I'll admit right up front that 'Sword And The Sorceror' is NOT a good film or a classic one. It sets its sights too low for that. "S&S" just wants to be a good, cheesy, energetic adventure with lotsa Swords and Sorcery and even more "T&A". And in that sense, it is very successful.
The lead, Lee Horslee, plays "Talon" with a wry awareness of the utterly derivative and crappy nature of the material, and he throws all subtlety to the winds and just goes for it. He smirks and swaggers and wades his way through a poor man's version of a Robert E. Howard epic, and looks as if he is having a lot of fun doing so. In fact, everyone here seems to be having a pretty good time, acting and Oscar Nominations be damned. And I think that is what makes the film pretty watchable even today.
Several little touches help distinguish this film from your average 'hero avenges his family and wins the throne' movie. First of all is that infamous three bladed sword, of course. Second of all, "Talon" proves to be so doggoned tough that he manages to pull his hands off the stakes after he's been crucified. Geez, even Conan couldn't do that in HIS crucifixion scene!
And thirdly, there's a wonderful moment when Talon's friend and sidekick makes a rousing speech to the rest of a motley crew urging them to come with him and attack the castle to rescue Talon. The actor (Joe Regalbuto,who went on to be in "Raw Deal" and "Murphy Brown") holds out the heft of a sheathed long sword. It's obvious that the script (or his improvisation) called for the rest of the gang to put their hands on the sword in a gesture of solidarity (kind of like an Eroll Flynn movie). But no one does that. They all just sit there and look at him. Poor Joe is left hanging, holding out the sword all by himself, for nearly 40 seconds. He looks like a total dork. It's an obvious miscue or misfire of some sort....BUT THE DIRECTOR KEPT THE TAKE!!! That's wonderful! My friends and I reran this scene at least twice more, laughing our selves silly at the sheer awkwardness of it.
Since then, Albert Pyun has made a couple of decent films, several mediocre ones, and some real stinkers, but this little gem buys him a lot of good will as far as I'm concerned. Watch with an open mind, a tankard of ale in your hand, and a wench in a leather bikini at your feet, and you'll have a good time.
The lead, Lee Horslee, plays "Talon" with a wry awareness of the utterly derivative and crappy nature of the material, and he throws all subtlety to the winds and just goes for it. He smirks and swaggers and wades his way through a poor man's version of a Robert E. Howard epic, and looks as if he is having a lot of fun doing so. In fact, everyone here seems to be having a pretty good time, acting and Oscar Nominations be damned. And I think that is what makes the film pretty watchable even today.
Several little touches help distinguish this film from your average 'hero avenges his family and wins the throne' movie. First of all is that infamous three bladed sword, of course. Second of all, "Talon" proves to be so doggoned tough that he manages to pull his hands off the stakes after he's been crucified. Geez, even Conan couldn't do that in HIS crucifixion scene!
And thirdly, there's a wonderful moment when Talon's friend and sidekick makes a rousing speech to the rest of a motley crew urging them to come with him and attack the castle to rescue Talon. The actor (Joe Regalbuto,who went on to be in "Raw Deal" and "Murphy Brown") holds out the heft of a sheathed long sword. It's obvious that the script (or his improvisation) called for the rest of the gang to put their hands on the sword in a gesture of solidarity (kind of like an Eroll Flynn movie). But no one does that. They all just sit there and look at him. Poor Joe is left hanging, holding out the sword all by himself, for nearly 40 seconds. He looks like a total dork. It's an obvious miscue or misfire of some sort....BUT THE DIRECTOR KEPT THE TAKE!!! That's wonderful! My friends and I reran this scene at least twice more, laughing our selves silly at the sheer awkwardness of it.
Since then, Albert Pyun has made a couple of decent films, several mediocre ones, and some real stinkers, but this little gem buys him a lot of good will as far as I'm concerned. Watch with an open mind, a tankard of ale in your hand, and a wench in a leather bikini at your feet, and you'll have a good time.