The Sword and the Sorcerer
by Albert Pyun
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: George Maharis, Kathleen Beller, Lee Horsley, Richard Lynch, Simon MacCorkindaleDirector: Albert Pyun
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 99 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-04-24
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Movie Reviews of The Sword and the Sorcerer
Movie Review: It's The Best Pyun Gets!
Summary: 4 Stars
Usually when you see that a film is directed by Albert Pyun, it's best to just run away and not look back. Pyun has directed tons of dreadful films over the years(this is the man responsible for the Steven Seagal film, Ticker as well as the Snoop Dogg/Fat Joe/Ice-T/Big Pun horror themed crapfest, Urban Menace). His home for the last two decades has been the direct to video market, and most likely you have seen one of his films at some time(and probably shut it off after twenty minutes). His biggest deal was Cyborg, which many have seen. Once in awhile the stars seem to be in line coz Pyun will manage to crank out something entertaining. Yes, I liked Mean Guns and the quirky Full Moon pic, Dollman.
The Sword and the Sorcerer is without a doubt his finest movie. It was also his first film and is different from anything else he's done. Made during the sword and sorcery resurgence of the early 80s, this film is a nice addition right up there with Conan and the Beastmaster. Though it's budget is considerably lower than those films, it's a step above Deathstalker. Plot wise, it's rather standard for the genre. Lee Horsley is a wandering warrior who comes across a city ruled by evil usurper, Cromwell. He's "hired"(he does it for sex with the leading lady as opposed to money) to rescue the rightful heir from Cromwell's dungeon and restore peace, happiness, ta-la, tra-la. A demon-like sorcerer played by Richard Moll has helped Cromwell in his conquests, but was betrayed and left for dead, and now plotting his own revenge. Horsley uses a three bladed sword that looks terribly awkward as a weapon. It can also shoot it's blades like a harpoon gun(but with a vapor trail and cool sound effect).
It's a pulpy and very fun movie. Why it's no longer available for a decent price on DVD is a mystery and a damn shame(I was lucky enough to get it years ago when it was still in print). It's dark, it's gritty, it's also a bit tongue in cheek. Horsley is an adequate hero. He's not the beefcake Arnold or Marc Singer were, but he has charisma. Richard Moll isn't seen much, but he's a cool character. The scene where he's first conjured is kinda creepy(well, it scared me when I was a kid anyway). The evil Cromwell is played by Richard Lynch, who any cult horror/action film buff knows is an iconic bad guy. From Ruggero Deodato's Cut and Run to the Chuck Norris extravaganza, Invasion U.S.A., Lynch is the man to turn to when you want a bad guy that really looks like a bad guy. The man doesn't even have to act, he just has to be in the frame.
All in all, a very enjoyable movie if you like this genre. Probably the best you're gonna do once you leave the big budget area. It's one of those films where at the end, before the credits, a message pops up on screen to tell us that "Talon" will soon be returning in another adventure. Unfortunately that didn't happen.
Summary of The Sword and the Sorcerer
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 clich?: 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 AxmakerAction & Adventure DVD Video
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