Which Deathstalker Movie did you like best?

[indianasmith]

I saw I and III many times, but only got to see II once, and it must have been fairly forgettable because the plot is very fuzzy in my mind.  But I must say, "Deathstalker III" was a masterpiece of high camp.
  The lead actor did NOT take himself too seriously, Monique Gabrielle was easier on the eyes than Barbi Benton (was that her name?  Hugh Hefner's ex who was the princess/victim in the first movie?), and the lines of dialogue were priceless.  "Is that the hilt of your sword or are you just glad to see me?" may be the funniest line ever spoken in ANY barbarian film. 

Which of the three did YOU like best?

[raj]

I like the first one the best, can't remember at the moment if I have III & IV or just I & II.  I prefer Lana Clarkson to Monique Gabrielle, better body and better acting.

(rot in hell, Phil Spector)

[indianasmith]

HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!     There was a Deathstalker IV??  Which guy played Stalker in that one? 

[felgekarp]

I think I've only seen the first one, is that the one where the female character's costume doesn't cover her breasts and a guy gets completely pulped by another guy with a large hammer?

[Andrew]

I think I've only seen the first one, is that the one where the female character's costume doesn't cover her breasts and a guy gets completely pulped by another guy with a large hammer?

That would be the first.  Lana Clarkson was the female warrior in the "nice" bikini.

[raj]

I only have the first 2 Deathstalkers.  Also have Barbarian Queen I & II.  They all tend to blur together in swords and boobs.

Not that I'm complaining.

[felgekarp]

I think I've only seen the first one, is that the one where the female character's costume doesn't cover her breasts and a guy gets completely pulped by another guy with a large hammer?

That would be the first.  Lana Clarkson was the female warrior in the "nice" bikini.

Thanks, watched it with my mum when I was younger, she fetched it from the video shop for me when I was off school sick once 

[Kester Pelagius]

Even though I've not seen III & IV (at least I have no memory of them if I did) I'm going to have to say I.  However I've heard III is supposed to be the funniest, while IV is the worst as it's virtually all stock footage. 

Is it true IV is an anti-epic from the Corman stock footage recycling school?

Or was that the (unofficial) fifth movie in the series?  (The flick was supposed to essentially be a remake of the original Deathstalker that used a LOT of the stock footage from it, but I can't recall it's name at the moment.)

[The Burgomaster]

This is like asking which childhood disease you prefer.

[raj]

This is like asking which childhood disease you prefer.

Ooh, ooh, I choose the measles!

[biff_debris]

Really hate to admit it, but I have yet to see any of the Deathstalker flicks. Seen them at the local trade shops, but they're only in VHS form. I need to break down and get them at Amazon or someplace online, eventually.

[Kester Pelagius]

Really hate to admit it, but I have yet to see any of the Deathstalker flicks. Seen them at the local trade shops, but they're only in VHS form. I need to break down and get them at Amazon or someplace online, eventually.

If you're going to embark on a sword-and-sorcery buying spree beginning with the Deathstalker movies then you'll need a checklist of similar 80s movies to round our your library.  Here are my suggestions:

Deathstalker I - IV
Barbarian Queen I & II
Amazons (1986) <- Not to be confused with War Goddess AKA The Amazons (1974)
Sorceress (1984) <- Not on DVD AFAIK so if you see it buy it.
Warrior and the Sorceress
Warrior Queen (Starring Sybill Danning, no idea if this is out on DVD or not)

Enjoy!

[GoHawks]

Monique Gabrielle was in Deathstalker II, not III. 

DS3 was given the treatment on MST3K Season 7 Episode 3.

Personally, I love DS2 (and not just for Monique!  ).  Yeah, it's a cheap foreign made Roger Corman Conan ripoff (as were all four), but it never takes itself too seriously and is always a pleasure to watch.

DS3 was alright, but to me seemed to take itself way too seriously.  I can watch it once or twice a year.

Years ago, after having only seen DS2 & DS3, I found the original Deathstalker for rent in a local independent video store.  I watched it, but I can't remember much about it so it must not have impressed me.  It was definitely a Conan-type ripoff rather than the more Robin Hood-esque DS2 & DS3.

That same store later acquired a copy of DS4, which I rented but didn't really watch.  I fast forwarded through it and the parts I played at normal speed sucked.

In summary:

Good	Deathstalker II
OK	Deathstalker III
Bad (not in a good way)	Deathstalker I
Sucks	Deathstalker IV

On a side note, did you know that the actor playing the villain in DS3 is the actor who played 'Hawk' (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0160630/) on Buck Rogers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078579/)?  How the mighty have fallen. 

[Andrew]

The second "Deathstalker" ended up being too campy for me, though Monique was never a bad addition to a film as eye candy.

I liked the first, because it had a weird sense of humor at times and also established Deathstalker as something of an anti-hero.  He largely functions as a survivalist who takes what he wants.  Every time he encountered a woman he wanted, he forced himself on her.  That was a bit funny during the scene with Gargit turned into a woman.  When you see Deathstalker starting his patented moves the response becomes:

Please stop.  I know, the audience knows, but you don't know that you're kissing a man.  Oh no, not that.  Please don't force yourself on her/him/it...

I also cracked up at the beginning of the film, when Deathstalker and the king are talking.

Deathstalker: "Get any poorer, you're going to have to eat that dog."
King: "I hope it will be tasty as the one you're enjoying."

[Bill C.]

Someone refresh my memory: the first Deathstalker film was the one where some poor henchman got turned into a hottie by the resident evil sorcerer, right?  That's about all I've got...