The Kingdom of Abraxeon has fallen under siege by the Dreadites, a scourge of bloodthirsty demonic warriors said to herald the return of the sinister, ancient sorcerer Nekromemnon. The titular Deathstalker (martial artist and legendary stuntman Daniel Bernhardt) is a lone wolf who survives by scavenging the corpses strewn about the battlefields. After recovering a mysterious amulet, he becomes cursed by an arcane magick, sending him on a quest to remove the curse and rid the realm of evil.

Inventive practical effects take center stage in FX wizard Steven Kostanski’s (PSYCHO GOREMAN, MANBORG) thrilling reboot of the 80s cult classic sword-and-sorcery film series. Featuring animatronic demons, rubber masked trolls, stop-motion skeletons, copious amounts of blood, and a hard rock theme song composed by Slash (who is also a producer of the film), DEATHSTALKERis a heavy metal hack-and-slash adventure that offers something for gorehounds, fantasy nerds, and anybody looking for a big dose of direct-to-video nostalgia.

“It’s a playground for the filmmakers and audience alike, a fantastical space where anything can happen, whether it’s silly or badass or both.” (The Wrap)

“This remagining veers even harder into silly territory with aplomb, leveraging its rough edges in its favor, and brings tongue-in-cheek personality in spades.” (Bloody Disgusting)

“Take the fantasy elements of ‘Beastmaster’ and smash them together with the squeamish fatalities of ‘Mortal Kombat’ and you’ve got the barbarically potent masterpiece known as ‘Deathstalker’.” (Bounding Into Comics)

“With ‘Deathstalker’, Kostanski attempts to bring his loose, gleeful style to the sword and sorcery genre, and mostly succeeds, giving us another midnight movie essential.” (AV Club)