The Warrior and the Sorceress
| The Warrior and the Sorceress | |
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| File:Warrior and the sorceressposter.jpg
Theatrical release film poster
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| Directed by | John C. Broderick |
| Produced by | John C. Broderick Frank K. Isaac Héctor Olivera Alejandro Sessa Roger Corman (executive producer – uncredited) |
| Screenplay by | John C. Broderick (screenplay/story) William Stout (story) |
| Based on | Yojimbo by Akira Kurosawa (Uncredited) |
| Starring | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> |
| Music by | Louis Saunders |
| Cinematography | Leonardo Rodríguez Solís |
| Edited by | Silvia Ripoll |
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Production
company |
Aries Cinematográfica Argentina
New Horizon Picture Corp |
| Distributed by | New Horizons |
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Release dates
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Running time
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81 minutes |
| Country | Argentina United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $600,000 - $4,000,000[1] (Estimated) |
| Box office | $2,886,225 (USA)[2][3] |
The Warrior and the Sorceress is a 1984 Argentine-American fantasy action film directed by John C. Broderick and starring David Carradine, María Socas and Luke Askew. It was written by Broderick (story and screenplay) and William Stout (story).
The Warrior and the Sorceress is a version of the classic Kurosawa film Yojimbo.[4] The film is noted chiefly for containing extensive nudity and violence, being one of the more extreme examples of the sword-and-sorcery genre.[5] It is also considered by some to be a cult classic.[6]
The Warrior and the Sorceress was the second entry in a series of nine movies that Roger Corman produced in Argentina during the 1980s; the first one being Deathstalker.[7]
Synopsis
In a distant galaxy lies the desert planet of Ura, which has two suns. There, two rival warlords, Zeg and Bal Caz, constantly fight against each other in a battle over the village's only wellspring. The mercenary warrior Kain emerges and announces that his skills are for hire to the highest bidder. Naja, a beautiful sorceress that has been taken captive by Zeg changes Kain's purpose to take the well for himself, instead choosing to save Naja and the village people. Kain starts entangling the situation, and by taking advantage of the ongoing feud, he seeks to debilitate the rival warlords and defeat them.
Cast
- David Carradine ... Kain the Warrior
- María Socas ... Naja the Sorceress
- Luke Askew ... Zeg the Tyrant
- Anthony De Longis ... Kief, Zeg's Captain (as Anthony DeLongis)
- Harry Townes ... Bludge the Prelate
- Guillermo Marín ... Bal Caz (as William Marin)
- Armando Capo ... Burgo the Slaver (as Arthur Clark)
- Daniel March ... Blather, Bal Caz's Fool
- John Overby ... Gabble, Bal Caz's Fool
- Richard Paley ... Scar-face
- Marcos Woinski ... Burgo's Captain (as Mark Welles)[8]
- Cecilia Narova ... Exotic Dancer (as Cecilia North)
- Dylan Willias ... Zeg's Guard
- José Casanova ... Zeg's Guard (as Joe Cass)
- Miguel Zavaleta ... Zeg's Guard (as Michael Zane)
- Herman Cass ... Zeg's Guard
- Arturo Noal ... Zeg's Guard (as Arthur Neal)
- Hernán Gené ... Zeg's Guard (as Herman Gere)
- Gus Parker ... Zeg's Guard
- Ned Ivers ... Slave
- Liliana Cameroni ... Zeg's Drowned Slave (as Lillian Cameron)
- Eva Adanaylo ... Woman at Well (as Eve Adams)
- Noëlle Balfour ... (uncredited)
Production
The exterior shots were made in Ischigualasto Provincial Park in San Juan, also known as Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon", due to its otherworldly appearance). Most of the film was shot inside Estudios Baires Film S.A. and Campo de Mayo, in Buenos Aires Province.[9]
Before production started and during a discussion with his girlfriend, David Carradine punched a wall and fractured his right hand. To conceal the plaster for the hand, Carradine used a pointed black glove on his right arm while filming.[9]
The outfit that Carradine uses for his character of Kain is the same he wore for the B movie/post-apocalyptic action film Dune Warriors (1991).[10] In a rather obvious coincidence, Luke Askew again played the antagonist role in the latter film.[11]
Similarities with Yojimbo
According to David Carradine's book Spirit of Shaolin, it was clear before production started that the film was going to be a version of Akira Kurosawa's 1961 Samurai film Yojimbo, and Carradine talked about it with executive producer Roger Corman:
| “ | It (The Warrior and the Sorceress) was essentially a remake of Yojimbo, the samurai movie by the great Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa. I called up Roger and told him I loved the script; but what about the Yojimbo factor. Roger said, "Yes, it is rather like Yojimbo."
I said, "It's not like Yojimbo. It is Yojimbo." Roger said, "Let me tell you a story. When Fistful of Dollars opened in Tokyo, Kurosawa's friends called him up and said 'You must see this picture.' Kurosawa said, 'Yes, I understand it is rather like Yojimbo.' -'No, it's not like Yojimbo; it is Yojimbo. You have to sue these people.' -'I can't sue them', he responded. -'Why not?' -'Because' -Kurosawa confessed-, 'Yojimbo is Dashiel Hammet's Red Harvest.'" I went for it.[12][13] |
” |
The story however appears to be apocryphal, as Kurosawa and Toho Studios did in fact successfully sue Sergio Leone.[14][15]
References
- ↑ Reel Bad Cinema: The Warrior & the Sorceress (1984) review Cool Ass Cinema
- ↑ Business for The Warrior and the Sorceress IMDb
- ↑ Box office for The Warrior and the Sorceress Box Office Mojo
- ↑ DVD Talk - Roger Corman's Cult Classics Double Feature: The Warrior and the Sorceress/Barbarian Queen
- ↑ DVD Verdict - Case Number 02509: The Warrior And The Sorceress
- ↑ Joshua reviews The Warrior and the Sorceress & Barbarian Queen, Roger Corman Cult Classic Double Feature Criterion Cast
- ↑ "Hollywood in Don Torcuato (first part)": When Roger Corman and his B-movies invaded Argentina Cinematófilos.com.ar (Spanish)
- ↑ Marcos Woinski profile Cinenacional.com
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cinematófilos, "Hollywood in Don Torcuato (second part)": When Roger Corman and his B-movies invaded Argentina Cinematófilos.com.ar (Spanish)
- ↑ Dune Warriors - David Carradine YouTube
- ↑ Dune Warriors trailer YouTube
- ↑ http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~bjackson/silverbullets.htm
- ↑ http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?showtopic=2420
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
