Knightriders
Feb. 15th, 2006 12:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thehefnerA couple days ago, I saw George A. Romero's KNIGHTRIDERS. Anyone else seen this movie? It's not a horror film, but rather... wait for it... a character drama about a traveling band of Renaissance Faire bikers.
Ed Harris plays Billy, the King and leader of the troupe, who travel from town to town, performing shows and barely making enough money for their next day's dinner. Tom Savini plays the Black Knight, Morgan le Fay (he took the name without knowing who the real Morgan was), who wants the troupe to expand to more venues like Vegas so they can actually make money. Harris' Billy, however, is in it not for money but for honor. He believes that what they do is something sacred, that he's "fighting the dragon," and his slow descent into madness and desperation starts to tear the troupe apart. Savini and some of the other members split off to form their own troupe, but his own doubts about honor and justice start to nag at him.
Speaking of justice, I'm just not doing it for this movie with my lame-ass description. I'm too damn tired and this film is just too damn hard to describe. Let me just say that young Ed Harris (who really needed to shave his head... those wisps were so distracting) was absolutely stellar. Every second he was on screen you were fixed on him. But the real standout was Tom Savini. This guy's Romero's legendary make-up artist who's had the odd cameo in movies now and again, but holy shit, he was so powerful and subtle in this movie! The last scene between Morgan and Billy is so moving, I can't even try to do it justice here.
The movie certainly has flaws. Mainly, it's too long (145 minutes) and Romero's dialogue is often corny. But there is just so much heart in this movie, I'm really, seriously tempted to consider it Romero's masterpiece. Yes, me, the zombie movie lover. I think it has more heart and soul than any of his zombie films (Bub aside, of course).
Plus: Best Stephen King cameo ever.
Seriously, how many films are there out there that focus on Renaissance Faire geeks? This movie is a must-see. I just ordered it from amazon.com if anyone wants to have a movie night.
Ed Harris plays Billy, the King and leader of the troupe, who travel from town to town, performing shows and barely making enough money for their next day's dinner. Tom Savini plays the Black Knight, Morgan le Fay (he took the name without knowing who the real Morgan was), who wants the troupe to expand to more venues like Vegas so they can actually make money. Harris' Billy, however, is in it not for money but for honor. He believes that what they do is something sacred, that he's "fighting the dragon," and his slow descent into madness and desperation starts to tear the troupe apart. Savini and some of the other members split off to form their own troupe, but his own doubts about honor and justice start to nag at him.
Speaking of justice, I'm just not doing it for this movie with my lame-ass description. I'm too damn tired and this film is just too damn hard to describe. Let me just say that young Ed Harris (who really needed to shave his head... those wisps were so distracting) was absolutely stellar. Every second he was on screen you were fixed on him. But the real standout was Tom Savini. This guy's Romero's legendary make-up artist who's had the odd cameo in movies now and again, but holy shit, he was so powerful and subtle in this movie! The last scene between Morgan and Billy is so moving, I can't even try to do it justice here.
The movie certainly has flaws. Mainly, it's too long (145 minutes) and Romero's dialogue is often corny. But there is just so much heart in this movie, I'm really, seriously tempted to consider it Romero's masterpiece. Yes, me, the zombie movie lover. I think it has more heart and soul than any of his zombie films (Bub aside, of course).
Plus: Best Stephen King cameo ever.
Seriously, how many films are there out there that focus on Renaissance Faire geeks? This movie is a must-see. I just ordered it from amazon.com if anyone wants to have a movie night.
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Date: 2006-02-15 06:31 am (UTC)Speaking of zombie movies, we are making plans to go to Horrorfind in August. You game?
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Date: 2006-02-15 04:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-21 07:44 pm (UTC)We are also thinking about going to MONSTER MANIA 5 :: MAY 19-21, 2006 :: HILTON HOTEL :: Cherry Hill, NJ
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Date: 2006-02-21 08:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 11:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 04:54 pm (UTC)Is Marty the sorta bigish guy with the moustache in DAWN OF THE DEAD?
i know the answers late, but...
Date: 2006-02-23 01:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 12:33 pm (UTC)The thing is, Ed Harris is an amazing actor. Seriously. And it's weirdly comforting to know that he started in the same place I did, taking weird, often cheesy movie projects and trying to make something of them.
I don't know why, but that makes him real to me.
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Date: 2006-02-15 05:05 pm (UTC)Maybe a movie night is in order. I volunteer up Elise's house!
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Date: 2006-02-15 02:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 05:01 pm (UTC)(your huge TV set, that is...)
I should be getting it in the mail within the week.
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Date: 2006-02-15 02:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 11:45 pm (UTC)My geek posse and myself used to watch that one fairly frequently.
Haven't seen it in years and years, though.
But--
Remember the name! Knightriders!
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Date: 2006-02-16 01:10 am (UTC)