Cave Dwellers (film)

For the episode, see MST3K 301 - Cave Dwellers.

Cave Dwellers (aka The Blade Master) is a 1984 sword-and-sorcery film written and directed by Joe D'Amato (as David Hills).

Plot[]

The scholar Akronos has discovered the Geometric Nucleus during the course of his research. The Nucleus is a device of incredible power that could be a terrible weapon. Akronos feels that the Nucleus must be kept from evil men at all costs. When he learns that the evil warlord Zor and his army are approaching his castle, he asks his daughter Mila to bring his former student Ator back to help defeat Zor. Mila runs away to find Ator. Zor's soldiers enter and begin beating Akronos, but Zor angrily sends them away to maintain the image of a man who would only use violence if needed.

Mila is pursued by Zor's soldiers, and is wounded by them, but continues to stagger towards Ator's home. At last she arrives, and Ator uses his medical knowledge to heal her wound. She then is able to convince him she is the daughter of Akronos, and that her father is in terrible danger.

Mila, Ator, and Ator's Asiatic companion Thong begin the journey back to Akronos' castle, facing a variety of dangers along the way, including a group of cannibals, another group determined to sacrifice them to their god — which is a huge snake — and other soldiers.

Finally they make it back to the castle. While Mila and Thong sneak in the back way, Ator uses his knowledge of flight to quickly make a hang glider, which he flies over the castle, dropping bombs on Zor's soldiers. Having defeated most of Zor's forces, Ator takes on Zor himself and defeats him. Akronos convinces Ator to let Zor live to face trial, but when Ator steps away, Zor grabs a sword to threaten Ator, and Zor is killed by Thong.

Afterwards, Akronos gives the Geometric Nucleus to Ator. Ator tells Mila he has to leave, that his life is too dangerous to share with her. Mila says that she knows Ator must fight evil where ever it occurs. Ator leaves Thong behind to help take care of Mila and Akronos, and leaves. He takes the Nucleus to a distant land, where he destroys it in a massive nuclear detonation

Cast[]

Miles O'Keeffe as Ator
Lisa Foster as Mila
David Cain Haughton as Zor
Charles Borromel as Akronas
Chen Wong as Thong
Donald Hodson as Village Elder
Stephan Soffer as Ravini
Nello Pazzafini as Wallon
Osiride Pevarello as Sandur

Notes[]

The film was released in theaters as The Blade Master in the US and as Ator the Invincible in the UK. It received the name Cave Dwellers after it was re-edited by distributor Film Ventures International and released on home video.
The opening and closing credits for the FVI release uses footage from an unrelated film, the 1963 Italian fantasy film Taur, the Mighty.
This movie is the sequel to 1982's Ator, the Fighting Eagle, which became a RiffTrax presentation in 2017 and would be used by MST3K in Season 12 as Episode #1206.
It was followed by Iron Warrior (1987) and Quest for the Mighty Sword (1990).
The "Ator" series was made to capitalize on the popularity of the the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
On Friday, September 23, 2016, this movie was featured on the MST3K-esque German TV show SchleFaZ ("The Worst Movies of all Time")^[1] which is co-written and co-produced by comedian Oliver Kalkofe, who also co-wrote the German dialogue for Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie and dubbed Tom Servo. On the show, Kalkofe and another comedian present movies and provide commentary & pop-up text during the film in much the same style as MST3K/RiffTrax/Cinematic Titanic.

MST3K Connections[]

Director, writer, and cinematographer David Hills was also director, writer, and cinematographer for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Miles O'Keeffe previously portrayed Ator in Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Donald Hodson also portrayed a prisoner in Starcrash.
Nello Pazzafini also portrayed Charity's bodyguard in Secret Agent Super Dragon, Gunk in Colossus and the Headhunters, Frank in Danger!! Death Ray, and Bardak in Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Osiride Pevarello also portrayed a tavern brawler in Hercules and the Captive Women.
Salvatore Baccaro (chief cave man) also portrayed a neanderthal man in Starcrash.
Actor and stuntman Franco Ukmar (Wallon henchman) also portrayed a plastic surgery lecture brawler in Operation Double 007 and was a stuntman in The Pumaman.
Actor and stuntman Rinaldo Zamperla (villager) also portrayed a vagrant in Escape 2000.
Sound editor May Greenfeld was also sound editor for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Assistant sound editor Laurie Kellin was also assistant sound editor for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Stunt coordinator James Hadley was also stunt coordinator for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Chief electrician Joe Little was also chief electrician for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Assistant camera Ed McBride was also assistant camera for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Key grip Henry Noxley was also key grip for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Wardrober Kim Dascovitz also did wardrobe for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Assistant editor Shirley Kingston was also assistant editor for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Script supervisor Jean Salzer was also script supervisor for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
Transportation captain Chuck Mills was also transportation captain for Ator, the Fighting Eagle.
ADR director Lewis E. Ciannelli was also a voice dubber in Escape 2000, writer and director of English dialogue for Argoman the Fantastic Superman, and dialogue director for Killer Fish.
Edward Mannix (English dub voice of Sandur) also provided the English dub voices for Bill Stevens in Pod People, President Henry Clark in Escape 2000, and Ralph Valmont in Diabolik, as well as unspecified voice dubbing in Master Ninja I.
Gregory Snegoff previously voiced Ator in the English dub of Ator, the Fighting Eagle.

References[]

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