The Blade Master (1984) Ator 2 - L'invincibile Orion (original title)

Director:

Joe D'Amato

Writer:

Joe D'Amato

Release Date:

15 February 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

A pure action fantasy where good, strength and exotic beauty battle evil.

Plot:

Muscle-bound Ator and his mute Asian sidekick travel from the ends of the Earth to save his aged mentor from the evil mustachioed Zor.

Plot Keywords:

Sidekick | Barbarian | Battle | Fighting | Sequel

Cast

Miles O'Keeffe	...	Ator
Lisa Foster	...	Mila
David Brandon	...	Zor (as David Cain Haughton)
Charles Borromel	...	Akronas
Kiro Wehara	...	Thong (as Chen Wong)
Robert Black	...	High Priest
Donald Hodson	...	Village Elder
Stephan Soffer	...	Ravani
Nello Pazzafini	...	Wallon (as Ned Steinberg)
Osiride Pevarello	...	Sandur (as Hershel Curtis)
Sandra Carle	...	Old Woman
Nancy Hall	...	1st Maiden
Linette Ray	...	2nd Maiden
Robert Karshin	...	1st Youth
Andy Stradly	...	2nd Youth
Steve Rivers	...	3rd Youth
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Salvatore Baccaro	...	Primitive Man (uncredited)
Dakar	...	Dakkar in Flashback (uncredited) (archive footage)
Edward Mannix	...	Sander (voice) (uncredited)
Gregory Snegoff	...	Ator (voice: English version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Joe D'Amato		(as David Hills)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joe D'Amato		(as David Hills)

Produced by
John Newman	....	producer
Alex Susmann	....	executive producer
Chris Trainor	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Karl Michael Demer		(as Karl Demer)
Carlo Rustichelli

Cinematography by
Joe D'Amato		(director of photography) (as Federico Slonisco)

Film Editing by
David Framer

Production Design by
Massimo Lentini

Art Direction by
John Gregory

Makeup Department
Pat Russel	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Donatella Donati	....	production manager (as Helen Handris)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Julie Morrows	....	second assistant director
Sam Stone	....	assistant director

Art Department
Francis Correl	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Lewis E. Ciannelli	....	adr director (as Lewis Cianelli)
Wiley Crosby	....	production sound recordist
Suzanne D'Amico	....	second assistant recordist
May Greenfeld	....	sound editor
Robert W. Harris	....	assistant recordist (as Bob Harris)
Laurie Kellin	....	assistant sound editor

Stunts
Frank Avila	....	stunts
James Hadley	....	stunt coordinator
Fred Peterson	....	stunts
Paul Randors	....	stunts
Marvin Simons	....	stunts
Kevin Strung	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Thomas Burrel	....	assistant camera
Larry Hessel	....	camera operator
Joe Little	....	chief electrician
Ed McBride	....	assistant camera
Henry Noxley	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kim Dascovitz	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Shirley Kingston	....	assistant editor
Mark Sofield	....	apprentice editor

Transportation Department
Chuck Mills	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Lewis E. Ciannelli	....	adr director (as Lewis Cianelli)
Sharon Friendly	....	production coordinator
Randy Gleason	....	production assistant
Bob Liro	....	production assistant (as Bob Libo)
Astrid Miller	....	production assistant
Danan Grant Olsey	....	production assistant (as Danah Grandsley)
Jean Salzer	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Metaxa Corporation
• New Line Cinema
• Royal Film Traders

Distributors

• New Line Cinema (1984) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Film Ventures International (FVI) (1990) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• J.F. Films de Distribución S.A. (1982) (Spain) (theatrical)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Media Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Mundial Filmes (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• KMO Midi Works  sound editing

Also Known As:

"Ator 2 - L'invincibile Orion" - Italy (original title)
"Cave Dwellers" - USA (TV title)
"Day of the Sword Man" - Pakistan (English title) (poster title)

Runtime:

USA:92 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:18 (video premiere) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:PG (cut) | Spain:T

Company:

Metaxa Corporation

Trivia:

The movie's rushed production schedule was largely due in part to director Joe D'Amato wanting to cash in on the popularity of "Conan the Destroyer." D'Amato had previously filmed the first Ator movie in response to the success of the first Conan film, "Conan the Barbarian."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the final scene, when Ator rides back to the ends of the Earth, tire tracks can be seen in the background.

Quotes:

Ator:Thong, the fish is ready!

Movie Connections:

Edited from Where Eagles Dare (1968)

A poor movie from a badly treated genre

There are plenty of reviews that describe this movie as the worst ever made. For sure there are plenty of mistakes: lackluster acting, rather boring and cliched and at times paradoxical script, and the stock B-movie sound and "special" effects. As noted, there are plenty of glosses of plot, making _Cave Dwellers_ a tissue of fantasy film, especially in comparison with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. However, this movie is not the worst movie ever. Most, if not all, (including this review) of these reviews are written by fans of MSTK3. Therefore, many of these reviews are pretty much summaries of the MSTK3 episode of _Cave Dwellers_.

In the episode, Joel, Tom Servo, and Crow remark to the Mad Scientists that this is the worst movie ever sent to them. Of course, loyal fans have taken this quote and ran with it. I have found this movie endearing-not in a way that one finds _Forrest Gump_ endearing-but in the effort put into this movie by some the cast. Also, this movie is laughable without its MSTK3 treatment. That is because _Cave Dwellers_ does not take itself seriously, and it is not trying to import into its viewers some sort of righteous theme. For all of the monster puppets, medieval hang gliding, and continuity lapses-this movie does not advertise to be any more that what it is, a shallow depiction of a rather shallow genre.

Likewise, I can't bring myself to hate Miles O'Keeffe or Lisa Foster. Instead this hatred is for Coleman Francis, Tony Cardoza, Jennifer Lopez, Arch Hall, Jr., and so on.