Here we are among the terror of tapes and titles of yesteryear. Here you'll find errm 80's 'Classics' to bend the mind & sanity as well provide some inspiration for your old school sword and sorcery campaigns.
Here are five more titles that are both trashtastic and awesome in awfulness. Don't forget to rewind and return the tapes by Sunday.
Back again I see to brave the rows of VHS nasties I see in search of more inspirational treasures to bend your sanity and warp your imaginations! Here are five off the top of my head that have done the mind into flights of 80's sword and sorcery movie madness!
Just yesterday I secured this wonder classic on VHS, because I collect vintage tapes and this was on my list. It doesn't get any better for Ray Harryhausen fans or Old School movie buffs.
Legendary adventurer Sinbad the Sailor (Kerwin Mathews) and his crew are lost on the ocean but accidentally find the island of Colossa. They land for provisions. There they encounter Sokurah the magician (Torin Thatcher), fleeing from a giant Cyclops. They are able to escape when Sokurah orders the genie of his magic lamp to create an invisible barrier. However, Sokurah drops the lamp when the Cyclops throws a boulder into the sea, overturning their boat, though the men are able to swim to the ship. The Cyclops retrieves the lamp from the water after the barrier disappears. On board the ship, Sokurah tells Sinbad about how many ships crashed on the island and the Cyclops collected all their treasure. He offers it to him if they turn back to get the lamp, but Sinbad refuses. He and Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant), from the kingdom of Chandra, are on their way to Sinbad's native Baghdad to be married. Their union would cement ties between their two nations.
The Caliph of Baghdad (Alec Mango) allows Sokurah to provide entertainment on the night before the wedding. However, this goes wrong when the "snakewoman" that Sokurah had created nearly suffocates herself while trying to dance. Sokurah saves the woman by spraying her with a magical spray to make her a full woman, but the torture of entertaining her just for the king angers Parisa and a few others watching. Later, Sokurah prophecises war between the two nations when asked to look into the future. The Caliph is angered by this; and refuses to provide a ship and crew to retrieve his lamp while threatening to have him blinded if he is not out of Baghdad before sunset. That night, the magician secretly shrinks Parisa to the size of a hand. When she is discovered her father threatens Baghdad with war. Sinbad is able to find Sokurah as he leaves the City. Sokurah claims he knows of a potion that can restore Parisa, but it requires a piece of the eggshell of a roc, a giant,two-headed bird that coincidentally nests on the peaks of Colossa. The Caliph has no choice but to provide a ship. Sinbad enlists his loyal men from the previous voyage, but they are not enough and Sinbad is forced to recruit inmates from the Caliph's prison.
Before they reach the island of Colossa, the cutthroats mutiny and capture Sokurah, Sinbad, and his men. However, the sounds of screaming demons from an island south of Colossa madden the crew, and the ship is in danger of being dashed upon the rocks, after which sea-serpents will devour the sailors. One of the mutineers releases Sinbad so he can save the ship and the leader of the mutineers falls from the mast.
On the island of Colossa, Sinbad, Sokurah and some of the sailors enter the valley of the Cyclops where they find the treasure but are captured by the monster. It almost has one of Sinbad's men for dinner but they later save him. Sokurah focuses on getting the magic lamp and ignores the pleas of his comrades. However, the shrunken Parisa is able to open the latch on the cage the men are in, freeing them. Meanwhile the other men in the Valley have become drunk from a river that tastes like wine. They attack the Cyclops, but many are killed. Sinbad manages to blind the cyclops with a torch and leads it off a cliff to its death. Still needing Sokurah to guide him, Sinbad takes possession of the lamp. Parisa enters the lamp where she finds the unhappy boy genie Barani (Richard Eyer). He shows her an inscription inside the lamp of how he can be freed and tells her the words to summon him in return for her promise to free him.
The party reaches the nest of the two-headed roc, just before a giant hatchling emerges from its shell. Some of the men break open the egg and slay it as they feel hungry, which incites an attack by the infuriated parent. Meanwhile, Sokurah kills Sinbad's faithful lieutenant Harufa when he prevents him from getting the lamp. Sinbad manages to retrieve both a fragment of an eggshell and the lamp but is captured by the Roc which drops him unconscious in its nest. The magician then abducts the tiny Princess and takes her to his underground fortress.
Sinbad recovers, is told by the Genie what happened, and climbs down into the valley of the Cyclops to the entrance of Sokurah's cave. He slips past the chained guardian dragon. Once found, the magician agrees to restore Parisa to her normal size in return for the lamp. However, Sinbad then refuses to give him the lamp until they get back to the ship, so Sokurah brings to life a skeleton swordsman to challenge him. Sinbad eventually defeats it, and he and the Princess flee. As they cross over a river of molten lava, Sokurah causes part of the bridge to break off. The Princess summons the Genie who gives the two a rope to swing over. Parisa recalls part of the prophecy the genie told her about. She throws the lamp into the lava to free the genie from his captivity.
When the two leave the cave, they encounter another Cyclops. Sinbad releases the dragon who engages the cyclops in a fight to the death as Sinbad and Parisa make good their escape back to the shore. Sokurah orders the victorious dragon to follow and kill them. However, Sinbad's men have time to organize a giant crossbow ballista and fire at the dragon. Sokurah is accidentally crushed by the fatally wounded monster while Sinbad, Parisa, and the other survivors depart. They are joined by the genie, Sinbad's new cabin boy, who has placed the treasure of the Cyclops in Sinbad's cabin as a wedding gift.
This is perhaps one of the most iconic of childhood films. And there are a few things right off of the bat to look at for Sword And Sorcery games.
Sokurah is the perfect S&S magician. A lawfully evil Aliaster Crowley like figure of genius and menace all in one. Want to know what it would really be like to deal with a lawful evil magician in the party? Here's your perfect answer. We know very little about this mysterious wizard. Except three things : A. he has been operating upon the isle of Colossa for sometime, B. He will do whatever it take to aquire the Lamp of The Genie, C. He knows much about the original inhabitants of Colossa and perhaps they're forgotten mystical knowledge is the basis for his powers.
Speculations about The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad For Your Old School Sword and Sorcery
The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad seems like a cut and dry 'G' rated family film. And for the most part its a great adventure fare film. The fact is that this is pretty damn complex film when you come down to it. Right after the credits we're thus into the world of Colossa and machinations of Sokurah. We shoved right into this tropical lost island and encounter one of the most iconic Harryhausen monsters around, the goat footed cyclops. I always got the feeling that there were more then one of those things on that island. Sokurah is one cagey wizard and I'd estimate he's been on that island for quite some time. As I've speculated earlier the technology, magical knowledge, and wonders of Colossa are the basis for his powers. His most formidable power is his cunning and evil mind. He'd make a hell of a patron for a party of adventurers who might encounter him prior to his experiences with Sinbad. And that desert island bothered me. Why would a micro climate island like that have such an abundance of fruit baring plants and trees? What is with the near perfect weather and the legendary creatures that inhabitant it. Colossa is a near mystical place and I believe that the original inhabitants of the isle were deep into sorcery and super science. Looking into the island I think that it could have been a Lemuria or Atlantian colony. The island might have survived the cataclysm that destroyed Atlantis and survived well into the era of Sinbad. Further I think that these are the same ancient's ruins we encounter much later in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger). And what about Colossa itself before Sokurah blow it up. His workshop hints that there might be extensive ruins below ground. What other wonders were lurking down in the extensive mega dungeons of Colossa? The workshop has always reminded me of the Krell laboratory in Forbidden Planet. A dusty workshop filled with forbidden wonders and tools looted by Sokurah. Who knows what secrets are still there? What treasures are still waiting for some madmen or fools to grab what remains. The Seventh Voyage is a great resource for a Sword and Sorcery game. Very low powered magic, lots of monsters, weird ruins, and a grand dragon! Let's not even get into the fact that two nations are about to go to war over the fate of an impending marriage. We never did learn what happened after the credits rolled? Why of course everyone lived happily ever after!
The Treasure of Colossa
Let's suppose for a moment that the treasure of the cyclops isn't the only gold and silver left behind on that island. Most of that seems to have come from shipwrecks over the centuries according to the movie's wizard. Who knows what lays underground for some band of adventurers to uncover. What incredible artifacts await a band of fools in the dark of Colossa. Well a good solid indicator of the type of artifacts is the Lamp of the Genie. This is a major artifact with a very high level of sophistication that has gone into its creation. There might be other artifacts deep underground that the wizard never got because of their immortal guardians. The skeleton that fights Sinbad might be only the first of such things below ground. Golems, tribes of horrors, and worse might be just waiting for someone to stumble upon them. The cizitens of Colossa must have been great engineers because they were able to tap the geothermal potential of the volcano of the island. I'd hazard to guess this was used extensively throughout the island and as part of a power source of both sorcery and science perhaps alchemy.
So there could a window of centuries when the Island of Colossa is simply waiting for some band of shipwrecked fools to stumble into it.
Once upon a time back in nineteen ninety something I used to work part time in a off corner video rental store. The place was right around the corner from China town. It always seemed to be raining back then for some reason but the neon glow of the 'Open' sign was a very welcoming sight to a cold winters day. There were some Sword and Sorcery films that always seemed to have fantastic covers at the video store but folks always complained about 'em. Yet they were always rented over and over again on the weekends. So here are five right off the top of my head. Your mileage in your OSR campaign as always with these may vary. I bare no responsibility for assault on your sanity. Excuse me while I go put some tapes away in the stacks. Hundra 1983 On The Back Of The Box:
A WOMAN WHO COULD NOT BE TAMED!
Born in a tribe of fierce warrior women, Hundra has been raised to despise the influence of men. An archer, fighter and sword fighter, Hundra is superior to any male. Hundra finds her family slain and takes a vow of revenge until one day she meets her match.
Sorceress 1982 Back of The Tape :
AN AGE UNDREAMED OF; AN AGE OF FANTASY AND MAGIC...
To maintain his powers, the evil wizard Traigon must sacrifice his firstborn child to the god Caligara. His wife, however, has other ideas and runs away after giving birth with her twin daughters. Before dying, she hands the girls over to the warrior Krona who promises to raise them as great soldiers. Twenty years later, Traigon returns and begins hunting down his daughters once again. Will the twins, with the help of the Barbarian Erlik and the Viking Baldar, be able to defeat their father?
Ator The Fighting Eagle 1982 Back of The Tape :
HE WAS BORN TO WIELD THE MIGHTY SWORD OF THOREN.
The son of Torren learns of his heritage, goes to avenge the deaths of his fellow villagers, and rescue his sister/love interest from the evil Dakkar and his spider cult. Ator battles giant spiders, swordsmen cloaked in shadow, re-animated dead warriors, and horribly hideous witches.
Hercules 1983 Back of The Tape: The film is an odd retelling of the story of Hercules (Lou Ferrigno) battling the wizard Minos (William Berger), who uses "science" in an attempt to take over the world. Hercules must stop him and rescue his princess love in the process. Part of the adventure finds Hercules battling giant robots brought to life by stop motion animation. The musical score by Pino Donaggio.
Thor The Conqueror 1983 Back Of The Tape :
THE ONE WHO DARES THE BLOODTHIRSTY BARBARIANS!
After both his parents are brutally murdered by his fathers rival Gnut and his men the new born Thor is placed in hiding by the physical embodiment of the god Teisha. Raised in secret under the guidance of Teisha, Thor comes to maturity and goes on a quest to avenge the death of his parents and return peace to his lands, in the process he discovers a woman to take as his wife, finds and uncovers his fathers sword and masters the art of combat.
There are films that I've taken a huge amount of heat for from so called film buffs. We're about to talk on one of those. A film that is considered a cult classic. Way,way, back in the early 1980's I encountered Hawk The Slayer on VHS. Everything I kinda love about 80's cheesy sword and sorcery is in Hawk. In college I wore out a VHS tape of Hawk and pretty much based(stole) ideas from the film to run a successful OD&D campaign.
The Plot according to wiki:
The wicked Voltan kills his own father when the latter refuses to turn over the magic of the "last elven mindstone". Before the old man dies, he bequeaths a great sword with a pommel shaped like a human hand to his other son, Hawk. The hand comes to life and grasps the mindstone. The sword is now imbued with magical powers and can respond to Hawk's mental commands. Hawk then vows to avenge his father by killing Voltan.
Voltan's evil touches the whole countryside. Some time later, a man named Ranulf arrives at a remote convent. Ranulf tells the nuns that he survived Voltan's attack on his people, which resulted in the brutal deaths of women and children. Ranulf was seriously injured in the attack. The nuns nurse him back to health, but his hand cannot be saved. Voltan appears at the convent and kidnaps the Abbess, demanding a large sum of gold as a ransom. The High Abbot sends Ranulf to find someone who might help.
Hawk discovers Ranulf with the help of a local sorceress, a woman whom he defended from an accusation of witchcraft. Ranulf has been captured by brigands, but Hawk rescues him. Ranulf convinces Hawk to rescue the Abbess. After a long and dangerous journey, Hawk locates his old friends: Gort, a dour giant who wields a mighty mallet; Crow, an elf of few words who wields a deadly bow; and Baldin, a wisecracking dwarf, skilled with a whip. The five men arrive at the convent, protecting the nuns and devising a way to lure Voltan into a trap. They use their combined skills to steal gold from a slave trader with which to pay the ransom.
Hawk doubts that Voltan will free the Abbess after the ransom is paid. He explains that Voltan treacherously murdered Hawk's wife, Eliane. Hawk and his friends decide to rescue the Abbess, but they fail. Hawk kills Voltan's son Drogo, who had previously assaulted the convent. Enraged, Voltan confronts the heroes in a final battle at the convent. A rogue nun helps Voltan capture the heroes; Voltan repays her by murdering her. With the help of the sorceress, the heroes escape, but the dwarf is mortally wounded.
In the subsequent battle, Hawk exacts his revenge on Voltan and the Abbess is rescued. An evil entity decides that Voltan will be restored to life to carry out further evil. Heeding the sorceress' advice, Hawk and Gort travel south to continue their battle against evil.
Behind The Scenes of Hawk
Jack Palance really owned Voltan and was great in the role. I love to watch him chew up the scenes as the vile villian. Each and every minute I expected him to go off on some underling or minion. The fact that he was getting a complete screw job by the powers of darkness always seemed like an added bonus.
Possible Sequals and Dangling Plot Hooks
Time and again there were possible reports of sequels and spin offs and such. The first of these appeared in Cinefantisque magazine.
According to wiki :
A possible sequel was referred to in the US Magazine Cinefantastique (Fall 1980 Issue). The director is quoted as saying "...I'll be going on a trip looking for locations for the next one. Whether ITC does it or not, we will be making HAWK - THE DESTROYER in February [1981]'. The film was not made.
Hawk The Hunter was annouced a few years ago but so far as I know no much came of it. Too bad I was really looking forward to seeing this get off the ground.
There are three possible connection points in the film :
The gathering of wizards that the sorcerss speak about in the film.
The patron that Hawk and Gort speak of.
The return of Voltan himself by the powers of darkness.
Hawk The Hunter I'm sure might have picked another route entirely.
Using Hawk The Slayer For
Your Old School Sword and Sorcery Campaign
The world of Hawk The Slayer is a pseudo European sword and sorcery world that borders a strange middle ground style of world. The power of church binds the world of Hawk but this is world where sorcerers and witches also hold sway. The movie still has quite a strong cult following today.
The Elves of Hawk's world are a dying people and almost seem to have more then a passing touch of the Fey about them. The world of the fey also seems to ripple through Hawk. There are also dwarves, hill giants, and more. Mythic creatures are rare in this wold even though the realms of the other are traveled by Hawk and company. I've always loved how Hawk gathers his party. Nevermind the whole 'you meet up in a tavern' nonsense. Your sorcerss sends you to the side of each of your party and they join you giving a bit of exposion along with their appearance.
Make no mistake that this is a 'B' film but its a very well loved 'B' film. Its been getting quite a bit more attention from the OSR over the last couple of years.
Ten Reasons to Use Hawk The Slayer As Source Material For Your Old School Sword And Sorcery Campaign
There is a lot of room to situate your own adventures within the world of Hawk. I simply looked at one of Voltan's dangling plot hooks and ran with it. Its really that easy.
The fact is that even though there are Dwarves, Elves, The Mind Sword, etc. this is actually a pretty low magic world. There is evidence of several mythological facets that are starting to really die out in the world of Hawk.
Every weird trope is used in Arduin and several of the magic items are even statted up already within the pages of Dave Hargrave's world.
Even though the movie is well known there are several factors that were never used in the movie that are actually available in the script. A very though DM could download the original script and go from there .
There's a lot of history between the party of Hawk and using the original characters from the movie to do your own spin off campaign based on that history is very easy and kinda interesting. Case in point is actually Crow. We get very little about his people, his own background, and family. Could there be some hooks lying in the background of this mysterious but well loved Elf? There are hints that the Elves here have extensive relations with the royal houses and humans of this world.
The powers of darkness here seem to be on the rise and the pseudo Christian style church is taking on the chin. Voltan seems almost like a Johnny come lately villain. Were there others who paved the way of his man's darkness and with him out of the way are there others waiting to take his place and spark a war with his return from the weird hell of this cult classic?
Voltan's son spoke of the instiblity that his rule created in the surrounding kingdoms could Hawk's vaccum from the throne create the perfect opportunity for one of these upstart kingdoms to move into the void.
Heroes certainly seem to be in short supply. A band of characters getting embroiled in the local affairs might be just thething to jump start some of the populace.
There are rumors and myths dropped throughout the movie about other treasures, relics, artifacts,etc. This seems like the perfect hitch to get a party of cut throats together to go exploring a dungeon in the world of Hawk!
What about the disappearance of Hawk himself? Could a party of PC's be needed to find the just and rightful ruler of this world? Where has the hero of the downtrodden gone?
Here are five movies I watched while shut in with the wonderful weather we've been having in Ct. Its screwed up my games for the last couple of days and meetings with friends as well as players. Gotta love winter! Anyhow here's a quick list of 80;s S&S movies. Excalibur
Tucked nice and neatly on my dvd shelf right next to Excalibur and Conan is The Sword and the Sorcerer. This is another sword and sorcery title that I've taken a rash of stuff for liking. So let me quickly address those very quickly. This is a movie and its entertainment with lots of extra cheese. I do mean a mountain of it. Yet I do adore this film.
The Plot according to Wiki:
The film opens as King Cromwell (Richard Lynch) and his men land ashore of Tomb Island in search of Xusia of Delos (Richard Moll), a long-dead sorcerer who may be the key to overthrowing his rival King Richard, whose land of Ehdan is the richest in the world. Using one of Xusia's worshipers to awaken him, Cromwell convinces Xusia to join his cause. With the sorcerer's black magic at his command, Cromwell easily lays waste to Richard's formidable army.
Eventually, Cromwell becomes eager to be rid of Xusia. Fearing that the sorcerer could very well turn against him, he attempts to kill Xusia by stabbing him in the chest and chasing him off a cliff. [1]
With only one army left to defend the city, King Richard prepares to lead the charge against his rival in a last-ditch effort to save Ehdan. He orders his family to evacuate to the river, and entrusts his youngest son Talon with his magnificent triple-bladed projectile sword, instructing the boy to avenge his death should it occur.
When Richard fails to return home afterwards, Talon goes to find him. While searching the corpse-littered battlefield, he comes across Mogullen (Russ Marin), his father's closest adviser. Gravely wounded, the old soldier confirms that the battle is lost. At that very moment, Talon spies his father in the distance, just seconds before his execution.
Enraged, Talon starts off to claim his revenge, but Mogullen holds him fast. Knowing that Cromwell will be heading to the river in search of the queen, he implores the boy to save the rest of his family. Talon desperately races to the river on horseback, but once again, he is too late. Horrified, he watches as his mother is put to death at Cromwell's hands.
With Cromwell's men now in pursuit of him, Talon has no choice but to flee. After narrowly surviving an ambush, the boy manages to evade capture and disappear from the kingdom.
Eleven years later, Prince Talon (Lee Horsley), now a seasoned warrior, leads a small group of mercenaries back into his homeland, seeking to fulfill the promise he made long ago. At the same time, in a cavern far beneath the Earth's surface, the sinister Xusia—still very much alive—vows to repay Cromwell for his treachery.
In the city of Ehdan, a rebellion has begun under Prince Mikah (Simon MacCorkindale), who many believe to be the rightful heir to the throne. After confirming the final plans with Machelli (George Maharis), Cromwell's war chancellor (who is secretly a double agent), Mikah relays the news to his sister Alana (Kathleen Beller), but Cromwell suddenly bursts into their hideout and a battle ensues. Although Mikah is captured, Alana flees through the city streets, but eventually finds herself cornered by Cromwell's men. She is then rescued by Talon, who easily dispatches her assailants.
At a nearby tavern, Alana learns of her brother's imprisonment and asks Talon to rescue him, along with a faction of rebels who have been recently trapped by Cromwell's forces. Unable to bribe the mercenary with gold, Alana reluctantly offers herself to him for one night. Satisfied, Talon departs on his mission, but Cromwell's men arrive shortly thereafter and capture Alana as well.
Successful in freeing the rebels, Talon infiltrates the castle through the sewers and is able to rescue Mikah, but is subsequently detected and captured by Cromwell. After forcing Alana into marriage, Cromwell invites the four neighboring kings to their wedding feast, where he intends to assassinate them with Talon crucified in the dining hall. Before the plot can be carried out, however, Talon amazingly summons the strength to pull himself free of the crucifix, just seconds before the rebels, led by Mikah, storm into the dining hall and overpower Cromwell's soldiers.
Cromwell attempts to flee the castle with Alana in tow, but Talon intercepts them. In the resulting skirmish, Machelli takes custody of Alana and brings her to the catacombs beneath the castle, where he reveals his true identity as Xusia. Although Cromwell tries to intercede, he proves to be no match for the sorcerer, but Talon is somehow able to resist Xusia's power long enough to strike him down with his projectile sword. He then engages Cromwell in combat, finally vanquishing the evil king. Afterwards, Talon saves Alana from a giant constrictor snake, but Xusia suddenly rises again, prompting Talon to finish off the sorcerer with a blade concealed in his gauntlet.
In the end, Talon yields the crown of Ehdan to Mikah, and Alana honors her commitment to spend one night with her brother's savior. As the film closes, Talon and the mercenaries prepare to leave Ehdan for another adventure.
Using The Sword and The Sorcerer For Your Old School Adventures
Forget trying to identifying anything resembling our world in this film or the paperback that followed it. Seriously your going to do your head in. As near as I can figure Xusia is a degenerate snakeman hybrid ala Howard's Worm's Of The Earth. As far as I can figure he might well be the most notorius one of his kind but I will bet you that there are others just waiting with tombs to be plundered and artifacts.
There lots of other things that are lurking in the background. Talon's company is a pretty damn good template for creating a mercenery band especially in a game like AS&SH. Displaced soldiers and adventurers taking up with Talon's scum and moving across the world. The fact that the kingdom of Adan seems slide into the deep end of fairy tale like scum and villainy almost seems well Ravenloft like. About ten percent of the action and recruitment takes place in a brothel. Forget the old tavern bit there have been numerous times I've used the common room of a brothel for gentlemen (or ladies) of adventure to get to know one another over a drink as they wait for the attentions of a lady or man of the evening. This film isn't for the kids! There is a lot of T&A for a film though brief and its not PC at all. Yet another reason to love it. Then of course there are the Witches of Tomb Island. We see one at the begining of the film and then others in the background serving Xusia of Delos in a few scenes. What's there story and surly their not going to take the defeat and destruction of thier master lightly! For that matter where did Cromwell get his magic items? The sword, bladed staff, and others surly there are adventures there. For that matter will the death of Cromwell create death and destruction for the regions that he controlled? Someitmes an iron hand holds back as much evil as the staff of a saint! I've had to burst the bubble of a great many players about the 'Tri Blade'. The blade was once the symbol of the Fallen kingdom of Adan. It was created for the king and its not going to leave Talon's hand ever and most likely will be pasted onto his kin. So your going to have to win your own kingdom or find one if you want one! After all there's kingdoms that need saving!
Here is a pretty extensive list of Sword and Sorcery films from the nineteen 1920's through 2010. The list needs some attention and my God there is a lot of drek here. The list comes from wiki and I can not speak for its accuracy.
