'The Dungeonmaster' traps '80s films in Hell
Sometime in 1984 or 1985, the greatest movie of all time was released. “The Dungeonmaster” starring Richard Moll guaranteed that it would pit an ancient demon wizard against a computer tech and they would duel it out. More than that, it drew on the idea of Dungeons and Dragons, whose Dungeon Master ruled the game, and as Dungeon Masters ourselves, my friend and I couldn’t wait to see what Hollywood had cooked up.
And it lived up to the hype. It was amazing and glorious and left us talking about it for weeks, even if we only saw it once in the movie theater – in 6th or 7th grade my disposable income usually consisted of pocket lint and ketchup packets from the school cafeteria. Richard Moll, who is famous for his role on Night Court as the dumb but lovable bailiff with a good heart, was great as an evil demon wizard. He brought size to the role. The special effects blew us away, and the story was something we had always wanted to do in our own D&D campaigns.
Then I moved away, got older and made it to college. I was no longer in contact with my friend, but I fondly remember how amazing “The Dungeonmaster” was. When I got the chance to see it again, I jumped at it. I put the VHS in the VCR and pushed play, and what I saw was not what I remembered at all. “The Dungeonmaster” has to be one of the worst films ever made. Terrible special effects, terrible storyline, and I don’t think it is remotely related to D&D. How could such a good movie in memory fail so much in real life?
Maybe it was the company. Maybe it was the time of life. Maybe it was getting to sit in a theater without any parents or other adults. Whatever it was, “The Dungeonmaster” has had one lasting effect. It has made me afraid to watch other films from the same time period that I enjoyed at the time. Is Red Sonja as good as I remember? Or was it only good because my grandma took me to see it several times? Is “LadyHawke” good or does ELO ruin it? While “Popeye” is terrible, in spite of the genius of Shelly Duvall, “The Watcher in the Woods” is still good. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” also held up well over time. “Monster Squad” is better than I remembered. However, even with those 3 examples, I don’t know if I have the heart to ask my wife to watch other films from the ‘80s.
What’s your favorite childhood film that didn’t live up to your memory of it? Tell us below.
And it lived up to the hype. It was amazing and glorious and left us talking about it for weeks, even if we only saw it once in the movie theater – in 6th or 7th grade my disposable income usually consisted of pocket lint and ketchup packets from the school cafeteria. Richard Moll, who is famous for his role on Night Court as the dumb but lovable bailiff with a good heart, was great as an evil demon wizard. He brought size to the role. The special effects blew us away, and the story was something we had always wanted to do in our own D&D campaigns.
Then I moved away, got older and made it to college. I was no longer in contact with my friend, but I fondly remember how amazing “The Dungeonmaster” was. When I got the chance to see it again, I jumped at it. I put the VHS in the VCR and pushed play, and what I saw was not what I remembered at all. “The Dungeonmaster” has to be one of the worst films ever made. Terrible special effects, terrible storyline, and I don’t think it is remotely related to D&D. How could such a good movie in memory fail so much in real life?
Maybe it was the company. Maybe it was the time of life. Maybe it was getting to sit in a theater without any parents or other adults. Whatever it was, “The Dungeonmaster” has had one lasting effect. It has made me afraid to watch other films from the same time period that I enjoyed at the time. Is Red Sonja as good as I remember? Or was it only good because my grandma took me to see it several times? Is “LadyHawke” good or does ELO ruin it? While “Popeye” is terrible, in spite of the genius of Shelly Duvall, “The Watcher in the Woods” is still good. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” also held up well over time. “Monster Squad” is better than I remembered. However, even with those 3 examples, I don’t know if I have the heart to ask my wife to watch other films from the ‘80s.
What’s your favorite childhood film that didn’t live up to your memory of it? Tell us below.