Whatever happened to Sword & Sorcery Cinema?

[Zarithar Savageclaw]

There's also the persistant rumor that Elric of Melnibone will see the silver screen someday...

Now that... would quite simply rock!

 

[Dark Jezter]

Don't get me wrong. I think CtB is The best sword and sorcery film made in the 80's. I just happen to think that it is a badly done Conan film.
The entire character background was re-written and Arnold and Milius failed to capture any of the granduer of the original materiaal.
They could have changed the name of the title character to Ator and it would not have affected the film one bit.

I'm a big fan of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories (I read them all on a yearly basis, sometimes more often in the case of my favorite few tales such as The People of the Black Circle or The Hour of the Dragon), but I still loved Milius' film despite the many differences from the stories. I actually approved of the changes that Milius made to Conan's background, because in the original stories Conan's past was never really examined in depth (basically, he was a young barbarian who wandered into Zamora and became a thief). Milius' film had an interesting progression from orphaned slave, to champion gladiator, to thief and adventurer. True to the stories? Not really, but it was cool as part of a seperate Conan continuity.

 

[Desdichado]

Actually compared to Conan the Destroyer (which sucked monkey balls), the first film had quite a bit to do with the original character. Many of the Hyperborean countries and kingdoms were represented, and the arms and armor worn by the characters were believable and not ridiculous as was the case with the second film.

No, it had nothing to do with the character of Conan himself IMO, or even the character of the Hyborian setting, really, other tossing in a few Hyborian names. And it's only the names, too, I might add. The character of Conan is completely rewritten from REH and has very little in common with Conan, other than the name and the fact that he's a "barbarian" from the northish country. And as to how "believable" the arms and armor are, that's certainly relative--I didn't find them particularly believable.

 

[Warrior Poet]

Don't get me wrong. I think CtB is The best sword and sorcery film made in the 80's. I just happen to think that it is a badly done Conan film.

Yes, this.

I enjoy the movie, it's fun (the DVD commentary is comedy gold), but it's not Conan, or at least, not what I think of when I think of Howard's Cimmerrian. Everytime I see the film I just think of it as the barbarian movie Arnold was in.

Warrior Poet

 

[Warrior Poet]

and the arms and armor worn by the characters were believable and not ridiculous as was the case with the second film.

Like that one snake trainer's hammer?

Now that...would quite simply rock!

I have my doubts about an Elric movie. How do you capture all that narrative, all the weird chaos and happenings, in a film? Seems to me a project beyond the scope of film. I've been plenty wrong about film adaptations of fantasy material before, but Elric seems particularly resistant to translation, I think, or perhaps that it feels like it would be more in danger of falling on its face really, really badly.

No, it had nothing to do with the character of Conan himself IMO, or even the character of the Hyborian setting, really, other tossing in a few Hyborian names. And it's only the names, too, I might add. The character of Conan is completely rewritten from REH and has very little in common with Conan, other than the name and the fact that he's a "barbarian" from the northish country. And as to how "believable" the arms and armor are, that's certainly relative--I didn't find them particularly believable.

[Belloq] "Once again, Dr. Poet, we see there is nothing you cannot express which I cannot summarize better. You could warn them . . . if only you spoke Jovitos."[/Belloq]

In other words, what Joshua said (by the way, haven't had a chance to check out the new chapters yet, but it's a project for when I'm on vacation over the holidays).

Warrior Poet

 

[Zarithar Savageclaw]

No, it had nothing to do with the character of Conan himself IMO, or even the character of the Hyborian setting, really, other tossing in a few Hyborian names. And it's only the names, too, I might add. The character of Conan is completely rewritten from REH and has very little in common with Conan, other than the name and the fact that he's a "barbarian" from the northish country. And as to how "believable" the arms and armor are, that's certainly relative--I didn't find them particularly believable.

Well, we will have to agree to disagree I guess on much of this... and granted, the Conan in the movie was different than the Conan of the books... but there were far more similarities found in Conan the Barbarian, which was a more serious take on the story, than Conan the Destroyer. It wasn't perfect... that's true, but it wasn't bad. Again, all of this is subject to personal taste in the end.

 

[Desdichado]

If only you spoke Jovitos.

That line is great. There are so many places in life where you could use it.

 

[Warrior Poet]

Conan the Barbarian, which was a more serious take on the story, than Conan the Destroyer.

True. And in a just world, Conan the Destroyer would be dragged out to the woods and mercifully euthanized along with the second Highlander movie, if such an abomination were to actually exist, which it doesn't, thankfully, and now we shall never speak of this again.

Warrior Poet

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Conan in some ways is still my favorite fantasy movie of all time.

 

[Warrior Poet]

That line is great. There are so many places in life where you could use it.

That movie is a wellspring of great lines that have application in multiple areas of life:

"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go along."

"They have not one brain among them."

"You're appearance is exactly as I imagined!"

"Here! . . . Here . . . this isn't too bad."

"How hard were you trying?"

"He was good. He was very, very good."

"Señor, no one has ever come out of there alive!"

"No time to argue!"

"Besides, you know what a cautious guy I am."

"If you're looking for Truth, Professor Moriarty's philosophy class is right down the hall."

"I never meant to hurt you."

"Ha, ha, ha, son of a bitch."

"So, please, eat something."

"Yes, I know you will."

"I'm suprised to find you squeamish. That is not your reputation."



Warrior Poet