The Warrior and the Sorceress

The Warrior and the Sorceress

Theatrical release film poster
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
Music by Louis Saunders
Cinematography Leonardo Rodríguez Solís
Edited by Silvia Ripoll
Production
company
Aries Cinematográfica Argentina
New Horizon Picture Corp
Distributed by New Horizons
Release dates
  • September 7, 1984 (1984-09-07)

(USA)

Running time
 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 original purpose of taking the well for himself to saving Naja and the village people. Kain starts to tangle the situation, taking advantage of the ongoing feud while seeking to debilitate the rival warlords and defeat them.

Cast

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

  1. ↑ Reel Bad Cinema: The Warrior & the Sorceress (1984) review Cool Ass Cinema
  2. ↑ Business for The Warrior and the Sorceress IMDb
  3. ↑ Box office for The Warrior and the Sorceress Box Office Mojo
  4. ↑ DVD Talk - Roger Corman's Cult Classics Double Feature: The Warrior and the Sorceress/Barbarian Queen
  5. ↑ DVD Verdict - Case Number 02509: The Warrior And The Sorceress
  6. ↑ Joshua reviews The Warrior and the Sorceress & Barbarian Queen, Roger Corman Cult Classic Double Feature Criterion Cast
  7. ↑ "Hollywood in Don Torcuato (first part)": When Roger Corman and his B-movies invaded Argentina Cinematófilos.com.ar (Spanish)
  8. ↑ Marcos Woinski profile Cinenacional.com
  9. 1 2 Cinematófilos, "Hollywood in Don Torcuato (second part)": When Roger Corman and his B-movies invaded Argentina Cinematófilos.com.ar (Spanish)
  10. ↑ Dune Warriors - David Carradine YouTube
  11. ↑ Dune Warriors trailer YouTube
  12. ↑ http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~bjackson/silverbullets.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?showtopic=2420
  14. ↑ Gelten, Simon. "FISTFUL - The Whole Story, part 2 - The Spaghetti Western Database". Spaghetti Western Database. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  15. ↑ "A Fistful of Dollars and Yojimbo". Side B Magazine. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
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