Entertainment Collecting 25 Years of Fantasy Swords in the Movies: A Retrospective
The movie Conan, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released in 1982 and the sword called "The Atlantean" was specifically designed for the movie and for the actor. It was given a major role in the movie because it played a major role in the Conan stories and novels written by Robert E. Howard. The sword itself proved to be very popular and replicas were created for sale on the mass market. Twenty-five years later replicas of the Atlantean are still made and sold. This sword started a whole trend in movie making and today fantasy moviemakers take great care to design, create, and market unique swords as part of the movie and as part of their marketing. This can be seen in the recently released movie 300, which has caused a resurgence in the gladiator type sword. And the new Harry Potter movie will spotlight a sword wielded by Harry himself. This sword replica has already been released and is available in currently limited quantities on the mass market.
The Highlander movies, (First installment released in 1986) are another good example of the sword as a centerpiece of the movie. The swords play a major role in the film plot in that the sword must be used to dispatch a foe, and consequently, to gain the foe's powers. In the first film a Scottish Claymore was used and as the Highlander moves through time into the present he switches to a highly stylized version of Japanes katanas. This use of the Japanes katana is one of the earliest examples of mass marketing of Japanese swords and this has been very successfully followed in the Kill Bill movies.
Braveheart (released in 1995) is a good example of using replica swords that stay true to the flavor of the time period they portray. Mel Gibson wields a number of different weapons that stay accurate to the time of the movie. These weapons include a warhammer and a flail. The most famous of the weapons that he wields is A Flamberge which is a two-handed sword with a leather wrapping around a portion of the blade which allows the user to choke up on the weapon and use it in close combat situations.
Blade (1996-2004) is a series of vampire movies that use a variety of weapons including flailing, and whipping weapons. The primary weapon of the main character (Wesley Snipes) is a Japanese Katana that has the added effect of a booby trap. If a person picks up the weapon they have a few seconds to press a secret button. If they don't, secret blades pop out of the handle damaging the hand that is holding it. This series of movies are another good example of how the Japanese katana has become very popular in the movies.
Gladiator (2000) is a good example of how the weapons of the high Roman era have made their mark on movies and on the collecting of swords. The Roman Gladius wielded by Maximus (Russell Crowe) is a good example of the weapon that was wielded at the time and it is still a popular choice of weapon collectors.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies (2001 - 2003) have had an impact on the collecting of movie swords that goes beyond all other movies. This movie returned the collector to the art of the pure fantasy sword much like the Conan sword. While the trend in movies was to create period accurate replicas this series of movies moved the whole trend toward the creation of fantastic blades that represented the wielders personality. Each major character in the movies has his own or her own weapon. Each weapon is unique, and easily available on the mass market for collectors.
Eragon (2006) continues the tradition of unique fantasy sword in that the main character wields a beautiful sword called Zar'roc. This sword has a blue Sapphire mounted at the base of the hilt and the sword itself has significant power and symbolism. It plays an important role in the movie and an important role in the replica collection world.
The past twenty-five years of filmmaking has given us a wonderful selection of fantasy swords that are both accurate reproductions from the real swords of the past and exciting creations of fantasy that never existed except in the minds of writers and blacksmiths. This trend was first started with Conan and over the next twenty-five years we are sure to get an even more incredible selection of weapons and swords in the movies.
Want to learn more about Medieval Weapons, Armor, and Castles? Visit the authors website at Medieval - The Medieval Armory
To Learn more about medieval knights, their weapons and how they lived visit his site at The Knight Medieval website
Related Tags: movies, swords, collectible, fantasy swords
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Avebury Stone Circle - Does It Have Magical Powers?
Avebury is the site of an ancient monument consisting of a large henge. Its construction was spread - How To Successfully Manage Your Digital Photo Collection And Prevent Catastrophic Loss
Wow.... talk about digital explosion, progress in leaps and bounds. In just a space of 20 years we h - A Short But Fascinating Look At Tin Lunch Boxes
Tin lunch boxes went through a great period of revolution throughout the central part of the last ce - Buy A Unexpected Gift Not Your Normal Gifts
No matter what the personality of the person is, you can always opt for the personalized gift sets t - Laser Tattoo Removal Facts To Know
Untold numbers of folks, perhaps even more, walk around having tattoos. A few are visible, some are - The Reason For High Tattoo Removal Costs
Occasionally, you really need to need some thing really bad in your life to put up with the costs th - Honey Bee Magic - Controlling Taste, Texture, And Flavor
There is a great deal of pride that you get from making your own honey, plus it usually tastes bette - Toy Model Trains; The Coming Of Age.
Did You Or your children grow up with Thomas the Tank Engine? Did you ever read them the story of "T - Most Popular Woodworking Crafts And Projects To Do
Is it finally time for the yearly vacation? It's always very hard to wait for the vacation to take p - Scientifically Proven To Add Years To Your Life Keep Your Mind Active And Even Expand Grey Matter
Do it yourself homemade projects have always fascinated me and I always have something on the go.My
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Scientists Today are using Satellite Photos More for Humanitarian Need Rather Than Espionage
Have you ever had the opportunity of seeing real life satellite photos? Well, in the past few weeks, - Japanese Kanji symbol translation for your tattoo.
There are three types of Japanese symbols to choose from when considering a Japanese style tattoo. K - Holly 'red Beauty' (ppaf #14750)
>A Compact, Disease Resistant Holly - 22 Years in the Making! Dr. Elwin Orton of Rutgers University - Miroslav Klabal is an Art Dealer With a Difference
Giving a vent to one's feelings and expressions is not an easy task. Art is one form that can be mad - Find your Favorite Online Casinos
The interest of gamblers in online casinos is constantly on the increase and so is the number of cas - Understanding Dress Up Games
Some parents are concerned about their daughter's safety online. They wonder as she sits down at the - Ingredient of Indonesian Dishes
INGREDIENTS OF INDONESIAN DISHES Indonesia dishes are amongst the most delicious in the world, - Bass Fishing - Learn the Facts That Can Help you Catch the Trophies
In the fishing world largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are two of the more highly coveted fish ind - Giclee Prints - Affordable Fine Art
"Giclee" is a style of fine art, which incorporates the use of modern day printers, predominately 7- - Beach Decorating for Adults and Kids; From Bathroom Décor to Beach Dioramas
One way to bring back memories of a summer at the beach is through beach themed decorating. It is al