negligee over a couple of pieces of filmy stuff that pass as underwear. But only for the first third of the movie, after which the negligee-thing goes away. Draw some luscious, and entirely unrealistic, curves, and the audience's collective brain will be interested in nothing else; at least, this seems to have been the thinking behind this production. (Add in a cameo from Batman--and I swear, the character looks like the ancestor of the animated version of Batman from the seventies--and you'll kill off the last few collective brain cells still struggling to recover from the onslaught of Tigre-flesh.)

But the worst part is that, after realizing all this, I still sat through the entire eighty-one minutes this weekend. I'm pretty sure I didn't drool, but there may be some extra gaps in the gray matter I should probably have my doctor take a look at. *

Slow moving rotoscoped animation.......2007-05-26

The storyline for this movie was interesting, but took so long to get moving I started to lose interest. If it was a one-hour movie, it probably would have been more entertaining. The Big Bad Evil Ice Guy is attempting to conquer the Good Guy Fire King, but most of the time is spent with the Fire King's scantily clad, fantasy-proportioned princess running from ape-like soldiers and being rescued over-and-over by a sole-surviving warrior from one of her father/king's tribes. It all wraps up very quickly in the end. If you like Frazzetta, then you'll notice this is a whole movie of his paintings in rotoscoped animation.

Action Packed Fantasy Fun!.......2007-01-03

If you liked Conan the Barbarian or even Thundarr the Barbarian you'll like this movie.

One of my all-time favorites. A real gem of a film........2006-12-01

I highly recommend this title to anyone who likes films in the fantasy genre. Even after all these years I still enjoy watching this film for what could probably be the 100th time. The animation techniques were very innovative for the time. The storyline is compelling and the characters are fascinating. This is one DVD that I am very happy to have been able to get my hands on and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something unique and special.

Frazetta animated, 'nuff said!.......2006-11-22

He is awesome. Anyone who dobuts the Rotoscope, see this movie.

Know what's cooler? If you are an illustrator/animator, you could do that movie today? (Hopefully something original along those lines)

Just get Poser 5 or higher, a good animation software package (ToonBoom seems to be leading) and work out a storyboard. Then, have the 3D figs act out the basic moves and trace over them, using the computer to extend your art style.

A literal "Animated Movie" would still be a labor of Hercules, but 3-10 minute shorts would be quite doable;-)

Average customer rating:

Great movie for kids,
"We are the reason why cousins should never marry."
Sophisticated production with a Gigantic Heart.
Romantic Adventure
Great Childrens Entertainment..

Quest for Camelot
Starring: Jessalyn Gilsig , Andrea Corr , Cary Elwes , Bryan White , and Gary Oldman
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Quest For Camelot: Music From The Motion Picture
The King and I
A Troll in Central Park
The Swan Princess (Special Edition)
Thumbelina

ASIN: 6305123454
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Amazon.com

Following their animated/live action hit Space Jam, Warner Bros. jumped into the fully animated feature competition by playing it safe, giving the Arthurian legend a conspicuously Disneyesque facelift. Ingredients from Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Pocahontas are evident in the tale of a girl named Kayley (Jessalyn Gilsig) whose father, a Knight of the Round Table, is killed by Sir Ruber (Gary Oldman), a maniacal brute who steals Excalibur and threatens to seize King Arthur's Camelot. Kayley enlists the blind, reclusive knight-aspirant Garrett (Cary Elwes) to brave the Enchanted Forest and retrieve the magic sword, and their adventure is (of course) fraught with danger. Adding extra punch to the movie's commercial appeal, the soundtrack songs are performed by big names like LeeAnn Rimes and Celine Dion. And if that's not enough to hold a kid's attention, there's a two-headed dragon ("we're the reason cousins shouldn't marry") voiced by Eric Idle and Don Rickles. With so much talent involved, it's entertaining but uninspired, although cleverly harmless riffs from Dirty Harry, Taxi Driver, and other movies spice up the adventure with enjoyable pop-culture references. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A magical feature-length animated adventure brimming with laughter and song! A heroic young girl, a handsome blind hermit and a comical two-headed dragon join forces to recover King Arthur's magical sword Excalibur after it is stolen by an evil enemy.

Customer Reviews:

Great movie for kids,.......2007-02-13

I bought this for my grandchildren and they love it. They watch it all of the time.

"We are the reason why cousins should never marry.".......2006-09-24

Plot in a nutshell - Baron Ruber (voice of Gary Oldman) wants all the power & wealth in the land, is thus expelled from the Round Table for it, and vows revenge on King Arthur (voice of Bond star Pierce Brosnan) and all who inhabit his realm. Years later, Ruber steals the sword Excalibur and plunges Camelot into chaos. The only hope is Kayley (voice of Jessalyn Gilsig), the plucky, super cute farm girl tomboy teen-aged daughter of a Round Table knight Ruber killed years ago, who manages to rope a blind forester/former stable boy named Garrett (voice of Cary Elwes) and a two-headed dinosaur/dragon mutant (voiced by Don Rickles and Eric Idle) into helping her retrieve Excalibur. Comedy, chaos and mayhem ensues.

Maybe not the best animated feature ever made, but still enjoyable in its old fashioned Disney kind of way. Combination of traditional hand-drawn animation set against CGI backgrounds makes for a beautifully uneven visual feast. Characters are fairly likable and good-natured enough not to annoy anyone.

Based on the book "The King's Dam0sel" by the late Vera Chapman.

Sophisticated production with a Gigantic Heart........2006-05-13

It might be easy for the rushed and hurried to quickly label this gentle animation as just another passable direct-to-video disneylike flick, but hold on, this isn?t one of them. This is a generous, colorful, thoughtful sophisticated movie, which achieved even more than it was intended. Particularly in one scene, which elevates this movie to the epic level.

Kayley, is chased by bad guys, and instead of your typical Indiana Jones like, brass and drums chase scene orchestral score..you are unexpectedly treated with an lovely, gentle, vaguely eerie song, (The Prayer) providing a big contrast with the intense and aggressive horse chase. (and its NOT in slow motion) "I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go...". Instantly you?re really worried with the mother, and those mildy cartoony villains become a real textured menace. They really made this work, and this movie is applause worthy for this scene alone.

Romantic Adventure.......2006-03-21

Quest for Camelot is my favorite movie. I love how a blind man can be so efficient and how a young girl can see him beyond his abilities.

Great Childrens Entertainment.........2006-02-22

I ordered the Quest for Camelot dvd for the wonderful Steve Perry video that was included on the disc. Having never watched the movie before I was pleasantly surprised. My 10 year old loves the movie and she loves the games that are included on the disc.

Average customer rating:

I've seen worse
Deathstalker
Non-existent, uncomprehensible mess of fantasy schlock-making.
Deathstalker DVD
The Epidemy of Bad Films

Deathstalker - The Last Great Warrior
Starring: Rick Hill , Barbi Benton , Richard Brooker , Lana Clarkson , and Victor Bo
Director: James Sbardellati
Manufacturer: New Concorde
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ASIN: B00005NOP4
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com

Brawny blond longhair Richard Hill is the rogue barbarian hero Deathstalker in this hilariously slapdash sword-and-sorcery adventure. Armed with a sword that makes him invincible (provided by an otherwise completely useless sidekick), he heads off for a tournament of warriors sponsored by an evil wizard with a nasty plot to kill all his rivals... but don't worry about the plot because it makes no sense. This shot-in-Argentina, Roger Corman production features badly staged swordfights, loads of gratuitous nudity, female mud wrestling, trolls in bad rubber masks, and a funky eyeball-eating demon sock puppet. Former Hugh Hefner girlfriend Barbi Benton seems rather embarrassed in her role as a whiny harem girl. John Terlesky took over the title role in the sequel (Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans) while topless warrior woman costar Lana Clarkson graduated to her own series, Barbarian Queen. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

I've seen worse.......2007-03-29

Those of you slamming this one haven't seen enough bad movies. Take my word for it I have seen an abundence of bad movies. This one doesn't stink. "Red Sonja" stinks. I guess partly because with Arnold Schwarzenegger in it I thought it might have a decent story, acting, and music like "Conan the Barbarian". Was I ever wrong. This one doesn't take itself so serious I don't think. That or it was campy enough it seemed to catch my interest. Fans of silly sword and sandal movies probably won't hate it.

Deathstalker.......2006-06-07

Ladies before you comdemn me for my rating read my review first. I give it 5 stars because of how handsome Richard Hill was! That guy had an amazing bod!!!! What woman wouldn't want him! Also the 4 stars is for the warrior, the sorcery and the plot of going to a mysterious medevial planet. However I give 1 star for the RAUNCHY NUDITY,AND SEX SCENES! So 5 stars minus 1 star equals 4 stars. All you guys out there who insulted Richard Hill over how cheesy and lousy he was as an actor, you're probably, most likely ugly, homely-looking, unattractive, beer-belly dudes who make all women cringe in digust! You insult him because you're just jealous of his good-looks!

Non-existent, uncomprehensible mess of fantasy schlock-making........2006-03-04

DEATHSTALKER is perfect for B-fantasy movie fans; this barely 80-minute travesty of filmmaking features everything hecklers can ask for--non-existent plotting, terrible acting (save for at least a raspy-sounding old lady), laughable scripting and schlock editing, and bargain-basement style background settings. There are no characters that come across as likeable or interesting (in particular, the lead doesn't have ANYTHING appealing about him), and the actors assembled barely do anything to rise above the F-grade material. If that's not enough, then how about the lack of a compelling plot (which this movie has nothing of the sort) to make DEATHSTALKER qualify as a major turkey? I was also offended that the women in this movie barely serve any purpose other than to 1) be topless and/or scantily clad; 2) get raped; 3) have sex with the hero; 4) all of the above. In addition, the background music is hideous; a bizarre mess of electronic noise, cheesy choral bursts, and blaring orchestral cacophony. Ear numbing and eye numbing all in one packed with nary a thing to keep one interested, DEATHSTALKER is probably best suited for folks looking for something to laugh at (and believe me, there's plenty of that in here). Otherwise, I do not recommend this 100th-grade CONAN wanna-be to anyone in the least.

Deathstalker DVD.......2005-07-20

Quality of color and sound of DVD is first rate. The packaging was basic, but acceptable.

The Epidemy of Bad Films.......2005-06-03

Ever wonder what really makes a film bad? Look no further as you will find every element of bad film in this atrocious production. This film has absolutely no comprehensible plot. At the same time, Richard Hill and pretty much every other actor who participated in this film is a prime example of bad acting. A bad Kung-Fu film from China would be Oscar material compared to this worthless crap: it would even have a better script and dialogues. I could go on and on but let me just say that I recall seeing this film 22 years ago when I was 12 and I found it comically repugnant even then. One star is too kind of a rating for this piece of junk.

Average customer rating:

A Science Fiction Samurai Flick: Worth A Watch!
Samurai+sorcery+sci-fi=Moon Over Tao
Beware Metorites Bearing Gifts
Asian has usual
Sci Fi and Samurai!

Moon Over Tao
Starring: Toshiyuki Nagashima , Hiroshi Abe , Yûko Moriyama , Gô Shimada , and Ai Orikasa
Director: Keita Amemiya
Manufacturer: Tokyo Shock
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005KB6U
Release Date: 2001-09-11

Customer Reviews:

A Science Fiction Samurai Flick: Worth A Watch!.......2007-03-08

There are glowing reviews of this film, and I would suggest caution before you rush out and buy this particular DVD. Rent it first. This is one of those types of films that may not appeal to many viewers. "Moon Over Tao" is not a bad film, but it is not a very good film either. Once again, rent it first. This fantasy film was directed by Keita Amemiya in the late 1990s. The film centers around a warring clan which happens to make swords out of a meteor which landed on earth. This meteor has properties which enable the clan to produce powerful swords from it. Therefore, a swordsman and a monk are sent to find out where these swords are being made.

Inside the meteor there is a powerful weapon, and guess who's looking for it? Yep, the aliens from another world. The film is set in medieval Japan, therefore you have a samurai sci-fi: Which is appealing in itself. The swordsman and the monk come across a young girl who tells them of three alien warriors who are all women. They are: Abira, Marien, and Kutzo, which are all portrayed by (Yuko Moriyama). There is a falling out between these aliens, and the girl is given a bell by one of the survivors which can control the evil inside the meteor. The evil is an alien monster: Makaraga.

This film is interesting, and will appeal to some viewers, therefore, I do not wish to discourage others from viewing the film. I liked it when it first came out, however, after viewing it again last night, it did not seem to hold up too well over time. One of the pluses in the film is the portrayal of the swordsman Hayate (Hiroshi Abe), and the monk Suikyou (Toshiyuki Nagashima), I thought there performances were very good. Not that a film such as this is what viewers are looking for. However, it is always a plus in any film.

Moreover, for a very low budget film, the action is pretty good and very well done. Therefore, if you don't mind silly, weird and just plain fun in a film you will probably enjoy the film. I have seen this film going for much less at many of the Asian video stores that I purchase my films from, than the price listed here on amazon. However, if you decide to purchase this film, do not go into the film expecting a great film. It is average at best. But once again, it will appeal to some. I do recommend however that you rent it first. And if you're into monster flicks, then the evil monster inside the meteor, MAKARAGA, will not disappoint those of the genre. [Stars: 3.5]

Samurai+sorcery+sci-fi=Moon Over Tao.......2006-09-09

How's this for a combination? Samurai, sorcery and sci-fi? Well, that's what's in store for you if you check out Moon Over Tao-Makaraga.

It is the Sengoku-jidai, or the Period of the Warring States, sometime during the 16th century, in Japan. Lord Tadaoki, a player in the game to take control of Japan, sends his former military advisor Suikyo, now a hermit-priest/sorcerer who has come down from the mountains, to seek out the source of a sword made out of "a special, superior kind of steel." He is accompanied by Hayate, Tadaoki's laconic chief samurai.

Their quest takes them through the woods, where they meet Renge, a plucky self-reliant young girl armed only with a dagger given her by her late grandfather. Together, they track down the source of the sword's steel to a cold-blooded archenemy of Suikyo who wants nothing more than "a power strong enough to place absolute fear into the hearts of men."

And what is the Makaraga? Without giving anything away, Renge says it best: "something that is never to be used." And the Tao is a gun-like device with a yin-yang motif.

The battle scenes are great but the blood spills like wine (or should that be sake?) in many scenes. Suikyo comes through as a reliable fighter whose main weapon gives a new meaning to the phrase, "the pen is mightier than the sword." The recurring music theme is contemporary light drum machines with a violin that comes in, and helps set the atmosphere.

Toshiyuki Nagashima gets a big-up, playing Suikyo as someone with a dignified, compassionate nature, a great contrast to the gruff and rough Hayate.

Yuko Moriyama (Iria in the Zeiramu movies) has a triple role as Abira, Marien, and Kuzto, the three aliens who have tracked the Makaraga to Earth, and the makeup between the three are different enough that one forgets she's playing all of them.

However, Sayaka Yoshino is appealing as the pre-teen/early teen Renge. Her shorts and high boots give the same eye-opening sensation like Silvana Mangano's outfit in Bitter Rice.

Roots of this movie include the usual samurai movies, but Suikyo is a variation of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the aliens bug-like helmets reminded me of either Zuckuss or 4-LOM in Empire Strikes Back. Their suits are clearly based on SCUBA gear. And Renge's statement about the Makaraga hints to Japan's being the only country to have experienced nuclear devastation. An interesting twist on the samurai movie.

Beware Metorites Bearing Gifts.......2004-06-17

Moon Over Tao is samurai science fiction. On a quest for the source of a magical sword Suikyo, a warrior monk, and Hayate, a samurai, meet Renge, a young girl. At night she sees lights in the sky and witnesses the landing of three alien women, all played by Yuko Moriyama. An evil stone (the Makaraga) has crashed on the Earth and fallen into the hands of Kakugyo, a dark priest. The Aleans seek to recover the stone but they are not in agreement about what to do with it and have a falling out.

In the meantime Suikyo, Hayate, and Renge seek a bandit hideout whre the swords came from. By a twist of fate, the swords were made from the meteoric metal that protected the Makaraga on its trip through space. Thus, everyone converges on Kakugyo as he works his plans for conquering Japan. Renge bears a secret weapon - the Tao - a gift from one of the alien women who died of her wounds in Renges arms.

There is quite a bit more to the story that is surprisingly rich for an action film. Amemiya spends a great deal of attention to making the setting a believable 16th century Japan, and then overlays a science fiction flavor, and does this without sounding a false note. Character development gets a surprising amount of attention. Of course there's plenty of sword fighting and flying parts. All of these compontents are carefully balanced.

Of the three major Kieta Amemiya films, Moon over Tao has become my favorite. Admittedly, It lacks the space opera silliness of Zeiram II, and the non-stop special effects of Kakaider. But on the plus side is the well crafted plot plot and believable acting. For those of us who like special effects, there's magical spellwork, alien costumes, and a superb monster. Amemiya demonstrates that, given the necessary resources, he can produce a superior product.

Asian has usual.......2004-02-10

The movie is average at best, i guess i am gonna sell that one to, i rather check out Versus

Sci Fi and Samurai!.......2003-11-21

Moon Over Tao is yet another Sci Fi film by Ketia Amemiya staring Yuko Moriyama and it's a good one at that.

The film starts when a Shogun assigns the task of aquiring some extremely powerful swords to a samurai, Sir Hayate, and a wondering monk, Suikyo. The swords happen to be in the hands of a group of bandits run by Lord Kakugyo, who can also use magic. On their journey, they rescue a young girl named Renge, who happens to be an orphan living on her own in a forest. Prior to meeting the two men, Renge is given a device by an alien female, which is used to stop a creature called the Makaraga.

The three eventually make it to the bandits hideout where they battle the bandits, as well as the Makaraga. They also have a showdown with Lord Kakugyo. The three are aided by two different aliens played by Yuko Moriyama. In fact, there are three aliens in the film, all of whom are played by Yuko Moriyama. However, the aliens are in a dispute over the use of the Makraga as a weapon on their own world and are also in battle with one another. I'll let you find out the rest of the story when you see the film.

Moon Over Tao is an excellent balance between a Samurai film, and a Sci Fi film. There are tradtional Samurai battles, as well as some B movie special effects which come across well. Ketia Amemiya creates an intersing world and adds some nice action scenes between both the humans, and the creature. Yuko Moriyama does a nice job of playing all three aliens. They are easily distinguished by threir hair styles. And the film is shot in a way that dos'nt make it confusing. The film also has a catchy soundtrack which is a cross between modern and traditonal Japanese music. (Unlike any soundtrack I've heard) To be fair I will say that the creature looks a little strange at times, due to some lower grade CGI effects, but not every film can be a Hollywood budgeted film. Once you get used to it, it's not a big deal.

Tokyo Shock is the release company on this film, and they have both Japanese and English dubbed language tracks on the disc. The English version is actually pretty good. But that is about the extent of the special features, except for some trailers of other films.

Overall I would say this is one of my favorite Japanese films, due to the freshness of the story and the creativity of the film. (A nice break from Hollywood releases) The film got a 4 only becuase the begining of the film was a tad bit slow.(a minor inconvienence though)

If you're into films outside the scope of Hollywood, Samurai films, or Sci Fi Films, give Moon Over Tao a try. It's worth a watch, and in my case, it was worth buying.

Average customer rating:

Steve Reeves Hercules
Quite a surprise
Entertaining Hercules Sequel
Bad quality digital transfer
The Golden Age of the Herc

Hercules Unchained
Starring: Steve Reeves , Sylva Koscina , Sylvia Lopez , Gabriele Antonini , and Primo Carnera
Director: Pietro Francisci
Manufacturer: United American
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Hercules
Hercules
Gods of War
The Giant of Marathon
The White Warrior

ASIN: B00000FZ21
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Customer Reviews:

Steve Reeves Hercules.......2007-02-12

the sequel to the Steve Reeves Hercules. A must for any Steve Reeves collector! Actually continues from the original Hercules movie. Locations are great and the story is OK too.

Quite a surprise.......2007-01-21

Hercules Unchained. My, my, my. I watched these movies as a boy. When I grew up, I just assumed they were children's movies and not very good at all. But surprisingly, this movie is enchanting. There are images that will not leave you easily. If you are not a romantic, if you are easily put off, forget it. If you buy the Westlake Entertainment version, in the extras there is a photo gallery. The background music consists of themes from the movie by the great Enzo Masetti, not easily found. Simply amazing music, very cinamatic and dreamy.

Entertaining Hercules Sequel.......2006-12-23

After reading several of the reviews of this movie, I would like to add my two cents.First of all this is a good sword and sandal film from the late 1950's.If you want superior acting then I suggest Hamlet with Lawrence Olivier.This is a lightweight, fun film that picks up where the original HERCULES leaves off.Although most of his movies follow the same plot formula, this Steve Reeves film is still very entertaining.Alot of the characters in the first film are in this movie as well.The movie also has an above average musical score.In my opinion his three best films are HERCULES, HERCULES UNCHAINED, and THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD.I also have several videos of him appearing in a number of television shows with his real speaking voice. Although his voice was not baritone, it is hardly "tinny".He turned down the role that eventually went to Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns.Reeves did not like the direction in which 1960's films were headed, so he decided to retire from acting.

Bad quality digital transfer .......2006-12-01

This DVD is produced by Westlake Entertainment Group. It runs for 107 minutes and is presented in the fullscreen format. There is an interactive menu that includes scene selection, photo gallery and very short biographies and filmographies.

The real problem is that the digital transfer used Westlake Entertainment Group is very poor quality. The resultant film imagery is like a very old VHS tape.

I would not recommend you buy from this distributor. This is symptomatic of a wider problem in which classic films that were made before the advent of the digital age are being treated disgracefully by producing bad low budget DVDs transfers. Show some respect to the director, actors and movie viewer and do it properly or dont do it at all and leave the market open for some other distributor to do it the way it should be done.

The Golden Age of the Herc.......2006-09-07

If you like poorly made movies from the 50s and 60s then the Hercules movies are good ones. This is the second movie that featured Steve Reeves as the title character and he was clearly the best of the lot. The way he looked and moved and spoke, you could really believe he was Hercules.

In this movie Herc and his wife and young Ulysses are headed to his home city of Thebes when they get sidetracked. Herc drinks from an enchanted pool of water and forgets who he is. He ends up with Queen Omphale, convinced he is married to her. Ulysses pretends to be Herc's deaf mute servant and tries to restore the Big Man's memory. There are other political elements to the plot but not much of it makes sense. Herc flexes his muscles, Omphale flexes her cleavage and there is a big free-for-all fight scene at the end. Hercules ends up back with his wife Iole and everyone lives happily ever after. The acting is cheesy, the direction erratic and the script bizarre.

Average customer rating:

Fun no-budget barbarian movie
Sure it's cheesy, but it's deliberate...
One of my all time favourite movies!
Back! By popular demand! :)
"I will get my revenge, and Deathstalker too!"

Deathstalker 2
Starring: Jacques Arndt , Dee Booher , Maria Luisa Carnivani , Carina Davi , and William Feldman
Manufacturer: New Concorde
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Deathstalker - The Last Great Warrior
Deathstalker IV: Match of Titans
Barbarian Queen
Barbarian Queen/Barbarian Queen 2: Empress Strikes
The Warrior and the Sorceress

ASIN: B00005NOP6
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Customer Reviews:

Fun no-budget barbarian movie.......2006-08-29

A horrible movie that's actually a lot of fun. I never heard of the "Detahstalker" straight-to-video franchise before this flick, but enjoyed it anyway. Long after cut-rate foreign studios mined the Conan-genre dry, "Deathstalker" was still trodding the sands of swords&sandals territory with cheap production values, dumb-gags and nonexistent scripts.

Story? Deathstalker, free-booting adventurer, steps in to save the life of the impoverished Reena, a fortuneteller marked for death by angry customers (she foretells the birth of children to men other than husbands). Reena, as it turns out, is a princess deposed by Jarek the sorcerer. In her place, Jarek has installed Reena's magically-created clone - but the process that created the clone won't allow Jarek to kill the original. There's also Sultana, a warrior who's as beautiful as she is fiercely insistent to...

Oh, does it matter what it's about? You'll probably forget about it two minutes after your player has spat the tape out. (Did somebody make this available on DVD?) However, "Deathstalker" is one of those flicks that taps into its own flaws in a good way. Much like the story and the main character, "Deathstalker" seems like a good-natured relic of a lost age, never really following any path other than that that provides some (cheap) thrills. Nowhere near as poorly solemn as the "Ator" movies, nor as just misguided as "Barbarians", "Deathstalker" is a movie you just know is junk, yet one you can sit through. The best thing here is John Lazar (that's right - "Z-man" is back, and he's handy-as-ever with a sword!!) hamming it up as the evil Jarek.

Sure it's cheesy, but it's deliberate..........2005-05-22

Yeah, this is a sequel with nothing to do with the first one, and yeah, it's no Conan, but it doesn't try to be. Just remember who the writer/director is (the esteemed Jim Wynorski), take your mind off the hook, and go with it!

The premise (soldier of fortune helps a princess in disguise regain the throne)is classic, but it's all told with such a goofy tone that comparison with a more serious film is, well, goofy.

If you have the DVD edition with the director's commentary, you'll see where Wynorski was going when he made the film. The script is full of in-jokes from other movies in the genre, jokes from television, and more than enough one liners to fill a dozen old Bob Hope movies. You also get John LaZar (from Beyond the Valley Of The Dolls) as the evil sorcerer, Monique Gabrielle (of a zillion b-movies) as the damsel in distress, and Toni Naples in black leather as Sultana, who swings a mean sword.

Add to that a gazillion extras (all masked so they can be used over and over in other scenes), lots of wooden swords painted silver, a fight to the death with Queen Kong (featuring Amazon ring girls holding up the round number painted on cardboard). Yep friends and neighbors, this one leaves no cliché unheard. Do I recommend it? Wholeheartedly. Genre fans won't be disappointed.

One of my all time favourite movies!.......2005-03-01

From the moment, in the opening sequence, when Sultana's (the delicious Toni Naples) vow "I'll have my revenge - and Deathstalker too", heralds the title - "Deathstalker 2" on screen, accompanied by Chuck Cirino's amazing score, I fell totally in love with this movie! No sad Conan clone this!

Cult director Jim Wynorski has quite simply given us one of the most entertaining movies of all time.

The masterful casting of John Terleskey as our wisecracking hero and the gorgeous, scantily-clad Monique Gabrielle in her inspired double-role, ensures a whole laboratory of sexual chemistry between the highly picturesque duo. They also look like they're enjoying this bawdy romp no end!

The unprecedented amount of inspired one-liners, corny puns and cheeky verbal and visual references to other movies (most notably Spaghetti Westerns, Hammer Horror and Star Wars) demand repeat viewing to extract every delicious drop of Wynorsky's waggery.

The plot is a simple one - our eponymous hero (but is Deathstalker his first name or his last name?), promised a great reward, teams up with Evie the seer (Gabrielle), whose rightful position of princess has been taken by an evil clone of herself (evil Evie of course). Battling their way past zombies, pirates, and Amazon tribeswomen, Terleskey and Gabrielle never miss an opportunity to extract every potential bit of humour from each scenario. The other players join in the fun too - John La Zar, as evil wizard (is there any other kind?) Jerak warns Deathstalker that grave-robbing carries a stiff penalty in these parts, Sultana pokes fun at Evie's wardrobe (the Wilma Flintstone look) and pirate Chin (a tribute to Hawaii 5-O) and his hapless team are to bounty-hunting what the Archbishop of Canterbury is to bungee-jumping.

Scene follows glorious scene, my personal favourites being the initial punch-up in the tavern, evil Evie tiring of her musical dwarf playing nothing but the Deathstalker theme, Deathstalker's hilarious fight against the Amazon's champion and , of course, the final scene - when told that his heroic exploits will be reenacted for centuries to come, Deathstalker grins and says "Well, I sure hope they get a good looking guy to play me". What a parting shot!

There's no mistaking the miniscule budget here, and there's even some footage recycled from the (inferior) Deathstalker 1 and a couple of amusing inadvertent anachronisms and continuity errors. With a movie as refreshingly entertaining as this, who cares though?

The DVD contains the outtakes (the same as were also present during the end titles on the VHS version), the theatrical trailer and, delightfully, optional full-length commentary by Wynorsky, Terleskey and Naples. This is very very funny, and adds yet another dimension to the whole package, as Wynorsky flirts with Naples and points out anachronisms, such as a tyre visible as our heroes ride past.

For potential UK purchasers, make sure your DVD player is multi-region, as this is only available as Region 1 (NTSC). My copy took around 10 days to arrive from the States. At this price, Deathstalker 2 has to be the DVD bargain of the century!

You will either think it is brilliant or complete garbage! I am convinced that most viewers with a sense of fun, will decide it is the former.

Back! By popular demand! :).......2005-02-05

This is a great "B" movie. I rated it a 5, which i don't ever hand out to "B" movies, but as far as they go, this is one of the greatest. Obviously it can't compare with greats like BraveHeart and such, but you have to know what you're getting into before watching this.

I believe there are 4 Death Stalker movies. 1 and 4 try to be "serious", kind of like Conan rip-offs.... not real great. 2 and 3 go the more "humorous" route, with 3 failing pretty badly.

But Death Stalker 2 is GREAT! Adventure, comedy, action, slashing, and for those that like beautiful women in their movies, Monique Gabrielle doesn't disappoint!

Be ready for a cheesy movie, but it's fun cheesy! Lots of great (and bad) one-liners throughout. :)

"I will get my revenge, and Deathstalker too!".......2004-08-08

OMG. This is a sequel to a Conan rip off. I mean, this movie has greatness written all over it. The first one was made to be semi serious, but it didn't exactly come out smelling like roses. So the creators saw what they had to do to redeem themselves. Make a tongue in cheek sequel. So they made this abomination. This movie had some one liners that were pretty funny, and then it had others that came out as ridiculous as a man wearing clown shoes in a mine field. This movie is good for watching with friends so that you can laugh and have a good time. But otherwise, don't bother.
What I learned from Deathstalker 2: Huts do not have doors, and barbarians carry ninja stars as weapons.
If you liked this movie, I recomend: Better taste in movies.
Caution! Conan fans will be offended.

Average customer rating:

IS RICK OVER THE HILL?
Badly good
A sorry excuse
Haha!

Deathstalker IV: Match of Titans
Starring: Rick Hill , Maria Ford , Brett Baxter Clark , Michelle Moffett , and Anya Pencheva
Director: Howard R. Cohen
Manufacturer: New Concorde
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Similar Items:

Deathstalker - The Last Great Warrior
Barbarian Queen
The Warrior and the Sorceress
The Sword and the Sorcerer
Amazons

ASIN: B000068MAW
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Customer Reviews:

IS RICK OVER THE HILL?.......2005-10-18

This fourth entry in the DEATHSTALKER series marks the return of the original hero, Rick Hill. While Hill is looking remarkably fit for a middle-aged man, his performance is so lethargic it's a wonder why he even agreed to do it at all. Add the incredibly bad Maria Ford and others, and you get a really bad sword and sorceror flick that makes little if any sense. Only Brett Clark as the doofus hunk and Michelle Moffett as the evil queen come out with any semblance of acting ability. Little to recommend this clunker though!

Badly good.......2005-06-24

I got this movie because I have been a fan of Rick Hill since before his B movie days. I saw DS1 and thought it was a typical silly B movie, but this one is much better. The acting is better and it doesn't take itself seriously (as in, in addition to being unintentionally funny, it has some real humor). Yeah, I'm biased because I'd watch Rick watch paint dry. But if you like this kind of sword and sorcery with scantily clad chicks in it, (and some hot guys too), it's a lot of fun.

A sorry excuse.......2002-04-11

Okay this is sadly the worst in the series. They brag that Rick Hill is back because he is the original Deathstalker yet when you watch it you realise that its a way to save money buy littering the whole movie with clips from part 1 and a few from part 3. Some people like the firts movie best, some the 2nd and some the 3rd but nobody the 4th. I will say this however. Finaly the picture that Boris Vallejo drew for the movie is a seen in the movie(with the exception that Rick Hill has blonde hair). But if your a fan and you have to see it whynot. Okay I admit it is nice to see the original (almost evil himself) Deathstalker return to kill more wizards. Also there is a cool picture on the back of the box of a stone-man getting his head split open wich isn't in the movie.

Haha!.......1999-03-29

This movie is a treasure trove of unintentional laughs... it's really a horrid movie, but so many stupid and nonsenscial events and people surface that you laugh at 'em all.

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Oldie but a goodie!.......2007-06-11

The Sword and The Sorcerer.......2007-03-29

The Best Cheesy Fantasy Movie Ever.......2007-02-23

Talon and His Gillette Mach3 Turbo Razor.......2007-01-30

Sword and Sorcerey.......2007-01-10

Loved this movie when I first saw it and now I can see over and over again, arrived in great condition.

DVD:

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