Ask Heckasac

motherfuckingmerlin!
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

I received a query today in the Heckasac mailbag:

Dear Heckasac,

Lately I have been interested in Arthurian Legend and was wondering if there is any movie you would recommend to satisfy my curiousity. Some of my interests include glitter and nudity if that helps.Thank you in advance for your recommendation.

Do I have a recommendation? Boy do I ever.

But don't take my word for it, listen to the review of Mr. Phil Hepfinger, who gave this story eight stars! (yes, 8 stars) at IMDB.com

"I have seen the movie Excalibur many times, and I believe it is an excellant movie. Many people say that it was cheezy looking (Yes, Excalibur the sword does get a tad flexible at points.) However, was not The Day the Earth Stood Still cheezy too, yet it is one of the greatest movies of all times, most people agree. And if anyone tries to down the movie by claiming it was not true to the legends, I have read many Arthurian texts, and the legend is not true to the legends. John Boorman picked through the haystack, and found his needle. Another excellant thing about this movie is for the most part, the acting is underscored. Not like in many modern movies, I believe Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, all the actors from the round table, and Mrs. Boorman did excellant jobs. The only complaints I had were so minor they practically do not exist. So go, see the movie, and be swept away.

You indeed will be swept away by this remarkable movie. As this poster on the IMDB message board was by the performance of Merlin:

I don't remember the actor's name, and it's been many years since I last watched Excalibur. But I have seen it probably more than 20 times over the past 15 years, and the only character that fascinates me EVERY time is, of course, Merlin. Everything about him is extraordinary: that thing he wears on his head, the cloak, the staff, the words of the spell of creation and the way he says them... The idea of him being in total harmony with nature and its forces ("the dragon's breath"). He is the bridge between the world of man and the world of magic, between the new and the ancient. And of course I adore the way the actor plays Merlin's character. When I was a kid, I really thought he WAS the real Merlin the magician!

What do you mean "when I was a kid"? Rush out to rent this movie today. Do not hesitate!

We here at Heckasac welcome reader questions, especially those involving nudity and glitter.