Knightriders (1981)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

George A. Romero

Writer:

George A. Romero (written by)

Release Date:

10 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

The Games...The Romance...The Spirit...Camelot is a state of mind.

Plot:

A travelling troupe of jousters and performers are slowly cracking under the pressure of hick cops,...

Plot Keywords:

Fair | Biker | Motorcycle | Reference To Jim Jones | Independent Film

Cast

Ed Harris	...	Billy
Gary Lahti	...	Alan
Tom Savini	...	Morgan
Amy Ingersoll	...	Linet
Patricia Tallman	...	Julie
Christine Forrest	...	Angie
Warner Shook	...	Pippin
Brother Blue	...	Merlin
Cynthia Adler	...	Rocky
John Amplas	...	Whiteface
Don Berry	...	Bagman
Amanda Davies	...	Sheila
Martin Ferrero	...	Bontempi
Ken Foree	...	Little John
Ken Hixon	...	Steve

Also Known As:

George A. Romero's Knightriders (USA) (complete title)
Knights (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

145 min | Germany:102 min | Finland:141 min (video release) | Finland:115 min (TV) (1988)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Laurel

Trivia:

George A. Romero married Christine Forrest on the last day of shooting, which led to some amusing continuity issues with the 2nd unit biker shots taken on that day.

Quotes:

Merlin: If I didn't believe in magic, I'd still be treating gall bladders, prostates and stuff like that. See, magic ain't got nothing to do with organs and glands and busted necks. Magic got to do with the soul, man. Only the soul's got destiny. It got wings. It's can fly. That's magic. The body? The body's just got a few minutes down here in the dirt with the rest of us.
Billy: You see things before they happen.
Merlin: That's probability. Some things is just sure to happen. Seeing em comin' ain't nothing to get excited about.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Wild One (1953)

Soundtrack:

Signifying Monkey

Highly recommended independent film.

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."