The Ultimate Conan The Barbarian Retrospective
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- In January of 2019, Conan the Barbarian returned to Marvel Comics. This is a homecoming of some significance, because while Conan didn’t originate with and even predates Marvel Comics, it was arguably that initial Conan comicbook run from Marvel that more than anything else, paved the way for the 1982 feature film «Conan the Barbarian» by John Milius starring Arnold Schwarzenegger - and thereby the characters mainstream success.
In this retrospective, @AndreEinherjar will explore Conan’s literary origins in the writings of Robert E. Howard, and how Conan came to Marvel in the first place. Then, the production and the philosophy of the Conan feature film will be explored, and the definitive answer to The Riddle of Steel will be provided. Unlike most other Conan retrospectives out there, this one will also detail the differences between the Schwarzenegger Conan and the literary Conan, and why the movie, for all its standalone strengths and virtues, remains controversial with fans of the literary and comicbook versions of Conan.
In the upcoming part II of this Retrospective, the sequels, the attempted sequels and other spinoffs will also be explored.
Current status of the King Conan movie:
• Arnold Schwarzenegger ...
Current status of the He-Man movie:
• Masters of the Univers...
Learn more about Robert E. Howard and his works at
www.rehfoundation.org/
Mark Finn’s definite Robert E. Howard biography:
www.amazon.com/Blood-Thunder-...
Credits:
Narration and script by Andre Einherjar
Editing, animation and voiceover by Tom Connors
Midnight’s Edge would like to extend a Special Thanks to the following for their assistance with research and other resources:
Roy “The Man” Thomas
John "THE MEGO STRETCH HULK" Cimino
Christian Baenen & KiramidHead
Edgard Rupel, from the Fórum “Conan o Bárbaro”
Music:
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...
Roy Thomas image credit to Luigi Novi and Wikimedia Commons
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
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Ah! Finally, someone that really gets it! [ 34:51 ] Here lies the Truth! This is truly the Ultimate Conan Retrospective, and the only analysis I've seen on TH-cam that really got it right. Thorough research, great editing and impeccable understanding of the true message and nature of Conan the Barbarian, so tragically blurred and systematically misrepresented and misunderstood.
It is a pity to see that mass media, movies, video games, comics, etc have debased and prostituted the great story of Conan in such a reductionist way. Most understand him as a simpleminded, sociopathic, bloodthirsty retard, no more, like those contemporary action heroes in stupid shooting films. In truth, Conan is The Noble Savage [ 36:13 ], and there's so much more to his personality and identity.
I will continue sharing this video, the only one true to the spirit of Conan. Thank you for the heroic work of putting this video together.
I think true fans of Conan have always expressed this sentiment. Conan the Barbarian is a very good film that should have been called something else.
I look at the film as a retelling of the story. I enjoy conan in all media.
nothing beats Robert E Howard's Conan or his other characters they r the best. Robert E Howard's writing is amazing no other writer creates an epic story with depth n heart in only 30 pages
Precisely !!!!! You are absolutely right anonimoalfin
@@jonarvaez8232 I enjoy Conan in all media as well, when done right. The Arnold film is actually quite good! But it does also slightly perpetuate a more brutish and dumb Conan. That's a little harsh, because it's the closest to being true Conan that any film has gotten. Since then it's only gone straight off a cliff. But some comics and games have done justice!
I consider the 1982 Conan movie as the world's longest music video. Basil Poledouris' soundtrack was simply amazing.
Y’all forgetting the og 2001: A Space Odyssey
It's a total rip off of Jupiter the Bringer of Jollity by Gustav Holst, seriously, listen to it, the first time I heard it on a classical station I thought the DJ was going to say it was from Conan, that's when I learned about Holst and his song Jupiter.
@GunslingerXXI
Go 1:38 into Jupiter and tell me you can't hear the theme music from Conan, if you can't then you need to turn your hearing aid up or something, I know the movie Conan very well, aside from being a fan on it since it came out I've owned it on just about every media it's ever been on, the first time I heard Jupiter on a classical station I expected when it was over for the DJ to say it was from the soundtrack from Conan, much of the song almost sounds like it's note for note at certain points.
Poledouris said on an extra feature on one of the DVD's that he was stuck while trying to write the soundtrack and his daughter who was in college and studying classical music at the time helped him with it, well I can see where she drew her inspiration from, I'll bet she was at the point in her studies where she was exposed to Jupiter, I've played it for several people I know that are fans of the movie and they agreed 100% with what I said.
@GunslingerXXI
Go to 6:20 in Jupiter also, it's almost note for note.
@GunslingerXXI
Ok, yea you're right, not even close👍👍👍, sure thing.
The soundtrack by Basil Poledouris is just gold.
he is also responsible for the great Starship Troopers soundtrack !
Lets not forget Robocop & The Hunt For Red October.
@@jwnj9716 Let's just agree that Poledouris was the King Midas of epic soundtracks (and would have been unemployed in these sad days and times...)
th-cam.com/video/EAFtiUoq6TE/w-d-xo.html The crescendo of "Riders of Doom" is epic beyond... all! I'm in tears as I write this, it's just too good!
Sadly Basil is no longer with us. He was a great musical talent. I really enjoyed his scores.
"Mr. Johnson, what is best in life?"
"Subverting expectations, ruining franchises and hearing the lamentation of their fans."
While having a perfectly round head.
Well Knives Out was pretty good, and I despise Disney, so I suppose any wrongdoings he is guilty of are forgiven. Disney ruined their own franchise by not planning it out and not overseeing Johnson's writing and directing. The man wanted to try something different, something that really wasn't for a multi billion dollars franchise, and they should have realized that this wasn't the best for everyone involved.
lol made my day... for a sec i swear you were speaking of D&D from Game of Thrones, but i guess this is the tendency for everything nowadays, look at FFVII remake and... well, everything else
TLJ was a good film. TROS is the worst thing to happen to the franchise since the prequels.
@@elijahdavila3684 The Last Jedi was a horrible film because simply it isn't Star Wars! Knives out was a very good film because it didn't have the weight of an established franchise with a certain sense of direction. Star Wars and Rian Johnson was a marriage made in Hell! Thank god Star Wars is in the hands of Filoni and Favreau who have worked with George and understand the Franchise!
The answer to the Riddle of Steel is in Thulsa Doom's answer. Thulsa Doom was correct. He did not say flesh was the answer... he only said that flesh was stronger than steel. Thulsa said to Conan...
"Steel isn't strong boy, flesh is stronger! Look around you. There, on the rocks; that beautiful girl... Come to me my child."... [the girl jumps to her death]... & Thulsa continues... "THAT is strength boy! THAT is power! The strength & power of flesh. What is steel compared to the hand that wields it? Look at the strength in your body, the desire in your heart, I gave you this!"
Thulsa demonstrated to Conan that one's (Will) is the answer... that (Will) is the power that makes flesh stronger than steel... that (Will) gives flesh the power to wield the steel.
It was Thulsa's (Will) that the girl jump to her death, & it was her (Will) that gave his command that power.
Thulsa Doom used his (Will) to inspire the (Will) of others to follow him & carry out his power.
Thulsa Doom gave Conan the (Will) to persevere & become strong. He gave Conan the (Will) to seek out revenge.
So it was Conan's (Will) that made his flesh, that wields the steel... strong.
At that point... Conan realized his father was wrong... & in his final confrontation with Thulsa Doom, Thusla tried to use his (Will) to subvert Conan's when he referred to him as his son...
"My child, you have come to me my son. For who now is your father if it is not me? I am the well spring, from which you flow. When I am gone, you will have never been. What would your world be, without me? My son."
Hearing this, Conan paused realizing everything he became, was because of Thulsa Doom. His (Will) to become strong, his (Will) to seek revenge, & his (Will) to wield the steel... all came from Thulsa Doom.
But Conan then remembered what his father told him... "Nothing in this world can you trust... not men, not women, not beasts..."... & Conan realized, Thulsa was trying to use his (Will) to carry out his own.
So Conan killed Thulsa Doom, because his (Will) belonged to him. His (Will) was his, & his alone... & Conan refused to relinquish his (Will) to another, unless it was his choosing.
This is what Conan contemplated at Doom's Mountain. That one's own (Will) is the answer to the Riddle of Steel... but one must claim it for themselves.
I appreciate you taking the time to write this....and I agree with your interpretation.
I always wondered about the riddle too. You sure explained it well. I always thought the riddle involved a process a human goes through to be refined much like the process the steel in the sword goes through. The steel starts out unrefined, goes through a grueling process (that which does not kill us) of being highly heated, beaten(forged) and then tempered with cold water (harsh conditions) which makes the steel tougher. It is then honed (the extremely hard life Conan lives)(makes us stronger) and in the end, it becomes a very sharp and finished blade analogous to the finale of Conan's life as he achieves a Kingdom of his Own.
then Conan chopped his head off. Thulsa was bullshitting. That was his real power. That is every real cult leaders power. Conan was infinitely jaded and didnt fall for the bullshit. So he chopped his head off
Wow. Awesome.
While I agree that Thulsa Doom's answer was correct (assuming that 'will' is the one correct answer) it was actually the girl's *lack* of will that made her submit to Doom's will and leaping to her death.
NB. Nietzsche's words, "That which does not kill us only makes us stronger" are BS.
I’m from Abilene Texas, just west of Cross Plains. Robert E. Howard’s old house in Cross Plains is still there. They actually have a festival in May to celebrate him.
Awesome!
I always enjoyed Conan sitting there pondering. He's been through a lot. He's allowed a few minutes of thinking.
Robert E. howard was also BFs with H.P lovecraft who also provided some elements to the conan universe
Rodrigo Lopez not sure BF was the best way to describe their relationship, they where more pen pals than anything else. But yeah they respected each other a lot and sort off cooperated
I wonder; was Robert E. Howard ever friends with Edgar Rice Burroughs, famous author who wrote the John Carter series and, perhaps his most famous works, Tarzan. I feel like both writers have similar backstories and similar ideas for their stories.
2 years later, and we're still waiting for the documentaries on Red Sonja and the failed third Conan film attempts.
This is honestly some of the best documentary work I've seen.
Won't be long now, and worth the wait;p
" The Tree of Woe " play set.... It would have been awesome, exactly what every 6-14 year old boy need's.
The reason the movie is so great is everything else besides Conan. His sidekicks are awesome and interesting. The music is awesome. The way the swords look realistic and functional is awesome. The fact that they didn't water down the R rated stuff is awesome.
This is better than an actual documentary... your videos are awesome man ^^
Literally and figuratively.
TV is dead.
So glad you pointed out the link between Skeletor and Howard original version of Thulsa Doom. It's plain to see Mattel cadge so many motifs and elements from the Conan Legendarium, even the Snake Men.
Agreed! Even in the good MOTU documentaries that mention the Conan controversy, I don't recall any of them ever mentioning how Thulsa Doom is supposed to be skull-faced and was originally intended to be so for the Conan film.
Growing up, I was and still am a huge fan of the Conan the Barbarian comics. They were one of a few comics that I read religiously. I loved the Conan character because of his nobility, strength, wisdom, and fighting prowess. Unlike most heroes in comics, Conan wasn't superpowered and had to rely on his own wits, strength and fighting prowess to survive in a harsh and savage world. As always, a great analysis and background on the character by Andre!
Your love of Conan shows here with this excellent, lengthy and very well researched retrospective. Hail André!
Please help share this video! Due to the lengthy runtime, it won't be suggested by YT to hardly anyone.
Fantastic job, I love this video. Also I am pleasantly surprised at how good the Savage Sword, and Conan the Barbarian's new run by Marvel is. Even with Jason Aaron as one of the writers, they are doing a decent job.
I was under the impression that TH-cam liked long videos. More room for ads. But this is indeed a very well-produced episode, Andre.
I really hope Hollywood puts the right people in charge next time and lets someone with real passion (and a solid track record as more than a dreamer) make the definitive Conan, a debut for the Hyborian Cinematic Universe. And I hope they keep it separate from the other Marvel stuff. It's gotta be R-rated. And not even Deadpool R-rated. Extra-rare-steak bloody R-rated. Embrace Frazetta and Vallejo and all the dramatic flesh, blood, and horror that fearless pulp can muster. He-Man will work out sooner or later, and it'll corner the kid-friendly "space barbarian" market. I hope they make something the 70s (and not just 70s retro enthusiasts) would be proud of. It doesn't have to be sleazy, just proud and unapologetic.
Game of Thrones paved the way (and left a lot of room for improvement...).
I wonder if Marvel have plans to do the Hour of the Dragon as a movie,if they haven't already. I'd see that in a heartbeat.
Fear no more, Andre! I'm Sharing it now with a group on Facebook of which I'm a member: Robert E. Howard:The Father of Sword and Sorcery.
A fantastic essay! Very well thought out scripted edited and executed! Most sincere congratulations and compliments to all involved. I do have a couple of small nit picks to make, absolutely no disrespect to the effort put forth here. It's entirely possible I'm wrong, but I do believe the Red "Sonja" we know and love from the comics was actually a reimagining by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor Smith of Robert E Howard's original character Red "Sonya" who was a pistol packin Cutlass brandishing redhead that lived roughly 10,000 years after Conan. And I'm well aware you said nothing to contradict that, however given how tirelessly researched and competently produced this essay was I was genuinely surprised that didn't get mentioned( you did actually show pictures of the Red Sonja that's related to the comic book). To be fair though the emphasis was on Conan. Last nitpick is with your assertion that when Schwarzenegger's Conan was sitting on the steps of the snake cult Temple after he had beheaded Thulsa Doom his thoughts we're on the answer to the "Riddle of Steel". A very interesting observation and the first time I've ever heard that. I myself couldn't help but imagine that his thoughts were more likely reflecting upon the notion that after being successful in a nearly 20 year-long Quest it never occurred to him what he would do immediately after he was successful. I think he earned a little me time, a little head pitching and burn the temple time for himself! I suppose however it could also be possible that he was thinking something along the lines of, "Well what do you know, I've crushed my enemies, seen them driven before me, and not a single woman stuck around to let me hear her Lamentations!" "Well F-this noise! I'm burning this snake house to the ground and then it's time to hit the Ale House with my Archer buddy and The Wizard!" LOL, don't pay too much attention to me, as Homer Simpson once said I have a history of missing the point of this sort of thing. Once again fantastic job you guys knocked it right out of the park!!! Cheers!
I've always wondered why Conan the barbarian never really got the credit it deserves..the music is simply stunning, the cast is just about perfect, the stories philosophy is deeper than nearly any other film, the atmosphere and setting is so convincing,, the special effects for the time are better than any cgi crap today..
All in all its a wonderful movie that arnie and the rest of the cast and crew should be proud of....
Movie that was a milestone in my life, having watched it when I was a very young teen. It inspired my whole life. Not to count on anything else than your will. As we are men, not giants, nor gods.
Just men.
I never got the impression that Conans father told him the riddle, just that the riddle existed, that he should learn its discipline and gave him some good fatherly advice.
That being said, this presentation is awesome.
I love Howard's Conan. Lots of philosophy in those too. My favourite is tower of the elephant, and queen of the black coast. Some of that was in the movie too.
I never really knew much about Conan outside of the 1982 film. It sounds like a really interesting concept and I might start reading the books now!
You are in for a treat if you do.
The books are fantastic, even the later rip off ones. Read them all.
Do yourself a favor and read them
I read them when I was small boy, and I still read them every few years. They are just that good.
A year later I wonder if you have read some now and what you taught of them
The Conan universe is one of few remaining that I still like to invest a great deal of time for. Dark Sword and Sorcery is rarely ever told in a better way and, while anything for it is hit and miss, we still occassionally get gems like the more recent Conan Exiles that is faithful to the world. I didn't even mind Momoa's film despite its issues. He was more true to Conan's character than Arnie was even though Arnie's original film will forever remain superior for the reasons you mentioned.
'Sword and sorcery' stories are generally really boring, they have a very limited 'lore' to draw from.
Yeah I think Momoa was an excellent choice. It would be great to see him get another shot at it in a quality movie. Too bad the planned TV series got axed (supposedly by SJW producers that think it's "problematic").
@@Imsuper656 If that's the case I hope that one day someone picks up my world. It's very much sword and sorcery but I've been writing extensive lore for it over the past10 years and more. I hate doing things half-arsed.
@@whatisbestinlife8112 Agreed. But then when I see where the world's at right now I'm not too upset. Conan might simply be too mature for anyone in Hollywood to pick up (since they're so friggin' childish these days), so I'll leave it to adult minds in the games industry to fill in the blanks.
Love or hate them, Funcom has been pretty faithful to the universe because I remember how awesome Age of Conan was when it first arrived and even now it still sounds and looks great. Gameplay is dated when it comes to spawn rates but they nailed the atmosphere near perfectly.
But yeah, here's hoping Momoa gets another shot with a better story.
@@whatisbestinlife8112 SJW should be banned from ANY jobs,anywhere at all.
The description/definition of civilisation in the books sounds very true in today's society.
Howard's writings are indeed more relevant today than they were at the time.
I was interested to learn that the actor who played Subotai had no acting experience and was a professional surfer. Great casting of Mako, I am sad it is too late to cast him again for a third Conan movie with his passing. Thanks again.
Shame on amazon for dropping Conan...
My god this was a great video
Yeah, to think what we might have missed...
Femanazis strike again.
wait what they dropped it but I was really looking forward to it
@@t-rizzle0016 They did. Covered in other videos on this channel, most recently current state of King Conan - linked to in description.
@@MidnightsEdge cheers man I'll check it out
Great movies have great soundtracks. The movies OST is in my top 10 all time best. And together with Starship Troopers and Hunt for Red October the best work of genius composer Basil Poledouris.
I really don't like the idea of Conan being back in Marvel/Disney's hands. I don't like the direction Marvel comics went and I am afraid they will water the character down considerably.
It will be a SJW disgrace, as everything Disney touches.
I hate to think how Disney will mess up this character. Conan is absolutely NOT Disney SJW friendly.
@@The-Man-On-The-Mountain yeah because marvel hasn't been SJW since its inception. GTFOH! You do realize what the XMen symbolized right?
@@Coach_BigMac what did the X-Men symbolize???? :-O
@@vasopel
Originally they were stand-ins for the Civil Rights movement, with Professor X and the X-Men representing Martin Luther King, Jr, and Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants representing Malcolm X.
Since then, the X-Men have acted as avatars for any group that has been repressed.
Marvel's original Conan comics 'got' the character better than any pastiche by any novelist I've ever read, and, I've read most of them.
That's why I love this channel. This is the most comprehensive review of the character Connan, period!
This is exactly the kind of content I most enjoy from you,
Thank you and I look forward to the next.
Thanks for all of the hard work and research, Andre. This is one of the most enjoyable videos on the channel!
This is the sort of TH-cam content that I love. And few do it better than you, Andre. Keep up the good work - I look forward to part 2!
For man's only weapon is courage that flinches not from the gates of Hell itself and against such not even the legions of Hell can stand.
Robert E. Howard.
I used to believe Conan's Father knew the Riddle Of Steel and Thusla Doom was wrong. After watching this I agree with Andre.
This is without doubt, the best interpretation of the Conan universe, and explaination of the comic, book, and movie versions of Conan's life.
Thank you for all of your research and dedication to the Conan universe.
What a video! Seriously thought provoking, educational, and entertaining. I laughed out loud watching this on the plane. And now I have a much deeper understanding of a character, a film, and books that I've loved my whole life. The love you show for these works and Conan is profound and deeply felt. I hope you continue making more videos for years to come. I know I'll be watching.
The Barry Windsor-Smith Conan run is one of the greatest comic books of all time, and holds up to this day.
My favorite comic artist (and some of my favorite comics) to this day.
@@TheAngelbase Mine too. Interesting that Oliver Stone wrote the original screenplay for the first film, as BWS worked with Stone on the Michael Caine-starring film The Hand, for which Barry created some barbarian comic strips (not Conan, but similar) that were seen on screen.
The 60's and 70's were my own heyday of reading science fiction and fantasy novels. By the time I was out of my teens, I had probably read in the vicinity of 2000 such novels, most emphatically including all those Frazetta covers. I remember Conan from back then with great fondness. I even distinctly recall reading the comic debut of Conan #1 at the news stand of a local supermarket, because I had already spent my allowance and couldn't afford to buy it.
I can't help seeing strong parallels in Oliver Stone's vision of Conan, and the main protagonists of Masters of the Universe...
They are actually Howard's characters (and to an extent, Roy Thomas') - but Stone did serve them to Mattel in a neat package.
The He-Man figure sculpt was originally supposed to be conan. When the deal fell though, they re-used the prototype for the conan figure to make He-man.
Harkyn DeGrey well, _that_ and right after they actually watched the movie. 😉😁
It’s like when Kenner made the 12” Alien “Big Chap” action figure. Did they watch *Alien* and say “... for kids!”
As a fan of Conan from both books and comics, I'm very happy that this video made. The research and presentation were on a documentary level and beyond. I very much look forward to the follow-up video for this one. Until then, good luck.
Dear Midnight's Edge, this is one of the best videos you have done. Enjoyed every minute - speaking with insight and enthusiasm for your subject. Just what TH-cam is meant for.
5 minutes in and I already love this entry in Conan Lore. Thank you Midnights Edge. This proves once again what kind of insight you show in every article of information you present on this channel. Please keep up the good work
Thanks for the kind words, we intend to!
I'm glad you finally got this off the ground after years of working on the script, because you've talking about it since pre-Trankgate :). I'm really looking forward to seeing part 2 of this doc :).
You sir made one of the Best Videos about this Masterpiece of a Movie.
As a long Time Fan who was brought to Conan by this Movie in his Childhood,Thank you alot !
It gave me so much,not only did the Movie brought me to Conan,it also brought me to Nietzsches Philosophy and so much more.
Wow! One of the best reviews and history of Conan and his creator. I really enjoyed how this was presented.
I only recently discovered the Roy Thomas/John Buscema comics. Those have been awesome, and it is criminal how unappreciated they have been!
I laughed a lot at your Hippie comments. And for all the liberties it took with the character, I still love the movie. There's just....nothing else quite like it.
Excellent work as always.
I have been reading the Ace Conan novels annually for 40 years now. A few years ago I got a tome of Robert E Howard's complete Conan stories and that got added to the annual mix as well. I collected the Savage Sword trade paperback for many years as well. (All unfortunately sold now)
Love the first movie. Saw it in the theatre and it was the first R rated movie I had ever got into. The copy I have on DVD is that wierd cut where Conan talks about picking blueberries with his Dad and we see a whole lot more of Princess Psychopath.
Hate the Destroyer. Saw it in the theatre too. The second I realized Sabutai was replaced with an idiot clown, I was pissed.
The recent movie I could not get through. Jason Mamoa looks genetically designed to play Conan, but the movie was, IMO, a fucking mess.
Again, excellent work as always, Andre. I am a fan.
This was an awesome retrospective. Well done. I have been a Conan fan since the early 70's and am happy to see so many others who are too.
Wow, such an awesome video.
What a huge treat for us all man.
My Will to Power is intensifying like crazy during the entire video my man.
This was very entertaining and I learned some things.. Thanks for creating it!
Thank you for this. SSOC was a favourite of mine and had a great influence on me growing up. I still don't see why it is so difficult to bring a more authentic Conan to the movies.
Excellent video. I've really been enjoying your productions of late. Well researched and detailed and no waffle and fluff. Keep it up guys.
Absolutely fantastic.... I enjoyed the retrospective as few others. Great job Andre and Midnight's Edge.
I'm sure a lot of work went in to this one. Cracking video!
It did. Tom and I spent months on it. - Andre
Fantastic video! I grew up in Nigeria and my view of Conan was based largely on the Conan movies due to the serious lack of written material about him. That skewed my views of him but I LOVED the movies! I eventually got my hands on the Dark Horse comics and let's just say....My mind was BLOWN! The art, characterization, world-building, dialogue, themes etc! I eventually sought out the Howard books (DELREY Illustrated ones)
Awesome, glad to hear the movie worked as a gateway to real deal! So it was with me. Shall tell my story in a later video.
@@MidnightsEdge can't wait! Love your vids!
Loved this. Thank you. Looking forward to seeing the next parts.
Fantastic video! The creation of Conan is like Science, you have one person after the other adding and refining the character and the world.
Great review my friend! I loved this movie in my childhood it resonated with me and had a huge impact. Thanks for answering the Riddle of Steel I always thought that Thulsa Doom's answer of flesh was the answer to the Riddle but Will makes perfect sense!
My pleasure!
BEST breakdown I've ever seen. (Lifetime Conan fan here, too!)
This video is one of the most incredible piece of work I have ever seen! Thank you for all your work. Fantastic job!
Glad you enjoyed it! Be sure to check out the "Destroyer" Retrospective as well!
This was an amazing video. I look forward to the next part. Excellent work.
I wish I could like that video multiples time. Great job.
Best Soundtrack of All Time.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! You can share it multiple times, that would really be helping out:-)
Great video; I loved that animated bit by Tom towards the end. I hope we get to see a proper Conan movie someday soon. And now, I'm off to ponder the riddle of steel. 😛
Yeah, Tom did amazing on that! - Andre
That was awesome. Thank you for doing this
Magnificient! I look forward to the next retrospective!
the riddle of steel was awesome man...thanks
Howard's stories are just wonderful and infinitely re-readable. I do like the film with reservations. It looks great and evokes Howard in the production design and photography. It's best feature is the incredible score by Basil Poleduris. One of the greatest scores of all time.
Excellent first part about the origins of conan. by far the most in depth review I have seen on this subjekt. cant wait for part 2, Andre.
Very good editing and animation, Tom. as usual ;-)
Thanks!
Please please do the second half of this! I love it and cannot wait to see it!
Love the movie and the score especially. This movie made me a fan of cinema at the age of 7.
I would love to see a horror/adventure movie series that combines the Howardian universe with the Lovecraftian staring Conan and his allies. With Cthulhu as the big bad at the end, a low fantasy series reminiscent of the Marvel heroes vs Thanos.
I saw you made this video earlier finally made the time to watch it. You comparing the movie to the stories is nice, can’t wait to watch that part, and the personal history of Robert e Howard was good, gave a quick conscise view of his character.
I just came across this video, I actually came across the 'Conan the Destroyer' video first, but paused it when it made mention of the presupposition that this video was watched first.
I feel you sir are spot on.
Thanks for such a great video - and for making clear to people who don't know the REH/SDC stories versus the comics, and this hollywood script.
I think a follow up video about all that followed the movie would be awesome!
James Earl Jones' acting was fantastic.
I love your intake on Conan the Barbarian, the history of the character itself and how it came to be with your commentary. Great Vid!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
This was a fantastic vid. Excellent work!
Hmm you know most accomplished writers of older times tended to be more on the eccentric side of things, even today quite some tend to be unique by all modern social standards. But in truth this is a strength if you ask me, their outlook their behavior it all bleeds into creating captivating stories. Conan is among my favorite as he declines the classic barbarian outlook of a savage man with no culture, instead he is learned and applies his strength both mentally and physically.
I really want to see a movie made from the original script now!
Well done! I thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks.
Excellent video. I mean really excellent. You can't come to that solution about the riddle of steel without a lot of character and understanding about the nature of the world and the human condition. You earned yourself a subscriber.
Robert Howard looks like the MCUs young Howard Stark.
@Doctor Octagon - Oooo, AND they are BOTH named Howard. Im so disrespectful.
Yes, I liked the movie Conan. No, it wasn't the Conan I already knew from the books.
the best 42+ minutes i've spent in a while. damn good work. looking forward to the next installment!!!
Check almost everyday for part 2! Very excited! Getting into old pulp fiction, especially Robert E Howard, has really helped me through recent events in my life! This video is a nice companion to it, and I’ve watched it 2 or 3 times now!
Part now up!
This is such a good review 👌🏻. Is there any news in 2020 about king conan? It would be so sad if arnold is to old for the role. He is 73 now and he is already a bit to old for the role so they NEED to hurry before he gets in his late 70’s. 😔
No news.
Arnold is too busy with lame TERMINATOR sequels nobody cares about.
Although a good answer, even "Will" is not the right answer to the "Riddle of Steel".
The definitive answer to the "Riddle of Steel" is "Comrades". Even though Conan can "Trust the strength of steel", and had the "Flesh" to master it, and the "Will" to wield it; without his loyal companions (of Valeria, Mako and Subotal) by his side, Conan would have never been able to succeed.
So, Andre, Crom would have laughed you out with your "Will" answer. :-D
BTW, Conan The Barbarian movie (by John Milius) was one of my favorites.
Crom would not laugh. He does not laugh. He sends dooms and travails to any who prays to the God on The Mountain. He gave man strength and breath, and any mewling to get his attention gets his scorn. I laugh at your lack of knowledge of Crom.
I think it is the Will answer myself, because it was Conan's will to keep going to keep fighting that made him survive, and win in the gladiator rings. It was his Will that led them to face Thulsa Doom. And it was his companion's Wills that resurrected him, and the Will of Conan and his companions to face the Riders of Doom, to do what Conan's father couldn't.
And to be fair, in the original stories Crom did only this. "Crom lived on a mountain and he breathed life into man and gave him the will and the strength to slay his enemies." So I guess it is just an interesting idea.
Umm... no. Comrades fall into the "flesh" answer of Thulsa Doom and he still died. Conan's friends might have all died as well (as Valeria did) and yet he still would have prevailed with willpower alone.
@@Slitheringpeanut LOL, you're right my knowledge of Crom and the Hyborean Age is lacking.
@@Pcwarmachine Unfortunately, I humbly disagree. Sorry to be a downer.... ...Too late in life, I learned the "power" of "networking" (which is analogous to the "Comrades" answer to the "Riddle"). To "get ahead in life", I thought that "working hard" (which is analogous to the "Will" answer) would be enough. Too late in life did I learn how wrong I was.
Very excellent video. As a huge fan of both the movie and the original Howard stories, this short documentary was a pleasure to view, and very informative, teaching even a seasoned film and fantasy nerd like myself a few new things about the film's production and the hell it was to get it made.
Amazing video! I love conan, as well as the sword and sorcery genre as a whole. I would love to see a video of you breaking down Robert E. Howard's "Hyborian" world and some of conan's more memorable adventures or two
I'd like to hear a LOT more about the Roy Thomas draft of the first Conan the Barbarian film. If this video does well enough for you to make a sword-and-sorcery series, you could do short videos on various aspects of the Roy Thomas script like many Star Wars news channels do with George Lucas' original Star Wars drafts. It's SO frustrating how film and television adaptations of Conan always force some lifelong quest on him. It spits in REH's face and makes Conan way more generic.
Will consider it!
I still have my Savage Sword of Conan Mags.
Dudes, this video is amazing!!! You've gone above and beyond on this one. It's a great documentary, and I'm going to watch it again before the follow up comes out. Seriously, the video is awesome.
As for Conan... It's odd. He's a central figure in my childhood that's come up again and again over the years in different contexts. My friends (who didn't know each other) were both separately huge fans of the Conan comics and books. I'm a big fan of old time pulp novels who finds Robert E Howard fascinating, and I read L Spraugue De Camp's non-Conan fantasy novels (the Novarian series and the Enchanter stories he cowrote with Fletcher Pratt) as a kid. I've read lots of Conan comics and seen the movies - but somehow, I've never read the original Robert E Howard tales. Not even one short story. I think it's because they've been so built up in my mind as incredible I'm afraid the reality won't meet expectations. But that's a silly reason to avoid something. Maybe it's time to buy some of the books and get reading!
A terrific, well-researched video on Conan
After Stone's draft was changed, did Mattel rework their action figure parts into He-Man characters? Seems very similar.
To be covered in future video... ;p
im surprised you didnt mention slaine of 2000ad
I very well might in later retrospective!
Fantastic summary, had no idea there was so much history of Conan. I was introduced to him by some books at my local library. That led me to D&D books. Still can't get enough Elminster the Mage, one of the chosen of Mystra, goddess of Magic. Great stuff!
The best analysis of the character I have ever seen. Well done!
This is fantastic! As a huge Conan fan, I appreciate this video. I have every issue of the Savage Sword in storage. I grew as Conan being a role model! I will say I liked Jason Mamoa as Conan it's just too bad how badly that movie was written.
Right?! Just imagine how good that man could portray Conan with a good script. Give it another go Hollywood with Jason Mamoa as Conan and a good script director, enemy and a hotter chick. Also come on they don't need to do the Conan's people, were slain concept. The man just said fuck this I'm not just going to hang out here all my life. I want to explore and see the world.
With all that's going on now in TV, movies, comics and games I can't wait for the next one "Conan the bi-barian and there best friend He-Sonya the fight against toxic masculinity".
Red Ma'am?
Guy´s its getting salty in here
Excellent! This movie was a huge influence in my life. Thanks again!
Love this video and especially that little animated part at the end lol