Conan the Barbarian starting on AMC now.

I will always upvote Conan the Barbarian... Always.

I could watch this movie on a perpetual loop. Love it.

James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom is the most awesomely bizarre casting decision of all time. Before seeing the movie, one might think, “How the hell can James Earl Jones pull off playing a barbarian cult leader?” But, after having seen it, one can only marvel at the fact that no one other than James Earl Jones would have been a quarter as good in that role. One of my all-time favorite movie characters.

Truly one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. I count the soundtrack as a character in this movie. So much of it would have come of as cheesy without the pounding score.

How can you not love opening with the Anvil of Crom and then straight into riddle of steel followed by the awesome Riders of Doom.

frick every single person that caused the 6.9 rating on IMDB! And I will meet anyone at sonic who disagrees with me because you suck cock by choice.

I'm dead serious when I say I think it's my favorite film of all time, especially the older I get and I see just how much genius was in the writing, acting, and overall production value.

Obviously the music Is as good as anything ever made in movies, but simple little parts like Conan and Subatai discussing their gods and running across the steppes., and then the acting of Jones in his brief appearances.... It's all almost dreamlike and entrancing.

BTW, Tolkien fanboys can rightly say he invented modern fantasy, but Howard is the OG and Milius and Arnold made big screen swords and sorcerers cool.

quote:

---

James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom is the most awesomely bizarre casting decision of all time. Before seeing the movie, one might think, “How the hell can James Earl Jones pull off playing a barbarian cult leader?” But, after having seen it, one can only marvel at the fact that no one other than James Earl Jones would have been a quarter as good in that role. One of my all-time favorite movie characters

---

In the making of DVD, Milius said he intentionally wanted Jones, 9bviously for his voice ability and presence, but also because of he wanted Thulsa Doom to look like a being from a long dead ancient and magical race That history forgot about.

He said the dark skin and the straight hair and the greenish eyes were all part of the decision that added to that.

Jones also kind of looks like a snake in many parts of the film. Jones was also so comfortable around snakes from his military survival training days he said they would fall asleep on around him and not move so the snake handler had to kind or rustle them all up. Nobody had ever seen anything like it.

My favorite seen of the movie:

LINK

The line by Ben Davidson is so good its stupid. It sums up all of his emotions in seeing the once crucified Conan right in his Palace.

I think my brothers and I watched that a couple hundred times. Actually, I have to check that out again soon.

As for Howard, I'm not sure how he'd react to this movie. Considering the level of film that existed when he died in 1936, he'd likely be amazed with what is now 40 year old film technology.

The fact that most of this movie plot is actually a Kull story may have stuck up his arse, though. Who knows? He was a very strange man. He might also not like the Scandinavian influence on the movie, as the rights to the property were in Swedish hands at the time, IIRC.

And Tolkien weirdos can say what they like. Howard and Lovecraft invented modern fantasy, with Howard pioneering sword and sorcery. He'd also invented Sonja (before Conan), likely based on Boudica, so he can rightly be credited with inventing the modern fantasy "warrior woman." Lovecraft had by far the more complex mind, though. Strangely, he died not long after Howard, also at a very young age.

quote:

---

Ehh, I wouldn’t put any of them in near the same genre and none of them are attempting to do anything remoletely similar

---

You must not be too familiar with their work. Please explain how it's not "remotely similar."

And as far as pure creativity goes, Howard's world was loosely based on historical material, Lovecraft's mythos was completely conjured up from nothing, basically, whereas Tolkien's characters and settings are based on European folklore, similar to JK Rowling.

quote:

---

The line by Ben Davidson is so good its stupid. It sums up all of his emotions in seeing the once crucified Conan right in his Palace.

---

Fantastic scene.

quote:

---

There was no "fencing" for 10 minutes like 99% 9f other movies would have done.

---

They couldn't have done that. From what I remember way back when, the sword weighed a fracking ton.

It wasn't some lightweight fake prop.