The Sword and the Sorcerer (99 minutes; 1982)

Written by Albert Pyun, Tom Karnowski and John V. Stuckmeyer. Directed by Albert Pyun

What is it?

Released less than a month before Arnold Schwarzenegger’s more stately and much better known Conan the Barbarian, The Sword and the Sorcerer is a somewhat over-the-top and low-budget Eighties Fantasy film – and not a particularly well-remembered one.

That, I would argue, is a tragedy. Because this movie is fantastic, if you go into it with the right mindset. Because it is without question an absolutely pure Sword and Sorcery extravaganza.

Seeing those two films so closely together as a 14-year-old in 1982, there was no question which I preferred. Conan had Arnold, of course, and the amazing voice of Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones. But The Sword and the Sorcerer had everything else! An Aragorn-like hero too busy doing heroic deeds around the countryside to worry about lesser stuff like being king; a beautiful princess to rescue; a scary mutant sorcerer, or whatever the hell Richard Moll is playing; a dastardly usurper of a villain; and the greatest S&S prop in movie history: the three-bladed rocket-sword! Are you kidding me? Who didn’t love this thing as a kid?

Taken all together, The Sword and the Sorcerer is bold, brassy, colorful, and glorious! It simply kicks ass from start to finish, takes no prisoners and makes no apologies for itself. And neither will I.

Kathleen Beller in The Sword and the Sorcerer

Noteworthy

The cast is remarkable considering the movie’s low-budget feel. It includes a number of actors who would go on to big things — and some who had done big things already. It stars Lee Horsley (the future “Matt Houston”) as the hero, Kathleen Beller (a future Dynasty babe) as the leading lady, and includes Simon MacCorkindale (Manimal), George Maharis (Route 66) and Richard Moll (Night Court). (Every Fantasy movie of that era should’ve included Richard Moll!) Peter Breck (The Big Valley) even shows up briefly as a nobleman in the dining hall scenes.

The main villain, Cromwell, is played by the great Richard Lynch, whose distinct and striking (perhaps even scary?) appearance was caused by massive reconstructive surgery after he set himself on fire during an LSD trip in 1967. This led to him being cast as a number of noteworthy bad guys on television and film during his heyday in Hollywood. Here he dominates all he surveys, chewing the cheap scenery with reckless abandon and clearly having the time of his life.

The co-writer and director, Albert Pyun, briefly studied in Japan under Akira Kurosawa and his director of photography, Takao Saito, before returning to the US to make his own movies. After The Sword and the Sorcerer, Pyun went on to a career in low-budget and direct-to-video films (including the 1990 Captain America). He has sometimes been referred to as “the new Ed Wood.” A badge of honor, if you ask me!

Quick and Dirty Summary

Cromwell (Lynch) overthrows the rightful ruling family of a fantasy kingdom. The fallen king’s son, called Talon, escapes, and grows up to be Lee Horsley. He returns at the head of a group of mercenaries, and he’s now wielding a fabulous three-bladed sword that can fire the outer two blades like missiles. Over the course of 99 minutes, Talon rescues a princess, overcomes a creepy ancient sorcerer, defeats Cromwell in battle and saves the kingdom. Does he then reclaim his throne? Heck no. He gives the throne over to Manimal before riding off into the sunset with his mercenary companions, in quest of more adventures – -like any true, self-respecting Sword & Sorcery hero would! Talon knows what is best in life!

Fantasy/SF/Sword & Sorcery Elements

Every. Single. Thing. In. The. Movie.

This is, I would argue, the most Sword and Sorcery movie ever made.

Two of the main elements of the story are 1) a sword and 2) a sorcerer! Case closed! What else do you need?

You need more? Well, let’s throw in a sneaky advisor, a guy so Machiavellian he’s literally called “Machelli.” We have a band of rowdy but lovable mercenaries, a harem of beautiful ladies for Talon to land in during a chase scene, and a grotesque creature awakened from his ancient tomb by magicians. How much more “Sword and Sorcery” could it be?

High Point

The battle we’ve been waiting for all along finally happens near the end: Talon squares off against Cromwell. It’s the big fancy sword vs the three-bladed rocket sword. And not just anywhere, but in a desolate, swamplike dungeon with giant snakes lurking in the dry-ice fog.

When your Sword and Sorcery entertainment is maxed out at 10, but you’re still not quite there, you know what you do, my friends? Yep. You pop in The Sword and the Sorcerer. Because every knob on this movie goes to 11.

Low Point

The whole affair admittedly has a low-rent feel to it, and unfortunately that is what critics often focus on. It’s understandable; the movie was produced for only $4 million, and it shows. But I say, let’s ignore the drawbacks and celebrate Pyun and this cast for creating something this marvelous for only that small amount of money!

Standout Performance

Richard Lynch was nominated for a Saturn Award for his turn as the villain Cromwell. I would argue the young Lee Horsley, pre-Matt Houston mustache, makes for a great heroic fantasy leading man, as well.

Richard Moll as the sorcerer Xuxia

Overall Evaluation as a Movie and as Fantasy/SF/Sword & Sorcery

Is it the greatest movie ever made? No. It’s probably not even the greatest Sword and Sorcery movie ever made. I’ll give you that.

But I would argue it’s the most Sword and Sorcery movie ever made. The absolute most. The purest.

And it may not look like a million bucks – it barely looks like its actual four million! — but it’s just so cool and so very much fun.

Don’t approach it expecting high production values or master-classes in acting. Don’t even expect the script to make perfect sense at all times. Just leave your brain in neutral, grab some popcorn and have an absolute ball with the purest Sword and Sorcery movie ever made.

Because it goes to 11.

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Van Allen Plexico is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a Grand Master of Pulp Literature (2025 class) and a multiple-award-winning author of more than two dozen novels and anthologies, ranging from space opera to Kaiju to crime fiction to superheroes to military SF. Find his works on Amazon and at Plexico.net.