KNIGHTRIDERS (1981)

KNIGHTRIDERS (1981)

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

(Action, Drama, Motorcycle Jousting) [R]

That’s probability, some things is just sure to happen. Seein em’ comin' ain’t nothing to get excited about. 

This movie follows a Renaissance fair-ish group known for its elaborate motorcycle jousting, which is getting more popular drawing attention from the cops and entertainment scouts. However, the growing delusions of the group’s leader Billy are also causing doubts within the group. 

The first thing someone might notice about this movie is that it’s a whopping 2 hours and 26 minutes long. What you might not know, is the rough cut of the film was 17 hours long. Given the premise, that was probably a TON of drama that might have been suitable for a TV series that got canned after 1 season, but as a movie. The 2.5 hours this movie runs feel like a dentist visit where the dentist can’t shut up about how much he wants to not make any money and keep things super small while his entire staff is starving and the building is on fire. However, in the movie, every once in a while there is a motorcycle joust thrown in to keep you awake. 

Acting wise Ed Harris (GREENLAND) is solid and he kind of needed to be since this was the first theatrical release where he got first billing. Tom Savini plays Morgan in this film and also does a pretty solid job. Savini is mostly known for his makeup effects but has been in over 70 movies and TV projects. We also get a decent performance from Amy Ingersoll who plays Linet. She also appeared in SPLASH but has only done voice work since 1984. Patricia Tallman plays Julie and gets a good amount of screen time. She is still acting to this day and was probably most famous for ROAD HOUSE. Directed by George A. Romero, this movie was definitely a departure from his well-known horror flicks. Interestingly this weird drama-driven but whimsical nod to the middle ages and Camelot came out on the same day as EXCALIBUR. I actually watched that movie in High School my Sophomore year and my English teacher Mrs. Hawkins famously fast-forwarded through the scenes with nudity. 

Oddity – this movie has a lot of unnecessary scenes, but one of the weirder ones ends up being a creepy mime that initially looks like he’s happy a baby is alive after a motorcycle rides out of control, but then starts looking at it intently like he’s about to eat it or something. It’s really weird. I am sure that wasn’t the intention at all, but geez. Stephen and Tabitha King show up in a scene as part of the audience. Stephen King was on set working on the CREEPSHOW script with George A. Romero. 

I never thought that sitting through a movie about jousts and motorcycles would be agonizing, but sadly I don’t share the enthusiasm for this movie that a lot of its fans do. It is a rough movie with too few good moments to elevate it past anything other than a forgettable overlong sloppily put-together fun idea. The score is forgettable and if I ever see Ed Harris’s butt again, it will be too soon. 

The only advice I have when it comes to this thing is just to avoid it. The great reviews are unwarranted. WARLORDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY is a far better choice if you want an action movie with a motorcycle from around the same time period. I do like a lot of the talents involved and props to Romero for breaking out of the horror mold, but this is a rough one. Overall I can’t give this movie anything higher than a 3 out of 7. It’s getting the 3 because it does have some cool moments and a few decent characters.

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