The 20 films are : Conan the Barbarian 1982 Flesh+Blood 1985 Excalibur 1981 Highlander 1986 The Sword and the Sorcerer 1982 The Barbarians 1987 Deathstalker 1983 Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans 1987 The Warrior and the Sorceress 1984 The Sword of the Barbarians 1982 Hearts and Armour 1983 Conquest 1983 Amazons 1986 Sorceress 1982 Barbarian Queen 1985 Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back 1990 Warrior Queen 1987 Hundra 1983 Thor the Conqueror 1983 Wizards of the Demon Sword 1991
Conan was the only good movie on the list, they also mistakenly credit Conan as inspiration for movies that obviously could not have been inspired by Conan given the production cycle of even shit movies back then and ignoring that nearly all of the movies on this list are DIRECTLY inspired by Barbarella and have very little to do with Movies that are actually trying to tell a coherent story more than show some tits.
Conan the Barbarian is a WAY smarter film that most people give it credit for, not just in terms of brilliant minimalist storytelling, but all the tiny touches that speak so believably to the actual ancient world, along with the little references to Howard's work. Yes, the character is EXTREMELY different from Howard's Conan, but damn if they didn't do something fantastic with him.
It's a truly remarkable film imho. As a history buff I do appreciate that much of the props actually have historical references. All jumbled together over the time span of millennia ofc...but still! The film is very unapologetic and as mentioned "minimalist". But the acting talks for it self when the sparse dialogue goes not. It really feels genuine.
Love Excalibur. Rewatched years later and realized it had Patrick Stewart and a young Liam Neeson in it. I would love to see a modern remake with lots of practical effects and not much CGI.
Unbelieveable that early on he has part of it playing while he is saying "b grade campy copy". It is one of the best sword and sorcery movies of all time. I can't take anything he says seriously now and I am just 28 seconds in.
Can we all just take a moment and express our appreciation for the Divine-tier talent of Frank Frazzetta? I mean...the man is practically his own genre of high fantasy art. No one could ever come close to how amazing he made the fantasy world look. Big dudes, scary monsters, and scantily clad, incredibly hot babes. Thanks Frank!
"Fire and Ice" is a full-on Frazetta *movie* which didn't make the cut here. Maybe because it was animated. Although - since it is rotoscoped, shouldn't that count as partially live action...?
"I was like you once. Blonde hair. Scraggly little beard. Childlike ears. Full of beans, and spunk. I let my principles get in the way of things. I punched a bloke in the face once for saying Hawk the Slayer was rubbish."
Excalibur had some really poor editing on the version that got made shorter. The original movie was over 2 hours, I think it was almost 2 1/2 hours and then they did an edited version for TV and there were parts where if you hadn't watched the original, you were going like, "huh, what is going on??? When you look at all of the "young" stars of that movie it is amazing. NIgel Terry was Arthur Helen Mirren was Morgana Paul Geoffrey was Perceval Nicol Williamson was Merlin Robert Addie was Mordred and did a ton of Fantasy type movies but died in his 40s Liam Neeson was Gawain Patrick Stewart was Leondegrance John Boorman who was the Director literally had his entire family either in the movie or as crew for the movie LOL. It started off as a silly movie but kept getting stronger as it went on. Back when it was made it was really a standout movie for its time. I originally saw it at the Drive-In Movie Screen a dozen or so times as it was ALWAYS like the 3rd movie of the night for the entire summer and then it was on HBO back in the early days of HBO. Excaliber, Highlander, and Conan are really the only movies worth seeing on this list LOL. There are a lot of other good movies not on this list because they weren't "R" Rated like Beastmaster, Red Sonja, Conan the Destroyer, and several others as well as some silly ones like Krull, Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time,
@@mosespray4510 He did rock that Chrome Dome lol. The "Shiny Chrome" represented everyone who was "good" in the movie and since Merlin doesn't wear armor or a crown, they gave him that Shiny Chrome Dome LOL. If you noticed after Lancelot had sex with Guinevere, his armor "dulled" and then he removed it and never wore it again in the movie. Even when he came to aid King Arthur in the final battle. But as Lancelot was dying, the metal on his leather armor began to shine and he was also surrounded by "Shiny Chrome Armor" behind him when he asked King Arthur to allow him to die as a Knight of the Round Table. The Shiny Chrome was really used as a focal point in this movie, especially during that final battle against Mordred and Company.
@@thomasjoseph5876 Spot on! Lots of early career actors in there including Gabriel Byrne (Uther). I first saw it on HBO back in the 80's. ...as an aside, you have great taste in movies -- Krull has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. :)
@@ad2000 princes of the universe its great for the opening, but the others songs and precisely who wants to life forever doesnt do nothing good in it along with that long scene
@@kliajesal4592 I suppose Ladyhawke didn't have to be R, since the lead of the story was Mouse, and The Girl isn't his to take. Still good though. The big turnoff for me was that soundtrack, needlessly 80s synth. On my shortlist for worst soundtrack ever.
@@jrod4344Kodo and Podo was the name of the ferrets. There was a time travel sequel that I hadn’t heard about until about a year ago, so of course I had to watch it.
I actually own most of these. I was a fan of Howard’s Conan books as a kid so I just had to get these moves. I guess Excalibur will always be my favorite.
FIT women that looked like they came from some culture that values fitness. The 50s to 70s treated fitness like a cult or joke rather than something admirable in everyone.
@@mikespearwood3914 Conan the Barbarian, Highlander, Beastmaster, Sword & the Sorcerer, & Excalibur all definitely had nude scenes in their original releases.
Flesh+Blood was director Paul Verhoeven's first English language movie... he went on to do RoboCop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and Starship Troopers (to name a few).
Local youtube commenter @@chaosordeal294 recently said something stupid. His pillorying will take place on all stations, all channels. Would you like to know more?
@@chaosordeal294 which two? Agreed, making a movie out of Heinlein's worst book was just a bad idea (though doing it tongue-in-cheek, as he said he did, was probly the best that could be done with it). I thought Total Recall was pretty good (though they didn't give credit to the authors they drew from -PKD & Heinlein). Instinct & Robo were both memorable B movies with some good lines. Showgirls was soft porn which confusingly had a plot and decent acting.
I love sword and the sorcerer. Definately my top 4 are Conan, Highlander, Excalibur and Sword and the Sorcerer. They all stand up very well today. The rest are pretty B-Grade but can stil be fun.
Conan The Barbarian Was a Game Changing Film the first time I saw It was Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance pulled me In as with The Terminator he's my favorite actor not the best but a great entertainer
I remember the vanguard runner jumping up on the stone and squadding, his tattoos moving to his breath, and then the epic music began, and suddenly, I was in another world in another time.
Arnie knows his limits, did great at playing characters within them. It's not like he was going to play Hamlet ... (snuck in a Last Action hero reference 😆)
I was 9, so take this with a grain of salt. "The Sword and Sorcerer" (April 1982) did so well ($40M of a $4M budget) because it was released after the star, Lee Horsley, became popular with the launch of his tv show "Matt Houston (Sept 1982)." Ok, technically it was released before the TV show, but movies back then stayed in the theaters indefinitely. So I remember there being commercials for the movie after the tv show premiered and became wildly popular. (At least, the TV show was wildly popular with 9-year-old boys in towns of less than 8,000 people in Oklahoma. A sample size of probably 10 or 15, who only had access to ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS...So, you know, I'm 100% accurate and scientific.) Regardless, I was DYING to see this movie because a sword that launched two of its blades! and Lee Horsely! 9-yr old mind blown.
Conan is one of the best fantasy movies ever, the simplicity is what makes it so good. When Subutai and Conan are talking about what Gods they pray to is a great scene, also, every character is memorable.
Excalibur was released a year before Conan, and technically isn't a fantasy movie. It's based on Anglicised Celtic legend. It's also not very campy, but rather a big budget operatic stage play made for the cinema.
Well said, sir. Excalibur wasn't just "named after the famous sword" but was a telling of Arthurian legend that has helped shape the mythology around the British Isles and France for 1500-2000 years.
Damn right. He's in a list of underrated character/80s actors that includes Powers Boothe, Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown, Ron Pearlman, and Richard Lynch.
👍i was going to point that out , in the UK it had a cinema release as did Conan , Excaliber , HighLander & The Sword And The Sorcerer , all the rest went straight to Video
This was such a nostalgia trip! I love the 80s and early 90s sword and sorcery art. I didn't even realize I had seen some of these late night on TBS. Lots of homework for the ones I missed. This is a treasure, thanks!
A lot of good Movies where left out. Conan the Destroyer, Red Sonja, The Beast Master, Krull, and Legend, to name a few. I realize that most of the films I just listed don't fall under the Rated R banner. They do however fall under the umbrella of Sword & Sorcery, since this was a R-Rated Ultravoilent video I can understand how they didn't make the cut. Good list. I think if I had one real criticism, it would probably be that Excalibur made the list. I don't think I have ever seen the uncut version, but the one I did watchfell more under the lighter side of Sword and Sorcery.
@@RecklessFables I did mention that I understood why they didn't make the list. While being excellent examples of Sword and Sorcery, they didn't meet the R rating. That is also why I don't understand why Excalibur made the list. The version I have seen I think was PG??? I haven't seen the R rated version, I don't doubt that it exists, but I have never seen it.
Nifty! I remember getting to watch Krull as a 7 or 8 year old at my Grandparents house. One of the Uncles had it on VHS. That flew until one of our Aunt's found us kids watching it and pulled the plug. Good times.
How dare you show a scene from Excalibur as an example of cheap low budget knockoffs that came after Conan. There was a lot of sword and sorcery fodder, but Excalibur was a classic. In spite of it's flaws it is for many the holy grail of King Arthur films. John Boorman was brilliant.
Even though I was born in 82, I have a brother who is 18 years older than me. I grew up watching his video tapes of these movies and can honestly say I’ve seen most of these movies, not all but most.
I can't even imagine growing up like this. Like, I'm 8 and playing with Barbie and then the 26 year old brother shows up waving "Barbarian Queen II" at me. Lolwut?
Some more random missing titles: - Gor (1987) - Gor II (1989) - Kindar the Invulnerable (1965) - Gunan, King of the Barbarians (1982, a.k.a The invincible barbarian) - Hawk the Slayer (1981) - Time barbarians (1990) - The Magic Sword (1962) - Thor the Conqueror (1983) - Kull the Conqueror (1997) - The sword of Lancelot (1963) - Ironmaster (1983) - Wizards of the lost kingdom (1985)
having grown up in the 70's and 80's, the majority of my formative years were spent watching each and every one of these movies! I have seen them all. Thank you for this amazing rampage down sword and sorcery lane. Simply excellent.
The Sword and the Sorcerer is actually my favorite go-to cheesy sword and sorcery movie. Beastmaster is underrated and should be on that list. Krull is worth a view, if you've never seen it
"lack of sorcery "? Well, they truly get no respect (sometimes being given the job of being live figureheads on ships), but the descriptions (and illustrations) of the slave girls of Gor I have, with all due respect, found them quite the enchantresses! ; )
Há , the 80s! Lots of topless beauties , cheesy dialogues and fighting scenes . As a 1981 born kid , who grew up watching most of these movies , I have no complaints. Watched Conan The Barbarian first time back in 86 when I was 5.. alongside my uncle(RIP) and mother , such memories . Watched it probably hundreds of times and still do front time to time and did the same thing by watching it with my 5 years old daughter and she absolutely loved it.
I love Deathstalker 2. Its so cheesy that it also has one of the most ridiculous title drops from a character i've ever seen in a movie. "I'll have my revenge and Deathstalker... too!" 😂
I watched all of these movies when I was a kid. I grew up reading the old Conan novels that my dad collected and watched every movie I could get my hands on that had something with fantasy or sci-fi on the cover. I think it was the artwork that drew me in the most, as for most of the movies were just horrible, but I do have fond memories of most of them.
Conquest 1983. Fun fact: It's main antagonist character is an evil sorceress named Ocron who wears only a mask and a g-string, being topless for the entirety of the movie. She's played by actress Sabrina Siani.
The Barbarians is such a piece of nostalgia for me I can’t hate it, regardless how bad it is. The Conan movies are legendary and Red Sonja definitely deserves a mention here.
Some that may (or may not...) fit on this list (they are certainly sword and sorcery, in the same, or at least similar, vein as the titles on this list): Beast Master Dragonslayer Conan the Destroyer (since there are other sequels on this list, this one should be included) Red Sonja Ladyhawke Clash of the Titans Krull Kull the Conqueror Legend Ator Gor Some of these may not have made the list because they lack an R-rating, but others certainly fit...
Most if not all of these were not rated R. That's why they didn't make the list. I had to look for "Conan the Destroyer" because I would have thought it was R too. Nope, PG
I remember watching the Barbarian Brothers as a kid and thinking it was a comedy in the sword and sorcery genra. I thought the bad acting and cooky lines where intentional. Like the Naked gun, or History of the world part 1. Watching it in that mind set makes this a pretty good movie!
Flesh and Blood is not a Sword and Sorcery in it it is just about mercenaries turned into bandits in 16th century Italy. Just historical action no magic and sorcerers or supernatural things.
Can't let facts get in the way of a good video. Bit like Sorceress supposedly being inspired by the success of Conan, except Sorceress was filmed before Conan was even released in cinemas.
right, I was thinking of a few viking movies and then was like wait not they're just viking (foreign country stuff that is great, like When the Raven Flies series and Utlaginn
Loved Deathstalker. Goofy as hell but two freaking gorgeous ladies in Barbi Benton and Lana Clarkson. And the transformation of the male guard into the princess is essentially a comic skit with lots of closeups of Barbi. Also loved Sword and the Sorcerer!
I firmly bevel that "crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women" is a pretty good credo to live your life by (I work in IT).
1990 child here, I recently watched "The Barbarians" -1987 and had never seen it before. I grew up on Clash of the Titans, Hercules, Conan movies, Red Sonja, Beastmaster, all the classics. The Barbarians was entertaining! It was funny and the stunts/costumes were incredible. Very underrated film that was brilliant.
@@peterkerr4019 no.. You were right.. Originally he was Egyptian.. But a long time back. I need to rewatch it soon.. Turns out my woman never saw it.. So, bonus!
Conan is single handedly a perfect film, no other film can you tell where you are in the plot based on music alone. Highlander is a cult classic, it having sequels never made sense, its not the best but it stands out on being an interesting concept. Deathstalker and its sequels are a fun watch, the cheesyness is kinda charming and the sequels being so different its just funny and leads to a varied experience. The warrior and the sorceress was a fun take on yojimbo, worth a watch. Its interesting how several of the argentine made films share a few scene, like straight up the same scene, to this day i still dont know what the guy swinging on the pole was about, but its one of those movie marathon things that you notice and could be a good drinking game.
I remember that a LOT of people couldn't understand when Highlander went back and forth to show what happened in the past and were confused. It really opened my eyes to just how many people are mentally challenged.
Excaliber and Conan the Barbarian are great movies. It certainly helps that the music for each was superb. That music, played in my head, got me through boot camp, so I will always have a soft spot for those two flicks. I think I have seen all of the movies listed except Hundra, Thor the Conqueror, and Wizards of the Demon Sword. Scary that I spent (and continue to spend) so much time watching B movies.
I was an AD&D player in hs 79-83, the time when Conan came out. I tried to watch all the fantasy movies the came out. I read and then watched Excalibur. I loved it!
The scene in Excalibur of Arthur riding with his knights to O, Fortuna is still one of the most epic scenes I have ever watched. Excalibur was just awesome- i saw it when I was 11 years old, and it added to the whole 'Lord of the Rings/Dungeons and Dragons/Elfquest/Ronnie James Dio' obsession I had as a kid.
The Warrior and the Sorceress (1982) also starred David Carradine who played (Died in 2009, but is listed as having played in the 2021 movie ''The America Connection'' and the upcomming movie ''Mata Hari'', (Must be a Shaolin thing :p) by his daughter. He also starred in the Kill Bill movies (He was Bill) The 1972-75 TV series Kung Fu. Apart from Arnold, David Carradine seems the still best known actor here.
You missed the target with Conan. Conan was such a hit because it had a built-in audience that had been begging for the movie for over 10 years. All comic book fans knew Conan. The film didn't have to be great, it had to not disappoint. And it gave fans exactly what they wanted: Blood, humor and sexuality.
Excalibur is a classic. Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Sir Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne, Ciarin Hinds. Terry English designed all the armor, and they were hand-made.
Maybe it's because I'm Gen-X and we are just thick-skinned and used to it having grown up on this stuff, but all the pearl-clutching and shocked gasping (metaphorically speaking) people seem to have these days about gore, nudity, violence, and sexual content in these films is just weird to me. Those are part and parcel of the swords-and-sorcery genre all the way back to Howard's stories in the 1920s and 30s that these trace back to. It's like watching water and being shocked that it's wet.
Many of the people complaining about that are older though. When I see younger people review movies or videos from the past, they often say things like that was probably considered risque back then. I see no evidence that young people today are more prudish than the past, just the opposite. They are doing things today that previous generations were never doing because it doesn't seem like a big deal to them. The loud noise you hear is often coming from media sources, old people and certain groups that have always complained about these things.
@@stickman1742 also when movies like this came out with the R rating, everyone knew they were trash, and they hung out in That Section of the video rental. Parents knew to avoid them; few kids got to see them, and most adults didn't even much want to see them. With the notable exceptions like Conan and Highlander and Excalibur.
Highlander was awesome !! I saw it originally. The problem was a bad marketing company with a crap budget . No previews on tv or in theatres , no previews on the vhs tapes . That’s why it eventually took off , cause it was a good movie ! Great soundtrack as well done by Queen !!
Strange ladies laying in lakes distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. If i went around saying i was king because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they would lock me away.
I have watched all of these movies I used to hire them from the video store. The fact that you didn't include DeathStalker 3 which personally I believe was the best in that series abit of a shame.
Any idea where to watch DeathStalker 3? I've seen the first 2, but could never find the next two. I've watched 15 of the other movies on their list on Tubi.
The bad acting in The Barbarians is part of its charm. And the two actors went on to do 2-3 more "really so bad they are so good" movies that are fun to watch.
This is a Rated R list. Both Krull and The Beastmaster were PG. The same with a lot of the other movies left off the list like Conan the Destroyer, Red Sonja, Ladyhawke, etc.
I was 12 in 82 and watched all of these back in the day. They totally took advantage of younger kids like me who had new VCR's and would go to rent movies and be taken in by the cool box art that never showed up in the movies. There were only so many tapes to rent back then so you saw everything. This was before we got cable tv in 81.
They promised one in the closing credits, but it wasn't made at the time. 30 years later as straight to DVD sequel was made. Lee Horsley was in it as Talon, but Kevin Sorbo was the lead.
Highlander was magnificent. Terrific scene edits when transitioning from one locale to another (as I recall, the best of these very smooth cuts were when the film was transitioning from the past to the present day).
Ummm, the movies that came out prior to and the year AFTER Conan were NOT inspired by Conan, in fact most were styled after Barbarella...hence all the naked and half naked women in them as opposed to actual plot and sword fights.
@@aaronleverton4221 you can see my other response for more detail, but yes I know they were faster...however they didn't have a time machine and were not Time Lords.
@@verigone2677 If you're an Italian [insert[-sploitation producer, you don't think you might take careful notice of what's in "development" in America and have your pet screenwriter create treatments for a clone? Then, when production of the US version is confirmed you rush screenplay and casting into high gear to guarantee you can ride the wave?
@@aaronleverton4221 how exactly are you going to get information on the movie in a meaningful way before the film hits post production? Please just stop beating the dead horse. You can be as fast as you want, but you can't circumvent time itself.
Excalibur also launched Helen Mirren, who being naked, didn't hurt the trajectory of the film. Deathstalker had someone who was beat to death with his own arm and Barbi Benton
Nice little tidbit about Flesh+Blood is that it features Rutger Hauer, who is the titular 'Floris' of the original Dutch TV show the movie is based on. The picture used for Floris at 2:50 is the 2004 movie (starring the Daario Naharys2.0 actor Michiel Huisman in the titular role), not the original 1969 black-and-white tv series aimed at young adults with Rutger Hauer.
The 20 films are :
Conan the Barbarian 1982
Flesh+Blood 1985
Excalibur 1981
Highlander 1986
The Sword and the Sorcerer 1982
The Barbarians 1987
Deathstalker 1983
Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans 1987
The Warrior and the Sorceress 1984
The Sword of the Barbarians 1982
Hearts and Armour 1983
Conquest 1983
Amazons 1986
Sorceress 1982
Barbarian Queen 1985
Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back 1990
Warrior Queen 1987
Hundra 1983
Thor the Conqueror 1983
Wizards of the Demon Sword 1991
MYTHICAL.
Thank you!
I thought I'd seen all the 1980s sword and sorcery movies but I have only seen half of those.
Man the 80s really rocked the movies. Was great to see most of them as a teenager in cinema.
based list scribe!
No Red Sonja, Krull, Beastmaster, or Conan the Destroyer? Dang.
Conan was the only good movie on the list, they also mistakenly credit Conan as inspiration for movies that obviously could not have been inspired by Conan given the production cycle of even shit movies back then and ignoring that nearly all of the movies on this list are DIRECTLY inspired by Barbarella and have very little to do with Movies that are actually trying to tell a coherent story more than show some tits.
This was also just a list of R rated movies
@@verigone2677 Um, agree to disagree. Highlander rocked. As did Excalibur.
missed Ladyhawk as well
@@neilmick7746 Agreed!!
Conan the Barbarian is a WAY smarter film that most people give it credit for, not just in terms of brilliant minimalist storytelling, but all the tiny touches that speak so believably to the actual ancient world, along with the little references to Howard's work. Yes, the character is EXTREMELY different from Howard's Conan, but damn if they didn't do something fantastic with him.
The soundtrack is also fantastic and timeless.
It's a truly remarkable film imho. As a history buff I do appreciate that much of the props actually have historical references. All jumbled together over the time span of millennia ofc...but still!
The film is very unapologetic and as mentioned "minimalist". But the acting talks for it self when the sparse dialogue goes not. It really feels genuine.
It was written by two Geniuses, Oliver Stone and John Milius, it HAD to be good.
I thought the story was great!
Absolutely. Poledouris' music makes it like watching a Wagnerian opera with sparse dialogue. Too, the symbolism and themes are profound and timeless.
These movies sure gave Boris Vallejo a lot of work doing movie posters 😁
I have all those posters, I noticed the worse the movie the better the poster
You noticed that too :)
Frazetta and Casero as well
Having a Vallejo poster gets as many tickets sales as 100 times as many dollars in set, talent, filming , promo .
Vallejo and Ken Kelly
Excalibur is so good. One of my all time favorites.
yea and forme better than conan
By far the best movie on this list.
Excalibur is a far superior movie. How dare they call it B grade. It came out before all those other movies.
@@OneAndOnlyMe absolutely
Love Excalibur. Rewatched years later and realized it had Patrick Stewart and a young Liam Neeson in it. I would love to see a modern remake with lots of practical effects and not much CGI.
Excalibur is actually a magnificent and spiritual film. It is way deeper than most people perceive. One of my favorite films of all time.
Unbelieveable that early on he has part of it playing while he is saying "b grade campy copy". It is one of the best sword and sorcery movies of all time. I can't take anything he says seriously now and I am just 28 seconds in.
@@joebauers3746 Agreed, one of the best ever. Someday maybe it will be in 4K.
Highlander and Conan are still 2 of my favorite movies of all time.
Comparison of those (as well as Excalibur) with "The Barbarians" is insane. That's perhaps the only movie I ever walked out on.
Excalibur as well
Excalibur was great
a-nal nathrak, uthvas bethud, do che-ol di-enve.
Jean-Luc Picard was good in this one!
hehe, I couldn't resist.
Epic...
It also predates Conan the Barbarian, it's an adaptation of Le' Morte de Arthur
It remains my favorite adaptation of my favorite myth.
Excalibur was freaking fantastic. The Sword and Sorcerer was the basis for all our D&D games from then on.
Concur... I mean, getting it on wearing full plate armor?
The nerve of implying that Excalibur is a copy cat of Conan!
The audacity!
Yea, total bollocks.
the ignorance
Can we all just take a moment and express our appreciation for the Divine-tier talent of Frank Frazzetta? I mean...the man is practically his own genre of high fantasy art. No one could ever come close to how amazing he made the fantasy world look. Big dudes, scary monsters, and scantily clad, incredibly hot babes. Thanks Frank!
don't forget Boris Vallejo
and Chris Achilleos
Frank's art work embodied fantasy and mythological themes.A true genius!
"Fire and Ice" is a full-on Frazetta *movie* which didn't make the cut here. Maybe because it was animated. Although - since it is rotoscoped, shouldn't that count as partially live action...?
Yes, he's amazing. But in the early 90's I was quite into Boris Vallejo as well.
How come nobody ever talks about "Hawk The Slayer" ? It was a DnD movie before DnD movies were ever made.
Willow could have made this list too
That was PG and the list was for R rated movies.
I loved Hawk the Slayer. Krell, the Elven archer, is my favorite.
@@maninblk they shoot arrows like a machinegun.
"I was like you once. Blonde hair. Scraggly little beard. Childlike ears. Full of beans, and spunk. I let my principles get in the way of things. I punched a bloke in the face once for saying Hawk the Slayer was rubbish."
Excalibur was awesome. It's worth watching even if just for Nicol WIlliamson's Merlin, but the whole movie is just a lot of fun.
Ah Excalibur. Where every day is plate mail day.
Excalibur had some really poor editing on the version that got made shorter.
The original movie was over 2 hours, I think it was almost 2 1/2 hours and then they did an edited version for TV and there were parts where if you hadn't watched the original, you were going like, "huh, what is going on???
When you look at all of the "young" stars of that movie it is amazing.
NIgel Terry was Arthur
Helen Mirren was Morgana
Paul Geoffrey was Perceval
Nicol Williamson was Merlin
Robert Addie was Mordred and did a ton of Fantasy type movies but died in his 40s
Liam Neeson was Gawain
Patrick Stewart was Leondegrance
John Boorman who was the Director literally had his entire family either in the movie or as crew for the movie LOL.
It started off as a silly movie but kept getting stronger as it went on.
Back when it was made it was really a standout movie for its time.
I originally saw it at the Drive-In Movie Screen a dozen or so times as it was ALWAYS like the 3rd movie of the night for the entire summer and then it was on HBO back in the early days of HBO.
Excaliber, Highlander, and Conan are really the only movies worth seeing on this list LOL.
There are a lot of other good movies not on this list because they weren't "R" Rated like Beastmaster, Red Sonja, Conan the Destroyer, and several others as well as some silly ones like Krull, Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time,
I was shocked that the clips didn't include any shots of Merlin and his amazing silver headpiece.
@@mosespray4510 He did rock that Chrome Dome lol.
The "Shiny Chrome" represented everyone who was "good" in the movie and since Merlin doesn't wear armor or a crown, they gave him that Shiny Chrome Dome LOL.
If you noticed after Lancelot had sex with
Guinevere, his armor "dulled" and then he removed it and never wore it again in the movie. Even when he came to aid King Arthur in the final battle.
But as Lancelot was dying, the metal on his leather armor began to shine and he was also surrounded by "Shiny Chrome Armor" behind him when he asked King Arthur to allow him to die as a Knight of the Round Table.
The Shiny Chrome was really used as a focal point in this movie, especially during that final battle against Mordred and Company.
@@thomasjoseph5876 Spot on! Lots of early career actors in there including Gabriel Byrne (Uther). I first saw it on HBO back in the 80's. ...as an aside, you have great taste in movies -- Krull has always been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. :)
Conan Barbarian and Excalibur are masterpieces with magnificent music score...
100%
I saw both while at sea aboard a CV, (USS Independence, CV62). The Navy wanted only the best for us sailors.
Basil Poledouris did the sandtrack for Conan and Flesh + Blood.
Still to this day in my playlist from the Conan OST, I play "The kitchen/orgy" very "Wagnerian" Very under rated soundtrack.
Also Highlander won the academy award for "Best Movie Ever".
What a shame that it had no sequels. Still, it really was complete enough to be satisfying.
@@whenpigsfly8178 Err. I think it had a few, although they all are rubbish.
The Queen soundtrack is what really made the film standout.
@@ad2000 princes of the universe its great for the opening, but the others songs and precisely who wants to life forever doesnt do nothing good in it along with that long scene
@@ad2000 I think he was being facetious. A lot of fans ignore the sequels as not being true to the original.
@@ad2000 You are mistaken, there are no sequels.
1982 was definitely the era of the barbarian ⚔️🗡️
"Screw your freedom" 😂
@@christianmontagx8461 we all know you don't like arnold lol.
@@ChakraOver9khe's got a point. Arnold and DeNiro are prime examples of leftist losers with no morals and no clue about real world events.
Red Sonja (1985) fits the genre. Ladyhawke (1985) has the right elements of sword and sorcery but is on a much higher level of quality.
They aren't R-rated though.
@@kliajesal4592 I suppose Ladyhawke didn't have to be R, since the lead of the story was Mouse, and The Girl isn't his to take. Still good though.
The big turnoff for me was that soundtrack, needlessly 80s synth. On my shortlist for worst soundtrack ever.
The Beast Master
Loved this movie as a kid. The only thing I really remember about it is the ferrets though, so might need to give it a fresh watch.
Great movie!
@@jrod4344Ahhh, the ferrets that steal Tanya Roberts clothes. Wise creatures.
A fun film to be sure, but definitely only PG. Though you could certainly argue that it shouldn't have been.
@@jrod4344Kodo and Podo was the name of the ferrets.
There was a time travel sequel that I hadn’t heard about until about a year ago, so of course I had to watch it.
I actually own most of these. I was a fan of Howard’s Conan books as a kid so I just had to get these moves. I guess Excalibur will always be my favorite.
Nekkid women is what made 80s sword and sorcerer movies worth watching.
FIT women that looked like they came from some culture that values fitness. The 50s to 70s treated fitness like a cult or joke rather than something admirable in everyone.
Which movies had the nekkid women though?
@@mikespearwood3914More like which didn’t? It was the 80’s if it was R rated, for sure you were seeing boobs 👀
@@mikespearwood3914 Conan the Barbarian, Highlander, Beastmaster, Sword & the Sorcerer, & Excalibur all definitely had nude scenes in their original releases.
@@mikespearwood3914 Also, The Warrior and the Sorceress starring David Carradine and Maria Socas. Maria spends the entire film topless. ❤
Flesh+Blood was director Paul Verhoeven's first English language movie... he went on to do RoboCop, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, and Starship Troopers (to name a few).
So he made two good movies and followed them up with tee-rash.
Local youtube commenter @@chaosordeal294 recently said something stupid. His pillorying will take place on all stations, all channels.
Would you like to know more?
@@chaosordeal294 which two?
Agreed, making a movie out of Heinlein's worst book was just a bad idea (though doing it tongue-in-cheek, as he said he did, was probly the best that could be done with it).
I thought Total Recall was pretty good (though they didn't give credit to the authors they drew from -PKD & Heinlein).
Instinct & Robo were both memorable B movies with some good lines.
Showgirls was soft porn which confusingly had a plot and decent acting.
00:00 Introduction
01:02 Conan the Barbarian (1982)
02:25 Flesh + Blood (1985)
03:59 Excalibur (1981)
05:20 Highlander (1986)
06:33 The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
07:33 The Barbarians (1987)
08:56 Deathstalker (1983)
10:06 Deathstalker II: Duel of the Titans (1987)
11:16 The Warrior and the Sorceress (1984)
12:36 The Sword of the Barbarians (1982)
13:12 Hearts and Armour (1983)
14:10 Conquest (1983)
15:04 Amazons (1986)
16:09 Sorceress (1982)
17:13 Barbarian Queen (1985)
18:16 Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back (1990)
19:28 Warrior Queen (1987)
20:41 Hundra (1983)
21:41 Thor the Conqueror (1983)
22:34 Wizards of the Demon Sword (1991)
23:49 Conclusion
New list of movies to watch... lol
The 80s with the rise of video games, gothic music on the rise, films like these capture the entire essence of the 80s
I was bored and looking at movie releases by year (I was recovering from major surgery) and found that 1984 was a fantastic year for blockbusters.
@@craigs71 Watch Willow, I think you'll really like it. I hope you have recovered from the surgery
Loved Conan!!!! Saw it a dozen times.
Excalibur, Highlander were awesome and I’ll admit a guilty pleasure in The Sword and The Sorcerer.
Just watched "Conan The Destroyer" on the big screen at an NYC cinema two weeks ago! Awwnold 4 LIFE!!!!!!!
I always wanted Lee Horsley to be Batman b4 there was a movie
I love sword and the sorcerer. Definately my top 4 are Conan, Highlander, Excalibur and Sword and the Sorcerer. They all stand up very well today. The rest are pretty B-Grade but can stil be fun.
Very good choices, @tikidino
Conan The Barbarian Was a Game Changing Film the first time I saw It was Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance pulled me In as with The Terminator he's my favorite actor not the best but a great entertainer
I remember the vanguard runner jumping up on the stone and squadding, his tattoos moving to his breath, and then the epic music began, and suddenly, I was in another world in another time.
Arnie knows his limits, did great at playing characters within them. It's not like he was going to play Hamlet ...
(snuck in a Last Action hero reference 😆)
I was 9, so take this with a grain of salt.
"The Sword and Sorcerer" (April 1982) did so well ($40M of a $4M budget) because it was released after the star, Lee Horsley, became popular with the launch of his tv show "Matt Houston (Sept 1982)."
Ok, technically it was released before the TV show, but movies back then stayed in the theaters indefinitely. So I remember there being commercials for the movie after the tv show premiered and became wildly popular. (At least, the TV show was wildly popular with 9-year-old boys in towns of less than 8,000 people in Oklahoma. A sample size of probably 10 or 15, who only had access to ABC, NBC, CBS, and PBS...So, you know, I'm 100% accurate and scientific.)
Regardless, I was DYING to see this movie because a sword that launched two of its blades! and Lee Horsely! 9-yr old mind blown.
Oh wow yeah I loved that sword ❤😂
IF YOU CAN WATCH "SORCERESS" WATCH IT. IT HAD A LOVELY SET OF IDENTICAL TWIN SISTERS, SOME GOOD JOKES AS WELL.
The posters and box art were the greatest in the 80’s
Conan is one of the best fantasy movies ever, the simplicity is what makes it so good. When Subutai and Conan are talking about what Gods they pray to is a great scene, also, every character is memorable.
it's scary how many of these I rented on VHS back in the day
I own most of these.
Block Buster
you had to leave the house to get the fap material pre internet
I still have the Betamax tapes.
I had to brush the dust off my collection and found some good ones, believe it or not my VCR still works.
Excalibur was released a year before Conan, and technically isn't a fantasy movie. It's based on Anglicised Celtic legend. It's also not very campy, but rather a big budget operatic stage play made for the cinema.
The production in Excalibur was incredible and set the standard, I laughed at the crap fake armor in movies ever since.
Well said, sir. Excalibur wasn't just "named after the famous sword" but was a telling of Arthurian legend that has helped shape the mythology around the British Isles and France for 1500-2000 years.
Excaloibur was Gold - every other mentioned in the video and the chat was silver at best, by comparison. Love me a sword weilding women though!
They also omitted listing Dame Helen Mirren with the notable cast.
"Legend" = Fantasy. Excalibur, nor did King Author never existed.
Conan the Barbarian is my favorite. I also enjoyed Excalibur, Amazons, Barbarian Queen and Highlander very much
Rutger Hauer is awesome no matter how bad the movie is.
Maybe the most underrated actor of his era
Damn right. He's in a list of underrated character/80s actors that includes Powers Boothe, Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown, Ron Pearlman, and Richard Lynch.
Excalibur is a great film and has one of the most fun versions of Merlin.
I still regularly watch it.
FLESH and BLOOD is by no means a Sword & Sorcery movie! It has swords, BUT NO SORCERY!!! Its a medival action film!
I would also question the "romantic" angle, it's more?Stockholm syndrome than romance.
Not even medieval, actually. More like Renaissance.
@@AlexanderHamburg Yep. Period of Italian civil wars in early Renaissance.
👍i was going to point that out , in the UK it had a cinema release as did Conan , Excaliber , HighLander & The Sword And The Sorcerer , all the rest went straight to Video
This was such a nostalgia trip! I love the 80s and early 90s sword and sorcery art. I didn't even realize I had seen some of these late night on TBS. Lots of homework for the ones I missed. This is a treasure, thanks!
Sword and the Sorcerer was one of my favourite movies. I've watched it a dozen times.
A lot of good Movies where left out. Conan the Destroyer, Red Sonja, The Beast Master, Krull, and Legend, to name a few. I realize that most of the films I just listed don't fall under the Rated R banner. They do however fall under the umbrella of Sword & Sorcery, since this was a R-Rated Ultravoilent video I can understand how they didn't make the cut. Good list. I think if I had one real criticism, it would probably be that Excalibur made the list. I don't think I have ever seen the uncut version, but the one I did watchfell more under the lighter side of Sword and Sorcery.
Excalibur, weather you enjoyed it or not falls into this category because of the rape and violence aspects( I surmise).
Krull was PG. Red Sonja was PG-13.
@@RecklessFables I did mention that I understood why they didn't make the list. While being excellent examples of Sword and Sorcery, they didn't meet the R rating. That is also why I don't understand why Excalibur made the list. The version I have seen I think was PG??? I haven't seen the R rated version, I don't doubt that it exists, but I have never seen it.
Any of them rated R in the US?
I'm surprised the two Gor movies we not placed anyehere. Yes. TWO movieson the world of Gor
Nifty! I remember getting to watch Krull as a 7 or 8 year old at my Grandparents house. One of the Uncles had it on VHS. That flew until one of our Aunt's found us kids watching it and pulled the plug.
Good times.
How dare you show a scene from Excalibur as an example of cheap low budget knockoffs that came after Conan. There was a lot of sword and sorcery fodder, but Excalibur was a classic. In spite of it's flaws it is for many the holy grail of King Arthur films. John Boorman was brilliant.
Even though I was born in 82, I have a brother who is 18 years older than me. I grew up watching his video tapes of these movies and can honestly say I’ve seen most of these movies, not all but most.
I can't even imagine growing up like this. Like, I'm 8 and playing with Barbie and then the 26 year old brother shows up waving "Barbarian Queen II" at me. Lolwut?
@@zimriel I was closer to a teen…
Some more random missing titles:
- Gor (1987)
- Gor II (1989)
- Kindar the Invulnerable (1965)
- Gunan, King of the Barbarians (1982, a.k.a The invincible barbarian)
- Hawk the Slayer (1981)
- Time barbarians (1990)
- The Magic Sword (1962)
- Thor the Conqueror (1983)
- Kull the Conqueror (1997)
- The sword of Lancelot (1963)
- Ironmaster (1983)
- Wizards of the lost kingdom (1985)
PG
having grown up in the 70's and 80's, the majority of my formative years were spent watching each and every one of these movies! I have seen them all. Thank you for this amazing rampage down sword and sorcery lane. Simply excellent.
The Sword and the Sorcerer is fantastic! Also, Rifftrax does a great sendup of it.
The Sword and the Sorcerer is actually my favorite go-to cheesy sword and sorcery movie.
Beastmaster is underrated and should be on that list. Krull is worth a view, if you've never seen it
_The Warrior and the Sorceress_ looks like more of a Gor film than the film _Gor_ does, despite the lack of sorcery on Gor.
"lack of sorcery "?
Well, they truly get no respect (sometimes being given the job of being live figureheads on ships), but the descriptions (and illustrations) of the slave girls of Gor I have, with all due respect, found them quite the enchantresses! ; )
Há , the 80s! Lots of topless beauties , cheesy dialogues and fighting scenes . As a 1981 born kid , who grew up watching most of these movies , I have no complaints. Watched Conan The Barbarian first time back in 86 when I was 5.. alongside my uncle(RIP) and mother , such memories . Watched it probably hundreds of times and still do front time to time and did the same thing by watching it with my 5 years old daughter and she absolutely loved it.
I love Deathstalker 2. Its so cheesy that it also has one of the most ridiculous title drops from a character i've ever seen in a movie.
"I'll have my revenge and Deathstalker... too!" 😂
One of the best parts of Deathstalker 2 was the OUTAKES shown during the closing credits
That is the absolute _best_ title drop in cinema history!
Omg😂😂😂
Conan ruled. I first read REH in 1963 - what a storyteller!
I watched all of these movies when I was a kid. I grew up reading the old Conan novels that my dad collected and watched every movie I could get my hands on that had something with fantasy or sci-fi on the cover. I think it was the artwork that drew me in the most, as for most of the movies were just horrible, but I do have fond memories of most of them.
I love the Amazons, Barbarian Queen, and Hundra!!! They were the best!
Conquest 1983. Fun fact: It's main antagonist character is an evil sorceress named Ocron who wears only a mask and a g-string, being topless for the entirety of the movie. She's played by actress Sabrina Siani.
This film is a perfect fit for this R-rated list!
That is a fun fact.
The Barbarians is such a piece of nostalgia for me I can’t hate it, regardless how bad it is.
The Conan movies are legendary and Red Sonja definitely deserves a mention here.
Some that may (or may not...) fit on this list (they are certainly sword and sorcery, in the same, or at least similar, vein as the titles on this list):
Beast Master
Dragonslayer
Conan the Destroyer (since there are other sequels on this list, this one should be included)
Red Sonja
Ladyhawke
Clash of the Titans
Krull
Kull the Conqueror
Legend
Ator
Gor
Some of these may not have made the list because they lack an R-rating, but others certainly fit...
Willow
Most if not all of these were not rated R. That's why they didn't make the list.
I had to look for "Conan the Destroyer" because I would have thought it was R too. Nope, PG
I remember watching the Barbarian Brothers as a kid and thinking it was a comedy in the sword and sorcery genra. I thought the bad acting and cooky lines where intentional. Like the Naked gun, or History of the world part 1. Watching it in that mind set makes this a pretty good movie!
Flesh and Blood is not a Sword and Sorcery in it it is just about mercenaries turned into bandits in 16th century Italy. Just historical action no magic and sorcerers or supernatural things.
Yup, pure historical fiction.
Jennifer Jason Lee is magical hot in this movie.
@@Klaus-em3ixHer nude scenes were amazing! 👏
Can't let facts get in the way of a good video. Bit like Sorceress supposedly being inspired by the success of Conan, except Sorceress was filmed before Conan was even released in cinemas.
right, I was thinking of a few viking movies and then was like wait not they're just viking (foreign country stuff that is great, like When the Raven Flies series and Utlaginn
Conan & Highlander are in my top 10 all time favorite movies 🙈
How can you talk about The Warrior and the sorceress and not mention it stars David Carradine?
Because...topless women?
Loved Deathstalker. Goofy as hell but two freaking gorgeous ladies in Barbi Benton and Lana Clarkson. And the transformation of the male guard into the princess is essentially a comic skit with lots of closeups of Barbi. Also loved Sword and the Sorcerer!
I firmly bevel that "crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women" is a pretty good credo to live your life by (I work in IT).
That's the problem with a lot of IT departments these days - they forget they are meant to service the customer, not dictate everything.
1990 child here, I recently watched "The Barbarians" -1987 and had never seen it before. I grew up on Clash of the Titans, Hercules, Conan movies, Red Sonja, Beastmaster, all the classics. The Barbarians was entertaining! It was funny and the stunts/costumes were incredible. Very underrated film that was brilliant.
Highlander.. Come for the swords, stay for Connerys' Spanish accent..
come on! He was Egyptian, wasn't he?
@@peterkerr4019 juan sanchez~villalalobos ramirez.. The most spanish name i ever heard. XD
Tho yes.. tak~ne was his og name
.
@@captnaberystwyth2879 I stand corrected, thanks.
@@peterkerr4019 no.. You were right.. Originally he was Egyptian.. But a long time back.
I need to rewatch it soon.. Turns out my woman never saw it.. So, bonus!
Conan is single handedly a perfect film, no other film can you tell where you are in the plot based on music alone. Highlander is a cult classic, it having sequels never made sense, its not the best but it stands out on being an interesting concept. Deathstalker and its sequels are a fun watch, the cheesyness is kinda charming and the sequels being so different its just funny and leads to a varied experience. The warrior and the sorceress was a fun take on yojimbo, worth a watch. Its interesting how several of the argentine made films share a few scene, like straight up the same scene, to this day i still dont know what the guy swinging on the pole was about, but its one of those movie marathon things that you notice and could be a good drinking game.
Highlander was an underappreciated movie ahead of its time......same with "Fortress".
I remember that a LOT of people couldn't understand when Highlander went back and forth to show what happened in the past and were confused. It really opened my eyes to just how many people are mentally challenged.
Conan, Highlander, and Excalibur all laid the foundation for my fascination with the genre. That and the fantasy books I read.
They forgot Red Sonja....
But Flavor Flav did not.
It was pg13
As well they should!
Too kid friendly.
They left off soo many, Krull, Ladyhawke, Hawk the Slayer just to name a few.
Excaliber and Conan the Barbarian are great movies. It certainly helps that the music for each was superb. That music, played in my head, got me through boot camp, so I will always have a soft spot for those two flicks.
I think I have seen all of the movies listed except Hundra, Thor the Conqueror, and Wizards of the Demon Sword. Scary that I spent (and continue to spend) so much time watching B movies.
You are complementing the music on those two (and the quality of the film) without also mentioning "Highlander" with its score by Queen?!
;-D
Roger Corman was very very busy at this time.
Was there ever a time he wasn't busy?
I was an AD&D player in hs 79-83, the time when Conan came out. I tried to watch all the fantasy movies the came out. I read and then watched Excalibur. I loved it!
Shame Red Sonja was only rated PG, which is surprising
but did you ever slay a Beholder with a Vorpal Blade?
The bad guy in Deathstalker II looks like what you'd get if the Ernest character were played by Jean Claude Van Damme instead of Jim Varney.
The scene in Excalibur of Arthur riding with his knights to O, Fortuna is still one of the most epic scenes I have ever watched. Excalibur was just awesome- i saw it when I was 11 years old, and it added to the whole 'Lord of the Rings/Dungeons and Dragons/Elfquest/Ronnie James Dio' obsession I had as a kid.
The Warrior and the Sorceress (1982) also starred David Carradine who played (Died in 2009, but is listed as having played in the 2021 movie ''The America Connection'' and the upcomming movie ''Mata Hari'', (Must be a Shaolin thing :p) by his daughter. He also starred in the Kill Bill movies (He was Bill) The 1972-75 TV series Kung Fu. Apart from Arnold, David Carradine seems the still best known actor here.
Christopher Lambert was a big deal up to the early 1990s.
You missed the target with Conan. Conan was such a hit because it had a built-in audience that had been begging for the movie for over 10 years. All comic book fans knew Conan. The film didn't have to be great, it had to not disappoint. And it gave fans exactly what they wanted: Blood, humor and sexuality.
there can be only one!
yea the kurgan can kick conan,s ass.....
@@lesleyrussell8200 yeah Conan was a good movie, but the Highlander was epic
Excalibur is a classic. Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Sir Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne, Ciarin Hinds. Terry English designed all the armor, and they were hand-made.
Maybe it's because I'm Gen-X and we are just thick-skinned and used to it having grown up on this stuff, but all the pearl-clutching and shocked gasping (metaphorically speaking) people seem to have these days about gore, nudity, violence, and sexual content in these films is just weird to me. Those are part and parcel of the swords-and-sorcery genre all the way back to Howard's stories in the 1920s and 30s that these trace back to. It's like watching water and being shocked that it's wet.
Many of the people complaining about that are older though. When I see younger people review movies or videos from the past, they often say things like that was probably considered risque back then. I see no evidence that young people today are more prudish than the past, just the opposite. They are doing things today that previous generations were never doing because it doesn't seem like a big deal to them. The loud noise you hear is often coming from media sources, old people and certain groups that have always complained about these things.
@@stickman1742 also when movies like this came out with the R rating, everyone knew they were trash, and they hung out in That Section of the video rental. Parents knew to avoid them; few kids got to see them, and most adults didn't even much want to see them.
With the notable exceptions like Conan and Highlander and Excalibur.
Highlander was awesome !! I saw it originally. The problem was a bad marketing company with a crap budget . No previews on tv or in theatres , no previews on the vhs tapes . That’s why it eventually took off , cause it was a good movie ! Great soundtrack as well done by Queen !!
Strange ladies laying in lakes distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
If i went around saying i was king because some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar at me, they would lock me away.
Shut up Dennis
Ooh Dennis. there's some lovely filth down here.
Strange women laying about in lakes distributing swords is starting to sound pretty good right about now...
Love this reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail!!! ❤ 👏 👍
The first 5 movies are just excellent in my opinion. And the fantasy movies of the late 70's and 80's are great watches.
I have watched all of these movies I used to hire them from the video store. The fact that you didn't include DeathStalker 3 which personally I believe was the best in that series abit of a shame.
Any idea where to watch DeathStalker 3? I've seen the first 2, but could never find the next two. I've watched 15 of the other movies on their list on Tubi.
@@MrAnarchocapitalist I only watched on VHS from blockbuster in the 90s I dont know where you would legally find it now
@@danielmacdonald4499 It doesn't have to be legal.
@@MrAnarchocapitalist there is a torrent movies 1-4 on idope still works if your willing
@@MrAnarchocapitalist there is a torrent of all 4 movies if your game on idope
The bad acting in The Barbarians is part of its charm. And the two actors went on to do 2-3 more "really so bad they are so good" movies that are fun to watch.
I can't believe you didn't have Krull and The Beastmaster on this list!
This is a Rated R list. Both Krull and The Beastmaster were PG. The same with a lot of the other movies left off the list like Conan the Destroyer, Red Sonja, Ladyhawke, etc.
Death Stalker 2 was a meme movie BEFORE memes were even a mass media thing. Amazing!!!
forgot about beastmaster
Not rated R.
@@thomashiggins9320 lol i can just see it
movie: *lets put worms in peoples brains turning them into monsters
mpaa: *pg
Conan the Barbarian is a legitimately good movie. It is vastly underrated as cinema.
I can think of a few that could have been included like Krull and Kull the Conquerer
They were not R rated
I was 12 in 82 and watched all of these back in the day. They totally took advantage of younger kids like me who had new VCR's and would go to rent movies and be taken in by the cool box art that never showed up in the movies. There were only so many tapes to rent back then so you saw everything. This was before we got cable tv in 81.
Hawk The Slayer
Highlander all the way. Sean Connery, Labert, Clancy Brown, plus Queen's original songs. Totally innovative story...it was brilliant.
How could you forget Beastmaster ? It was excellent and could have it’s own Review 🔎.
It's not R-rated, so it doesn't qualify for this list.
also sucks
@@lopa-u9f No, I disagree. As long as you can accept it as light-hearted entertainment, Beastmaster is a fun flick.
That poster from Floris is from the much, much later movie. The original black and white TV show featured Rutger Hauer as the titular character.
There was a sequel to Sword and the Sorcerer?
Kind of .
I love Sword and the Sorcerer, second to Conan.
They promised one in the closing credits, but it wasn't made at the time. 30 years later as straight to DVD sequel was made. Lee Horsley was in it as Talon, but Kevin Sorbo was the lead.
Highlander was magnificent. Terrific scene edits when transitioning from one locale to another (as I recall, the best of these very smooth cuts were when the film was transitioning from the past to the present day).
Ummm, the movies that came out prior to and the year AFTER Conan were NOT inspired by Conan, in fact most were styled after Barbarella...hence all the naked and half naked women in them as opposed to actual plot and sword fights.
You do know that European producers work far, far faster than US studios do, right?
@@aaronleverton4221 you can see my other response for more detail, but yes I know they were faster...however they didn't have a time machine and were not Time Lords.
@@verigone2677 If you're an Italian [insert[-sploitation producer, you don't think you might take careful notice of what's in "development" in America and have your pet screenwriter create treatments for a clone? Then, when production of the US version is confirmed you rush screenplay and casting into high gear to guarantee you can ride the wave?
@@aaronleverton4221 how exactly are you going to get information on the movie in a meaningful way before the film hits post production? Please just stop beating the dead horse. You can be as fast as you want, but you can't circumvent time itself.
@@verigone2677 Ok, now we know you've never worked in the industry.
Excalibur is the best adaptation of La Morte d'Arthur. Flesh+Blood is just so good.
What about Ator? 4 movies
I only see one on IMDB. What were they called?
Excalibur also launched Helen Mirren, who being naked, didn't hurt the trajectory of the film. Deathstalker had someone who was beat to death with his own arm and Barbi Benton
Excalibur not only had Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart, but also Gabriel Byrne and Hellen Mirren. One of my favorite movies from my teenage years.
The 80's were awesome!! Loved Excalibur and sword and the sorcerer.
Nice little tidbit about Flesh+Blood is that it features Rutger Hauer, who is the titular 'Floris' of the original Dutch TV show the movie is based on. The picture used for Floris at 2:50 is the 2004 movie (starring the Daario Naharys2.0 actor Michiel Huisman in the titular role), not the original 1969 black-and-white tv series aimed at young adults with Rutger Hauer.