Comments on: Gisella Marengo is cast as witch mother in Conan

By: blockbuster

blockbuster — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:41:01 +0000

blockbuster…

[...]Gisella Marengo is cast as witch mother in Conan | Conan The Movie Blog[...]…

By: Fayric

Fayric — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:12:52 +0000

The joy of making great and original movies has been worn down by a hard commersial industry and the focus on blockbuster names. The same tired actors showing up in the same parts over again, and even making the same movies over again; it just dont get exiting anymore. But then you see a Spanish, Russian or korean director with some great ideas and new faces, and you realise the art is not dead yet, its just left hollywood to rot from the inside. True, some stuff are still good, but even exelent movies like “The Dark Knight” is crammed with the commersial default casting.
But most of the time you are right, its better to sit down with a good book and let your imagination run wild for a while, undisturbed by flat animations and overexsposed actors.

By: m

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 11:07:57 +0000

I have no desire to see that movie(avatar) at all. I haven’t enjoyed a cameron flick since T-2 and lets be honest even that was more a commodity to be sold as you say.And I must also confess, I’ve never seen a harry potter flick or a pirates of the carribean movie to boot.nor am I enthused to go out and see them either for the same reason.And though I enjoy lotr a lot,I cant help but somewhat feel the same pretentiousness about it.I want to blame star wars for this but even the original star wars had character.The irony is for me , the original summer blockbuster of the past generation, jaws, is probably my all time favorite movie, where did they start to go wrong?I do believe good films are still being made ( eastern promises no country for old men the departed any clint eastwood flick)but not many in the genre that hollywood is limiting conan to. I am in the process of rereading some of the howard stuff i own , finished cormac mac art, and it is great stuff. Almost done with kull and it’s better than I remember and has more of a mythical fantasy rather than historical one. next is solomon kane and bran mak morn.Well guys , feed on this tell me what you think It’s a beautiful but chilly morning here in ny and I gotta get my girls reading for free fishing at the park. enjoy your day , everyone.

By: Steve Dilks

Steve Dilks — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 06:11:16 +0000

I think it takes a filmaker to properly understands where the writers source material is coming from to make it work.Howard’s stuff was built largely around atmosphere,mood and tension.Let us not forget that he was writing Conan for a horror magazine-not a straight fantasy one-and had to write his stories accordingly. If he could have sold any of them to ,say ,”Argosy” magazine I’m pretty sure some Conan would have ended up as straightforward historical yarns instead.Todays movie directors lack the subtlety ,I find ,to pull off what made films like “The exorcist” or Kubrik’s “The shining” work.Moviemaking has become less a craft and more a commodity to be sold.James Cameron’s ghastly popcorn fest “Avatar” is proof of that.

By: m

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 04:22:50 +0000

I meant regans bedroom door not doo. sorry

By: m

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 04:22:00 +0000

there’s another great article on the cimmerian about future planned reh adaptations. Fair warning though, it’s not looking good…I completely agree that conan can transcend genres, by the way. I actually envision tower of the elephant as more of a claustrophobic midnight horror movie of sorts.there’s a dreamlike (more like anightmare) quality to it as conan gets further to his discovery and the gruesome task he must perform.Some of those ideas in that story, when expanded upon, are as terrifying as anything I’ve seen and the tower itself is like ( can be perceived)a character.I hate to use this as an example but think the exorcist: the scenes where they just sort of show regans bedroom doo, or even the staircase inside the house, leading to the “room”. you know whatever is behind that door is beyond comprehension, but you are forced by the filmaker to enter against your will.We the viewer must be made to feel frighten on what lurks next within the tower, and it will underscore the “balls” of our young brash cimmerian who keeps furthering on and even he questions his sanity at some point based on what he sees.what do you guys think? Am I nuts or is it an interesting concept?

By: m

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:25:30 +0000

remember if the chance these films are successful ( as well as approved by conan/ howard fans) they’ll tend to take a life of their own.Some may be great some poor. Just ask roger moore, he’ll tell you all about strying from a classic character.

By: Steve Dilks

Steve Dilks — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:50:01 +0000

Ah,how sweet the pen that expresses optimism!I for one, Fayric ,would like to see some developement,you know Conan as a mercenary taking on larger responsibilities as in Howard’s “Black colossus”,a pirate as in “The pool of the black one”,a frontier scout a la “Beyond the black river” or a desert chieftan;- “A witch shall be born”.Conan has great potential to break out of the cliche fantasy movie formulas due to the sheer range of his fighting proffessions.Conan can be Lawrence of arabia one minute, a transplanted western the next and still have time to be Captain Blood.Directors should look to these sort of movies for inspiration instead of the same old “Beastmaster” dross.

By: Fayric

Fayric — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:32:47 +0000

Its a good thing we still can dream of Conan II and III; what kind of director(s), what original Conan stories they are based on, and so on;)

By: Steve Dilks

Steve Dilks — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:05:38 +0000

Hey M,I believe Ridley Scott was approached the first time round back in the late ’70s and was keen to do it but then pulled out for no apparent reason.”Blade runner” came out about the time barbarian did, so if that was the reason I think he can be excused!I know Ron Cobb worked with him on “Alien” which could be how he got the set design gig for Conan.There was some cool talent involved back then.Who do we have even remotely like that now?Set design,sfx,costume-all this is vital to the production of a good looking fantasy flick.Otherwise we get the bowl haircuts and fancy dress hire outfits of “The sword and the sorcerer”.Coen brothers?Conan?Now THAT would be weird…