Top 7 Italian Sword & Sorcery Films

Italian sword & sorcery films found fertile ground in the 1980s to propagate producing a whole slew of swashbuckling sword and sandal films.

Sit back and enjoy as we rank them here. 

Italian Sword & Sorcery Films

Ironmaster (1983)

The 1983 Italian sword & sorcery film Ironmaster, also known as La guerra del ferro, is an Italian sword-and-sandal film filmed in both Italy and South Dakota. The movie was directed by Umberto Lenzi and stars George Eastman, Sam Pasco, and Elvire Audray.

 

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The Throne of Fire (1983)

The 1983 film The Throne of Fire is an Italian sword-and-sorcery film that was filmed in Rome. The film is considered a standard ripoff of Conan the Barbarian, but has since become a popular cult classic. It was directed by Franco Prosperi Morrock and stars Sabrina Siani, Pietro Torrisi, Harrison Muller, Beni Cardoso, and Pietro Ceccarelli.

 

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Gunan, King of the Barbarians (1982)

Gunan, King of the Barbarians (1982) stars sword-and-sorcery favorites Sabrina Siani and Pietro Torrisi. It was alternatively called The Invincible Barbarian. It was widely recognized as a shameless attempt to seize on the popularity of the Conan The Barbarian movie.

 

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Attila flagello di Dio (1982)

Attila flagello di Dio (1982) is an Italian sword-and-sorcery film directed by Franco Castellano and starring Angelo Infanti, Anna Kanakis, Armando Marra, Mario Pedone, Elsa Vazzoler, Enrico Antonelli and Iris Peynado.

 

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Ator, the Fighting Eagle (1982)

The 1982 film Ator, the Fighting Eagle is a sword-and-sorcery film produced in Italy that was among the first in the genre. It has since become one of the most famous sword-and-sandals style films. The movie stars Miles O’Keeffe and Sabrina Siani.

 

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The Blade Master (1984)

The 1984 film The Blade Master, (also known as Ator 2 – L’invincibile Orion) is part of the massive 80s “sword and sandals” trend in Italy, the film stars Miles O’Keeffe as Ator. It is the second sword-and-sorcery film in the Ator series. that has since become a cult classic. Part of the massive 80s “sword and sandals” trend in Italy, the film stars Miles O’Keeffe as Ator, a birthmarked hero prophesied to save the world.

 

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Iron Warrior (1987)

The 1987 film Iron Warrior, (also titled Ator il guerriero di ferro or Rautasoturi) is the third installment in the sword-and-sorcery series of Ator. The two previous films in the series being Ator, the Fighting Eagle and The Blade Master. A large swath of the film was done in ancient fortresses scattered throughout Malta. It stars Miles O’Keeffe, Savina Gersak, Elisabeth Kaza, Iris Peynado and Tiziana Altieri.