Kings of the Sun (1963)

Kings of the Sun

This is one of my all time Favorite movies.
Again I saw this movie a child, it was great
then, today it's even better!! September 6, 2008

The Maya on the Big Screen

Kings of the Sun has a lot of historic maybes. According to my reading on Ancient Mexico, there was a conqueror named Hunac Ceel(but I don't think he died somewhere on the Texas-Louisania coast). The time period looks around 800-1000AD, and there were temple mounds along the Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri rivers at about that time. Those cultures received at least some influence from the south. Maybe a refugee group of Maya did reach the Gulf Coast. The movie ends with a hint that was indeed the case. The Maya also conducted a coastal trade along the Gulf using canoes with 30-50 rowers, so the story has some factual basis(although using sails is in dispute).
I first saw this movie when it was released in 1963, and it started a personal interest in the Maya and other groups in preColumbian America. I was really happy to finally get a copy.




August 19, 2008

Expected Better Quality

I received this DVD quickly and it was in fine shape - no problems.

However, the picture and sound quality were not as good as I expected.
It is about as good as high quality VHS.

5 star transaction though. July 16, 2008

Review

It is a very possible story. It happens before any white man set his footprints on Texas. Outstanding story, excellent actors. I highly recommend this movie. June 23, 2008

Ah, finally it made it on DVD...

For years I was condemned to watch this movie on an old VHS tape, in Pan & Scan (aaargh), but now, finally we have it in glorious Cinemascope.

As per usual habit of the people at MGM/UA though, there is not very much about special inserts. Also, the sound is not very special. Just a lame Mono or Stereo sound, which seems to be their specialty for most of their titles, unless naturally, treated by someone else (see the Sony treated James Bond Collection and you see what I mean).

Only thing that indeed got a vast improvement is the image. Crystal clear and in the correct widescreen format (for those who actually like the black bars on top and at the bottom of their screens).

The story is not very accurate and takes many liberties with Mayan and Toltech history.

It is, after all, just an adventure movie, with just a hint of historic background intertwined in its plot.
But who would like to miss out on a Yul Brynner movie?

Now, if only they would release "The Ultimate Warrior" on DVD, also starring Yul Brynner, in a perhaps more potent role, then I would really be satisfied... June 21, 2008

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