A Masterpiece!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The oddity of the premise itself is quite polarizing, at least for the first half hour of the film - where we are still trying to figure it the tone of it all. However, this effect quickly wears off as we become totally immersed in this world.One would not expect a film about a group of performers who joust on motorcycles to be poignant, deep, and at times, beautiful - yet, in the hands of George Romero, that's exactly what it is. Romero is famous for big effects, action set pieces, and grueling horror. But where his talent is most evident is in his ability to write incredible characters. The fascinating journeys that are taken by the players in his films are what elevate his filmography above their respective genres.On paper, Knightriders seems like an action film, and it certainly has some amazing stunts and fight scenes, yet it could not be properly classified as such. It could best be described as a drama. An epic drama. In a sentence, one could summarize Knightriders as "Barry Lyndon on motorcycles." It's a fantastically large, yet gently paced film that is more focused on the lives of its characters than the definitive beginning and finale. Romero deals with romance, friendship, social issues, betrayal, consumerism, and many other difficult topics over the 2 1/2 hour run time; and handles them all in a very thorough and appealing way, I might add. Nearly all the actors gave good performances - although there were a few weak links, none were dreadful. Ed Harris gives an understated but sophisticated performance, while Tom Savini is perhaps the most surprising in the bunch, lending charisma and charm to the films antagonist, The Black Knight.On a technical Michael Gornick's gorgeous, surreal cinematography, Romero's script pops off the screen, the beautiful landscapes and thrilling action. The stunt work is among the best I've ever seen, with some of the falls and crashes making you wince, wondering how anyone walked away from them alive on set.Perhaps the one weakness of the film comes from its biggest strength - it's a character picture. The focus on the individual characters journeys and lives is done in a fascinating way, yet so much is covered that at times the film can feel disjointed. Barry Lyndon had a few moments where this was the case, however it's worth noting that Knightriders is dealing with an ensemble rather than a singular character, so in many regards, it's more understandable that it would be difficult for Romero to maintain a perfect consistency. The film is also overly long. Twenty minutes could have been removed from the film in total, and would not have affected the story in any way. A few portions of the introductory action scene and a couple extremely brief instances of unnecessary nudity in the middle of the film would not have been missed in the slightest.That's the extent of my complaints. Overall, this proves to be one of George Romero's most impressive and outings. In spite of minor flaws, Knightriders is an intelligent, well-crafted drama that has a ton happening beneath the surface.

A medieval reenactment troupe find it increasingly difficult to keep their family-like group together, with pressure from local law enforcement, interest from entertainment agents and a growing sense of delusional from their leader.We have many Romero regulars here in a type of film not generally associated with Romero: Christine Forrest, John Amplas, Tom Savini, Ken Foree, Michael Gornick, Scott Reiniger, Patricia Tallman. Although Ed Harris was not a regular, even he might be counted considering his appearance in the next picture ("Creepshow").Generally, I prefer Romero when he wanders from the living dead. His first two attempts are amazing and will remain legendary forever, but then it all went sharply downhill (and he seems unable to stop). But his other ventures -- "Creepshow", "Monkeyshines" and "Martin", for example -- are just as good or better but largely overlooked.This one is even farther from his pattern, not really horror in any respect (a genre he has rarely strayed from). Although a bit long, and at times a bit confused (some plot elements seem thrown in for no real reason), it is a fun idea that has surprisingly not been turned into real life. Who would not want to see motorcycles with riders jousting?Trying to find a "hero" in this film is hard to do. Obviously our protagonist is Billy (Harris), who has a strong belief system and leads his knights. Injury and risk of death is accepted by him, and each morning begins with a flogging (for reasons I must have missed). And yet, he may not be a hero because he follows his ideals too far. When the attorney / agent tells him that he must fund his ideals rather than let them die with him, that is sound advice. But Billy cannot see it.Some credit should be given for addressing the issue of homosexuality. Through the lens of 2014, it might seem a bit silly the way the characters approach the issue. But in 1981, I imagine this was a bold move for a film that wanted a wide audience. What it had to do with the main plot is unclear (apparently nothing), but I am impressed that a romance was shown positively without being the butt of jokes.

This is a great film after the first time seeing it and then watching it twice. When you realize that the entire plot is about a man dying and coming to terms with the fact that his days, hours and minutes are numbered. When I first saw this, Ed Harris, although an excellent actor, annoyed me, but it really was his character, "Billy", who annoyed me since he was so melancholy and took himself so seriously and was such a primadonna to the other riders whom he was the chosen "King". But then I realized something; "Billy" is a man who knows he is basically dead (in a matter of speaking) (which fits being that it's a Romero film) and he must come to terms with letting go of his title, and his troupe. He is not trying to regain anything, which is what it seems like at first; he's trying to give it up gracefully. Tom Savini's "Black Knight" character is the opposite; he is very much alive and knows he won't die but he has to learn to not only humble himself, but to prove worthy of inheriting the king's title, not only through the motor-joust but through his attitude. It was nice to see a few "Dawn of the Dead" alumni, especially Scott H. Reiniger whose character "Roger" is one of the best horror films characters of all time, but we needed more of him. Some other actors came and went without much story but the main characters held everything together. This is an excellent movie, possibly one of the most underrated, and definitely the most ambitious movies ever, ever made. A true labor of love, it is one to watch again and again... because the more you see it, the more you'll get out of it. Watch for Stephen King in a very brief cameo as a hillbilly local who is watching the first jousting match in Bakersfield.

Why such a high score for an old low budget film? The best movies are the ones that actually have a story to tell. This one has several interwoven and all work on different levels. There is action for pure visceral entertainment. A morality tale for introspective reflection. Interesting vignettes to keep the viewer on their toes & a few fun surprises thrown in for good measure. Did I mention that there is a good story here also? This is the film in which I first discovered Ed Harris. His powerhouse performance alone is worth the price of popcorn. Then there is Brother Blue. When was the last time a movie made you FEEL something? Put this movie on your must watch list. Better yet on you must OWN list. I did. I do.