He said "... including the wretched Conan the Destroyer which many fantasy fans list among their favorite films."
The reason why is that it is an almost perfect D&D movie. It had a disparate group of adventurers who get together under the oddest of circumstances mostly seeking the same goal. The party was varied, they had a great dungeon to go through with an actual lifting of a gate! It just warmed the cockles of my 1e PHB. It even ended with an attempted betrayel and a nice nasty twist. It just great!
Now that that is out of the way, if you want to see an entertaining adventure movie get the DVD for "The Long Ships" starring Richard Widmard and Sidney Poitier. That's a barbarian bard in action!
The Long Ships is a GREAT source for D&D inspiration. The method of executing prisoners ... riding the horse ... is not for the squeamish.
Conan the Destroyer is campy-wonderful. I loved the part where Conan, drunk, tries to teach the little princess how to sword-fight. "Lot on your knife" ...... you go, gobernador.
I like "The 13th Warrior" myself for inspiration.
Oh, and any of the old Ray Harryhausen films - Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, etc. Thief of Baghdad. Movies like that.
I'll second The 13th Warrior. It was the first D&D-like movie I owned and has always been a primary source of inspiration. In fact, the soudntrack is amazing when played during game sessions. It was the first soundtrack I bought specifically for that purpose.
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Also alot of horror movies are good D&D idea movies. The Relic, Pumpkinhead, The Fog (original, I haven't seen the remake yet), and a comedy horror I can't remember the name...The House? Plumber has a sword in his toolbox and they explore an Aztec like temple under the house. Had the old dead prospecter type dude in it and the cutesy doglike caterpillar? Lil help here!
The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth both have some great concepts that can be adapted to a D&D game.
a comedy horror I can't remember the name...The House? Plumber has a sword in his toolbox and they explore an Aztec like temple under the house. Had the old dead prospecter type dude in it and the cutesy doglike caterpillar? Lil help here!
Ha! You're thinking of House II. A very funny movie. . . John Ratzenberger (from Cheers!) is the guy in that bit. He carries a tool box with a bunch of tools and an antique sword in it, and after they rescue the sacrificial virgin , he hands the characters a busniess card that says "Electrician/Adventurer."
I think there a few other famous people in it, but I can't remember who.
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I think there a few other famous people in it, but I can't remember who.
The only other two real name-brand famous people in it were Bill Mahar and Playboy Playmate Devin DeVasquez (as the virgin). There are a couple good character actors in it, but not names that normally jump out. Amy Yasbeck, John Ritter's widow, was also in it.
Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) for all of your 'who the hell was in that?' needs.
I'll second The 13th Warrior. It was the first D&D-like movie I owned and has always been a primary source of inspiration. In fact, the soudntrack is amazing when played during game sessions. It was the first soundtrack I bought specifically for that purpose.
Amen to that, although I agree with the other comment, not as good as the book. Love the bad guys, love the Viking leader, the little guy and the archer, love the quote about "seeing my father before me".
I ran an adventure based on this, switching the Bear Clan for Grimlocks, it was fun.
Grace Jones single handedly ruined that movie for me. Any amount of campy entertainment that could have been gleened from the screen was sucked wholesale into the voracious maw of her utterly horrible screen presence.
If only Brigitte Nielsen and Grace Jones could have been forced to do a non-fantasy film together, maybe two fantasy franchises could have been saved. Doubtful but something to contemplate.
Amen to that, although I agree with the other comment, not as good as the book. Love the bad guys, love the Viking leader, the little guy and the archer, love the quote about "seeing my father before me".
I ran an adventure based on this, switching the Bear Clan for Grimlocks, it was fun.
You're right. I prefer the journalistic documentary narrative of the book, but Erik's editorial wasn't talking about books. ;)
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WHile The 13th Warrior was a good movie, it in no way compares to the book it is based on - Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead.
Recently picked up Eaters of the Dead in a charity shop. Good book.
Good film too, but fairly different, from what I remember of it.
And the Princess Bride is one of my favourite movies of all time!
I think of D&D when I watch the first half of Predator. Arnie's team of commandos always makes me think of a D&D party, as the members all seem to have their distinct roles.
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Contributor
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I think of D&D when I watch the first half of Predator. Arnie's team of commandos always makes me think of a D&D party, as the members all seem to have their distinct roles.
Good point!
RPG-toting guy (aka sorcerer): "You're bleeding."
Former-Governor Ventura (aka fighter): "I ain't got time to bleed."
RPG-toting guy (aka sorcerer): "You got time to duck?"
I must admit that I was distinctly dissapointed in D&D 2 after seeing it talked-up so much in the column.
Despite what was said, I actually found it worse than the original. The first one may have been ridiculous, but it was fast-paced and aggressively silly, not lethargic and dull. Heck, D&D 1 ended with Damodar in a (cheesy glowing) swordfight with the hero, while D&D 2 has him spend a minute or so running away on horseback and then just giving up without a fight! Some villain! It's almost like Bruce Payne charges one fee for reading lines and another for doing a fight scene and the cheapo producers could afford to pay one, but not both.
Boring movie. I can forgive campy stupidity, but not utter lifelessness.
Well, since the thread has evolved into a list of movies with a D&D "feel" to them...
When I saw "National Treasure" back whenever it came out, I immediately thought it provided a really good example of an event based D&D adventure - complete with a competing team of adventurers.