As part of my continued review of the films of my youth, I picked up a copy of Excalibur. I remembered it as being ahistorical, cheesy and that the Grail Quest plot line was really boring, and all of that was correct.
What I forgot was how many future A-list actors were slumming their way through it. Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, and Patrick Stewart all got prominent roles.
As to the film, it's a guilty pleasure, almost a parody of itself. The super-shiny Renaissance armor is completely out of place, as are the apparently neon Celtic crosses. It's all a giant goof, but a useful time-waster and certainly suitable for mockery in a group setting.
Perhaps the most shocking thing about it is that it wasn't an American production – the Brits produced this dreck, and one has to wonder if the producers were unconsciously imitating Monty Python's Holy Grail spoof.
Excalibur borrowed heavily from existing classical music, which made a profound impression on me. My first CD was Carl Orff's Carmena Burana, because I love the Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi tune. Later on, I bought some of Wagner's 'greatest hits' so I could hear Siegfried's funeral music.
So at least the film has that going for it.
The 80s saw a bunch of fantasy movies, perhaps trying to capitalize on the Dungeons and Dragons craze. Most were terrible, though they were bad in different ways. Few turned a profit. I think the biggest winner was Conan the Barbarian, which was quite good and has a superb soundtrack.
Excalibur falls into the "so bad it's good" category.
Chateau Lloyd 
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