Red Sonja (1985)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Robert E. Howard (character)
Clive Exton (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

A woman and a warrior that became a legend.

Plot:

The tyrant Gedren seeks the total power in a world of barbarism. She raids the city Hablac and kills...

Plot Keywords:

Talisman | Topless | Underwater | Action Heroine | Based On Comic

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Kalidor
Brigitte Nielsen	...	Red Sonja
Sandahl Bergman	...	Queen Gedren
Paul L. Smith	...	Falkon (as Paul Smith)
Ernie Reyes Jr.	...	Prince Tarn
Ronald Lacey	...	Ikol
Pat Roach	...	Brytag
Terry Richards	...	Djart
Janet Agren	...	Varna, Red Sonja's Sister
Donna Osterbuhr	...	Kendra the High Priestess
Lara Lamberti	...	Gedren's Handmaid (as Lara Naszinsky)
Hans Meyer	...	Red Sonja's Father
Francesca Romana Coluzzi	...	Red Sonja's Mother
Stefano Maria Mioni	...	Barlok, Red Sonja's Brother (as Stafano Mioni)
Tutte Lemkow	...	Wizard
Kiyoshi Yamasaki	...	Kyobo
Tad Horino	...	Swordmaster

Directed by
Richard Fleischer

Writing credits
Robert E. Howard		(character)
Clive Exton		(written by) and
George MacDonald Fraser		(written by)

Produced by
Christian Ferry	....	producer
A. Michael Lieberman	....	executive producer
José López Rodero	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Giuseppe Rotunno

Film Editing by
Frank J. Urioste

Production Design by
Danilo Donati

Art Direction by
Gianni Giovagnoni

Costume Design by
Danilo Donati

Makeup Department
Rino Carboni	....	creative makeup
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Laura Fattori	....	unit manager
Federico Tocci	....	unit manager
Lucio Trentini	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vic Armstrong	....	action unit supervisor
Michel Ferry	....	assistant director
José López Rodero	....	first assistant director
Mauro Sacripante	....	assistant director

Art Department
Colin Arthur	....	fish machine and spider designer and builder
Alvaro Belsole	....	chief constructor
Giacomo Caló Carducci	....	set dresser (as Giacomo Carducci)
Boni Fraulo	....	property master
Carlo Maggi	....	chief plasterer
Giulio Tamassy	....	chief sculptor
Giuseppe Tortora	....	fish machine and spider designer and builder
Maurice Zuberano	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Derek Brechin	....	assistant sound editor
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Hochman	....	sound editor
Sergio Marcotulli	....	sound engineer
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ray O'Reilly	....	sound re-recording mixer
Franca Silvi	....	sound editor
Amelio Verona	....	sound mixer
Les Wiggins	....	supervising sound editor
Liberata Zocchi	....	assistant sound editor
Marty Church	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John K. Stirber	....	special effects
Bruno Van Zeebroeck	....	special effects
Franco Galiano	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Syd Dutton	....	matte department
Dennis Glouner	....	matte department
Barry Nolan	....	additional visual effects and titles
Emilio Ruiz del Río	....	foreground miniatures
Bill Taylor	....	matte department
Albert Whitlock	....	matte shots

Stunts
Ottaviano Dell'Acqua	....	stunts
Sergio Mioni	....	stunt coordinator
Stefano Maria Mioni	....	stunt double
Terry Richards	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sven-Ole Thorsen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cesare Allione	....	camera operator
Augusto Diamanti	....	key grip
Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci	....	camera operator (as Gianni Fiore Coltellacci)
Gino Pasqualini	....	chief lighting technician (as Giorgio Pasqualini)
Mario Tursi	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Francesco Cinieri	....	casting: Rome
Johanna Ray	....	casting: Los Angeles
Maude Spector	....	casting: London
Nina Axelrod	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Emanuela Alteri	....	wardrobe painter
Franco Antonelli	....	wardrobe coordinator
Thomas Casterline	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Penelope Shaw	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Cesare D'Amico	....	music editor
Franco Tamponi	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Enrico Pini	....	transportation manager

Other crew
Vic Armstrong	....	action unit supervisor
Giuseppe Cancellara	....	armorer
Roberto de Laurentiis	....	location manager
Marina De Tiberiis	....	production office coordinator: Rome
Maria Federici	....	production secretary (as Maria Pia Federici)
Mario Francini	....	production assistant
Carlos López	....	action unit coordinator (as Juan Carlos Lopez)
Golda Offenheim	....	production office coordinator: London
Ernie Reyes Sr.	....	martial arts consultant
Francesca Roberti	....	script supervisor
Mike Russell	....	unit publicist (as Michael Russell)
Stefano Spadoni	....	production assistant
Luciano Tartaglia	....	assistant accountant
Kiyoshi Yamasaki	....	martial arts
Marcello Lanza	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)
William Stout	....	creature designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dino De Laurentiis Company
• Famous Films (II)

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• AMLF (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• Tobis Filmkunst (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cannon International (1988) (Portugal) (VHS)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Video Film Express (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Video Film Express (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Germano Natali

Other Companies

• Arco  lighting
• Cinesound Effects Library Ltd.  archive
• D. Bassett & Associates  negative cutting
• Forum Studio  soundtrack
• International Recording  sound post-production
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios  sound re-recording
• Universal City Studios  special visual effects
• Van der Veer Photo Effects  titles and opticals

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Netherlands | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Italy:T | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 (f) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

It is commonly believed that Robert E. Howard created the character of Red Sonja in one of his Conan short stories. In reality, he created a character with a similar name (Red Sonya) that appeared in a minor role in a non-fantasy work of historical fiction. "Red Sonja", the character popularized by the 1985 movie, actually first appeared in a Conan comic book written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the surviving girl approaches to the rope over the canyon, there are two meshes. She clutches one mesh and slides down the rope. When her pursuers get to the rope, there are three or four meshes.

Quotes:

Red Sonja: What happened?
Falkon: What happened? Queen Gedren attacked us is what happened.
Red Sonja: Gedren? Queen Gedren?
Falkon: That's right. She knocked down half the city with her new weapon and demanded our surrender.
Prince Tarn: My army ran away. Do they want to live forever? I refused to surrender.
Falkon: So she knocked down the other half.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Goofy as Hell but Good Fun

This movie is impossible to rate.

Anyway, it is even more goofy, campy and stupid than the two legendary Conan movies. Acting is so bad. Casting stinks. Plot is really ridiculous, nothing has any importance to the viewer. But the main thing is, you will not be bored watching this stuff. I mean, c'moon! The red haired what-was-her-name warrior woman doing her unbelievable annoying Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonations and kicking butt like some prehistoric Xena, Arnold himself being as lame as he will ever be trying not to be Conan (and fails in that completely), the mighty Karate Kid prince turning from complete asshole the world's sweetest little boy in one scene and the fat buy who follows him around with a huge bone and does as much fighting as Arnold and Sonja... I mean, where they get this stuff!? (I hope I didn't spoil anything. Think not. And with this movie, it isn't even important).

It's amazing how great the set decoration, wardrobe and especially score is. The themes of this film are really magnificent. The Red Sonya theme, the beautiful music, the grande finale in the end, oh my God...

This movie doesn't suck. It's a bad film, but in a very good way. I wanted to watch it again straight away, I laughed through the whole movie. You should not take it as a serious Robert E. Howard movie, if you are a fan of his work (like I am), because Sonja (in this form) wasn't even his character. Hollywood needs more movies like this.