Dodge, Parry, Thrust … Drink!

The Vincent Charles Projekt travels to filthy, heavily armed, and extremely hungover 17th-century France for Richard Lester’s 1973 adaptation of ‘The Three Musketeers.’ Vincent Charles, Ordinance Packard, Jeff, and Janelle Waz discuss Michael York’s D’Artagnan, Oliver Reed’s magnificently disreputable Athos, Richard Chamberlain’s Aramis, and the spectacular cast surrounding them—including Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston, and Geraldine Chaplin. The panel examines the film’s physical comedy, wonderfully chaotic sword fights, practical stunt work, historical liberties, memorable costumes, and the production decision that eventually divided the story into ‘The Three Musketeers’ and ‘The Four Musketeers.’ They also revisit Oliver Reed’s legendary drinking, Michael York’s cinematic legacy, questionable French belts, disappearing swords, Wishbone, candy bars, and why the Musketeers apparently considered sobriety a greater threat than the Cardinal’s guards. It’s seventies filmmaking, French intrigue, crossed swords, spilled wine, and the kind of movie discussion that becomes increasingly accurate—or at least more confident—as the bottles get lighter.