{"id":52159,"date":"2026-03-19T10:45:52","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T14:45:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=52159"},"modified":"2026-03-19T13:25:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T17:25:34","slug":"red-sonja-1985-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/19\/red-sonja-1985-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sonja [1985] [Arrow 4k UHD LE]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A warrior gets revenge for her sister’s death and aims to stop the plans of an evil queen in Richard Fleischer’s 1985 sword-and-sorcery flick Red Sonja, now on 4k UHD from Arrow Video.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Film<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be confused, dear readers. A few months ago, I covered the 2025 Red Sonja<\/a> flick, which I rather enjoyed. Now I dig back into the past of the Glorious 80s for the first film the She-Devil with a Sword of then-Marvel now- Dynamite comics (although credited to Robert E. Howard, this isn\u2019t really true; see the other review or Wikipedia for more). I\u2019m not going to compare and contrast, but I\u2019ll be honest here, I like that one more.\u00a0 Red Sonja of 1985<\/a> isn\u2019t a great flick, but it\u2019s entertaining enough, especially with the power of nostalgia. I\u2019ll be quicker than normal with my words since this is one where you\u2019re likely in or out already. Those who follow Arrow and other Niche labels (like myself), likely have watched it many times already and know if it\u2019s a film for them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Directed by Richard Fleischer, Brigitte Nelson\u2019s Red Sonja comes in the shadow of Conan the Barbarian<\/a>, also starring Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/a>\u00a0and Sandhalh Bergman, who plays villain Queen Gedren. Conan set a high bar for the 80s revival of the sword-and-sorcery subgenre, leading to a slew of less grand, cheaper follow-ups such as Deathstalker<\/a>, the Sword and the Sorcerer, and, yes, Red Sonja. I\u2019m personally very fond of Beastmaster, which was actually in production at the same time as Conan. Anyway, let\u2019s look more at today\u2019s film.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Red Sonja, as played by Brigitte Nelson in her first role after a modeling career, is in training with warriors after Gedren slaughtered most of her family. Her sister is one of dozens of women charged with keeping a sacred orb. Queen Gedred bursts in, slaughters them to take the magical object. One to escape is Sonja\u2019s sister, who meets Conan\u2026 er Lord Kalidor (pesky rights issues)\u2026 and he brings her to Sonja. Thus, Red Sonja goes on a quest for revenge and to return the orb, joining with a young king from a destroyed city, played by Ernie Reyes, Jr. in his second role after The Last Dragon<\/a>, and his keeper.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s got a wishy-washy reputation, Arnold calls it his worst movie, but I like it for what it is. It\u2019s a tidy little adventure, one with fewer characters, locations, bigness, and moments than its contemporaries, but Fleisher does what he can with an obviously limited budget. There\u2019s fun to be had within the world as it is. Mechanical dragons, crazy sets and costumes, bone bridges, a sneaky fortress, a weird wizard, and a bloodthirsty king played by Indiana Jones\u2019s recurring bad guy Pat Roach. The fights are solid, often choreographed by Ernie Reyes, Sr. Hell, it has an Ennio Morricone score! Awesome.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, it does move at a weirdly sluggish pace within scenes, needs far more zip and zowie to impress, an issue with Fleisher\u2019s Conan the Destroyer as well. Maybe he was just tired after Amityville 3-D,<\/a> and Jazz Singer also flubbed. And Red Sonja herself is often hobbled to needing Arnold to save her. Give her the agency! It\u2019s her movie! But it\u2019s the 80s, and they got Arnold\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

But most people seem to be having a good time. Especially the villains with Bergman and her henchman, played by Ronald Lacey, Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark, fully lean into comic-book villainy. Ernie Reyes Jr plays it big, chewing what\u2019s left of the scenery. Arnold is a little muted, and perhaps securing the film\u2019s reputation, Neilson is wooden and awkward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For my grumbles, I do enjoy sitting down to watch Red Sonja, as I know what to expect coming in. I don\u2019t expect Conan the Barbarian or even Beastmaster. Watching again, I\u2019m transported back to watching TNT in the 90s in pre-teens. Sometimes that\u2019s just what you need.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Package\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/a> sets up the 4k UHD of Red Sonja (no Blu-ray option) very well. The disc visuals are art of Red Sonja and her sword. The 4k case has a reversible sleeve with two art choices from original artist Ronato Casaro. In physical goodies, it comes with six postcards, a double-sided poster of the same art as the sleeve, and a booklet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Presentation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/a> presents a new scan from the original 35mm negative. It looks pretty damned good. The film itself is a little muted, so that transfers to the visuals. But it\u2019s clearly detailed, solid, and steady. Two audio options are available, 5.1 surround and 1.0 mono, both in English, and sound great. Subtitles are in English.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Features<\/strong><\/p>\n

As often is the case, Arrow<\/a> puts together a hell of a collection, loaded to the gills: the film, two commentaries, and additional features total just shy of 8 hours on the disc. Like Excalibur, so much is a wider look of filmmaking, now with an Italian anything-goes style.<\/span><\/p>\n

Commentaries (both new)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Film critics Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howard\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Comic Book Expert Dave Baxter<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Both talks are solid commentaries, digging into the making, how tos, who’s who, the hows and afters of the character and film. There\u2019s a little cross over, but mostly put their foci on different aspects. For example, as his title notes, Baxter focuses on character history.<\/span>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Interviews (new unless otherwise noted)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    The Prince and Me<\/em> – <\/span>Ernie Reyes, Jr. talks of his second film, working on a set with his dad in Italy. He\u2019s easy to listen to, very excitable, but a little repetitious. (14m)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sword, Stunts, and Sonja –\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Action supervisor Vic Armstrong remineses of his career and the specifics of the action on this set. Good stuff. (15m)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Last of the Invincibles –\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Arnold stunt double Pietro Torrisi gives so many awesome stories of working on Italian sets. What the hell is OSHA? Really, I LOVE the wild sets of Italian flicks to make it work, and Torrisi was right in the center of it. 26m<\/span><\/p>\n

    Danish Girl-\u00a0<\/span><\/em>\u00a0Stuntman Ottaviano Dell\u2019Acqua continues Torrisi\u2019s insane Italian escapades in this film (as Red Sonja\u2019s double) and others. GIVE ME MORE ITALIAN STORIES. In Italian (16m)<\/span><\/p>\n

    12 Labors of Red Sonja –<\/span><\/em>They listened as assistant production manager Stepfano Sapdoni gave more stories! Of working on Red Sonja with a crew from all over, a small budget, and the constraints of how things worked at the time. In Italian (30 min)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Marvel of Primitive Technology –<\/span><\/em>FX artist Domingo Lizcano discusses Emilio Ruiz del Rio (who died in 2007) and his methods for effects: plates, mattes, maquettes, etc. Fascinating getting into the details and working around the challenges. Switching it up, as this is in. Spanish.\u00a0 (28m)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Moulding Fantasies –\u00a0<\/span><\/em>Make-up FX assistant Adriano Carboni gets into the details of the applications on screen. Great stuff. In Italian\u00a0 (20 min)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Body Building the Imagery (Archival but unreleased)- <\/span><\/em>Poster artist Renato Casaro gives a wonderful interview about his processes, the expectations of the studios and stars, and his methods. The hows and whys, so not just the art itself, though a few minutes of his talk on various posters over the years is fascinating. You might not know the name, but you do know his work. The posters that pop in your head of the 80s that aren\u2019t Drew Struzan are Casarao: Running Man, Once Upon a Time in America, Rambo. Interesting both Struzan and Casara died in 2025. (23 minutes)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Red Sonja vs Kaidor – The Making of a Misunderstanding (archival) – <\/span><\/em>Assistant director Michel Ferry talks about the production troubles with a sense of humor about it all. In Italian (12 m)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Featurette<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    The Man Who Raised Hollywood (archival) – <\/span><\/em>Schwarzenegger’s early career and rise to household name are discussed with several filmmakers, not just Red Sonja. There\u2019s a big appreciation for the man, his work ethic, and genial personality.\u00a0 16m<\/span><\/p>\n

    Trailer<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Standard Trailer. Fun stuff, brings me back (2m)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Image Gallery\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    56 images of set-photos, BTS, and publicity.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Booklet<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Bound 40-page booklet with cast\/crew, photos, and a few essays. \u201cRed Sonja: The Crimson Warrior\u2019s Legacy\u201d by John Walsh discusses and analyzes the history of the character, especially around the course of this film. \u201cMorricone Meets Red Sonja\u201d by Barry Forshaw looks at the movie and the history of the composer. \u201cBrigitte Nielson: The Warrior and the Icon\u201d by Nanni Cobretti is an appreciative discussion of Neilson\u2019s career.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Arrow once again puts together an impressive package for lovers of 80s films. The movie may or may not be fully good, your decision, even if it is highly entertaining. But Arrow’s great transfer and multitude of extras make it a great pick up.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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