Cave Dwellers
Encyclopedia
Ator l'invincibile 2 is an Italian film that was made in 1984
. The movie was written and directed by Joe d'Amato
. It stars Miles O'Keeffe
as Ator
, a man skilled in not only fighting, but in many other arts as well. It also stars Charles Borromel as Akronas, a wise ruler and teacher who is also called the Great One. Lisa Foster
stars as Mila, the daughter of Akronas, and David Brandon as Zor — the principal villain of the film. The film was released in theaters as Ator the Invincible and later as Ator, the Blade Master. It received the name Cave Dwellers after it was re-edited by distributor Film Ventures International. It is the sequel to 1982's Ator l'invincibile and was followed by 1986's Iron Warrior
. The movies were made to capitalize on the popularity of the Conan movies which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger
.
The movie was featured in episode 301 of Mystery Science Theater 3000
(MST3K). O'Keefe was reportedly amused by the show's take on the film and called Best Brains
(MST3K's production company) to personally request a copy of the episode. It is one of the most popular episodes of the series. The MST3K version of the movie is available in both VHS
and DVD
formats.
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 Akronas, and that her father is in terrible danger.
Mila, Ator, and Ator's Asian assistant Thong (Chen Wong) begin the journey back to Akronas' 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 bomb
s on Zor's soldiers. Having defeated most of Zor's forces, Ator takes on Zor himself and defeats him. Akronas 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, Akronas 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 Akronas, and leaves. He takes the Nucleus to a distant land, where he destroys it in a massive nuclear detonation.
The first three errors in this list were brought to the attention of the "Mads" in the film's MST3K episode.
Furthermore, the movie seems to be confused as to what time setting and location it takes place in. The title and slow motion footage during the opening credits (from the film Taur, the Mighty) and the scene right after (featuring two tribes of cavemen fighting) seem to suggest it takes place in prehistoric times, but Akronas' castle appears to be from medieval Europe. Later in the film, Ator and his companions fight what appear to be samurai warriors from feudal Japan. However, such anachronisms are common to Conan-style fantasy works.
The Cave Dwellers version of Ator L'Invincibile 2 uses opening and ending credits superimposed over blurred footage from an entirely separate movie; the 1963 Italian fantasy film Taur, the Mighty (Taur, il re della forza bruta), which starred Joe Robinson and Harry Baird
. Pod People
, another movie featured on MST3K, has similarly altered credits; both movies were distributed to Best Brains by Film Ventures International
.
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
. The movie was written and directed by Joe d'Amato
Joe D'Amato
Joe D'Amato, was a prolific Italian filmmaker who directed roughly 200 films, usually at the same time acting as producer and cinematographer, and sometimes providing the script as well...
. It stars Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe
Miles O'Keeffe is a television and movie actor. O'Keeffe got his first big break playing the title role in the 1981 version of Tarzan, the Ape Man.-Early life:...
as Ator
Ator
Ator is a film series of four European movies made in the 1980s created by Italian director Joe D'Amato, under the pseudonym David Hills. D'Amato wrote and directed the first, second, and fourth films in the series, himself disregarding the existence of the third...
, a man skilled in not only fighting, but in many other arts as well. It also stars Charles Borromel as Akronas, a wise ruler and teacher who is also called the Great One. Lisa Foster
Lisa Foster
Lisa Raines Foster is a British born Canadian television and movie actress, director, visual effects artist and animation producer. She is 5'6" tall-Personal life:...
stars as Mila, the daughter of Akronas, and David Brandon as Zor — the principal villain of the film. The film was released in theaters as Ator the Invincible and later as Ator, the Blade Master. It received the name Cave Dwellers after it was re-edited by distributor Film Ventures International. It is the sequel to 1982's Ator l'invincibile and was followed by 1986's Iron Warrior
Iron Warrior
Iron Warrior is third installation in the Ator film series, and first not to be directed by Joe D'Amato . While Miles O'Keeffe played Ator once again, the character looks and history was drastically changed....
. The movies were made to capitalize on the popularity of the Conan movies which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
.
The movie was featured in episode 301 of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
(MST3K). O'Keefe was reportedly amused by the show's take on the film and called Best Brains
Best Brains
Best Brains, Inc. is an entertainment company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It is best known for its creation and production of the comedy/sci-fi television program Mystery Science Theater 3000, aka MST3K . The company ceased producing the program in 1999 and closed its studio...
(MST3K's production company) to personally request a copy of the episode. It is one of the most popular episodes of the series. The MST3K version of the movie is available in both VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
formats.
Plot
Akronas 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. Akronas feels that the Nucleus must be kept from evil men at all costs. When he learns that the evil 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 Akronas, 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
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
knowledge to heal her wound. She then is able to convince him she is the daughter of Akronas, and that her father is in terrible danger.
Mila, Ator, and Ator's Asian assistant Thong (Chen Wong) begin the journey back to Akronas' 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 bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s on Zor's soldiers. Having defeated most of Zor's forces, Ator takes on Zor himself and defeats him. Akronas 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, Akronas 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 Akronas, and leaves. He takes the Nucleus to a distant land, where he destroys it in a massive nuclear detonation.
Reviews
Cave Dwellers did not do well in critical reviews. Critics have pointed to the plot, or lack thereof, continuity errors, one dimensional villains, and stolen sound effects as examples of the problems that existed in the film. A few editing errors showed up in the final version of the film — such as Zor's face jumping in one shot. Several of the more well known errors were as follows;- Hang glider — Somehow Ator was able to assemble a hang glider, and use it to defeat Zor's forces. Even though the glider was disguised in closeups to make it look like it came from that time period, the longer shots made it clear that it was a modern glider. The scenery used during the flight was clearly from stock footage as the castle and surrounding lands was different than that shown on the ground (even a BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n flag was clearly seen). At one point, shots of Ator hang gliding showed a modern city in the background. As well, Ator seemingly was able to construct it in mere seconds, which would have been impossible.
- Tire tracks — Close to the end of the film, Ator is shown riding off "to fight evil where ever it occurs". Riding on a horse, Ator crosses a field. In the background, tire tracks made by a modern vehicle are clearly visible.
- Sunglasses — During the attack on Ator's home village, one of the extras who appeared as an attacker is wearing sunglasses, which showed up on film.
- Handrails — Several of the staircases in the castle of Akronas have modern handrails along the wall.
- ScrunchieScrunchieA scrunchie is a fabric-covered elastic hair tie, commonly used to fasten long hair. Large, elaborate styles and diminutive, unassuming forms are available in many different colors, fabrics, and designs....
— One of the girls who is to be sacrificed by being thrown into a pit of snakes is clearly wearing a pink scrunchi hair tie.
- Footage of a modern-day nuclear bomb going off are used to show that Ator had destroyed the Geometric Nucleus, though the vague nature of the nucleus' function makes it all but impossible to tell.
The first three errors in this list were brought to the attention of the "Mads" in the film's MST3K episode.
Furthermore, the movie seems to be confused as to what time setting and location it takes place in. The title and slow motion footage during the opening credits (from the film Taur, the Mighty) and the scene right after (featuring two tribes of cavemen fighting) seem to suggest it takes place in prehistoric times, but Akronas' castle appears to be from medieval Europe. Later in the film, Ator and his companions fight what appear to be samurai warriors from feudal Japan. However, such anachronisms are common to Conan-style fantasy works.
The Cave Dwellers version of Ator L'Invincibile 2 uses opening and ending credits superimposed over blurred footage from an entirely separate movie; the 1963 Italian fantasy film Taur, the Mighty (Taur, il re della forza bruta), which starred Joe Robinson and Harry Baird
Harry Baird (actor)
Harry Baird was a Guyana-born British actor who came to prominence in the 1960s.Baird was born in Georgetown, British Guiana and was educated in Canada and England. He was given his film break in 1954 as a boxer named Jamaica in the Carol Reed film A Kid for Two Farthings...
. Pod People
Pod People
The Pod People is a 1983 Spanish science fiction film directed by Juan Piquer Simón. A young boy discovers a lovable alien creature, but the alien's mother is on the prowl...
, another movie featured on MST3K, has similarly altered credits; both movies were distributed to Best Brains by Film Ventures International
Film Ventures International
Film Ventures International is an independent movie production and distribution company originally situated in Atlanta, Georgia during the 1970s. FVI garnered a notorious reputation within the industry for producing films which were highly derivative of many blockbusters of the era...
.
DVD releases
- The MST3K version of the film was released by Rhino Home VideoRhino EntertainmentRhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
as part of the Collection, Volume 2 DVD set.