Movie Commentaries and T.V. Shows

Fellow fan commentator Tysto (http://www.tysto.com/) joined Justin and myself (Your Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy) in our recording studio for a collaborative commentary on the 1988 Sword & Sorcery Epic–Willow.

This was a blast to record because of course three heads are better than two. But also because the three of us of really like the film. Not only for nostalgia sake, but for the fact that its a stand out of its genre that still holds up today. As with other films of its kind Willow draws upon a shared pool of mythical elements – a child of prophecy, an evil queen, a lovable rogue, a hero on a journey, etc. But those familiarities shouldn’t keep anyone of this generation or the last from enjoying this underrated film. Either young or young at heart Willow takes you on his journey with him.

From Tysto Commentaries:

Join me and my special guests Josh and Justin from Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy on a magical trip thru some Medieval fantasyland or other. It’s the heartwarming story of a humble peasant (who is totally not a hobbit or a moisture farmer) who goes on a quest that has nothing to do with destroying an evil overlord or saving an adult princess. Along the way, he gains an item of mystical power (which is not at all a ring of invisibility or a laser sword) and teams up with a pair of comical sidekicks (who are clearly not hobbits or robots) as well as a loveable rogue (who is definitely not a ranger of royal descent or a smuggler in trouble with a gangster) and gets magical help from a wise and mystical old mentor (who is in no way an old magic-wielding wizard or an old sword-wielding mystical monk).

We discuss the novelization and possible inspirations, explore its themes and tone, and weigh its strengths and weaknesses. We like the film a lot but also have a lot of fun with it. I can’t remember most of the characters’ names, but I do get a chance to bust out my knowledge of ancient literature.

Soulless Minions

Tysto

Christiana and Mike are joined once again by Shelly (of Shelly’s Podcast), Reverend Chumley (of Cult of UHF), and also by Aaron (of The Big Show), to watch a movie and talk about it.

This time: We watch Willow.