You may have already forgotten, but there was a King Arthur movie this summer, called King Arthur: Legend of the SwordOpens in a new tab. Chances are, based on its box office results, you didn’t see it. Not a whole lot of people saw the previous retelling of Arthurian legend either, 2005’s King Arthur. People speculate that this is because contemporary folk can’t connect to old, creaky stories about knights and dragons and whatnot, but I’d say the success of Game of ThronesOpens in a new tab throws that theory in the circular file.
The greatest version of the Arthur myth already exists in film, and no one is ever going to top it. I speak now of John Boorman’s 1981 film ExcaliburOpens in a new tab. Why is Excalibur so amazing? Well, instead of stretching one tiny portion of the legend over two and half hours, Excalibur gives you the whole story — Arthur’s birth to his death — in the same running time. It’s filled with awesome performances from “before they were famous” actors like Patrick StewartOpens in a new tab, Liam NeesonOpens in a new tab, Gabriel Byrne, and a badass Helen MirrenOpens in a new tab. What’s not to love?
On top of all that, the titular sword was the coolest on-screen version of Excalibur yet put to film. Now Adam SavageOpens in a new tab of MythbustersOpens in a new tab fame — not to mention all his previous work as a special effects designer/fabricator — has posted another “One Day Build” to show fans how to make an exact replica of the sword from the classic ’80s film. Savage is such a huge Excalibur fanboy, he even went to Comic-ConOpens in a new tab in San Diego incognitoOpens in a new tab as that film’s version of Arthur, with sword and full armor.
You can check out the entire half-hour video down above, and learn how to create the perfect accessory to the ultimate King Arthur cosplay.
What do you think of Adam Savage’s amazing recreation? And are you now inspired to do the same? Let us know in the comments.
Images: Warner Brothers
