Conan - Part 1

[rogue trooper]

@Wolvie

The stories are just simple entertainment. There's really no depth to them because they're so short. Even Fires of the Dragon was just a short story dragged out into the length of a novella.

There's the theme of "barbarism vs civilization" in Howard's tales.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Yeah, I loved that theme. The whole idea of someone completely naive to the ways of civilisation trying to find a way to function in normal society. Throughout all his stories, he essentially just tries everything, and ends up becoming king of Aquilonia. That's a fairly great idea, plenty of depth and ideas behind that, I would say.

Also, in his purity, Conan doesn't really discriminate, he just sees strength as good and weakness as bad. I love when he first enters society and gets ripped off, after punching the inn keeper, decides to try and understand civilisation by immersing himself in the worst it has to offer, namely Zamora and the city of thieves. That's a really cool idea. If anything, I would say the Conan books are a great potential study of anthropology and sociology. A LOT of social issues in Conan, which is all the more interesting for study when you consider it was written by a Southern man in the 1920/30's. Makes you wonder what he was trying to say? Huh?

 

[afan]

The "This summer....." narration has been lampooned so often.

Other than that failing..... the teaser actually is pretty good....loved the Conan quote and Momoa's reading.

 

[GhostPoet]

So, looking forward to the movie...but me and the friends I was with were actually laughing at the teaser. The deep voice narriator was hilariously cheesy.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

So, looking forward to the movie...but me and the friends I was with were actually laughing at the teaser. The deep voice narriator was hilariously cheesy.

One of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy trailers joked about this. t:

RIP Don LaFontaine.

 

[regwec]

I think this looks pretty good. I was a big fan of the original Arnie movie, and I sporadically read the Dark Horse comics. I recently plowed through about 2/3 of the short stories, but I have to say they are a little bit samey. I think I enjoyed the story set in the Pictish wilderness the most- it would be nice to see Conan in a fight to the death with some other barbarians.

 

[Dark Knight]

Ugh.

This ill conceived Conan film huh?

 

[Panthro]

Saw the teaser with "Battle: Los Angeles". Thought the teaser was a little underwhelming, but that does not deter my interest in seeing the film.

 

[TheVileOne]

This will probably be PG-13 unfortunately.

 

[Panthro]

This will probably be PG-13 unfortunately.

And then there will probably be an unrated director's cut.

 

[rogue trooper]

This will probably be PG-13 unfortunately.

I highly doubt it.

 

[zanos]

Unfrotunately, the studios probably feel they need to do that in order to get the whole family to go see Conan.

 

[rogue trooper]

Yes, studios do tend to do lousy stuff like that. However, the producers and the screenwriter have already very much assured that this will be a hard R in the tradition of "300".

 

[Iron_Stark]

This will probably be PG-13 unfortunately.

They already confirmed gore and beheadings and some of the first pics that were released were of Conan with topless wenches.

This isn't going to be PG-13.

 

[Shawn Wayne]

They already confirmed gore and beheadings and some of the first pics that were released were of Conan with topless wenches.

This isn't going to be PG-13.

This is why I'm still clinging to hope that this movie will be good. A REH Conan SHOULD be a hard R

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Lol I love it when Americans call it a 'Hard R' because an R for you guys is 'MA' for us, which is softer than our R. So a 'Hard R' seems kinda weak lol.

Lets get this bad boy a Hard PG13+ !

 

[Valaquen]

For me, the original Conan had some real moments of wonder, mostly when everything was silent and we saw this battered but fresh-faced, wonder-eyed hulk traversing through this weird landscape with sexual witches and snake warlords. I love the shot at the end with Conan at the top of the tmple, overlooking everyone. He throws Thulsa Doom's head down, takes his woman, and leaves the place to burn. Fantastic.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Nah, Arnie just played him as an idiotic barbarian. The REH Conan was cunning and smart, but unfamiliar with civilisation. He's not so starry eyed and more apprehensive and mistrusting of everything foreign, which is a much more interesting way to portray the character, since that was the whole comment on society Howard was trying to make.

 

[Octoberist]

I can't help it but to think the this teaser is probably one of the worst ones I've seen in a long time from a major(ish) studio.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

Yeah, I recommend just watching it with the sound down. Visually, it's kinda cool.

 

[Valaquen]

Nah, Arnie just played him as an idiotic barbarian. The REH Conan was cunning and smart, but unfamiliar with civilisation. He's not so starry eyed and more apprehensive and mistrusting of everything foreign, which is a much more interesting way to portray the character, since that was the whole comment on society Howard was trying to make.

The Schwarz movie has no sociology going on, for sure, but the character isn't stupid. We see his education in the film, and he outwits a horde in one battle by setting up traps, etc. He's a different Conan, yeah, he was raised in a pit as a gladiator, whereas the literary Conan grew up in the plains, fighting battles and whatnot. So he's not going to be as starry-eyed as the Milius version. I'm for both.

 

[regwec]

For me, the original Conan had some real moments of wonder, mostly when everything was silent and we saw this battered but fresh-faced, wonder-eyed hulk traversing through this weird landscape with sexual witches and snake warlords. I love the shot at the end with Conan at the top of the tmple, overlooking everyone. He throws Thulsa Doom's head down, takes his woman, and leaves the place to burn. Fantastic.

Yes, I love both those moments. Without any dialogue, they seem to capture Conan's loneliness in both the "naked land" and among human civilization equally.

I loved the use of narration, as well. While superficially quite cheesy, it does prevent Conan from having to give voice to his own feelings and motivation, which wouldn't be a very Conan-ish thing to do.

 

[Doctor Jones]

I should read these stories. Along with Solomon Kane, which I have been ****ing waiting for ages to come out here in the states. I don't want to resort to youtube, but I may have no other choice.

 

[Shawn Wayne]

Lol I love it when Americans call it a 'Hard R' because an R for you guys is 'MA' for us, which is softer than our R. So a 'Hard R' seems kinda weak lol.

Lets get this bad boy a Hard PG13+ !

I wish you lived closer so we could hang out

 

[Wolvieboy17]

I was saying in one of the other threads how funny it would be to have a huge Hype movie club, and all go and see these movies together.