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Sethik
10-27-2004, 00:08
I figured this would be as good a place as any (you all being history buffs and thus know what is BS and isn't) to ask what some good realistic (no Crouching Hero Dragon movies) sword films. I'm not so much interested in the style or realistic effectivness (ie I don't care if the way the fights are fought arn't practical. I'll watch Kill Billesque movies (even though the only part I liked was the anime one and the swordplay in the Inn)) so long as the films has some good swordplay and the combatants stay on the ground and don't walk on walls.

All those cheap effects in most sword films I've seen make me feel like I'm watching a blood Power Rangers episode ~;) .

Thanks in advance.

Lemur
10-31-2004, 19:25
Wait, isn't this a double-post? Didn't I already reply to this thread in the Backroom of the Tavern? Or did the thread get moved?

Mr Frost
11-12-2004, 13:02
I remember a film staring that martial artist actor who starred in the T.V. series Renagade {The Series about the biker looking very cliche with the blond wench for looks and the Indian guy who lived in his R.V. , not exactly a font of imagination that show} where he portrayed a fencing champion suckered into a subculture of modern day gladiators who fought {usually} to the death for the entertainment of rich sickoes . The swordfights {not just rapier fencing , but sabres and other swords} wasn't bad for a movie . It was one of his better films certainly .
Found it I think : The Swordsman (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108268/) or Gladiator Cop (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109905/) . I'm pretty sure it was Lorenzo Lamas and one of these films , though I might be wrong . Damn he's made a bunch of movies , shame so many blow , but the sword one I remember was fairly entertaining .
Edit : to be fair , Lamas isn't bad with a good script and good direction , and he can do dammed good action sequences .

Excalibur (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082348/) is always good for a quiet knights viewing . For atmosphere , I think it is the best Athurian film of all . The fights are less frequent than in todays movies , but generally well done .

Monty Python & the Quest for the Holy Grail (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151625/) Need I say more ? :p

Erik the Viking (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097289/) Yes , I'm a Python fan ~D Some of the fight scenes are rather fun though {with the Beserkers' Beserker Dad watching teary eyed as his son slaughters a group of enemy soldiers and says "that's my boy"} . Funny and some enjoyable action .

Cyrano de Bergerac (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099334/) Dear gods I love this film . I have to hand it to the French that they make some excellent films , and I havn't seen Hollyweird make one better than this .
The sword fights are good , though the film doesn't revolve around them so fewer than a "fight film" might have , but they are very well done .
Depardieu played the role perfectly , and the character is supposed the greatest swordsman of his age {apparantly the real life Cyrano actually was rather amazing with a sword} .

Duk bei do wong (Return of the One-Armed Swordsman) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064265/#comment) Not sure if it is the one I saw years ago , but it was actually quite entertaining and nobody tried to fly nor run up walls ~:)

The site those are on is the Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/) and it has a lot of useful information on seeming any movie you might think of . Handy when you can't quite remember the name but remember something else one of the actors did {like with Lamos at the start of this post} . Search it .