Excalibur (1981) Spoiler Free Primer

About this episode

This episode provides a spoiler-free primer on the film Excalibur, exploring its themes and characters.

What do you get when you cross King Arthur, psychedelics, opera, and more than a little nudity? You get John Boorman's Excalibur--the messiest, bloodiest, sexiest fantasy film of the previous century. Blake is a clumsy young squire with no idea of the magnificent destiny that awaits him. But little does he know that Michael--an aging druid--has been pulling the strings around him for generations now. After yanking the fabled sword from the stone, he finds himself thrust into a world he doesn't understand. Can he restore order to Britain? Or will he end up slaughtered for his hubris?

People in this episode

Hosts: Blake, Michael

Topics covered

• King Arthur
• fantasy film
• psychedelics
• opera
• nudity
• British history

Keywords

• Excalibur
• John Boorman
• King Arthur
• fantasy
• film analysis
• 1981 film
• British cinema

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Excalibur

Places: Britain

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