# Rodriguez (Sin City) Developing Conan?



## Hand of Evil (May 3, 2005)

Did not see this on the scoop page sooooo....  

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?category=0&id=30944

Rodriguez Developing Conan?

TheArnoldFans.com reported that Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) has been brought in to develop a new Conan the Barbarian film, and that original Conan helmer John Milius has been let go by Warner Brothers. Milius had been developing his own sequel, called King Conan, the site reported. 

The site reported that Rodriguez's project will also be called King Conan, but it's unlikely he would use Milius' script. It's also unclear whether original Conan star and current California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be involved.


----------



## Desdichado (May 3, 2005)

I'm glad Milius is out.  His vision of Conan never seemed to match Howards to me.  Rodriquez has shown, if nothing else, that he knows how to take source material seriously.


----------



## Ranger REG (May 3, 2005)

As long it is rated R, that's fine by me. Warner Brothers better not tell him to make the film children-friendly.


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 3, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> His vision of Conan never seemed to match Howards to me.




Agreed.  The first movie (the second . . . never mind) left me wondering, "OK, nice fights, but who's the blonde Austrian?  Where's the dark-haired Cimmerian?"

Frankly, with all the technology (hello, WETA), quality film stock (or digital, even), and so forth, available today, I think the Conan movie franchise needs to be redone.

Ever watch the Conan DVD with the director's commentary?  It's Milius and Arnold, and it's unintentional comedy gold.

"This is the part with the giant snake.  It still looks pretty good!"

"I remember that actress.  She was at cigar-night the other night."

"Conan's not a fighter.  He's a thinker!"

And more.  Seriously, if you're up for some laughs, rent the DVD, run the commentary.  It's hilarious, in a did-he-just-say-that? kind of way.

Warrior Poet


----------



## Truth Seeker (May 3, 2005)

Hand of Evil said:
			
		

> Did not see this on the scoop page sooooo....
> 
> http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?category=0&id=30944
> 
> ...




*ahem* excusa...Me lord, it was posted yesterday...


----------



## Hand of Evil (May 3, 2005)

Truth Seeker said:
			
		

> *ahem* excusa...Me lord, it was posted yesterday...



  I am a blind hand...opps...


----------



## David Howery (May 3, 2005)

I've always been ambivelant about the Conan movie.... OTOH, it has a beautiful soundtrack and great action scenes... OTOH, those great action scenes are spoiled by gushing geysers of fake blood.  And then there are the flower children of Doom (GROOOOOAAANNNNN).  Plus, I thought Conan would be fighting all kinds of monsters... he ends up facing a goofy wolf woman and a fake looking giant snake that was slower than my dead grandmother...


----------



## Klaus (May 4, 2005)

It was a fun movie.

But I'd rather see Rodrigues adapting the current Conan comic from White Wolf (where Busiek and Nord adapt Howard's stories about a young Conan).


----------



## Viking Bastard (May 4, 2005)

Dark Horse, not White Wolf.

As for Milius's Conan, I tend to think of it as among the best movies ever made. 

It's breathtaking.


----------



## Dark Jezter (May 4, 2005)

This sucks!  Milius' Conan is one of my favorite movies of all time.  No offense to Rodrigruez, but I'd much prefer to see _King Conan_ directed by John Milius.



			
				Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Ever watch the Conan DVD with the director's commentary? It's Milius and Arnold, and it's unintentional comedy gold.
> 
> "This is the part with the giant snake. It still looks pretty good!"
> 
> ...




Correction, it's _intentional_ comedy gold, considering how many jokes that Milius and Shwarzenegger crack during the commentary.


----------



## Hypersmurf (May 4, 2005)

Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Correction, it's _intentional_ comedy gold, considering how many jokes that Milius and Shwarzenegger crack during the commentary.




"Oh yah, exaaactly."

I adore the Milius film.  Couldn't stand Conan the Destroyer.

-Hyp.


----------



## Ranger REG (May 4, 2005)

Hypersmurf said:
			
		

> Couldn't stand Conan the Destroyer.



I know. The children-friendly _Conan_ film.


----------



## Klaus (May 4, 2005)

Viking Bastard said:
			
		

> Dark Horse, not White Wolf.
> 
> As for Milius's Conan, I tend to think of it as among the best movies ever made.
> 
> It's breathtaking.



 True dat! Dark Horse (what was I thinking?).

Just as an exercise, who would you guys cast as a true-to-REH Conan?


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 4, 2005)

Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Correction, it's _intentional_ comedy gold, considering how many jokes that Milius and Shwarzenegger crack during the commentary.




Interesting.  I guess I thought of it as unintentional because all the jokes they were cracking didn't strike me as funny (although they laughed at their own material alot), but all the stuff they seemed to talk about seriously made me laugh because it sounded so ridiculous.  Conan's a thinker?  In REH, I would say the man has a brain.  In Milius' movie?  A thinker?

Well, here's to different interpretations.  Enjoy the film!   

Warrior Poet


----------



## Henry (May 4, 2005)

Much as I enjoy a good Schwarzenegger film, I think, governership or not, the role needs to go to someone else. There's plenty of talent that can go to playing a black-haired, brooding muscle-man with quick reflexes. In my opinion, the Rock even makes a better Conan than Arnold!


----------



## Taelorn76 (May 4, 2005)

Another wrestler was rumored to be playing Conan, Triple H. There was a video interview a while back, I believe it was the Blade Trinity red carpet, when he was aked about it playing Conan. He said he was but it was still being writen.


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 4, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> Just as an exercise, who would you guys cast as a true-to-REH Conan?




I'd find somebody new, no-name-in-the-industry-yet.  Could be a huge breakout role, and it would help nullify the "I can't see that person/that's totally the perfect person to play that role" effect.

Could be really cool.  Might be hard to lure people to see it (although, frankly, the name _Conan_ alone should do that, but then I'm a purist that way  ), but it could be really good.  I had no idea who Hugh Jackman was before _X-Men_ (not saying he was unknown, just I didn't know who he was), and now I can't imagine anyone else playing Wolverine.  Could be a good break for some actor.

Warrior Poet


----------



## Truth Seeker (May 4, 2005)

Hand of Evil said:
			
		

> I am a blind hand...opps...




As your minion of many, I am here to guide you, if you desire...


----------



## barsoomcore (May 4, 2005)

Count me in as a fan of Milius' film. _Conan The Barbarian_ is a GREAT film. True to Howard? Well, who cares? It moves fast, the story is good and satisfying and the action is great.

And the girl who plays Valerian or whatever her name is rocks. And Arnold's got great presence even if he can't swordfight much. It's cheesy and silly but never winks at you, never fails to play it straight, and it goes full-out from opening sequence to closing credits.

My favourite two moments in the commentary are 

1. Right at the beginning when Thulsa Doom confronts Conan's mother and Arnold gets all excited and says, "Oh, now he's hypmotizing her. She's completely hypmotized." Man that makes me laugh. "Hypmotized" Hee. 

2. When Conan lights the fire under Valerian's body and you can hear Milius, apparently overcome with emotion, cry out "Pyre!". Hee.

It's one of the best commentaries I ever heard. Two guys with big heads and big egos talking about a big obnoxious movie they both obviously love and had huge amounts of fun making, getting themselves so excited about the whole thing that at the end they're vowing to make another together.

I'm sorry to hear that Milius is being taken off _King Conan_. He would have made a great film.


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 4, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> My favourite two moments in the commentary are




Yeah, the "hypmotized" is great.  My favorite is during the scene when he's a gladiatorial prisoner and a woman is brought to his cage for his . . . reward, as it were:  "I get laid alot in this movie." (Can I say that on the EN Boards?   )



			
				barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Count me in as a fan of Milius' film. _Conan The Barbarian_ is a GREAT film. True to Howard? Well, who cares? It moves fast, the story is good and satisfying and the action is great.




I agree, the film is fun, and I enjoy it, although I end up liking the supporting cast more than I do Arnie as everyone's favorite barbarian.  James Earl Jones, awesome, and with the long hair, looks really creepy as Doom.



			
				barsoomcore said:
			
		

> And the girl who plays Valerian



That'd be the lovely Sandahl Bergman, whom Milius characterizes in that very commentary as "a Valkyerie!"



			
				barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Milius, apparently overcome with emotion



Overcome with something.  If I remember correctly, Milius wanted to cast her as Valeria after seeing her topless in a Broadway production.  Seeing Sandahl Bergman topless would probably make me, uh, emotional, too.   

I think the movie is great fun, and I enjoy it immensely.  I guess I just keep wanting the _Conan_ movies to feel like a Frazetta painting.  But that's probably not going to happen, unless Frank starts writing and directing, and the film medium can somehow convey the feeling you get from looking at a Frazetta masterpiece.   

Warrior Poet


----------



## Desdichado (May 4, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> I think the movie is great fun, and I enjoy it immensely.  I guess I just keep wanting the _Conan_ movies to feel like a Frazetta painting.  But that's probably not going to happen, unless Frank starts writing and directing, and the film medium can somehow convey the feeling you get from looking at a Frazetta masterpiece.



Oddly enough, I just watched the documentary _Frazetta: Painting with Fire_ and John Milius was one of the interviewees (wow, I had no idea the man was such an enormous nerd-looking guy; although he still looks like Brad Pitt next to Ralph Bakshi...  )  They actually did try to incorporate as manyFrazetta homages in the movie as they could, to dubious success, IMO.

barsoomboy; I may have to watch the movie again; it's been a long time.  I remember thinking that it made me cringe, even as a teenager.  Story good?  Which story again?    Anyway, I'm not one who believes in being a slave to source material, unless your source material is obviously better than the material you have.  In this case, I think a more Howard-esque story would have been head and shoulders taller than the story they did have.  And Arnold was only chosen to play the part because of his Mr. Universe thing.  He later proved that he had some decent performances in him, and he was even convincingly scared and in trouble in _Predator_, but a Conan lead who can act doesn't seem to be too much to ask for.


----------



## Meowzebub (May 4, 2005)

I would have still liked to have seen Rodriguez direct John Carter of Mars as he was originally slated to do.  He lost that gig due to getting kicked out the director's union for giving co-directer status to Frank Miller.  Mars would have been a blank slate for him as opposed to reworking someone else's vision and dealing with the inevitable comparisons.

I am not sure if that was also a WB project and they liked the way he was going with it and hoped he could port it over to Conan.


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 4, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> Oddly enough, I just watched the documentary _Frazetta: Painting with Fire_ and John Milius was one of the interviewees (wow, I had no idea the man was such an enormous nerd-looking guy; although he still looks like Brad Pitt next to Ralph Bakshi...  )  They actually did try to incorporate as manyFrazetta homages in the movie as they could, to dubious success, IMO.



Actually, I was going to ask about that as I thought I remembered you mentioning that film in another discussion on the boards.  I've wanted to see it for a while.  I take it it's available on DVD?  Did you rent it, or have to buy it?  What did you think?  Frazetta's one of my all time favorite artists, and I'm curious if the movie is worth a look.

Also, just out of curiosity, do you recall which homages/painting references they tried to make in _Conan_?

Thanks!

Warrior Poet


----------



## Desdichado (May 4, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Actually, I was going to ask about that as I thought I remembered you mentioning that film in another discussion on the boards.  I've wanted to see it for a while.  I take it it's available on DVD?  Did you rent it, or have to buy it?  What did you think?  Frazetta's one of my all time favorite artists, and I'm curious if the movie is worth a look.



I rented it from Netflix.  It was a bit of a marathon to get all the way through it; it's about half an hour too long for the type of material it includes.  A bit more biography, and a bit more explicit discussion of the effect he had on fantasy art in particular, and book sales, even, would have been interesting.  What they did have was interspersed sadly through a great many long, drawn out ramblings of other artists, or old folks that knew him, or shots of him walking around as a very old man with some childhood friends talking about playing baseball or other extremely mundane things.  

It would have benefited from a good editor to trim it back a bit.


			
				Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Also, just out of curiosity, do you recall which homages/painting references they tried to make in _Conan_?



They showed a shot or two of the movie side by side with a painting.  The shots were pretty nondescript and unremarkable.  One of the paintings they tried to emulate was "Egyptian Queen" and one was "Rogue Roman."


----------



## Andrew D. Gable (May 4, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> Just as an exercise, who would you guys cast as a true-to-REH Conan?



I'll echo Warrior Poet and say an unknown.  Also someone muscular, but not built - while Conan's strong in the books, he never really seemed (to me) to have a real Schwarzenegger physique either.


----------



## Desdichado (May 4, 2005)

Andrew D. Gable said:
			
		

> I'll echo Warrior Poet and say an unknown.  Also someone muscular, but not built - while Conan's strong in the books, he never really seemed (to me) to have a real Schwarzenegger physique either.



I dunno... REH was quite clearly a superhuman specimen.  I think casting someone built like Arnold was one of the few right choices they made.  Note; I said someone built like Arnold, not necessarily Arnold himself...

Besides, Frazetta Conan is built like that too.


----------



## S'mon (May 4, 2005)

I love Conan the Barbarian, it's different from the REH stories but a great work in its own right.

To play a more REHy Conan, hm, Hugh Jackman defnitely sounds good.  Preferably not a wrestler.


----------



## Swoop109 (May 4, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> Just as an exercise, who would you guys cast as a true-to-REH Conan?



Seems to me that if you wanted to get someone who has shown that they can handle a Sword&Sorcery film, is tall enough, he's 6'4", and has an accent that I belive would match Conan's perfectly, then you need Valdimir Kulich from, _The 13th Warrior_.


Yes, I know that _13th Warrior_ is not really a Sword&Sorcery film. But, its damn close.


----------



## mmadsen (May 4, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Frazetta's one of my all time favorite artists, and I'm curious if the movie is worth a look.



If you're a huge Frazetta fan, _Painting with Fire_ is definitely worth picking up.  (I enjoyed it more than JD did.)


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 4, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> I rented it from Netflix.  It was a bit of a marathon to get all the way through . . . It would have benefited from a good editor to trim it back a bit.



Thanks for the review.  I'd still like to see it, though it sounds somewhat less engaging now.



			
				mmadsen said:
			
		

> If you're a huge Frazetta fan . . .



Ah, thanks for the recommendation.  Yeah, I still want to see it.

Thanks,

Warrior Poet


----------



## mmadsen (May 4, 2005)

To anyone who thought Milius's _Conan_ was "light" (rather than simply not-REH), I recommend A Critical Appreciation of John Milius’s _Conan the Barbarian_ by David C. Smith: Milius very much wanted to make the movie, and he jumped at the chance to direct it when the opportunity presented itself.  He rewrote an original screenplay drafted by Oliver Stone [1] (in which the action takes place in a post-nuclear holocaust future) and set the story firmly in Howard’s own Hyborian Age, and meanwhile brought to the reenvisioned movie the nobility of the samurai bushido code of discipline, duty, and honor and an appreciation of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s late-Romantic era concept of the übermensch or overman.  The synthesis works well even though the idea of Conan as fascist strongman is counter to Howard’s own political sensibilities.​


----------



## Klaus (May 4, 2005)

IIRC, Conan himself isn't too tall. Cimmerians are shorter than either Aesires and Vanires, right?


----------



## Swoop109 (May 4, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> IIRC, Conan himself isn't too tall. Cimmerians are shorter than either Aesires and Vanires, right?



Howard wrote that at the age of 15 Conan was 6'0' and still short of his full growth. In other stories he is described as being a giant, although he does meet other warriors who are taller then him.

There is a thread about this over on the conan.com website. If interested, here is the link;

http://www.conan.com/invboard/index.php?showtopic=1618


----------



## barsoomcore (May 5, 2005)

I actually think Arnold does a fine job in _Conan_. He's not asked to do much, but his reactions to, say, Valerian's death, his confrontation with Thulsa Doom ("Steel isn't strong, boy."), and his encounters with the sorcerer all show an ability to emote, at least. 

I think he kind of blew the "Grant me REVENGE!" speech, a bit, although it didn't bug me as much last time I watched it.

I've watched it like five times in the last couple of months, so it's very fresh in my mind. If you haven't seen it in a while, check it out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

WP: what kills me about Milius' and Bergman is how he characterizes her as a Valkyrie not once, but like, EVERY FRICKIN' TIME she shows up on screen. "She's a like Valkyrie, isn't she? She's wonderful." No, tell us how you really feel, Ron. It's very charming.

And I second the notion that the world would be a better place if Milius were doing _King Conan_ and Rodriguez were doing _A Princess Of Mars_. That's another thing I'll change when I'm Supreme Dictator.


----------



## Desdichado (May 5, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> That's another thing I'll change when I'm Supreme Dictator.



Dicator!


----------



## Ranger REG (May 5, 2005)

I think they should remake _Conan the Destroyer_ ... only this time, Robert Rodriguez should try to get Jessica Alba to show some boobage.


----------



## Mouseferatu (May 5, 2005)

Swoop109 said:
			
		

> Seems to me that if you wanted to get someone who has shown that they can handle a Sword&Sorcery film, is tall enough, he's 6'4", and has an accent that I belive would match Conan's perfectly, then you need Valdimir Kulich from, _The 13th Warrior_.
> 
> 
> Yes, I know that _13th Warrior_ is not really a Sword&Sorcery film. But, its damn close.




I think Kulich is just damned cool, and way under-utilized in Hollywood and television.

That said, however, I think the man's too old to be playing Conan. He's in his 50s, and while he's in great shape, he _looks_ like he's in his 50s.

I'd love to see him in some big-budget fantasy movie. Maybe even Conan. Just not in that particular role.


----------



## Desdichado (May 5, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Thanks for the review.  I'd still like to see it, though it sounds somewhat less engaging now.
> 
> 
> Ah, thanks for the recommendation.  Yeah, I still want to see it.



I still recommend it, especially for bit Frazetta fans, but it's just not quite as good as it could have been.  They didn't spend enough time on the things that were interesting, and too much time on things that weren't.


----------



## Desdichado (May 5, 2005)

Mouseferatu said:
			
		

> I think Kulich is just damned cool, and way under-utilized in Hollywood and television.
> 
> That said, however, I think the man's too old to be playing Conan. He's in his 50s, and while he's in great shape, he _looks_ like he's in his 50s.
> 
> I'd love to see him in some big-budget fantasy movie. Maybe even Conan. Just not in that particular role.



I dunno... by the time he's _King_ Conan, he was in his middle ages, wasn't he?  That's the nice thing about REH Conan, you see him at all kinds of stages in life.


----------



## Swoop109 (May 5, 2005)

Mouseferatu said:
			
		

> I think Kulich is just damned cool, and way under-utilized in Hollywood and television.
> I'd love to see him in some big-budget fantasy movie. Maybe even Conan. Just not in that particular role.



Well, Karl Wagner's Kane character has been optioned for the movies. With the right beard and his hair dyed red, I think Kulich could do a respectible job with the character.


----------



## Gomez (May 5, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> And I second the notion that the world would be a better place if Milius were doing _King Conan_ and Rodriguez were doing _A Princess Of Mars_. That's another thing I'll change when I'm Supreme Dictator.





I think Kerry Conran is a much better choice for _A Princess of Mars_ than Rodriguez. At least Conran will get the special effects right.


----------



## Desdichado (May 5, 2005)

Gomez said:
			
		

> I think Kerry Conran is a much better choice for _A Princess of Mars_ than Rodriguez. At least Conran will get the special effects right.



Hopefully he gets something else right.  _Sky Captain_ was very nice looking, but very bland othewise.


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 5, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> WP: what kills me about Milius' and Bergman is how he characterizes her as a Valkyrie not once, but like, EVERY FRICKIN' TIME she shows up on screen. "She's a like Valkyrie, isn't she? She's wonderful." No, tell us how you really feel, Ron. It's very charming.



 And, then, of course, when she shows up at the cairn stones, she IS a "a Valkyrie!" 

Yeah, he's pretty enthusiastic about her, or at least about his choice for her in the role.  Again, more reasons why the commentary is so funny.  Anyway, for more Milius madness, check out _Hearts of Darkness_, the documentary about the making of _Apocalypse Now_.  It's filmed by Francis Ford Coppola's wife, and it's fascinating.  There's a section of interviews with Milius about his contributions to the script.  And the documentary is pretty good, with some great interviews with cast members and footage of the shooting in the Phillipines from the 70s.

Incidentally, has anyone played the d20 (or other system) Conan rpg, and if so, what were your impressions?

Warrior Poet


----------



## Desdichado (May 5, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Incidentally, has anyone played the d20 (or other system) Conan rpg, and if so, what were your impressions?



I have not, but it got tons of laud and honor over at rpg.net for a while, mostly while it was still relatively new.  The Atlantean Edition reprint mostly fixes typos and whatnot rather than actual problems with the rules.

There's a handful of reviews here and at rpg.net, and I don't remember seeing any that were bad.


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 5, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> I have not, but it got tons of laud and honor over at rpg.net for a while, mostly while it was still relatively new.  The Atlantean Edition reprint mostly fixes typos and whatnot rather than actual problems with the rules.
> 
> There's a handful of reviews here and at rpg.net, and I don't remember seeing any that were bad.



¡Grácias!  Off to hunt for reviews.

Warrior Poet


----------



## freebfrost (May 5, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> Incidentally, has anyone played the d20 (or other system) Conan rpg, and if so, what were your impressions?





Started running a Conan OGL game earlier this year, and my group is having a blast.  

A quick synopsis of changes: 

The rules provide for a much grittier game, while at the same time making it possible for a group of 3rd level characters to successfully take down a 10th level fighter.  Critical threat ranges are much higher, and the massive damage threshold takes effect after taking 20 hp of damage.  Armor provides DR, but there are ways to bypass it.  "Pack" tactics allow multiple attackers cumulative bonuses to hit on surrounded enemies, and there is a slew of new combat maneuvers that anyone with the right prerequisites can attempt in battle (think of them as Feats anyone can use in a combat).  Magic is rare, but much more powerful, as saving throws are based on a magic attack roll similar to weapon attacks - so you get a d20 roll plus any modifiers to determine the DC of the save.  Needless to say, that can make for some pretty potent effects, even from low level casters.  Use of multiple weapons and unusual weapons (tables, chairs) is well accounted for, emulating REH's tales.  Virtually no magic items exist, and treasure is treated as a passing thing - there is a rule that quickly burns through any horde the players get.  Again, keeping with the flavor of REH.

The game in my experience is a lot more action-based and allows for quicker and easier combats.  My players seem to really, really enjoy getting into fights and get a kick out of not really having to care about items, equipment, and treasure.  Overall, it has been a more *fun* game that our regular D&D sessions.  Not in a comedic way, but in an overall light-hearted tone.  

And yes, my players have met Conan.  One character slept with him, and another declared him a mortal enemy before realizing who he was...


----------



## Templetroll (May 5, 2005)

Ranger REG said:
			
		

> I think they should remake _Conan the Destroyer_ ... only this time, Robert Rodriguez should try to get Jessica Alba to show some boobage.





True enough, but she won't so as not to offend her father.  That was in a recent interview and why no nudity in _Sin City _ for her.

I liked _Conan the Destroyer_.  If it had been named _The Dungeons and Dragon Movie _ it would have gotten less flack than it has and lots less than the D&D movie has.

It had an odd group, a barbarian, a fighter, a thief, an aristocrat, a wizard and another barbarian.  the rogue was a total waste but it gave that guy a couple weeks work so, kept him off the streets.

That wizard's castle was superb, it was what I would have expected the Crystal Shard tower to look like.  The exploring went quickly, they got in, kicked butt, and brought down the whole thing while they rescued the aristocrat.   

It had an actual dungeon with a door that needed to be opened by brute strength and one that needed the wizard to open.  There was a magic battle with the two wizards trying to keep that thing closed and the other trying to open it as the party escaped.  That was cool.

The ending had an evil plot by the person that gave them the quest, betrayal by a party member and the twist at the end as the god was awakened without a proper sacrifice bieng done...  That was excellent!   

It could have been done better, but not by much.  It was a good movie for fantasy fans.


----------



## Desdichado (May 5, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> ¡Grácias!  Off to hunt for reviews.



No hay de que.  ¡Buen provecho!


----------



## barsoomcore (May 5, 2005)

Gomez said:
			
		

> I think Kerry Conran is a much better choice for _A Princess of Mars_ than Rodriguez. At least Conran will get the special effects right.



There were effects problems in _Sin City_? I thought it was a triumph. Much better done that _Sky Captain_, which A) was occasionally unconvincing in the effects themselves and B) suffered from the actors obviously having no idea what they were supposed to react to, and so delivering leaden performances.

I think Rodriguez handled the virtual set problem (that your actors don't have an environment to react within) much better than Conran.

And Rodriguez would cast Salma Hayek as Dejah Thoris, and that, as far as I'm concerned, is that.


----------



## Ds Da Man (May 6, 2005)

I dont know, but that STAR WARS KID would make an awesome CONAN!!!!


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 6, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> And Rodriguez would cast Salma Hayek as Dejah Thoris, and that, as far as I'm concerned, is that.



Or Monica Belucci.  Either way, I'll take Princess of Mars for $1,000, Alex.

Warrior Poet


----------



## Klaus (May 6, 2005)

Salma... Monica... too... much... hotness!

Brain... melting... from... mental picture!


----------



## barsoomcore (May 6, 2005)

Agree... with... Klaus...

Brain... destroyed... but happy smile... permanently on face...

Hey, um, Klaus, if you're, you know, looking for inspiration for a "Very Special Illustration" -- Salma and Monica as Martian princesses would get a BIG THUMBS UP from me.

I would BUY that. Darn straight.


----------



## Desdichado (May 6, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Hey, um, Klaus, if you're, you know, looking for inspiration for a "Very Special Illustration" -- Salma and Monica as Martian princesses would get a BIG THUMBS UP from me.
> 
> I would BUY that. Darn straight.



Salma and Monica MAKING OUT in Dejah Thoris costumes.  Yeah, I'm right there.


----------



## Swoop109 (May 6, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> Salma and Monica MAKING OUT in Dejah Thoris costumes.  Yeah, I'm right there.



Now... my brain's starting.... to melt.  Too much....  pleasure overload. 

Or, to quote Jayne Cobb; "I'll be in my bunk."


----------



## Klaus (May 6, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Agree... with... Klaus...
> 
> Brain... destroyed... but happy smile... permanently on face...
> 
> ...



 I'm ALWAYS on the prowl for inspiration like that, IYKWIMAITYD... 

E-mail me.


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 6, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> Salma and Monica MAKING OUT in Dejah Thoris costumes.



My monitor's steaming up.


----------



## barsoomcore (May 7, 2005)

"No, no, Grandma, you just stay over there, we're just talking about, um, structural engineering. Soft-body compression. Fluid kinematics. Stuff like that."


----------



## Mr. Kaze (May 7, 2005)

Warrior Poet said:
			
		

> I had no idea who Hugh Jackman was before _X-Men_ (not saying he was unknown, just I didn't know who he was), and now I can't imagine anyone else playing Wolverine.  Could be a good break for some actor.




I think this is referred to as "Skywalker Syndrome" -- grab somebody that nobody's seen before and nobody will realize that they can't act for at least a movie or two.  Most recently, see Orlando Bloom in... well, pretty much anything he's been in lately.

Back on topic, having only seen parts of the existing Conan movies in passing, what makes people think that (as far as I know -- just treat me like an clueless studio budget guy) a Barbarian-based film is going to sell after Peter Jackson came through creating entire and well-costumed civilizations for the _Lord of the Rings_ set?  Even if I didn't care about the story or the dialog, the eye candy was consistently really dang good.  As far as I know, Conan is about a guy in a loincloth wielding a sword that's too big for him to put away -- what are we supposed to show to attract the attention of a mass audience?


----------



## KenM (May 7, 2005)

I heard a rumor awhile back that when they were trying to get a 3rd Arnold Conan movie, called King Conan, that they were going to have Triple H from the WWE play Conan's son.


----------



## Desdichado (May 7, 2005)

Mr. Kaze said:
			
		

> I think this is referred to as "Skywalker Syndrome" -- grab somebody that nobody's seen before and nobody will realize that they can't act for at least a movie or two.  Most recently, see Orlando Bloom in... well, pretty much anything he's been in lately.



Eh, Orlando's oK.  So is Jackman.


			
				Mr. Kaze said:
			
		

> Back on topic, having only seen parts of the existing Conan movies in passing, what makes people think that (as far as I know -- just treat me like an clueless studio budget guy) a Barbarian-based film is going to sell after Peter Jackson came through creating entire and well-costumed civilizations for the _Lord of the Rings_ set?  Even if I didn't care about the story or the dialog, the eye candy was consistently really dang good.  As far as I know, Conan is about a guy in a loincloth wielding a sword that's too big for him to put away -- what are we supposed to show to attract the attention of a mass audience?



See, that's a big part of what was wrong with the Conan movies.  Conan was _never_ about a guy in a loincloth wielding a sword that's too big for him to put away.  Heck, even Frazetta's Conan wasn't that one-dimensional.  REH's Conan certainly wasn't.

But thanks to Milius, that's what everyone thinks Conan is.  Way to go.


----------



## Dark Jezter (May 7, 2005)

Mr. Kaze said:
			
		

> Back on topic, having only seen parts of the existing Conan movies in passing, what makes people think that (as far as I know -- just treat me like an clueless studio budget guy) a Barbarian-based film is going to sell after Peter Jackson came through creating entire and well-costumed civilizations for the _Lord of the Rings_ set?  Even if I didn't care about the story or the dialog, the eye candy was consistently really dang good.  As far as I know, Conan is about a guy in a loincloth wielding a sword that's too big for him to put away -- what are we supposed to show to attract the attention of a mass audience?




As far as I know, Lord of the Rings is about some short dude with a ring that makes him invisible -- how did that manage to hold the attention of a mass audience?

Aren't glib interpretations fun?


----------



## Knightfall (May 7, 2005)

Swoop109 said:
			
		

> Well, Karl Wagner's Kane character has been optioned for the movies. With the right beard and his hair dyed red, I think Kulich could do a respectible job with the character.




I remember Kulich from the 13th Warrior, he was great in that. I think he could easily be a older "King Conan", but if they do a restart of Conan then someone younger should be cast.

But not The Rock or Triple H. God no! At least someone who can act and kick butt. What do people think about Vin Diesel being Conan. He's likely to be busy with Hannibal for a while, but if he grew hair and dyed it the right color he could pull it off. He's definitely a better choice than The Rock or Triple H, IMO.

Besides, The Rock has 7 movies that he is slated to be in throughout 2005 and 2006. I want an actor who is going to DEDICATE himself to becoming Conan, physically and mentally, from an acting standpoint.

Hmm, what about Ralf Moeller who was in such films as _Gladiator_, _The Scorpion King_, and _Universal Soldier_. Plus, he's already played Conan in the short-lived TV series Conan: The Adventurer, which I never saw, so if it was bad then I apologize for bringing it up. 

He might be a suitable replacement for Arnold for a King Conan movie. Plus, he's not really that well known so he won't cost a lot of money to hire. However, I still think Kulich looks more like the classic REH Conan, although he'd need to dye his hair black.

Just some thoughts...

KF72


----------



## Dark Jezter (May 7, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> See, that's a big part of what was wrong with the Conan movies.  Conan was _never_ about a guy in a loincloth wielding a sword that's too big for him to put away.  Heck, even Frazetta's Conan wasn't that one-dimensional.  REH's Conan certainly wasn't.




Yeah, Conan _never_ walked around wearing nothing but a sword and a loincloth in REH's Conan stories.  Nope, after he killed the man in the tavern fight in _The Tower of the Elephant_, Conan started walking through the streets of Zamora wearing a stylish three-piece Itailian suit.  And when he was locked in the palace dungeons of Belvarius in _The Hour of the Dragon_, his captors left him wearing a pair of bright orange coveralls.

And Frank Frazetta never portrayed Conan as a loincloth-wearing sword-swinging beefcake either.



> But thanks to Milius, that's what everyone thinks Conan is.  Way to go.




Really?  I don't think that's what Conan is.  Neither do any other fans of the movie I've discussed it with.

Of course, people who don't have any knowledge of the movie beyond seeing bits & pieces of it once 20 years ago or watching the _Conan the Librarian_ parody from UHF might think of the movie that way, but are such people really qualified to state their thoughts on the movie?

Oh wait, this is the internet: the less somebody knows about something, the more likely they are to post their opinion on it.


----------



## The_lurkeR (May 7, 2005)

Knightfall1972 said:
			
		

> Hmm, what about Ralf Moeller who was in such films as _Gladiator_, _The Scorpion King_, and _Universal Soldier_. Plus, he's already played Conan in the short-lived TV series Conan: The Adventurer, which I never saw, so if it was bad then I apologize for bringing it up.
> 
> KF72




It was pretty bad. He just can't act unfortunately.  :\ 
Not as the lead at least.

Kulich is an interesting choice. I would never have thought of him as a candidate, but that might work. I have the feeling the studio will go with someone younger though.


----------



## Knightfall (May 7, 2005)

The_lurkeR said:
			
		

> It was pretty bad. He just can't act unfortunately.  :\
> Not as the lead at least.




Okay, noted for future reference.  



> Kulich is an interesting choice. I would never have thought of him as a candidate, but that might work. I have the feeling the studio will go with someone younger though.




Well, if they plan to do King Conan then they'll need someone older. However, you are probably right.


----------



## mmadsen (May 7, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> Conan was _never_ about a guy in a loincloth wielding a sword that's too big for him to put away.  Heck, even Frazetta's Conan wasn't that one-dimensional.  REH's Conan certainly wasn't.
> 
> But thanks to Milius, that's what everyone thinks Conan is.  Way to go.



Actually, I think that image stems from the early Marvel comics and their need to keep the main character's design simple and consistent from issue to issue.  The artist (Barry Windsor-Smith, originally) was on a strict deadline.


----------



## Taelorn76 (May 7, 2005)

They could always tap some one from the World's Strongest Man. Some of those guys have the barbarian physique. I mean they pulled Arnold from a body building contest


----------



## Klaus (May 7, 2005)

Actually, Arnold had stopped competing after winning (IIRC) Mr. Olympia for 5 years in a row (something never seen before). He moved on to movies, making jewels like Hercules in New York (once again, IIRC) and a very Wile E. Coyote movie with Kirk Douglas.

Then comes Conan. Arnold starts pumping up again to get into the physical shape required for the movie. He is so impressed with how well he's toning up with just a few months (professional bodybuilders work out all year) that at the last minute he decides to compete for Mr. Olympia again (this is after 3 or 4 years of absence). And he WINS!

Bodybuilding specialists claim that if Arnold hadn't stepped down from the stage to pursue a movie career, it's very likely that he would've won every single Mr. Olympia during those intervening years, which would make him the greatest Olympia of all time.


----------



## mmadsen (May 7, 2005)

Taelorn76 said:
			
		

> They could always tap some one from the World's Strongest Man. Some of those guys have the barbarian physique. I mean they pulled Arnold from a body building contest



Of the strongman competitors, Mariusz Pudzianowski looks the most like a bodybuilder -- muscular and lean.  He might work in an Arnold-esque way...


----------



## mmadsen (May 7, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> Bodybuilding specialists claim that if Arnold hadn't stepped down from the stage to pursue a movie career, it's very likely that he would've won every single Mr. Olympia during those intervening years, which would make him the greatest Olympia of all time.



Actually, most bodybuilding aficionados consider that last Olympia win undeserved, a nod to his past greatness and his new fame outside of bodybuilding.  That said, he certainly would have won most of those intervening years, because their isn't much variance in bodybuilding, compared to other competitive sports.  If you have the best physique in 1970, you probably still have the best physique in 1971.


----------



## barsoomcore (May 7, 2005)

mmadsen said:
			
		

> If you have the best physique in 1970, you probably still have the best physique in 1971.



Ah. That's why I look so good this year. Because I looked so good _last_ year.


----------



## Ranger REG (May 8, 2005)

Mr. Kaze said:
			
		

> I think this is referred to as "Skywalker Syndrome" -- grab somebody that nobody's seen before and nobody will realize that they can't act for at least a movie or two.  Most recently, see Orlando Bloom in... well, pretty much anything he's been in lately.



Personally, I think he's a decent actor. Besides, better him than Tom Cruise.

As for the "Skywalker Syndrome," we should be lucky it's not Opie (aka Ron Howard) playing Luke.   




			
				Mr. Kaze said:
			
		

> Back on topic, having only seen parts of the existing Conan movies in passing, what makes people think that (as far as I know -- just treat me like an clueless studio budget guy) a Barbarian-based film is going to sell after Peter Jackson came through creating entire and well-costumed civilizations for the _Lord of the Rings_ set?  Even if I didn't care about the story or the dialog, the eye candy was consistently really dang good.  As far as I know, Conan is about a guy in a loincloth wielding a sword that's too big for him to put away -- what are we supposed to show to attract the attention of a mass audience?



Well, I don't know about today's audience, but _Conan the Barbarian_ film starring Arnold Schwarzeneggar did pretty well back in the 80's.

BTW, didn't _The Scorpion King_ did well in the box office? I'm sure it's not as big as any one of the _LOTR_ film, but like _Conan,_ it did boost a sports entertainment figure with little acting skill into an action star.

Personally, I'm not asking for an epic film the size of _LOTR._ I just want a good story, an ample amount of good actions, and a bevy of beauties.


----------



## Desdichado (May 8, 2005)

Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Yeah, Conan _never_ walked around wearing nothing but a sword and a loincloth in REH's Conan stories.  Nope, after he killed the man in the tavern fight in _The Tower of the Elephant_, Conan started walking through the streets of Zamora wearing a stylish three-piece Itailian suit.  And when he was locked in the palace dungeons of Belvarius in _The Hour of the Dragon_, his captors left him wearing a pair of bright orange coveralls.



Don't be an idiot, Dark Jezter.  Most of the time Conan's clothing is described in REH's stories, he's actually wearing some.  He's been talked about wearing armor, he's been talked about wearing a turban, and all kinds of things.  He's very rarely been shown by REH in a loincloth.


			
				Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> And Frank Frazetta never portrayed Conan as a loincloth-wearing sword-swinging beefcake either.



Ah, yes, the sum total of Frazetta's Conan work, no doubt.  Besides, I never once claimed that Frazetta _never_ showed him in a loincloth as I know quite well that he did (then again, Frazetta pretty much always underclothed everyone he painted regardless of the setting).  I claimed that Frazetta's Conan was never as shallow as to simply be a bit of beefcake in a loincloth waving about a giant phallic symbol that he couldn't even sheathe.  If you're going to attempt some "snappy" reply, it would help if you're familiar with what I'm saying a little more that you were.


			
				Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Really?  I don't think that's what Conan is.  Neither do any other fans of the movie I've discussed it with.



I'm not talking about fans of Conan, I'm talking about people who don't know anything about Conan except the movie.  Which is most folks.  Which I thought was pretty implicit in my statement already.  But, I forgot, you're trying really hard to "read" something into my comments so you can make a "snappy" comeback.

But if shows quite clearly that that's all you're doing, instead of trying to have a halfway intelligent discussion about the merits (or lack thereof) of the movie.


			
				Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Of course, people who don't have any knowledge of the movie beyond seeing bits & pieces of it once 20 years ago or watching the _Conan the Librarian_ parody from UHF might think of the movie that way, but are such people really qualified to state their thoughts on the movie?



I sincerely hope you're not trying to imply that I am one such person?  I've seen the movie in it's entirety at least four time (although granted, not recently) and I've never heard of any UHF parody.  If the only argument you can put forward to counter my criticisms of the movie are to _make up completely false_ objections to my credibility, that certainly implies something.  Namely, that you can't defend the movie on its own merits, either because it's too stupid, or you are.


			
				Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Oh wait, this is the internet: the less somebody knows about something, the more likely they are to post their opinion on it.



The irony of that statement is truly unbelievable.


----------



## Desdichado (May 8, 2005)

mmadsen said:
			
		

> Actually, I think that image stems from the early Marvel comics and their need to keep the main character's design simple and consistent from issue to issue.  The artist (Barry Windsor-Smith, originally) was on a strict deadline.



I think a lot more people in general saw that movie than read the comic book.


----------



## Desdichado (May 8, 2005)

Knightfall1972 said:
			
		

> But not The Rock or Triple H. God no! At least someone who can act and kick butt. What do people think about Vin Diesel being Conan. He's likely to be busy with Hannibal for a while, but if he grew hair and dyed it the right color he could pull it off. He's definitely a better choice than The Rock or Triple H, IMO.



OK, first you make a sensible point about wanting someone who can act, and doubting the abilities of The Rock to pull it off (which makes me wonder how many performances of his you've seen, as he's actually not a bad actor at all, at least in the limited set of roles he's had so far).  But then, you turn around and suggest Vin Diesel, who is an even _worse_ actor than The Rock for this kind of role.  Not to mention someone who simply doesn't have the physique to pull of the role.  

I don't get it.


----------



## barsoomcore (May 8, 2005)

The Rock's too, you know, like, jovial, or something. He doesn't BROOD. And Conan needs to BROOD. 

And Vin Diesel does it not at all for me. He's got a lot of making up to do after _XXX_ and _Riddick_ before he's back in my good books.

Frankly, I don't see anybody on the horizon who suits the role. They just don't make 'em like that anymore, I guess.


----------



## Eridanis (May 8, 2005)

Dark Jezter, Joshua Dyal -

You've each had a shot at each other, and you've both been around long enough that you know we don't go after each other rudely. Let it rest, and return to the discussion calmly, please.


----------



## Knightfall (May 8, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> OK, first you make a sensible point about wanting someone who can act, and doubting the abilities of The Rock to pull it off (which makes me wonder how many performances of his you've seen, as he's actually not a bad actor at all, at least in the limited set of roles he's had so far).  But then, you turn around and suggest Vin Diesel, who is an even _worse_ actor than The Rock for this kind of role.  Not to mention someone who simply doesn't have the physique to pull of the role.
> 
> I don't get it.




I'm sorry, The Rock is not an "accomplished" actor, he's a wrestler trying his hand at being an actor. And I HAVE seen several of his movies. The Scorpion King was... okay... I guess, but I didn't have any real expectations about that film. His best role, that I've seen, is in Walking Tall. In that movie, he wasn't a bad actor, yet he wasn't a good one, either. The Rundown was... okay... but not great. Seann William Scott is what made that movie good, not The Rock. I haven't seen Be Cool yet, but then again I haven't seen Get Shorty either, which I would want to watch first.

So, your thought that I haven't seen his performanaces is unfounded. I have and The Rock might become a good actor, someday, with more work and training. However, I DON"T think he'd make a GOOD Conan. He isn't the right type of personality, IMO. It is like barsoomcore said, he doesn't BROOD well, which is vital to the Conan character.

Now, as for Vin Diesel, his performances have ranged from very good (Pitch Black) to very bad (The Pacifier), and I'm not sure if he would or would not make a good Conan. If he pulled off one of his good performances then maybe. Regardless, at least Diesel is an actor first and foremost. He may not being doing Shakespeare any time soon, but he could do the BROODING warrior type that is required for Conan. Would it be a great performanace, I don't know. We'd have to wait and see.

But I'd choose him over Triple H anyday, and would prefer him over The Rock, as well, for the reasons mentioned above. In reality, he doesn't look enough like REH's Conan. But then again neither did Arnie.

Anyway, I'll just agree to disagree with you about it.



KF72


----------



## Dark Jezter (May 8, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> Don't be an idiot, Dark Jezter.  Most of the time Conan's clothing is described in REH's stories, he's actually wearing some.  He's been talked about wearing armor, he's been talked about wearing a turban, and all kinds of things.  He's very rarely been shown by REH in a loincloth.




Now now, no need to resort to name-calling.  The loincloth seems to be the only consistantly recurring article of clothing in the Conan series.  In the stories focusing on younger Conan (Tower of the Elephant, Rogues in the House, the God in the Bowl, etc) that's pretty much all he wears, and even in the stories focusing on Conan later in life, it's not uncommon for him to get stripped of his armor and be left wearing nothing but a loincloth.



> Ah, yes, the sum total of Frazetta's Conan work, no doubt.  Besides, I never once claimed that Frazetta _never_ showed him in a loincloth as I know quite well that he did (then again, Frazetta pretty much always underclothed everyone he painted regardless of the setting).  I claimed that Frazetta's Conan was never as shallow as to simply be a bit of beefcake in a loincloth waving about a giant phallic symbol that he couldn't even sheathe.  If you're going to attempt some "snappy" reply, it would help if you're familiar with what I'm saying a little more that you were.




If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Frank Frazetta's Conan paintings are thousand-word long essays about a loincloth-wearing, sword (occiasionally axe) swinging dude who likes to fight.

Not that that makes them any less cool, though. 

You might also be interested to know that there is only one segment of the movie _Conan the Barbarian_ where he wears a loincloth; during his days as a slave and later a gladiator.  For the rest of the movie, Conan wears other clothing and even armor.  And as for his sword being too big to put away, he _does_ have it strapped to his back or his hip when not in use.  Heck, he even has a nifty wolfskin scabbard he keeps it in.

Your perception of the movie seems to apply more to _Conan the Destroyer_, in which Conan _does_ spend the whole film walking around wearing nothing but a loincloth.  But John Milius had absolutely nothing to do with that movie.



> I'm not talking about fans of Conan, I'm talking about people who don't know anything about Conan except the movie.  Which is most folks.  Which I thought was pretty implicit in my statement already.  But, I forgot, you're trying really hard to "read" something into my comments so you can make a "snappy" comeback.
> 
> But if shows quite clearly that that's all you're doing, instead of trying to have a halfway intelligent discussion about the merits (or lack thereof) of the movie.




Actually, I don't read into things looking for snappy comebacks, but sometimes they're just too tempting to pass up.  

As for the merits of the movie, I can see that somebody already posted a link to the essay "A Critical Appreciation of Conan the Barbarian", which, while not reflecting my exact thoughts on the film, does show that the movie has geniuine merit.



> I sincerely hope you're not trying to imply that I am one such person?  I've seen the movie in it's entirety at least four time (although granted, not recently) and I've never heard of any UHF parody.  If the only argument you can put forward to counter my criticisms of the movie are to _make up completely false_ objections to my credibility, that certainly implies something.  Namely, that you can't defend the movie on its own merits, either because it's too stupid, or you are.




Actually, that comment was directed more toward's Mr. Kaze and anybody else who thinks that Conan is about nothing but a loincloth-wearing guy who carries a sword that's too big to put away, but thanks for calling me stupid. 



> The irony of that statement is truly unbelievable.




Glad I could be of service.


----------



## Dark Jezter (May 8, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> The Rock's too, you know, like, jovial, or something. He doesn't BROOD. And Conan needs to BROOD.
> 
> And Vin Diesel does it not at all for me. He's got a lot of making up to do after _XXX_ and _Riddick_ before he's back in my good books.
> 
> Frankly, I don't see anybody on the horizon who suits the role. They just don't make 'em like that anymore, I guess.



 Yeah, I definately agree with this.  The Rock does have the physical look of Conan, but he has too much of a "nice guy" vibe going.  He can't scowl or look threatening nearly as good as Arnold can.


----------



## Desdichado (May 8, 2005)

Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> As for the merits of the movie, I can see that somebody already posted a link to the essay "A Critical Appreciation of Conan the Barbarian", which, while not reflecting my exact thoughts on the film, does show that the movie has geniuine merit.



I have read that essay in the past.  While it's possible that the guy who wrote it is just reaching and pulling this interpretation out his nether regions that had nothing whatsoever to do with the movie , it seems to be reasonable enough.  

That actually makes me like the movie considerably less, though.  If all that nonsense about Nietschian _übermensch_ was really part of Milius' plan all along, then he didn't care much at all for Howard at all.  Before I read that, I just assumed he was a hack, making typical B-movie nonsense.  After reading it, if I believe it, then it says to me that Milius merely conveniently grabbed the name of Conan and nothing else to make his own movie about his own character.

Not that that hasn't been done over and over again before, but it does tend to tick off the fans of the original source material, and in this case, I'm quite the fan of Howard's original source material.  I'm quite surprised that fans have stood for it.  Heck, Conan is still trotted around by many fantasy fans as exemplary of the fantasy genre on film.  It's enough to make me weep.


			
				Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Actually, that comment was directed more toward's Mr. Kaze and anybody else who thinks that Conan is about nothing but a loincloth-wearing guy who carries a sword that's too big to put away, but thanks for calling me stupid.



Huh?  I'll take your word for it, but that sounds extremely odd.  In an otherwise consistent litany of disagreeing with me on that point, that really came out of left field.

But if you didn't mean that to apply to me, then I do apologize for my post overall.  It was really that whole paragraph that set me off; the implication that I had no idea what I was talking about.


----------



## Ranger REG (May 8, 2005)

Knightfall1972 said:
			
		

> I'm sorry, The Rock is not an "accomplished" actor, he's a wrestler trying his hand at being an actor. And I HAVE seen several of his movies. The Scorpion King was... okay... I guess, but I didn't have any real expectations about that film. His best role, that I've seen, is in Walking Tall. In that movie, he wasn't a bad actor, yet he wasn't a good one, either. The Rundown was... okay... but not great. Seann William Scott is what made that movie good, not The Rock. I haven't seen Be Cool yet, but then again I haven't seen Get Shorty either, which I would want to watch first.
> 
> So, your thought that I haven't seen his performanaces is unfounded. I have and The Rock might become a good actor, someday, with more work and training. However, I DON"T think he'd make a GOOD Conan. He isn't the right type of personality, IMO. It is like barsoomcore said, he doesn't BROOD well, which is vital to the Conan character.
> 
> ...



I don't know about this brooding part. I watched _Conan the Barbarian_ DVD many times over, and I don't think Ahnold is brooding. More like pouting. And just so you know, Ahnold wasn't an accomplished actor back then. His only prior film credit aside from that bodybuilding documentary (with rival Lou Ferrigno, aka "The Incredible Hulk") where he admitted to "inhale," is _Hercules in New York_ and his voice was dubbed over.

Sheesh. One mention of _Conan_ and all the Purists come out of the woodworks.


----------



## Desdichado (May 8, 2005)

Ranger REG said:
			
		

> Sheesh. One mention of _Conan_ and all the Purists come out of the woodworks.



I don't know if that comment was directed at me or not, but I'll just point out that I'm not a Howard purist.  I just happen to think that the movie isn't very good.  If it differed from Howard as much as it does and was good, I wouldn't be complaining.


----------



## Ranger REG (May 8, 2005)

AFAIC, _Conan the Barbarian_ is good. The sequel however not so much (made the film kid-friendly, even including a 15-year-old Olivia D'Abo).

If any film studio think they can do a better job than that -- AND rake in large box office sales -- they are welcome to try.


----------



## Desdichado (May 9, 2005)

Ranger REG said:
			
		

> If any film studio think they can do a better job than that -- AND rake in large box office sales -- they are welcome to try.



I'm sure they're thrilled to have your permission.


----------



## Ranger REG (May 9, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> I'm sure they're thrilled to have your permission.



About as thrilled as having my first ingrown toenail.


----------



## Klaus (May 9, 2005)

Ranger REG said:
			
		

> AFAIC, _Conan the Barbarian_ is good. The sequel however not so much (made the film kid-friendly, even including a 15-year-old Olivia D'Abo).
> 
> If any film studio think they can do a better job than that -- AND rake in large box office sales -- they are welcome to try.



 For me, the main problem with Conan The Destroyer is not having MORE Olivia D'Abo, IYKWIMAITYD...


----------



## Warrior Poet (May 9, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> The Rock's too, you know, like, jovial, or something. He doesn't BROOD. And Conan needs to BROOD.



Agreed.  Another reason I didn't like Arnold in the role.  Seemed too goofy to me.



			
				barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Frankly, I don't see anybody on the horizon who suits the role. They just don't make 'em like that anymore, I guess.



This is why I think they should find an unknown.  There must be someone (probably several) out there, struggling to make a career, wanting to find a fun role, get started, whatever.  Brooders, but also with a wicked sense of humor, with good physiques (I'm not convinced they have to be body-builders), not "pretty," unknown, who can really disappear into the role.  I think they have to go outside the machine on this one, but I'm not calling the shots, nor ponying up the money, so they won't listen to me.  



			
				barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Soft-body compression. Fluid kinematics.



I just learned a new way to compliment my girlfriend!   

Warrior Poet


----------



## Nebulous (May 9, 2005)

I was VERY dissapointed to hear that Rodriguez was picked to helm Conan over Milius. The original Conan is one of my favorite fantasy movies ever, and i like the big snake and the flower girls of Thulsa Doom and the geysers of blood. Yeah, it's not canticle Robert E Howard but it's still great stuff. In fact, if they don't get Arnold back to do it, then i would just as soon see a retelling of the whole thing, rather than getting someone else to fill the shoes. But Conan should be a gold franchise, in my opinion, assuming they don't water it down to PG-13 bs.


----------



## Ranger REG (May 9, 2005)

Dark Jezter said:
			
		

> Yeah, I definately agree with this.  The Rock does have the physical look of Conan, but he has too much of a "nice guy" vibe going.  He can't scowl or look threatening nearly as good as Arnold can.



Even when he was a heel in then-WWF (as "Rocky Maivia")?


----------



## barsoomcore (May 9, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> For me, the main problem with Conan The Destroyer is not having MORE Olivia D'Abo, IYKWIMAITYD...



Klaus, I'm sensing a trend in your posts on this topic...


----------



## Ranger REG (May 9, 2005)

Klaus said:
			
		

> For me, the main problem with Conan The Destroyer is not having MORE Olivia D'Abo, IYKWIMAITYD...



I know she's beautiful, but at that time she was 15.

Ah, but what good time it was.


----------



## Klaus (May 10, 2005)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Klaus, I'm sensing a trend in your posts on this topic...



 . o O (They're onto me!)

. o O (Hurry! Say something to distract them!)



er...



. o O (Dude, you're ruining my street rep!)


----------

