216 replies to this topic

[Rockamobile]

I love sword and sandal mythology films--in theory. But only Harryhausen's films left me feeling mostly satisfied.
I re-watched the 82 Conan the other day and was as underwhelmed as in previous viewings.
A star-making role for Arnuld sure, but he comes across as a boring Conan.
And James Earl Jones was a dull bad guy.
I think it was a missed opportunity given the budget and resources. It wasnt REH's Conan. Or Marvel's Conan. If it was trying to be like a spaghetti western meets peplum I think it failed miserably. Conan didnt show the kind of intelligence or direction of the story that an Eastwood gunfighter had.I think it needed a better script, a little more Harryhausen fantasy spectacle-and that includes the casting of the women roles. Both Conan and Clash of the Titans (I mean the 81 version not the cinematic travesty vomited forth in 2010) had a princess chained to a pillar but one really outshines the other. Milius and DeLaurentis had an unusual definition of pretty I guess.
It left me with gigantic melancholies and tiny mirths.

The opening sequences where we see the forging of the sword and where young Conan is being told by father of the Giants stole the secret of Steel from the Gods it sets the tone of the film quite nicely. The film in some ways does catch he the feel of Conan and his world. for Conan enslavement, trials and tribulation and his quest for vengeance against Thulsa Doom could fit in with the mythos of Conan. The film had some really great sword fight and battle sequences The raid on Thulsa doom's stronghold Conan and companions quite exciting and the trap that Conan set for Thulsa doom and his henchmen The film did well enough a the box office to pave the way for a sequel. As for James Earl Jones , He turned in a very good performance as Thula Doom . And Arnold did a decent job or portraying Conan.

Edited by Rockamobile, 14 January 2012 - 09:21 PM.

[Ironhand]

What you say about the technical quality of CTB 82 may be true, but it does not fit in with the Conan mythos. The Clonan of CTB 82 behaves at almost every turn in a way inconsistent with REH's Conan. Arnold did a decent job of portraying a freed slave who was impersonating a famous warrior. I don't blame Arnold. He could not get outside that script. It is up to future writers and directors to get outside that script.

[godcipherdivine]

no way I'm going to read all these comments but I loved this movie. I appreciate how Conan take's Kull's sword in the tomb and towards the end of the movie ends up beating Kull's arch nemesis which he couldn't accomplish during the time that he lived. I thought it was real cool how they linked Kull and Conan together in a movie and YES the score is epic as it gets. My fav parts are when they infiltrate the mountain of power in that camouflage black and white paint as well as when Valeria saves Conan and then Conan break's his father's sword and defeats Rexor. Funny how the guy with a hammer had Thor in his name, lol. This movie is great, rented it on blue ray recently and saw the ending with the king's daughter for the first time ever, never saw that ending before which I thought was great, oh yeah...........and Valeria kicked ass in the movie.

[Rockamobile]

no way I'm going to read all these comments but I loved this movie. I appreciate how Conan take's Kull's sword in the tomb and towards the end of the movie ends up beating Kull's arch nemesis which he couldn't accomplish during the time that he lived. I thought it was real cool how they linked Kull and Conan together in a movie and YES the score is epic as it gets. My fav parts are when they infiltrate the mountain of power in that camouflage black and white paint as well as when Valeria saves Conan and then Conan break's his father's sword and defeats Rexor. Funny how the guy with a hammer had Thor in his name, lol. This movie is great, rented it on blue ray recently and saw the ending with the king's daughter for the first time ever, never saw that ending before which I thought was great, oh yeah...........and Valeria kicked ass in the movie.

I agree with all of this.

[mario]

the dvd /blu ray commentary in this movie is hilarious; they are so hammered!

[Lunatic]

Hi, I thought I should start a general purpose opinion thread on Milius 1982 'Conan the Barbarian'.

Comments specifically regarding how CtB should have been different should go to the existing thread

'MILIUS FILM: How would you change it?'

'Milius Film: How would you change it?'

I loved this movie, but for all of it´s fun and coolness I would say it was a very diffrent Conan from the conancomics I used to read back then. Actually I would not change much it is a great fantasymovie based on Conan the barbarian.

[King of Aquilonia]

I never heard of Conan till the first movie came out. I didn't start reading Conan stories until after CtD came out. The Conan stories I did read were in the Ace series with the intermixed DeCamp pastiches etc thrown in on the side. I don't think I really knew Howard by name until much later. So for me it was a long slow road to reading any of Howard's (unmodified) work.
all that aside I've maintained a strong enjoyment of the Conan films as well as a growing appreciation for Howard's Conan and non Conan writings (Particularly El Borak) now many people have been ranting against the films and I understand their disappointment (even if I don't share it myself.) with all that in mind I thought I'd share a quote by Isaac Asimov that has been haunting me since I first heard of this vehement disregard for the films

"Movies have a special difficulty that books do not have. They have to deal with a much larger audience. If a book sells Five Thousand copies, it's viable. A movie has to sell Forty Million so to speak. Which means they CANNOT play for the minority the way a book can. In a book you can be pretty highbrow and figure, "Well there's about Five thousand people who'll like this." A movie has to hit, in some respects, the lowest common denominator."

Granted Asimov was focusing his comments on science fiction films in particular (His area of expertise) however, I think in most respects (in any genre not just Sci-Fi, Fantasy...etc) this statement holds true.

[Kortoso]

I agree; damn practical considerations.

[Toadyking]

I do not mind that this movie Conan does not act like REH Conan, the rest of the world does have a taste of REH. Other than that looking at as a purely cinematic thing it did usher in the whole 80s sword and sorcery wave, countless copycats which were cheesy fun like the Ator, Beastmaster, Deathstalker legacies.

[TheDarkslayer]

In the 80's I thought the movie missed on so many marks. The hair, the eyes, the everything. But now that I am no longer in high school I have come to realize this movie is a brilliant work of art. I mean, this was made in 1982 and now, in 2012, movie makers don't come close to the quality of this film. The armor, weapons, landscapes was all just incredible. Not to mention the soundtrack by Basil Poderis. WOW! They couldn't remake this movie better if they tried. Everything was real and done as well as it could possibly be done back then.

I have an extended cut that is nice, but I'd love to have that on Blu-Ray if it is even out there.

As for as fantasy goes, It's Conan the Barbarian and LOR, but Conan is better on many detailed levels. Of course, I have to throw in The Sword and the Sorcerer as another one of my top fantasy flicks. Maybe it's nostalgia, but back then it was just a really gool flick.

[Freebooter]

I always loved Conan with good ol Arnie. Like many, I did not like the stupid death of his village and his growing up a slave. We all know that never happened in REH's Conan. And I never understood why they did not make his hair black instead of that mousy brown. But other than that I thought he fit the bill, blue eyes, his build, and especially his accent! Many times REH mentioned that accent. But I loved the movie. While not the best, it was still a good Conan flick!
Freebooter

[matt schott]

I love the original 1982 film watrs and all and created this project as a gift to all fans who feel the same.hope you enjoy.

[matt schott]

part 2   

[matt schott]

part 3 

[matt schott]

part 4   

[matt schott]

final   

[BarbaricBludgeoning]

Good work Matt i enjoyed that