30 replies to this topic

[Kortoso]

John Carpenter's The Thing was on recently. Swap Kurt Russell out for Conan and you'd have a hell of a Howardian yarn!
Carpenter seems to do well with that kind of film.

[Lord of the Animals]

What about Christophe Gans? Brotherhood Of the Wolf was a brilliant film. As long as he stayed away from the martial arts fighting I think he could more than do justice to anything Howard wrote.

After watching Brotherhood of the Wolf again the other night, I thought the same thing. I would love to see Gans tackle a Solomon Kane movie.

[KG Thunder]

no one feels like kurosawa could do a nice turn? what about someone who has some shakespeare in their blood, like brannagh. and what about Guillermo Del Toro.

I'm not exactly sure which story I'd like to see Del Toro do, but I'd be curious to see what he would come up with. The only thing is he has a very distinct visual style that might clash with the less fantastic, more real world setting of some of the stories. That said, I could see him doing a pretty cool adaptation of 'The Tower of the Elephant' or maybe 'Queen of the Black Coast'.

[ThuleanWarrior]

I think Del Toro would be good for Tower of the Elephant or God in the Bowl.

[Crawley]

no one feels like kurosawa could do a nice turn? what about someone who has some shakespeare in their blood, like brannagh. and what about Guillermo Del Toro.

I'm not exactly sure which story I'd like to see Del Toro do, but I'd be curious to see what he would come up with. The only thing is he has a very distinct visual style that might clash with the less fantastic, more real world setting of some of the stories. That said, I could see him doing a pretty cool adaptation of 'The Tower of the Elephant' or maybe 'Queen of the Black Coast'.

Del Toro is more suited for Lovecraft...even though Mountains isn't gonna happen anymore!

[KG Thunder]

no one feels like kurosawa could do a nice turn? what about someone who has some shakespeare in their blood, like brannagh. and what about Guillermo Del Toro.

I'm not exactly sure which story I'd like to see Del Toro do, but I'd be curious to see what he would come up with. The only thing is he has a very distinct visual style that might clash with the less fantastic, more real world setting of some of the stories. That said, I could see him doing a pretty cool adaptation of 'The Tower of the Elephant' or maybe 'Queen of the Black Coast'.

Del Toro is more suited for Lovecraft...even though Mountains isn't gonna happen anymore!

Which is why I think he could make a great Conan! One thing we have yet to see in any Conan movie is the sense of horror, of hunting and being hunted in the dark. I think he'd do a good job with the horror and weird elements of 'Tower' or 'Iron Shadows in the Moon'.

[monk]

The Fall... Tarsem Singh...

i think i finally have an excuse to use this frakking itunes gift card I got for christ mass, appreciate the heads up. its ironic that people keep giving me those things when i only play vinyl and everybody knows it. so i just checked itunes and they sell it.

i got some free time (((finally lol))) coming to me and want to put down some reading/visuals.

[Head-On-A-Pike]

no one feels like kurosawa could do a nice turn? what about someone who has some shakespeare in their blood, like brannagh. and what about Guillermo Del Toro.

I'm not exactly sure which story I'd like to see Del Toro do, but I'd be curious to see what he would come up with. The only thing is he has a very distinct visual style that might clash with the less fantastic, more real world setting of some of the stories. That said, I could see him doing a pretty cool adaptation of 'The Tower of the Elephant' or maybe 'Queen of the Black Coast'.

Del Toro is more suited for Lovecraft...even though Mountains isn't gonna happen anymore!

Which is why I think he could make a great Conan! One thing we have yet to see in any Conan movie is the sense of horror, of hunting and being hunted in the dark. I think he'd do a good job with the horror and weird elements of 'Tower' or 'Iron Shadows in the Moon'.

There was a time there a while back when I was really crossing my fingers that Del Toro might get the job, for the very same reasons that you state. Howard and Lovecraft have many similarities when it comes to conveying a sense of otherworldly horror, and I thought that GDT might bring a lot of that out. I agree that his design sensibilities would probably have to be kept in check somewhat, but in a toned down form, he could actually give the film a pretty fantastic look, I think.

[Konorg]

Crucify me if you like, but I'd pick Tim Burton or even M. Night Shyamalan for The Tower of the Elephant.

Well I vote for you to direct any movies based on any of Mr.Howards yarns.

[RafaelKayanan]

Some great choices here. I think as long as they don't monkey around with the script, Gibson, Marshall, Eastwood and Mann would be very good.

For a more left-field choice, having watched The Fall, I'd quite like to see how Tarsem Singh would handle Conan.

Something that struck me is that in order to do justice to Howard's words, you have to pretty much do what Howard did in prose, in visual form. Howard used so much poetic description and metaphor, that I think a director would have to be similarly visual. The Fall was, in many places, like stepping into a painting. I think a similar approach would be a nice way to go for something with a lot of sumptuous visuals like "Red Nails," "The People of the Black Circle," or any of the green-city stories.

Of course, I'd have to ask that he not go too nuts with the costume design:



Ni! Ni! Ni!

That would be great if Tarsem got a chance. As for costume, it would be interesting after having worked on his two upcoming films as a concept illustrator.
It's all about the script though. That's very tough, especially if the call is to adapt purely from an REH text. I don't think a screenwriter can do it justice.
What they can do is not stray from the basic character, but also go beyond the superficial stuff a lazy writer would do.
But that's another topic.

Lots of really good choices from everyone. Anthony Mann choice was inspired!

Leone would've made an interesting film.

I think David Fincher gets the other facet of REH, the part that makes you feel the apprehension, bleakness, and darkness rather than just the audience watching death happen.
They are immersed in whatever world he brings forth for the most part.
Clint Eastwood directing an Outlaw Josey Wales take on matters.

Also, I believe the cinematography of a Conan film is not all sepias or earth tones. It calls back too many bad pretenders.
A strong deep palette like a Chris Doyle film. Like the way Frazetta oils are really like in person... layered, rich without being garish or cartoony.

Another choice would be Alfonso Cuarón. So would Gibson. Possibly using Caleb, one of his best cinematographers.

The fight design has to be staged differently, edited well. More like pure cinema ala Hitchcock but for a modern audience.
A fight has to tell a story, an emotional one, not a set of cool arbitrary moves. The movement of the blade more savage, the reactions set up before the kill, so many things haven't been done.
Not like a video game, not like 300. Seems Hollywood fishes from the same pool of fight designers and all the fights have the same beats and rhythms.
The action should be like a thriller, not a B movie horror. REH set a western and a horror in an ancient world.

Forgot to add; Michael Mann.

Edited by RafaelKayanan, 23 August 2011 - 06:00 AM.

[monk]

I think David Fincher gets the other facet of REH, the part that makes you feel the apprehension, bleakness, and darkness rather than just the audience watching death happen.
They are immersed in whatever world he brings forth for the most part.
Clint Eastwood directing an Outlaw Josey Wales take on matters.

Also, I believe the cinematography of a Conan film is not all sepias or earth tones. It calls back too many bad pretenders.
A strong deep palette like a Chris Doyle film. Like the way Frazetta oils are really like in person... layered, rich without being garish or cartoony...

maybe if we could blend herzog ridley scott and refn we could get 99.9999999% there...