SWORD & SORCERY, BARBARIANS, STEROIDS

ATOR THE FIGHTING EAGLE/ATOR L'INVINCIBILE (1983) Directed by Joe D'Amato, starring Miles O'Keefe and Laura Gemser. I think this was the very first of countless CONAN ripoffs. (yawn) Denmark: Video International (rental). LBX 1.40:1, 89m36s.
THE BARBARIANS/BARBARERNE/I BARBARI (1987) Directed by Ruggero Deodato, starring Peter & David Paul - the Barbarian Brothers! Cheesy stuff, what was Deodato thinking? Denmark: AB-Collection (rental), Scanbox (retail). Fullscreen, 83m28s.
CONQUEST/LA CONQUISTA (1983) Directed by Luci Fulci, starring George Rivero and Sabrina Sellers. Fulci's embarrasing barbarian flick, arguably the nadir of his eighties output. Norway: HVC (rental). LBX 1.85:1, 82m46s. Cut version.
HAWK THE SLAYER (1980) Directed by Terry Marcel, starring Jack Palance, John Terry. Look out for Patrick Magee in brief cameo appearence as mad cult leader and Hammer veteran Shane Bryant as Palance's adopted son. This British sword & sorcery adventure (with more than a nod to J.R.R.Tolkien) is quite decent for it's kind. Palance, as the evil lord Voltan, overacts like there was no tomorrow. UK: Channel 5 (retail). Fullscreen, 89m40s.
THE IRON MASTER/IRONMASTER - LA GUERRE DU FER (1982) Directed by Umberto Lenzi, starring Sam Pasco, George Eastman, Elvire Audray, William Berger. Apparently inspired by QUEST FOR FIRE, this jawdroppingly bad (but entertaining) film has Eastman discovering a lump of iron in some vulcanic lava - and soon he has set himself up as master of the world. A curiously anachronistic tribe of antropoids and a tribe of pacifists (!) add to the fun. UK: Medusa (rental). LBX 1.40:1, 84m32s. Uncut print.
QUEST FOR FIRE/LA GUERRE DU FEU (1981) Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Everett McGill, Rae Dawn Chong, Ron Perlman. I know, this excellent caveman epos has nothing to do with the genre, but several Italian moviemakers used elements for their sword & sorcery films, like the prehistoric setting, barbaric tribes etc. Holland: EVC/Concorde (rental). Fullscreen, 95m25s.
THE SEVEN MAGNIFICENT GLADIATORS/7 KRIGERE SEJRER/I SETTE MAGNIFICI GLADIATORI (1983) Directed by Bruno Mattei, starring Lou Ferrigno, Sybil Danning, Brad Harris. Well, at least the print looks good. Denmark: Kavan (retail). LBX 1.85:1, 82m31s
SWORD OF THE VALIANT (1985) Directed by Stephen Weeks, starring Sean Connery, Miles O'Keefe. Also appearing: Peter Cushing. Not as bad as it's reputation and surprisingly hard to track down. Australia: Syme Video Gold (rental). Fullscreen, 87m44s. Uncut print.