Micro-budget Sword & Sorcery
The Sword & Sorcery genre is one with many low budget entries. The 80's brought us Conan which was followed by a huge wave of low(er) budget sword & sorcery movies cashing in on the succes of the famous barbarian's first movie adaptation. Roger Corman's New World Pictures and Golan-Globus' Cannon Films made a lot of them as did the Italian film studios from back then. And allthough these were considered low budget, there is a group of films within the genre with even lower budgets. The SOV (shot on video) films or independent films if you will. These were made by genre enthousiasts without the interference of studios, producers and so forth. And that's exactly what makes these films so wonderful. Their originality and heart for the genre shines through the budget limitations like a magical gem through a dark throne room. Here's a list of these diamonds in the rough.
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- DirectorArchie WaughStarsRobert ApplegateBarrie BlankenshipCory BoyasA band of adventurers steals an enchanted stone, and earns a wizard's desperate revenge. The wizard must summon all his old fighting comrades to get the artifact back - before its evil dooms their world.
- DirectorPatrick JohnsonStarsNicoll BacharachPatrick JohnsonRobert DunhamIonopsis Peniculata is the rarest orchid in the universe. A medieval warrior is conscripted by Yhakin, a half-crazy sorcerer into an Inter-Dimensional Military Force that uses both modern weapons and magic and sent to retrieve one.
- DirectorEddie ThomasStarsJames GibsonMicah HennessJeffrey lee RigdonMartial Arts Grandmaster Eddie Thomas stars as grief stricken King Talos, who mourns the loss of his family and struggles with dark dreams that threaten his sanity. A sinister plot to overtake his kingdom orchestrated by his nemesis Kashitani (Gary House) makes him an outcast and fugitive. Hunted by both soldier and bounty hunter he turns to his mentor Watoga (Bill Rankin) who sends him on a perilous quest to regain his kingdom and rescue his only son from an evil influence. Talos is a tale of adventure, fierce combat, betrayal, and the quest of one man's ability to rise above his misfortunes.
- DirectorDavid SchmidtStarsJen AlbertDawn AldenEnzo AmitranoSwashbuckling Adventure of Geoffrey Pierce, a young soldier returning home from foreign wars. Coming back with plans to make amends to Lady Grace, a woman he once wronged, Geoffrey finds her married into the powerful Durant family - nobility with a dark and dangerous plan to put Tristan Durant on the throne of England! Joined by a young and cunning thief, Nola, Geoffrey is thrust into a tangled web of intrigue, action, and the desperate search for the mystical Eurydice Hook.
- DirectorDavid MarshStarsJarrett ParkerMark GauthierBrendan Dillon Jr.A pair of sorcerer brothers from 10th-century England show up in modern-day California and wreak havoc.
- DirectorMichael J. MurphyStarsPatrick OlliverStephen HarrisDebbi StevensThe adventure begins when a muscle bound hero rescues a woman from some Druids. He offers to help track down her lover who has been enslaved by the evil Morgana. They set of on their quest, accompanied by a cowardly thief.
- DirectorTyson CarpenterStarsMilo ArrTyson CarpenterChris FauxIn a magical realm of savagery and ancient ruins, the evil Witch Queen Morgina is slaying or enslaving all who stand in her way. Kcor of a Warrior Tribe, returns to find his entire village, family and all, destroyed; Morgina laughing over their charred remains. Rescued by a mysterious Guide, Kcor embarks on a quest across sparsely populated landscapes of beauty and desolation, ghosts and monsters, in a scavenger hunt to find tools necessary for defeating Morgina. On the path, he teams up with the wild huntress Zamuria who has also sworn revenge on the Witch Queen. Together they must defeat Morgina's army of grotesque minions and somehow kill her powerful spirit emanating from the dreaded Red Citadel.
- DirectorJames HunterStarsJason BralySteve BarkerCaroline DuncanRobin Hood is back with his gang of outlaws to do battle with the dark forces of the Sheriff of Nottingham. With his lands taken and father murdered, he and his gang of outlaws are forced to live in Sherwood forest and raid the Sheriff whenever needed. Not content with his life of crime, Robin Hood pleads with his men to overthrow the Sheriff once and for all. However, the Sheriff has plans of his own for Robin. In a stunning move, the Sheriff and his allies kidnap Lady Marian and hold her prisoner. In one last and desperate battle Robin Hood leads an assault upon Nottingham Castle to rescue his love, and bring balance back to England. Will the King return in time?
- DirectorRobbie MoffatStarsJames WatsonMichael E. RodgersLynsey BaxterAD 575, a shipwrecked band of Romans escort reluctant widow Hennini beyond Hadrians Wall where she is to marry mercenary Chieftan Cathen. The Romans are viciously attacked whilst crossing and Hennini is abducted. Mernwhile Fingal has fallen on hard times, the Domal of Trool offers him money to search for his chiefs abducted bride. Whilst searching for Hennini they stumble upon shipwrecked Greek monk Regulus. Hennini is holding Regulus's precious relics and together they set out to find her. Heddini, safe and sound, escapes with her new lover, Angle leader Aedgar, but is caught in the act and forced to marry Cathen. When Hennini refuses to sleep with him, she is banished to the island of the Culdees and left to perish on a rock.
- DirectorRobbie MoffatStarsJames WatsonVictoria PritchardJon-Paul GatesIn the autumn of 573 AD, the civil war that divides the Celtic nations in the Post-Roman Britain ends at the battle of Arthuet. The Celtic armies disband and the warriors return to their homes, but the losses to the combined Celtic forces are so great that the immigrants from Germania - the Angles who settled along the North Sea, boldly send raiding parties into the Celtic homelands. Fingal, a Celtic mercenary soldier, is returning home to his Roman wife, Lillian, who lives with his people of Caledon. Weighed down by his travel bags full of the treasures of war, he rescues a slave, Jessica, from her Angle captors, to become his servant to carry his valuables homeward. Meanwhile, Angle raiders capture Lillian, and in a confrontation with Fingal, the Angle dullard Ulph kills Lillian, thus destroying any hope of peace making. The Angles flee taking Jessica with them. After burying his wife, Fingal pursues the Angles. Meanwhile Ida, the Angle leader realises they are lost when they encounter the Picts, the playful bandits of the high hills. Fingal makes a bargain with the unruly Picts, paying them to defeat the Angles. Fearful of having to spend the winter in a hostile land, the Angles begin to panic and fight among themselves.
- DirectorRobbie MoffatStarsMarnie BaxterJon-Paul GatesSean ArnoldFingal is avenged by his daughter Ethne in a story of intrigue and revenge in the Highlands of Scotland during the Dark Ages when tribes fought against tribes.
- DirectorLuke BaldockStarsLuke BaldockMartin JohnDiedre QuinnWhen a young farm hand named Arthur visits a local fair, his life is dramatically changed when he unwittingly unleashed his destiny by removing a sword of kings from its resting place. John Martin (Shine) and Deirdre Quinn (Maslins Beach) and newcomer Luke Baldock star in this charming adventure for all ages.
- DirectorRobert TowneStarsBaron Von GoghkuAnna SurrattStephanie FriasIn the distant dragon worshiping empire of Ashelon, a disgraced knight seeks to restore his fortunes and win the hand of the king's daughter while a band of mountain rebels wages war under the leadership of the true heir to the throne.
- DirectorRobert TowneStarsEric MichaelsGraci ClarkDanny FogleIn a dark time when the kingdoms of men have fallen and orcs dominate the earth, Akosh, the cowardly survivor of a dragon attack, seeks refuge in the mountains. There he must learn the ways of the sword from an exiled knight named Eli, and his daughter Zephra. But as Akosh gets groomed to take up the mantle of heroes who have passed in to legend, he begins to uncover dark secrets about Eli's family history. Set nine centuries before the events of "Song of the Starslayer," this new chapter delves deeper into the legends that form the history of Ashelon.
- DirectorThanos KermitsisStarsYannis Rubus RubuliasConstantina GeorgantaGeorgia GiannakoudiA savage warrior escapes slavery and hunted by his former masters, begins a perilous journey back to his homeland and his wife.
- DirectorRémi HoffmannStarsJonathan DurieuxSoizic FonjallazOlivier GrignardA luminous dome rises above the rocky walls of the Lands of Ringston. Within it the dark past of the world fills with anger and rage Rashalden, Lord of Darkness and the deposed embodiment of a fallen order that once ruled over the balance of the world, nourishes a hatred for the human race and is preparing to reconquer his lost kingdoms. The rumor of the sad Sire's return is rumbling, from the plains of Ciampes to Sandhia, the elf city nestled in the roots of the forest...and his former worshipers gathering around the dome. Jarwin of the Kalmerils, Prince of Ringston, is still too young to understand the stakes involved with the games and plots being woven - his lack of concern is equal only to his flippancy. And yet he will - unwillingly - get involved in the legend and discover that everything he ever believed in, including the existence of his own family, the Kalmerils, is but part of a gigantic ploy that could mean destruction and chaos across the world. Strange visions, a Vampire queen come for vengeance, a vanished people, a heavy secret... The religion of the elves describes the nine other dimensions they say surround us. It is at the heart of our world that the wound was struck, but it is in the Netherworld that the Lords will face each other.
- DirectorOliver KrekelStarsMartin ThonRamona KuenKane HodderWhile battling the Nottingham Sheriff, Robin Hood and his band of merry men are slain. Distraught over these horrific turn of events Marian and Little John attempt to resurrect Robin and his comrades with disastrous results.
- DirectorsGünther BrandlHelmut BrandlMonika BrandlStarsTimo TiradoGünther BrandlClarissa HopfensitzThe world of Omnia is a strange world full of mystery, strong warriors and wise magicians. But this world is not real. It's a huge game where real people compete with each other. In a secret lab, they are transported with the help of a mind-altering substance into another reality. However, the drug is not without side effects. Soon the game takes a nasty turn.
- DirectorDarren HerczegStarsJosh CookeHelen HarlanSean HartAbandon hope. For now you enter a time a thousand thousand years before the dawn of ancient history.
- Olek is a simple barbarian living in a complex time. As last remaining heir to the Borian throne, Olek is beset on all sides by jealous rivals for the crown. Will the solace he finds in his loyal companion be enough to sustain him through these dark times?
- DirectorIngo HillenbrandStarsAdrian AngstmannAnke BaumgärtelCora CzarneckiThe wise druid Cathbad predicts in a mild night in autumn, that the daughter of Fedlim and his wife Derdriu will be the most beautiful and bravest woman Erin has ever seen, but she will also bring sorrow and doom over the men of Emuin Macha because of her beauty. At King Conchobar's behest Derdriu raises under the charge of the magician Leborcham to marry the king, when the time comes. But Derdriu has other plans: When she heard about the druid's prophecy, she gets Noisi, a handsome peasant's son, with whom she falls in love, to abduct her and to flee. Together with Noisi's brothers Ardan and Annli they go on a journey, on which they get in extreme danger again and again and meet the king's soldiers but also get in trouble with the king of Alba and some other curious guises, from which they never know if they can trust them or not.
- DirectorCecily FayStarsCecily FayJoelle SimpsonCheryl BurnistonSet on the planet Draiga, this steampunk action film features world-class female martial artists and follows Azura as she tries save her dying race.
- DirectorRoss BoyaskStarsCecily FayJoelle SimpsonHelen Steinway BaileyTwo powerful female warriors must journey across a post-apocalyptic land to fight a ritual duel, and fulfill an ancient prophecy.
- DirectorEveshka GhostStarsXander PhillipsSeth EasterbrookMartyn EadeIn the ancient forest of Soza, a fighter, a thief, and a hermit go searching for a magical sword that can control minds.