DARK KINGDOM (aka Ring of the Nibelungs) Debuts on Sci-Fi

[AndyDursin]

Just noticed this 2004 German TV movie (also aka Sword of Xanten) is on Sci-Fi tonight -- its U.S. debut.

I'm guessing it ain't that great, but anything with Alicia Witt AND Kristianna Loken is worth tuning into.

One thing to keep in mind -- Sci-Fi is apparently airing this over 2 nights, so it's the full 3-hour version. Sony's DVD (out this week) is CUT to 132 minutes (the international "feature length version"), just FYI -- the long cut is available in the UK Region 2 DVD.

Strangely, the IMDB lists Klaus Badelt as an associate producer (?), with Ilan Eshkeri credited with the score. Not all the reviews are bad, and Max Von Sydow is in it, so who knows...anyone over in Europe seen this crazy thing?

[Paul MacLean]

Just noticed this 2004 German TV movie (also aka Sword of Xanten) is on Sci-Fi tonight -- its U.S. debut.

I'm guessing it ain't that great

That's the understatement of the week!

Theoretically based on the same Germanic myths which inspired Wagner's "Ring Cycle", the production actually has more in common with things like Druids or The Sword and the Sorcerer.

Much of the production was filmed in South Africa (!!!) tho most of the time the actors are obviously filmed against a green screen and superimposed onto to various landscapes (and the results are laughably unconvincing).

Most of the footage is desaturated and tinted blue (gee, what innovative touch!), the costumes look like the same S&M outfits from every other cheesy schlock "sword and sorcery" movie. I don't think the filmmakers research took them much further than a D&D manual. The acting blows too, and isn't helped by European actors trying to speak badly written English dialog.

Imagine if Robert Rodriguez collaborated with Janusz Kaminski to make a fantasy based on a round of D&D, starring Christopher Lambert and Brigett Nielsen, and you'll get an idea of what this thing is like!

Some of the women are nice to look at tho, I'll give you that!


Paul

[John Johnson]

Just noticed this 2004 German TV movie (also aka Sword of Xanten) is on Sci-Fi tonight -- its U.S. debut.

I'm guessing it ain't that great, but anything with Alicia Witt AND Kristianna Loken is worth tuning into.

One thing to keep in mind -- Sci-Fi is apparently airing this over 2 nights, so it's the full 3-hour version. Sony's DVD (out this week) is CUT to 132 minutes (the international "feature length version"), just FYI -- the long cut is available in the UK Region 2 DVD.

Strangely, the IMDB lists Klaus Badelt as an associate producer (?), with Ilan Eshkeri credited with the score. Not all the reviews are bad, and Max Von Sydow is in it, so who knows...anyone over in Europe seen this crazy thing?

I noticed at the beginning of the credits that the U.K.'s Channel 4 is connected with the miniseries, so I'm guessing that they will screen it.
I did see the CD in Tower Records last week.

[romanD]

the cd features mostly songs... havent seen it, only heard bad things about it, though the dragon looked pretty good in the previews.

The composer was once attached to do x3... but when the director changed he left, too...

why Badelt produced this I dont know... I heard that on x3 the composer would have been produced by Teese Gohl (from Goldenthal), so I don't know whether that is an MV guy or not... anyhow, heard the score sucks...