Krull (1983)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1983
Running Times: 121 mins
Length: 10,859 ft
Format: Metrocolor     35mm     Filmed in Panavision (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby Stereo

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures presents a Ted Mann-Ron Silverman Production  A Peter Yates film
Copyright: © 1983 Barclays Mercantile Industrial Finance Limited
Executive Producer: Ted Mann
Produced by: Ron Silverman
Associate Producer: Geoffrey Helman
Production Manager: Nigel Wooll
Italian Location Production Manager: Mario Pisani
Lanzarote Location Production Manager: Vicente Escriva

SCRIPT
Written by: Stanford Sherman

DIRECTION
Directed by: Peter Yates
Assistant Director and Second Unit Director: Derek Cracknell
Second Unit Assistant Director: Dominic Fulford
2nd Assistant Directors: Andy Armstrong, Ken Tuohy, Vic Smith
Italian Location Assistant Director: Luciano Sacripanti
Italian Location Assistant Director: Kuki López Rodero

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Peter Suschitzky
Camera Operator: Kelvin Pike
Second Unit Cameraman: Chic Anstiss
Camera Assistant: Billy Mallone
Camera Focus: Peter Robinson
Second Unit Camera Focus: Mike Rutter
Gaffers: John May, Jack Thetford
Best Boy: John Sullivan
Stills Photographer: Keith Hamshere
Video: Chris Warren, Bob Bridges, Mike Harris
Processing and Opticals: Rank Film Laboraties Ltd.
Prints by Metrocolor

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Ray Lovejoy
Assistant Film Editors: Gill Smith, Gordon Stainforth

MUSIC
Music Composed and Conducted by: James Horner
Music Performed By: The London Symphony Orchestra
Chorus: The Ambrosian Singers
Orchestrator: Greig McRitchie
Synthesizer Effects: Ian Underwood
Music Recording Engineer: John Richards
Music Editor: Bob Badami
Music Recorded at: C.T.S. Studios, Wembley, England

SOUND
Sound Mixer: Ivan Sharrock
Boom Operator: Ken Weston
Sound Technician: Richard Daniel
Dialogue Editor: Dino Di Campo
Assistant Dialogue Editor: Bill Parnell
Foley Editor: Jack Knight
Assistant Foley Editor: Alan Corder
Supervising Sound Effects Editor: Winston Ryder
Assistant Sound Effects Editor: Nicholas Hosker
Supervising Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Bill Rowe
Assistant Re-Recording Mixer: Ray Merrin
Re-Recorded at: EMI Studios, Elstree, England

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Alan Boyle
Make Up Assistant: Linda De Vetta
Hairstylist: Barbara Ritchie
Hairdressers: Joan White, Joyce James
Costume Designer: Anthony Mendleson
Costumes: Bermans and Nathans Limited
Wardrobe Supervisor: Rosemary Burrows
Wardrobe: Ken Lawton, Renee Helmer

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Designed by: Nick Maley
Special Make Up Unit: Beryl Lerman, Bob Keen, Christine Overs, Nick Dudman, Nick Forder, Richard Padbury, Stewart Robinson, Magdalene Gaffney, Christine Allsopp

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: John Evans, Mark Meddings
Special Effects Technicians: Alan Barnard, Cyril Foster, Martin Gant, Roy Spencer, Michael Dunleavy, John Markwell, Terry Schubert, Peter Biggs, John Pakenham, Norman Kerss, Chris Corbould, Andrew Kelly, Brian Warner
Special Effects Editor: Mike Round
Assistant Special Effects Editors: Philip Sanderson, Robert Gavin, Margaret Thompson
Special Effects Graphic Artist: Peter Chiang
Special Effects Projectionist: Ron Vincent

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisor: Derek Meddings
Visual Effects Photography: Paul Wilson
Optical Effects: Robin Browne

Visual Effects Unit
Assistant Director: Gareth Tandy
Camera Operator: John Morgan
Camera Focus: Jonathan Taylor
Construction Manager: Peter Wilkinson

Optical Effects Unit: Jamie Harcourt, Malcolm Vinson, David Litchfield, Ken Worringham, John Fletcher, Keith Thomas

Supervising Modelmaker: Terry Reed
Modeller: Andrew Holder
Animator: Steven Archer

Titles and Opticals: General Screen Enterprises

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Stephen Grimes
Art Directors: Tony Reading, Colin Grimes, Norman Dorme, Tony Curtis
Set Decorator: Herbert Westbrook
Italian Location Art Director: Francesco Chianese
Set Decorator: Herbert Westbrook
Property Master: Bert Hearn
Stand-By Props: Danny Skundric, Maurice Jones
Construction Manager: Albert Blackshaw
Sculptor: Peter Voysey

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Cheryl Leigh
2nd Unit Continuity: Melinda Rees
Production Accountant: Jack King
Production Assistants: Rachel Neale, Sallie Beechinor
Italian Location Production Assistant: Verena Baldeo
Italian Location Caterer: Rafael Garcia
Transportation Supervisor: Michael Marks
Unit Publicist: Sara Keene
Promotion Consultant: Lili Ungar

LOCATIONS
Locations: Black Park Country Park, Buckinghamshire, England, UK; Italy
Location Manager: Michael John Knatchbull
Italian Location Location Manager: Paolo Fabbri

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Vic Armstrong
Stuntmen: Greg Powell, Brian Bowes, Gareth Milne, Graeme Crowther, Roy Street, Terry Forestal, Terry Walsh, Nick Hobbs, Bill Horrigan, Arthur Nowell, Dinny Powell, Les Maryon, Fred Powell
Climbing Sequence: Lorenzo Lorenzi

CASTING
Casting: Patsy Pollock

CAST
Ken Marshall (Prince Colwyn)
Lysette Anthony (Princess Lyssa)
Freddie Jones (Ynyr)
Alun Armstrong (Torquil)
David Battley (Ergo)
Bernard Bresslaw (Rell)
Liam Neeson (Kegan)
Dicken Ashworth (Bardolph)
Todd Carty (Oswyn)
Robbie Coltrane (Rhum)
John Welsh (Seer)
Graham McGrath (Titch)
Tony Church (Turold)
Bernard Archard (Eirig)
Belinda Mayne (Velta)
Clare McIntyre (Merith)

and
Francesca Annis as the Widow of the Web

Bronco McLoughlin (Nennog)
Andy Bradford (Darro)
Gerard Naprous (Quain)
Bill Weston (Menno)
Lindsay Crouse (voice of Princess Lyssa (uncredited))

An alien race of Slayers attacks the planet Krull and kidnap the Princess Lyssa on her wedding day, a ritual that would have united Krull's two great rival power blocs. Her intended husband, Prince Colwyn, is persuaded by the mysterious Ynyr to track down a magic five-bladed sword in readiness for an assault on the aliens' fortress where Lyssa is being held...

Another dull 80s fantasy movie. The clichéd plot contains nothing that we hadn't seen or read elsewhere, usually done so much better, there's little sense of logic or design and there's too much obvious padding. The bland romantic leads don't help much, nor do the shaky special effects and sets. Not as awful as Hawk the Slayer (1980), but not much better either.

Germany
Laserdisc Distributor: RCA / Columbia (081 266-1)
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (Special Edition; includes - audio commentary by Peter Yates, Ray Lovejoy, Ken Marshall and Lysette Anthony; behind-the-scenes audio commentary based on a Cinefantastique article; Journey to Krull documentary; Marvel Comics video adaptation; photo gallery; design and concept; advertising materials)

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia-EMI-Warner
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (CDR 10218; includes - Journey to Krull documentary; Marvel Comics video adaptation; two audio commentaries; four picture gallerys)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Video Distributor: RCA / Columbia; Cinema Classics
Laserdisc Distributors: Columbia / Tristar (76886); RCA / Columbia (VLD 3207)
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (05890 - Special Edition; includes - audio commentary by Peter Yates, Ray Lovejoy, Ken Marshall and Lysette Anthony; behind-the-scenes audio commentary based on a Cinefantastique article; Journey to Krull documentary; Marvel Comics video adaptation; photo gallery; design and concept; advertising materials)

Australia
Rating: G

Finland
Rating: K-12

Sweden
Rating: 11

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG
MPAA: 26795

West Germany
Rating: 12

AWARDS

1984
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
Grand Prize (Peter Yates) - nominated

1983
July
29: USA - theatrical distributor

October
West Germany - theatrical distributor

1984
February
8: France - theatrical distributor
17: Finland - theatrical distributor

June
30: Sweden - theatrical distributor

1989
September
Day Unknown: Germany - laserdisc release (RCA / Columbia (081 266-1))

December
31: UK - television broadcast

1994
October
5: USA - laserdisc release (Columbia / Tristar (76886))

1998
December
20: UK - television broadcast (on Channel 5)

1999
August
26: UK - television broadcast (Channel 5)

2001
March
5: UK - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar (CDR 10218))
13: Germany - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar - Special Edition)

April
3: USA - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar (05890 - Special Edition))

2002
March
12: USA - television broadcast on HBOF)

2006
December
31: UK - television broadcast (on Five)

A world light-years beyond your imagination.

Dragons of Krull
The Dungeons of Krull
Krull: Invaders of the Black Fortress
Krull ja näkymätön vihollinen - Finnish title

MAGAZINES

American Cinematographer vol.64 no.8 (August 1983) pp.54-60; 56; 57
illustrated article; illustrated article; illustrated note

American Film vol.8 mo.9 (July / August 1983) p.78 (USA)
review

Cinefantastique vol.12 no.4 (May / June 1982) p.10 (USA)
article

Cinefantastique vol.13 no.2/3 (November / December 1982) pp.28-47 (USA)
illustrated article

City Limits no.115 / 116 (16 December 1983) p.42 (UK)
review

L'Ecran Fantastique no.37 (September 1983) pp.19; 20, 22; 22-24; 24-25; 25-28; 28-29; 29-33 (France)
illustrated interviews

Eyepiece vol.4 no.6 (November / December 1983) pp.241-253 (UK)
illustrated article

Films vol.3 no.12 (December 1983) p.29 (UK)
review

Film Score Monthly vol.3 no.9 (October / November 1998) pp.42-43 (USA)
article

Hollywood Reporter vol.277 no.48 (28 July 1983) pp.3, 8 (USA)
credits, review

Monthly Film Bulletin vol.50 no.599 (December 1983) p.331 (UK)
illustrated credits, synopsis, review (by Nick Roddick)

Motion Picture Product Digest vol.11 no.5 (31 August 1983) p.18 (USA)
review

Première February 1984 p.8 (France)
review (by Stella Molitor)

Prevue no.52 (June / July 1983) pp.54-61 (USA)
illustrated article

Retro no.21 (October / November 1983) pp.23-24 (West Germany)
review

Screen International no.286 (4 April 1981) p.1 (UK)
note

Screen International no.312 (3 October 1981) p.1 (UK)
note

Screen International no.328 (30 January 1982) p.11 (UK)
credits

Screen International no.339 (17 April 1982) p.13 (UK)
interview

Screen International no.420 (12 November 1983) p.13 (UK)
review

Sight and Sound vol.51 no.2 (Spring 1982) pp.79-80 (UK)
illustrated production notes

Sight and Sound vol.11 no.6 (June 2001) p.59 (UK)
DVD review

Starburst vol.5 no.4 (December 1982) pp.11-37 (UK)
interview

Time Out no.695 (15 December 1983) p.67 (UK)
review

Variety 27 July 1983 p.21 (USA)
credits, review

BOOKS

Creature Features Strikes Again p.219
credits, review (by John Stanley)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

aliens, horses, magic, mountains, other planets, sword and sorcery, swords, weapons, weddings

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009