Rating: 
Summary: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE OSCAR-WINNING TO BE FUN
Review: LEE HORSLEY IS NOT ARNOLD WHAT'S-HIS-NAME, AND YOU WON'T SEE ANY TOP PAID STARS IN THIS ONE, BUT SO WHAT? SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE FUN. THE GOOD GUYS ARE ALL GOOD AND THE BAD GUYS ARE ALL BAD. WHAT SPECIAL EFFECTS THERE ARE SEEM ADEQUATE, AND THE CHASE AND FIGHT SCENES BRING BACK FONF MEMORIES OF DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS IN "SINBAD THE SAILOR". BESIDES, HOW OFTEN THESE DAYS DOES THE HERO GET TO SWING OUT OVER THE BALCONY WITH THE HEROINE DRAPED ACROSS HIS SHOULDER AND NOT LOOK LIKE A COMPLETE FOOL. ENJOY IT. IT'S CANDY FOR THE SOUL.
Rating: 
Summary: If this is 1:85 widescreen anamorphic, I'll eat my hat...
Review: Love the genre, so I'll keep my DVD copy of this. However, the picture quality leaves a lot to be desired, and I have other 1:85 anamorphic DVD's that look MUCH better than the picture on this one. There are so many two-shots (two people conversing) where the tops of their head are chopped off that I feel I'm watching a pan & scan of Lawrence of Arabia...
Still - schlocky, delicious S&S fantasy is hard to get, so if you like this genre, get this one!
Rating:
Summary: Gory, Silly and Fun!
Review: My son and I have always liked this movie even though it was one of the goriest I had seen. I became quite confused about the relationships of all the kings, queens and princes of this film, but it has a huge cult status with our household. Lee Horsely plays a great barbarian type of role (even though I think he is the dead kings son). The sword he uses is spectacular! I think you'll recognize who plays Jerusha - interesting role for him. Good fun flick.
Rating:
Summary: It's Fun
Review: One must practice special caution when indulging in an Albert Pyun film. B movie fans know all too well the dangers associated with this director, his cavalier ways of spurning decent plots, workable scripts, an emphasis on acting as a centerpiece to filmmaking, and special effects. Yep, Pyun really knows how to take the fun out of movies. That hasn't stopped the guy from producing clunkers into the present day. Pyun is responsible for the 'Nemesis' series, 'Cyborg,' 'Brain Smasher'A Love Story,' and 'Omega Doom.' At least this director utilizes master thespians like Christopher Lambert and Jean Claude Van Damme in his films. Regrettably, there is no other way to state it: Albert Pyun is a hack. At least Al didn't completely embarrass himself when he made 'The Sword and the Sorcerer' in 1982. I say 'completely' because there is still plenty of eye rolling dialogue and groan inducing situations in this sword and sandal epic, but overall this movie actually manages to entertain. The early 1980s saw the emergence of a slew of barbarian genre films flood the market, due largely to the success of Schwarzenegger's 'Conan the Barbarian.' 'The Sword and the Sorcerer' is probably one of the better ones to roll down the pike. It's definitely better than 'Red Sonja,' or Miles O'Keefe's 'Ator.' Even better is the television talent that populates 'The Sword and the Sorcerer.' In the starring role of Talon is none other than 'Matt Houston' star Lee Horsley. Simon MacCorkindale, who worked on 'Falcon Crest,' plays rebel leader Prince Mikah. Then there is Kathleen Beller who did a stint on 'Dynasty,' seen here as Princess Alana. Throw in Richard Moll ('Night Court') as the evil and ugly sorcerer Xusia along with B movie favorite Reb Brown and Joe Regalbuto (Frank Fontana from 'Murphy Brown'), and you have a cast packed with familiar faces. You can almost track the course of 1980s pop culture by watching this film. The plotline here isn't all that different from your typical barbarian movie. Evil King Titus Cromwell, played with smoldering intensity by Richard Lynch, resurrects the wizard Xusia in order to use his magic to conquer the kingdom in which Talon is a potential heir. Cromwell always deals off the bottom of the deck in his foreign relations, first double crossing Xusia and then rampaging through Talon's kingdom, killing his father, his mother, and spiriting off any potential heirs he finds. Talon escapes with his father's special sword, a rather pathetic looking thing with three blades, two of which can shoot through the air with cheesy accuracy. This background section of the film offers the viewer some narration by a guy my girlfriend thought sounded like Sidney Poitier, Xusia emerging from a mud bath, a witch who hilariously over emotes before her internal organs fly out of her chest, and a bunch of battles we never see. Flash forward a few years. Talon is now a tough looking guy who wears a lot of furs and has head of hair that rivals Paul Atreides's coif in David Lynch's 'Dune.' Talon spends his days riding the countryside as a Robin Hood, rescuing damsels and restoring kingdoms. It isn't too long before Talon and his gang of dirty mercenaries meet up with Princess Alana and Prince Mikah. Mikah is ready to launch an insurrection against Cromwell when he is double crossed by the evil king's wily advisor Machelli, a man who has his own ideas about who should hold the throne. Talon finds himself trying to rescue Mikah while trading risqué quips with Alana. There are a whole slew of fights, some swordplay, a few mild gore scenes, and even some nudity thrown in for good measure. Talon gets his showdown with King Cromwell in an ending that has a few twists that aren't really surprises. As the credits roll, Pyun promises us a sequel about Talon's further adventures, a film that never materialized for some reason. I think the best thing going for 'The Sword and the Sorcerer' is that it never takes itself too seriously. All the actors, especially Horsley, ham it up with relish. It is difficult not to see some humor in a script full of this many innuendos. Sure, this endless barrage of quips grates after awhile, but when the dialogue starts to get you down there are other things you notice. For example, there are plenty of implausible events occurring every few minutes. You gotta love it when Talon, during his crucifixion, pulls his hands out of the wood through sheer strength and then manages to wield a three bladed sword in an epic battle. And what's with that weird battle ballet sequence? Laughing at this scene alone is worth shelling out a few bucks for the movie. Alas, the DVD has only two theatrical trailers and a television spot as extras, although one of the trailers contains a scene that doesn't appear in the film. I guess Pyun doesn't do commentaries for his movies; he is probably too busy lining up financing for his next bomb. As for picture and sound quality, they aren't great. As far as the picture goes, the smoky, dank sets probably meant the original print wasn't that great to start with. If you like low budget films with lots of action, occasional overacting, and scantily clad women, 'The Sword and the Sorcerer' is right up your alley. I went out of my way to see this because when it came out in the theaters I was too young to get in and too naïve to sneak in. A few years later, I finally snuck in to Dudikoff's 'American Ninja.' Yes, I know, I know; I should have stuck with this one instead.
Rating:
Summary: Classic 80's Fantasy, Horrible DVD
Review: Strictly juvenile, but strangely intriguing in the way that so many low-budget 80's sci-fi and fantasy films are. Horsley makes a good underdog in the not-too-serious Indian Jones vein, and as a whole the film has a good-natured heroic tone. Kathleen Beller has never looked sexier. She's completely stacked in her wedding dress at the end (they're pushed up, but who cares), though I think it's a body double in the nude scene where they're giving her an oil massage. The quality of this DVD is the worst I've ever seen. Everything is dark and slightly blurry, as it seems all Anchor Bay titles are. It's a shame because Anchor Bay generally includes great extras and sound options, etc., but all their DVDs seem to be run through their "Blur-O-Meter". Just compare the Universal release of Army of Darkness to Anchor Bay's. The picture on Universal's is razor sharp, but it has no extras; the picture sucks on Anchor Bay's, but it has the alternate ending, commentary, and so on. I like AB, but they don't know how to master a picture. You have no such choice with Sword and the Sorcerer, and I must concede even this lousiest of transfers is better than nothing. Enjoy... sort of.
Rating: 
Summary: Talon on DVD!
Review: Summary: An Evil King seeks the aid of an evil sorcerer in order to conquer a peaceful kingdom. One of the good king's sons escapes and later seeks vengeance as an adult. My Opinion: This is a very fun movie. I loved at when I saw it years ago and I'm very glad to have it in my collection now. I loved Lee Horsley as Matt Houston and he is great here as well. This movie is one of those guilty pleasures for Fantasy fans. It may be cheesy and silly but it's so much fun that I don't even notice. DVD Quality: Pretty much bare bones with a couple of trailers. Hey at least it's on DVD! What You Should Do: If you are a SciFi or Fantasy fan and a collector, you should buy this DVD. I can't imagine them putting out a Special Edition of this one, so there's no need to wait. If you liked Beastmaster, Krull, Dragonslayer, Conan or anything along those lines, then give it a rent. Otherwise skip it.
Rating:
Summary: Great cheezy fun, but what happened to the sequel?
Review: The end credits promise that Talon will return in Tales of the Ancient Empire... but what happened? Or is this just a joke like the ending of Buckaroo Banzai announcing the sequel: Buckaroo Banzai and the World Crime League? Richard Lynch and Richard Moll give great performances and Lee Horsley as the campy pre-Bruce Cambell meets Errol Flynn manly hero. Excellent soundtrack Awesome 3 bladed projectile broadsword! A guilty childhood pleasure! Thanks for putting this one on DVD Anchor Bay!
Rating: 
Summary: Yikes
Review: The opening scene of this fantasy film, in which the sorcerer of the title is called back from the dead, shows promise. But then it's all downhill from there. Every aspect of this terrible production screams amateur-hour, despite the Amazon reviewer's assertion that director Albert Pyun apprenticed under Akira Kurosawa. Richard Lynch makes a reliable villain, and Kathleen Beller is very easy on the eyes, but otherwise the flick is pure torture.
Rating:
Summary: The Sword and the Sorcerer kicks arse!
Review: There are only four fantasy movies that I still get stoked on watching, Conan the Barbarian, Sword and the Sorcerer, Krull, and Dragon Slayer. Now, Sword and the Sorcerer comes home to DVD! I have been dreaming about seeing this movie again in widescreen and finally thanks to Anchor Bay I can rest in peace. This film has been one of my favorite childhood movies since I first saw it in the theaters and it has never looked better. Normally movies that I loved as a kid and watching them again now are pretty silly, but this movie stays pretty solid, even today. The picture quality is great, the colors exibited look good with minor grain, mostly noticable in dark scenes but you can hardly tell. Black levels are right where they need to be. The 5.1 audio could have been better but it sounds solid. David Whittaker's music will blow you away (one of the best scores of all time). On the extras side, well we are given two theatrical trailers and one t.v spot, and that's it, all I might add are pretty painful to watch. It would have been nice to have a special edition but i'm not complaining, I have a perfect widescreen DVD of one of my favorite movies. A big thumbs up goes to Anchor Bay, especially for not changing the cover art! Now if someone would only release Dragon Slayer on DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Not dragonslayer, but still fun
Review: This DVD has its share of shortcomings, in particular in the lack of extra features (Only some trailers!). The sound is 5.1, but makes little to no use of that fact. The movie itself has a few areas of confusion... Wasn't that Talon's sister carted away as a child at the beginning? But when we next see them as adults, Alana is Mikah's sister... so what happened to Talon's sister? And why doesn't Talon reveal himself to be the rightful heir to the throne? Does Mikah ever learn who Talon really is? And the credits list actor for "young Mikah"... where did we ever see Mikah as a child? Was this left on the cutting room floor? Overall, I still like this movie. Not nearly as good as Dragonslayer, but still very fun to watch. There are a few partial nude scenes, and Xusia is pretty darn gruesome, so you might not want to let the kids watch this one. Too bad there aren't more fantasy movies on DVD... I keep waiting for Dragonslayer, but it just doesn't seem be happening. I suspect LOTR will be on DVD before Dragonslayer! (Which will most certainly make the lack of Dragonslayer a non-issue!)
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