“A BRILLIANT FILM, even though no one paid it much attention when it was released in 1981…Knightriders is about 50 percent scenes of kick-ass moto-jousting, 40 percent philosophizing around the campfire, and 10 percent lyrical shots of King William trying to exist in the same landscape as fast-food restaurants.” – Noel Murray, The Dissolve

Though best known for revolutionizing the zombie film with Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero’s masterpiece might just be a hard-to-describe, impossible-to-sell tale of a traveling band of motorcycle-riding medieval reenactors who stage elaborate (and dangerous) moto-jousting shows at Ren Faires around rural Pennsylvania. A deeply personal epic of masculine fragility, contemporary alienation and creative community-building, the film features Ed Harris in his first starring role as the troupe’s mercurial leader King William, a man outside time whose chivalrous ideals run up against the modern world’s hunger for cheap thrills and big money. In a meta touch, Romero’s long-time collaborator Tom Savini (designer of special effects and makeup for many of Romero’s horror efforts) co-stars as the Black Knight, whose willingness to sell out King William’s vision could cause the group’s fracture. KNIGHTRIDERS was, unsurprisingly, a flop upon its release, but this massively underseen masterpiece deserves rediscovery as a pivotal film in Romero’s filmography, a vital modern translation of Arthurian legend, and one of the most incisive cinematic explorations of the fraternity that forms around creative pursuits.

This film is screening as part of Arkadin’s month-long series KNIGHTY KNIGHT, featuring knights in shining armor and other medieval tales!

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.