Conan the Barbarian

[Guest Tosh]

I was surprised when a friend of mine said he never seen this, it's been a while since I seen it, so I went and bought it, I'm wondering if anyone here liked this movie as much as me.

I was 11 when my Mom dropped me off to watch this movie in the theater, and I have to say, I couldn't believe how violent this movie was (my mother had no clue either), as a kid I never seen anything like it, even now, it's one of the best, true European sword fantasy movies ever, there was no comic sidekick, no stupid hollywood bullshit. Just a fantasy movie about revenge. It left a lasting impression on me to this day, and it's Arny's best work imo.

On a sidenote, I never realized the archer, Subotai, is no other than Gerry Lopez, an oldschool surfer famous for riding the pipeline in Hawaii, as far as I know, it's one of the only movie he ever did.

It's really a shame they didn't take these kind of movies more seriously, they made a hundred really bad fantasy movies after this, starting with the sequel.

[Guest Chinatown Kid]

My mom took me to see this movie when I was a kid too, I don't think see realized what some of the content of the movie would be, especially the graphic violence and sex scenes. I think it's the best sword and sorcery film of them all. It was shocking to me as a kid at the time to see all the slashing, hacking and bloodspurting but it was also exciting. The soundtrack was great. That James Earl Jones was freaky and scared the @#%$ out of me, especially when he turned into the giant snake.:lol

[Guest rockandrolltroy]

Conan is one my favorite movies of all time. The score is absolutely perfect and one of my favorite scores out there. The cinematography is excellent. I love everything about it.

That slow baleful look James Earl Jones gives Conan's mom right before turning and lopping her head off is exceptional. JEJ should have won an oscar for that scene alone. Alot of the sword swings are so realistic and the blood bags provide extra realism. As opposed to the CG bullsh*t of today. The final scene with all the traps and fighting amongst the rock monoliths was too cool. I could go on and on and on.

Everyone always says Arnold can't act. He couldn't act well but that fit in perfectly. I mean, come on, he's playing a barbarian. Plus at that time he was the perfect physical specimen. Great casting all the way around really. Totally gives me a D@D vibe too.

Funny this thread would pop up after I was asked earlier this evening, "if you had one movie on a deserted island what would it be", and I answered Conan The Barbarian.

[Guest Tosh]

I think my favorite part is when they capture the princess in the mountian, after they lay waste to guards in the orgy the two heavys come in, one with the ax, the other with that bigass hammer, when Conan bows up at the top of the stairs, it's in perfect sink to the music, then he comes walking down to them, I get chills everytime.

Everyone always says Arnold can't act. He couldn't act well but that fit in perfectly.

I think John Milius was a genius, he kept the dialog to a minimun, and kept most of it for the better actors like Jones, Mako, and Max Von Sydow, but Arney gets the best one liner in there - Crush your enemys...

[Guest Markgway]

Never a fan of the Conan movies.

[Guest rockandrolltroy]

Your loss my friend.

[Guest Markgway]

Um, not really.

I've seen them both more than once.

So I know what I'm not missing.

[Guest rockandrolltroy]

As I said, your loss and I speak strictly about Conan The Barbarian. Feel free to get specific on just how this movie is no good. The first 15 minutes of Destroyer is fairly good and then it goes downhill real fast after that.

[Guest Markgway]

I thought 'Barbarian' was boring and campy. A couple of OK bloodletting action sequences aside.

[Guest godzillakungfu]

Admit it. There were no tea and crumpet parties.

Yeah, I loved Conan the Barbarian.

I wish they would make Conan the King.

[Guest kenichiku]

Loved it. Yes, it's old Hollwood but I was a big fan of the Buscema art and John Milius did his homework by packing in a lot of its mythical imagery. The sequels were really the campy ones. Forget about Connie Neilsen's Red Sonja, Sandahl Bergman's Valeria rocked.

"...Crush you enemies, cast them out before them and hear the lamentation of the women". Probably the longest line Arnohd ever had to act up to that point in his career (his lines didn't get much longer after that either).

[Guest Druust]

Still the Best Fantasy movie of all time (yes even better than LOTR)! Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay and Milius was a great director. Conan wears armor and uses tactics. Awesome sets and armor designs and the best soundtrack ever! I despise "Conan the Destroyer" though since it was just a cheap, campy ripoff of the original.

[Guest teako170]

Conan rocks!

What irks me is that when this generation hears the name "Conan" they think of this guy instead. {shudder}

The first version of the screenplay, written by Oliver Stone as mentioned earlier, moved Conan from (creator) Robert E. Howard's prehistoric Hyborean Age to a post-apocalyptic future instead. Luckily, John Milius rewrote the script. In any event, for fans of the film, check out the Conan forum. Good stuff over there.

Keni: This one is for you.

Of course my favorite line (from both Conan and sidekick Subotai) is:

WOMAN: "A pittance to protect you from evil."

SUBOTAI: "I am evil."

CONAN: "They all sluts."

Conan then proceeds to punch out a camel.

Btw, Subotai err... Gerry Lopez did another film with Milus in 1989 called "Farewell to the King" though no longer acts. I believe he lives in the pacific Northwest these days making surf/snow boards.

[Guest Tosh]

when this generation hears the name "Conan" they think of this guy instead.

:rollin Yeah, but give him a break, he wrote some funnyass Simpson episodes.

"...Crush you enemies, cast them out before them

Isn't it - Crush your enemys, see them driven before you?

I believe Lopez has always lived in Hawaii, he's still active, and revered in the Surf community, he's been around since the 60's, Milius was a surfer, so he probably was a fan of his.

[Guest Chinatown Kid]

Speaking of Milius and him being a surfer, did any of you ever see the great surfing flick he directed titled Big Wensday? It featured some great surfing footage and had a pretty good comedy/drama story to it. It starred William Katt pre-Greatest American Hero, that crazy ass Gary Busey, Jan Michael Vincent before he became a bad alcoholic, Robert Enguld of Freddy Kruegar fame, and Reb Brown who was in the movie Uncommon Valor with Gene Hackman. It's a great late 70's surfing and coming of age movie.

[Guest vengeanceofhumanlanterns]

On a sidenote, I never realized the archer, Subotai, is no other than Gerry Lopez,

Subotai, in real life was one of Genghis Khans first and most prized generals. He covered more longitude (miles) on horseback WITH his battalion than any other living person. He was about to reach europe (proper) when Genghis called him back, via curriers, to participate in the great hunt. This was the time in their exploits (well into the raping and pillaging timeline) appraoching Genghis' eventual death.

Read, GENGHIS KHAN; emperor of all men, by Harold Lamb.

This book provides some of the most incredible "real life" adventures you will ever read. Truly an amazing exploit by Genghis and much more than people will realize were the Mongols.

[Guest kenichiku]

Isn't it - Crush your enemys, see them driven before you?

Noted. Whaddaya expect, haven't seen Conan for over a decade or so. Well, Teako corrected my misquote in the grandest way possible. The man's come a long way as a slab of beef from Austria. Listen to him there and contrast with knowing that he's with Maria of the Kennedy clan in nearby Sacramento, running our great state, the 5th largest economy in the world for over 2 years now. Is this America or what?

[Guest Tosh]

did any of you ever see the great surfing flick he directed titled Big Wensday

Whoa, I seen that movie, last time I seen it was in the 70's.

running our great state, the 5th largest economy in the world for over 2 years now. Is this America or what?

Kind of makes you wonder, just what does a Governor do.

[Guest Markgway]

Kind of makes you wonder, just what does a Governor do.

Governates.

[Guest kenichiku]

Governates.

Exactly, thank you Mark.

Reminds me of a line from 'Weird Science' when my favorite screen geek Anthony Michael Hall was asked what his father does for a living. "Wel Dad's a plumber, is that right Dad? He plumbs for a living".

[Barsader]

Cool to see some Conan fans aboard.

Never heard of the upcoming movie by crom!

Am pleased to learn its a Howard adaptation.

Nothing against animation,but i was wishing for an Awesome

Conan film with the CG technology we have now,as i think it could do the world of conan better justice then in years past.

But as much as a pict likes to string heads as a belt, i could not be more happier about the upcoming film!!

[Guest limubai2000]

The new Conan film is suppose to go back to the source material and it will not have Arnie in it or "old Conan". The new writer of the script has done some good solid films so hopefully he can give the studio a good starting point. The Rock is still being mentioned as a potential new Conan.

They are rebooting the whole franchise in the wake of the successful re-release of the books.

Conan is a great film, I don't think there is any S&S film even close to it in overall quality, none. I wish that Arnie hadn't sued to block the unreleased footage from going onto the collector's DVD.

[Guest Markgway]

I wish that Arnie hadn't sued to block the unreleased footage from going onto the collector's DVD.

Why did he do that?

[Guest Dion Brother]

CONAN THE BARBARIAN was one of the first big disapponting movies of my childhood. I was ten when it was released, had read the original Howard stories and Marvel comics...the movie was hyped up for quite some time, trailers before every movie, etc. My dad and I saw it opening weekend and we thought it was a big, ponderous bore. Conan has nothing to do with Mongolian or Nietzchian philosphy, but through Milius's filter, he does. Truly dull film with potentially great action scenes that never occur. I remember the crowd getting excited when Rexor recognized Conan in the temple and yelled "You!" and expected a great duel. Instead, a bowl of human soup was tipped over and they ran out of the temple. Wow, how thrilling. It was an overlong snoozer, and not the box office hit that revisionist history claims. It did OK, but performed well under expectations (that's why the sequel was cut to a PG rating). Most of its following comes from endless airings on cable tv in the 1980s. I'm glad to hear Boaz is going back to the source.

[Guest Tosh]

:rollin To each there own, it's funny how one movie can be so great to one person, and totally suck for another, I have to say between this movie, Godzilla, Shaw and Samurai movies totally changed my life in a way.