After the massive success of John Milius’ Conan the Barbarian in 1982, an avalanche of cheap sword-and-sorcery pictures flowed forth, eager to cash in on the newly viable genre. Never one to miss out on an emerging box office trend (and running out of ideas for Alien knock-offs), producer extraordinaire Roger Corman embarked on his own series of quick and dirty barbarian pictures. After a false start with Sorceress (released in late ‘82, mere months after Conan), Deathstalker would follow in 1983, starring a former college football player-turned-TV actor named Rick Hill. Corman found an international co-producer in Argentina, where a series of films would ultimately be produced; Deathstalker had a fairly sizable budget of $500,000, much of which would go toward designing and making sets which could then be used in future productions.
There would ultimately be four Deathstalker films, each of variable quality and rapidly diminishing charms (by the time the fourth rolled around in 1991, it was cobbled together in large part via old footage from the first two entries). But as with most Corman films, they were all financially successful to one degree or another, and would go on to become a staple of video store shelves in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The absurd plotting, occasional bursts of cheesy violence, and copious amounts of gratuitous nudity would make them cult staples, late-night favorites for a generation of teenage boys looking to see bare breasts and riff a la Mystery Science Theater.
So it makes sense that writer/director Steven Kostanski and the Aston-6 crew would have a nostalgic interest in this material. The filmmaking collective has made their reputation on reworking old cult material into winking, self-aware genre riffs that seem designed in a lab to appeal to children of the ‘90s. Whatever the limitations of this particular approach to pop culture, they also have an abiding love for practical, hand-made special effects and a penchant for outrageous amounts of gore (as seen in their best films, The Void and the aptly titled Psycho Goreman). And so this new, souped-up 2025 version of Deathstalker — more an homage than any kind of straightforward remake — eschews sex and nudity and instead zeros in on a spectacular number of weird creatures, gallons upon gallons of fake blood, and a reasonably infectious child-like enthusiasm for hacking off limbs.
In a rare leading role, stunt performer and long-time Chad Stahelski collaborator Daniel Bernhardt plays the titular Deathstalker, introduced walking a battlefield strewn with bodies in the aftermath of battle. He stumbles across a barely alive prince, and instead of helping him, proceeds to steal a fancy-looking amulet. But he quickly learns that the amulet has magical properties, and has bonded to him — when he tries to get rid of it by throwing it into a pond, it simply reappears in his pocket. A visit to a witch gives Deathstalker his quest, an elaborate bit of fantasy mumbo-jumbo about the evil Nekromemnon (Nicholas Rice), who needs the amulet to summon an ancient evil to rule the land of Abraxion. Deathstalker’s first task is saving the diminutive wizard Doodad (performed by Laurie Field and voiced by Patton Oswalt), who will help him acquire a four-bladed sword, the only thing that can kill the ultimate big bad. Along the way, they cross paths with a thief named Brisbane (Christina Orjalo), run afoul of the powerful Thieves Guild, make friends with a race of swamp creatures, and occasionally fight demon warriors summoned by Nekromemnon.
While the action occasionally has a Power Rangers vibe — performers in elaborate full-body suits doing various stunts — it’s also delightfully over-the-top; Kostanski and cinematographer Andrew Appelle relish in slicing off arms, sawing through heads, hacking critters in half, etc. Everything is practical (or at least appears to be), with CGI used occasionally for funny magic effects and painterly backgrounds that make the fantasy setting feel a little more expensive. It’s all very low-stakes, tongue planted firmly in cheek. Deathstalker and Doodad have a funny, burgeoning friendship, and Oswalt’s nasally riffing contrasts nicely with Bernhardt’s stoic facade (although the chiseled tough guy gets a few funny bits, too). Gone is the creepy, rape-obsessed sexuality of the ‘70s & ‘80s grindhouse, replaced instead with a goofy sensibility that’s more Spielberg and ‘80s comedy than Troma. Which is to say, 2025’s Deathstalker is a ready-made cult item, created by fans for other fans, and destined to be enjoyed in much the same way as the recent updates of Street Trash and The Toxic Avenger. By that metric, Kostanski’s film is largely successful, and a genuine hoot for those so inclined.
DIRECTOR: Steven Kostanski; CAST: Daniel Bernhardt, Paul Lazenby, Christina Orjalo, Patton Oswalt; DISTRIBUTOR: SHOUT! STUDIOS; IN THEATERS: October 10; RUNTIME: 1 hr. 42 min.
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