I'm currently watching Beast Master on Prime. Its a sword and sorcery flick from the early 80's starring a pumped-up version of Luke Skywalker wearing a loincloth. In fact he's a deadringer for He-Man too!
Anyways, I do like the Beast Master a lot. Beautifully shot, clear simple dialogue and a tale as old as time. Find your destiny, honour your Father and slay the dark lords on the way. Yes, its Star Wars in sandals.
The central character Dar is a no-nonsense, animal-loving strong guy who has been sorely wronged - his parents slain and his village plundered - by the murderous Junn horde, ably assisted by the high priest of bad teeth, Rip Torn.
There are ziggarats, rings with eyeballs inside [a sure fire merchandise opportunity!], huge swords, three witches and bad guys a plenty.
The stand-outs are Dar's amazing throwing knife, the name of which I forget. Also Kiri, his gorgeous love interest and possibly some of the creepiest monsters ever, the Priests of Ar, who's MO is to encase their victims in their leathery wings and dissolve them, leaving simply a pile of bones! The sound effect is remarkable!
Dar's love of animals is at the heart of Beast Master and was in tune with the environmental movement at the time. It certainly sat well with me being a young dippy hippy.
For film trivialists, the actor playing the helpful rotund villager in the flick is the same jocular chap who is salesman of the year in the grim Halloween III: Season of the Witch.
But perhaps the best performance, besides Dar's, is Rip Torn's High Priest. With his witches and eyeball rings and toothless grin, he really lets rip.
I saw the Beast Master with my girlfriend [now Missus Moonbase] way back in the early 80's in an evening film club showing in a sports arena. It was called the Aula in Recklinghausen in Germany. I can't recall if the film was dubbed or sub-titled or what now but somewhere we still have the cinema ticket, as it was one of the first films we ever saw together. Ah! or should that be, Dar!
Have you seen the Beast Master readers? Is there any merchandising I wonder?
Marc Singer is the hero, and Tanya Roberts is the lovely lady. It came out in 1982, the same year as Conan the Barbarian. Pretty sure I saw this one on TV years ago. There was a line of action figures, no idea if there was anything else.
ReplyDeleteReally Paul, action figures? I will have to check them out!
DeleteI'm not much into Sword & Sorcery stuff. It was popular in the eighties as I recall. A few films stand out - Conan, Red Sonya, Krull, and Legend to name a few. I watched Xena:The Warrior Princess not for the sword and sorcery, more for Lucy Lawless! Even the Starblazer digest comic changed from being Star Wars inspired space opera strips to more fantasy fiction.
ReplyDeleteMarc Singer is better known to me as Mike Donovan in the series V, currently being shown on Forces TV in the UK.
Legend is excellent Scoop, yes, but I'm unsure if I've seen Red Sonja. Will have to check it out. Definately not seen Krull. Or Kull for that matter. I remember seeing Starblazer in newsagents, alongside the military mini comic [Commando?]. V was great!
DeleteI'm surprised you've not seen Krull, Woodsy. Although it failed at the box office (I was one of the few who watched it at the cinema) it's now considered a cult classic, not least because Derek Meddings was involved in the special effects.
DeleteSaw this at the theater when it first came out. The movie was an adaptation from famed sci fi writer Andre Norton. She had a couple of Beast Master novels. I enjoyed them (mostly!). Saw most everything I could during the 80s sci fi rush of B (and even C) movies!
ReplyDeleteJim David
Henderson NV
I didn't know that about Andre Norton Jim. great info. Thanks.
DeleteSorry, not a fan of S&S. Too much like the hoary old Hercules movies for me. I saw Beastmaster first-run, for the sole reason that it was directed by Don Coscarelli, who made Phantasm a few years before, a movie I became obsessed with for many years. But I found Beastmaster pretty much like all the other loincloth flicks. And Phantasm doesn’t hold up today either! Blame it on my youth!
ReplyDeleteActually, the only S&S film I like is Jack Hill’s Sorceress (1982), because it has a playful spirit lacking in most oh-so-serious S&S movies. Plus, very cool flying lion demons! Of course, S&S fans think Sorceress is the WORST S&S movie ever made, so there I am being contrary again!
DeleteNever seen Sorceress Zigg. Another one for my bucket list!
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