Mystery Science Theater 3000: THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON
February 16, 2017 11:55 AM - Season 6, Episode 17 - Subscribe
aka "Ilya Mourometz" (USSR) "Eye-Filling Spectacle! Man Against Monsters!" "A cast of 106,000! 11,000 horses!" Russian folk hero Ilya Muromets is a chair-bound farmer who gains both the power to walk and the magic sword Invincor, and uses both to drive off the evil Tugars that threaten his land -- whose number includes his son. For once the opening ad blurbs and descriptions of this film aren't sarcastic, for this is a genuinely great movie, the third both of MST's treatments of the output of Russian director Aleksandr Ptushko. (The other two were 422 THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE and 505 THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD.) Yet, while the movie is terrific, it's also very strange, which makes it excellent riffing fodder. Wait until you see the wind demon. It all adds up to a rare episode where you can appreciate both the film and the jokes. Also contains a favorite host segment, the "Joke by Ingmar Bergman." YouTube (1h37m) Premiered December 3, 1994.
Episode 617 THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON
Satellite News - Mighty Jack's MST3K Review - War of the Colossal Fan Guide
Movie
Daddy-O's Drive-In Dirt - Rotten Tomatoes (Critics N/A, Viewers 38%) - Wikipedia
IMDB (1956, 5.4 stars)
"A mythical knight goes on an epic journey and fights barbarian hordes in an ancient land."
Directed by Aleksandr Ptushko. Written by Mikhail Kochnev. Starring Boris Andreyev, Shukur Burkhanov and Andrel Abrikosov.
Notes:
Daddy-O notes some of the same people who play in this were also in THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE and THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD. Huh.
Ilya Muromets is a bogatyr, or Russian knight-errant. Muromets is often depicted with two other bogatyrs, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. Here's a painting of the three together, by Victor Vasnetsov. There's a Russian animated film franchise centering around them, The Three Bogatyrs. Here's some clips from Ilya's installment, although I don't know which is him, they most focus on the female lead. I think Ilya is the rather large person who rescues her. Huh, is this a point-and-click adventure based on the animated film?
If you like these movies and are sad that this is the last, there is still a treat in store for you. In the Sci-Fi Channel era they did another Russian movie that is very similar in style, in episode 813 JACK FROST.
Episode 617 THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON
Satellite News - Mighty Jack's MST3K Review - War of the Colossal Fan Guide
Movie
Daddy-O's Drive-In Dirt - Rotten Tomatoes (Critics N/A, Viewers 38%) - Wikipedia
IMDB (1956, 5.4 stars)
"A mythical knight goes on an epic journey and fights barbarian hordes in an ancient land."
Directed by Aleksandr Ptushko. Written by Mikhail Kochnev. Starring Boris Andreyev, Shukur Burkhanov and Andrel Abrikosov.
Notes:
Daddy-O notes some of the same people who play in this were also in THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE and THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD. Huh.
Ilya Muromets is a bogatyr, or Russian knight-errant. Muromets is often depicted with two other bogatyrs, Dobrynya Nikitich and Alyosha Popovich. Here's a painting of the three together, by Victor Vasnetsov. There's a Russian animated film franchise centering around them, The Three Bogatyrs. Here's some clips from Ilya's installment, although I don't know which is him, they most focus on the female lead. I think Ilya is the rather large person who rescues her. Huh, is this a point-and-click adventure based on the animated film?
If you like these movies and are sad that this is the last, there is still a treat in store for you. In the Sci-Fi Channel era they did another Russian movie that is very similar in style, in episode 813 JACK FROST.
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posted by JHarris at 1:32 PM on February 16, 2017