Knightriders

source: Knightriders

Trailer—Knightriders

Knightriders

A unique and interesting movie from George Romero about a traveling renaissance fair troupe that struggles with pressures from outside and within their own group. The troupe's "king" (Ed Harris) takes the knight thing very seriously and tries to lead by Arthurian ideals. But others don't share his passion and are tempted by outside offers of fame. Nice change of pace non-horror film from Romero features many familiar faces from his other films. Stephen King also has an annoying cameo. Maybe a little longer than necessary but well worth checking out. It's one of those films you revisit every few years and generally come away liking it more each time.

"Knightriders" is almost a really good movie. It is too long by about a half an hour or so. This might sound strange but there's a little bit too much of the motorcycles in this movie. The last showdown of the movie goes on way too long. Even though there are quite a few "Wow, I hope nobody got hurt" stunts, there's also too much of motorcycles going around in circles. That said, there is a lot to like in this movie. There is a great performance by Tom Savini and a good one by Ed Harris. The rest of the cast ranges from good to not so hot (or in Stephen King's case, pretty bad). The music is terrific. As are the Pennsylvania locations. I like to watch "Knightriders" every year or so. Honorable mention: a dreamy Patricia Tallman.

Not to say that I don't appreciate what Romero has done here; the themes of honor and chivalry definitely come through strong, but seriously, it all amounts to very little at the cost of a huge two and half hour price! Romero has always had a great talent for taking obscure situations and turning them deadly serious. I was waiting for Knightrider's to kick it into high gear, but it never happened. No shocks, little emotion and dull humor. Knightriders is not just Romero "light", it's calorie-free diet film making.

I saw this film when it first came out as a kid and just recently found an out-of-print video on it. The movie still holds up. The acting is quite good, especially Ed Harris, who stands out as the "King Arthur" leader, Billy. Tom Savinni did a good job during the scenes where he "sold out" his image. You could see the transition in his face, sans dialogue. Yes, it does need to be shortened by about twenty minutes, but overall its an enjoyable film with many underlying lessons to learn from. Two outstanding, bittersweet scenes are the "Lancelot" character having to return the woman that loves him back to her home and the transition at the end where Ed Harris gives a young boy, who hero worships him, his sword. The stunts are fantastic as well. Sit back with some popcorn and enjoy! Look for the cameo by Stephen King as the "Loudmouth Spectator."

I really thought I was in store for some classic post-Punk mayhem a la Deathrace 2000 or Dead-End Drive-In (which are both fine movies) but instead I saw one of the best movies I've ever seen. Call me a sap but I had tears welling up in my eyes for the entire last forty minutes. Rarely does clarity of direction and story-telling go hand-in-hand with such an unusual movie. Excellent performances are derived from both the actorly and realist schools and even a little over-the-top style but the different kinds don't clash, they combine to make it a fuller, richer film altogether. I had never really wondered what it would be like if Christopher Lee and Meadowlark Lemon had a son but now I know. Beautiful camera-work and a truly human sympathy for even minor characters (Julie Dean on her porch, the Troubadour talking to King Billy) make all scenes watchable and invaluable. This movie is humane and beautiful. A real treat. Odd as hell, to be sure, but remarkable.