Dragonslayer (1981) | One Man's Trash
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- This fantasy cult classic offers incredible special effects, genre-bending gender politics, and one of the most loathsome protagonists in film history.
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@7:31 - ''were the film makers trying to antagonize the audience?''
No. It's called ''character flaws''. Which our hero overcomes in time. He has a character arc.
I don't get why so many people complain about any character who isn't a mary sue!
@@WorthlessWinner ikr?
What do they want, Brie Larson in every movie?
@@markpaterson2053 ikr
I wrote to Hal Barwood the writer of the movie about the naming of the dragon and his response is below.
Hello again:
Here’s what I remember about naming our Dragonslayer dragon . . . um, after forty years!
Well, things need names.
When Matthew and I started working on Dragonslayer we knew that a name elevates the status of anything, especially the center piece of our proposed tale. We needed something antique, something from the iron age, prickly, evil. And we were stuck.
At some moment I needed to pee, and while standing in front of the toilet, "Vermithrax" hit me. I liked the vicious "V" sound, and the crucial "X". I knew that "verm-" meant worm-, but only later did we learn that the name could be translated as "Worm of Thrace." Okay, why not?
Exiting the bathroom I said the name to Matthew, and he responded that we needed to have the name be more important, be Linnaean, like biological species with two parts, and he added "pejorative."
Vermithrax pejorative - Perfect!
I have always considered this as one of the best dragon movies ever. The dragon is more realistic and more awesome looking than the dragons from Beowulf, Lord of the Rings, and Sucker Punch. And I love how the baby dragons look like horny toads. The storyline actually is a common one in dragon legends. I believe there is some truth to these stories. I think there was a time period when a few dragons(dinosaurs) survived and came out of long hibernation states to eat. Some kingdoms tried to make deals with these beasts by offering up virgin maidens. Actually royal blood was preferred, like in the story of Saint George. There is also the idea that every wizard is connected to a dragon and that killing one would cause the death of the other. Of course in some cultures maidens are offerings to a volcano god. Some say the volcano is the actual "dragon". If you think about it though, where else would a reptile live in the north or coming out of the ice age. Rattlesnakes like to stay warm around the base of the yellowstone volcano. These are also the places T-rex fossils are discovered. Of course Im aware that these stories could be metophors for pschological states or for describing spiritual ideas. But as above so is below, on earth as it is in heaven, physical states and spiritual states are often reflections of eachother. The moon is to the sun as the dream is to reality.
Not actual dragons, but crocodiles and Komodo dragons, could easily have been the source of these stories. Not to mention deep-rooted mammalian fear of and revulsion toward cold-blooded predators. Finally, possibly, the post-dinosaur giant reptiles such as land crocodiles that existed into the human era when the Aborigines first arrived in Australia around 65,000 years ago. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_megafauna#Reptiles_2
@@IanFindly-iv1nl I'm comparing the dragons in these movies and which one looked the best. I was disappointed in how wormy and ugly looking the dragons the Nazgul rode in Lord of the Rings were. I have learned since then and this is probably the reason why they look so inaccurate to me and that is they are not dragons at all. They are fell beasts bred by Sauron to be powerful steeds for the nazgul warlords. Technically, other than the fireworks dragon, there are no dragons depicted in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. My mistake. Still how can a statement of my opinion on which of Hollywood's movies has the best depiction of a dragon be dumb? Doesn't dumb more accurately describe someone who doesn't understand the context of comparison? How can my opinion or my preference be dumb? Considering the fact that voicing ones opinion is the exact opposite of what the word dumb means. Even so the truth is a lot of people agree with me about this movie's detailed dragon. Dragonslayer has been deemed "one of the best cinematic fantasies" and it's dragon known as "Vermithax Pejorative is hailed by many as the best movie dragon of all time."
Pardon me please. When I remarked that the comparison was "about the dumbest thing I've heard" I wasn't referring to YOU, but to the NARRATOR of this video.
Well, I don't categorize Dragonslayer here as a "FANTASY FILM" along with the juvenile likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Dragon Heart. I think it's more of a HORROR movie, just with a medieval setting. It pretty much does with its dragon the same thing that Jaws did with the great white shark in THAT movie. How about THAT?
Being nitpicking here but Valarion did not have gender dysphoria. She was never confused about her sex or roles. A male persona was given to her by her father in order so spare her from the lottery. She is a woman and wants to live as a woman. This desire gives her boldness and courage to seek out Ulrich. Later she can’t wait to be recognized as a woman by her neighbors in the village. Otherwise entertaining review.
Tough review. We respect that. Over-intellectualizing stuff gets us into trouble, too. Super Great Film, though, that deserves the audience it’s quietly culled together over the past (nearly) forty years. It rocked the big screen in 1981 (there’s an eleven-year-old inside of us who’s still dazzled), and continues to deliver a delightful mix of darkness and dread in an incredibly convincing world. The Welsh locations are stunning, the sets are dressed like it matters (and it does, especially for a film such as this), and the epic Alex North score should’ve received the Oscar over “Chariots.” Without North’s music, as with so many films, “Dragonslayer” wouldn’t be the same movie. Anyway, nifty work on your video. We respect that, too. Cheers.
Thank you. As harsh as I was at points, Dragonslayer is a really special film. As you say, it looks and sounds incredible, and its atmosphere is totally unique. I never make a video unless I think a film is worth talking about. And even if I have some fun at its expense, I still like to emphasize every film's strengths on this channel. It's a testament to the quality of the filmmaking that I can get swept away with it even as I'm nitpicking and heckling it. Every film is flawed, and I enjoy poking fun at those flaws. But truly special films like this can withstand that kind of treatment. They succeed in spite of their flaws because they capture our imagination. It's great to see someone as passionate about a film as you are about Dragonslayer. These overlooked gems deserve that kind of appreciation.
Well, I really don't categorize THIS movie as a "FANTASY FILM" along with the juvenile likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Dragon Heart. I think it's more of a HORROR movie, albeit with a medieval setting. It pretty much does with its dragon the same thing that Jaws did with the great white shark in THAT movie. How about THAT?
It has nothing to do with gender dysphoria. It’s an analogy to the draft.
The draft is a metaphor for gender dysphoria
I remember this being so cool when I saw it as a kid. I was thinking about it today and decided to look it up. Good to see people still respect it for what it was long before technology allowed them to do much magic on screen.
Sighhhh. FYI there are plenty of other movies besides this one, that are about the same age as it or even older, that managed to have fine visual effects WITHOUT CGI. Including .. .
2001 A Space Odyssey
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Blade Runner
Alien
Star Wars
Apocalypse Now
Dark Crystal
Altered States
Tora Tora Tora
Forbidden Planet
The Exorcist
The Poisideon Adventure
Eraserhead
The Thing
Superman The Movie
Jason And The Argonauts
Earth vrs. the Flying Saucers
Outland
Poltergeist
Time Bandits
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
The Howling
Moonraker
Westworld
2000 Leagues Under the Sea
The Never Ending Story
Ghostbusters
The Empire Strikes Back
The Black Hole
Jaws
Return of the Living Dead
Westworld
American Werewolf in London
Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein
Ghost Story
This Island Earth
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Trek The Motion Picture
Just saying.
@Dunlop-hg2ql when i think about one of those ill comment on them and let you know.
The effects in Dragon Slayer are EXCELLENT. Better than your stupid computer simulations that you see in every other movie made nowadays. LMAO!
I love this movie, really deserves a blu ray release.
You're in luck! Paramount announced a new Blu-ray and 4K release set for release in March of this year and there will be new bonus features including director's commentary and a making-of retrospective!
The ending was brilliant. I have no clue why you would find it frustrating. It was hinted from the beginning and culminates perfectly.
Agreed. It's clear from the initial flame scrying scene Ulrich performs (in which you hear Galen scream "No," as he later does, seeing his own vision in the water) that Ulrich had perfect foreknowledge.
And the problem with that is Ulrich must follow the steps perfectly or else he risks changing the outcome. To me, he's not a confused or incompetent wizard, Ulrich's a really brave hero who knows he must die _twice_ to save the daughters of the common folk... from both the villains, king and dragon.
The dragon is female, and her rage at the last of her brood's death, was one of the most believable and powerful moments in fantasy film history. It's a large part of why the film is a treasure, even today.
Watching as a kid those dragon tadpoles or whatever they're called leisurely gnawing the princess' bloody stump was pretty gnarly
You skipped two very major key points. First, Hodge did allude to reviving Ulrich in the lake of fire, but because he was dying it remained cryptic.
Two, and you might only get this on a reviewing; the opening scene of the movie is Ulrich looking into a flame and given the noises he hears, it's clear he's seeing all the events of the movie; meaning he was not suprised at any step along the way.
Minor point in the movie, Galen's spear (that Valerian's father made and Galen magically juiced) was "Dragonslayer" and it shattering was a clear alliteration to the fact that Galen was NOT the Dragonslayer; also highlighted at the ending where literally everyone took a turn at claiming credit except Galen; highlighting his growth as a person.
Well, I really don't categorize Dragonslayer here as a "FANTASY FILM" along with the juvenile likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Dragon Heart. I think it's more of a HORROR movie, just with a medieval setting. It pretty much does with its dragon the same thing that Jaws did with the great white shark in THAT movie. How about THAT?
Lord of the Rings? Juvenile fantasy???
Pretty good, though I played it on 1.25× speed.
"Gender dysphoria"?! She wasn't struggling with being born into that world as a double X but feeling like an XY...her father was, for safety reasons. You know, the king's lottery was one lottery NOBODY wanted to win.
The movie did address why dames are taken to the scale covered, flying flame thrower...the last time a bunch of dude-bro's went, Vermathrax smoked em all...then she had a real hot time in the town later that day.
PG was different in those days...there was a pretty wide margin between PG and R before PG13 was instituted...
I like your analysis.
I had two thoughts, possibly irreverent when I recently watched the movie:
1.) CinemaSins Jeremy would call Galen "Discount Art Garfunkel" - really, I found it hard to take him seriously as a warrior with that look
2.) I wonder why the town didn't find the loophole in sacrificing virgins and have a town-wide orgy about a week before each lottery
Because virgin in the middle ages didn't mean the same thing as it does in the modern vernacular. Back then a virgin simply meant young woman who was not married (i.e. the property of a man), and had nothing to do with wether she was sexually active or not.
I was a kid playing AD&D at the time this came out. This was and is pure gold. Still holds up imo.
80's kid... this is one of the movies I watched countless times and in hindsight, it holds up a lot better than most even when I try to adjust for nostalgia
I remember watching this movie year’s ago, but some bothers me. You said Galen had no magic of his own, but if I remember the ending correctly. When he and the girl were walking (this was after the wizard explosion) Galen said “I wish we had a horse” or something along those lines, and then one appears over the next hill. Does he have magic or one very big coincidence?
I agree proof he was the second coming of christ behold a white horse and the man that sat on him was death.,... and hell followed galen.
So Some myth has wizards resurrecting as white horses. I took the ending as Ulrich returning to serve Galen as a thank u for assisting all these years knowing he had no talent.
Killing an ancient legendary dragon awarded Galen so much XP that he immediately went to level 17 and was able to cast a "Wish" spell.
I was so relieved that just a few minutes in there was some inane reference to pretending to be male to avoid potentially being eaten by a dragon to somehow being a point about gender dysphoria. It's all so tiresome.
Fun fact: "The Beastmaster" was very loosly based on a Andre Norton fantasy novel; the main character and his animal companions are the only part of the novel used for the movie.
I'm currently reading a book called Film Magic by David Hutchison. It's a just-for-kicks read about film special effects written in 1987. There's a whole chapter about model animation in which the Tauntaun from Empire Strikes back and the dragon from Dragonslayer are broken down in detail. It references Phil Tippett (who definitely deserves mad respect) and the team's struggles and methods of developing the dragon as well as all the time/effort/trial and error/budget that went into it. The sheer amount of dedication to making this dragon look as real as it needed to be, during a time of stop motion animation no longer being seen as believable, was quite amazing. So of course the first thing I wanted to do after reading about it is watch what they're talking about. So all that to say, thanks for posting this review. It doesn't seem like a fantasy film I'd fully enjoy, but you had so many clips of what I was looking for that I couldn't find anywhere else. You, and now myself, share the thoughts of the author in regards to the dragon seeing its dead children. It was a tough moment for the animators to catch, but man oh man they did such an amazing job. They definitely deserved their Academy Award! Thanks again for doing this review! It was super interesting, and I now I know to appreciate it for its craft without investing the time in watching it. 😂
George R R Martin has said this is one of his favorite movies and he used some of the names.
Excellent video. However one small comment, you show a clip of Conan saying it is Conan the Barbarian when it is actually a clip from its sequel, Conan the Destroyer.
One of my favorite movies as a kid.
Never saw it in a theater but I believe it was on HBO.
Just watched it again last months and it still holds up today!
Best Dragons Slayer ever!!!!
I love that movie I got the DVD
No dick move in my opinion, if you know some of magic rituals. For example ancient druids were expected to go on a little ship alone through the oceans, lose their way, and find it back to surface again. This movie doesn't make sense logically, it makes sense through the ancient rituals that surround the magical craft. If he warned Galen, he would have lost the chance to become a sorcerer himself. Your analysis is rooted in scientific (so called rational) logic, but has no trace of the rituals that makes a sorcerer in traditional craft. Sorry to say.
what?
I think you got the reason for using virgin women as sacrifices backwards. Young men in many societies we're seen as the heir, the next in line, important. Virgin women aren't valued highly, or considered pure or whatever. They were simply the unwed women who would be valued by their husbands and subsequent children. The only citizens that are expendable are the un-wed, non familiar heir virgin girls.
it’s nice to know that people of your age take interest in movies of this time I thought people your age didn’t like anything concerning us or what we liked. Kudos.
I was lucky enough to have an awesome mom who loved fantasy and recording on vhs from hbo.
Just ordered this movie on 4k.
Upgrading from my DVD.
The comparison video of the 4k vs bluray showed it was worth it.
Great movie. My first live action dragon movie
to avoid too much stereo typing in this kind of Sword & Sorcery film, you need a "plot twist" and DRAGONSLAYER has one, I couldnt see it coming not for sure anyway, the idea that the old Wizard can't make the pilgrimage, but the boy apprentice can is clever writing I thought, he is literally the young legs, whilst wisdom and majic are the protectors (of the boy)as well as the vanquishers of the beast.
by the ending of the film, the Wizard has more power than he ever knew in mortal life, & as I understood it, his soul/spirit went into the amulet, (similar to the crystal in SUPERMAN 2)
Honestly despite his overall opinion of the Flick, which I DO respect, for Freaking 1981 this movie was quite ahead of its time when it comes to VFX, Writing, The Acting, and even The Cinematography. The way everything in this movie is shot feels more equivalent to the Mid 80’s than the Early ones. I don’t give a CRAP what anyone else thinks or says otherwise THIS is one of my All-Time Favorite Fantasy Movies.
Well, I really don't categorize THIS movie as a "FANTASY FILM" along with the juvenile likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Dragon Heart (I found THAT comparison pretty stupid). I think it's more of a HORROR movie, albeit with a medieval setting, where the dragon is a real MONSTER.
That’s… actually a really darn good analogy the more I think about it.
Blacksmith have you ever forged a weapon
This should be the path of Disney 😃.
Old school fantasy for adults.
I wish this film could be re-released in theaters 🎥
I remember seeing this movie when I was a very little kid. It's rather cheesy, but then again women (which I am) in general are not into fantasy stories or games. The whole fantasy genre is specifically for men and in particular for men nerds, which appeals to a small but present population segment.
Then why does my girlfriend a gorgeous Vietnamese woman like to watch this movie with me?
@@marcussmith4913 I don't know.
Well, I don't think THIS flick could APTLY be called "cheesy". After all, it has a very healthy budget, a professional cast and crew, and was shot on authentic locations.
Well, I really don't categorize THIS movie as a "FANTASY FILM" along with the juvenile likes of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Dragon Heart. I think it's more of a HORROR movie, albeit with a medieval setting, where the dragon is a real MONSTER. how about THAT? Does THAT clear it up some?
Always wished there was a directors cut or making of special or... something. I understand there was 40 minutes of dragon footage left on the cutting room floor.
Conan ain't cheap.
Just watched the restored widescreen version here on RUclips. I watched this when i was 12 years old and fell in love with it. My fave Dragon of all time - Vermithrax Perjorative. What a wonderful movie.
This is a very strange "review" of a classic. A lot of presentism here used to stand on a well-made story and film from 35 years ago, then craft a stage for you to seem clever with some strings of two-bit humor placed using anachronistic convenience. Having just read Ebert's review before ariving here at this whatever-it-is really makes quite the contrast. Not hardly a mention of Richardson. About two steps up from a review where the conclusion was simplified to "why didn't he just go from point A to point B" or "the dragon coulda looked cooler", even though you at least gave props to the handling of it. I did feel like I was transported to your basement for this take, though. Ugh; a pain to fast forward through.
A good film and a crap review.
So let me get this straight. You feel it would've been easier if the wizard explained everything to his charge beforehand, and and that includes the audience.... andsomehow that would have made the ending better? Have you not ever watched a narrative film? Yes, I admit, bedroom film scholars overthinking films that were made before they were born truly frustrates me. Welcome to my list. Now go back and play your video games
Better than GOT dragons, better than the anthromorphised head given Smaug.
You get thumbs up for respecting Beast Master
The great visual fx in DRAGONSLAYER arent JUST stop/go motion models, there were also- puppets and a very convincing head and neck made to full scale of the Dragon, which I'm sure your aware of (which worked much better than say...the 1976 KING KONG robot). and it was very hard to see the join, both techniques were done to an equal quality.
I think the effects in THIS movie look awesome! I'll take them any time over those stupid computer simulations that you see in every other movie made nowadays.
The vFx in REIGN OF FIRE werent bad for CGI (that was a very miserable film) but NOT in the league of DRAGONSLAYER@@IanFindly-iv1nl
You don't get it. Women are outraged. Not noblemen.
I'll put it bluntly. Awesome movie, Awesome review. Keep the good work coming man. Why don't you have more subscribers?
Regarding design, the use of Latin for the incantations and historical references, and the visual design taking its inspiration from the "Viking Age" section of the Middle Ages (8th-11th centuries AD), helps the audience to get into the setting of this film, imagining that, when records were minimal, there might once have been dragons. Dragonheads, in the popular imagination at least, commonly adorned the prows of Viking ships, and we see them as finials on the poles of Cassiodorus' throne in the film. Examples in the film:
-"Galen" was a Roman physician
-"Gaiseric", spelt various ways, was a king of the Vandals (a Germanic tribe/nation) that conquered part of North Africa at the end of the (Western) Roman Empire
-"Valerian" is the name of a plant and one of the Roman Emperors
-Orland is a real place, in Norway (appropriate for the Viking Age)
-Dalmatia was a Roman province, which corresponds roughly to today's Croatia
-"Nunc habeamus lucem et calorem" = "Now let us have light and heat"
etc.
I think you're underselling this great movie just a little bit; it should come first on a list of such films, because such films are almost universally trash; by comparison, it's like Shakespear wrote Dragonslayer (save the dialogue). I can think of no other in this genre that comes close. I've literally had someone tell me Dragonslayer wishes it was Dragon Heart, revealing their total lack of both taste and wits. The story alone is unique, summing up the general take on this type of tale and putting such an unpredictable spin on it; I love how the title refers to 5 different elements of the story: Gaillen; the spear weapon itself; the king's claim; the Chritian's claim; and ultimately the master wizard himself---the REAL dragon slayer.
Dragonslayer is the BEST sword and sorcery type movie ever made, even Excalibur is slightly inferior, and as for LOTR---this BEATS it on all counts, seeing how it's an original premise and not an adaption which, btw, Peter Jackson didn't do very well, too much Hollywood dialogue that sounded nothing like the book characters, though Howard Shore wrote a great score, almost as good as Alex North's Dragonslayer, a composer even John Williams in in awe of, and if you don't believe me, just type his name and Alex North, you'll see videos of Williams gushing about North and his meticulous orchestration.
you talk about our young would be hero being annoying, (even though he's a fellow American) BUT being such a European...Arthurian mythic story, it's more the 2 clearly American accents, contrasting with clearly English ones I couldnt get used to. also I thought the actor trying to play the scheming gutless King was woefully miscast, always unconvincing wooden, and too...modern feeling, more like some cad like tory businessman at some conference.
yet the film is daring and original, well made for its writing and story layers, I agree about fantasy type films probably being the hardest to get right, but this one generally did the visual fx are convincing and technically VERY good for 1981.
"bur what does he know?" .. . uhhhhhh WHAT do YOU know buster? And just why should we rely on YOU any more than on George R. R. Martin, aye? Oh, and I'd hardly say that THIS movie was ever exactly "hyped" (if I understand the definition of THAT correctly).
EVERY character in this is well drawn, imo, and they don't even need to be as the dragon is the star; that's how much care went into this unfortunate flop. I HATE Disney, always have, but in the old days they did spit out the odd classic that had no excruciating songs: Dragonslayer, Tron, Black Cauldron...
And Tyrion is by far the best character, so real and almost misunderstood. But yes, he deserved to die by Gaillen's hand; he'd almost be a hero if he wasn't such a dick.
Don't blow off his spell mortimus he was reincarnated
The score to this movie is epic.
Oh I forgot all bout that aspect of the movie. Your right it is!
Do you seriously not know why the sacrifice must be both a female & a virgin?
9/10 the creature is male & as folklore believed it, Women represented lust and temptation, Christian men's temptation. much like women being burned as Witches at the stake.
know one ever said this was a fairy tale and its pretty clear by its style, that it is not I would call it a gothic, in a similar vein to King Arthur, I enjoyed JACK THE GIANT SLAYER (which did have more charm than this) but again not only did that feel more medeval than fairy tale, but apparently that had to do with King Arthur & knights legend to in its origins but became fairy tale
Don't put gambling down so hard he did gallantly right out of the castle on the white horse
Gender dysphoria? Someone here is easily triggered by current media.
Its a great film but I think they failed with two American leads. An American accent just doesn't wash in ancient Celtic Britain or anywhere.
I respect nothing of ignorance. I'll simply right it!
Don't forget the Crux he was infirm and could not make the journey to earland
I don’t remember any old fantasy or sci-fi movie that has a likeable protagonist except Conan. I never liked Skywalker though I was a big Star Wars Fan.
Whenever I was a kid in the 80s and my dad would rent us a hotel room on trips. This movie was always on HBO in the hotel. I would watch this go out to the pool or hotel hot tub and pretend I was a dragon protecting my layer from Galen the douche bag wizard.
Greatest dragon movie bar none along with game of thrones and reign of fire. and the movie with the varda dragon riders. i got about 8:40, then quit watching. Really, what is not PG about a side of a boob or bare butt jumping into water for a split second. Therefore of course its PG. Are you one of those people that think the human body is disgusting or something or something perverted? Guess what i draw naked ladies while they posed in grade school. Are you immature about it? What is it with you people that pretend to be shocked and spread that idea of some sort of 'forbidden -ness' about everything and everyone and every beautiful part of nature, when we are STUCK in it? i mean you even took the scene out of context in order to portray it as something going on other than bathing and swimming and him discovering that it was a girl by pure interpretation of the acting , i may add. For it did not even reveal much to understand by any real visual nakedness of any degree other than two swimming bathing, this is how one would bathe, do you understand that? Guess what choke off nakedness, you choke off life and prosperity. . . . . NUDE BEACHES FOREVER!. rofl
THAT IS ENOUGH SIR!!! You have already said far too much.
You hurt her you'll answer to me.
LOL! The effects in Dragon Slayer are EXCELLENT bub. Better than those stupid computer simulations of yours that you see in every other movie made nowadays for d@mn sure.
Magic ashes
X the Eliminator!!
Hey man, i just stumbled opon your channel and have to say that you do great work.
I haven´t actually seen the movie, but after this review i´m definetely going to.
You deserve more subs, so keep up the great work!
Bulletin it was buried
Naturally..
That'll do just nicely
Sociopathic Luke Skywalker knock-off. Lol.
Oh it will die
X mortimus
🤘😎 good work
Good analysis of this film.