Most final films by filmmakers or performers carry with them a twinge of sadness upon viewing. In this case, the highly talented and idiosyncratic writer/director Jack Hill would make his final contribution to cinema with this delightfully cheesy, lighthearted sword and sorcery frolic meant to cash-in on that sweet Conan the Barbarian bucks.
A tumultuous, tortured Roger Corman production where rabid in-fighting was the norm, the final result is surprisingly coherent and agreeably silly, thanks in no small part to Hill's deft touch and a cheeky screenplay by future Chopping Mall helmer Jim Wynorski (a true gentleman whom I once had the pleasure of conversing with).
I'll admit, I owned the VHS for many years and my only rationale for buying it in the first place was because I'd heard the twins doffed their tops, which they do. It's a bit of a shock watching a movie shot on film that contains so many cheap elements. It's a minor point, but since so many films are shot on digital these days, seeing something that looks and acts like a movie contain rubbery props and phony sets is a bit jarring, but amusing nonetheless. And yes, the best joke of the movie is indeed the title, since the film contains no sorceress to speak of, save a secondary character who doesn't have nearly enough screen time or importance to justify a title role. That would be like retitling Aliens to Hicks.
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