Abelar: Tales of an Ancient Empire (2010) Tales of an Ancient Empire (original title)

Director:

Albert Pyun

Writer:

Cynthia Curnan

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot:

A princess is on a quest to unite the five greatest warriors to save her kingdom from a demon sorceress. |

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Female Nudity | Sword And Sorcery

Cast

Kevin Sorbo	...	Aedan
Michael Paré	...	Oda
Melissa Ordway	...	Princess Tanis
Sasha Mitchell	...	Rodrigo
Lee Horsley	...	The Stranger
Ralf Moeller	...	General Hafez
Whitney Able	...	Xia
Scott Paulin	...	Tou-Bou Bardo
Matthew Willig	...	Giant Iberian
Inbar Lavi	...	Alana
Dallas Ryan	...	Viking
Jennifer Siebel Newsom	...	Queen Ma'at
Olivier Gruner	...	Corsair Duguay
Janelle Marra	...	Rajan (as Janelle Taylor)
Sarah Ann Schultz	...	Malia
Morgan Weisser	...	Captain Avel
Norbert Weisser	...	Xuxia
Victoria Maurette	...	Kara
Cazzy Golomb	...	Hekate
Xavier Declie	...	Dernier
Eva Card	...	Ki-Lin
Stephanie Katz	...	Barmaid
Carol Shook	...	Middle Eastern Woman
Mariela Navarro	...	Lenor
Mahta Sharif	...	Barmaid
Leena Kurishingal	...	Attendant
Michael Bayouth	...	Tavern Brigand
Allexa D'Alessio	...	Sunita
Shannon Garnett	...	Mongolian Warrior
Keith Bass	...	Benevolent Thug
Trudi Forristal	...	Elizabeth
Mathew Cape	...	Verdugo
Zackary Morad	...	Berber
Jessica Delgado	...	Levana
Anna Van Sambeck	...	Vampire Girl
Franco Carlotto	...	Captain Farid
Lauren Sutherland	...	Toothless Whore
Nicholas Middlekauff	...	Bardu
Rubén Dos Santos	...	Warrior (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Pyun

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cynthia Curnan

Produced by
Glen Berry	....	consulting producer
Nicholas Celozzi	....	producer
Benjamin Thomas Cowley	....	associate producer
Christopher Curnan	....	co-producer
Cynthia Curnan	....	producer
Jeffrey D'Alessio	....	executive producer
Kipp Downing	....	executive producer
Glen Hartford	....	executive producer
Sazzy Lee Calhoun	....	line producer
Sazzy Lee Calhoun	....	producer
Daniel Toll	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Anthony Riparetti

Cinematography by
Philip Alan Waters

Film Editing by
David Lamb

Casting by
Jeffery Passero

Production Design by
James Terry Welden

Set Decoration by
Anne Anderson

Costume Design by
Glenda Maddox

Makeup Department
Nicole Alkire	....	key hair stylist
Heather Ford	....	key makeup artist
Leah Herzberg	....	makeup artist
Allie Newman	....	assistant makeup artist (as Allie Goodnoe)

Production Management
Joe Baile	....	unit production manager
Benjamin Thomas Cowley	....	post-production supervisor
Daniel Ray Gutierrez	....	unit production manager
Ric Smith	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sazzy Lee Calhoun	....	first assistant director
Lorena Leon	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Robert Elko	....	set dresser
Lorne Grant	....	property master
Kami Laprade	....	assistant property master
Joel Meherin	....	art director: second unit
Rick Welden	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Nick Barnett	....	sound
Mark Casselman	....	dialogue editor
Mark Casselman	....	dialogue mixer
Hoku Curnan	....	sound effects editor
Michael Fox	....	additional sound designer
Michael Fox	....	sound effects editor
Michael J. Fox	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jack Maebe	....	additional sound designer
Matt McGowin	....	boom operator (as Matthew McGowan)
Anthony Riparetti	....	sound designer
Anthony Riparetti	....	sound effects editor
Anthony Riparetti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eugene Shane	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Steve Corwin	....	teeth technician

Visual Effects by
Adam Benson	....	visual effects
Benjamin Thomas Cowley	....	visual effects supervisor
Hoku Curnan	....	2d visual effects artist
Jonathan Heaney	....	visual effects
Ikuo Saito	....	visual effects supervisor
Ikuo Saito	....	visual effects
Ruggero Tomasino	....	visual effects

Stunts
Simone Bargetze	....	stunt double: horse stunts
Alex Bush	....	sword master: second unit
Ilram Choi	....	stunt coordinator
Eddie Davenport	....	stunts
Marie Fink	....	stunt double: Whitney Able
Adam Hart	....	stunt double: Kevin Sorbo
Luke LaFontaine	....	sword master
Cassandra McCormick	....	stunt double
Heidi Pascoe	....	stunt double
Heidi Pascoe	....	stunt double: Inbar Avi
Tania L. Pearson	....	stunt double: Mariela Navarro
Trampas Thompson	....	sword fight coordinator
Alicia Vela-Bailey	....	stunt double: Melissa Ordway and Jennifer Siebel
Garrett Warren	....	stunt consultant
Morgan Williams	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Baile	....	director of photography: second unit
Ted Caloroso	....	director of photography: second unit
Henry Dhuy	....	best boy electric
Zakk Eginton	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Daniel Ray Gutierrez	....	behind-the-scenes camera
Inho Kim	....	electrician
Charles R. Mathews	....	best boy grip
Mark Moore	....	gaffer
Tiffany Nathanson	....	first assistant camera
Jay Nefcy	....	digital imaging technician
Randy Newman	....	grip
Michele K. Short	....	still photographer
Jeff Siljenberg	....	lighting (as Jeffrey Siljenberg)
Wilson Weaver	....	crane operator
Wilson Weaver	....	dolly grip
Jason Wheeler	....	key grip

Casting Department
Carmen Betancourt	....	extras casting
James P. Driscoll	....	extras casting
Jeffery Passero	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa Burke	....	assistant costume designer
Lisa Burke	....	head pattern maker

Editorial Department
Hoku Curnan	....	co-editor
Daniel Ray Gutierrez	....	trailer editor
Keith Roush	....	digital colorist

Music Department
Zach Tow	....	soundtrack producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Matthew Ballard	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Daniel Ray Gutierrez	....	behind-the-scenes video
Kelli Kaye	....	production coordinator
Charmaine Kuhn	....	production assistant
Crystal 'Sue' McGraw	....	production accountant
Jordan Nefouse	....	production assistant
Josh Staman	....	production assistant
Matt Timm	....	translation services

Thanks
Julie Zamil	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• New Tales

Distributors

• KIPPJK (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Eagle Films (2010) (non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2009) (Thailand) (all media)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2009) (Vietnam) (all media)
• KSM Film (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Roush Media  post-production facilities
• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies
• ShowBiz Enterprises  staging
• ShowBiz Studios  studio

Also Known As:

"Tales of an Ancient Empire" - USA (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and nudity

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

6-Track Stereo

Certification:

USA:R | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Tales

Movie Connections:

Follows The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)

A pleasure after shaky start

Some recent Albert Pyun movies have fallen short of his "low budget guilty pleasure" niche. Amid pressure to deliver in what seems to be his highest profile film in years, "Tales of an Ancient Empire" is a dense and stylish start to what Pyun clearly envisions as a series that offers many lusty and very guilty pleasures pleasures head and shoulders above the dreg that is Syfy or Asylum fare. It starts on a rocky shoal of imagery and quality. Its almost as if the first four minutes belonged in an alternate universe of movies. But after, Pyun finds his footing. Coarse, initially convoluted and densely populated by roguish characters, it's an intriguing world that hews closer to "Richard the 3rd" than "The Sword and the Sorcerer" with all the expected back stories that propel the plot. After watching this Part One of these "Tales", I'm hooked, with the disclaimer that this ambitious venture requires a no-reading- the computer screen-while-watching commitment. It's not easy to track and is not meant to be. Above all Tales is about family and the deep wounds that can fester in a child or jilted lover and how that can drive the wounded party to despicable acts. Kevin Sorbo shines best as he perfectly balances the pathos of being a abandoned bastard and the charm of a greedy rogue. Whitney Able (a breathtaking sorceress vampire) and Melissa Ordway (the ravishing Princess Tanis) also provide strong characters and performances. Victoria Maurette struggles a bit with her Kara, a half human, half vampire creature who is never quite as unabashedly sensual as the role calls for. As with most Pyun efforts, Tales is beautifully shot with rich compositions, although degraded somewhat by spotty editing and some dodgy low budget special effects. Cynthia Curnan's script is more literate and clever than is found in this sub- genre. Indeed, its the use of language that distinguishes the film. Certainly, Tales is destined to capture a smaller audience than it's hackneyed sword and sorcery predecessor but it carries a higher ambition and creative verve. I can see fan boys with ADD turning against this but for those who enjoy a rich tapestry of colorful characters and plot lines, Tales is perfectly in your wheelhouse.