Dragonslayer (1981) Coming from Paramount

[mpengle]

Originally Posted by JMDiaz718

I think the alien in Alien was onscreen for less time. The dragon here is seen in bits throughout the first part of the movie. It’s talons, tail, etc. make early appearances.

Also, if I remember correctly, the sword Galen uses is called Dragonslayer. Not sure if they actually use the wording in the movie.

Fairly true, but you did see the face hugger and alien kills plus there was better suspense, and to me personally there was just much more going on in Alien than Dragonslayer. Again, though, I am not knocking on the movie, I just don't recall a lot happening and I will still buy it nonetheless.

[Dan_Shane]

Originally Posted by mpengle

Haha, if you think this was a superb version of how to build suspense, you haven't seen enough movies. Seems odd for me to say that on a bluray forum designed around movies....heh

I'm nearly 70 and have watched plenty you will probably never have a chance to see. I don't know your age, but attention spans seem to be much shorter these days.

It's also notable that you criticize the tension building in a movie you admit you remember poorly, but that's what Internet forums are all about. No big deal.

[mpengle]

Originally Posted by Dan_Shane

I'm nearly 70 and have watched plenty you will probably never have a chance to see. I don't know your age, but attention spans seem to be much shorter these days.

It's also notable that you criticize the tension building in a movie you admit you remember poorly, but that's what Internet forums are all about. No big deal.

Actually, I am sorry for the way I phrased that reply. I did not mean for it to come out as insulting, if that's how you took it, as that was never my intention. I still feel though that if you are 70 (I am not so far away from you in age by the way ), and have watched thousands of films as I have as well, then I am sure you could find many more films more suspenseful than this one. For a frame of reference, I used to average roughly 25-30 films a week (not a joke), and yes I have tended to forget details about many films after all these years, if no other reason than from the quantity I have seen. In any case, again, my apologies.

[Dan_Shane]

Originally Posted by mpengle

Actually, I am sorry for the way I phrased that reply.

No offense taken. Tastes and perceptions differ, and we each offered our own.

I'm from the generation that grew up on monster movies that made a practice of not showing the creature too soon in the film, and DRAGONSLAYER seems to fit that pattern pretty nicely and to good effect.

I think you do make a good point that budgets can influence the delay of effects scenes in older films -- save the expensive stuff for the big finale. But the way that is handled matters, and for an 80s film DRAGONSLAYER does it very well. I'm really looking forward to a nice HD transfer.

[mpengle]

Originally Posted by Dan_Shane

No offense taken. Tastes and perceptions differ, and we each offered our own.

I'm from the generation that grew up on monster movies that made a practice of not showing the creature too soon in the film, and DRAGONSLAYER seems to fit that pattern pretty nicely and to good effect.

I think you do make a good point that budgets can influence the delay of effects scenes in older films -- save the expensive stuff for the big finale. But the way that is handled matters, and for an 80s film DRAGONSLAYER does it very well. I'm really looking forward to a nice HD transfer.

I think that is what is funny about this feeling I have regarding the movie. Growing up, I was huge into fantasy and dragons especially and was reading novels by Moorcock, Tolkien, Jordan, McCaffrey etc. before I was even in middle school. So I was pumped to see this one. My main memory of the movie was that it was not as exciting as I wished it had been at the time. I did find the world charming, liked the idea of the story, but I just feel like I am remembering not liking McNichol all that much and didn't feel much was going on in the movie. I think that's why it stuck in my head though, because I didn't remember it being very memorable. Back then I loved Conan, Ladyhawke etc. Hopefully that is a better explanation.

Again, though, I plan to purchase and re-watch it. Who knows, I may very well think my young self was crazy and may find it a much better experience this time around. The beauty of re-visiting past films. Thanks for continuing the conversation.

[Dan_Shane]

You didn't like MacNicol "all that much"? I'm surprised you liked him at all! I would have been happier with almost anyone else in the role, and his whiny voice was fairly off-putting when I saw the show on opening day.

But everything else about the picture shines, especially the attempt to make the period seem like it really existed in our undocumented history. No grandiose castles in the sunshine or technicolor gowns and tunics. (Not that there's anything wrong with that in its place.)

I guess you can tell I think the movie is pretty special.

[duggie walker]

Originally Posted by mpengle

I think that is what is funny about this feeling I have regarding the movie. Growing up, I was huge into fantasy and dragons especially and was reading novels by Moorcock, Tolkien, Jordan, McCaffrey etc. before I was even in middle school. So I was pumped to see this one. My main memory of the movie was that it was not as exciting as I wished it had been at the time. I did find the world charming, liked the idea of the story, but I just feel like I am remembering not liking McNichol all that much and didn't feel much was going on in the movie. I think that's why it stuck in my head though, because I didn't remember it being very memorable. Back then I loved Conan, Ladyhawke etc. Hopefully that is a better explanation.

We also have to consider the context of the times. Like you, I saw this when it first came out and up to that point, depictions of Dragons were few and far between. I remember a lot of hype about how "realistic" the dragon was going to be, using State of the Art FX; and there was also a fair amount of hype about Disney's new, more "adult" direction (they said the same about THE BLACK HOLE).

So I did/do like the fact that they don't reveal the Dragon fully until late in the film; and I do like the unusually grim atmosphere of the whole film; but I also agree with you that it falls short of its potential. The scenes with the Dragon are great but the rest of it is pretty stodgy (in my opinion).

[orrman]

Originally Posted by Dan_Shane

You didn't like MacNicol "all that much"? I'm surprised you liked him at all! I would have been happier with almost anyone else in the role, and his whiny voice was fairly off-putting when I saw the show on opening day.

But everything else about the picture shines, especially the attempt to make the period seem like it really existed in our undocumented history. No grandiose castles in the sunshine or technicolor gowns and tunics. (Not that there's anything wrong with that in its place.)

I guess you can tell I think the movie is pretty special.

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to disagree with your dismissal of MacNicol as the wizard's apprentice. It was actually genius casting. Can you imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren or any other 80's meathead in that role? I'm sure the character intro in the script read something along the lines "twerpy, unassuming awkward male". He was perfect for the role. In the end, he wasn't the dragonslayer anyway so it all fit.

[bigshot]

The folkloric prototype he was playing was the "perfect fool" and he was perfect for that. It would just be a predictable superhero movie if he was a big burly type.

[drush9999]

MacNicol is perfect in the role, dunno how anyone could see it any other way.

[Cardboard_killer]

I would have like to see Woody Allen in the role.

[mpengle]

Originally Posted by orrman

I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to disagree with your dismissal of MacNicol as the wizard's apprentice. It was actually genius casting. Can you imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren or any other 80's meathead in that role? I'm sure the character intro in the script read something along the lines "twerpy, unassuming awkward male". He was perfect for the role. In the end, he wasn't the dragonslayer anyway so it all fit.

I get the thought here but I doubt they would have actually cast someone like Arnold or Dolph in the role. You could say the same about Broderick in Ladyhawke as well when describing the character but I liked him way more in that movie. Though to be fair, I liked Ladyhawke a lot and still watch it on occasion. My guess though is they went with MacNichol more for budget constraints than for genius casting. I don't think he did a bad job per say, I just wasn't into him personally.

[mpengle]

Originally Posted by Dan_Shane

You didn't like MacNicol "all that much"? I'm surprised you liked him at all! I would have been happier with almost anyone else in the role, and his whiny voice was fairly off-putting when I saw the show on opening day.

But everything else about the picture shines, especially the attempt to make the period seem like it really existed in our undocumented history. No grandiose castles in the sunshine or technicolor gowns and tunics. (Not that there's anything wrong with that in its place.)

I guess you can tell I think the movie is pretty special.

You sound like you have a great distaste for MacNichol like I do for Giovanni Ribisi.....lol

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by bigshot

The folkloric prototype he was playing was the "perfect fool" and he was perfect for that. It would just be a predictable superhero movie if he was a big burly type.

I think he's the right type, it's just jarring that he's the only one without a convincing english accent. If he was good at the accent he would have been perfect!

[orrman]

Originally Posted by mpengle

I get the thought here but I doubt they would have actually cast someone like Arnold or Dolph in the role. You could say the same about Broderick in Ladyhawke as well when describing the character but I liked him way more in that movie. Though to be fair, I liked Ladyhawke a lot and still watch it on occasion. My guess though is they went with MacNichol more for budget constraints than for genius casting. I don't think he did a bad job per say, I just wasn't into him personally.

I don't think anyone knows what the casting budget for the film was except the producers and the director. But they ultimately went w/the right choice. If they would've stuck in a chiseled, pretty-boy Hollywood type for this role, it would've been a completely different movie. And an easily forgotten one at that.

[Doomhunter]

Originally Posted by Cardboard_killer

I would have like to see Woody Allen in the role.

I would have liked to see Billy Barty in the role

[trentdiesel]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

I think he's the right type, it's just jarring that he's the only one without a convincing english accent. If he was good at the accent he would have been perfect!

As bad as Kevin Costner playing Kevin Costner in Robin Hood? Either way I'm very excited to see this, missed it somehow all these years.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by trentdiesel

As bad as Kevin Costner playing Kevin Costner in Robin Hood? Either way I'm very excited to see this, missed it somehow all these years.

Probably that bad, but still better than whatever Russell Crowe was doing in that Robin Hood

[mpengle]

Originally Posted by orrman

I don't think anyone knows what the casting budget for the film was except the producers and the director. But they ultimately went w/the right choice. If they would've stuck in a chiseled, pretty-boy Hollywood type for this role, it would've been a completely different movie. And an easily forgotten one at that.

The budget of the movie was around 15-18 million from what I remember, which was around the average movie budget back then, again if I am not mistaken. Most of that was likely spent on the production values and the dragon itself. I don't think in this type of movie they would have gone with a big, muscled and/or fit action star regardless though since this part obviously didn't call for it, though yes we all know people are miscast all the time.

[Surge92]

Originally Posted by trentdiesel

As bad as Kevin Costner playing Kevin Costner in Robin Hood?

That's the main reason I never gave that movie a chance. I still have no interest in seeing it. My suspension of disbelief can only go so far. It's almost as bad as seeing multi-ethnic elves and the like in modern fantasy series and movies.