Hey everyone! I just want to say that when I tried to download the soundtrack for this movie, only TWO of the songs were available in my country which is very sad. Also, unfortunately due to many copyright difficulties a lot of the sound had to be taken out of this video because there is so much amazing music in it TH-cam kept picking it up and taking the video down :(. I hope you all still enjoy my reaction to this really beautiful movie!!
The soundtrack is epic I enjoy listening to it in TH-cam. The movie story and the soundtrack complete each other and elevate each other. That is why it works and that is why the sequals try to reuse this soundtrack and it did not work.
If you can, go on to youtube and see if anyone has uploaded the soundtrack in full. You can download the audio in the video and have it fully downloaded. But this is one of my favourite films, there's so much symbolism. The fight amongst the stones, I've watched that scene alone so many times I've fallen in love with the music, the speech Arnie makes. It's a very underrated movie.
The film was entirely filmed in Spain. Kid Conan and his mother are played by spaniard actors. The soundtrack was made by Basil Poledouris and its one of the best soundtrack ever made for a movie in my opinion. Takes the movie to a new whole level.
@@OblateSpheroid Because she is lol. She was born in Germany. Her father is polish and her mother is russian but she come to Spain when she was 13-14 and she has the nationality. She is now 72 so she has been in Spain almost her entire life so she always refers herself as spaniard.
Here's a bit of trivia- the scene when Conan is being chased by the wild dogs and he has to run up the hill---- in one of the takes the dogs actually caught up to Arnold and started pulling him down by his shirt. Arnold actually fell backwards down the hill and injured himself. He went up to the director and said "Look I'm bleeding real blood!" Director John Milius' response was: "Well don't touch it (his actual blood) it looks great!" Arnold replied, "BUT I'M BLEEDING!"
1982 was a helluva year for movies. Conan, Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan, Tron, E.T., Poltergeist, The Thing, Firefox, Rocky III, The Secret of NIMH, First Blood(Rambo 1), 48 Hrs., Ghandi, The Dark Crystal, Airplane 2, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, etc.
@@MrBottlecapBill today, Hollywood wishes they could produce half that much quality in one year. They are so scared of losing money, all they do is try and figure out how to re-imagine or relaunch old favorites. Its sad.
The "Wheel of Pain" that young Conan has to push was meant to grind wheat grain... But it is a literal representation of the opening line "That which does not kill you makes you stronger." When Conan is first buckled to the wheel, there are several other children pushing it with him, and together it is relatively "easy" for them to push the wheel as a group. But as time passes and each member cannot push anymore (it is assumed they died) it becomes harder for the remaining members to push the wheel, until only one remains... And that was Conan! Every time the wheel became harder to push because it had one less member, his body adapted and he became stronger! Another bit of trivia- the director wanted to have shackles with skeletons left still attached to the wheel when only Conan remained, to represent all the children/teenagers etc that didn't survive the Wheel... but in the end felt that would be a little too much.
It did quite well in the theaters. The two big tragedies are that Basil Poledouris' utter masterpiece of a score creation wasn't recognized AS such, until many years after his death, in 1996. The 2nd tragedy is that the 'King Conan' film that was going to be made a few years back got cancelled, and now will likely never be made, because the creators refused to compromise and rewrite the character for a, 'Modern Audience'.
To answer your question about the spirits animation, no that was not computer effects, it was hand animated. CGI was only just being pioneered at that time, in films like the original “Tron”, but they still looked very computerized and not real, which fit with the electronic world of Tron. The first movie to use computer effects intended as real life objects was The Last Starfighter, in the spaceship scenes (you should watch that movie sometime!) As a sidenote, George Lucas had been investigating the possibly using CGI for the ships in Return of the Jedi, but after seeing a test of an X-Wing he decided it was not ready yet. The Last Starfighter followed soon after.
There is a brilliance in supplementing the limited acting abilities of your lead with shots of him looking off into the middle distance and having an awesome musical score bring in the emotion of a scene. I really LOVE it!!
The thing about Arnold is he's like the wrestler Sting, where they have so much charisma that they can say more with a look than most can in a full paragraph
Credit that to the director, the great John Milius. Not only did he have that vision of how the movie needed to look and sound, he was also aware that at that time Arnold was still not really an actor yet, that with his heavy accent and very little training it was risky as hell to have him as the lead of a major budget film. But he did see right away that Arnold needed to be front and center, that visually he was so impressive. So he made him an action star first, and combinedhim with the look of the film. It was perfect.
@@matthewkirkhart2401 No that was Crom's sword, he sword he had through most of the movie. His father's sword had 2 horse's heads facing each other in a heart design, when he was protecting the princess from Tulsa Doom and his minions, one of the 2 main guy's, the one blinded by Valaria had his father's sword, he broke his father's sword with Crom's sword at the end of the princess fight.
@@Smileybeeblevrox I just reread this, I think you meant to respond to Michael’s original post. I was saying the same thing you are, the broken sword that he killed TD with at the end was his father’s sword that he broke in that final fight.
@@Smileybeeblevrox thats not "Crom's sword", its called "the Atlantean sword", the story his father told him at the start was in reference to this, the Atlanteans were "the giants"
A bit of trivia on that one, John Boorman was at one point going to make Lord of the Rings, although his script would have taken many liberties with the story from the books. However, he brought some of his scene ideas, like the wizard battle, into his next project, Excalibur! So next time you watch Excalibur, just imagine a Lord of the Rings movie done in that style.
@@tolkienismaster Its impressive seeing somebody that young appreciate the subtle genius of Conan, isn't it. Lotta reaction videos are springing up, but movies like this go unnoticed. Hopefully this catches on.
Personally I think this original version is much better than the Mamoa remake. One of the best things is the subtlety. The magic that Thulsa Doom uses is persuasive and insidiou and more intimidating. The story brings the viewer along rather than just giving you exposition and quick we need an action sequence. Great storytelling.
@@TedBrogan Which is the great tragedy of MOST modern films. The writers are terrible at their job and/or they care more about preaching than entertaining.
My dad showed me this movie after he bought an Irish Wolfhound puppy that he named Conan. My lord that dog was huge! I still have the picture of me, dad, younger brother, and Conan is standing on his hind legs and he's taller than all of us! I really love this movie and I'm glad that people are reacting to it.
Basil Poledouris the Composer, was one of the greatest film composers of his genration, by far. Sadly, he passed away in 1996. The soundtrack instantly became one of our favorites in my group of friends during the 1980's (I'm 53). We would play it constantly. Sadly, all we had access to was the crappy cassette version. So I will never forget back in '92, when a bunch of us were at a Music Store (Are you too young to remember those? ^_~ ), I'm browsing when I suddenly hear one of my friends loudly and very publicly, let out a cry of triumph. When I turn to look, he's holding a CD over his head (Like Link holding a TriForce) and it turned out to be a brand-new Varese Sarabande remaster of this soundtrack. We all ran over there & snagged every copy they had. Sadly it took decades for this masterpiece to be recognized AS one, years after Poledouris' death, of course. But isn't that how it often goes with great art? :-(
This movie is an amalgamation of many Conan stories. When Conan gets the sword from the dead Atlantean king, in the story the skeleton animates and Conan has to destroy it. Conan and friends sneaking into the Serpent Tower is very loosely inspired by The Tower of the Elephant. Conan being nailed to a tree and left to die is a small element lifted from a Conan novel. Conan rescuing princesses is a recurrent theme in Conan stories. Valeria was a member of a mercenary brotherhood in the stories, here recast as a thief, although Subotai and Mako's wizard are original. And in the stories, Conan doesn't have any kind of revenge motive. He left home as a young man to make his way in the world, killing and stealing in an endless anti-hero quest for wealth and fame. He's not a good guy. He's not a bad guy. He's just out for Number One.
I believe the script was written by Milius as well as Oliver Stone. Its very odd for me, seeing the film first before diving into the classic Conan stories. Because its such a great Conan story itself.
@@ronweber1402 I found a copy of Conan #100 (The Death of Belit) in a 3-pack of comics in the checkout line at Zayre when I was a kid. I just about shit on myself -- it was already a collector's item. Needless to say, I had to have it. Got a few good Micronauts comics that way too.
I saw this in the theater....it was a forgotten movie that has stood the test of time. A cult classic. The best soundtrack of all time with Tron a close second.
the old wizard/narrator, the actor is Mako. you might actually know his voice if youve ever watched Avatar: Last Airbender series, because he is the voice of Uncle Iroh, it was hid last role before he passed away, and they even dedicated an episode to him. He also voiced Aku in the Samurai Jack cartoon series too.
"What if that sheath is the dogs?" He asks as Conan is legit holding the sword sheathed in the actual dogs' leather and fur and wearing the dogs' fur himself from head to toe. lol.
Filming actually took place in Spain in the regions around Madrid and the province of Almería 👍 Follow up movies to watch after this are Conan the Destroyer and then Red Sonya
This was an awesome reaction! I liked your response to the score, and your depiction of Arnold's acting (the strong silent type) was exactly right. Valeria's reason for going after Conan was that he'd seen her trying to pilfer the "Eye of the Serpent," and instead gave it to her - not because she was hot, but because they wouldn't have gotten in or out of the tower without her. The fact that he recognized her as a fellow warrior and gave her her due - that solidified her attraction to him. P.S. Subscribed!
Funfact: The Conan Universe designed by Robert E. Howard take place in around 10,000 B.C. and is referred to as the Hyborian Age. There are several films playing in this Universe like "Conan the Destroyer", "Kull the Conqueror" and "Red Sonja"
This is a film every father should show their son...Seen this when I was younger, thought it was cool because its Arnold but didn't realize until I got older the Masterpiece that it is.
Music: Basil Poledouris some of his great work (you can listen without the films but if you have seen any of this film and hear the music you can instant recognize them) - The Blue Lagoon 1980 - Flesh + Blood 1985 - Robo Cop 1987 - The Hunt for the Red October 1990 - Starship Troopers 1997 Peter Jackson wanted him to be the composer for his film: The Lord of the Rings but he was already sick at that time (cancer) :(
The amount of times I've watched this and even the lesser the destroyer as a child has ingrained the amazing score/theme into my mind, and still love it : D
Read the books as a teen and Arnold was perfectly cast as Conan. The score is the best soundtrack I have ever heard. Just loved this movie. I read the cast was taught sword-fighting for a year by a master swordsman before filming began.
John Milius, the director, also directed the incredible series ROME, and was the screenplay on 1972 JEREMIAH JOHNSON. 1972. The story of one of the last trappers in the old west. Suffice to say he finds his hallmark weapon on a frozen corpse in the mountains... An absolute classic - contemplation and adrenalin, a man and the open range. Very atmospheric as well.
The main title, "anvil of crom" is so good! If you wanna hear more of the composers work, I suggest watching the movies Robocop and Starship Troopers, two great movies with equally awesome soundtracks!
Fun fact, Sandahl Bergman who played Valeria was offered the role of Red Sonja (which Arnie also appears in). She turned it down because she didn't want to be typecast and accepted the antagonist role of Queen Gedren. Red Sonja is a really campy 80s sword and sorcery movie. Arnie was reportedly annoyed that the studio plastered him all over the marketing for Red Sonja when he only had a supporting role. There is also a kid character who is really annoying, but the battle between Sonja and Gedren at the end wasn't too bad.
Love your reactions, man. You have a very calming presence. I saw that movie as a child, and I can remember the all-consuming feeling of EPICNESS. It had nothing to do with special effects - today's movies are more epic in this regard. It's just that the world and the hero felt bigger than life. I miss that in modern films.
Hey, nice review. The soundtrack is my favorite of any movie. So good. Actress playing Valeria actually had her finger cut off during a scene. They paused filming, got it sewn back on, and finished filming. This was a high fantasy movie and the director wanted a lot more magic but the studio told him no one would want magic. He faught hard to get some magic in. Thulsa Doom was a sorcerer who used hypnosis. He used it on Conans mom when he took her head. He used it upon his followers. Last but most notable, he used it on Conan at the end, but Conans loss of his parents and love allowed him to snap out of it(he saught out the snake emblem, vengeance was his driving force). Hence the look on Conans face when Thulsa spoke and then he took his head. Also, i fail to recall the terminology but there's a term for when you can watch something backwards and almost get the same story. Example, this movie: Riders of Doom - beheaded mom ...ends with Riders of Doom - beheading of a Parental figure ie Thulsa Doom (trying to use hypnosis to insinuate he's he father figure)
Yep, John Milius said that they were suppose to be grinding grain. The Wheel of Pain, as it is called, was actually so well balanced that it was too easy for Arnold to push, so several people had to push in the opposite direction to make it look heavy for Arnold 😎
As someone mentioned the sword he cut in half was his father's sword. Which goes back to The Riddle of Steel. "Steel is weak. What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?"
the wheel at the start is called "The Wheel of Pain" - designed to Build the body while Breaking the mind (also to break grain down); seems like to make strong, obedient slaves, or in Conan's case, an absolute power-house of a warrior
Such a great movie, one of my favorites for sure. Every couple years someone tries making a "Dungeons & Dragons" movie, and they are always horrible. It's like, you don't need to make one, just watch 1982 Conan the Barbarian. Quintessential sword and sorcery!
Great point. This film is high fantasy. Its gritty, dark, beautiful and epic. How often Hollywood tries to recreate these things and fails because the vision was poorly designed. Credit Milius. We need risk takers like him again.
This movie is sooo underrated. If I told you that John Milius and Oliver Stone wrote this movie (as well as another movie, Apocalypse Now!), would that change your mind? The beautiful sweeping vistas, the background element of magic and primitive mystery, the sense of quest and high adventure, the sense of fate playing out or history being made, this was THE goto movie to watch with D&D, back in the day. This is still one of Arnold's best movies, and one of the only ones where I sometimes forget it's Arnold and just see his character. In many ways, for sci-fi/fantasy/RPG nerds of the time, this movie rang many of the same bells as LotR did at the turn of the millenium (especially since the Bakshi version was such a mixed bag).
Oliver Stone wrote an earlier draft. Not sure how much of his version made it into the Milius script. From when I read it, i don't think very much, but that was decades ago. Biggest thing I remember were the orc-like beastmen in the Stone script... which if you pay close attention, it looks like Valeria kills a few of those when they're escaping from the mountain.
If you're envious of Arnold's build, keep in mind that at his peak, training for the Mr. Olympia title, he was working out 6hrs a day, 6 days a WEEK. His *job* was just exercising. Most people also don't realize how HARD you have to work to get to that level of development. I was a huge teenager (6'3", 320lbs, but people were always shocked to hear that, putting me usually at 250lbs.) by 11th grade, and from my late teens until my early 40's kept a consistent 2hrs/day, 5 days/week, workout regimen. It was hard, hard work. However, even an hour a day, 4 days a week of moderate working out, would, I guarantee you, give you a body you would feel no shame about. IF that is a concern of yours.
The sequel, Conan the Destroyer, is pretty funny and worth a watch if you can find it. Red Sonja also has Arnold, though not as Conan. For another great sword and sorcery classic, check out Willow. Written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer.
Yes! So many Star Wars fans don’t know about Willow, and it is a good one. Another one that I am surprised Lucas fans don’t watch is American Grafitti.
I think True Lies is one of his best. Just don't bother watching the other Conan film starring Arnold. Its so bad its not even worth looking up. The 80s were still figuring out how to do sequels.
The cool thing about the tomb that Conan goes into is pretty significant. ancient Indo-European and Iranian cultures would build burial mounds for their warrior elites called a Tumulus. The ancient Greeks, Celtics and italics used to build these types of tombs. Burial mounds have even found all over Germany and Scandinavia. Considering that Conan and the other Hyberian cultures are based on Indo-Europeans, it’s pretty cool they utilize that part their history and culture. Whats cooler that necklace Conan wears is also an Indo-European symbol, the wheel.
This movie introduced the world to the age of Conan, which was epic, and if you were to react to the second movie (most people don't like) , you can see the difference between a good story and a quickly written one...but I like the fact that the first movie introduced you to his first girlfriend, and she is going to be replaced by another, I believe that they were the only two that really meant a lot to Conan...because afterwards we see that he's mainly traveling around and adventuring alone...
I was years later during one of my many re-watches when an older friend told me about the symbolism of the "Crypt" scene where Conan takes the sword. The Past King, bowing to the Future King. (i.e. the skeleton "bowing" to Conan)
Holy cr@p! I stumbled across the teen version of Edward norton/Bruce banner! I will not make you angry sir! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for your review! Gary lopez was the side kick. He was also a surfer champ back in the day 👍.
For Arnold fighting, Conan and Terminator were the beginning of his acting career For female characters in movies, a lot of it WAS T and A. Things have changed over time.
15:30, that street vendor selling them black lotus is the late Ron Cobb doing a Cameo. Ron did the set and production design for this movie, Alien, StarWars, Raiders of the Last Ark, and many more.
James Earl Jones plays Thulsa Doom.. The leader/chief priest and guru of an ancient cult of snake-worshippers. He was a fearsome warrior/a demagogue/a philosopher, and a downright murderous Creature. He dates back past 1000 years. He is also considered Kull of Atlantis's thorn in his side. It is also speculated that Thulsa walked among Atlanteans during the day, and retreated to snake form at night. His eyes and charm are part of his deadly Trance, he puts his prey in. His cult followers/worshippers given him strength, and are also his Food source. I guess you can say, this snake Found away to keep the mice around him :). The other large Snakes like Thulsa of doom, lack the ability to transform to human shape. They are stuck in their natural form. Personally I believe at one point in Thulsa's time, he also could not transform into human. Sense his brothers/and sisters can not transform, Thulsa either learned how or it was a form of evolution for him. Just like in the start of the movie, and somewhat at the end. Thulsa Try's to use his Snake Charm on Conan, and fails. " his mom was not so lucky"
The actual Thulsa Doom in the stories was a skull-faced sorcerer (and probably the template for Skeletor). The character in the movie is more like a hybrid of Thulsa Doom and an actual Conan nemesis, Thoth Amon, the Set-worshipping sorcerer from Stygia.
@@Carandini The Cat and the Skull (1928). Created by, Robert E. Howard show him human with a white skull for a head as his true form. He is more described as a Necromancer. Robert E. Howard makes the claim that his villain can change into anyone or any animal to blend in. Sense books and small comics use magic i would assume it's a form of magic over a physical ability. "movie makes it a ability" During the Kull books he was even as a full skeleton and a few times in the comics even green as a snake and blue. When the Conan series came around he was shape shifting, including as a old man. This would show up more in Savage Sword of Conan (issues #190-193). In the Exile of Atlantis, Dooms followers were walking serpent's with no way to change back into human form. I can see where and why the movies showed their version of doom. They took certain Writer lore's but left out his true form. I'm ok with anyway they show him, as long as it's within the things he has done in the books or comics. Few of the Kull picture illustrations have snakes coming out of his eye sockets. The story i have up top is supported by the writer, but like i said this villain might have the largest evolution in many directions i ever seen in one. That's normal if your making a large book series. I agree with you his true form is a human necromancer with a skull. "but his powers do allow him to change forms, even into a full blown skeleton as he is in a few of the books" "and his powers allow him to change into people to blend in or to cause problems" It would have been cool, if the movie did show his true form, but just like the 1928 Cat and skull.. = it might be rejected by people that do not read the books or comics, could be seen as silly." This is what happen with the writers first draft... This man had a lot of time on his hand, and had a crap ton of story's and long drafts for everything we see his name on now. Hollywood needs to learn from him how to keep a villain alive, so he or she may return in the next movie lol.
I think the love Conan and Valeria had was because they were both warriors, and so they recognized each other's warrior's spirit in a way. Thats what made them fall in love so fast I think.
CRAZY FACT and upon further research to double check what I'm saying, it's EVEN CRAZIER THAN I THOUGHT : one of those magnificent songs is a THOUSAND YEARS OLD. I really enjoy your reactions and love to find out you studied film. I've seen CONAN when I was 10 and to this day, at almost 50, am hooked, and the epic score by master Basil POLEDOURIS is a sizeable part of my shuffle in my phone. For decades, one song was missing : Tower of Set, because Universal had clamis on it. Why ? The instrumental was part of a medieval record by Clemencic Consort. Thanks TH-cam for letting me know that... In the 13th century a Spanish king, Alfonso X de Castilla el Sabio, had his scholars and minstrels compile and write down songs of old, and participated himself, it seems, in arranging them. In the late 20th century a group of scholar medieval musicians in Austria called Clemencic Consort undertook to play and record some of these cantigas. A decade later composer Basil Poledouris included that in his work for Conan, adding female chants on top of the instrumental by Clemencic Consort. I've listend to some other Cantigas De Santa Maria and they're incredible. I've also been graced with seeing medieval songs be played live with hurdy gurdys and that is something you just don't forget. So in the end Tulsa Doom clamors "For a thousand years, I have watched you!" Atop one of the most intricate film sets ever created, in Spain To an actor from Austria With a thousand year old sacred tune... from Spain Brought back to life by followers of the ancient musical ways... in Austria!!! th-cam.com/video/gETv_c9U9zA/w-d-xo.html
The blood effects were done by using blood bags, armor underneath, and sharp blades. Not exactly the safest way to film, but that's how they did it. They used a dead bird for the bird Arnold bit into.
Thorgrim, the big dude with the giant warhammer, is one of Arnold's buddies from his bodybuilding days. He often has small roles in Arnold films. He was the KGB advisor Arnold blew away when he kicked in the door in Predator, he is Killian's bodyguard in The Running Man. He is best known for playing Titus of Gaul, the master gladiator, in Gladiator.
Robert E Howard the writer of the original Conan books used the setting to basically act as both a cool pulp barbarian adventure and voice his opinions on society. He felt civilization was artificial and the true natural state of humanity was barbarism, but both had pros and cons. Conan’s later kingdom was an attempt to reconcile the two and that is why he ruled with much hardship and trouble.
The wheel at the start is called "a wheel of pain", its design is to break the mind and strengthen the body. Spoiler for the answer of the riddle of steel below The answer is "will power", Conan's father was wrong, a sword you can trust yet when he dropped it it couldn't protect him from being killed by dogs, Thulsa was wrong because his followers couldn't prevent Conan killing him, Conan's will power got him what he wanted and achieve great things.
Fun fact the dogs that attacked Conan were not trained. And literally attacked Arnold and fell into that cave so there were real wounds, so the producer asked Arnold if he was okay. And Arnold said "Yes i'm okay" and then he said "well leave the wounds that's good material for the movie. Another fact is that Arnold was not allowed to train for 3 full months because otherwise he was too muscular and the sword would no longer fit over his shoulder.
The Wheel of Pain broke the wills of slaves...& ground grain. Conan refused to be broken! So, he was sold to the gladiatorial school. Where he learned how to fight. Those *wolves* saw a weak human & thought he'd be easy prey. They ended up clothing him with their pelts... The king's skeleton in the tomb sequence was filmed in such a way that it could either be a skeleton obeying physics...or the spirit of the ancient king approving of Conan taking the sword. The sequence was in one of the original novels! In the original story, the dead Atlantean king's skeleton came to life & they fought for possession of the sword. Thulsa Doom is a sorcerer who worships a demon god...in the form of a serpent. Doom can hyptomize people (like Conan's mother); & also turn himself into a giant serpent. He built the myth that he's a thousand years old to terrorize his victims. It's important to remember that magic, monsters & gods are all real in this universe. Crom is kind of misrepresented from how he was depicted in the books: in the books, he's an indifferent god (represented by a boulder) that there's no point in praying to, since he ignores prayers. Other gods may actually work miracles for their peoples. Valeria pledges her life (as a sacrifice) to bring Conan back. The fact that she *does,* in fact, "return from death" to defend her lover demonstrates that the spirits/gods of that place found her worthy, & sent her back to keep her promise! Interesting tidbit: the map of the Hyborean Age created by the original author is literally the European continent! What eventually becomes the Mediterranean Sea is a central valley. Cimmeria, Conan's homeland, is in the region eventually known as Scandinavia. This movie came out while I was in college. I went to see it with my father, who was a fan of the original novels. Back in the dorm (I lived on campus for 3 years), I drove my neighbors nuts by endlessly listening to the soundtrack! It was an important & effective tool in managing the anger issues that were part of my mental illness. It, along with obsessively playing video games in an arcade (student center, the one in a mall, or the one downtown), allowed me to nonviolently vent my anger. It was therapeutic. I wish I still had it!
Fun fact, The wizard is played by Mako. He was in Samurai Jack as the evil Aku and in Avatar the Last Air Bender , he was the voice of uncle Airo (The Dragon From the West)
The books about Conan was an inspiration for Tolkien, and this movie was probably in Peter Jackson's mind when he filmed Lord of the Rings. The author Robert E Howard ended his own life only 30 years old. Another good movie based on another of Howard's characters is Solomon Kane with James Purefoy as Kane.
At 23:41 I died laughing when you said that “this is the type of cult I would join. For the architecture.” Buddy I have seen a lot of reaction videos and channels and personalities over the past year and so far your movie commentary and general personality is easily more entertaining and engaging then 95% of the reactors I have seen. Bravo. This is my first reaction of yours I am watching but I am already a fan man. You keep making them and I’ll keep watching/ “liking” / commenting and sharing them. Shout out from Salem Oregon. Cottage st.
While this is a good movie I noticed you watched the theatrical version. There is a director's cut where they added a short scene before the end battle and an extended ending. Check it out!
That sucks you can't download the soundtrack. I bought the soundtrack on CD many years ago. It is a 3 disc special edition and it is beautiful. I kind of grew up on this movie. It is classic, so glad you enjoyed it.
It is a good thing that Schwarzenegger had almost no dialogue, because at the time he hardly spoke any English, and as you said, talking is not his strongest point as an actor. The film was shot in Spain by the way, and the epic music was composed by Basil Poledouris, a rather famous composer of film music, and one of the best, I think.
The best pulp Swords & Sorcery movie ever. Although I love Jason Momoa and thought he did a good job, the 2011 version of Conan was quite a disappointment (not Jason's fault). But the 1982 Conan movie? Outstanding!
I remember when I first saw this, hope you like it! Fun tidbit, in the snake cult heist scene when subutai fires an arrow next to Arnold's head...that actually happened they shot an arrow right next to him!
I would be surprised anyone would hate on the movie for silliness. Its a fantasy based on a comic book. Disbelief is suspended like any other fantasy. I would say the rushed romance should be viewed from the perspective of people who lived on such a edge of life and death would live hard play hard and love hard. Great reaction all the same 👍👍👍
As for a rushed romance, they rob evil demon-priest as a profession. Not the kind of lifestyle where you play coy for a couple of weeks. Next tower you jump of could be your last, so get your love where you can find it.
You can see some little facility in the distance with smoke coming out of a chimney. I always assumed it was just supposed to represent some mysterious nameless "industry" that used slave labor.
Conan's mother is beheaded, because Doom wants to test this steel weapon for himself & because she dares to threaten him. The music was by the great Basil Polidoris RIP. (who gave us the thundering ROBOCOP theme) who holds his own against- JOHN WILLIAMS, ALLEN SEIVESTRI-back to future, predator etc and of course Jerry Goldsmith- THE OMEN, BASIC INSTINCT Again the production design was by Ron Cobb who worked on ALIEN Sandhal Bergman came from a dancing back ground originally, & had only done a bit part in ALL THAT JAZZ film (a very pondering slow burner) but again like Arnie they wanted her for her VISUAL performance, being a tall dancer, she has great smooth body movement suiting a film like this, plus they wanted a Valkyrie type woman (Norse mythology) & that works to.
It was actually only about 9 pounds, although it was certainly WAY heavier than any real sword that size would have been in reality(by a factor of about 5 times). Other than the massive two handed swords from medieval times.......which might top off around that weight but be tall enough to reach his chest with the tip on the ground. Not even Arny coune swing a 50 pound bar around with enough grace to make it look realistic.
Hey everyone! I just want to say that when I tried to download the soundtrack for this movie, only TWO of the songs were available in my country which is very sad. Also, unfortunately due to many copyright difficulties a lot of the sound had to be taken out of this video because there is so much amazing music in it TH-cam kept picking it up and taking the video down :(. I hope you all still enjoy my reaction to this really beautiful movie!!
Hey, great video 👍😁 You should also watch the dokudrama "Pumping Iron" from 1975 when Arnold won his 6th Mr. Olympia title 💪😁
Really cool that you reacted to this classic 😁
The soundtrack is epic I enjoy listening to it in TH-cam. The movie story and the soundtrack complete each other and elevate each other. That is why it works and that is why the sequals try to reuse this soundtrack and it did not work.
If you can, go on to youtube and see if anyone has uploaded the soundtrack in full. You can download the audio in the video and have it fully downloaded. But this is one of my favourite films, there's so much symbolism. The fight amongst the stones, I've watched that scene alone so many times I've fallen in love with the music, the speech Arnie makes. It's a very underrated movie.
Are you going to check out the sequel, conan the destroyer?
Side note this movie was the reason arnold got his iconic role as the terminator
The film was entirely filmed in Spain. Kid Conan and his mother are played by spaniard actors. The soundtrack was made by Basil Poledouris and its one of the best soundtrack ever made for a movie in my opinion. Takes the movie to a new whole level.
Amazing because his mother looks so much like a Russian woman.
@@OblateSpheroid Because she is lol. She was born in Germany. Her father is polish and her mother is russian but she come to Spain when she was 13-14 and she has the nationality. She is now 72 so she has been in Spain almost her entire life so she always refers herself as spaniard.
Wow... he's been really brain washed... excellent delivery
Here's a bit of trivia- the scene when Conan is being chased by the wild dogs and he has to run up the hill---- in one of the takes the dogs actually caught up to Arnold and started pulling him down by his shirt. Arnold actually fell backwards down the hill and injured himself. He went up to the director and said "Look I'm bleeding real blood!"
Director John Milius' response was: "Well don't touch it (his actual blood) it looks great!"
Arnold replied, "BUT I'M BLEEDING!"
1982 was a helluva year for movies. Conan, Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan, Tron, E.T., Poltergeist, The Thing, Firefox, Rocky III, The Secret of NIMH, First Blood(Rambo 1), 48 Hrs., Ghandi, The Dark Crystal, Airplane 2, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, etc.
They just don't roll out that many hits in a year anymore. If you get one or two worth watching it's a good year by modern standards.
@@MrBottlecapBill today, Hollywood wishes they could produce half that much quality in one year. They are so scared of losing money, all they do is try and figure out how to re-imagine or relaunch old favorites. Its sad.
Wrath of Khan, definitely the best TOS cast movie 😎
Remember the movie " firestarter? That young girl had powers like her dad and got chased around.
You forgot the best movie..... blade runner
The "Wheel of Pain" that young Conan has to push was meant to grind wheat grain... But it is a literal representation of the opening line "That which does not kill you makes you stronger."
When Conan is first buckled to the wheel, there are several other children pushing it with him, and together it is relatively "easy" for them to push the wheel as a group. But as time passes and each member cannot push anymore (it is assumed they died) it becomes harder for the remaining members to push the wheel, until only one remains... And that was Conan! Every time the wheel became harder to push because it had one less member, his body adapted and he became stronger!
Another bit of trivia- the director wanted to have shackles with skeletons left still attached to the wheel when only Conan remained, to represent all the children/teenagers etc that didn't survive the Wheel... but in the end felt that would be a little too much.
this is a criminally underrated movie.
Underrated? It was a huge hit.
It did quite well in the theaters. The two big tragedies are that Basil Poledouris' utter masterpiece of a score creation wasn't recognized AS such, until many years after his death, in 1996.
The 2nd tragedy is that the 'King Conan' film that was going to be made a few years back got cancelled, and now will likely never be made, because the creators refused to compromise and rewrite the character for a, 'Modern Audience'.
It isn't underrated It's super popular so shut it
He's Conan, Cimmerian. He won't watch this reaction, so I watch it for him
To answer your question about the spirits animation, no that was not computer effects, it was hand animated. CGI was only just being pioneered at that time, in films like the original “Tron”, but they still looked very computerized and not real, which fit with the electronic world of Tron. The first movie to use computer effects intended as real life objects was The Last Starfighter, in the spaceship scenes (you should watch that movie sometime!)
As a sidenote, George Lucas had been investigating the possibly using CGI for the ships in Return of the Jedi, but after seeing a test of an X-Wing he decided it was not ready yet. The Last Starfighter followed soon after.
There is a brilliance in supplementing the limited acting abilities of your lead with shots of him looking off into the middle distance and having an awesome musical score bring in the emotion of a scene. I really LOVE it!!
The thing about Arnold is he's like the wrestler Sting, where they have so much charisma that they can say more with a look than most can in a full paragraph
Credit that to the director, the great John Milius. Not only did he have that vision of how the movie needed to look and sound, he was also aware that at that time Arnold was still not really an actor yet, that with his heavy accent and very little training it was risky as hell to have him as the lead of a major budget film. But he did see right away that Arnold needed to be front and center, that visually he was so impressive. So he made him an action star first, and combinedhim with the look of the film. It was perfect.
You didn't notice, the sword he cut in half near the end was his father's sword.
Yes, and the sword he used to kill Thulsa Doom. The very sword T.D. used to cut of his mother's head.
@@matthewkirkhart2401 No that was Crom's sword, he sword he had through most of the movie. His father's sword had 2 horse's heads facing each other in a heart design, when he was protecting the princess from Tulsa Doom and his minions, one of the 2 main guy's, the one blinded by Valaria had his father's sword, he broke his father's sword with Crom's sword at the end of the princess fight.
@@Smileybeeblevrox ah, my bad.
@@Smileybeeblevrox I just reread this, I think you meant to respond to Michael’s original post. I was saying the same thing you are, the broken sword that he killed TD with at the end was his father’s sword that he broke in that final fight.
@@Smileybeeblevrox thats not "Crom's sword", its called "the Atlantean sword", the story his father told him at the start was in reference to this, the Atlanteans were "the giants"
My favorite line in this movie: "He is Conan. Sumarian. He wont cry. So I cry for him."
Such an epic bro!
Cimmerian, but yeah, Subotai is an epic bro.
Every man needs a bro like Subotai!
Isn't it interesting though, that the film opens, telling us that Men & Women CAN'T be trusted... then gives us two incredibly loyal companions.
Let me tell ye of the days of high adventure. - Mako.
No lie...For a long time that was my Windows startup sound...
Men's reaction to this is always the best. It brings about this primordial energy.
Uncle Iroh
Wow! Not too many people would choose this movie to react to. Great job! Keep them coming
I think he his the second to react to Conan the Barbarian. In any case, I am glad he did it! :) I hope he will react to John Boorman's Excalibur also.
A bit of trivia on that one, John Boorman was at one point going to make Lord of the Rings, although his script would have taken many liberties with the story from the books. However, he brought some of his scene ideas, like the wizard battle, into his next project, Excalibur! So next time you watch Excalibur, just imagine a Lord of the Rings movie done in that style.
@@tolkienismaster Its impressive seeing somebody that young appreciate the subtle genius of Conan, isn't it. Lotta reaction videos are springing up, but movies like this go unnoticed. Hopefully this catches on.
Somebody gave him good advice. Conan is a classic, absolutely brilliant fantasy.
yeah, its weird, only him and Shan have reacted to this epic movie.
Personally I think this original version is much better than the Mamoa remake. One of the best things is the subtlety. The magic that Thulsa Doom uses is persuasive and insidiou and more intimidating. The story brings the viewer along rather than just giving you exposition and quick we need an action sequence. Great storytelling.
The Mamoa remake was doomed from the start. Script wasn't even SciFi Channel worthy.
@@TedBrogan Which is the great tragedy of MOST modern films. The writers are terrible at their job and/or they care more about preaching than entertaining.
My dad showed me this movie after he bought an Irish Wolfhound puppy that he named Conan. My lord that dog was huge! I still have the picture of me, dad, younger brother, and Conan is standing on his hind legs and he's taller than all of us! I really love this movie and I'm glad that people are reacting to it.
Basil Poledouris the Composer, was one of the greatest film composers of his genration, by far. Sadly, he passed away in 1996.
The soundtrack instantly became one of our favorites in my group of friends during the 1980's (I'm 53). We would play it constantly. Sadly, all we had access to was the crappy cassette version. So I will never forget back in '92, when a bunch of us were at a Music Store (Are you too young to remember those? ^_~ ), I'm browsing when I suddenly hear one of my friends loudly and very publicly, let out a cry of triumph. When I turn to look, he's holding a CD over his head (Like Link holding a TriForce) and it turned out to be a brand-new Varese Sarabande remaster of this soundtrack. We all ran over there & snagged every copy they had.
Sadly it took decades for this masterpiece to be recognized AS one, years after Poledouris' death, of course. But isn't that how it often goes with great art? :-(
This movie is an amalgamation of many Conan stories. When Conan gets the sword from the dead Atlantean king, in the story the skeleton animates and Conan has to destroy it. Conan and friends sneaking into the Serpent Tower is very loosely inspired by The Tower of the Elephant. Conan being nailed to a tree and left to die is a small element lifted from a Conan novel. Conan rescuing princesses is a recurrent theme in Conan stories. Valeria was a member of a mercenary brotherhood in the stories, here recast as a thief, although Subotai and Mako's wizard are original.
And in the stories, Conan doesn't have any kind of revenge motive. He left home as a young man to make his way in the world, killing and stealing in an endless anti-hero quest for wealth and fame. He's not a good guy. He's not a bad guy. He's just out for Number One.
I believe the script was written by Milius as well as Oliver Stone. Its very odd for me, seeing the film first before diving into the classic Conan stories. Because its such a great Conan story itself.
Docu making of Conan the Barbarian is a gem
And if I'm not mistaken in the books the love of his life was Belit, the Pirate Queen, not Valeria.
@@ronweber1402 I found a copy of Conan #100 (The Death of Belit) in a 3-pack of comics in the checkout line at Zayre when I was a kid. I just about shit on myself -- it was already a collector's item. Needless to say, I had to have it. Got a few good Micronauts comics that way too.
The wheel he pushed crushes grain.
I always thought that. Glad to finally get a confirmation.
That's a hell of a name you got there
It crushed the weak ones only...
The wheel of pain, grinding grain.
I saw this in the theater....it was a forgotten movie that has stood the test of time. A cult classic. The best soundtrack of all time with Tron a close second.
the old wizard/narrator, the actor is Mako. you might actually know his voice if youve ever watched Avatar: Last Airbender series, because he is the voice of Uncle Iroh, it was hid last role before he passed away, and they even dedicated an episode to him. He also voiced Aku in the Samurai Jack cartoon series too.
Yes he is Uncle Iroh!! His story in The Tales of Ba Sing Se episode is probably one of the saddest moments of TV ever for me
"Oh I thought- that looked like a look of you're dead dogs!"
Yes... In the next shot of him walking--- he's "wearing" them!
"What if that sheath is the dogs?" He asks as Conan is legit holding the sword sheathed in the actual dogs' leather and fur and wearing the dogs' fur himself from head to toe. lol.
Filming actually took place in Spain in the regions around Madrid and the province of Almería 👍
Follow up movies to watch after this are Conan the Destroyer and then Red Sonya
The composer you didn't knew befoere is one of the VERY BEST they worked for many Hollywood blockbusters!!! He was a Greek composer, search for him.
This was an awesome reaction! I liked your response to the score, and your depiction of Arnold's acting (the strong silent type) was exactly right. Valeria's reason for going after Conan was that he'd seen her trying to pilfer the "Eye of the Serpent," and instead gave it to her - not because she was hot, but because they wouldn't have gotten in or out of the tower without her. The fact that he recognized her as a fellow warrior and gave her her due - that solidified her attraction to him.
P.S. Subscribed!
36:36
I busted up laughing at this part!
🤣
Brilliant timing!
“Hello, my name is Arnold Schwarzenegger! You killed my father! Prepare to die!”
Funfact: The Conan Universe designed by Robert E. Howard take place in around 10,000 B.C. and is referred to as the Hyborian Age. There are several films playing in this Universe like "Conan the Destroyer", "Kull the Conqueror" and "Red Sonja"
But this is by far the best of all those movies.
yeah, and Kull is like 10000 years before Conan
@@IPfreely333 You're right Kull is pre cataclysmic Atlantis around 100.000 B.C. i just mentiont it because he was created by Robert E. Howard too.
Please dont watch the Destroyer. Its embarrassing to fans of the original film. Its so bad.
I like Conan The Destroyer because of Grace Jones.
This is a film every father should show their son...Seen this when I was younger, thought it was cool because its Arnold but didn't realize until I got older the Masterpiece that it is.
I watched it with my big sister.
@@vanyadolly Great sister you got there!
Music: Basil Poledouris
some of his great work (you can listen without the films but if you have seen any of this film and hear the music you can instant recognize them)
- The Blue Lagoon 1980
- Flesh + Blood 1985
- Robo Cop 1987
- The Hunt for the Red October 1990
- Starship Troopers 1997
Peter Jackson wanted him to be the composer for his film: The Lord of the Rings but he was already sick at that time (cancer) :(
The amount of times I've watched this and even the lesser the destroyer as a child has ingrained the amazing score/theme into my mind, and still love it : D
Same. Grew up with this movie and this music.
@@TedBrogan so good and i guess timeless so far : P
JEJ gives a haunting performance in this. He was born with charisma level 10
The movie was filmed in Spain.
In Jingle All the Way, Arnold punches a reindeer and knocks it out. I think they share a beer later.
Read the books as a teen and Arnold was perfectly cast as Conan. The score is the best soundtrack I have ever heard. Just loved this movie. I read the cast was taught sword-fighting for a year by a master swordsman before filming began.
The movie was filmed in Spain during a turbulent time.....a coup attempt as I recall. Spain has also been used for many spaghetti westerns.
John Milius, the director, also directed the incredible series ROME, and was the screenplay on 1972 JEREMIAH JOHNSON. 1972. The story of one of the last trappers in the old west. Suffice to say he finds his hallmark weapon on a frozen corpse in the mountains...
An absolute classic - contemplation and adrenalin, a man and the open range. Very atmospheric as well.
He also wrote Apocalypse Now.
And let's not forget the Original Red Dawn.
The main title, "anvil of crom" is so good! If you wanna hear more of the composers work, I suggest watching the movies Robocop and Starship Troopers, two great movies with equally awesome soundtracks!
Both of those movies I am watching soon!! Robocop is coming out on Wednesday!
Also Red Dawn - which is also written and directed by John Milius.
Fun fact, Sandahl Bergman who played Valeria was offered the role of Red Sonja (which Arnie also appears in). She turned it down because she didn't want to be typecast and accepted the antagonist role of Queen Gedren. Red Sonja is a really campy 80s sword and sorcery movie. Arnie was reportedly annoyed that the studio plastered him all over the marketing for Red Sonja when he only had a supporting role. There is also a kid character who is really annoying, but the battle between Sonja and Gedren at the end wasn't too bad.
That Child Actor was Ernie Reyes Junior. He was also in The Last Dragon, Teenage Ninja Turtles 2-The Secret of the Ooze, Surf Ninjas, and The Rundown.
"I think when Arnold was made he got the muscles I was suppose to have." LOL
Love your reactions, man. You have a very calming presence. I saw that movie as a child, and I can remember the all-consuming feeling of EPICNESS. It had nothing to do with special effects - today's movies are more epic in this regard. It's just that the world and the hero felt bigger than life. I miss that in modern films.
Before Arnold was the Terminator; he was a very muscular barbarian on steroids.
Hey, nice review. The soundtrack is my favorite of any movie. So good. Actress playing Valeria actually had her finger cut off during a scene. They paused filming, got it sewn back on, and finished filming.
This was a high fantasy movie and the director wanted a lot more magic but the studio told him no one would want magic. He faught hard to get some magic in.
Thulsa Doom was a sorcerer who used hypnosis. He used it on Conans mom when he took her head. He used it upon his followers. Last but most notable, he used it on Conan at the end, but Conans loss of his parents and love allowed him to snap out of it(he saught out the snake emblem, vengeance was his driving force). Hence the look on Conans face when Thulsa spoke and then he took his head.
Also, i fail to recall the terminology but there's a term for when you can watch something backwards and almost get the same story. Example, this movie: Riders of Doom - beheaded mom ...ends with Riders of Doom - beheading of a Parental figure ie Thulsa Doom (trying to use hypnosis to insinuate he's he father figure)
that wheel he's forced to turn during much of his captivity is likely a mill stone, probably for grain
Yep, John Milius said that they were suppose to be grinding grain. The Wheel of Pain, as it is called, was actually so well balanced that it was too easy for Arnold to push, so several people had to push in the opposite direction to make it look heavy for Arnold 😎
They build a full working mill but never shot any interiors.
@@spaceactivistarchive4180 what should they have filmed in the interiors? Him stacking the grain?
As someone mentioned the sword he cut in half was his father's sword. Which goes back to The Riddle of Steel. "Steel is weak. What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?"
the wheel at the start is called "The Wheel of Pain" - designed to Build the body while Breaking the mind (also to break grain down); seems like to make strong, obedient slaves, or in Conan's case, an absolute power-house of a warrior
The wheel was so well balanced it could be pushed with a couple fingers. Crew members had to push the other way to counter Arnold.
I think maybe the fighting pits also helped with the warrior part...
@@TedBrogan i agree. Though Conan's "Wheel Physique" probably helped him get the gladiator-gig
Such a great movie, one of my favorites for sure. Every couple years someone tries making a "Dungeons & Dragons" movie, and they are always horrible. It's like, you don't need to make one, just watch 1982 Conan the Barbarian. Quintessential sword and sorcery!
Great point. This film is high fantasy. Its gritty, dark, beautiful and epic. How often Hollywood tries to recreate these things and fails because the vision was poorly designed. Credit Milius. We need risk takers like him again.
This movie is sooo underrated. If I told you that John Milius and Oliver Stone wrote this movie (as well as another movie, Apocalypse Now!), would that change your mind? The beautiful sweeping vistas, the background element of magic and primitive mystery, the sense of quest and high adventure, the sense of fate playing out or history being made, this was THE goto movie to watch with D&D, back in the day.
This is still one of Arnold's best movies, and one of the only ones where I sometimes forget it's Arnold and just see his character. In many ways, for sci-fi/fantasy/RPG nerds of the time, this movie rang many of the same bells as LotR did at the turn of the millenium (especially since the Bakshi version was such a mixed bag).
Oliver Stone wrote an earlier draft. Not sure how much of his version made it into the Milius script. From when I read it, i don't think very much, but that was decades ago. Biggest thing I remember were the orc-like beastmen in the Stone script... which if you pay close attention, it looks like Valeria kills a few of those when they're escaping from the mountain.
If you're envious of Arnold's build, keep in mind that at his peak, training for the Mr. Olympia title, he was working out 6hrs a day, 6 days a WEEK. His *job* was just exercising. Most people also don't realize how HARD you have to work to get to that level of development. I was a huge teenager (6'3", 320lbs, but people were always shocked to hear that, putting me usually at 250lbs.) by 11th grade, and from my late teens until my early 40's kept a consistent 2hrs/day, 5 days/week, workout regimen. It was hard, hard work.
However, even an hour a day, 4 days a week of moderate working out, would, I guarantee you, give you a body you would feel no shame about. IF that is a concern of yours.
The sequel, Conan the Destroyer, is pretty funny and worth a watch if you can find it. Red Sonja also has Arnold, though not as Conan.
For another great sword and sorcery classic, check out Willow. Written by George Lucas and directed by Ron Howard, starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer.
Yes! So many Star Wars fans don’t know about Willow, and it is a good one. Another one that I am surprised Lucas fans don’t watch is American Grafitti.
Mad Martigan!!!!
Conan the Destroyer is a horrible movie
All you mentioned are very good movies!!
Willow, The Beastmaster, Conan The Destroyer, Red Sonja, Legend, Krull are essential 80's sword and sorcery films.
Another Arnold movie you can react to if you want, either Predators or Kindergarten Cop.
Predator not the plural. That's a different movie in the series, no Arnold. But yes, bot of those are great movies.
I think True Lies is one of his best. Just don't bother watching the other Conan film starring Arnold. Its so bad its not even worth looking up. The 80s were still figuring out how to do sequels.
The cool thing about the tomb that Conan goes into is pretty significant. ancient Indo-European and Iranian cultures would build burial mounds for their warrior elites called a Tumulus.
The ancient Greeks, Celtics and italics used to build these types of tombs. Burial mounds have even found all over Germany and Scandinavia.
Considering that Conan and the other Hyberian cultures are based on Indo-Europeans, it’s pretty cool they utilize that part their history and culture. Whats cooler that necklace Conan wears is also an Indo-European symbol, the wheel.
The composer also wrote the music to Robocop. He died too early and it was a great loss to soundtracks.
Fun Fact : the guy standing on the rock at the opening was Franco Columbo...Arnolds best friend...who died while swimming in Sardinia recently.
This movie introduced the world to the age of Conan, which was epic, and if you were to react to the second movie (most people don't like) , you can see the difference between a good story and a quickly written one...but I like the fact that the first movie introduced you to his first girlfriend, and she is going to be replaced by another, I believe that they were the only two that really meant a lot to Conan...because afterwards we see that he's mainly traveling around and adventuring alone...
I'm going to watch the second movie next week! I'm excited to explore more into this universe
Shout out to brother, liking your honest feedback.
I was years later during one of my many re-watches when an older friend told me about the symbolism of the "Crypt" scene where Conan takes the sword.
The Past King, bowing to the Future King. (i.e. the skeleton "bowing" to Conan)
Holy cr@p! I stumbled across the teen version of Edward norton/Bruce banner! I will not make you angry sir! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for your review! Gary lopez was the side kick. He was also a surfer champ back in the day 👍.
Please react to Zulu (1964) which is one of the best British classics of all time and also based on a true story
ooooo I will add it to my movie watching list for this channel then!
For Arnold fighting, Conan and Terminator were the beginning of his acting career
For female characters in movies, a lot of it WAS T and A. Things have changed over time.
Well, as much as the love scene was done tastefully and with strong meaning, Valaria's character was one of the best in the movie, I felt.
Im glad you noticed that this red haired man is actually child who chained him to Wheel of Pain. Great attention to detail!
15:30, that street vendor selling them black lotus is the late Ron Cobb doing a Cameo. Ron did the set and production design for this movie, Alien, StarWars, Raiders of the Last Ark, and many more.
James Earl Jones plays Thulsa Doom.. The leader/chief priest and guru of an ancient cult of snake-worshippers. He was a fearsome warrior/a demagogue/a philosopher, and a downright murderous Creature. He dates back past 1000 years. He is also considered Kull of Atlantis's thorn in his side. It is also speculated that Thulsa walked among Atlanteans during the day, and retreated to snake form at night. His eyes and charm are part of his deadly Trance, he puts his prey in. His cult followers/worshippers given him strength, and are also his Food source. I guess you can say, this snake Found away to keep the mice around him :). The other large Snakes like Thulsa of doom, lack the ability to transform to human shape. They are stuck in their natural form. Personally I believe at one point in Thulsa's time, he also could not transform into human. Sense his brothers/and sisters can not transform, Thulsa either learned how or it was a form of evolution for him. Just like in the start of the movie, and somewhat at the end. Thulsa Try's to use his Snake Charm on Conan, and fails. " his mom was not so lucky"
The actual Thulsa Doom in the stories was a skull-faced sorcerer (and probably the template for Skeletor). The character in the movie is more like a hybrid of Thulsa Doom and an actual Conan nemesis, Thoth Amon, the Set-worshipping sorcerer from Stygia.
@@Carandini The Cat and the Skull (1928). Created by, Robert E. Howard show him human with a white skull for a head as his true form. He is more described as a Necromancer. Robert E. Howard makes the claim that his villain can change into anyone or any animal to blend in. Sense books and small comics use magic i would assume it's a form of magic over a physical ability. "movie makes it a ability"
During the Kull books he was even as a full skeleton and a few times in the comics even green as a snake and blue. When the Conan series came around he was shape shifting, including as a old man. This would show up more in Savage Sword of Conan (issues #190-193). In the Exile of Atlantis, Dooms followers were walking serpent's with no way to change back into human form. I can see where and why the movies showed their version of doom. They took certain Writer lore's but left out his true form. I'm ok with anyway they show him, as long as it's within the things he has done in the books or comics. Few of the Kull picture illustrations have snakes coming out of his eye sockets. The story i have up top is supported by the writer, but like i said this villain might have the largest evolution in many directions i ever seen in one. That's normal if your making a large book series. I agree with you his true form is a human necromancer with a skull. "but his powers do allow him to change forms, even into a full blown skeleton as he is in a few of the books" "and his powers allow him to change into people to blend in or to cause problems" It would have been cool, if the movie did show his true form, but just like the 1928 Cat and skull.. = it might be rejected by people that do not read the books or comics, could be seen as silly." This is what happen with the writers first draft... This man had a lot of time on his hand, and had a crap ton of story's and long drafts for everything we see his name on now. Hollywood needs to learn from him how to keep a villain alive, so he or she may return in the next movie lol.
I think the love Conan and Valeria had was because they were both warriors, and so they recognized each other's warrior's spirit in a way. Thats what made them fall in love so fast I think.
Since you love this movie you would definitely love The beastmaster from the year 1982
The movie was filmed in Spain. Not far away from where I live. The rocky formations where the woman witch had her hut are located in Cuenca.
Wow it was so beautiful now its on my bucket list of destinations to go too
@@RolyPolyOllieReactions The place is called La Ciudad Encantada "the enchanted city".
CRAZY FACT and upon further research to double check what I'm saying, it's EVEN CRAZIER THAN I THOUGHT : one of those magnificent songs is a THOUSAND YEARS OLD. I really enjoy your reactions and love to find out you studied film.
I've seen CONAN when I was 10 and to this day, at almost 50, am hooked, and the epic score by master Basil POLEDOURIS is a sizeable part of my shuffle in my phone.
For decades, one song was missing : Tower of Set, because Universal had clamis on it.
Why ? The instrumental was part of a medieval record by Clemencic Consort. Thanks TH-cam for letting me know that...
In the 13th century a Spanish king, Alfonso X de Castilla el Sabio, had his scholars and minstrels compile and write down songs of old, and participated himself, it seems, in arranging them.
In the late 20th century a group of scholar medieval musicians in Austria called Clemencic Consort undertook to play and record some of these cantigas. A decade later composer Basil Poledouris included that in his work for Conan, adding female chants on top of the instrumental by Clemencic Consort. I've listend to some other Cantigas De Santa Maria and they're incredible. I've also been graced with seeing medieval songs be played live with hurdy gurdys and that is something you just don't forget.
So in the end Tulsa Doom clamors "For a thousand years, I have watched you!"
Atop one of the most intricate film sets ever created, in Spain
To an actor from Austria
With a thousand year old sacred tune... from Spain
Brought back to life by followers of the ancient musical ways... in Austria!!!
th-cam.com/video/gETv_c9U9zA/w-d-xo.html
The blood effects were done by using blood bags, armor underneath, and sharp blades. Not exactly the safest way to film, but that's how they did it. They used a dead bird for the bird Arnold bit into.
Thorgrim, the big dude with the giant warhammer, is one of Arnold's buddies from his bodybuilding days. He often has small roles in Arnold films. He was the KGB advisor Arnold blew away when he kicked in the door in Predator, he is Killian's bodyguard in The Running Man. He is best known for playing Titus of Gaul, the master gladiator, in Gladiator.
Sven Ole Thorsen-He was also a Castmember of the Science Fiction Kid's Show-Captain Power & The Soldiers of the Future.
Sandahl Bergman, who also starred in Red Sonya and was one of the Muses in Xanadu with Olivia Newton-John, is 6' 1" and will turn 71 in November
She was also in the Movie All That Jazz.
dont forget to alsu make a reaction to Red Sonja. its with Arnold tooand plays in the Hyborea universe..
Robert E Howard the writer of the original Conan books used the setting to basically act as both a cool pulp barbarian adventure and voice his opinions on society. He felt civilization was artificial and the true natural state of humanity was barbarism, but both had pros and cons. Conan’s later kingdom was an attempt to reconcile the two and that is why he ruled with much hardship and trouble.
The wheel at the start is called "a wheel of pain", its design is to break the mind and strengthen the body.
Spoiler for the answer of the riddle of steel below
The answer is "will power", Conan's father was wrong, a sword you can trust yet when he dropped it it couldn't protect him from being killed by dogs, Thulsa was wrong because his followers couldn't prevent Conan killing him, Conan's will power got him what he wanted and achieve great things.
The wheel was a mill. You could see the grind stones in the middle in a bowl
He's name is SUBADAIiiii
Nice to see appreciation for Poledouris, one of the great film composers.
One of my favorite movies... Great reaction. Thank you. 😊
greatest sword and sorcery movie ever made, hands down
Fun fact the dogs that attacked Conan were not trained. And literally attacked Arnold and fell into that cave so there were real wounds, so the producer asked Arnold if he was okay. And Arnold said "Yes i'm okay" and then he said "well leave the wounds that's good material for the movie.
Another fact is that Arnold was not allowed to train for 3 full months because otherwise he was too muscular and the sword would no longer fit over his shoulder.
The Wheel of Pain broke the wills of slaves...& ground grain. Conan refused to be broken! So, he was sold to the gladiatorial school. Where he learned how to fight.
Those *wolves* saw a weak human & thought he'd be easy prey. They ended up clothing him with their pelts...
The king's skeleton in the tomb sequence was filmed in such a way that it could either be a skeleton obeying physics...or the spirit of the ancient king approving of Conan taking the sword. The sequence was in one of the original novels! In the original story, the dead Atlantean king's skeleton came to life & they fought for possession of the sword.
Thulsa Doom is a sorcerer who worships a demon god...in the form of a serpent. Doom can hyptomize people (like Conan's mother); & also turn himself into a giant serpent. He built the myth that he's a thousand years old to terrorize his victims.
It's important to remember that magic, monsters & gods are all real in this universe. Crom is kind of misrepresented from how he was depicted in the books: in the books, he's an indifferent god (represented by a boulder) that there's no point in praying to, since he ignores prayers. Other gods may actually work miracles for their peoples.
Valeria pledges her life (as a sacrifice) to bring Conan back. The fact that she *does,* in fact, "return from death" to defend her lover demonstrates that the spirits/gods of that place found her worthy, & sent her back to keep her promise!
Interesting tidbit: the map of the Hyborean Age created by the original author is literally the European continent! What eventually becomes the Mediterranean Sea is a central valley. Cimmeria, Conan's homeland, is in the region eventually known as Scandinavia.
This movie came out while I was in college. I went to see it with my father, who was a fan of the original novels. Back in the dorm (I lived on campus for 3 years), I drove my neighbors nuts by endlessly listening to the soundtrack! It was an important & effective tool in managing the anger issues that were part of my mental illness. It, along with obsessively playing video games in an arcade (student center, the one in a mall, or the one downtown), allowed me to nonviolently vent my anger. It was therapeutic.
I wish I still had it!
Fun fact, The wizard is played by Mako. He was in Samurai Jack as the evil Aku and in Avatar the Last Air Bender , he was the voice of uncle Airo (The Dragon From the West)
HE WAS UNCLE IROH whattttt
If u enjoyed this there is the other Conan (the destroyer) and there's Red Sonja
Both of them are rather crappy! No comparison to this one.
Not as good, but fun. And good music too.
DON'T WATCH the Destroyer. Its so terrible. Its not even funny bad.
The books about Conan was an inspiration for Tolkien, and this movie was probably in Peter Jackson's mind when he filmed Lord of the Rings.
The author Robert E Howard ended his own life only 30 years old.
Another good movie based on another of Howard's characters is Solomon Kane with James Purefoy as Kane.
yes...greatest soundtrack of all time. Have seen 10 000 movies.
At 23:41 I died laughing when you said that “this is the type of cult I would join. For the architecture.”
Buddy I have seen a lot of reaction videos and channels and personalities over the past year and so far your movie commentary and general personality is easily more entertaining and engaging then 95% of the reactors I have seen.
Bravo.
This is my first reaction of yours I am watching but I am already a fan man.
You keep making them and I’ll keep watching/ “liking” / commenting and sharing them.
Shout out from Salem Oregon. Cottage st.
Thank you!! I really appreciate it! :)
While this is a good movie I noticed you watched the theatrical version. There is a director's cut where they added a short scene before the end battle and an extended ending. Check it out!
That sucks you can't download the soundtrack. I bought the soundtrack on CD many years ago. It is a 3 disc special edition and it is beautiful. I kind of grew up on this movie. It is classic, so glad you enjoyed it.
I think the wheel is for milling wheat. The ghost effects were drawn onto the film, yeah. You can see another example of this in The Forbidden Planet.
Personally I think that Arnold looks at his best in this movie especially when he is camouflaged in black paint... Legend!!!
You're right about PETA not liking this one. That's why they filmed it in Spain. They STILL got in trouble!
It is a good thing that Schwarzenegger had almost no dialogue, because at the time he hardly spoke any English, and as you said, talking is not his strongest point as an actor. The film was shot in Spain by the way, and the epic music was composed by Basil Poledouris, a rather famous composer of film music, and one of the best, I think.
This is, far and away, the best Conan film, but I'll be honest, I really liked the 2011 one too. Everyone hates on it but it was definitely not bad.
The 2011 film start and finale was SO STUPID.
It had one of the worst scripts in Hollywood to ever be greenlit. Mamoa should have bolted early on.
The best pulp Swords & Sorcery movie ever. Although I love Jason Momoa and thought he did a good job, the 2011 version of Conan was quite a disappointment (not Jason's fault). But the 1982 Conan movie? Outstanding!
"Ah! It's people soup!" Great
I remember when I first saw this, hope you like it! Fun tidbit, in the snake cult heist scene when subutai fires an arrow next to Arnold's head...that actually happened they shot an arrow right next to him!
I would be surprised anyone would hate on the movie for silliness. Its a fantasy based on a comic book. Disbelief is suspended like any other fantasy. I would say the rushed romance should be viewed from the perspective of people who lived on such a edge of life and death would live hard play hard and love hard. Great reaction all the same 👍👍👍
As for a rushed romance, they rob evil demon-priest as a profession. Not the kind of lifestyle where you play coy for a couple of weeks. Next tower you jump of could be your last, so get your love where you can find it.
The wheel is simply a slave powered grain mill. Conan's been grinding grain for Thulsa Doom most his life in this movie.
You can see some little facility in the distance with smoke coming out of a chimney. I always assumed it was just supposed to represent some mysterious nameless "industry" that used slave labor.
Conan's mother is beheaded, because Doom wants to test this steel weapon for himself & because she dares to threaten him.
The music was by the great Basil Polidoris RIP.
(who gave us the thundering ROBOCOP theme) who holds his own against- JOHN WILLIAMS, ALLEN SEIVESTRI-back to future, predator etc and of course Jerry Goldsmith- THE OMEN, BASIC INSTINCT
Again the production design was by Ron Cobb who worked on ALIEN
Sandhal Bergman came from a dancing back ground originally, & had only done a bit part in ALL THAT JAZZ film (a very pondering slow burner) but again like Arnie they wanted her for her VISUAL performance, being a tall dancer, she has great smooth body movement suiting a film like this, plus they wanted a Valkyrie type woman (Norse mythology) & that works to.
This guy reminds me of Gabe from the Office.
I don't mean this to be rude, I am a subscriber and I really enjoy your videos.
haha I get that a lot. Maybe I am.....
Back in 2000, they did a top 100 movie scores. This was #5, if I recall correctly... or #7... it was in the top 10, I do remember that correctly.
The sword he used weighed fifty pounds so his muscles would really pop when he used it
It was actually only about 9 pounds, although it was certainly WAY heavier than any real sword that size would have been in reality(by a factor of about 5 times). Other than the massive two handed swords from medieval times.......which might top off around that weight but be tall enough to reach his chest with the tip on the ground. Not even Arny coune swing a 50 pound bar around with enough grace to make it look realistic.
@@MrBottlecapBill Ya, arming swords or the slightly bigger bastard (hand and a half) swords are usually between about 2.5-3.5 lbs.
@@MrBottlecapBill I met Jody Samson before he passed and he said the Atlantean sword was 12.5 lbs.