CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) TWIN BROTHERS FIRST TIME WATCHING MOVIE REACTION!

[@jdovma1]

RIP Basil Poledouris. One of the most incredible scores ever composed.

[@bronzewand]

🙏100%

[@kurtbarlow9402]

This score is on "Peter and the Wolf" level. Musical storytelling.

[@lordpuki1375]

The first time I went to Pennsic we had this soundtrack blasting the entire 16-hour drive. By the time we arrived we were truly ready for war... And yes, my personal weapon was the Tuch-Ux Warhammer. I walked out onto the battlefield and began playing Whack-A-Mole...

[@kingfield99]

Robocop too.

[@charlesballard5251]

You said it, so I don't have to.

[@operative2136]

Before the Lord of the Rings movies, this was one of the few films that actually presented the fantasy genre in film respectfully.

[@silvasurfa7962]

Lore of Conan is older than LOTR.

[@robertwrase6026]

This, Excalibur, and Dragonslayer were my go to fantasy films growing up

[@Cau_No]

The first Conan story was published in 1932. This movie came out 1982, exactly 50 years later and now itself is 40 years old …

[@frommymind4639]

T..R..U..T..H

You must include _The Beastmaster_ in there too, in fact both opened the same year, and… _The Beastmaster_ > _Conan The Barbarian_ _Conan The Destroyer_ > _Conan The Barbarian_

[@Cadinho93]

"What is best in life?" "To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women." Fun Fact: James Earl Jones was a last-minute addition to the cast because of his commitments on Broadway. He and Arnold Schwarzenegger became friends on-set; Arnold Schwarzenegger helped James Earl Jones stay in shape and James Earl Jones coached Arnold Schwarzenegger on acting; so did Max von Sydow, which Arnold Schwarzenegger called Max von Sydow the first "incredible dramatic actor" he ever worked with. He finds Max von Sydow's performance "staggering." Also, Basil Poledouris' score for this movie is a classic.

[@Tuberiascaesar]

Actual quote from ghengis khan i'm told.

[@OverlordMake]

@@Tuberiascaesar The actual quote is event more metal: "The Greatest Happiness is to scatter your enemy and drive him before you. To see his cities reduced to ashes. To see those who love him shrouded and in tears. And to gather to your bosom his wives and daughters." ~ Genghis Khan

[@embran8486]

And hilariously parodied in Terry Pratchett's Color of Magic: mongol commander: 'What is best in life?' 90+ year old retired hero Cohen (not Conan) missing teeth: 'hot water, good dentishtry and shoft lavatory paper' 🤣😂🤣

[@Tuberiascaesar]

@@OverlordMake and what is to stop his wives and daughters from slitting your throat in your sleep.

[@TacTicMint]

Almost as good a quote as "Fuck the soup"

[@houseofaction]

"He is conan, cimmerian, he won't cry, so i cry for him" is my favorite line of any movie

[@AndyBestHP]

The whole sequence where they raid Mount Doom to kidnap/rescue the princess, from smearing on the camouflage paint, the kitchens, the fighting, the snake transformation, to the snake arrow on the way out - is masterful. A perfect mix of the visual and cinematic storytelling skill of the director, which you guys mentioned in your recap, and the genre/action beats. I am Gen X and old AF, but when we were younger teens playing D&D 1st and 2nd edition, this movie on VHS was the gold standard.

[@diakojim1977]

👍👍👍

[@jenniferdarling6]

Hell yes

[@gibbletronic5139]

Good times.

[@marcovacca9144]

Andy Best. I'm also a GenXer. Great time to be a teen.

[@georgiaann4402]

Gen X here as well. I collected nearly all of the Conan the Barbarian comics and I so regret giving them away. I loved that series

[@Mugthraka]

THIS MOVIE is so much deeper and better than people would think. Its an absolute master piece of Sword and Sorcery.

[@beardedretroguy6428]

The sword being made at the beginning of the film is known as the Father’s Sword. The runes etched down the center of the blade are actually stylized letters. They say: “SUFFER NO GUILT, YE WHO WIELD THIS IN THE NAME OF CROM.” Conan’s sword that he finds in the cavern is known as the Atlantean Sword, because the corpse he found it with was supposed to be from Atlantis.

[@johnnorton971]

. Albion swords still sells exact (with better metal) replicas of the original movie swords.

[@jakedee4117]

@@johnnorton971 What would be the weight of that sword ? It's like 5 foot of steel.

[@johnnorton971]

@@jakedee4117 It's actually on the short side and too heavy compared to real combat swords.

[@raifthemad]

@@johnnorton971 Well it worked well enough against the monster in Stranger things :P

[@keithmays8076]

The Atlantian Sword I think was about 10lbs. That was the one he was doing his kata with. Which is pretty impressive since it would have been a hell of workout even for him.

[@peteturner3928]

Basil Poledouris knocked it of the park with the musical score for this film, it blew me away as a kid in 1982 and is still one of my all time favourites.

[@ferencivanics9980]

Absolutely!

[@WorldOfConan]

Absolutely one of the greatest scores of all time, if not the best! Basil is a legend!

[@WorldOfConan]

@@Drizzt853 another movie that has a great score by Basil is The Hunt for Red October. Great score in that one aswell. Also funny if you listen to Total Recalls score by Jerry Goldsmith another legend the theme is clearly influenced by Conans theme haha. I think he even admitted it, great score aswell!

[@lordpuki1375]

The first time I went to Pennsic we had this soundtrack blasting the entire 16-hour drive. By the time we arrived we were truly ready for war... If you are unfamiliar with Pennsic, look it up on KZbin. And yes, my personal weapon was the Tuch-Ux Warhammer. I walked out onto the battlefield and began playing Whack-A-Mole...

[@UnclePengy]

There was a lot of "O Fortuna!" vibes in Basil's score for this film.

[@jimtatro6550]

This is still my favorite Arnold movie, everything is great and the musical score is perfect…R.I.P. Basil Polodoris

[@passengerj0138able]

You're right . This is Arnold's best movie.

[@chrisschultz6129]

James Earl Jones also added that little extra to put this movie over the edge into legendary status

[@terrylandess6072]

Was this the first of many movies with Arnold and Sven-Ole Thorsen?

[@80s_monsterkid28]

@@terrylandess6072 yup. Then it was the Running Man, Predator, Conan the Destroyer, Red Heat and plenty more.

[@TheGovernor-vw9cf]

Rip James earl jones.

[@stephenfitzgerald9769]

My father once described this this movie as the Manliest Opera Ever… about ten minutes of dialogue and two hours of the most fantastic music ever. From the very first note of the OST to the last, it’s AMAZING!! Glad you guys liked it.

[@robertcherman]

This movie and The Beastmaster got played at our house so much when I was a kid that they both have a special place in my heart.

[@jenniferdarling6]

We wore out these tapes at our house too 👍

[@paulleach3612]

Same, but with Excalibur also.

[@spencertucker2902]

Along with Sword and the Sorcerer and Clash of the Titans. Perfect childhood

[@robertcherman]

@@spencertucker2902 yeah, I always forget about Sword in the Sorcerer.

[@mage1439]

@@jenniferdarling6 Tapes? Beastmaster played nonstop on TBS throughout the 80s.

[@regularguy8110]

Max von Sydow killed as the king. His talk about gold losing it's luster and having nothing left but his love for his daughter always gets me. Great video.

[@BaldOldGermanDude]

Finally someone acknowledges the awesomeness of the score.

[@BanjoSick]

It’s one of the most lauded film scores of all time, what are you talking about?

[@BaldOldGermanDude]

@@BanjoSick Talking about that most people i watch this movie with or even most reaction videos i have seen to this movie don't praise the soundtrach as much as the twins. They really seem to be as blown away as i am when watching this movie.

[@ferencivanics9980]

I never seen an other movie that uses music on this way. Because of the unbelievable work of Basil Poledouris (RIP) and the way of how they used it, this movie deserves to be a GEM.

[@StrongStyleFiction]

One of the best music scores of all time.

[@44excalibur]

The scene with Conan, Subutai, and Valeria sneaking into the Tower of Set was based on a Conan story by Robert E. Howard called 'The Tower of the Elephant,' only the story was even freakier, with man eating lions surrounding the tower, and a giant spider at the top, and some weird alien creature at the base of the tower.

[@OneEyedJack1970]

A weird alien creature resembling the Hindu god Ganesh.

[@legionaireb]

Pretty much every version of Conan I've ever seen has done this story in one form or another.

[@domenicgalata1470]

Subutai was the name of Genghis Khan’s General. He was key to the Mongols expansion. And the mountains of bones they left in their wake.

[@Wolf-bz6kq]

It was one of his lovecraft references they were close colleagues

[@Mugthraka]

The movie plot is a mix of 4-5 of Howards shorts. The Tower of the Elephant as you mentioned it, and the Queen of the Black Coast served as a basis for Valeria and her love with Conan and also for the final fight at the funeral mounds( while in the book, it was in an Aztec like Ziggurat)

[@edwardodson2867]

"James Earl Jones with a LUSCIOUS MANE?" That's it. You win KZbin movie reactions with that line. I hope never to hear a better reaction line for fear of entering a convulsion of acclamation.

[@mxplixic]

He wasn't the Lion King for nothing. 😁

[@punchfisttop]

This film is top notch and EPIC on every level! So glad you guys liked it!!!

[@DavidPadilla-mm6qz]

It's Legendary for real

[@rosslumbus]

In the novels, one of Conan's biggest threats is the Snake people. Humanoids with the ability to produce illusions and hypnotise. The would appear as people. Valeria as a Valkyrie was the one who saved him after she had died. Thulsa staring and his sing song voice whether calling done the girl or stopping his mother from attacking was hynotising them. He tried it with Conan and almost hypnotised him

[@voxdraconia4035]

The original Howard-Novel have no snake people, even Thulsa Doom is never meeting Conan in person. Kull the Conquerer is fighting against the Snake-People. Later authors, the comics probably and the saturday morning cartoon also had snake-people as Conan's arch enemies, but its all going back to Kull and Conan being mixed up by adaptions. Like Red Sonja as we know her is not part of Howards original Conan Stories

[@rosslumbus]

@@voxdraconia4035 The original Conan the Barbarian novel that was penned by Robert Howard did not. Howard wrote many Conan stories. Many were finished in his lifetime, many were finished off and there were many that were ghostwritten by writer with the blessing of his estate. The snake people are featured as original antagonists of Kull the conqueror who was the ancestor and I argue the template for Conan. Yes he did feature in other mediums but then I did not speak about that and though as a small child I did read the comics I admit I never saw the cartoons you mention. I have read all the Conan books though and his Kull, Cormac, El Borak, Bran Mak Morn, Cormac and Solomon Kane books. But you are correct that ONE book you state that he wrote, they did not appear. It is also true that this is the angle that they are trying to express. It is also true that Thulsa Doom is the merging of the Thoth Amon of Conan and Thulsa Doom of Kull comics. It is also true that neither Thoth nor Thulsa were snake people or given to turning into snakes and both were wizards of immense powers who worshipped Set.

[@Mugthraka]

The ending is litteraly the barbarian having a Nat 20 on his WIS saving throw Vs Suggestion spell ;p

[@rosslumbus]

Ha! Stright facts!@@Mugthraka

[@joshuawood3055]

Thulsa Doom telling Conan that he doesn't remember killing his people specifically but he's certain he killed a lot of people is one of my favorite flexes in film

[@mage1439]

It's the OG "but for me, it was Tuesday."

[@S_047]

Do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down?

[@joshuawood3055]

@@S_047 in quiet words of Mary to her husband Joseph Come Again?

[@technofilejr3401]

Thulsa’s whole demeanor was like “I had a lot of issues back then. What can I say?”

[@renzero9206]

Valeria (the Valkyrie) came back as she said she would. There is a scene earlier where she says " If I were dead and you were still fighting for life, I'd come back from the darkness. Back from the pit of hell to fight at your side." It is also the price (her life) she said she would pay when they healed Conan. The wizard said the demons demand a heavy price. Valeria tells him she will pay it. Amazing movie and Basil Polidouris score is one of the best in cinema history.

[@technofilejr3401]

Valeria - OG ride or die chick!!

[@thrawn5k]

The soundtrack is so amazing, its like you are getting to watch a song. From start to finish, its nearly perfect

[@smallvillefan72]

I think Arnold had like half a page of dialogue for the entire film and its still a glorious performance.

[@jeanpaulmedellin]

Nobody will be able to be Conan as Arnold was. He had literally a perfect body for the part, tons of screen charisma, and a very thick accent that helped us believe we were in a far away land. Add one of the most badass soundtracks for fantasy movies, a great supporting cast, and you have a classic.

[@Zeitgeist6]

Fun fact: He had to lose muscle to for this movie because he couldn't swing the sword properly.

[@carmencunningham6340]

My grandmother recorded over our VHS copy of this because she didn't like us watching it. Years later I bought the DVD and called her to tell her she couldn't record over this one.

[@admontblanc]

Based and revenge-pilled.

[@kaidt5861]

This, Conan the Destroyer, Red Sonja, Willow, Beastmaster, Krull, Legend, and lots of those old fantasy movies were so good.

[@handigeharrie9550]

Lol no Conan the destroyer and Red Sonja were awefull movies, only good about it was again the soundtrack.

[@boondoggle42]

Had all of those on Betamax as a kid.

[@kaidt5861]

@@handigeharrie9550 I enjoyed them. Movies don't have to be cinematic masterpieces to just enjoy them, lol. I just enjoy watching 80s horror and fantasy as comfort. The execution may not have been great but can enjoy the creativity of it.

[@kaidt5861]

@@boondoggle42 lol never had a betamax to my knowledge, only remember having VCRs. I do remember seeing those big tapes though.

[@faithshade1430]

@@kaidt5861 beta max tapes were actually smaller than vhs tapes

[@Mike-wr7om]

The music and art direction of this film are incredible! The imagery, costumes, sets, the atmosphere, the music: it creates an almost perfect stew of badassery! This world feels real; it doesn't feel like a movie. You feel like you actually travelled far back in time to this strange ancient, barbarian world.

[@XenoTUF]

My father and I bonded over this film. Classic and timeless ❤️❤️❤️

[@simonfive1874]

This was the first movie I watched with my dad, and begin a life long obsession with arnie films. I named my first born son Conan, to remember what I had with my dad.

[@justafan7472]

Funny thing for me is that this was my mom's favorite movie. Which was great in our house since she had 5 sons. She just always loved the sword and sorcery stories. Plus my brother's and I read all the comics, and this was probably the first fantasy movie that was actually taken seriously. It was always a go to in our house if it was raining outside. That or American werewolf in London. My mom's second favorite movie, I had a cool mom.

[@Julusnc]

A very cool and understanding mother! God Bless her!

[@deadstellarengine]

kinda in the same vein, Excalibur directed by John Boorman is another excellent 80's movie that doesn't get enough credit as being just great!

[@sunnybee2439]

Saw it last year for the first time, loved it!

[@monsterkhan3414]

Conan the Barbarian is one of the all-time great sword and sorcery movies! Another great movie similar to Conan you two should react to is "Highlander" (1986).

[@azazello1784]

It would have been more great if Conan died.

[@carpediem9750]

ti be fair is there any other movie about sword and sorcery?

[@monsterkhan3414]

"Dragonslayer" (1981), "Ladyhawke" (1985), "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy.@@carpediem9750

[@TheEyez187]

@@carpediem9750 There's a lot!

[@JamesDatWork]

The crazy thing is, they wanted to use Rock/Metal music for this at first and the director said No. So they hired Basil Poledouris (sp?) and created some of the best/manliest fantasy music ever in a film.

[@Binary79]

"Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!" What a intro from Mako for one of the greatest fantasy films of the time. A lot of great scenes with minimal dialogue and a killer soundtrack.

[@StephenCinAZ]

R.I.P. Mako. Just as good an actor on-camera as he was with only his voice.

[@quantumjukebox8034]

This is a phenomenal masterpiece of filmography. Glad you enjoyed it. It was filmed in Spain, for example the rocky location where Conan meets the witch in her cabin is called the "Enchanted City", because of the fantasy looking natural rock formations. Jorge Sanz (young Conan) became a famous actor, and Nadiuska (Conan's mother) was a famous model at that time. John Milius, the director, also scripted "Apocalypse Now". Conan's character was first published in comics in Mexico, if I recall it right, long before it was in the US.

[@Swordsfor200Alex]

His father was played by legendary actor William Smith. Was in several Clint Eastwood films including "Any Which Way You Can". Yep, Howard created the character in the 1930's and it was published by Marvel Comics until 1970's

[@the-NightStar]

*phenomenal Learn to spell, dammit.

[@quantumjukebox8034]

@@the-NightStar No prob, fixed it, those of us who are not native English tend to use our own language words by default.

[@OneEyedJack1970]

Thulsa Doom was human. Thousands of years old, he was originally a wizard from Atlantis who survived the cataclysm. He worshipped the snake god Set, and could transform into a snake during rituals and stuff. He was able to hypnotize people with his gaze and/or his speech (as he did with Conan's mother, and tried to do with Conan).

[@KublaVeruca]

Ya. I saw this a a kid and I remember my mom laughing, "Is that James Earl Jones as a Viking?" And he did look kinda goofy in that wig, but someone told me that the Atlanteans were very dark with straight hair... Not sure if that is from the Robert E. Howard lore or the Marvel Lore.....Or if it's even anecdotally true... It may have been the director....I recall he was all into that stuff.... But that is what I heard... along with what you mentioned...

[@ravenstrategist1325]

@@KublaVeruca Atlanteans were Conan' ancestors so not dark at all.

[@poppletop8331]

@@KublaVeruca Maybe the stories of Atlanteans being very dark is not far from the truth, check out the Eye of the Sahara in Mauritania. Seems as good as any place to be the real Atlantis.

[@KublaVeruca]

@@ravenstrategist1325 I thought Conan was Cimmarian?

[@KublaVeruca]

@@poppletop8331 Yeah, that theory has been around a while now. I remember my buddy telling me about it like 20 years ago. The rub being the elevation. Other then that, seems really plausible. I also remember there was another interesting theory about ummm Peru? Where Lake Titicaca is... Atlan was a person or city there... And of course the Minoans...

[@smallvillefan72]

One of my all time favorite movies AND one of the best movie soundtracks ever scored. Honestly every track is perfection.

[@lordpuki1375]

The first time I went to Pennsic we had this soundtrack blasting the entire 16-hour drive. By the time we arrived we were truly ready for war... If you are unfamiliar with Pennsic, look it up on KZbin. And yes, my personal weapon was the Tuch-Ux Warhammer. I walked out onto the battlefield and began playing Whack-A-Mole...

[@kendric2000-q3d]

I wish Arnold would have made a Conan the King movie, with Conan as an elder seasoned warrior. One who must go on a quest to save his child, paralleling the message from King Osric.

[@txlyons2937]

About 20 years ago, Arnold was actually in talks to do Conan the King, but he decided to run for governor of California instead.

[@lordpuki1375]

@@txlyons2937 it wasn't because he "chose" to be governor, it was because the talks broke down due to the problems securing the rights from the current owner. Arnold has been trying to get King Conan made for more than two decades...

[@kelaarin]

Schwarzenegger still wants to make the third movie happen. He's working on it.

[@willcool713]

Still my favorite Arnold movie. I love putting this movie on for background noise when I'm gaming. Ron E Howard developed the character long before Lord of the Rings. The movie is faithful to the Swords and Sorcery High Fantasy of that era and the general spirit of the character. Feels like my early days of gaming, the adventure, the wonder.

[@mikem1406]

By far this is in my top 3 for soundtracks along with Conan the Destroyer.

[@cuttyr74]

I couldn't stand the second Conan 😢

[@missmisher]

I liked The Destroyer better!

[@gawainethefirst]

“He is Conan. Cimarian. He won’t cry, so I cry for him.” Subotai- a true Ride or Die bro

[@TheFrugalVideoGamer]

Part of why Thulsa had that staredown with Conan's mother is that, in a deleted scene, she'd showed herself capable of at *least* matching her husband's kill count - his Generals were reluctant to approach her, so Thulsa hypnotized her in order to land the killing blow. Oh, and Thulsa Doom's response to Conan was put even better by M. Bison in the "Street Fighter" movie. "For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life! But for me... it was Tuesday." And it is such a *stone cold* thing to say, because you're just bragging about how trivial that event was to start with. And fun fact - Arnold had to *lose* muscle in order to play the role, as he was straight-up too beefy to actually wield a sword otherwise.

[@azazello1784]

Arnold seemed to lose some brain cells as well.

[@Chris-ci8vs]

That "fact" sounds like bullshit...

[@Chris-ci8vs]

Just check and yep, BS.

[@TheFrugalVideoGamer]

@@Chris-ci8vs Got a source? From what I learned, what I posted was part of a deleted scene - not sure if it was the cutting room room floor or cut from filming

[@mohanicus]

Did you notice after conan gets his sword and he chops the chain off his leg when the dogs move in again..in the next scene he's wearing the dogs..a truly fantastic movie with one of the best music soundtracks ever made

[@hdtripp6218]

They should continue that through the movie...next scene he kills a witch, cut to him running with a human skin pelt over his shoulders...

[@brianmcgarry1632]

Kill Thulsa then gets a pair of snake skin boots

[@WorldOfConan]

Glad you guys loved it! You really nailed it with your thoughts on the movie, saw what the movie was going for and the unfortunate lack of similiar style in todays movies. This is a very special movie. James Earl Jones really is incredbile in this, Hails to Conan!

No lack of style in today's movies but more in the lack of both craftsmanship and talent.

[@WorldOfConan]

@ well i meant with style like all encompassing way of making a movie. Not just style as in how something looks cool or whatever but everything. So i agree with you on craftmanship and talent.

[@Bill-oe6pw]

John Milius not only directed this but wrote the screenplay, too. Milius was also screenwriter for Apocalypse Now, Jaws, and Dirty Harry. The man can write interesting action movies.

[@rhaenyralikesyoutube6289]

I wish the director didn't delete the one cameo scene he was in where he was selling the lizards on sticks, a real tongue in cheek satire of McDonald's. 😂

[@haldunb3848]

My first time ever liking the video before watching. I am that confident this is going to be amazing

[@simonfive1874]

Congratulations on watching the greatest movie ever made. Good job twin brothers.

[@azazello1784]

I hope that's sarcasm.

[@rodgill9376]

I like how the boys was rocking out to the musical score was a fun treat. Its rare to see that.

[@Cadian575]

THANK YOU! for being one of the first react channels to appreciate how good the music to this movie is, this movie is almost operatic in the way the music tells the story more than the actual dialogue.

[@CChissel]

Fuck yeah! This movie is great! Man, I miss movies like this, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to. By the way, at the beginning, pushing the wheel of… pain, Conan is the only one left because the rest died and, “that which doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” that phrase is inherent in that scene, he became strong because it did not kill him like the others. There’s so much symbolism in this film, it’s insane. Almost every scene has symbolism and tells more of the story in subtle ways, it’s really great story telling but can be easily missed, which I like.

[@sharkdentures3247]

Yep, I've seen this movie many, many times since it came out. And I remember a number of years later, someone explained to me the symbolism of the tomb scene (where Conan got his sword). That it was the "past king" "bowing" to the "future king"! So cool! Like you said, SO much great symbolism! (I probably STILL don't know ALL of it, nor EVERY "interpretation" of it!)

[@snakeplisskin2570]

I've been watching this movie for 30yrs, don't know how many times watched, one of my favs

[@Krommer1000]

FANTASTIC reaction! You guys even managed to watch the theatrical version, which is the better version for me. You probably noticed, but it wasn't clear from how it was edited, that was Valeria that came back from the dead to save his life, as she told him she would earlier in the movie.

[@OneEyedJack1970]

I think that prayer to Crom might have had something to do with it too.

[@paulleach3612]

@@OneEyedJack1970 Crom cares nothing for your prayers.

[@honovy4393]

@@paulleach3612 Then the HELL with you...

[@Thor_Odinson]

Except our reactors refer to her as a "guardian angel".......ummmm NOPE she's a freaking Valkyrie

[@OneEyedJack1970]

@@paulleach3612 True enough, but valor pleases him. That's the kind of thing he might decide to reward.

[@darkhoursofday6250]

Growing up in the 80s, this and Highlander were my go-to movies. Maybe Army of Darkness too. I was like 8 years old watching those three movies over and over. I got into blacksmithing and swordmaking because of this movie. The Atlantean sword (Conan's) is still one of my all time favorite blades ever. So dang cool.

[@shainewhite2781]

"And when the seas drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, there was an age undreamed of, and unto this, Conan destined to wear the crowned jewel of Acquilloina upon a troubled brow and it is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee if this saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure." Cue badass music.

[@sharonpopolow6874]

That musical score still brings goosebumps to my skin. I remember as a kid in middle school and high school, while hating classical music but STILL liking this score and being able to listen to it on its own- my father had a cassette of famous movie scores for that time- pretty much consisted of Star Wars, Conan, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc).

[@jimmyzee7040]

This was a classic back when it came out and put Arnold on the road to greatness. It still holds up today. This story was co written by Oliver Stone who directed such classics as Platoon, JFK, Natural Born Killers, Wall Street, The Doors, Born on the Fourth of July, among others.

[@LeviAckerman-cb5ji]

"If you do not subscribe to OctoKrool...THEN TO HELL WITH YOU!"

[@RichardX1]

Basil Poledouris, the composer of this film's score, also composed the score for the original Robocop. The wizard was played by Mako, who would go on to voice the demon Aku in "Samurai Jack" and Iroh in (the first two seasons of ) "Avatar: The Last Airbender". This is one of the few films not to have the "No animals were harmed" disclaimer... because of that scene with the camel (which I've heard did not survive that punch).

[@KrushgrooveOG]

Thank you I was just about to mention Robocop.. which is my second favorite score of Basils.

[@submandave1125]

Actually, the lack of "No animals were harmed" disclaimer is a darker tale. This film and the director got a lot of grief because of the use of trip wires in the battle at the ruins. IIRC, the horse the final guy was riding, which Conan supposedly chopped the legs off, had to be put down after breaking its leg in the stunt.

[@kelaarin]

They got grief for the camel stunt...so they put a joke about it in the sequel - he meets the camel again.

[@submandave1125]

@@kelaarin I remember an interview on Letterman where Arnold said the camel punch wasn't scripted, that the camel was an a-hole and kept biting him, so after several takes he just got pissed off and punched it. Not sure if that's true or just a story he told, but it was funny.

[@emmabauer1906]

@@submandave1125 camels will spit on you & bite you.

[@paulieluppino1856]

5:01 .....Small fact: Young Conan was played by spanish actor Jorge Sanz. For those who doesn't know him (which is understandable), he is the spanish equivalent of Zack Ward (Y'a know, the kind of actor that got famous at a young age, and that despite being actually good actors, they are allways remembered as "Oh, yeah, that kid from the movie").....

[@mOviEmAkEr267676]

Yeah, he is Jorge Sanz 😃: I'm from Spain and he is well remembered and respected in here. He appeared on a lot of movies and TV series and still does. Of course he is not as famous now when he was a little younger, but every spaniard can recognize him nowadays. Another fun fact that this movie was filmed in Spain!!

[@paulieluppino1856]

@@mOviEmAkEr267676 En Andalucía, si no me equivoco..... (Yo de Galicia ;)

[@mOviEmAkEr267676]

@@paulieluppino1856 Ah vale, entonces conoces bien los datos. Se rodó en muchos sitios: Almería, Cuenca, Madrid, Segovia y Ávila... Pensaba que eras otro de los muchos americanos que hay por aquí y poco conocen dónde se rodó esta gran película. 😆

[@Imagination_Station2224]

One of the best revenge movies of all time! One of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best films in my humble opinion.

[@RedEdgedSavage]

Was his breakthrough movie..my personal favorite of his

[@fullmoonprepping4024]

I grew up reading the Conan books. There is no hero like him. He was the first real fantasy hero. Written in the 30s by a true badass. This movie is great but doesn't quite capture him.

[@jean-mi1825]

Thulsa Doom is also an enemy of Red Sonja. Chris Claremont (best X-Men writer EVER) wrote a story with Mary Jane Watson got possessed by Sonja's spirit, accidentally bringing Thulsa into modern New York, thanks to a magic necklace. It was used again, later on during a X-Men run. More recently, thanks to Disney/Marvel reacquiring the publishing rights for the Conan-verse, they publishedthe SavageAvengersComics, with a time displaced Conan fighting Thusla with some of the Avengers. Therefore,Thulsa Doom is probably the unique vilain being at the same time an enemy of Conan and Red Sonja, BUT ALSO of Spider-Man, the Avengers and the X-Men.

[@scipioafricanus9024]

The Riddle of Steel wasn’t the steel of a blade or the flesh that wields it. It’s will. The will to keep fighting and to pursue your destiny.

[@Anthonylokison]

I had just graduated a year before this movie came out at the theaters, the story, the music, the cinematography ... this movie became my favorite movie of all time, I loved it so much. I was a comic book collector back then and Marvel had Conan as one of their titles. There are so many good parts to this film, the raid at the beginning by Thulsa Doom, the Tattooed scout that jumped up on the rock smelling out the scent of their prey was played by fellow Body builder and Arnold's best friend "Franco Columbu", and when Thulsa Doom stared into Conan's mothers eyes it was as if she let her guard down because Doom was a Sorcerer that could turn into a snake and it was like hypnosis. The speech Doom gave before he crucified Conan, that power in his voice made him the perfect villain and cult leader. This movie remained my favorite until 1994 when I first watched "Pulp Fiction" which is my new favorite movie but Conan will always remain as my first real love for great films.

[@faithshade1430]

“…so I cry for him”. That’s the most ride or die shit in film history!

[@Mugthraka]

This movie is a CULT classic It single handedly launched a Sword & Sorcery/Barbarian craze in the 80's. Everything in this is iconic. Basil Poloudoris whi's the composer of the movie Soundtrack gave us one of THE best movie soundtracks, ALL of the songs in this are absolute bangers. There are layers to this movie, that you wouldn't suspect at first.

[@sinelo3965]

This film was shot in Spain, and in fact the role of the child Conan was played by a Spanish actor whose career had some importance in the country. The cave into which Conan falls fleeing from the dogs is probably an ancient burial site. The great thing about this film is that through the action and the music it appeals to the most basic feelings, it is enjoyed in a very visceral way

[@barreloffun10]

The novelization of the movie makes it explicit, that the "cave" is the tomb of an Atlantean general and his harem.

[@michaelweigel4822]

This is one of my all-time favorite movies growing up! Saw it in the theaters when I was a kid. I was a huge Conan fan. The comic books and the novels.. if you guys are into reading it all check out Robert e Howard's version of Conan since he is the creator of Conan. The books are on par with the Lord of the rings by Tolkien. This is what a true comic book hero looks like in a movie! Not the modern day sjw b******* that we've been given in the last couple decades. Conan was in my opinion still is the greatest of the marvel superheroes from the comic books. Thank you for watching this! This is just one of the best comic book hero movies ever!

[@jacquelinecallejas1390]

I read a bunch of Howard's fantasy stories set in the Hyborean Age (the mythical time of Conan) but I also really appreciated his horror stories. One in particular "Pigeons from Hell" is one of my favorites. Howard could really write. Did you know he committed suicide? Shame.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

You guys having clearly not grown up watching this movie are having the perfect reactions! Does me good to see younger folk feel the intensity I felt watching this for the first time decades ago...

[@cookware9796]

This is the movie that had me running around with a toy sword as a kid battling imaginary enemies.

[@dmitriyshiyko5071]

33:53 it was her!!!! "If I were dead and you still fighting for life, I'd come back from the darkness, back from the pit of hell to fight at your side"

[@BiggestDawgEver]

This is a great movie that accentuated Arnold's strengths and minimized his weaknesses. By having less dialogue it let Arnold act with his eyes and by having his companions deliver more dialogue it made their bond seem deeper. Subotai is the ultimate bro and Valeria is Conan's perfect woman. Even the Wizard becomes an important ally. The sequel is very different in tone but still pretty good.

[@MadMattInc1]

Fun fact, the fight with the giant snake they used live arrows to shoot the snake. The actor playing Subotai was nervous about missing, so the director stepped in off screen to make the shots. Also the director had one scene on screen in the movie where he sells the boys the lizards on a stick. (Yes that's what they were eating.) However to keep the pace up, he cut out his own bit, but some versions still have it either in the movie or as an extra on DVDs.

[@jp3813]

1982 produced many beloved film scores: Conan, ET, Wrath of Khan, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, etc... On the other end of the spectrum, you guys should also react to dialogue-heavy films like Aaron Sorkin's The Social Network & A Few Good Men.

[@thseed7]

I watched the Conan movies a thousand times each when I was a kid (41 years old). Absolutely love them. Conan The Barbarian, Conan The Destroyer and Red Sonja were necessary 80's kid viewing.

[@velociraptor3313]

I love this movie Arnold is fantastic as Conan, James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom and Mako as the Wizard. The actors and actresses are brilliant and the music is phenomenal. They certainly don't make movies like this anymore.

[@JovonHenry1049]

Thulsa Doom as I've gotten older has me even more intrigued. I'd love to see a prequel to this on his rise to power before Conan. I also noticed he only killed women in this movie. Conan's mother, girlfriend, the girl from the cliff and an attempt on the kings daughter as he rode off in defeat.

[@zephyr2five]

in the stories Thulsa Doom is a ventriliquist/hypnotist and wizard i think and is antagonist to robert E. Howard's character Kull of Atlantis which is set a millenia before Conan has his story.

[@IfYouAintBalsac]

I'm so glad you guys finally got around to this, knew you would love it!

[@georgiaann4402]

Conan's people were the Cimmerians and were descendants of the Atlanteans. The land they lived on was rich in iron and were known for the strength of their swords. That is why they were attacked. For the iron and knowledge. (When I was young, I use to have nearly all of the Conan the Barbarian comics and I kick myself often for giving them away) Edited to add: Crom was the name of the God that the Cimmerians worshipped. He was not a kind and benevolent God. He was always watching to pass instant judgement on his people.

[@jerryadams6799]

And Cimmeria and the Cimmerians were a real place and real people existing several hundred years B.C. It is now called Crimea.

[@seasickviking]

FUN FACT: Due to the giant wheel being incredibly easy to move, the Director had a bunch of stunt men pushing the wheel the opposite way, just so it looked like Arnold was struggling to move it.

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

Thulsa Doom is a kind of Wizard with mystic powers, who is also the last of his kind a dying race, he believed in the beginning that steel was something he could use to increase his power as a weapon, BUT came to believe it wasnt, but could become a threat to him, he beheads Conan's mother, to test it's power, in the end he decides the secret of Steel & how to forge it must die along with the Village folk, we can assume that metal had only been discovered recently, by the villagers

[@secondghost]

Fun fact: In the original VHS release right before Conan throws the witch in the fire you can see her tampon string.

[@jean-mi1825]

I haven't see the full version of your reaction. But if you didn't notice, after the camp battle, if Conan is raising 2 swords, it's because the second one (the one he broke during the fight) was his father's one. The one built during the opening credits and that Thulda used to decapitate Conan's mother.

[@megatoke]

I haven't even watched the video but already liked the video. Conan the Barbarian is one of my favorites. ps after watching your reactions and talking about the music and dialog here's a tidbit. They cast Arnold and as English is his 2nd language they wrote the script with very little dialog. They also decided to tell the story via the music and cinematography to compensate.

[@GForce_ART]

Basil Peladouris' score is honestly the best fantasy orchestral music ever composed. I listen to it all the time. HYPE.

[@bendailey6070]

Makoto Iwamatsu did a great job as narrator and playing the wizard. I hope you react to Conan the Destroyer and Red Sonja.

[@ChocolatierRob]

Thulsa was the last survivor of Atlantis. They gave him that long straight hair so he would look like he is of a unique (otherwise extinct) ethnicity.

[@StephenCinAZ]

Poledouris' score for this film remains one of my favorites to this day! ♪♫

[@mayorjimmy]

The last guy he killed in the graveyard wielded Conan's father's sword. The sword broke because it would not betray the son of it's creator. "This, you can trust."

[@adoringfan1924]

This is probably my favorite movie of all time. It’s just incredible and the soundtrack is amazing!

[@lordpuki1375]

The first time I went to Pennsic we had this soundtrack blasting the entire 16-hour drive. By the time we arrived we were truly ready for war... If you are unfamiliar with Pennsic, look it up on KZbin. And yes, my personal weapon was the Tuch-Ux Warhammer. I walked out onto the battlefield and began playing Whack-A-Mole...

[@charzanboo9940]

In the end, Conan wields his father's broken sword and Falsa Doom's head symbolizing neither had the answer to the riddle of steel. It is the strength of a man's will that determines the strength of steel and flesh.

[@Shawn-id7gc]

I needed this! This movie is great because of Basil Poledouris. Little dialogue just music. Thanks for react. Just finished and you 2 get it. The music paced the movie. Great take.

[@lordpuki1375]

The first time I went to Pennsic we had this soundtrack blasting the entire 16-hour drive. By the time we arrived we were truly ready for war... If you are unfamiliar with Pennsic, look it up on KZbin. And yes, my personal weapon was the Tuch-Ux Warhammer. I walked out onto the battlefield and began playing Whack-A-Mole...

[@legionaireb]

You compared the story elements to classic RPG games. The original stories of Conan by Robert Howard and other adventure stories of that generation were the direct inspiration for most of the elements in the RPGs we know and love.

[@jenniferdarling6]

This is in my top 5. I find it beautiful, important, well written, incredibly emotional and extremely underrated as a serious movie 🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 Thx guys

[@travd1147]

Your reaction reminded me of how I felt in the late 80's when I first saw this movie. Great reaction guys and thanks for sharing...

[@pedrothevenard]

This is in my top 10 movies of all time, there's little dialog, but a lot actually happens in the movie, the acting actually matches the era and the vibe of the movie, Arnold is awesome, pure charisma, James Earl Jones is absolutely amazing, the story is super satisfying, and the soundtrack is pretty much the best ever written, a couple other soundtracks maybe might match it, but not a single soundtrack is better, in my opinion. And in the end Conan learn that neither the steel nor the flesh is the mightiest, but the human Will, that can be tempered like steel, to overcomes everything.

[@ApolloCDR]

Fun fact: The actor playing Conan's archer/thief friend is Jerry Lopez. He was a world class big wave surfer in the late 70's early 80's. Conan's first line of dialogue is a shortened version of a quote often attributed to Genghis Khan: “The greatest pleasure is to vanquish your enemies and chase them before you, to rob them of their wealth and see those dear to them bathed in tears, to ride their horses and clasp to your bosom their wives and daughters.

[@hughjorg4008]

Since Pele died last week, I think the OctoKrool twins would like to watch Pele and Sylvester Stallone in *ESCAPE TO VICTORY* (1981 World War 2 movie)

[@michaelvroom9800]

I love how you guys react to the opening titles "There he is... Arnold. Oh! The man, the myth, the legend." Literally 1 second later "JAMES EARL JONES!!!!?" The cast was stacked in this film.

[@nessaarandur7740]

Yes, the music really told the story. Basil and Zoë Poledouris were responsible for this EPIC soundtrack. This movie is utterly rewatchable and the soundtrack smacks on its own. Sometimes I listen to it or the live orchestral performance while working and it sweeps you away, back to the movie or into an epic mindset. Conan the Destroyer is definitely not as good, it's very campy, but it is still really enjoyable. If you go into it knowing that it will not be the same experience in terms of soundtrack or cinematography, you will still enjoy it. Please react to it! That would be great. Sandahl Bergman played Valeria (you never hear her name in the movie, it's only in the credits), and if you want to see another VERY campy 80s sword and sorcery movie, she plays the villain, Queen Gedren, in Red Sonja. It also features Arnold as a supporting actor, but as a completely different character. It is much more PG, but there is a cool swordfight at the end between Sonja and Gedren.

[@alexkaen1701]

Conan, by Robert E. Howard, was written back in the 30's. It predates rpgs and definitely inspired that idea of adventure