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    Canonfire :: View topic - Inspirational Fantasy Movies
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    Inspirational Fantasy Movies
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    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: Aug 14, 2006
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    Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:00 pm  
    Inspirational Fantasy Movies

    While it is perhaps not specific to Greyhawk, as part of my preparation for running a Greyhawk AD&D 1st Ed game for the first time in 10 years, I've taken to breaking out the classic fantasy films for inspiration.

    I have my own Top Ten, and was wondering what others might have in theirs. In no particular order...

    Hawk the Slayer
    The Sword and the Sorceror
    The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
    Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
    LOTR Trilogy
    Conan the Barbarian
    Dragonslayer
    Legend
    Labyrinth
    Beastmaster

    I would love to hear others' thoughts on fantasy films!

    Thulcondar
    Black Hand of Oblivion

    Joined: Feb 16, 2003
    Posts: 3835
    From: So. Cal

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    Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:40 pm  

    My movie list contians many in the above list, and I also add in many "historical themed"movies. I'd add in the following:

    Excalibur
    13th Warrior
    Roman Polanski's MacBeth
    Kenneth Brannagh's Henry V
    Joan of Arc
    The Messenger
    Kingdom of Heaven
    Ben Hur
    Bram Stoker's Dracula(also the b&w Nosferatu)
    Clash of the Titans and other Ray Harryhausen movies
    classic monster movies(anything NOT titled "Dracula 2000" or similar)
    Pathfinder(not yet released)
    Beowulf(not yet released)
    Journey to the Center of the Earth, Congo, Raiders of he Lost Ark and other pulp-style quest movies

    If you don't mind the more cheesey, dated stuff, also add in the following:

    The Archer
    Krull
    Various other horrible sci-fi/fantasy B-movies of the early 80's
    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Nov 07, 2004
    Posts: 1846
    From: Mt. Smolderac

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    Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:59 pm  

    Not all conventional D&D fantasy but almost all have fantasy/fantastic elements, except for a couple of historical films.

    Ivan the Terrible - Eisenstein
    The Seventh Seal and The Virgin Spring - Bergman
    Throne of Blood and Ran - Kurosawa
    The Bride With White Hair
    Sleepy Hollow
    Labyrinth
    Ladyhawke
    Legend
    The Dark Crystal
    Adventures of the Baron Munchausen
    Gormenghast
    The Princess Bride
    Hamlet (De Laurentus)
    El Cid
    The Last Valley
    Mad Archmage of the Oerth Journal

    Joined: Dec 09, 2002
    Posts: 342
    From: Ohio

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    Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:36 am  

    Dragonheart (the first one)
    The Magic Sword (old classic with Basil Rathbone)
    Army of Darkness (for that huge epic scale battle with undead)
    The Cube (for a good horrific dungeon crawl feel)
    D&D: Wrath of the Dragon God (not too bad)
    Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King (see it on SciFi channel or get the import, the US version cuts out some serious plot points!)
    Merlin
    Merlins' Apprentice
    Bloodrayne (RENT IT, cheesy to the max)

    Just a few I can think of off the top of my head.
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    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Mon Sep 18, 2006 6:44 am  

    A lot of the movies mentioned have parties that only consist of three or fewer characters. For the "true D&D" experience I would suggest Conan the Destroyer over Conan the Barbarian only because of the greater resemblance to a D&D party.

    I mean,
    1 Fighter/Ranger type (Conan)
    2 fighters (The princess's bodyguard and Grace Jones)
    1 wizard (Akiro)
    1 thief (the weasly guy)
    1 fighter? cleric? in training? (the princess. Not sure exactly what she is besides the 0 or 1st level character in the 5-9th level or so party)

    vs.

    1 fighter/ranger type (Conan)
    1 thief (Valeria)
    1 thief/ranger with a bow (Subotai)
    and later
    1 cleric/wizard type NPC (Akiro) who replaces the thief when she dies

    Disclaimer: This is not to say that Conan the Destroyer was in any way better than the original in terms of cinema, just that it is a better example of typical D&D; character iteraction, plot development, challenges, etc.
    Master Greytalker

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    Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:26 am  

    LotR Trilogy (will never be beaten to first place for me)
    Conan the Barbarian
    Legend
    Excalibur
    Dragonslayer
    Dragonheart
    Conan the Destroyer
    Ladyhawke
    Beastmaster
    Any Greek or Arabian Ray Harryhausen film

    I think Conan the Barbarian is the finest example of a gritty low magic campaign and I love the adventuring group of fighter-thieves.

    I try to base my Greyhawk campaign on similar tenets regarding magic being an ancient and powerful double-edged sword feared by most people but I found that this stance has been diluted a bit too much by the advent of schools of wizardry in every country for the purpose of Living Greyhawk.

    The adventuring group in the Destroyer was a bit more balanced but I think Sandahl Bergman's Valeria in the first film will always be my favourite fantasy heroine - she was relatively pretty without being glossy, she had small boobs, and she couldn't act much but man, could she kill!
    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jan 05, 2002
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    From: Sky Island, So Cal

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    Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:45 pm  

    Cebrion wrote:
    Pathfinder(not yet released)


    Not sure what Pathfinder YOU are referring to, but Pathfinder was an excellent Finnish film from the late 80's. In the US, it only ran in art houses / foreign film theatres AFAIK, but is well worth the rent if you
    can find it on video.

    Also wanted to mention Willow, just cause noone has yet. Also the
    film was instrumental for me in deciding to have halflings plow with specially bred draft pigs in my campaign.
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    Grandmaster Greytalker

    Joined: Nov 07, 2004
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    From: Mt. Smolderac

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    Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:08 pm  

    Kirt wrote:
    Also wanted to mention Willow, just cause noone has yet. Also the film was instrumental for me in deciding to have halflings plow with specially bred draft pigs in my campaign.


    And also instrumental IMC in having every NPC taller than a dwarf constantly say "Out of the way, peck!" to my best friend's Halfling fighter. Happy

    I also lifted the wagon chase scene in that movie for an awesome sequence in one gaming session.
    Master Greytalker

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    Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:32 am  

    Willow was a real laugh. It was just that bit too cheesy for me and hence fell just off my list. I never could work out why the evil warrior betrayed her mother. Gr8 film though.
    Adept Greytalker

    Joined: May 14, 2003
    Posts: 349
    From: the Free City of Dyvers (Kansas City, MO)

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    Tue Sep 19, 2006 9:55 pm  

    Though there are plenty of good and bad movies bandied about on this thread for general fantasy appeal, for me, as to inspiration for Greyhawk, I have to go with the following:

    Ladyhawke
    Conan the Destroyer
    Hawk the Slayer
    D&D: Wrath of the Dragon God
    the Princess Bride
    Willow
    The Lord of the Rings trilogy & the Hobbit
    13th Warrior
    Legend
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    Master Greytalker

    Joined: Jun 29, 2001
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    From: Bronx, NY

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    Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:59 am  

    For a movie without fantastic elements, Flesh and Blood.
    Novice

    Joined: Sep 20, 2006
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    Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:36 pm  

    My favorite movie that isn't a D&D movie but should be is

    The Long Ships with Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, made in 1963.

    Widmark is a viking that I would consider a Bard since his mouth is the ting he uses most often to get himself into, and out of, trouble. He has a story about a golden bell the size of a man, called the Mother of Voices. Poitier is a Moorish prince that believes the story and wants the bell.
    Journeyman Greytalker

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    Thu Sep 21, 2006 4:31 am  

    PaulN6 wrote:
    Willow was a real laugh. It was just that bit too cheesy for me and hence fell just off my list. I never could work out why the evil warrior betrayed her mother. Gr8 film though.


    Because she was never evil, just loyal. Duh Wink
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