shooting*

check that they did shouldve read the posting first..duh. do most agree about momoa..i like him generally, (urkhairurk)excited to see more. looks also like theyre not going for visual gimmmicks too much either,its a very basic visual.

Ian,

I was told shooting had wrapped.

Where are the pictures of Ms Nichols? I’m more interested to see what she’ll look like.

I will say that this shot, and everything else I have seen so far should be for a t.v. series – not a big budget movie. If it was a t.v. show I might be a little more supprtive and excited about the whole thing than I am. M: Yeah, it is the same set of articles. They were written two to three(?)years ago now,I checked through them last night. Painful to read the first time round and found myself wincing again at certain parts last night. Waldgeist: Good to have you back shield-brother.Serg: Take care out there and remember-ITS ONLY A MOVIE!!

@ smith: heh, maybe the studio heads saw a rough cut of the movie and told nispel he should stick to commercials…yow! i kill me!!hahaha!

I get confused with all the conflicting info from the actors, director, sreenplay (re)writer,etc. It seems no one knows for sure whether this going to be a “300″ style CGI fest in 3D or a back to basics straight forward adventure movie. I guess my money is on the latter as Marcus Nispel shot the damned thing and SHOULD know what the hell is going on. Grabbing Nispel to shoot some commercials does not instill much in the way of me having faith in his integrity as a director either. How about a hair beauty pop commercial with Jason Momoa on guitar? Drive de ladies wild…

Thats BTW the soundtrack for the movie

@waldgeist : I keep trying to register at conan.com to go on forums but an error message saying i am not allowed to visit the forum keeps coming up, even when i try to register…I ve never been on it before so why would i be banned? I sent them an email last week and this morning, but like crom, they dont listen.I hear you frequent the forums, do you know why they would do that?

I do however think Momoa would have looked great in a frazetta style haircut.

Ian thats funny. I only remember that they(the studio) did something simliar with rambo, shooting was in early 2007 and they released it a year later…i remember cause they had all of those graphic teasers which got me psyched for the movie…and that flick didnt have the budget of conan at all. but I think they should at least go for next srping early summer, editing promotional stuff. Are there any pics of lil leo as young conan out there, I’m wondering?alot of the bit with the hair is mainly genetics and hygiene. Now I somehow question how the stylists came to the conclusion that the 80′s vidal sassoon ( as steve so aptly put)/hairsspray look matches the whole wandering barbarian image, but you know what you’re right. it really is an unimportant detail , it’s just fun to poke at a bit. I’m gonna get over it.But I can’t believe how much that kid looks like the kid who played boy conan in the milius flick.

HAHA !!! NO WAY i’m kind!
Street fight with animals who hit from the back!
too bad they didnt know their attitude towards the Movie

Cool!!! 300 influence everywhere

Thanks Ian I had missed that link. It looks good, but IMO its far to dark to be Slaine. Those smooth colours and soft shades that the comic has really gives it a great atmospere and earthy feel. This looks more like Moria. Still well done. I wish it was more of a whole scene than looking like a trailer.

Sure hope the new Dredd movie is not just another superhero movie to make some fast cash (hurried of to find info on it when you mentioned it; looks serious enough:) Its just, remakes and reboots these days, please make them stop.

I also looked up that 300 prequel “Xerxes”, by Snyder and Miller, just like 300. One of the news directions at IMDB say “The film presupposes the existence of gods and magic… so expect more gold-pierced escapism”. And taken this is supposed to focus on the persian, xerxes, maybe this movie will grant you those gold spired dreaming cities that we fear the Conan movie will lack. Im actually looking forward to this, even if I didnt care much for 300.

It’s not that i dont like it,300 ‘s okay it’s not that great . turn your brain ( and heart ) off and enjoy, it’s no gladiator or lotr.theres alot more pomp than adrenaline than real substance.I like that faux slaine bit better. when frank miller wrote the comic he was inspired by the 300 spartans , a movie loosely based on thrmopalye but with cold war undertones. it was unique at the time for its not so happy ending that inspired miller and also for its anti communist tone, popular in many movies in the 50′samd early 60′s.( im sure you all know the story).For what it is it’s 300 is fun,i think it’s actually better than the comic which borders on alot of millers work, overly hyped.I never could bring myself to see all of the stallone judge dredd,it’s up there with batman and robin as one of the dumbest pos i’ve seen for the genre, but i had a few comics lying around they werent bad.Anyone ever watch italian spiderman on youtube? by far the greatest comic translation ever made but never finished. start with the trailer and blast the music!!!

Sorry to stray, but as we are talking movies:
M, I have to ask you about that “On the road” movie, I saw Sam Riley was cast as Sal Paradise. Interrested in your thought on this. I really like Sam Riley as an actor. Big fan of Joy Division and still think Rileys portrayal of Ian Curtis in “Control” is superb, in its own way. Saw the movie “Franklyn” mostly because Riley was in it, curious if he actually was a good actor, and even if the movie was a bit uneven, I think Sam made the most of it. IMO, a really good actor that can make something interresting of his parts. But come on, Sam Riley makes Orlando Bloom look macho. Could this slender brittish kid play an ex college football player who spent a few years on the sea, and even had time to divorce a wife? Hard to imagine Sam Riley trying to keep up with mad adrenaline junkies and hipsters, “dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix” so to speak. On the other hand, this could be a stroke of genius that make the movie somthing special, something to remember, and maybe a few new perspectives of the story. A whole lot of mixed emotions for me. (and if you havnt seen Riley in anything, I highly recomend “Control”).

CHecked ouy clint walker…I can easily see guys like him and as Simon had pointed out , young william smith as Conan.I could even imagine that fitting howards own vision too. he’s 6’6″ looks rough enough. good call steve.

I think its healthy to discuss other topics tbh honest fay.We can’t always talk Conan Conan Conan,otherwise we end up not having much in the way keepin the thread alive.I for one don’t have much to discuss about the upcoming movie unless some other news,pics,trailers comes are way.
Sorry Serg,I sometimes mistaken what people say in text form at times instead of sitting and thinking a bit longer
Glad you like that Slaine thingy,was a much discussed debate over the yrs with personal friends who are followers of slaine and other characters from 2000ad.
How would they be able to do slaines warp spasm and all the shite about he isn’t big enough to get any notice for a movie.I for one would love to see a decent slaine movie or dredd done properly with that helmet stuck firmly on his stony head.
But i would like more to see a strontium dog movie.
That name actually makes my friend laugh because Stontium is simular to the world shit in italian,her being italian she says is like correct to the the story of strontium dog as them being the scum of the earth so to speak.
Anyway.i won’t go on
just talking random bollox now

You know i love that movie too M,

It too is one of my all time favorites.Yer the shark model isn’t great at the end but who cares.It’s still an awesome movie.
M,
I don’t know if you have noticed with watching it over and over.But do you remember the scene when the 2 kids are playing that prank with the dorsal fin?
And the life guards are assisting the people out of the water onto the beach?Well i noticed that one of the young boys coming out of the water was being helped by what looks like his friend and who was laughing as he comes out of the water.The lad who is laughing has black hair if you have never noticed before it is quit funny to see

I remember watching that movie way way back when it was first aired on national telelvision here in england:)
Great movie which to this day gives me vivid nightmares about great whites.But also makes me fascinated by them too.
Btw,there is a movie in the making apparently about the 70ft Megalodon called MEG if you love sharks too.

Recently I watched the 2d versions of avatar and alice in wonderland, and at some points in the movie there are just these quick in your face moves and bits of action that seem a little out of place, so I thought “Oh, I guess this is supposed to make me jump in 3d, right?” Kind of reminds me of the future in the movie Idiocracy where people’s attention spans have degenerated to a simpleton level. American attention spans must be de-evolving and decreasing even further, if that is possible. But aside from those 3d designed scenes, I was still able to enjoy the movies. I’m guessing the conan movie will have a few of these artificial scenes too if it really is 3d. That could be another reason for the long release time, because I think it takes a few months to convert a movie into 3d if they don’t shoot it in 3d (which they didn’t). Also they sometimes shelve a movie indefinitely for hollywood reasons which our layman minds can’t understand.

Rambo 4 was fucking great but it had stallone. Damn I just realized, he would make a great king conan! Conan and rambo are more alike than you might think. They would have to cgi out his new tattoos though.

M: I’ve been thinking about Italian Spiderman all day. Classic,thanks.Can’t wait for my girlfriend to get home so I have an excuse to watch it all over again. She’s off bell ringing at the church down the road. I can hear them jangling away now from my window. Yes, you did read that last bit right. By the ivory teats of Ashtoreth and Ymir’s icey member!

Sorry for being contradictory.Didn’t realise what i put at the end of that one.But i suppose everyone is used to my back to front sentences by now
Hated school rules

shut*

william smith was also in the outsiders, as the store clerk that wounds dally at the end. stallone, though i know they can play with perspective is far too short to play conan.Rambo and Conan are very similar, rambo could have easliy been one of howards heroes.but he’s only about 5’7″( just under my height, har!) or so. The casting for on the road doesnt kill me that much,I just want a good translation as it’s my favorite book.italian spiderman has an uncanny effect on men women and beasts.the charisma of franco franchetti is undeniable, you can taste the oil just watching!! Can you or anyone imagine what an italian conan would be like? thats what the fan film should be!!!And ron perlman and stephen lang do lend credibility to this film, ron i suspect is a lifelong fan ( due to his involvement in in rednails ps3 game and this) and lang at least sounds passionate( and he’s a good salesman) about the project based on his interview.Now we have a clue about conan, I’d like to see the chicks first , but I’m curious about kid conan perlamn and lang .

That was a good remake of a good movie. a rare thing indeed. ask Nispel bout it!ha!do you guys think that they’re gonna be a qoute or two from ctb or ctd as a sly way of tribute? I’d like to hear “can you summon demons wizard?” just kidding…

Everybody directing commercials-its just a way of doing good quick money- it doesnt mean bad thing

The commercial will be done in the spirit of Robert E. Howard and with the style of Frank Frazetta. All the models are reading the source material of Howard to get in the proper mood. The plot is based on director Marcus Nispel’s imagination of when he heard about Garnier’s hair care products. The director says it’s the commercial he’s been wanting to make since childhood.

Looked up Italian spiderman. Im thinking he must have been a big influence for Super Mario Bros:) Dont have sound on here, so I better see it again to get it right. (cringe in horror at the memmory of the SMB movie)

Ian, I am convinced all this talk that appears to be off the conan topic will eventually emerge in full circle and give us a rich and satisfying perspective of Conan, the world and, well, everything.
I think M is right about Jaws, the tention is built up by hinting at the beast and show us how the people react to the threat. Its the same as with good Zombie movies: the zombie gore can be fun, but what makes them great is the way people have to act to survive, and what humanity is prepared to do against other humans in the face of catastrofy (what ever they may be). One of the greatest comics ever made: the walking dead. It burns in your soul, damn you Kirkman! (anyone who read it knows what Im talking about).

[oh, and I realise that pathfinder movie was probably not called “Vägvisaren”, that was probably just a translation)

It just gets worse, doesn’t it? I have run out of exasperation and am now just waiting for something minutely good to come of this film. Fayric: I loved “R

Conan the face cream model. Crom will have his little jokes…

First: I dont believed it!
second: just relaxed, Conan is not new to this stuff

SORRY GUYS!!! I’m infact SHOCKED!!!My point is I dont give a damn if Nispel and Momoa work over commercial- I care if they did proper movie!!!

Beautiful post at conan,Stampfer! This place is much optimistic,like fountain of healing water! Hope more people will drink from it

Wow, lots goin on today:) i am reading some of the posts on italian spiderman… everyone is aware this is an australian student film made around 2005-2007 and not a real piece of lost film, right? It must be played with the sound on especially the trailer though, thats where all the fun is.I tried to hint at that when i said the truth is not as strange as the fiction, hope I didnt spoil it, if anything for me i appreciate the work that went into making it look like the piece of crap it is.The fictional story weaved around the film is as hysterical as the shorts themselves.Actors have always appeared in strange japenese commercials so be it. if momoa and nispel want to do one… maybe momoa will be nispels mifune to his kurosawa, his deniro to nispels scorcese…!!!I also believe the original pathfinder was based on a graphic novel too, but im not sure. enough pics of momoas man boobs,(for a guy theyre kinda nice!maybe after he gashes stephen lang with his hair, conan crushes langs head with his knockers!!)Show us the photos of the women now!!

M: Pathfinder had A guy writing and drawing the graphic novel as he was filming it. Nispel’s pitch on his re-make to the guy who owned the rights was “First blood with Indians and Vikings.”
I read the story behind Italian Spiderman. Original film making on a shoe string budget by abunch of students? Does Hollywood know whats going on here? This could be a cult classic and two fingers up to the mediocre mainstream we need. Bet Marvel try and sue…I will pass comment on King Conan until you have read it. Looking forward to a long detailed analysis from you. But I’m thinking Wald might have to let you have a blog spot all your own,hah!
Serg: If this new movie is remembered 28 years later for anything other than being a vaccuous glossy model commercial I will be surprised. Like a commercial it will be quickly consumed and just as easily forgotten.

If you lok at movies like paranormal activity, made for 10 grand and better than 90% of what is being put out by hollywood, yeah Ill take italian spiderman . too bad they never could finish it.I think Marvel didn’t sue i thought i heard they liked it.Maybe they should do an italian spiderman vs spiderman in a what if comic(if theyre still around)It seems to me nispel always tries to take on these “cool” projects because i dont know theyre level of violence and lack of political correctness, like he wants to be known as edgy. Why does have to be material that has already existed? they better not give him a remake of jaws or the exorcist ,I’ll swear off all new movies !And I really hate to say this, whatever personality the new conan does have ( and it may carve out a niche ,you never know)I agree, I don’t think we’ll be talking about it 28 years from now, and if we are, guarantee we’ll be telling some kid about the old arnold one too in the same breath.Of course we’ll then go throughan entire discourse on how neither of them compare with the original tales whereas the kid will walk away!:)I’ve gotten through a few more pages of king conan ,and Ill reserve judgment till then as well.I’ll have to give it out inspurts whent he time comes.

Oh for fuck’s sake you saddos shut the fuck up whining about Momoa’s hair!! It looks great as does he .I cannot even read some of the blog as certain people can hardly spell! Its called writing not sending inane text language!!
Of course the movie wont be out till 2011 they have to score it plus whatever CGI they use then set the marketing and distribution in place.Ooh I know lets get it rushed out so some of you clowns can gleefully rip it to bits! Oh sorry some of you have already done that BEFORE you have even seen it!!

Simon, you clearly have trouble reading our post if you think this is the only thing we have to contribute. The spelling might be bad for different reasons, but I think we are more than able to make a point (and for some of us its not even our first lanuage).
If you had been able to understand those cryptic “insane text languages”, you would have realized your oppinion has been voiced many times already, and that your superior insights makes little or no further contribution. Some dont agree, and some feel mostly like you.
You need not to take blog comments so serious. Contradiction and quick judgement is the stuff of conversation, so just leave it at that.

You do however raise a very old question about the soundtrack. Any knew insights on whos making it? Another Sci fi channel dignitary?

Ok everyone go over to http://www.conan.com and check out the forum blog on new conan movie…Jason Momoa as Conan. By the way great comment Waldgeist.

Steve are you talking about this:
http://i47.tinypic.com/25gx5w7.jpg
How do you know how heavy the blade is, or whether he’s trying to be a samurai?

Oh dear,havent been in contact with MANOWAR since 1997 and they stopped wearing furry jock straps in 1985!! I just can’t understand why people want to rip the shit oum of the movie and make such personal comments about Momoa in particular BEFORE the movie hasn’t even been released. Some of you out there are going to feel so fucking stupid if the movie is what we ALL hope it could be.

Man i always miss the good stuff when I’m at work.@Simon. I’m sure it’s frustrating( I think it’s frustrating to to have to say them, no one wants to ) to read all the negative comments for a movie on a character that has endured and lit up our pastimes for so long, espescially yourself who’s probably been a fan since before i was born(77).And yeah we’ve all lost our cool here with one another. Half of the hair comments are in jest, and admittedly hair’s a minor detail.I think we’re accostomed to illustration and description depicting conan with straighter hair and less modern looking ( as in 1980′s) coming up with remarks about momoas savage hair to me is actually funny, not serious. and even with my complaint i have said i have no problem with the overall look for conan, it does somewhat remind me of windsor smith as ray had said once.Some people disagree ( and thats perfectly cool with me)Ive also said that for all the negative things that ive said ( and I’ve backed off to a “wait and see” stance these days), if the movie is good i will eat my feet( amongst loincloth and hands too!)As far as personal attack on Momoa,I don’t think he gives a damn what we have to say.And he shouldnt, I wouldnt.. He’s well paid far more than any of us to do a dream job, and it’s up to him how to bring conan to life in a manner that is accepted by the conan fans and new audiences.As far as anyone feeling stupid if the movie succeeds , well thats what everyone ultimately wants, is for the movie to succeed. I wouldnt mind feeling stupid over it if the movie does turn out decent.Which brings me to my other point: Based on the truth fiction and everything else in between we’ve heard and read people have a right to doubt the quality of the movie. Based on the very nature of modern event movies( as talked about several posts beforehand specifically about jaws and films of that time, compared to todays stuff)that alone raises doubts. Hell I’ll tell you now I’ll likely pay to see this good or bad as will many of us. And I do apologize for any spelling errors and grammatical mistakes I make. I do try to be articulate when i jump on the soapbox here,sometimes my thought gets ahead of itself and I forget to check. and I understand the frustration with the whole texting culture. I’m only 32 but I see everyone of all ages doing this and it drives me batty.@steve I know shwarzenegger and co were trained by a kendo intstructor, can’t be sure if the same was done here.I’m gonna guess ( because no fact exists, it is crucial to twist theories to suit the facts not facts to suit the theoies as sherlock holmes once said)he may have been trained by swordsman with skill with multiple weapons and styles, hopefully to create something that looks barbaric and effective.

took a look at that pic, not bad at all. I see a bit of the 300 art designers influence in the colors and Momoa looks savage enough, looks like he’s enjoying it.I even like the hair in the pic!And I threw that holmes comment for no other reason than that it is an awesome one, it was completely irrelevant!

That pic is making me start to see a glimmer of light now.
And a windsor smith conan i am well up for if thats how it will look.
Momoa.Ive got some faith in you now.But please when they do a sequel tell them you refuse to wear that skirt again please.
Is the only tiny little gripe i have now.

I think this latest pic of Jason as Conan…is really not that bad…but I have to admit…when I look at…I think more of Tarzan than I do Conan…and Tarzan was my favorite fantasy character growing up. I use to climb trees, swing from ropes, run around the woods in my barefeet and even made a loin cloth to go swimming in and wear while playing drums in my band while growing up

Smith: HA,HA!Nice one.

Ian: Yes, that looks good. I like the look of “Judge Minty” more than I do this to be honest. Two words-heart,soul. These are guys with respect and love for what they are adapting. I can see a lot more of this low-budget fan movie coming up now- especially since the technology know how is getting easier and more accessibale. Burn,Hollywood,burn.

Simon: Is it really? How well informed, intelligent and utterly marvellous. Thats me converted. Did you go to Stonehenge paint your testicles blue and dance round the stones with the faires at solstice then? Or were you at home with your pipe and slippers lamenting over the by-gone days of the hedonistic ’70s? I am sure I find your words more offensive than a few grammatical errors written by people whoose mother tongue is not English. That so called “good Anglo Saxon word” means what it says in any language. Don’t try that fake heritage nonsense on me.

Oh Steve you are so well informed about what paganism is aren’t you? My left nut you are!! Your comments smack of the same ill informed nonsense that papers like The Sun print.I neither dance around Stonehenge or wear slippers and smoke a pipe.I hate hippies and have never been one.I assume you think its ok to insult people face to face then,because if you do I would just love to shove those childish insults right down your throat.Whats wrong with you man? I had a pop at people’s spelling big deal and I used the word Fuck a few times(as have done other people on the blog)is that any need to start throwing insults at me? Big assumption to use the word moron,you dont know me do you? Have you read any of the stuff I have published? get off your high horse mate.
I have no idea what you mean by fake heritage nonsense either,you wouldn’t be one of the PC brigade who frown on us English being proud of our heritage would you?
If you want to insult me put your money where your mouth is face to face like a Cimmerian would-and how Pagan is Conan?

Simon: No I am english, sometimes not so proud to be and at other times feel bitter resentment at being treated as a second class citizen in my own country. I neither subscribe to the hypocrises of religon or the over grown school boy renderings of what paganism is just to defend the use of an expletive. As for the stuff you have written and published-you wouldn’t be one of those high brow snooty hacks who frown at those who want to be careless and sloppy in their word play would you? How illiterate is Conan? Eh? A wise man once said- nevermind the bollocks and have a good weekend you cnut.

It’s really hard to tell from the picture offered, and now it’s been vandalized. But he may have his right hand in some sort of reverse grip. That would be Hollywood “magic” at work. But like I said it’s hard to see.

Kortoso: Great link. A two handed great sword weighed about 6 pounds. A lot lighter than you would imagine. Glad to see your research extending into realistic territory. As you stated elsewhere the armourer on this movie is credited as “weapons master”. If this means he has been putting Mr. Momoa through his paces with a sword we should not be expecting Crusader-era realism. This guy is obstentially t.v. sci-fi so we’re looking at stylized. Valhalla Ray the dead barbarian said as much. Hey, Kortoso check Ray out. He was an extra on this movie and I jokingy cast him in our fan adaption of “Hour of the dragon”. Alas, we ran out of pocket money. He may make a good Conan of Kimuhria in your movie!

Is it true that they are about to re-make Fire and Ice as a live action movie? Loved the Frazetta poster for that movie! Also the VEROTIK comic series of DEATH DEALER!!
What does everyone think of Spartacus Blood and Sand? I wasnt too impressed with the first episode but it has really grown on me-I doubt if the Conan movie will have the same amount of blood and sex though!

Valhalla Ray: Er, not sure! Facebook not my domain but hope you check out the Conan fan movie project Kortoso is working on. Sounds like some fun.Simon: Was that Death Dealer comic series the one written by Glenn Danzig? I read some of it but was dissapointed it was a different version from the Gath of the horned helm novels. Watching “Rome” on dvd at the moment. Haven’t seen “Spartacus”,heard lots of conflicting views but the gritty stylism looks good and can’t wait to se it. Waldgeist: One of my favourite Howard lines is from “The grey god passes” when the serf Conn says: “He who takes my sword had better give me his own first-aye,and quickly at that!” My blade sheathed.

Where one lacks in one area also gains in another.
And yes its mine.

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/8616/scannerf.jpg

Ian you got some talent brother!

btw waldgeist how are you these days?I miss your conversations bro!do you like this new done up pic. btw conan.com did get back to me, it’s my own computer settings, set higher than normal due to the computers age( roughly precataclysmic)

It’s going to look pretty cool in 3D.

http://i49.tinypic.com/ve4ys5.jpg

Simon: Been trying to find out if you are the same as Simon R. Musk who wrote “Earth’s children”. Would be interested in finding out about any stuff you have published. Is there anything pertaining to either you or your works online? Even Googled snooty pagans and still nothing…

Been thinking about that “Fire and ice” live action CGI thing with Robert Rodriguez. I think he would be better off bringing Frazetta’s Death dealer to the screen instead. If theres one director for the job its him although, strangely, I think Nispel in “Pathfinder” mode could pull it off too. Just to reiterate how unbelievabley crass Hollywood is (as if we don’t already know) did you hear they are remaking John Milius’ “Red dawn”? Bet he choked on his cigar when he heard that one.

Steve yes I did write EARTHS CHILDREN and also THE STEALER OF THE SEASONS a kids fantasy novel.Plus I edited and published KINGS OF METAL the Manowar fanzine and AUTUMN LEAVES the Mostly Autumn fanzine.
Yes Danzig was behind Verotik and I too was pissed off that the DEATH DEALER wasnt the same as James Silke’s books.
I suppose that being a long time Conan fan I just WANT the movie to be good.I can be a angry old sod sometimes(Im 53 to tomorrow!) but we all want the same thing a movie we can really enjoy.Time will tell and I will be the first to admit it if its a stinking pile of crap!!

Fayric: I too liked that version of “Beowulf and Grendel”. Gerard Butler was rumoured to do Conan for a while, something in all honesty I’m glad never came to pass. Simon: I would be interested in getting hold of at least one of those books you have written (putting my money not my foot where my mouth should be!). If you could put me onto somewhere I could get hold of a copy that would be great. Amazon don’t have anything in stock. I would be interested too in what you think of my lateast self produced album- “Coven 13″. Maybe I could send you a copy. Its heavy metal. There are references to paganism on it (one song is called “Pagan summoning”)which probabley deserves to be ripped to shreds! On the back of the case I have the words “keep it pagan” with a photo of me stood posed arms outsretched leaning against a tree. How can you resist that?! I’ll even send it to you free if you promise to tear it apart on this blog.

@simon: happy birthday,bro,enjoy.If conan ends up crap, hey ,then it’s crap, and we will have a feast bashing it!!IT would be most unfortunate and wasteful, but thats when we turn to our other incarnations and enjoy.@smith, these pics are gonna do wonders for momoa when he does the remake of saturday night fever”watch the hair!”Saw the beginning of watchmen once,seemed okay but zach snyder has a tendency(though i like him)to overstylize in his sequences,where I found the action in the book a straighter read.Gotta see the rest of it though.@steve: this remake business has to stop,it’s getting ridiculous. it strips the value of the originaland where it used to be fun to look forward to a remake once in a blue moon( the blob the thing) it’s happening with every other movie. This society grew up pressing the “reset” button growing up too many times methinks.

and just to mention, even though the promo had a slight comic cartoony appearance to it( which ,ray I remember you saying the set had that sort of feel right? ,) I do like it. it doesnt remind me of 300 as the colors are bolder, but I can see the art teams influence on it. I also like that it shows a savage ,animated conan in action.Makes me wonder if that is the look for the movie too. whilst i like the old arnold poster, he was always stiff and posturing in them, which tells me this is not your father’s conan visually anyway.I at least will venture to guess the sword play will be fought at a high rate of speed, near star wars prequel speeds

@ian: Got any conan illustrations to show? would love to see some.

M
I do have one which is a peliminary sketch.If you give me till i am next in work next friday night i’ll do what i can with it for you
My problem is i have an over active imagination and tend to jump from pic to pic have have tons of half finished pieces and one of them is the conan drawing.
But it’s not by any means a Momoa Conan and more mine ofc
Fay buddy.I got your email for the FB invite and yes that Frazetta’s is my profile pic
And will accept your friends invite after this comment.
I to like yourself don’t use FB as much as most out there but i check my emails all the time.

I pray they don’t touch jaws.everything would be cgi the intention would be wrong and I don’t know many actors that can pull off what that cast could. who are they gonna get for brody’s wife, angelina? There was also a rumor that william peter blatty had a complete treatment for an exorcist miniseries,(hopefully made for cable) with subplots from the novel that were excluded from the original 73 release, and the 2000 “lucasfied” version,with some new material.And that original director william friedkin was on board.now to most folk these are the ideal conditions to do a remake but to me this reeks .blatty was responsible for the 2000 release and all of that cgi and extended ending took away from what the original movie did,( (i did like the extra doctors office scene and the priests conversation in the stairway at the end but all that other stuff was nonsense and the spiderwalk scene was nothing like that in the novel.) which was keep a good pace and leave you cold at the end.another flick that should not be touched.

Simon, or whoever see this post and like to answer, I was curious about this talk about Pagans. I understand you are not some slipperwearing old hippie, but Pagan dont mean much to me (or rather, it means to much contradicting things). Do you see Paganism simply as good old merrymaking that western society has tried to surpress for too many centuries, or is it on a deeper level of respect for nature and the primal forces that resides in both nature and mankind, not the dancing around stonehenge kind of force, but the simple understanding of life and death as equal parts of natures cruel and yet nourishing sides?
I am very interrested in religion, and especially individual belief, wich is something compleatly different from the politics of churches. So Im just curious about this(not trying to be smart and make anyone contradict one self).

Last summer I read a short story by Elisabeth Hand. It was about an old Hippie that had become an old Pagan patriarc among his many old friends. He had gotten really in to the viking paganism and had traveled all around the world with his wife. Now, the story was about his last weeks in life, dying from cancer. It told of the burial preparations, last goodbyes to his wife and old friends (a crowd of old hippies, pagans and other outcasts of this brave new world) that held wake at his house; and finally the funeral itself. It was written with such love and respect for these people and their pagan mix of everyday rituals and art of living; I am half convinced the autor must have been throug something similar (but then again, Hand is simply one of the best authors I know, the little stuff I read by her). It made a big impression onh me. Think it was called “Pavane for a prince of the air”.

Also a thought: many of these hyborian age gods or demons likely had some sort of lovecraftian extraterrestrial or extradimensional physical origin ( though explanation beyond human capacity).I’m gonna guess that alot of the sorcery that was taught by the gods in these stories to men was also an advanced science taught crudely to men from these beings,beyond our understanding but not beyond our ability to perform( crudley and this is just conjecture of course absolutely not fact)The ones that were real and witnessed in the hyborian world, anyway.My best evidence supporting any of this is the last part of tower of the elephant when yag kosha tells his story up to yaras demise.

thats a real good point.yeah I remember that part of the story, it’s considered one of the weaker howard bits but i always liked it.As for conan and the earth bound deities, though he would” not tread on their shadow” he certainly didn’t seem to worship them either,(even crom) nor did their existence seem to impede him .Question though: most of these gods were named or created by howard, correct? does anyone know if some of these gods were thrown in by decamp or carter or nyberg? and which ones were and were not?I’m almost certain most were howards but some of them were given a more fleshed out backround by decamp and co.( nothing against them in this case of course, just trying to separate what howards design was and what wasn’t) I know decamp made conan a bit more religious in his adventures, but I’m thinking in respect to what conan’s creator may have had in mind.

As I understand it Paganism is a worship of earth and nature itself more than any given deity. A fundamental respect and understanding of the wild and the elements -to exist in harmony, to give and recieve in equal measures. The balance and equilibrium of life itself. Something mankind has unfortunately lost contact with as recent events on the Mexican coast can atest too. We have harnessed nature therefore think we can govern and control it. It will proove our doom. Wikipedia give a crash course run down on Paganism which I found informative. Bear in mind perception and belief comes down to the individual. M: Existentially I like to think Conan as being the physical manifestation of paganism. If, as you suggest, he was not a spiritual pagan in his youth in later years I would see him as the jaded king who becomes wise and finds the true meaning of what it means to be ‘a barbarian’. Just a thought.

Thank you simon, that actually cleared up alot for me. Yes, its hard to be a carnivore and still pay respect for nature, but that is mostly because of the morbid meat industry destroying all decensy and gratitude towards the world we live in. Your hunting makes alot more sense to me, even if killing is the last instinct I myself feel whenever I suddenly find myself stared down by a dear across some clearing.

m, I dont think Howard created many of the gods he mention (perhaps that ancient beast god of the picts, jhebbal sag, or what his name was). Crom is surely a wersion of the celtic god Crom Cruach (the one bathing in blood); I have also seen mentioning other celtic gods like Mananan, the sea god. Mitra is one of the most important sumerian gods, and I think Howard made god use of all these ancient names to bring about that prehistoric feel. A nice touch, I think is that those northen counties, Aesir and Vanir, correspond to the two different “families” of gods in the norse panteon (called Aesir and Vanir); which clearly indicates that howard had a rather profane understanding of mythmaking and divinity.
I think Conan pray to crom each time his sword or axe gets a fresh stain of hot red. there are other ways to pray than words;) But I think you have an interresting point. Just take “Beyond the black river”. The somewhat older Conan clearly takes side for civilizasion and against the barbarous horde (because they are picts). They have a priest of the Old nature faith to summon wild beasts thought extinct. And Conan chose to do his best to fight them of. It says right out that the only time life blaze in his eyes is the time he participate in slaughter and bloodshed. I think this story is very interresting for the evolvement of Conan and to his allegiances. Also, he apparantly already has his mind on becoming something big in the world, saying he has not yet been a king, and that he might try that;)In the end I think he just use what he think will get the job done. His superstition usually give way to “do what have to be done” I think.

Bulfnchs mythology is a great resource to where howard may have gotten many of his names.I know he didnt so much create them rather reftit them to his mythology and perhaps hint at origin for historical myth.I love all of your points too.You guys always give me alot to think on.I found the picts and the prehistoric norsemen( vanir ,aesir) a bit more of pagan than say cimmerians. one reason is what little is known of them( we never meet any that i remember other than conan)and that they’re just returned from a stone age degeneration and probably just discovering a spiritual aspect to their nature.How they enjoy the kill the hunt , mating so to speak ,it is only starting to come together, which may be why their idea of a god crom, is just barely existant or relevant in their lives, he only provides the guts to do the basics to them. in the eyes of the cimmerians, he wont provide the basics( food shelter,water, harvest) for them and barely acknowledges them as his people. I don’t know how jaded conan was as a king, i think more bored ( coulped with those damnable black moods)with the day to day goings as a statesmen, but I do see your point.I think Kull was more jaded ( and more paranoid rightly so and far more somber, though conan had those dark moments too). and no matter what we choose to believe in,we can adapt to nature, we can harness its strength but one thing we can never do ( and should stop trying) is to conquer it.the nature of this planet wins everytime.and when we inadvertantly awaken dagon cthluhu and godzilla we’re really in the shit!

( im looking at this as objectively as i can with as few as my own prejudices as i can)1: at least according to the synopsis,conan is the last of his tribe and not of his people…thats easier to swallow.2:he makes the revenge seem to be a small part of something bigger,which can imply something positive. the positive being, is conan is thinking in his own interest and gets caught up in larger plotting.which i think we talked about that this often happens to him. he gets caught up in these large plots by circumstance, or crossing paths with his own agenda and plows through them.3: toth amon, hmmm don’t know how to take this. If he is more a macguffin( (hope i used this correctly im not a lit major!;i think the queen fits that more?) than key player, I can take that , as thats how howard had him most of the time. If he(toth amon) is really the villain of this movie, I’m not crazy about it, as I think it would detract from what stephen lang will bring. Or long in the toth is being set up as the villain for the next flick(s).He became more prominent in decamps conan, i think more than howard.and now on a personal note,and i may face disagreement , but this khalar singh( or zym or smith!)is becoming a more and more interesting character to me,with motives I can accept, some of which remind me of milius, how he evolves from a warlord to sorting to supernaturalism to consolidate his power to protecting his heir( insuring his bloods future and success on the earth.) thulsa was not the same so much in exectution (it seems to be implied thulsa is one of the last of his race, he also seeks power and uses what is to humans supernatural means) but the motives and means to power have a similar complexity, at least by implication. lang is a good salesman if anything else,he has my ear!. I wont sayhoward until i see him in execution. I still think Conan’s grandfather( LEMMY HAHA) would have been better representation of a past but i am really over it.Lang implies this is a two hour movie,which could be fine as long as it doesnt go over too much.

Steve- The commercial will show a multitude of shots of Jason Momoa standing bare chested in a waterfall whipping back his hair in slo-mo as droplets of water cascade down his gliistening tanned torso… The problem is that is not a joke- as all of us here know. “Solomon Kane” out on d.v.d over here in the U.K. as of yesterday.

Yeah I see a torrent for the 1080p version of solomon kane. I wonder since it’s the UK release, did they censor it like they did with the Conan movies? Do they still do that?

been reading my solomon kane book. it started off good but its all turning into “african jungle adventures” towards the middle.I’m waiting for the talking gorilla sidekick to show, its anoying me cause i liked the first african story or two, but the victorian type setting was better stuff. its okay ,but so far cormac mac art still my fave,( conan is my fave of course but these are of the other characters of howard ive read, looking for el borak, but hes hard to come across. gotta see if he’s in my copy of eons ofthe night) but i’ve reread a bran mak morn story or to as well , and he may beat cormac out .I get the sense howard really did lie these picts, as there’s more motivation in the writing. the bit with kull coming through time to help in the one story was kinda lame, though it’s fun to read him bitch out wulfhere.