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Started By
Message
re: Excalibur (1981)
Posted on 7/7/24 at 9:33 am to Mo Jeaux
Posted on 7/7/24 at 9:33 am to Mo Jeaux
quote:
Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha
Nicol Williamson as Merlin and some well placed Wagner,Orff is worthy of it being a classic alone. Boorman or whoever edited it did such a good job with pacing.
1
Posted on 7/7/24 at 9:38 am to SquatchDawg
quote:
C’mon man…this isn’t supposed to be a documentary.
That is not the argument. This is about good plot (fiction).
quote:
That’s kind of the whole sword in the stone storyline.
I mean, ignoring there are 10,000 versions, and that the sword in the stone itself was invented very late in the development of the legend, there's usually a bit more leading up to the reveal.
They don't even really establish the "sword and the stone" mythos except for a throwaway line, IIRC. That is a full plot line in itself, ignoring anything to do with Arthur.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 9:44 am to SlowFlowPro
Is this the one with Lenny of Lenny and Squiggy fame, Laverne & shirley, as one of the squires? When I saw it in the '80s, he was the only actor I recognized, and I recall thinking the movie was just awful. I'm hoping not, because now I recognize all those names, and Hope to have a new movie to watch
Posted on 7/7/24 at 9:45 am to SlowFlowPro
SFP
Also SFP
quote:
Wut? THAT is a hot take
Also SFP
quote:
The plot was the biggest issue. I understand the director wanted to try to cram the full Arthurian Legend into one movie, but breakneck pace doesn't begin to describe this movie. It's literally jumping from one major story to another without any exposition or building of the story . I think if anyone ever wanted to really have a great example of explaining the different in plot and story, this movie would be perfect. The story was fine (obviously, since it's literally a legend that's stood the test of time), but the plot was horrible.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 9:57 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
They don't even really establish the "sword and the stone" mythos except for a throwaway line, IIRC. That is a full plot line in itself, ignoring anything to do with Arthur.
That’s probably the most well know piece of the mythos and I thought they did a great job with Uther driving the sword into the stone and subsequent knights not being able to pull it out. Then later having games to see who was worthy to give it a go. Not sure what else was needed there.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 10:12 am to SquatchDawg
quote:
That’s probably the most well know piece of the mythos
And?
I'm examining the movie itself.
I never claimed that I was lost in the plot or something.
quote:
and subsequent knights not being able to pull it out. Then later having games to see who was worthy to give it a go
This was established with a few lines of verbal exposition
It's one of the most important and fundamental aspects of the story reduced to 2-3 spoken lines.
It would be like describing the entire story preceding GOT with a character saying "Oh the Targaryens came across the sea on dragons and conquered all of Westeros, and ultimately Dorne, too. Then there was a rebellion and Robert Baratheon took over." And that's as far as the story is examined in GOT.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 10:24 am to SlowFlowPro
quote:
It would be like describing the entire story preceding GOT with a character saying "Oh the Targaryens came across the sea on dragons and conquered all of Westeros, and ultimately Dorne, too. Then there was a rebellion and Robert Baratheon took over." And that's as far as the story is examined in GOT.
The difference is the whole world hasn’t been exposed to the main storylines of GoT for 500 years or so. Do we really need a training montage of young Arthur or a narrative about what the sword in the stone means?
When you watch The 10 Commandments do you think “man, where did that whole burning bush and rules written on tablets from a disembodied voice come from? That was really out of left field..”
ETA: I will agree that it was a lot to fit into one movie and I would’ve loved a trilogy in the same style. But as you know this was a time when the expectation was a tight 2 hr movie which is tough with the scope of the Arthurian legend.
This post was edited on 7/7/24 at 10:42 am
Posted on 7/7/24 at 10:44 am to SquatchDawg
quote:
The difference is the whole world hasn’t been exposed to the main storylines of GoT for 500 years or so.
Irrelevant to the point of examining the movie itself.
quote:
Do we really need a training montage of young Arthur or a narrative about what the sword in the stone means?
If you want a more coherent and developed plot within the story, yes.
The irony of your argument is that you presume there is one coherent version of Arthur, when there are hundreds, if not thousands. I mean this movie tries to include the sword in the stone AND Lady in the Lake, and Excalibur itself was a relatively late addition to the legend. IIRC, most of the Welsh versions (which are the OGs, being the remaining Britons and all post-Anglo takeover) do not contain Excalibur.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 12:21 pm to rebelrouser
Great movie and it is timeless. 
Posted on 7/7/24 at 12:32 pm to SlowFlowPro
Jesus - you really are terrible on multiple forums.
the history did not need to be elaborately laid out in the movie, as most everyone knows the basics of the legend. to me detailing that out is like re-telling the origin story of Batman or Superman every time there is a movie that comes out.
the history did not need to be elaborately laid out in the movie, as most everyone knows the basics of the legend. to me detailing that out is like re-telling the origin story of Batman or Superman every time there is a movie that comes out.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 12:35 pm to SlowFlowPro
We’ll just have to disagree.
Yes, Lancelot, Merlin, Excalibur, The Lady of the Lake, etc. were all added later but they form the basis for what would IMO be considered the core of the fantasy legend. We don’t need a backstory on each of these…there’s an assumption that the viewer won’t be lost because they have some knowledge of these components.
Yes, Lancelot, Merlin, Excalibur, The Lady of the Lake, etc. were all added later but they form the basis for what would IMO be considered the core of the fantasy legend. We don’t need a backstory on each of these…there’s an assumption that the viewer won’t be lost because they have some knowledge of these components.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 12:55 pm to SquatchDawg
quote:
nother great scene when as the victor he gave Excalibur to his adversary and knelt to be knighted by him so he was worthy. Stewart played this perfectly as he was given the sword but then realized the bravery of what just happened.
This was indeed a great scene, but Arthur's adversary there wasn't Patrick Stewart, it was an actor named Keith Buckley.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 1:06 pm to Mo Jeaux
Gotcha…thought it was Stewart.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 1:14 pm to Thracken13
quote:
history did not need to be elaborately laid out in the movie, as most everyone knows the basics of the legend
The Sword in the Stone cartoon from two decades before was familiar enough to viewers.
It could have been made into a Peter Jackson trilogy but that wasn't as much of a thing then, especially not with R rated movies
Posted on 7/7/24 at 1:19 pm to molsusports
quote:
R rated
Which gave us naked Helen Mirren and the legendary sex scene of Uther Pendragon having sex in a full suit of armor.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 1:33 pm to luvdoc
quote:
Is this the one with Lenny of Lenny and Squiggy fame, Laverne & shirley, as one of the squires?
You know that "Lenny" is Michael McKean, who is a very fine actor in his own right?
David Lander played "Squiggy" - I could find no major feature film where either played a "squire", certainly not in Excalibur (1981). It is possible that such a small part went uncredited in 1981, but frankly both were well known enough to have warranted credit as a cameo. Just the year before, they had speaking roles in Robert Zemeckis' Used Cars.
Plus, this was a British film (shot mainly in Northern Ireland) and McKean and Lander were Americans working in Hollywood (mainly television) at that time.
IMHO, you're mistaken about the entire thing.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 1:38 pm to SquatchDawg
quote:
Which gave us naked Helen Mirren and the legendary sex scene of Uther Pendragon having sex in a full suit of armor.
That was Boorman's daughter.
Also, most of the sets had been built for Boorman's failed effort to make a live action LOTR.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 1:42 pm to Ace Midnight
My comment wasn't a crack at the actor. Let's face it, if I had used his name, fewer would know who I was talking about then by calling him lenny.
It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. And it would be a 40-year-old memory. I couldn't find a credit for him in any such movie at IMDb.
But I swear to god. . . he is running along his knight's horse, with the knight encouraging him to ride as well, for the journey would take days, and him replying" the world is not so large ", and the knight enjoying an inward laugh.
I'm either remembering the wrong movie, or I misidentified the actor
It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong. And it would be a 40-year-old memory. I couldn't find a credit for him in any such movie at IMDb.
But I swear to god. . . he is running along his knight's horse, with the knight encouraging him to ride as well, for the journey would take days, and him replying" the world is not so large ", and the knight enjoying an inward laugh.
I'm either remembering the wrong movie, or I misidentified the actor
This post was edited on 7/7/24 at 1:45 pm
Posted on 7/7/24 at 4:47 pm to SlowFlowPro
Excalibur is awesome. Your opinion is pretty worthless on this entire site now. Congrats.
Posted on 7/7/24 at 4:54 pm to blueboy
I think nostalgia is playing a strong role in here.
frickin millennials.
frickin millennials.
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