View Full Version : Is the movie Excalibur any good ?
jamieuk23
30-10-2006, 9:31 AM
Hi is there are lot of battle scenes in this movie ? and would you think its worth the buy on DVD ?
:thumbsup:
Decadence
30-10-2006, 10:07 AM
the Excalibur from about 25 years ago?
JohnD76
30-10-2006, 10:14 AM
I personally like John Boormans Excalibur, but whether or not you should buy it is up to you.
Helen Mirren and Cherie Luhngi, nuff said :devil:
I'd say its definitely worth getting, an old classic and easily the best rendition of the King Arthur legend to date. :smashin:
jamieuk23
30-10-2006, 10:37 AM
yer the really old one
Decadence
30-10-2006, 10:42 AM
all I remember about that film (I was really, really young) was thinking "why is that man in armour squashing that lady?"
Its a classic from back in the day. Orion made some pretty good stuff in the early 80's.
I hav'nt seen it in years, from what i remember though a few people loose there arms.
Smurfin
02-11-2006, 8:18 PM
I thought it was pants tbh, hasn't aged well at all
peterpatch
02-11-2006, 10:52 PM
The John Boorman 1981 version is a classic movie. I personally think it is one of the best films made. It is quite gory, but it has not recieved the dvd treatment it deserves. Vanilla disc is not what this movie deserves. It would be a definite purchase if it was a "Collectors" disc i.e. extras, commentaries, documentaries and so forth.
slackbladder
03-11-2006, 12:34 AM
It has some dodgy moments (dialogue and acting can be a bit off) but I do like it, particularly Nicol Williamson's turn as Merlin. And there are several scenes that stand out. But it's not to everyones taste mind.
The battle scenes are'nt up to current standards but they do seem authentic.
A lot depends on your interest in Arthurian legends.
A good re-master would be nice.
CrazyHorse
03-11-2006, 1:28 AM
The John Boorman 1981 version is a classic movie. I personally think it is one of the best films made. It is quite gory, but it has not recieved the dvd treatment it deserves. Vanilla disc is not what this movie deserves. It would be a definite purchase if it was a "Collectors" disc i.e. extras, commentaries, documentaries and so forth.
There's a Boorman commentary track on the R1, but I agree this is long overdue a SE reissue.
It should also be in 1.66:1 ratio as the 1.85 cropping of the existent DVD is too tight, resulting in some slightly uncomfortable compositions - tops of heads being cut off etc.
I agree about the 1.85 cropping ...it ruins the film. They could crop it succesfully for 1.85 if they were a bit more careful and panned and scanned the crop rather than leave it locked. Pretty sure I saw a 16x9 version on TV that was much more succesful than the current dvd release.
The film itself could be criticised for being overly cheesy but on the whole its quite succesful at portraying the whole Arthur myth ( which a cheesy old bag of fish anyway).
Some dodgey performances: I actually think Merlin is the best thing in it. Mordred is just terrible. The generally perplexed and confused performances from the actors is quite endearing though and the photography veers wildly from fantastic to having all the characteristics of a cheesy 70s metal video.
Its quite succesful at creating an interesting and often alluring Arthurian world though.