Excalibur (film)
When first released in the United Kingdom in 1981, the film ran to 140m 30s, and was classified as a "AA" by the BBFC, restricting it to those aged 14 and over. In 1982, the BBFC replaced the "AA" certificate with the higher age-specific "15", which was also applied to "Excalibur" when released on home video.
Fantasy film
1980s fantasy films were initially characterised by directors finding a new spin on established mythologies. Ray Harryhausen brought the monsters of Greek legends to life in "Clash of the Titans" while Arthurian lore returned to the screen in John Boorman's 1981 "Excalibur". Films such as Ridley Scott's 1985 "Legend" and Terry Gilliam's 1981–1986 trilogy of fantasy epics ("Time Bandits", "Brazil", and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen") explored a new artist-driven style featuring surrealist imagery and thought-provoking plots. The modern sword and sorcery boom began around the same time with 1982's "Conan the Barbarian" followed by "Krull" and "Fire and Ice" in 1983, as well as a boom in fairy tale-like fantasy films such as "Ladyhawke" (1985), "The Princess Bride" (1987), and "Willow" (1988).