The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)
November 18, 2022 3:02 PM - Subscribe
A mercenary with a three-bladed sword rediscovers his royal heritage when he is recruited to help a princess foil a brutal tyrant and a powerful sorcerer's plans to conquer the land.
Starring Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis, Richard Lynch, Richard Moll.
Directed by Albert Pyun.
67% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Currently streaming in the US on The Roku Channel, Tubi, Pluto, and freevee. JustWatch listing.
Starring Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis, Richard Lynch, Richard Moll.
Directed by Albert Pyun.
67% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Currently streaming in the US on The Roku Channel, Tubi, Pluto, and freevee. JustWatch listing.
Even as a teen, I wondered how the Triblade would actually work, but… to be fair, I still think about it. Also, I think this was a movie where the hero cut off the villain’s head and the villain just gew a new one, which is a good trick.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:02 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:02 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Obligatory (but not particularly relevant) reference that is required when multi-bladed items are mentioned.
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:54 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:54 PM on November 18, 2022 [2 favorites]
Still photos from this movie gave a young me a bit of a crush on Kathleen Beller, but it was rated R so I never saw it. Friends who did were dismissive. I kind of forgot about her and the movie until last year when I gave it a shot.
No part of of this is good. It's not the worst movie I've seen but the best parts kind of rise to at most a competent banality. The dialogue isn't good, the action is mediocre, the plot is on par with what we were coming up with in D&D as 12 year olds (which we were), and I didn't get the sense anyone one was having much fun. The distinctive gimmick--the triblade--makes no sense and isn't filmed particularly compellingly either. I'm mystified by the fresh rating; maybe they are grading on a curve because as bad as this is it might still make the top 5 sword-and-sorcery flicks of the period.
I'm grateful for the post, as I saw the FPP about Albert Pyun and I wasn't going to complain about this movie there; a career trying to entertain people with B-movies is a better use of time on the planet than a lot of manage.
posted by mark k at 11:19 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
No part of of this is good. It's not the worst movie I've seen but the best parts kind of rise to at most a competent banality. The dialogue isn't good, the action is mediocre, the plot is on par with what we were coming up with in D&D as 12 year olds (which we were), and I didn't get the sense anyone one was having much fun. The distinctive gimmick--the triblade--makes no sense and isn't filmed particularly compellingly either. I'm mystified by the fresh rating; maybe they are grading on a curve because as bad as this is it might still make the top 5 sword-and-sorcery flicks of the period.
I'm grateful for the post, as I saw the FPP about Albert Pyun and I wasn't going to complain about this movie there; a career trying to entertain people with B-movies is a better use of time on the planet than a lot of manage.
posted by mark k at 11:19 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]
Give me a double feature of this and Beastmaster and … I’ll not ask for wine? I don’t know, but it would be a hell of a good time.
(Kathleen Beller, by the way, is Mrs. Thomas Dolby.)
posted by Naberius at 8:49 PM on November 20, 2022
(Kathleen Beller, by the way, is Mrs. Thomas Dolby.)
posted by Naberius at 8:49 PM on November 20, 2022
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

posted by zengargoyle at 4:02 PM on November 18, 2022 [1 favorite]