Harpies (film)

Harpies
Written by	Declan O'Brien
Directed by	Josh Becker
Starring	Stephen Baldwin Peter Jason Kristin Richardson
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Stan Lee Jeff Franklin
Release
Original release	June 23, 2007 (2007-06-23)

Harpies (or Stan Lee's Harpies) is a Sci Fi Pictures original film directed by Josh Becker. Stan Lee is the executive producer. The film began pre-production under the working title The Harpy on June 26, 2006^[1] and first aired on June 23, 2007. The movie was shot in Bulgaria.

Plot[]

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The story for Harpies begins in the fictional world of Modalvia, where Vorian (Peter Jason) is fleeing from the castle guard. When cornered, Vorian releases his minions, the harpies, on the captain of the guard, who dies from the severing of his head. The story reopens to present day where Jason (Baldwin) is late for work at the local museum. His fellow guard Ted restricts him access, but after a blatant and logically flawed threat, he is allowed entrance. In the guards' locker-room we learn that Jason worked for the NYPD and was "terminated for cause"; and earlier that morning, he filed for divorce from his wife - whom he references as a harpy.

On this night, Jason meets a professor (Peter Jason) who discusses the rare artifact (the Obelisk) with harpy carvings in the room that Jason had been eyeing for some time. Threatening with illogical force once again, Jason tells the professor to leave. Unfortunately, Jason is surrounded by mercenaries hired by the professor. After being tied-up, Jason escapes and proceeds to take on the mercenaries by himself, leaving Ted tied up in the locker-room. After defeating the professor's mercenaries, Jason takes an amulet from the professor, claiming: "I spent my whole life putting guys like you behind bars, and the NYPD fires me for it." Bargaining is irrelevant as Jason puts the amulet into the "crystal egg thingy" which opens up a time portal and sucks Jason into medieval times. Upon entering the old world, Jason meets Celestia (Richardson) who accuses Jason of having plans to steal her pigs. Upset and eager to return home, Jason leaves. After walking on a dirt path and thinking aloud a hilarious quip he should have said to Celestia, Jason sees warriors riding horses atop a distant hill. Suddenly, Jason and the warriors are attacked by the harpies. After swinging blindly at the air with their swords, one of the warriors, Celestia's father, is knocked off his horse by a harpy that may have momentarily turned invisible. Jason decides that it's time to help them fight the harpies. The warriors are in awe at Jason's shotgun and pistol (which fell into the portal with him) as he delivers fatal shots to the harpies. The warriors suspiciously accept him and offer Jason a ride to Celestia's house.

Once there, Hamish (warrior), the Priest, and Celestia's father talk quietly amongst themselves to try and evaluate what they saw earlier. The Priest claims that Jason could be the a prodigal figure who has been referenced in historical heretical scrolls. They decide to wait and play it by ear. Jason quickly asks for directions to leave, but soon learns of Vorian's wicked control over the king, Lord Castor. Not hearing of the wizard's evil deeds, Jason simply wants to go home. The warriors & Celestia agree to take him to Lord Castor and Vorian to see if they can take him to the present. Before going to bed, Jason flirts with Celestia, who in turn turns him down, but not before calling him lengthy vulgarities of ancient times.

The next morning, Vorian meets with Castor, to tell him of Jason's arrival and his means of dispersing of his minions. Castor demands his capture, which Vorian is thrilled with. The warriors enter a destroyed village. They learn that the people have been driven away. Undeterred, Jason still wants to go home, at what ever the cost. Celestia disapproves of this. Jason continues the trek to Castor's castle alone.

Once Jason gets to the castle, he meets Caleb, the new captain, who has a sour attitude with Jason and secretly has an allegiance with Vorian. Jason is allowed entrance, where he is drugged by Vorian after revealing his encounter and the events in the museum. As a way of killing him, Vorian and Caleb put Jason atop a tower, where a harpy proceeds to attack him. However, Jason chokes it to death, allowing him to escape with the aid of Hamish and Garek (warrior). The alarm is sounded, and Castor's guards search the forest for Jason.

The next day, Vorian visits the Obelisk in his secret harpy cave. He puts his amulet into the egg, but nothing happens. He logically decides that he needs Jason's amulet, and must retrieve it. After discussing Jason's misadventure with Vorian, however, Celestia comes to the conclusion that the amulet Vorian seeks is in the pig-pen Jason fell in. After searching it is found. Hamesh tells everyone that he has two-dozen men waiting for them. In the forest, the soldiers plan a strategy on how to breach Castor's castle and slay Vorian. Jason has the incredible idea of building a trebuchet (catapult) after seeing a special on PBS. Seeing as it is their only option, Hamish agrees and construction begins. Jason and Celestia's father talk, in the aftermath, the father gives a heroic speech about how Jason is their only hope of winning, and that the people have "seen too much suffering."

The trebuchet complete, the battle begins on the grassland before Castor's castle. In the melee, they breach the wall after trying few times before unsuccessfully. However, Hamish is slain in battle and mourned by Jason and Celestia. Soon, they invade the castle.

Vorian prepares to leave after the defeat. Castor threatens Vorian to stop the invasion and let loose his harpies. Vorian tells Castor that he no longer needs the king in his greater plan. Castor prepares to kill the wizard, but Vorian threatens to kill the king by letting the Queen Harpy on him. Garek, Jason, and Aldebert (Hammerdorfer) enter Vorian's potion room to find a cowering Castor and a harpy-protected Vorian. Celestia has been captured, and unless Jason gives him the amulet, "she dies". Garek and Jason agree on letting the king show them a secret entrance into Vorian's mountain hideout. Eager to kill the king, Castor lies to Garek, Aldebert and the Priest, and runs away. The warriors pursue him.

Jason reaches the foot of the mountain. He must drop his weapons and give him the amulet, and he will return Celestia to him. Fooling the wizard however, Jason sneaks the amulet in her mouth after a passionate kiss. Jason advances up the mountain, leaving Celestia to return to her father who awaits her further down the mountain. Learning of Jason's trick, Vorian unleashes a harpy on Celestia and her retreating father. After a quick battle, the father is slain by the harpy, who is in turn slain by Celestia after a shotgun blast to the head. He dies in Celestia's arms.

Jason is thrown into a cave where he meets up with a captured Castor. The two sneak down the secret entrance the king mentioned earlier, but in their descent they find thousands of harpy eggs, eventually coming to the conclusion that Vorian is planning a full-scale attack. Celestia, Garek, Aldebert, and the Priest return to the cottage, where Garek is sent to retrieve some items. Alone, Garek faces off with three harpies, managing to kill them all after committing suicide by burning them all alive with himself.

Celestia, the Priest, Castor, Jason, and Aldebert unseat Caleb's control over the guards. Castor and Jason discuss a means of countering Vorian and stopping his eggs from hatching. The answer: a battle. So Castor rolls out the trebuchet and begins to fire on Vorian's mountain, while Jason, Celestia, and the Priest go into the mountain. Aldebert leads the troops in his father's footsteps, and Castor fights alongside him. They manage to seal up the mountain, but Aldebert is knocked unconscious by a harpy, and is out for the remainder of the battle. He awakens to learn they have "won the battle"; both pray for Jason's plan to work, and Aldebert gives him the title: Jason, the Harpy-Slayer.

Celestia and Jason continue without the Priest after Celestia decides to leave with Jason after their relationship has blossomed, who is slain upon exiting the mountain by a harpy. Vorian calls upon the aid of the Queen Harpy so that they may retreat. Celestia and Jason begin to pour gas (where ever that came from) on the eggs. After a mild conflict with Vorian, the mountain explodes, but Jason, Vorian, Celestia, and the Queen Harpy are transported into the present day after the uniting of the two amulets.

In the museum, a fight between the harpy and Jason, and a struggle between Celestia and Vorian occurs—upon their arrival, the professor is killed by a ball of fire. Jason breaks the glass of a sword display, and takes one of the two. With it he slays the queen and Vorian, who both are sucked back in time. Celestia and Jason exit the museum arm in arm. Ted observes Jason's destruction and yells for answers. Giving up, Ted heads out of frame, and the story ends.

References[]

External links[]

• BeckerFilms: Behind-scenes photos
• Harpies at IMDb