Krull - 1983

Original 1983 movie poster

Krull - 1983

Possibly the single most influential non-blockbuster movie in my childhood. It was a gateway drug to Dungeons & Dragons and high fantasy in general. The world of Krull is fun fantasy ride that is worth every penny provided your squint through the dated special effects.

Before throwing stars were cool.

The one paragraph story summery is this: Prince and Princess are getting married and some alien storm trooper types (called Slayers) show up, kill everyone, and take the Princess. The Prince (Colwyn) survives and is nursed back to health by "The Old One" Ynyr. He is told about the event and the leader of the Slayer Army, The Beast, an aptly named nemesis. [33 year old spoilers ahead] Colwyn searches for a mysterious weapon, the glaive, recruits a team of fighting men, goes to magical and secret locations and after riding some magical horses called Fire Mares (a fantastic sequence) finds the Black Fortress rescues Princess Lyssa and ultimately defeats The Beast. There's a cyclops, an old blind seeker, and a giant spider protecting an old lady in a giant web, what's not to love.

You do not watch this movie for the story, and special effects but rather the setting, the high fantasy, the music and the adventure. It fun, mostly family friendly (some oddly placed gore amidst the fantasy violence) and can make for a good night in. I recommend it not being a date movie unless you are both in love with the genre but suitable for almost every other setting.

Some things that bear additional mention;

• The Music is fantastic. It is an early entry from James Horner who is maybe best known for the orchestral score to Titanic. Has also worked on Avatar, Star Trek II and  III, along with more recently the 2016 remake of the Magnificent Seven. 
• Both Niam Neeson (Taken series) and Robbie Coltrane (Hrry Potter series) have supporting roles early in their careers. 
• David Battley offers fantastic comic relief as Ergo the Magnificent. A comedic often hungry magician who's spells often go awry, 

So now you want to see this film, yes? Well your options are limited. Currently it is not available to stream on any major service.  Amazon Video has it for digital rental or purchase here or purchase on DVD or blu-ray here . Other Digital rental and purchase options are found here (and below) courtesy of Can I Stream It.

So go buy, rent borrow or steal this movie and watch it this week. I'll see you in a few days with another great pick.

Below some additional photos featuring great 80's era artwork related to the film:

Alternate Art Movie Poster

Atari 2600 game box.
Better game than you might expect.