Krull is a pseudo cult classic. It's got some kick ass box art and a host of ideas that nostalgia clouds as being awesome. But when revisiting it, neither of those two things amount to much.
Why? Well, Krull is chock full world-building. It's got a Cyclops, a cannibalistic spider, horses whose speed creates a trail of flame, and so much more. But none of them are fleshed out all that well; and most of it is just ripped from better properties.
And that's because Krull was a cash grab—meant to cap...
Krull is a pseudo cult classic. It's got some kick ass box art and a host of ideas that nostalgia clouds as being awesome. But when revisiting it, neither of those two things amount to much.
Why? Well, Krull is chock full world-building. It's got a Cyclops, a cannibalistic spider, horses whose speed creates a trail of flame, and so much more. But none of them are fleshed out all that well; and most of it is just ripped from better properties.
And that's because Krull was a cash grab—meant to capitalize on the popularity of those other IPs. Fantasy, in particular space operas, were kind of a thing in the late 70s and early 80s. Premiering just two months after Return of the Jedi, this just never does enough to set itself apart from the things that inspired it.
Hence why it made no money—$16.9 million on a budget of $30 million; and why it was trounced by critics—32% on Rotten Tomatoes with 22 reviews.
With all that said, if Krull was a movie of your youth—as it was mine—you will still enjoy the hell out of it. Despite all the horrific fight choreography and cringe worthy green screen effects, it still packs plenty of charm.
Now sit back, slash the top off of a Viking Space Probe Hazy Double IPA from Stone Brewing, and mount your Firemare! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Chumpzilla, and Mayor McCheese are triumphing over evil with the power of love!
This Week’s Segments:
- Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Krull throws a lot at you, but not much of it is executed well. (00:00)
- Lingering Questions – After a word from Hop Nation USA, we analyze why this fantasy failed to hit it big. (1:00:01)
- The "Not the One with Kevin Sorbo ... Thank God" Trivia Challenge – The Double Turn Podcast sends you for an Irish Whip, and then Chumpzilla challenges the field to a series of questions about the movie. (1:29:32)
- Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We continue "Hops and Fantasy Flops" with Ridley Scott's under appreciated 80s classic Legend. (1:40:50)
And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the glory of the Glaive and more—from this week’s episode!
You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, and Amazon Music!
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