History Film / TheBeastmaster

''Very'' loosely based on Creator/AndreNorton's scifi novel ''Literature/TheBeastMaster''; about the only thing it has in common is that it's about a adventuring hero on another world who can communicate with animals and has an eagle, a big cat and two meerkats as companions. The character in the novel is a Native American ex-soldier retired from Earth's military living on a SpaceWestern colony planet.

''Very'' loosely based on Creator/AndreNorton's scifi novel ''Literature/TheBeastMaster''; about the only it has in common is that it's about a adventuring hero on another world who can communicate with animals and has an eagle, a big cat and two meerkats as companions. The character in the novel is a Native American ex-soldier retired from Earth's military living on a SpaceWestern colony planet.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPay: You might expect Maax's name to be just pronounced like "Max", just with a longer vowel sound, but it's actually pronounced "May-ox".

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* FanDisservice: All over the place, but particularly with the grotesque witches.

* GoneSwimmingClothesStolen: Dar has his ferrets take Kiri's clothes when she's bathing as part of a scheme to try seducing her.

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* MageInManhattan: Arklon in the second movie.

** Kiri, being played by Creator/TanyaRoberts and all.
** Lyranna in the second film starts out as this, though changes into a more modest outfit when she and Arklon travel to Earth.

* RedRightHand: The villain in the sequel, Arklon, wears a half-mask over the right side of his face (it's explicitly compared to ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'') covering unsightly facial scars.

* GenreSavvy: Dar's adoptive father. Not only does he tell Dar to hide his ability to speak to animals to avoid beingg ostracized, but he quickly realizes it means that his son has some greater calling or purpose, perhaps related to his birth, which he must one day rise to meet.

* KissingCousins: Dar and Kiri are in love with one another. One problem: Kiri is Zed's niece, which makes her Dar's cousin. This doesn't prevent them from smooching up a storm at the end (although it's possible she's his niece by marriage to his second wife).

* CoversAlwaysLie: Creator/NoriyoshiOhrai got a bit carried away. [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/9120653@N06/4276445530/ This movie is not as awesome as it looks.]]

** The heroes find out Maax knows of their surprise attack. Seth tries to talk King Zed out of leading the attack, but he wouldn't listen since he's too obsessed with revenge for the loss of his son. The resulting CurbStompBattle happens between scenes.

** The heroes find out Maax knows of their surprise attack. Seth tries to talk King Zed out of leading the attack, but he wouldn't listen since he’s too obsessed with revenge for the loss of his son. The resulting CurbStompBattle happens between scenes.

** The heroes find out Maax knows of their surprise attack. Seth tries to talk King Zed out of leading the attack, but he wouldn't listen since he to obsessed with revenge for the loss of his son. The resulting CurbStompBattle happens between scenes.

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* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Kodo and Podo release a man who several of Maxx's priests had just transformed into a monster, and they're his fist victims.

** The heroes find out Maax knows of their surprise attack. Seth tries to talk King Zed out of leading the attack, but he wouldn't listen as he wants revenge for the loss of his son. The resulting CurbStompBattle happens between scenes.

* TakeThat'': ''Beastmaster 2'' mildly mocks Cold War politics as Arklon calls the whole "balance of terror" deliciously barbaric and wants in on the whole sweet nuclear weapon action (he's also the villain, if you didn't already guess).

* TheTheTitle

* BodyMotif: Eyes. Maax's witches are all disfigured, and each appears to be either missing one eye or having had flesh grow over one. When Dar uses animal sight, the camera has a filter in the shape of an eye. The Death Guards and Ruh have glowing eyes. Maax spies on Dar using a ring with a hidden eye.

** Ar is not specifically called out as a bird god, but Maax calls attention to a falcon rescuing a child as proof of Ar's involvement; the bat-people worship a falcon icon; and Ar's mark on Dar could be a stylized falcon symbol. Rip Torn also wears a beak-like nose prosthetic for playing Maax.

* UncertainDoom: Not all of Dar's fellow villagers have been killed as he's knocked unconscious and dragged to safety, and it almost looks as if the Jun are merely daring some away, but Dar's dialogue afterwards indicates that no one else made it out alive.

A 1982 fantasy movie from Don Coscarelli, starring Marc Singer in the title role, that became best known for its [[VindicatedByCable repeated late-night airings on cable, in particular]] Creator/{{TBS}} and Creator/{{HBO}} [[VindicatedByCable throughout the 80s and 90s]]. [[note]] Both channels respectively got the [[FanNickname Fan Nicknames]] of "The Beastmaster Station" and "Hey, Beastmaster's On.". [[/note]]

Maax is a twisted cult leader out to steal the throne of King Zed. Banished by Zed for his treachery, Maax sends one of his three witches to steal Zed's unborn son, ripping him right out of his mother's womb with magic and placing him in a cow's womb, and cutting him out of the cow. Before she can finish the job, a brave hunter kills the witch and rescues the young boy, naming him Dar. Dar and his adoptive father find out at a young age that Dar possesses the [[FriendToAllLivingThings power to communicate with animals]]. When Maax sends his horde of thugs to wipe out Dar's peaceful village, Dar sets out to defeat Maax using his powers and avenge his people and foster father.

* RedRightHand: The villain in the sequel, Arklon, wears a half-mask over the right side of his face (it's explicitly compared to ''Theatre/PhantomOfTheOpera'') covering unsightly facial scars.

* MagicKnight: Arklon, while he has multiple magic powers, is also good with his sword or bare-handed (he's also large and strong, unlike [[SquishyWizard many mages]].

* MindRape: Arklon is able take people's memories for his own use in the sequel.

* DueToTheDead: Dar makes a FuneralPyre for his dead fellow villagers.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Kodo and Podo release a man who several of Maxx's priests had just transformed into a monster, and their his fist victims.

* BigDamnHeroes: The bat people, when they show up at the end in time to save the city.

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