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I had to pause 2 minutes in, and I apologize for being that guy but just for future reference it's Forging a blade not Welding. I had the same issue when you kept calling the bouncers in Roadhouse bodyguards. Once again sorry for being that guy much respect to you & your crew. And remember "You can always trust your steel.
Kiyoshi Yamazaki the sword master that trained the actors in sword fighting and choregraphed the fight scenes, developed fighting styles based on the characters and the actors' natural skills. Conan's (Arnold) fighting style was powerful and brutal, Subotai (Gerry Lopez) was a thief and his fighting style was sneaky, Valeria's fighting style was most influenced by the actor's skill. Because Sandahl Bergman was an award winning dancer and was a muse for the great choreographer Bob Fosse, Valeria's fighting style was graceful.
I've watched a lot of reactions, and everyone seems to forget her line: "If I were dead and you were fighting for your life, I would come back from the deepest pit of Hell to fight by your side." And that's exactly what she does
I love the lamentations of the women. In the 80s they would put a word like lamentations in an action flick. And make Arnold say it. We are truly regressing.
For anyone who hasn't heard legolambs UA-cam channel they have dozens of short musical versions of film of which there are several prominent Arnold films the Conan one has the lamentations of the women line in it think favorites of the Arnold ones are the predator and Batman and Robin because of the payoff best one they had got removed though it was Schindlers list PT 2 from the German concentration camp leaders perspective I can only find the song itself now not the video
The Wheel Of Pain was a giant mill for grinding grain. In the novelization by L. Sprague de Camp it is explained that over time many other slaves came and went, and that ultimately there was a plague of which he was the only survivor. Red Hair is the same guy who chained him to the Wheel as a boy. He frees him because he not only comes to fear him, but also respects him.
@@PennywiseTheDancingClown274 Conan was originally a pulp character of the 1930's created by Texan writer Robert E. Howard, made popular in the pages of Weird Tales magazine. Following Howard's death by suicide in 1935 or '36 at the age of 30 the rights to Conan and his other characters like Kull, Solomon Kane and others began a long journey of being passed around through various hands as he was survived briefly only by his father and had no heirs. Long story short: over time the rights to the character were all over the place resulting in numerous pastiche novels and collections, with Marvel acquiring licensing rights for the comic series in 1970. This series was very popular, and along with the Ace novel series with their famous Frazetta/Vallejo covers, Conan became a mass pop cultural phenomenon, including the Arnold films, further pastiche series through Tor novels, the cartoons and TV series, and later comics licensing through Dark Horse, Marvel again, and now most currently, Titan. Over the years interpretations of the character have varied in quality, but aside from Howard's source material which is obviously the best and truest version of Conan, imo the original Marvel colour and b&w series were excellent, as well as select pastiche novels, and of course, the first Arnold film. There's also a lot of pretty substandard stuff out there, so you have to be selective, but overall most Conan material is at the least, very entertaining. My advice to new fans though is to read the Howard tales first and then branch out from there. That's the best way to truly absorb the sheer, gritty awesomeness that the Conan mythos has to offer!
@@ciaranmeeks9431 best reply I could've got lol. I'm not really new fan but "surface fan" since I just don't take the time to go into comics which I should for the sake the child I once was... Saw Conan the destroyer movie when I was too young to know what was really going on but I was enthralled especially the wizard whose name I wont try to spell... ( Hey that's a pun 🤡) sad to know it not as popular as I would like but that's nostalgia for ya lol. That said its good to have a a reply like yours to really get started for someone new to the source material than just movies.
I'm shocked you said you didn't feel an emotional connection to this movie. This is by far the most emotionally attached I've ever been to a movie. The score, the intense love that Valeria has for Conan, true friendship with Subatai (that you rarely see today), the breaking of his father's sword that Rexor had at the end, the depth of scenes that you may not have realized such as him swinging the sword after the demon scene. That's symbolizing him understanding what Thulsa Doom said about flesh being stronger than steel. That's why he keeps looking at his hand in that scene. This shows his intelligence and understanding which makes him more powerful in his final battles. My favorite movie of all time.
Yeah. They went in with a certain mood and attitude which happens sometimes, but it's a shame. I think people don't expect much of the movie because the rep 80s fantasy flicks have, so they aren't necessarily prepared to engage and pay attention beyond the surface level.
@@vanyadollyúltimamente me ha dado por ver estos vídeos de reacciones de personas que ven por primera vez la película y te aseguro que no tiene nada que ver con la reacción que tuve yo en su día cuando la vi en cines aquí en España nada absolutamente y es una pena que no sepan valorarla como se merece , mis hijos cuando se la puse en su día también les gustaron mucho y supieron valorarla
@@tatysantos4448I have to agree with you. While I appreciate their honest reaction, just slightly disappointed that they didn’t see the same movie I saw. But to be fair, I saw it in the theater. And it’s really a movie that’s just so meant to be seen that way. I just got the Arrow limited edition Blu-ray box set and it’s still great for me that way. But I think I am still carrying that original operatic theatrical experience. And however they are watching it, with talking going on throughout, they can’t see it that way.
@@RabbiStevesi es una película para ver en la gran pantalla , yo también la vi en cine en 1982 jamás olvidaré ese día jamás solo tenía en la cabeza a Conan , ya lo conocía de los comics la espada salvaje . Y también tengo la edición de la Arrow vídeo con los tres montajes y guardo la cinta VHS de la thorn EMI y por supuesto el poster de la película que es una obra de arte majestuosa de Renato Casaro un gran cartelista , en fin estaría horas hablando de Conan , me alegra conocer a una persona como tú
Max Von Sydow's appearance in this film is a perfect example of the old adage, "There are no small roles, only small actors." His scene is brief but he chews up the scenery with a memorable performance. Such a badass!
"There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child." That line hits so much harder after you have kids. Several bits of this movie do, actually. It's still a really stupid movie, but it's packed with plenty of moments, and it's still really enjoyable.
One of Max Von Sydow greatest lines "Do you know what you've done‽ "Why Rexor himself has come before me. Threaten me a king! What daring! What outrageousness! What insolence! What arrogance! ... I salute you!!!"
His line below about a father's love for his child is legitimately great: "There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child."
Well said! One of the many impressive things about this movie. It also goes to show how magical it is when you have a good scrip, a good director, and a good actor. You can get away without all three, but you know it when they align.
Totally agree. He pulled off a king that has been thru it all perfectly. Seeing you were born in 68 also by your name another great movie for the time was "Excalibur" I still hear Patrick Stewart's line. "The boy drew the sword. If a boy has been chosen, a boy shall be King!" Movies from the 70's and 80's were just better. Kinda like the music lol.
"For you, the day that Thulsa Doom graced your village was the most important day of your life.. For me, it was tuesday" - Thulsa Doom if played by Raul Julia
Ehhh, to me what I see are two avid film goers one who appreciates classic style of 80's movie making, and has a fondness for nostalgia and the mg/tcm era of films, and the other is more a fan of modern, fast paced, theatrical big budget releases, far more interested in the razzle dazzle of big studios and superhero universes, mostly because He's probably from a slightly younger generation. Greg's much like Jaby in that regard, where they'll criticise something because they don't understand it or because it's older than they are (because they won't let go of their own niche's). It's painfully obvious that Greg would never watch these sorts of films in his own time, so it's easier to dismiss it as corny/cheesy. It would have been better to have let John and Andy watch this, rather than Greg, even if John was familiar with it.
The strong female character crap im so sick of. Back then we didnt care about that bs we accepted tgt men were just stronger than women and that fighting is mainly done by men. And we liked strong masculine men in movies, things most movies these days lack and boy is the box office missing it 😅😅@@cruelangel8689
58:42 - Both of you apparently forgot the moment when Valeria told Conan that if she were dead, she would come back from the depths of Hell to fight by his side.
@@craigdaily4510 I love the film too. I have since I first watched it on a grainy VHS back in '82 when I was eleven and it was by far the best of the batch of sword and sandal fantasy films of the time (Hawk the Slayer, Beast Master etc). But the score is beyond epic, its wonderfully powerful and atmospheric.
It's crazy what just a little time does, watching this in the late 80's- early 90's I never heard anyone that was confused or couldn't keep up with the story. Back then it was just like it was understood she became a Valkyrie but today people see she became a Valkyrie and it's like "wait, what just happened?!" It's like we got so used to movies holding our hands and walking us through every story beat that now we can't keep up when left alone.
Visual storytelling is out the window for these kids. Allegory and nuance are way to complicated and they need hand holding. I watched this movie as a 7 year old and just by the music you knew it was going to be serious.
I saw this age 12 (my dad took me). It was clear as day to me what had happened to her character. I think a lot of it comes down to people (but reactors in particular) not really listening & understanding the dialogue. The dialogue gives you hints as to what will happen in the future. Movies generally don’t waste scenes, so most lines are there for a purpose. I noticed, when watching reactions to Star Wars: A New Hope (any of the OT really), that reactors will read the opening text, but then not understand what’s going on, despite being given three paragraphs describing everything you need to know. It’s kind of depressing, to see people becoming so dim that they can’t follow relatively simple dialogue, read the meaning conveyed in a character’s facial expressions or notice a significant look between two characters.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Yep. One can also see it with Star Wars sequels...its a pity so many younger fans seem to have trouble following whats going on, for example with the whole Kylo/Luke-story, as they still believe Luke wanted to really kill his nephew, or that Rey is supposed to be a MarySue being able to overwhelem Kylo, ignoring or not understanding more likely how emotionally and physically damaged Kylo was and so on... Show, don't tell ... but for modern audiences, everything not spelled out directly or explained in exposition dumps is a plot hole...
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 It also bugs me, the way they react to Obi Wan being taken out by Vader...They spend the next 15 minutes saying, "Wait! What happened? Is he dead? But he disappeared! I don't understand! I want to know what happened!" And sometimes they are still babbling about it as the rebels are explaining the Death Star attack plan. So they miss out on what's going on there as well.
I always loved how Conan's father: "This you can trust" and shows Conan the sword. Then at the end James Earl Jones calls him his son and Conan is being taken over by his weird magic that he to make his mom docile. Then Conan looks at his father's broken sword, comes back to his senses and uses it to behead Thulsa Doom.
Absolutely. My Dad and I have loved this movie for 40 years, and that is one of our favorite lines in the whole franchise. You can always trust the steel at your side, because that gives you a literal edge against all the evils of the world.
I said it on another channel, but I'll point it out here too. Casual viewers often miss that in the final battle Rexor is wielding Conan's fathers stolen sword. The sword breaks because it will not harm the son of its maker, and because Conan's will is stronger than the steel. That is the answer to The Riddle Of Steel - that ultimately WILL is what is stronger than steel, and stronger than flesh. Through the enduring of hardship Conan has been forged like a piece of iron into living steel until HE is the answer to, and the living embodiment of, the Riddle.
I love how subtle the movie is. So many movies feel they need to explain everything to the viewer. I love how little this movie explains. It just drops the viewers in this weird world, and everything feels strange and foreign (which, by the way, is how the ancient world would feel to us if we could travel back to those times). You have to watch the movie multiple times to pick up on everything. These guys were a little too dismissive and snobbish in their review.
@@dphill96 Thanks, brother. I've probably seen this movie literally hundreds of times since about the age of 9. I'm 50 now. Been reading Conan (and Robert E. Howard/assorted other Epic and Pulp Fantasy) since then too. You could say I've been studying this shit my whole life. I guess I'm a total nerd when it comes to all things Conan, but hopefully Crom is pleased!
@@Mike-wr7om yeah this movie doesn't have a lot of dialogue so people who don't pay attention to the visuals will miss a ton of context. Strangely, as a 6 year old I had no problems keeping track of these things, from the very first time I watched this movie I was so immersed in the story that I just absorbed all there was to it.
This movie has a truly legendary score. It actually sounds like something you would hear in your head when someone was telling you a story about an ancient warrior.
Back in these days, extras didn't need to be paid. They just put an open call out for people in what ever country they were filming in, who want to be an extra in a Hollywood movie.
Thulsa Doom hypnotized/glamored Conans mother.. hence why she lowered her guard and exposed her neck to be cut, its subtle. He tried to also hypnotized Arnold at the end but he of course broke out of it.
True Lies, Last Action Hero, T2 or Kindergarten Cop, but I like most of them at least a little bit. Eraser’s great, The 6th Day was fun, Commando is a childhood fave.
You guys said you wanted to know more about the characters. One of the things I love about this movie is the way it feels so weird and foreign, like we the viewers have just been dropped down in the middle of an ancient culture and there's all this weird religion and rituals. The world and the characters always feel like their a bit removed, at a distance, from us. They never feel familiar. That is the coolest thing about this movie: it is the closest any of us will ever get to time travelling back to an ultra-ancient, barbaric time before recorded history.
This film, Robocop, and Predator were in the triumvirate of over the top action and ultraviolent films in the 80's. The violence and gore in this era of film hit different.
The scene in the crypt was cannibalized from the de Camp pastiche 'The Thing In the Crypt'. The sword is that of one of the Atlantean kings - likely Kull - who in the original Robert E. Howard stories was not only an ancestor of Conan's, but also an enemy of the Serpent people. When he takes (inherits?) The sword, the skeleton nods it's head in approval. Even the dead bow to him.
What most folks are failing to recognize is that this movie was peak D&D in the 80's. The soundtrack was legendary. Definitely influenced by Carl Orff's Carmina Burana O Fortuna.
"Hey man, I won't be able to make it next week." "What? It's the final session!" "Sorry man, I have things I have to do." "Sigh... alright. At the end of this session I'm gonna like, kill you with a... snake arrow... or something."
Honestly I love this type of DnD more Grounded and more dark, most DnD nowadays is just over the top comedic violence with sex jokes Not that those themes are bad but only in small doses does that work, but now dnd is just most of that
Behind the Scenes Arnie trained Earl Jones to get in shape while Earl Jones gave Arnie acting tips in preparation for the role of Conan. Valerie Quennessen who portrayed Osric's daughter tragically died in a car accident in France. I don't remember but one of the characters that appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness "Gargantos" I believe this character is from the Conan comics that went by the original name "Shuma Gorath". There has been some back and forth right's issue with the character and why it goes by Gargantos.
Valeria's foreshadowing and payoff is SO GREAT, it fits so perfectly into this film's larger-than-life vibe. "All the gods they cannot sever us. If I were dead and you still fighting I'd come back, from the pit of Hell itself, to fight at your side." To see her genuinely get to KEEP HER WORD is so spectacularly rewarding ...
The music IS the dialogue in this film. More than any other movie I've ever seen, this score, one of THE greatest of all time, is used to tell the story. Not a single note is wasted. Robocop is a fine score with a very heroic and memorable theme, but Conan The Barbarian is Basil Poledouris's magnum opus.
Conan: The Barbarian was so dramatic in its presentation, and even as a kid I was captivated by it. Then Conan: The Destroyer had to go way over the top XD Was still a good film for sword & sorcery, but even Arnold was put off by the changes they made for the sake of going overboard.
The friendship between Conan and Subotai is one of my favorite elements of this movie. Mako is properly bombastic!!! And Valeria... perfection. One of the classics I have on Blu-ray. ⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔
I was 14 when this movie came out. We were all drinking beers down the tracks and a friend came down and told us about it like he just saw Big Foot lol. The population was crazy back then in the inner city of Boston so the movie theater was jammed with everyone we knew. We all went to go see it on a Friday night. Loved it! It was the first movie I ever saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in. The next day we were all kicking the shit out of each other yelling out quotes from the movie. What we liked about the movie is how they tried to make it not campy for a change. These were great special effects for the time. This movie got me and I am sure many other people for the time into the Conan books and magazines. We all want another good Conan movie without Arnold but I haven't seen one yet. Jason Momoa would have done great but the movie just didn't have the feel right. The music is top notch and the no apology violence sucked me in as a kid.
greg is clueless...this movie was an inspiration for so much fantasy of the barbarian and was beloved - its my favorite movie cause i was a huge conan fan of the countless fantasy novels - this movie never got a decent sequel - but this movie is considered a classic...greg is clueless cause he tends to be influenced easily and this time he didnt do his research and is clueless about how fiercely beloved this movie & its franchise is,, otherwise hed more respectful of this classic. The lines and scenes and fantasy in this movie are remembered today as memes (in a good way)
Best scene in the movie is after Valeria dies and Conan looks back towards the mountain and says nothing, just glares. You know there’s a reckoning coming. His face just shows a cold, calculated of something that will just be. And not a word is said. Very powerful and affecting scene to me.
I played that on the mega,drive, plus barbarian on the Amiga500. If you left the fighters for a few seconds they would say, “come on” in Arnold’s voice.
I'm 12 years old. Heavy Metal is everywhere. D&D is just starting to catch on. Films like this, Dragonslayer, Excalibur, Clash of The Titans and Time Bandits are being made. I feel sorry for anyone who wasn't a kid then.
Loved Conan. After a recent re-watch of a similar childhood favorite from the 80s called " Beast Master ", I saw that it had cooler sci-fi concepts but just needed a bigger budget like Conan. In honor of Louis Gossett Jr who just passed, please react to the classic 80s sci-fi " Enemy Mine ". And in honor of the 80s please react to " Time Bandits " by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python (starring Kenny Baker who played R2D2).
@@Hellohellonada Louis Gossett Jr's performance in Enemy Mine was incredible and one of the most underrated acting performances I've ever seen. His alien mannerisms, accent, persona, and even the gurgling sound he made with his throat were all genius and entirely Louis. You believe this really is an alien or how a humanoid alien would be if they actually existed. Everything he did felt so authentic despite it being such a unique role. It could have easily failed but Louis's performance was brilliant. Enemy Mine is available on YT but still worth a DVD purchase if you can find it.
Not gonna lie, Conan is my favourite fantasy movie. The score is sooo damn epic, I love the costumes, the special effects and the whole vibe of this movie. I can watch it every few weeks and fall in love with it again. There is no other movie that comforts me that well.
How Valeria came back for that brief bit at the end is explained by her just after Conan was cured or revived, She leans in and says to him "If I was dead I would still come back from the fires of hell to fight at your side", Thus she keeps her promise and saves him from death. This was the true age of D&D style worlds great fantasy and wonder, I agree Arine put alot of effort into his role and was actauly helped by James in acting tips to help him for his role and I think that is great way to do things. Glad you finaly saw this and yer it helped launch the great Arine into Hollow Wood.
The costuming... Just wow. It's the first time I remember a Hollywood designer REALLY sticking to the graphic novels of ANY character brought to the screen. Lifted them right off the pages. The "Princess" with the two snakes. That head piece. Nice.
The accents 😂🤣 Remember seeing this on VHS as a kid. Was floored hearing Darth Vader’s voice not knowing James Earl Jones was in the movie. Takes me back how it epic it felt watching with my dad
I always took the wheel at the beginning to be a mill wheel, for crushing grain into flour. It could just have been a device to keep the slaves in shape, but it would have been more cost efficient if it also served another purpose.
The kick to the balls was because the padawan was laughing at Conan's being cussed out for making a mistake. Sandahl Bergman played the villain Queen Gedrun in Red Sonja. She had been offered the lead but wanted to play the villain. She is a terrific dancer. You can see some great dance performances from her in the Roy Sheider film 'All that Jazz'. Milius was a terrific at making actors with limited range look good in this film. Another film with similar themes to this is his 'Farewell to the King' with Nick Nolte. Lots of fun in WW2 Borneo fighting the Japanese invading the island. The ladies love Thulsa because he is a great boa friend.
@@3Kings_Industries It is in the middle of vfx work. Directed by MJ Bassett and staring Matilda Lutz. Milleenium Media is the studio making it, the folks who made the Mamoa Conan film.
I’ve seen this movie so many times and I get more and more emotional each time. I’m literally in tears watching Conan’s mom die in front of his eyes like just think of the emotional impact that does the one person.
Thulsa Dooms monolouge is one of my favorite in cinema the sheer disdain at Conan he literally treats him like a small child throwing a tantrum and just moves on like it's no big thang
It just shows what a narcissistic psychopath he is. It's great acting and characterization for a villain because in real life many of the most prolific or infamous crooks care little or nothing about how their actions hurt others, it's all "me-me-me". It certainly makes his later execution far easier to justify, as he shows no remorse whatsoever.
Fun fact Sandahl Bergman did all her own stunts(because they couldn't find a stunt woman that had a similar build) and nearly lost a finger as a result.
Fun facts from the 2005 DVD Commentary: They defenitly dont make films like this anymore. They wore bloodbags on top of armor and used sharp pointy steel swords. So they would stab/chop eachother and get great bloof effects, but this is totally dangerous. Sandhal Bergman almost lost her finger during a training scene. The dead bird arnold bit into was an actual dead bird they found nearby.
Can the guy in the red shirt while giving his condescending, dismissive reflection of the movie... could he snicker More? He needs to develop his ability to irritate me 10 to 12% more. His snickering disdain for the movie shows how incredibly intelligent he is. I mean society with the smart phone is so much more sophisticated than a 1980's audience could possibly dream of being. I bow down to the snicker. I think all UA-cam critics have the 80's cheese, 80"s cheese refrain down very well. Oh, I would like point out to all Y-tube critics that the more you develop side characters that you all claim to want- the longer and slower moving a film gets. More cowbell? No! More condescending Snickering! Trust me.
I dont know if its the best fantasy movie ever made, but its in the running for sure. From the cinematography, to the score, to the visuals for the time, its up there for me.
It’s a grain mill. They actually built it to function. This is epic. I saw it in the theatre and it’s been in my top films since. John Milius made this a true cinematic storytelling film. The director’s cut added just a few things but it actually made the film even more powerful in terms of who Conan had become. You should check it out. His is the granddaddy of high fantasy films.
The grain mill is also in the Conan Exiles game, where it is called a Breaking Wheel. Obviously meant to break the spirits of the slaves you make with it.
You guys just said "It's a grain mill" without any context to what the was a grain mill, like in the whole movie that's all there was. lol. The grain mill is the thing slave Arnold was pushing around in a circle since he was a child near the beginning of the movie. They put grain into it, between 2 large stones, and the grain is ground and the stones are turned by the mill. It's how they made flour wake back in the day.
This was the very first movie I ever saw, and my love for Conan came because of it. I always think robert e. Howard for creating the character. Conan has become such an iconic barbaric character. He has transcended not just movies but also video games, cartoons, and comics. His comics still go on, and they are moved from different companies. Companies like Marvel, and now he's a part of Titan comics. Arnold is the only true Conan. No one else could capture that character better than him. And as a conan fan, we still want that last movie where we get to see him as king conan.
Yeah, Guys, Sandahl Bergman, actress and dancer, definitely has that chiseled physique, and chemistry with Arnie. Nice watch👍Prob seen it 8-10 times over the years. Fun and campy.
Conan's mother (actress/model Nadiuska) was such a beautiful woman. Unfortunately life hasn't been good to her. Also drug problems (I think but not too sure about it). She is now just 72 but really looks like she is 92. A german girl who made her career in Spain (where Conan The Barbarian was shot, with a lot of spanish actors, young Conan being later a famous spanish actor). But during her prime...man, she was gorgeous. Thanks to the time Arnold had stayed in Spain he had the chance to try some spanish products (mostly cheese, jamón and several kinds of sausages) he became a big importer of those Spanish products to USA.
There is a scene in the extended version that Arnold got to do a monologue that was fantastic about his childhood. Really show Arnold's acting capabilities and gives a sense of humanity deep within conan.
The priest that Conan steals the robes from, is played by Jack Taylor, who was in a lot of Eurosmut horror movies, including several directed by Jess Franco.
A great classic. One of the best things is how Arnold emotes what Conan is thinking and feeling, without saying a word. I like how Andrew mentioned about the horror in the movie. Cool thing is Robert E. Howard who created Conan and H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of Cthulhu were friends. Several of their stories would incorporate pieces of each other's works. You'll find some of the Cthulhu mythos mentioned in the Conan books as well as the movies.
Arnold's second go at being a movie star. Hercules in New York (1970) didn't really work out for him. 12 years! And thanks for Dino De Laurentiis for producing some of my favorite movies over the years like this one. Flash Gordon, Dune, Conan 2, Blue Velvet, Bound, Army of Darkness, Firestarter, Dead Zone, The Bounty, Barbarella.
The woman who plays Conan's mother is the Spanish actress Nadiuska, famous for her cinematic nudity in post-dictatorship Spain in the 70s and 80s, and the one who plays Conan as a child is the Spanish actor Jorge Sanz, who was about 12 years old
No other film has captured a mythological style of storytelling better than this film. Told primarily through visuals and music, with only sparse dialogue by the protagonist- just as if being told by a storyteller around a fire (in this case, literally Mako's character). Setting the violence & nudity aside, it should be looked upon as the template for how to tell a Legend of Zelda film. The only thing that is regrettable is that the audio and music weren't recorded or mixed under more modern conditions (even for the early 1980's). So no matter how much they remaster it, it always sounds "old" with that isolated, echo-y sound. But it's probably the only thing really holding the film back from fully holding 100% up to this day. I also love how they layer details in but don't always bring attention to them. For example, the Atlanteans in the tomb are actually giants, even by comparison to Arnold (though his size reduces the effect to make it more subtle). And the Atlantean sword (as later seen in Stranger Things Season 4) is actually more like a large dagger or one-handed sword to them, but becomes a full two-handed sword for even a large human like Conan.
The creators of the movie kind of saw it like an art project. The intention was to create a movie where the storytelling ist as much as possible is carried by music and pictures. And from that point of view that movie is a true piece of art.
The scene with the witch is alluded to in Total Recall… where Richter is asking the other person “Are you saying she liked it?”… And the other guy responds “No, I’m certain she hated every second of it”… It has been stated that when Arnold’s wife say this scene in Conan… she stated to Arnold her intense displeasure with it… Arnold told her that he hated every second of it..:
This is one of my Favorite Ever. The story line amazing, the score is top tier and the actor were perfect… My favorite line is from Subati when he responds back to the lady “ I am Evil”
I can't tell you how much I desire to have pulse pounding orchestral music being incorporated into these kinds of movies again. Why did they decide to give it up?
Oliver Stone wrote the original screenplay, but it was set in the far future with Conan fighting mutants. The filmmakers wanted to keep it in the ancient Hyborean Age, so Milius rewrote it and Stone's name was kept in the credits for name recognition.
I love how this is one of the few movie reaction channels to admit they've seen movies before lol. The End of Days reference - I just don't see many other channels doing simple things like that. Great job, earned my sub
And Conan's dad is played by Will Smith... sorta. It's William Smith, whose most remembered role was Falconetti in the 1976 TV mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man." with Peter Strauss and Nick Nolte.
From a google search: The stories occur in the fictional "Hyborian Age", set after the destruction of Atlantis and before the rise of any historical ancient civilization. This is a specific epoch in a fictional timeline created by Howard for many of the low fantasy tales of his artificial legendary. From my understanding it's meant to be about 7500-8000 years ago, before the Sumerians. One of the races in the lore is Cimmerian, which is what Conan is. It's interesting to see how he has taken some things from other things for his own world.
she said that she would come back from the pit of hell to fight at Conan's side and she did... I loved that character. she looked amazing in that war paint.
Recognition of the environment as an actual character- THIS is what makes these reactions fantastic. As an old man, watched this as a teen when it opened, and dozens of times since. Yet, my trite considerations never observed that. Thank you
This is the ultimate sword fantasy film. Nothing was able to match this films directing, story, and especially the music. Nothing has been produced like this since. Score 10/10 Also fun fact, Gerry Goldsmith actually asked Basil to borrow the beginning of the score for Total Recall which sounds very similar.
Its a bit like Star Wars where they just dump you in this world and just won't explain anything about it it almost like its a story being told in there world and things like Stygia and Set are just common knowledge. Also for like 40 years this was the best D&D movie ever, Barbarian, ranger, thief and a wizard. It even inspired the Barbarian class in later editions of D&D
Damn, maybe it was b/c he just watched Pumping Iron (or b/c he's just an Arnie fan, in general), but Agor was just pulling out Arnie movie trivia left and right 😄
@@andrewgordon7662 Oh, btw, have you (and Greg) seen Conan the Destroyer? I know it's not as well regarded and I probably agree, but I also liked it, too. And Red Sonja?
@@Vulcanerd we have not seen Conan the Destroyer or Red Sonja. Most likely we won’t unless this video does huge numbers and there are a lot of comments as well asking Greg for us to do both those films. I know Red Sonja was supposed to be Conan but they couldn’t get the licensing to use the name and had to use the name “Kalidor” instead and it’s the same director as Conan the Destroyer, Richard Fleischer
1:22:02 Mark! Kirk Douglas is the titular character in "The Villain"! That's a Western Comedy genre movie. Arnold plays a character named "Handsome Stranger" who was named for his father! 😂😅
1:07:52 Mark! By the way! It used to be taken for granted that movies are for the spectacles of the visuals and the sounds, music included! If you wanted to know more about the "characterization" then you read the pertinent books! 😁 Edit: That's one reason that I was annoyed that they didn't publish a movie tie-in novelization of the Kate Winslet "Titanic" movie. 😮
1:20:33 Mark! Ha! Conan O'Brian in one of his talk shows, had a segment where they came up with puns or word play based his first name and Arnold's character in this movie! 😂 "Conan the Comedian" was first if I recall correctly. "Conan the Librarian" was another! Greg, you missed all of that?! 😮
The Genre is "Sword & Sorcery" The S&S genre is a branch of the Fantasy that is on the "LOw" end of Fantasy. Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Warhammer etc can be considered HIGH Fantasy, where Non-Human races are common and widespread and the use of magic is present in the daily lives of people and Fantastical creatures are the main "Pests" that bothers or poses a threat to the common folk. The Witcher is more Dark Fantasy, even tho it can be considered somewhere between Low and High, While Fantasy races are common and Mystical creatures are a bother to the common folks, only a rare few can use Magic and they are even a dying cast all togheter. Conan and the Sword and Sorcery genre is "Low" Fantasy, Fantastical/Non-Human races are either Hidden or very rare, either they are exctinct or an Ancient but Dying race. The use of Magic and Sorcery is very rare, only some individuals are capable of it and most of the time the Absolute power it gives, Corrupts the Minds of its Practitioners. The Tech level of Sword and Sorcery is around Bronze Age to Early Medieval Ages, so somewhere between 5th and 8th century. Thats why the uses of Bronze/Iron weapons is very common and the best armors are chainmail, with the standard being HIde armors or leather. The Civilisation styles are also much closer to Early Kozacks and Russians, Mongolians and some Egyptian, than in High Fantasy where the aesthetics is more alligned with 14th Century Central Europe or Rennaissance era. WHile it was not Arnold's first movie, it wa still one of the earliest, when his Austrian accent was the Thickest. At one point the studio considered have Arnold's lines just dubbed over by someone else, but Stone and Delaurentis dissuaded them. But despite that IT was an issue, so they gave Arnold very minimal script, but what it did is that Arnold's acting is done through his Body language, his presence and his Charisma. Having a guy build like him be alsmot silent and only speaking when he Needs to, it is actually much more intimidating and really gives in the "Stoic Barbarian" theme. So much is actually conveyed by Arnold's physical presence that Words ain't needed most of the time, wich in turn gives the few times he actually speak more meaning and depth. During the Shooting, Arnold and Jones became friends, Arnold would coach Jones to stay in shape, and Jones would Coach Arnold's pronunciation, helping him with his dialogues.
First of all I love the Conan movies, even the very campy Conan the Destroyer but the thing that makes me crazy in this movie is the actual creation of the sword. Steel swords are not cast they are forged. Bronze swords are made by casting liquid bronze into a mold like was shown in the opening scene. Steel is made by beating a red hot iron ingot with a hammer and folding, heating and beating it some more until it has the right carbon content. For a movie that places so much emphasis on the Riddle of Steel you would think they would get it right. The sword Conan gets is from a long dead Atlantean king in the tomb. In the books he has to fight the zombie king and prove his worth. The score in this movie is phenomenal and key to the storytelling. Valeria said that she would come back from the pit of hell to fight at Conan's side and so she did.
This is unironically one of my favorite movies of all time. It is much deeper than it is often rebreed to me (mostly because of the plethora of B movie imitators that followed), the soundtrack is operatic, and I find the casting, costuming, and locations all come together to form a real sense of an ancient fantasy world, its almost alien it so far removed from our own time.
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I had to pause 2 minutes in, and I apologize for being that guy but just for future reference it's Forging a blade not Welding. I had the same issue when you kept calling the bouncers in Roadhouse bodyguards. Once again sorry for being that guy much respect to you & your crew. And remember "You can always trust your steel.
@@randall-thehorrorwriter I'm that guy too! 🤣
Kiyoshi Yamazaki the sword master that trained the actors in sword fighting and choregraphed the fight scenes, developed fighting styles based on the characters and the actors' natural skills. Conan's (Arnold) fighting style was powerful and brutal, Subotai (Gerry Lopez) was a thief and his fighting style was sneaky, Valeria's fighting style was most influenced by the actor's skill. Because Sandahl Bergman was an award winning dancer and was a muse for the great choreographer Bob Fosse, Valeria's fighting style was graceful.
@@jeffreydavid6794
It was such a letdown after the first film, all of the sets and most of the special effects were so cheap and cheesy.
Conan the Destroyer (1984) ❤❤❤
Red Sonja, (1985) ❤❤❤
I've watched a lot of reactions, and everyone seems to forget her line: "If I were dead and you were fighting for your life, I would come back from the deepest pit of Hell to fight by your side."
And that's exactly what she does
Yeah, or not recognizing that she became a Valkyrie in Valhalla.
Likewise, the crucifixion scene was also borrowed from yet another Howard Conan tale, 'A Witch Shall Be Born'.
Acctulay that is taken from the saga of The pirate captain Belit . She was Conans first true love
"Conan, what is best in life? "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."
"That is good "
I love the lamentations of the women. In the 80s they would put a word like lamentations in an action flick. And make Arnold say it. We are truly regressing.
I prefer the joke one that Sir Terry Pratchett did for his Cohen the barbarian. "Hot water, good dentishtry and shoft lavatory paper." :D
For anyone who hasn't heard legolambs UA-cam channel they have dozens of short musical versions of film of which there are several prominent Arnold films the Conan one has the lamentations of the women line in it think favorites of the Arnold ones are the predator and Batman and Robin because of the payoff best one they had got removed though it was Schindlers list PT 2 from the German concentration camp leaders perspective I can only find the song itself now not the video
Words I've lived by my whole life.
The Wheel Of Pain was a giant mill for grinding grain. In the novelization by L. Sprague de Camp it is explained that over time many other slaves came and went, and that ultimately there was a plague of which he was the only survivor. Red Hair is the same guy who chained him to the Wheel as a boy. He frees him because he not only comes to fear him, but also respects him.
The novelization is amazing, btw.
Is Conan marvel or at least I think there was crossover or something idk
@@PennywiseTheDancingClown274 Conan was originally a pulp character of the 1930's created by Texan writer Robert E. Howard, made popular in the pages of Weird Tales magazine. Following Howard's death by suicide in 1935 or '36 at the age of 30 the rights to Conan and his other characters like Kull, Solomon Kane and others began a long journey of being passed around through various hands as he was survived briefly only by his father and had no heirs. Long story short: over time the rights to the character were all over the place resulting in numerous pastiche novels and collections, with Marvel acquiring licensing rights for the comic series in 1970. This series was very popular, and along with the Ace novel series with their famous Frazetta/Vallejo covers, Conan became a mass pop cultural phenomenon, including the Arnold films, further pastiche series through Tor novels, the cartoons and TV series, and later comics licensing through Dark Horse, Marvel again, and now most currently, Titan. Over the years interpretations of the character have varied in quality, but aside from Howard's source material which is obviously the best and truest version of Conan, imo the original Marvel colour and b&w series were excellent, as well as select pastiche novels, and of course, the first Arnold film. There's also a lot of pretty substandard stuff out there, so you have to be selective, but overall most Conan material is at the least, very entertaining. My advice to new fans though is to read the Howard tales first and then branch out from there. That's the best way to truly absorb the sheer, gritty awesomeness that the Conan mythos has to offer!
Did they grain bones too in that wheel so that they mixed grain flour with bone dust to make bread ?
@@ciaranmeeks9431 best reply I could've got lol. I'm not really new fan but "surface fan" since I just don't take the time to go into comics which I should for the sake the child I once was... Saw Conan the destroyer movie when I was too young to know what was really going on but I was enthralled especially the wizard whose name I wont try to spell... ( Hey that's a pun 🤡) sad to know it not as popular as I would like but that's nostalgia for ya lol. That said its good to have a a reply like yours to really get started for someone new to the source material than just movies.
I'm shocked you said you didn't feel an emotional connection to this movie. This is by far the most emotionally attached I've ever been to a movie. The score, the intense love that Valeria has for Conan, true friendship with Subatai (that you rarely see today), the breaking of his father's sword that Rexor had at the end, the depth of scenes that you may not have realized such as him swinging the sword after the demon scene. That's symbolizing him understanding what Thulsa Doom said about flesh being stronger than steel. That's why he keeps looking at his hand in that scene. This shows his intelligence and understanding which makes him more powerful in his final battles. My favorite movie of all time.
Todo lo que dices es lo mismo que siento yo por esta grandiosa película le tengo un respeto emocional cada vez que la veo
Yeah. They went in with a certain mood and attitude which happens sometimes, but it's a shame. I think people don't expect much of the movie because the rep 80s fantasy flicks have, so they aren't necessarily prepared to engage and pay attention beyond the surface level.
@@vanyadollyúltimamente me ha dado por ver estos vídeos de reacciones de personas que ven por primera vez la película y te aseguro que no tiene nada que ver con la reacción que tuve yo en su día cuando la vi en cines aquí en España nada absolutamente y es una pena que no sepan valorarla como se merece , mis hijos cuando se la puse en su día también les gustaron mucho y supieron valorarla
@@tatysantos4448I have to agree with you. While I appreciate their honest reaction, just slightly disappointed that they didn’t see the same movie I saw. But to be fair, I saw it in the theater. And it’s really a movie that’s just so meant to be seen that way. I just got the Arrow limited edition Blu-ray box set and it’s still great for me that way. But I think I am still carrying that original operatic theatrical experience. And however they are watching it, with talking going on throughout, they can’t see it that way.
@@RabbiStevesi es una película para ver en la gran pantalla , yo también la vi en cine en 1982 jamás olvidaré ese día jamás solo tenía en la cabeza a Conan , ya lo conocía de los comics la espada salvaje .
Y también tengo la edición de la Arrow vídeo con los tres montajes y guardo la cinta VHS de la thorn EMI y por supuesto el poster de la película que es una obra de arte majestuosa de Renato Casaro un gran cartelista , en fin estaría horas hablando de Conan , me alegra conocer a una persona como tú
Max Von Sydow's appearance in this film is a perfect example of the old adage, "There are no small roles, only small actors." His scene is brief but he chews up the scenery with a memorable performance. Such a badass!
"There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child."
That line hits so much harder after you have kids. Several bits of this movie do, actually.
It's still a really stupid movie, but it's packed with plenty of moments, and it's still really enjoyable.
One of Max Von Sydow greatest lines
"Do you know what you've done‽
"Why Rexor himself has come before me. Threaten me a king!
What daring!
What outrageousness!
What insolence!
What arrogance! ...
I salute you!!!"
His line below about a father's love for his child is legitimately great:
"There comes a time, thief, when the jewels cease to sparkle, when the gold loses its luster, when the throne room becomes a prison, and all that is left is a father's love for his child."
Well said! One of the many impressive things about this movie. It also goes to show how magical it is when you have a good scrip, a good director, and a good actor. You can get away without all three, but you know it when they align.
Totally agree. He pulled off a king that has been thru it all perfectly. Seeing you were born in 68 also by your name another great movie for the time was "Excalibur" I still hear Patrick Stewart's line. "The boy drew the sword. If a boy has been chosen, a boy shall be King!" Movies from the 70's and 80's were just better. Kinda like the music lol.
"For you, the day that Thulsa Doom graced your village was the most important day of your life.. For me, it was tuesday" - Thulsa Doom if played by Raul Julia
Finally, two 'relatively' young reactors, that do not complain about how 'slow' movies from this time and before are... It is VERY refreshing!
Ehhh, to me what I see are two avid film goers one who appreciates classic style of 80's movie making, and has a fondness for nostalgia and the mg/tcm era of films, and the other is more a fan of modern, fast paced, theatrical big budget releases, far more interested in the razzle dazzle of big studios and superhero universes, mostly because He's probably from a slightly younger generation. Greg's much like Jaby in that regard, where they'll criticise something because they don't understand it or because it's older than they are (because they won't let go of their own niche's). It's painfully obvious that Greg would never watch these sorts of films in his own time, so it's easier to dismiss it as corny/cheesy. It would have been better to have let John and Andy watch this, rather than Greg, even if John was familiar with it.
I take it you haven´t watched many reactions yet... 🤣🤣
but they still played the 'camp' card.
The strong female character crap im so sick of. Back then we didnt care about that bs we accepted tgt men were just stronger than women and that fighting is mainly done by men. And we liked strong masculine men in movies, things most movies these days lack and boy is the box office missing it 😅😅@@cruelangel8689
The Asian dude looks 40 lol young?
The Conan score is considered one of the most iconic.
Indeed! so iconic that it was used for the Gladiator teaser trailer.
@@KrushgrooveOG And Zelda TP reveal, one of the most iconics trailers ever, more is you see the live reaction
58:42 - Both of you apparently forgot the moment when Valeria told Conan that if she were dead, she would come back from the depths of Hell to fight by his side.
I think this movie has THE BEST soundtrack to ever exist
That 3-CD set with the complete score? One of the best purchases of my life!
Basil Poledouris knocked it out of the park that's for sure - stunning music.
I've been telling people for decades that it's actually a very amazing score and they think I'm joking because of the movie it is. Always loved it
@@craigdaily4510 I love the film too. I have since I first watched it on a grainy VHS back in '82 when I was eleven and it was by far the best of the batch of sword and sandal fantasy films of the time (Hawk the Slayer, Beast Master etc). But the score is beyond epic, its wonderfully powerful and atmospheric.
@peteturner3928 I was 4 when it came out. My dad was a weightlifter and huge Arnie fan. I saw this movie quite a bit in my youth
It's crazy what just a little time does, watching this in the late 80's- early 90's I never heard anyone that was confused or couldn't keep up with the story. Back then it was just like it was understood she became a Valkyrie but today people see she became a Valkyrie and it's like "wait, what just happened?!" It's like we got so used to movies holding our hands and walking us through every story beat that now we can't keep up when left alone.
Visual storytelling is out the window for these kids. Allegory and nuance are way to complicated and they need hand holding.
I watched this movie as a 7 year old and just by the music you knew it was going to be serious.
I saw this age 12 (my dad took me). It was clear as day to me what had happened to her character. I think a lot of it comes down to people (but reactors in particular) not really listening & understanding the dialogue. The dialogue gives you hints as to what will happen in the future. Movies generally don’t waste scenes, so most lines are there for a purpose. I noticed, when watching reactions to Star Wars: A New Hope (any of the OT really), that reactors will read the opening text, but then not understand what’s going on, despite being given three paragraphs describing everything you need to know. It’s kind of depressing, to see people becoming so dim that they can’t follow relatively simple dialogue, read the meaning conveyed in a character’s facial expressions or notice a significant look between two characters.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Yep. One can also see it with Star Wars sequels...its a pity so many younger fans seem to have trouble following whats going on, for example with the whole Kylo/Luke-story, as they still believe Luke wanted to really kill his nephew, or that Rey is supposed to be a MarySue being able to overwhelem Kylo, ignoring or not understanding more likely how emotionally and physically damaged Kylo was and so on...
Show, don't tell ... but for modern audiences, everything not spelled out directly or explained in exposition dumps is a plot hole...
It's literally foretold when she says if she's dead and he's fighting for his life she'll come back from hell to fight at his side.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 It also bugs me, the way they react to Obi Wan being taken out by Vader...They spend the next 15 minutes saying,
"Wait! What happened? Is he dead? But he disappeared! I don't understand!
I want to know what happened!" And sometimes they are still babbling about it as the rebels are explaining the Death Star attack plan. So they miss out on what's going on there as well.
I always loved how Conan's father: "This you can trust" and shows Conan the sword. Then at the end James Earl Jones calls him his son and Conan is being taken over by his weird magic that he to make his mom docile. Then Conan looks at his father's broken sword, comes back to his senses and uses it to behead Thulsa Doom.
he hypnotizes them like a snake would
Absolutely. My Dad and I have loved this movie for 40 years, and that is one of our favorite lines in the whole franchise. You can always trust the steel at your side, because that gives you a literal edge against all the evils of the world.
I said it on another channel, but I'll point it out here too. Casual viewers often miss that in the final battle Rexor is wielding Conan's fathers stolen sword. The sword breaks because it will not harm the son of its maker, and because Conan's will is stronger than the steel. That is the answer to The Riddle Of Steel - that ultimately WILL is what is stronger than steel, and stronger than flesh. Through the enduring of hardship Conan has been forged like a piece of iron into living steel until HE is the answer to, and the living embodiment of, the Riddle.
I love how subtle the movie is. So many movies feel they need to explain everything to the viewer. I love how little this movie explains. It just drops the viewers in this weird world, and everything feels strange and foreign (which, by the way, is how the ancient world would feel to us if we could travel back to those times). You have to watch the movie multiple times to pick up on everything. These guys were a little too dismissive and snobbish in their review.
Finally, someone who understands. 👏
@@dphill96 Thanks, brother. I've probably seen this movie literally hundreds of times since about the age of 9. I'm 50 now. Been reading Conan (and Robert E. Howard/assorted other Epic and Pulp Fantasy) since then too. You could say I've been studying this shit my whole life. I guess I'm a total nerd when it comes to all things Conan, but hopefully Crom is pleased!
@@Mike-wr7om yeah this movie doesn't have a lot of dialogue so people who don't pay attention to the visuals will miss a ton of context. Strangely, as a 6 year old I had no problems keeping track of these things, from the very first time I watched this movie I was so immersed in the story that I just absorbed all there was to it.
This movie has a truly legendary score. It actually sounds like something you would hear in your head when someone was telling you a story about an ancient warrior.
GOAT movie and GOAT soundtrack with Basil Poledouris
Absolute truth
Back in these days, extras didn't need to be paid. They just put an open call out for people in what ever country they were filming in, who want to be an extra in a Hollywood movie.
Thulsa Doom hypnotized/glamored Conans mother.. hence why she lowered her guard and exposed her neck to be cut, its subtle. He tried to also hypnotized Arnold at the end but he of course broke out of it.
"what a weird movie" "I don't understand"
I always thought that it was a very simple, straightforward movie... that or I'm a genius.
And now you understand why long time fans of this movie have been screaming for a `King Conan` movie for decades.
What's Your Favorite Arnold Movie? HONEST ANSWERS ONLY!
T2
True Lies, Last Action Hero, T2 or Kindergarten Cop, but I like most of them at least a little bit. Eraser’s great, The 6th Day was fun, Commando is a childhood fave.
This one! He has a lot of greats, but I love Conan the Barbarian.
T2 hands down!
T2 edges out Predator, mainly because it was the first R rated film my father ever took me to see in the theater.
You guys said you wanted to know more about the characters. One of the things I love about this movie is the way it feels so weird and foreign, like we the viewers have just been dropped down in the middle of an ancient culture and there's all this weird religion and rituals. The world and the characters always feel like their a bit removed, at a distance, from us. They never feel familiar. That is the coolest thing about this movie: it is the closest any of us will ever get to time travelling back to an ultra-ancient, barbaric time before recorded history.
This film, Robocop, and Predator were in the triumvirate of over the top action and ultraviolent films in the 80's. The violence and gore in this era of film hit different.
RIP James Earl Jones 😭😭
The scene in the crypt was cannibalized from the de Camp pastiche 'The Thing In the Crypt'. The sword is that of one of the Atlantean kings - likely Kull - who in the original Robert E. Howard stories was not only an ancestor of Conan's, but also an enemy of the Serpent people. When he takes (inherits?) The sword, the skeleton nods it's head in approval. Even the dead bow to him.
I vividly remember that scene, since it was the first Conan story I’d read.
This movie is a huge part of my childhood, what a blast from the past!
What most folks are failing to recognize is that this movie was peak D&D in the 80's. The soundtrack was legendary. Definitely influenced by Carl Orff's Carmina Burana O Fortuna.
"Hey man, I won't be able to make it next week." "What? It's the final session!" "Sorry man, I have things I have to do." "Sigh... alright. At the end of this session I'm gonna like, kill you with a... snake arrow... or something."
Honestly I love this type of DnD more
Grounded and more dark, most DnD nowadays is just over the top comedic violence with sex jokes
Not that those themes are bad but only in small doses does that work, but now dnd is just most of that
Behind the Scenes Arnie trained Earl Jones to get in shape while Earl Jones gave Arnie acting tips in preparation for the role of Conan. Valerie Quennessen who portrayed Osric's daughter tragically died in a car accident in France. I don't remember but one of the characters that appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness "Gargantos" I believe this character is from the Conan comics that went by the original name "Shuma Gorath". There has been some back and forth right's issue with the character and why it goes by Gargantos.
Valeria's foreshadowing and payoff is SO GREAT, it fits so perfectly into this film's larger-than-life vibe. "All the gods they cannot sever us. If I were dead and you still fighting I'd come back, from the pit of Hell itself, to fight at your side." To see her genuinely get to KEEP HER WORD is so spectacularly rewarding ...
The music IS the dialogue in this film. More than any other movie I've ever seen, this score, one of THE greatest of all time, is used to tell the story. Not a single note is wasted. Robocop is a fine score with a very heroic and memorable theme, but Conan The Barbarian is Basil Poledouris's magnum opus.
Conan: The Barbarian was so dramatic in its presentation, and even as a kid I was captivated by it. Then Conan: The Destroyer had to go way over the top XD Was still a good film for sword & sorcery, but even Arnold was put off by the changes they made for the sake of going overboard.
The friendship between Conan and Subotai is one of my favorite elements of this movie. Mako is properly bombastic!!! And Valeria... perfection. One of the classics I have on Blu-ray. ⚔⚔⚔⚔⚔
I was 14 when this movie came out. We were all drinking beers down the tracks and a friend came down and told us about it like he just saw Big Foot lol. The population was crazy back then in the inner city of Boston so the movie theater was jammed with everyone we knew. We all went to go see it on a Friday night. Loved it! It was the first movie I ever saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in. The next day we were all kicking the shit out of each other yelling out quotes from the movie. What we liked about the movie is how they tried to make it not campy for a change. These were great special effects for the time. This movie got me and I am sure many other people for the time into the Conan books and magazines. We all want another good Conan movie without Arnold but I haven't seen one yet. Jason Momoa would have done great but the movie just didn't have the feel right. The music is top notch and the no apology violence sucked me in as a kid.
greg is clueless...this movie was an inspiration for so much fantasy of the barbarian and was beloved - its my favorite movie cause i was a huge conan fan of the countless fantasy novels - this movie never got a decent sequel - but this movie is considered a classic...greg is clueless cause he tends to be influenced easily and this time he didnt do his research and is clueless about how fiercely beloved this movie & its franchise is,, otherwise hed more respectful of this classic. The lines and scenes and fantasy in this movie are remembered today as memes (in a good way)
Best scene in the movie is after Valeria dies and Conan looks back towards the mountain and says nothing, just glares. You know there’s a reckoning coming. His face just shows a cold, calculated of something that will just be. And not a word is said. Very powerful and affecting scene to me.
The guy who plays Subotai is actually a big wave surfer called Gerry Lopez who Milius also cast in the Surfing movie "Big Wednesday"
Gerry was also in Endless Summer II and his surfing skills are amazing.
Which is another film composed by Basil Poledouris
The times as a kid, that I would watch this and then immediately jump on the Sega genesis to play hours of “Golden Axe”, oh to be a kid again
You just described my childhood!
I played that on the mega,drive, plus barbarian on the Amiga500. If you left the fighters for a few seconds they would say, “come on” in Arnold’s voice.
I'm 12 years old. Heavy Metal is everywhere. D&D is just starting to catch on. Films like this, Dragonslayer, Excalibur, Clash of The Titans and Time Bandits are being made. I feel sorry for anyone who wasn't a kid then.
Loved Conan. After a recent re-watch of a similar childhood favorite from the 80s called " Beast Master ", I saw that it had cooler sci-fi concepts but just needed a bigger budget like Conan.
In honor of Louis Gossett Jr who just passed, please react to the classic 80s sci-fi " Enemy Mine ".
And in honor of the 80s please react to " Time Bandits " by Terry Gilliam of Monty Python (starring Kenny Baker who played R2D2).
This. RIP Louis Gossett Jr😞
Gosh I loved Enemy Mine. It annoyingly doesn’t ever seem to stream on any service I have at the time. Need to track down a DVD
@@Hellohellonada Louis Gossett Jr's performance in Enemy Mine was incredible and one of the most underrated acting performances I've ever seen.
His alien mannerisms, accent, persona, and even the gurgling sound he made with his throat were all genius and entirely Louis.
You believe this really is an alien or how a humanoid alien would be if they actually existed. Everything he did felt so authentic despite it being such a unique role. It could have easily failed but Louis's performance was brilliant.
Enemy Mine is available on YT but still worth a DVD purchase if you can find it.
The manliest soundtrack EVER.
Not gonna lie, Conan is my favourite fantasy movie. The score is sooo damn epic, I love the costumes, the special effects and the whole vibe of this movie. I can watch it every few weeks and fall in love with it again. There is no other movie that comforts me that well.
How Valeria came back for that brief bit at the end is explained by her just after Conan was cured or revived, She leans in and says to him "If I was dead I would still come back from the fires of hell to fight at your side", Thus she keeps her promise and saves him from death. This was the true age of D&D style worlds great fantasy and wonder, I agree Arine put alot of effort into his role and was actauly helped by James in acting tips to help him for his role and I think that is great way to do things. Glad you finaly saw this and yer it helped launch the great Arine into Hollow Wood.
The costuming... Just wow. It's the first time I remember a Hollywood designer REALLY sticking to the graphic novels of ANY character brought to the screen. Lifted them right off the pages. The "Princess" with the two snakes. That head piece. Nice.
The accents 😂🤣
Remember seeing this on VHS as a kid. Was floored hearing Darth Vader’s voice not knowing James Earl Jones was in the movie. Takes me back how it epic it felt watching with my dad
Also...my dog who passed away after 13yrs rescued - his name was Thulsa Doom
Thulsa Doom is one of the coolest names ever. I'm sorry you lost your dog. It's always heart-breaking to lose a dog.
The sequel, Conan the Destroyer, is underrated. I highly recommend it!
It's cool but still not as good as the original
I always took the wheel at the beginning to be a mill wheel, for crushing grain into flour. It could just have been a device to keep the slaves in shape, but it would have been more cost efficient if it also served another purpose.
The kick to the balls was because the padawan was laughing at Conan's being cussed out for making a mistake.
Sandahl Bergman played the villain Queen Gedrun in Red Sonja. She had been offered the lead but wanted to play the villain. She is a terrific dancer. You can see some great dance performances from her in the Roy Sheider film 'All that Jazz'.
Milius was a terrific at making actors with limited range look good in this film. Another film with similar themes to this is his 'Farewell to the King' with Nick Nolte. Lots of fun in WW2 Borneo fighting the Japanese invading the island.
The ladies love Thulsa because he is a great boa friend.
Ah yes, Red Sonja.
We need a remake.
@@3Kings_Industries It is in the middle of vfx work. Directed by MJ Bassett and staring Matilda Lutz. Milleenium Media is the studio making it, the folks who made the Mamoa Conan film.
The guy who got kicked was actually Ah-Nuld's body double for the film.
@@MiLikesVids Who knows? In this day and age, it may end up starring Viola Davis..
Actually he kicked him in the stomach not the balls.
I’ve seen this movie so many times and I get more and more emotional each time. I’m literally in tears watching Conan’s mom die in front of his eyes like just think of the emotional impact that does the one person.
Thulsa Dooms monolouge is one of my favorite in cinema the sheer disdain at Conan he literally treats him like a small child throwing a tantrum and just moves on like it's no big thang
It just shows what a narcissistic psychopath he is. It's great acting and characterization for a villain because in real life many of the most prolific or infamous crooks care little or nothing about how their actions hurt others, it's all "me-me-me". It certainly makes his later execution far easier to justify, as he shows no remorse whatsoever.
A unique movie. The quality of the soundtrack alone makes this a classic.
I am completely shocked and impressed at Andrews ability to know and spot Franco Columbu and Sven Thornson....and that he has watched 'Pumping Iron'?!
Who hasn’t seen Pumping Iron? It defined a generation.
The wheel is a grinding wheel to separate wheat from chaffee and make flour. This is typically done with oxen, a water wheel, or a wind mill.
Fun fact Sandahl Bergman did all her own stunts(because they couldn't find a stunt woman that had a similar build) and nearly lost a finger as a result.
Fun facts from the 2005 DVD Commentary:
They defenitly dont make films like this anymore. They wore bloodbags on top of armor and used sharp pointy steel swords. So they would stab/chop eachother and get great bloof effects, but this is totally dangerous.
Sandhal Bergman almost lost her finger during a training scene.
The dead bird arnold bit into was an actual dead bird they found nearby.
Yeah, and they said he had to wash his mouth out with antiseptic after biting the dead bird so as not to catch disease from it.
Can the guy in the red shirt while giving his condescending, dismissive reflection of the movie... could he snicker More? He needs to develop his ability to irritate me 10 to 12% more. His snickering disdain for the movie shows how incredibly intelligent he is. I mean society with the smart phone is so much more sophisticated than a 1980's audience could possibly dream of being. I bow down to the snicker. I think all UA-cam critics have the 80's cheese, 80"s cheese refrain down very well. Oh, I would like point out to all Y-tube critics that the more you develop side characters that you all claim to want- the longer and slower moving a film gets. More cowbell? No! More condescending Snickering! Trust me.
I dont know if its the best fantasy movie ever made, but its in the running for sure. From the cinematography, to the score, to the visuals for the time, its up there for me.
It’s a grain mill. They actually built it to function. This is epic. I saw it in the theatre and it’s been in my top films since. John Milius made this a true cinematic storytelling film. The director’s cut added just a few things but it actually made the film even more powerful in terms of who Conan had become. You should check it out. His is the granddaddy of high fantasy films.
The grain mill is also in the Conan Exiles game, where it is called a Breaking Wheel. Obviously meant to break the spirits of the slaves you make with it.
They made a replica of it and used it in one of the strong man competitions. It was called the wheel of pain.
You guys just said "It's a grain mill" without any context to what the was a grain mill, like in the whole movie that's all there was. lol. The grain mill is the thing slave Arnold was pushing around in a circle since he was a child near the beginning of the movie. They put grain into it, between 2 large stones, and the grain is ground and the stones are turned by the mill. It's how they made flour wake back in the day.
This was the very first movie I ever saw, and my love for Conan came because of it. I always think robert e. Howard for creating the character. Conan has become such an iconic barbaric character. He has transcended not just movies but also video games, cartoons, and comics. His comics still go on, and they are moved from different companies. Companies like Marvel, and now he's a part of Titan comics. Arnold is the only true Conan. No one else could capture that character better than him. And as a conan fan, we still want that last movie where we get to see him as king conan.
Yeah, Guys, Sandahl Bergman, actress and dancer, definitely has that chiseled physique, and chemistry with Arnie. Nice watch👍Prob seen it 8-10 times over the years. Fun and campy.
Sandahl Bergman rules. Met her years back at a convention in Galveston and she even autographed my DVD copy of Conan.
Conan's mother (actress/model Nadiuska) was such a beautiful woman. Unfortunately life hasn't been good to her. Also drug problems (I think but not too sure about it). She is now just 72 but really looks like she is 92. A german girl who made her career in Spain (where Conan The Barbarian was shot, with a lot of spanish actors, young Conan being later a famous spanish actor). But during her prime...man, she was gorgeous.
Thanks to the time Arnold had stayed in Spain he had the chance to try some spanish products (mostly cheese, jamón and several kinds of sausages) he became a big importer of those Spanish products to USA.
One of my must watch movies! The score is awsome! Anytime I need courage I play the Conan Score an get so hyped then it's watch out world.
Hands down! This is the best fantasy film ever and has the best soundtrack ever. ❤ Who cares about lord of the rings and game of thrones
There is a scene in the extended version that Arnold got to do a monologue that was fantastic about his childhood. Really show Arnold's acting capabilities and gives a sense of humanity deep within conan.
Valeria came back as a Valkyrie to help. She swore to him if she were dead she’d come back from the pits of hell to save him.
The priest that Conan steals the robes from, is played by Jack Taylor, who was in a lot of Eurosmut horror movies, including several directed by Jess Franco.
Somehow, I had forgotten just how good the soundtrack is for this movie.
A great classic. One of the best things is how Arnold emotes what Conan is thinking and feeling, without saying a word. I like how Andrew mentioned about the horror in the movie. Cool thing is Robert E. Howard who created Conan and H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of Cthulhu were friends. Several of their stories would incorporate pieces of each other's works. You'll find some of the Cthulhu mythos mentioned in the Conan books as well as the movies.
Great Reaction Greg and Andrew! This movie is cool! 👍
Conan the barbarian soundtrack is my go to tune for doing cartwheels in the garden
Arnold's second go at being a movie star. Hercules in New York (1970) didn't really work out for him. 12 years! And thanks for Dino De Laurentiis for producing some of my favorite movies over the years like this one. Flash Gordon, Dune, Conan 2, Blue Velvet, Bound, Army of Darkness, Firestarter, Dead Zone, The Bounty, Barbarella.
The woman who plays Conan's mother is the Spanish actress Nadiuska, famous for her cinematic nudity in post-dictatorship Spain in the 70s and 80s, and the one who plays Conan as a child is the Spanish actor Jorge Sanz, who was about 12 years old
No other film has captured a mythological style of storytelling better than this film. Told primarily through visuals and music, with only sparse dialogue by the protagonist- just as if being told by a storyteller around a fire (in this case, literally Mako's character). Setting the violence & nudity aside, it should be looked upon as the template for how to tell a Legend of Zelda film.
The only thing that is regrettable is that the audio and music weren't recorded or mixed under more modern conditions (even for the early 1980's). So no matter how much they remaster it, it always sounds "old" with that isolated, echo-y sound. But it's probably the only thing really holding the film back from fully holding 100% up to this day.
I also love how they layer details in but don't always bring attention to them. For example, the Atlanteans in the tomb are actually giants, even by comparison to Arnold (though his size reduces the effect to make it more subtle). And the Atlantean sword (as later seen in Stranger Things Season 4) is actually more like a large dagger or one-handed sword to them, but becomes a full two-handed sword for even a large human like Conan.
I always assumed that the Wheel of Pain was for grinding grain to make flour, but I could be wrong.
That's what I've always thought is that it is a gristmill.
The creators of the movie kind of saw it like an art project. The intention was to create a movie where the storytelling ist as much as possible is carried by music and pictures. And from that point of view that movie is a true piece of art.
The scene with the witch is alluded to in Total Recall… where Richter is asking the other person “Are you saying she liked it?”…
And the other guy responds “No, I’m certain she hated every second of it”…
It has been stated that when Arnold’s wife say this scene in Conan… she stated to Arnold her intense displeasure with it… Arnold told her that he hated every second of it..:
This is one of my Favorite Ever. The story line amazing, the score is top tier and the actor were perfect… My favorite line is from Subati when he responds back to the lady “ I am Evil”
Probably my leasst favorite review by Greg
4:58 The average Mount & Blade 2 Bannerlord experience
Yep
I can't tell you how much I desire to have pulse pounding orchestral music being incorporated into these kinds of movies again. Why did they decide to give it up?
Oliver Stone wrote the original screenplay, but it was set in the far future with Conan fighting mutants. The filmmakers wanted to keep it in the ancient Hyborean Age, so Milius rewrote it and Stone's name was kept in the credits for name recognition.
Yea, Stone's attachment to this story is minimal.
I love how this is one of the few movie reaction channels to admit they've seen movies before lol. The End of Days reference - I just don't see many other channels doing simple things like that. Great job, earned my sub
And Conan's dad is played by Will Smith... sorta. It's William Smith, whose most remembered role was Falconetti in the 1976 TV mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man." with Peter Strauss and Nick Nolte.
Yes! As an 8 year old kid, I thought he was ‘Falcon Eddie.’🤣
From a google search: The stories occur in the fictional "Hyborian Age", set after the destruction of Atlantis and before the rise of any historical ancient civilization. This is a specific epoch in a fictional timeline created by Howard for many of the low fantasy tales of his artificial legendary.
From my understanding it's meant to be about 7500-8000 years ago, before the Sumerians. One of the races in the lore is Cimmerian, which is what Conan is. It's interesting to see how he has taken some things from other things for his own world.
And it takes place in the area that is the Mediterranean sea today but this is set before those lands flooded
she said that she would come back from the pit of hell to fight at Conan's side and she did... I loved that character. she looked amazing in that war paint.
Recognition of the environment as an actual character- THIS is what makes these reactions fantastic.
As an old man, watched this as a teen when it opened, and dozens of times since. Yet, my trite considerations never observed that.
Thank you
This is the ultimate sword fantasy film.
Nothing was able to match this films directing, story, and especially the music.
Nothing has been produced like this since.
Score 10/10
Also fun fact, Gerry Goldsmith actually asked Basil to borrow the beginning of the score for Total Recall which sounds very similar.
Its a bit like Star Wars where they just dump you in this world and just won't explain anything about it it almost like its a story being told in there world and things like Stygia and Set are just common knowledge.
Also for like 40 years this was the best D&D movie ever, Barbarian, ranger, thief and a wizard. It even inspired the Barbarian class in later editions of D&D
Damn, maybe it was b/c he just watched Pumping Iron (or b/c he's just an Arnie fan, in general), but Agor was just pulling out Arnie movie trivia left and right 😄
I’m a die hard Arnie fan. He’s my favorite actor of all time
@@andrewgordon7662 Not the best (as you said), but your favorite! 😄
@@Vulcanerd exactly I would never claim him to be the best but definitely my favorite!
@@andrewgordon7662 Oh, btw, have you (and Greg) seen Conan the Destroyer? I know it's not as well regarded and I probably agree, but I also liked it, too. And Red Sonja?
@@Vulcanerd we have not seen Conan the Destroyer or Red Sonja. Most likely we won’t unless this video does huge numbers and there are a lot of comments as well asking Greg for us to do both those films. I know Red Sonja was supposed to be Conan but they couldn’t get the licensing to use the name and had to use the name “Kalidor” instead and it’s the same director as Conan the Destroyer, Richard Fleischer
The sword in the tomb was not his father's. That was in possession of Thulsa Doom. The score for the tomb scene was called "The Atlantean Sword".
1:22:02 Mark! Kirk Douglas is the titular character in "The Villain"! That's a Western Comedy genre movie. Arnold plays a character named "Handsome Stranger" who was named for his father! 😂😅
1:07:52 Mark! By the way! It used to be taken for granted that movies are for the spectacles of the visuals and the sounds, music included! If you wanted to know more about the "characterization" then you read the pertinent books! 😁
Edit: That's one reason that I was annoyed that they didn't publish a movie tie-in novelization of the Kate Winslet "Titanic" movie. 😮
Love how you guys going crazy with the intro credits
1:20:33 Mark! Ha! Conan O'Brian in one of his talk shows, had a segment where they came up with puns or word play based his first name and Arnold's character in this movie! 😂 "Conan the Comedian" was first if I recall correctly. "Conan the Librarian" was another! Greg, you missed all of that?! 😮
The Genre is "Sword & Sorcery"
The S&S genre is a branch of the Fantasy that is on the "LOw" end of Fantasy.
Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Warhammer etc can be considered HIGH Fantasy, where Non-Human races are common and widespread and the use of magic is present in the daily lives of people and Fantastical creatures are the main "Pests" that bothers or poses a threat to the common folk.
The Witcher is more Dark Fantasy, even tho it can be considered somewhere between Low and High, While Fantasy races are common and Mystical creatures are a bother to the common folks, only a rare few can use Magic and they are even a dying cast all togheter.
Conan and the Sword and Sorcery genre is "Low" Fantasy, Fantastical/Non-Human races are either Hidden or very rare, either they are exctinct or an Ancient but Dying race.
The use of Magic and Sorcery is very rare, only some individuals are capable of it and most of the time the Absolute power it gives, Corrupts the Minds of its Practitioners.
The Tech level of Sword and Sorcery is around Bronze Age to Early Medieval Ages, so somewhere between 5th and 8th century.
Thats why the uses of Bronze/Iron weapons is very common and the best armors are chainmail, with the standard being HIde armors or leather.
The Civilisation styles are also much closer to Early Kozacks and Russians, Mongolians and some Egyptian, than in High Fantasy where the aesthetics is more alligned with 14th Century Central Europe or Rennaissance era.
WHile it was not Arnold's first movie, it wa still one of the earliest, when his Austrian accent was the Thickest.
At one point the studio considered have Arnold's lines just dubbed over by someone else, but Stone and Delaurentis dissuaded them.
But despite that IT was an issue, so they gave Arnold very minimal script, but what it did is that Arnold's acting is done through his Body language, his presence and his Charisma.
Having a guy build like him be alsmot silent and only speaking when he Needs to, it is actually much more intimidating and really gives in the "Stoic Barbarian" theme.
So much is actually conveyed by Arnold's physical presence that Words ain't needed most of the time, wich in turn gives the few times he actually speak more meaning and depth.
During the Shooting, Arnold and Jones became friends, Arnold would coach Jones to stay in shape, and Jones would Coach Arnold's pronunciation, helping him with his dialogues.
Conan’s only words to Valeria are”You’re not a guard”…”No” said at the base of the tower when they meet.
First of all I love the Conan movies, even the very campy Conan the Destroyer but the thing that makes me crazy in this movie is the actual creation of the sword. Steel swords are not cast they are forged. Bronze swords are made by casting liquid bronze into a mold like was shown in the opening scene. Steel is made by beating a red hot iron ingot with a hammer and folding, heating and beating it some more until it has the right carbon content. For a movie that places so much emphasis on the Riddle of Steel you would think they would get it right.
The sword Conan gets is from a long dead Atlantean king in the tomb. In the books he has to fight the zombie king and prove his worth.
The score in this movie is phenomenal and key to the storytelling.
Valeria said that she would come back from the pit of hell to fight at Conan's side and so she did.
Don't get me started on all the movies that get sword making wrong.
23:03 Mark! Hmm. An early anti-smoking campaign? 🤷♂️
But still, poor camel! 😢 🐪🐫
I think it was retaliation for being spit upon! 🤔
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger or I leave this earth. I want "crum" to grant me the prayer to see King Conan. 🤴
This is unironically one of my favorite movies of all time. It is much deeper than it is often rebreed to me (mostly because of the plethora of B movie imitators that followed), the soundtrack is operatic, and I find the casting, costuming, and locations all come together to form a real sense of an ancient fantasy world, its almost alien it so far removed from our own time.