Kull the Conqueror

[purplecat]

So B and I ended up watching this almost entirely forgettable swords-and-sorcery movie last night which rejoiced in the name of Kull the Conqueror. It is, apparently, an adaptation of a Robert E. Howard Conan book but with the hero replaced by Kull, much as the first Conan movie is a reworking of a Kull novel (I hope everyone is still following).

It all proceeded much as you would expect with Kevin Sorbo never knowingly over-dressed* throughout and a truly spectacular array of terrible wigs. Then halfway through the first act up pops Douglas Henshall from Primeval




in a wig.






Getting his just deserts



Anyway, just to note that I spent a lot of yesterday evening giggling at material which I think was intended to be entirely serious.

* though, it must be said, it wins points, as a movie, for being clearly far more interested in getting the leading man's kit off than the leading lady's.

Comments

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

It's a sad fact that whereas there are lots of excellent SF films, half-decent fantasy films can be counted in single figures:

The Lord of the Rings (which I'm counting as one film)
Excalibur
The Thirteenth Warrior
Beowulf
Errr...

Kiddy stuff doesn't count.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Sorry - forgot The Princess Bride.

[purplecat]

Hmm.... not seen Beowulf and, despite my love of Antonio Banderas, I can't say I'm much enamoured of The Thirteenth Warrior.

I quite like LadyHawke though, although that would appear to be something of a minority opinion. I'm struggling to think of others though - would Highlander count as fantasy?

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

I'll let you count Highlander as fantasy, but not as good!

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

I'd not heard of LadyHawke, and looking it up at IMDB and seeing that it featured Michelle Pfeiffer prompted me to remember another good fantasy film: Stardust.


I don't know whether to allow made-for-TV films or not. If I did, I'd include both of Sky's Terry Pratchett adaptations - Hogfather and The Colour of Magic.

[purplecat]

You're right, Stardust is good.

I'd probably include Time Bandits as well.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah - Time Bandits. Agreed.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Which of the half-dozen versions of Beowulf are you thinking of?

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

The one with Ray Winstone in.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

The Ray Winstone one is (I think) the only one I've seen. Researching some of the others suggests I haven't missed much. Would you include any of them on a list of half-decent fantasy films?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

No; but some people wouldn't even include the Ray Winstone version in those ranks, which is why I asked.

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

The Iron Crown :-D

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

I had to look that one up too (I'm no expert on Italian cinema in the era of Mussolini).

[king-pellinor.livejournal.com]

Neither am I, but it was on when I was making a cloak for a LARP event a few weeks ago, and I got engrossed :-)

Big battles, dramatic effects, hero having a silly gimmick weapon - excellent stuff :-D