Blade friendly movies

T

TomFetter

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Dec 6, 2004
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There are some pretty obvious ones - Lord of the Rings trilogy for e.g., others a bit more obscure.

This last weekend, I rented "Beowulf and Grendel." You'll like it - some lovely historically correct blades, stunning scenery, and perhaps the first story ever to be written down in English re-told with fine acting. What does it mean to be a hero? Not what Beowulf thought at first ... however good he was with a sword.

What are your fav blade-friendly movies?
 
I've always been a fan of the fantasy barbarian movies like Conan the Barbarian, Beastmaster (the first one. the rest were crap, and Marc Singer started to look like a leathery apple-head doll as he aged.), etc. Of course there is Braveheart.

I REALLY want a swing guard auto like Bruce Willis uses in Sin City. Those are sweet:)

Lemme see, khuk friendly movies: Big Trouble in Little China, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Wateworld come to mind.

For katana lovers, The Last Samurai was pretty good.

American Ninja II has a character named Action Jackson that carries a Chinese broadsword that splits into two.

Of couse, we can't forget Crocodile Dundee!:) (except the 3rd one...and most of the second one...um just stick to the first, but stop watching before the people carry him over their heads for the romantic climax. Sappy even for Hollywood.)

That's a start. I know there are a million more in my noodle, but I've have to give it some thought.

Jake
 
:thumbup: Hero, Seven Samurai, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: easy picks.

good khukri movie: The Man Who Would be King.
Good bowie knife fight: The Long Riders.
 
I second Beowulf- Love the bearded baby as well!!!
In the same vein there is the 13th warrior- Banderas forges a scimitar from a Viking broadsword

Scandihooligans like me love this stuff!!
 
Steely_Gunz said:
... Beastmaster (the first one. the rest were crap, and Marc Singer started to look like a leathery apple-head doll as he aged.)...
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Beastmaster the movie was OK, but it always irritates me that they made it into a barbarian sword & sorcery thing. the original andre norton novels were much better as science fiction with the hero as a member of the elite beastmaster scouts fighting the evil aliens without a sword in sight, er in the book anyway. musta been too expensive for their low budget.

13th warrior gets my vote, braveheart was OK as far as it went if you suspend belief a bit (english army all dressed identically? - never happened)

Sharpe (bernard cornwall) tv movies are also great on swords and historical accuracy.
 
the best khukuri movie ever made :Cyborg.
I cant say it was a great film, but it seems like the props guys bought out some old khukuri dealer, everybody has one..
 
kronckew said:
Beastmaster the movie was OK, but it always irritates me that they made it into a barbarian sword & sorcery thing. the original andre norton novels were much better as science fiction with the hero as a member of the elite beastmaster scouts fighting the evil aliens without a sword in sight, er in the book anyway. musta been too expensive for their low budget.

13th warrior gets my vote, braveheart was OK as far as it went if you suspend belief a bit (english army all dressed identically? - never happened)

Sharpe (bernard cornwall) tv movies are also great on swords and historical accuracy.
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You'll have to forgive my ignorance, Kronckew. I had no idea that Beastmaster was a book first:foot: I'll have to pick up a copy sometime, maybe:D Were Kodo and Podo in the book? That's the only part of the movie I can't watch...you know the part:(

Jake
 
Its proabably a little too gritty for some here . One of my favourites would be : Exposure : with Peter Coyote .

It explores the seamy underworld of Brazil . Gritty and grainy is not just a reflection of the budget . It also reflects the subject matter as well as the fact that it is seen through the eyes of a photographer . Knives are not apparent through the whole movie though they are a focal point .
 
Steely_Gunz said:
You'll have to forgive my ignorance, Kronckew. I had no idea that Beastmaster was a book first:foot: I'll have to pick up a copy sometime, maybe:D Were Kodo and Podo in the book? That's the only part of the movie I can't watch...you know the part:(

Jake
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here's a link to a review of the first in the series: Linky

there are a number of them, and a couple fairly new collaberations also starring Hosleen Storm, the navajo beastmaster with Baku the eagle, Surra the pantherlike feline, and meerkats Hing and Ho. all available thru amazon of course, or your local book store can probably order them. well worth the trouble.

the movie took overly great dramatic license in mangling the whole thing.
 
The Duellists with Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel
The Three & The Four Musketeers (the 1970s version with Michael York as D'Artagnan and Charlton Heston as Cardinal Richelieu(I LOVED it)
The Warlord with Charlton Heston as a very believable 11th Century Norman along with Richard Boone
Buffy the Vampire Slayer the TV show mady use of the MOST inncredible array of sharp and/or pointy things over its 7-year run. Besides, she was cute as Hell and the scripts were frequently dead hilarious!
The Last Valley with Michael Caine & Omar Sharif
The Vikings with Kirk Douglas
Spartacus with Kirk Douglas is, by far, the best portrayal of Roman legions ever to hit the movies.
The 13th Warrior a hoot and a half with monster swords.
Eric the Viking two hoots, a sort of Monty Pythonish viking movie.
The Alamo Either the John Wayne classic, with its screwed up history, or the more recent attempt with Dennis Quaid. They both show off Jim Bowie and his knife pretty well. It is a pity that nobody has ever brought The Iron Mistress with Alan Ladd to DVD. If you ever want a hoot, try looking that up on Google.:D :D
Prince Valiant Robert Wagner in a pageboy bob and James Mason recapitulating my favorite comic strip.
 
For some proper looking 18th century cutlery, check out Last of the Mohicans, and The Patriot. ;)

Sarge
 
Yes to Last of the Mohicans, The Duellists, and the 1970s versions of the Musketeers. Oliver Reed made a wonderful Athos, especially believable because of his hell-on-wheels approach to life off the screen.

Reed's last role was a memorable Proximo in another great blade-friendly movie, Gladiator.
 
just add the ones that haven't been mentioned:

"The Hunted" - Tom Brown Tracker, improvised scrap metal knife & flint knife
"Spartan" - Folding knife
"DUNE" - Sting's knife duel..
"Dark City" - daggers
"Full Contact" (Chow Yun Fat) - butterfly knife
 
Abaniko ?
Thanks for mentioning the long riders I forgot the bowie fight in that .

David Carradine sure took the wind out of James Remar,s sails .
 
TomFetter said:
Yes to Last of the Mohicans, The Duellists, and the 1970s versions of the Musketeers. Oliver Reed made a wonderful Athos, especially believable because of his hell-on-wheels approach to life off the screen.

Reed's last role was a memorable Proximo in another great blade-friendly movie, Gladiator.
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Reed was so damned good in so many sword films that it was a shame that his last was such a stinker. While Gladiator may well have been a pretty good fable or fairie story, it was a horrible historical drama as it got the history so screwed up that it was nearly impossible for someone with any knowledge of Roman history to watch it without tearing their hair. The woman who was the technical asked that her name be left off when she saw the final version, but they included it anyway. God, but it was horrible, as ahistorical as Braveheart and The Patriot. I had left all three of these big budget flicks off of my list because they purported to be historical and were MOST definitively not. At least somethiong like The 13th Warrior never claimed any historicity. You will also note that I left that horrible King Arthur flick off of my list even though you might think that it was right down my alley, what with my love of very late Roman Empire and of King Arthur. I left it off because it made such a hash of the known history, let alone the questionable parts.:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:
 
FullerH said:
Reed was so damned good in so many sword films that it was a shame that his last was such a stinker. While Gladiator may well have been a pretty good fable or fairie story, it was a horrible historical drama as it got the history so screwed up that it was nearly impossible for someone with any knowledge of Roman history to watch it without tearing their hair. The woman who was the technical asked that her name be left off when she saw the final version, but they included it anyway. God, but it was horrible, as ahistorical as Braveheart and The Patriot. I had left all three of these big budget flicks off of my list because they purported to be historical and were MOST definitively not. At least somethiong like The 13th Warrior never claimed any historicity. You will also note that I left that horrible King Arthur flick off of my list even though you might think that it was right down my alley, what with my love of very late Roman Empire and of King Arthur. I left it off because it made such a hash of the known history, let alone the questionable parts.:barf: :barf: :barf: :barf:
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Hollywood cinema is escapist entertainment, not historical reenactment. If you're fixated on historical accuracy and authenticity, you'd do well to avoid big budget movies altogether, they'll only disappoint you. However, PBS, History Channel, etc., do occasionally air some rather well made documentaries. ;)

Sarge
 
Oh, I'm certain that Gladiator was ahistorical all over the place. I agree that The Duellists was far better, from a technical swordfighting point of view. FWIW, I felt the same way at times about the sailing in Master and Commander. But Gladiator was a whacking good story, and I loved Oliver Reed.

The "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-down" from Caesar was the ahistorical trivia I caught. The old sources only mention that Caesars made "a gesture with the thumb" to signify life or death ... but from what I read, none mentioned what that gesture actually was.
 
If I focused on all the inaccuracies in how military personnel, equipment, and operations are portrayed in the cinema, I could probably drive myself crazy (short trip right?). In order to enjoy them, I have to resign myself to the understanding that they are works of fiction, not to be confused with reality.

Tom, I kind of figured you'd take exception to some of the "finer points" of Jack Aubrey's ship handling. I'll admit to having no first hand experience with square rigged vessels, but even I had to groan at some of the more obvious stuff. Still, good movie, and far better than some of the mindless clap trap that's passing for entertainment these days. :thumbup:

Sarge
 
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