Subgenre Sampler
Fantasy: 809 Films to Buy & Rent
Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan (1982)
- Dir. Nicholas Meyer
Feat. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley…
- The Enterprise crew are back to do battle with Kirk's old enemy Khan, as he takes control of a Federation Starship. Nice touches of humour and…
Sword and the Sorcerer, The (1982)
- Dir. Albert Pyun
Feat. Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis…
- Not bad swords–and–sandals fantasy, set in a medieval kingdom ruled by an evil sorcerer. To the rescue comes a mercenary who wields a…
Tales of the Unexpected (TV Series) (1982- 1983)
- Dir. Various
Feat. Peter Cushing, Brenda Blethyn, Liza Goddard…
- Fondly remembered British television series of self–contained stories – each with a twist – inspired by the adult macabre of Roald…
Clash of the Titans (1981)
- Dir. Desmond Davis
Feat. Laurence Olivier, Claire Bloom, Ursula Andress
- Brave stab at visualising Greek mythology, taking the Perseus legend as its basis, this turned out to be the swansong for Ray Harryhausen and his…
Dragonslayer (1981)
- Dir. Matthew Robbins
Feat. Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson…
- Highly under–rated medieval fantasy in which a young wizard defies substantial and often thrilling odds to defeat a malevolent dragon.…
Excalibur (1981)
- Dir. John Boorman
Feat. Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Nicholas Clay…
- The King Arthur legend is given a fanciful, dynamic spin by a director at his creative peak in an epic fantasy tale of sorcery and magic.
Grendel Grendel Grendel (1981)
- Dir. Alexander Stitt
Feat. Peter Ustinov, Keith Michell, Arthur Dignam
- Lively animated version of the Beowulf legend, but this time told from the perspective of the monster.
Mad Max II - The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2) (1981)
- Dir. George Miller
Feat. Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence
- Studio–backed sequel retains the integrity of the first while sprucing up the artillery, pyrotechnics and going for a more futuristic style.…
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (1981)
- Dir. Elijah Moshinsky
Feat. Helen Mirren, Nigel Davenport, Brian Glover
- Part of the BBC's excellent series of Shakespeare productions, filmed in a 'theatrical' TV environment utilising the best of English acting talent.
Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians, The (Tajemstvi hradu v Karpatech) (1981)
- Dir. Oldrich Lipsky
Feat. Michal Docolomansky, Rudolf Hrusinsky, Vlastimil Brodsky…
- Cult oddity based on the Jules Verne novel The Carpathian Castle, a sci–fi horror story about a campy count who haunts a house overlooking a…