Dragonslayer Review - Off The Shelf Reviews
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- This week Gary and Iain review and discuss, Dragonslayer (1981) by Director, Matthew Robbins. Starring, Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke and Ralph Richardson.
(In order to stop getting copyright claimed the film clips in this video review have been altered by an overlay which will only be used in extreme cases going forward)
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For my money it was the best looking dragon put to film. Real practical effects for the win.
Yes, and that name too. 👍🏽
Better than some crappy computer simulation (like you see in every other movie made nowadays).
Guys i need more reviews from you. Its torment not listening to you guys while at work. I literally listen to you guys everyday i go into work
Fully agree with you I rely heavily on the lads 😂👊
Had such a crush on Caitlin Clarke because of this movie when I was a lad. She was taken from us far too young.
What?? Doesn't she play basketball at Iowa 😅
I’m a Smaug person myself, but goddamn this dragon is amazing. Phil Tippet man, we ain’t worthy of you
I normally don't see your videos on release as I save these as workout videos to help keep my mind focused. I'm stuck home with the snow and it was the perfect length so I went for it. Also, I was Born in 81 so it seemed like a bit of fun. I've said this all before but I hope that people read it and explore your channel even if they are just here for the Sword and Sorcery video. I'm pretty sure Hardware was the first video I watched, one of the few that was Jess and not Iain. I fell in love with your channel and watched your entire back catalogue. Budget to Blockbuster, Sci-fi to period drama, indi to mainstream, you give every movie your all. Even if it's a movie that doesn't seem my thing you always make things interesting. You make some really astute observations, are always, energetic and funny. What I love most about your channel is how cosy and relaxed it is to watch. You seem so relatable and easy to get on with. Fantastic channel.
back in the day all fantasy movies went for the same aesthetic, same style same concepts, however this movie stands out for a more elaborate history and having more things going on, is kind of a hidden gem now, and a shame it did not make into a full cinematic franchise, it had a great production and potential for good things
I was very fortunate, as a 20 year old living in North Wales, I got to work on all of the outdoor movies scenes. Fabulous time, got to chat on set with the actors, all of trhe behind the camera workers (sound, lighting, etc). Got a good few stories - b ut one of them was the dearly morning camp scene - camera panning right to left past a small smoking fire. It was my job to keep jumping from behind a fake rock and squirt water on the fire to keep fire out of the shot. Got to do loads of this over the next couple of months back in 1979-80.
Amazing story! That is so cool you got to work on this movie. Please share any others about the experience. Also, if you know, how the HECK is the audio quality so good? What I mean is, it sure LOOKS like there's a lot of outdoor scenes, lots of location shooting, and yet to my eyes and ears it doesn't SEEM like the audio was "ADRed" or looped in the studio afterward. To my untutored understanding, getting dialog on-film outdoors and on location is a nightmare. SO many movies these days rely (and over-rely!) on ADR, even when they don't need to (hello? even filmed on a soundstage??? is this just laziness???). And yet, this movie seems to spool meter after meter of film with the actors outdoors in very challenging settings...and yet the dialog and sound is so "authentic" and so "in the room." Don't know how you all pulled that off. Would love to know.
Love the new editing when you show a clip 😅😅🎉
That woulöd make 2 excellent 3d printed bookends for the off the shelf! :D
Dragonslayer was close to the frontline for fantasy movies. Hawk the Slayer predates it, but it's not in the same league, and I think Excalibur was released before it. So it is very ground-breaking in many ways.
Disney was trying to break loose from the kids only label, so the film was aimed at a more adult audience, similar to Excalibur, hence the gore and brief nudity. I think it predates PG13, but may have been made with such a rating in mind, if studios were pushing for it back then.
The religious aspect was probably intended to root the story more in history. The idea of the Old Powers being usurped by Christianity was a bit of a trope at a time. Merlin had been paganized in contemporary literature, and it is alluded to in Excalibur as well, when Melin complains that the spirits of nature are growing silent in the face of Christianity. I kind of like Dragonslayer's twist on this because it hints that the Christians don't understand the power of Nature and magic, and just take the credit for things afterwards.
With regards to the length. This movie was released for the big screen. I saw it in the cinema when it was released and was bloody mesmerized all the way through. 109 minutes of something that had never before been depicted so realistically on an actual full-sized widescreen? It blew those who actually watched it's minds! When criticizing pre-video era movies, you need to compensate for this effect. We only saw movies either at the cinema or repeated much later on terrestrial TV.
That shot of Vermithrax crawling through the tunnel is truly incredible. Astounding how well the Go-Motion effect holds up after forty years, it really shows the level of artistry that went into making it! :)
Nostalgic - loved this as a kid! Thanks guys
This was always a favorite film of mine! It has its lengths and flaws, yes, but there is this unique atmosphere - mystical, dark and raw. This medieval world felt real and grounded, the dragon was incredibly well designed, and the music by Alex North - wow! Thanks for your great review! Now I just hope that this new 4K transfer will be available in Europe at some point...
I bought it on DVD and later bootleg blu ray but that appears to be just a transfer of the dvd. I ended up torrenting a HD version but honestly it looks fine to me in DVD format.
One of the best conceived dragons in cinema .Verminthrax Perjortive ❤
I watched this as an 8 year old back in the 80s and loved it. Watched it a few years ago and forgot how dark the film was - I think this came out during Disney dark period - The Black Cauldron came out around this time if I recall. It's a very underrated film.
I love the new addition if your still images while playing the movie clips. 😂😂
It is a shame, you fellows cannot review a film without all the copyright nonsense, RUclips wants to throw at you, as you have the best film reviews. Dragon Slayer is a true cult classic.
I was pretty young in 81 but I’ll never forget this film as my dad took me to it. Really helped to push me into the fantasy genre. Sci-fi eventually took first place but fantasy stories, films and the like is still a close second.
Another film that looks fun to watch! Thanks guys!! Always watching you guys every time! KEEP IT UP!!
I love this film. The costumes, settings, and the way it's filmed... all of that lends it a natural, realistic feel.
Favorite sword and sorcery film is still Conan the Barbarian. The sequel stinks, but the original is brilliant.
Love this movie. I was lucky enough to see at the cinema when it came out, I was a sword and sorcery-obsessed kid (still am) and loved it, especially at how dark it was. I was worried about watching this review in case you guys hated it but phew you liked it.
Wow! This movie I have forgotten totally! Thank you guys for reviewing this one! 👍
This movie was interesting when I was young since this is basically the same dragon legend my small hometown has, so this was pretty immersive, not to mention the astounding effects for the time the movie has. This was from the early 80s, just in comparission Jurrasic Park came out over ten years later.
The legend I've mentioned is that of the "Drache von der Limburg", the Limburg is an extinct volcano right next to my small hometown, there also was a lottery who would be sacrificed to the dragon, but nothing about virgins or just women, everybody, but the lot fell on the Emperor's daughter and then a unknown knight came to kill the dragon with a lance and went away again without giving his name,...almost some sort of medieval Swabian Alb western with the stranger leaving town again. People thought that might have been the archangel Michael and they build a chappel on top of the volcano, there are still fragments up there.
I think this sort of story may be very common, still cool to see a very local legend very similarly told in a big Hollywood blockbuster as a kid. You can imagine it a bit better looking at this particular hill from your window...
shelf life! ❤
Caitlin Clarke Died at 52. I had such a crush on her in this movie.
Love me some tomboys.
Word. And brunettes.
Blondes are way too overrated 😂
I saw this when, as pointed out, fantasy-sword&sorcery movies were rare. I loved this movie! It felt more real and immersive.
Finally you reviewed this movie! Loved it since I saw it inthe eighties!
I saw thin in theatres as a child. I always remembered it. It's an amazing film, sfx not withstanding. If it's ever released in theatres again, I'm there!❤
One thing I like about Dragonslayer is that Galen wasn't a likable hero. He's kind of a dick the whole movie, full of himself and out of his league, yet comes out victorious. Whether that was due to his bravery or stupidity, it's hard to tell.
Childhood favorite.
I have vague memories of this movie and I don't remember it being this dark. I also remember seeing Fright Night which seemed to be heavily edited because things swayed to the comedy edge of the movie. It was a great point about cheesy or simple lines being able to have weight when they are said well. One that always springs to mind is Gwildor from Masters of the Universe. When Kevin (Robert Duncan-McNeille) says 'There's a million of me' and Gwildor responds, 'Only one of you Kevin... only one of anybody' As true a statement as this is, it could be very cheesy. But Billy Barty said with such heart and conviction that it lands.
I remember it and found it again on Disney plus
I remember gallin from Adam’s family values as the nasty camp owner yes from ghost busters 2 and from bean 1997 .
thanks for another legendary review sirs! Another movie I had no idea existed! what a great channel Off the Shelf reviews is! So many movies I never knew about! thank you sirs!
good mooooooovie. I think the reliance on unsupplied clips by 'reviewers' is pretty weaksauce, I mean siskel and ebert would review movies and say the studio wouldn't give us anything to show you. BUT I am super happy you figured out how to just deal with it and make your videos. Love seeing you guys every thursday. Cheers.
You fellas should def do ZARDOZ one day,
now THAT movie is a trip!
A really good review guys. Since you're doing dark fantasy, you've got to review the original Clash Of The Titans it's a classic!
That movie was awesome as an 80s child. Medusa was so scary lol
I like THIS flick cause it's a fantasy flick that's also a bit of a HORROR flick too, .. . maybe even more the OTHER WAY AROUND in fact. It's not really juvenile and bland like that Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings stuff. There are even moments where it almost seems to take the same approach with the dragon that Jaws took with the great white shark in that movie.
Yes! THIS isn't really a "fantasy" film. Rather it's a MONSTER movie with a medieval setting.
That model work looks fantastic! How have I not heard of this before?
Great film. One of my favorite fantasy films besides Excalibur and Krull. I enjoyed magical films like these and used to read fairytales, myths, science fiction, and horror stories. I like to be exported to another place. The last film that gave me that feeling was Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Thank you Gary and Iain for reviewing this film. 🙂🙂🙂
I found this dvd in my local used shop, so I grabbed it (along with Stripes, Clockwise and Atomic Blonde). Cheers!
Galen was also in Ally McBeal.
I watched when I was around 8 or 9 and the darkness always stuck with me. I remember being furious at the King for stealing the kill haha I also associated Peter McNichol with this movie first and foremost whenever I saw him in anything else. I don't think I enjoyed Dragonslayer per se as I do think it was just a little bit too dark for me but it definitely stuck with me.
I was in grade school, in about 5th grade when this came out, and they showed it to my class during school, nudity, princes death, and all. Different times.
I agree with Ian: never stop at side-boob.
Amazing movie as well as the film that gave us the modern style for dragons in films. I've adored this film since I was a child.
Also I never knew until recently that the dragon had a badass name, Vermithrax Pejorative.
I loved this movie when I first saw it as a kid on HBO, and I'll still watch from time to time even now.
I love this movie, and I'm so happy for your review. Will you also do The Sword and the Sorcerer sometime?
Hello lads hope all is well with you both, weevil and i love the new edit 😂 really looking forward to the next podcast or stream, congrats on another great review.
I loved this movie as a kid. Also, fantastic effects..it's a real shame it flopped so horribly.
I saw this twice in a theatre as a kid. It wasn't great, but it was better than anything else showing at the time (hence the double-viewing). I bought the DVD mainly out of nostalgia. I agree the dragon effects were impressive for their time.
Really scared me as a kid
Bloody great film
Please do Dragonheart.
I really liked this movie but the soundtrack for it really was a strange choice. Just doesn't fit the movie as well as it could? I dunno it's kind of weirdly discordant and I feel like it should of featured more leitmotifs. Absolutely loved that dragon though.
Keep up that good fight boys 👊👊
Not a bad fantasy sword & sorcery movie from my youth in the early 80s. For its time pretty good SFX.
Yes I know the actors name is not gallin
im assuming you guys are running into copyright issues? damn shame
We certainly are, and this one was a nightmare with copyright.
@@OffTheShelfReviewsI can tell Gary is not amused with this bs. 😂
I for one like the thinking man pngs of Gary & Iain
Great review, thanks guys. Some minor quibbles, though I mean it's all just a matter of taste. First, I don't think this should be considered a low-budget film. Its $18M 1981 budget would be ~$65M in 2024, and that's about average for a major motion picture. Second, I think practical effects trump CGI most of the time, and this movie is all practical effects. Moreover, I think effects, like other aspects of production design should be judged to some degree with respect the resources and technology available at the time, because it tells you something about the craft, the ingenuity, and the passion of the people involved. What they did with the available effects in 1981 for "Dragonslayer" is astonishing, just as what Fritz Lang did in 1927 for "Metropolis" was astonishing. Given that, I think the dragon's flying scenes look amazing! Certainly, they're on par with the best of anything else at that time (e.g. "Empire Strikes Back"). Third, yes yes yes Galen/Peter is callow, cocky, and annoying, but he's SUPPOSED to be. He's a kid in way way over his head, which he learns by the end. But then, he's also courageous (if a bit stupidly so) and strong, loyal, and well-meaning, and he is told that by the end as well. Fourth, the Christian element is essential. It grounds the film into a beguiling liminal space between fantasy and reality. It's an early early Dark Ages British Isles that didn't exist, but in the pulpy pages of comic books and in the superstitions of primitive cosmogonies, feels like it almost could have existed. Sure sure, the colonizing church is jockeying with the venal King Cassiadorus to take credit, but we know that to be just about the most realistic element in this fantasy movie. Note the character establishing scene (not a plot point!) with the King trying to use the amulet for alchemy! There's so much more to be said for this movie, but I'll just list three more: the performances, the production values, and the score. The performances are anything but hammy and are so-so good, they along with the production values and the amazing set design and world-building, for me are what keep the middle section from becoming "draggy." Finally, that score! Honestly, it's a masterpiece from Alex North. Not as vast as the canvas Howard Shore had for LOTR, but boy oh boy what North does with it! Anyway, obviously I'm a big fan of this movie and maybe am getting a little carried away. You do "you", it's cool. Thanks again for the review and keep 'em coming!
The best dragon name ever. I saw this when it came out and loved it. It Could do with a remake without the CGI though and all the modern bs implanted in the dark ages.
CONAN THE BARBARIAN was 1982, only the following year.
I ve NEVER liked STAR WARS BUT it did pave the way for films such as this with such superior sfx and to some extent ALIEN (along with 2001 SPACE ODYSSEY)
Apparently the studio wondered if there was life after Star Wars, & wanted to continue what they had started, especially using some very talented animators & practical fx people, and so the DRAGON SLAYER project was born, it IS the same Star Wars story, but that suites the gothic genra perfectly, in fact better I'd say
Interestingly enough this was the same year as - CLASH OF TITANS Which I think did better "box office" but despite INDIANA JONES coming some weeks later Dragon Slayer fell victim to it, also probably it was thought of as too dark, especially for the Kids.
The lads failed to spot Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine) as the priest
Tyrian, Valeryian, the keep, the dragons, why does all this sound familiar. Blatant ripoff by GRRM 😢
Terminator 5 review 😎☠️
This was such a legendary non -"Disney" movie. The princess being eaten, the Christians getting shade - conservative Americans would have hated it 😆
I remember watching this in the drive-in it was a triple feature with a George peppard space movie and raiders of the lost ark anyway the bottom is correct that movie was kind of big everybody would go on Monday and play dragon Slayer and everybody had the comic books and everybody had the book book
Mr Bean film is a classic
I agree the dragon looked better than reign of fire
I liked the idea of the old order dying out, making way for the new, it was a good ironic sub plot, a certain female critic of this film, made the same complaint, BUT what other sub plot could there be to a tale set in these mediveal times?
AND in the real World Pagan/Saxon religion made way for Christianity, as did Catholic.
Weird, weird movie, couldn't believe it when the baby dragons ate the Princess!
Still an Awesome film 🎥
*Turn Up!*
Woohoo!
Yes it is the best dragon put on film even better than reign of fire
Hi Fellas i enjoy watching you twos reviews. Would you guys please review the movie The Relic. And i hqve two others id love for you two to review also. King 👑 Kong 1933 & Godzilla 1954 Thanks Guys
I've never sern Dragonslayer.
I love you guys❤❤😊
Damn.
Thanks to RUclips's copyright bull$hit, every video from this channel will now feature the pics of Gary and Iain in the foreground with the film clips in the background.
This is Not good!
I'm sorry YT is forcing you to do that now, however that probably would have made your review of Curse of the Queer Wolf way funnier!
The movie was dragon.😊
I find the two of you graphic takes up way too much screen. Not being negative Just sayimg is all.
We agree, and hope to refine it going forward should the YT and film companies smack us with more strikes.
guy on the right doesnt seem to understand the concept of movies and story telling...
Good review as always. I’m sort of surprised I had not noticed you had not done this movie yet.
Wonderful, wonderful movie... was a major factor in fostering a life long love for fantasy in me.
...it's still a vyvern or fire drake, though, not a proper dragon. 😉
It’s amazing how beautiful British women were between 1975 and 1985. What happened?