" SVEN OLE THORSEN "

September 24th passed by and I was remiss in wishing movie bad guy SVEN OLE THORSEN a Happy Birthday!!! He's 70 years old now...still strong as an ox!!!

From wiki - " Known for his frequent appearances in Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, like Conan the Barbarian, as the hammer-wielding Thorgrim; The Running Man, as the sympathetic bodyguard Sven; and in Predator, where he played a one-second role as a Russian military advisor ('Knock Knock'). Some of his other most memorable characters have varied widely, from the gritty boater wearing security guard La Fours in Mallrats, to the unbeaten fighting legend Tigris of Gaul in Gladiator, and the witty Lt. Michael 'Tank' Ellis, Ground Assault Unit in Captain Power, to the menacing alien villain Secundus in Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, who is always hunting for the Anti-Life Equation without any success. Thorsen has been credited in fifteen Arnold Schwarzenegger movies (as of 2006) (twelve as actor, three as stuntman or trainer), making him Schwarzenegger's most frequent collaborator. It began with Conan the Barbarian, when Schwarzenegger brought Thorsen and other of his bodybuilder friends (like Franco Columbu) with him to shoot the movie. Later, when Thorsen moved to the United States, he met Schwarzenegger again while he was acting in the movie Commando. Thorsen helped with some of the stuntwork in that movie, and quickly found work in many of the subsequent Schwarzenegger films. In spite of Thorsen's thick Danish accent, his voice is almost never dubbed (an exception being Hard Target). Thorsen pursued his role as Tigris (of Gaul) in Gladiator for over a year, beating Lou Ferrigno for the part.[citation needed] The part won him two TAURUS World Stunt Awards[4] in the ceremony's inaugural year. Thorsen has founded various federations, including The Danish Bodybuilding Federation in 1979 and Cigar Night at Schatzi in Santa Monica, California along with Schwarzenegger. He has a black belt in Shotokan karate and holds championship titles"

Jason Momoa

Former CONAN - Jason Momoa sporting a Bowler hat or Derby if you prefer to call it that...arm wrestling someone who looks like Dean Cain to me.

WHO DAT!???

CONAN @ EIGHT- BIT NERDS

I found this at a site/blog called "Eight-Bit Nerds" It makes for a nice graphic...not certain who the artist is...but there is an identifying signature on the piece.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Relives Famous Quotes! (2013) [HD Compilation]

  Arnold quotes some his most famous one liners then pumps some IRON!!!

Conan the Barbarian Nominated for Best Makeup Saturn Award

Some of us hated it, some of us loved it, most of us thought it was "okay". But at least the folks in the make-up department (Shaun Smith and Scott Wheeler) on Conan the Barbarian are celebrating, because they've been nominated for a Saturn Award for best Make-up. And considering how they managed to make what I believe to be the impossible possible (me not being attracted to Rose McGowan), they deserve it!

Congrats, guys!

Thanks to "Smith" for the link!

Conan the Barbarian Movie Flubs!

CROM! reader and all around savage badass, Rrozum, sent me a couple of links to lists of flubs from the latest Conan movie installment, and I'm just now getting around to posting them (sorry, Rrozum, I swear I wasn't ignoring you!). I copy and pasted them here, or you can see the original list HERE or HERE.

Continuity 

During the chase scene when Tamara flees the temple, Conan's sword repeatedly disappears and reappears in between shots as he pursues Remo.  

 

During the chase scene; just after Tamara disconnects the coach that she was riding in from the horses that she is now riding, you see the coach tip forward, roll and shatter apart. In the next shot the coach is whole again and lands on the front and shatters for a second time. 

 

During the fight on the ship, it starts of being night, but ends being with the sun out.

Crew or equipment visible 

During the fight on the ship, Conan is thrown back onto a raised platform in the cargo hold. When his legs fly up you can see the rubber soles of the athletic shoes built into his leggings at 1h:12m:28s

Plot holes 

With no apparent way of knowing where Conan's ship has laid anchor, and with no way of knowing that Tamara would be on land with Conan and not still aboard the ship, Zim's soldiers nevertheless are able to set up a perfect ambush to try and capture Tamara after she leaves Conan's chamber and wanders through the forest.  

 

When Tamara is ambushed by Zim's men in the forest, she does not notice the first rider until he is only a few yards from her, despite having a very clear line of sight for a few hundred yards in every direction, and despite there being no noise louder than birdsong to mask the thundering hooves of a galloping horse. Similarly, the foot-soldiers were quite clearly not lying in wait - the trees in the forest are too skinny for them to have hidden behind and there is no other cover around - yet they are upon Tamara within a couple of seconds of the horseman attacking.  

Revealing mistakes 

When Conan and Tamara are waiting for Khalar Zym at the Outpost of Shaipur, the actress playing Tamara is replaced by a body double in two blurred shots. Her hair and height is the same, but her facial features are slightly different.

 

During the fight with Zym, Conan falls backwards onto an obviously rubber rock.  

 

In the climax when Khalar Zym and Conan are fighting, Conan hits Zym on his face with the back of his sword and he bleeds. Then at 1:38:13, Zym is shown with no blood on his face, but in the subsequent scene at 1:38:18, the blood is back on his face.

Conan on Conan!

New Conan Images hit the battlefield!

The last time we checked in with our favorite Cimmerian via the recently-released red-band trailer (which was too bloody and naked to post here on our family-friendly Splash Page), he was up to a few of our favorite Conan-brand tricks: sword-swinging, yelling barbarically, not wearing a shirt. (That last one is the only reason I watched said trailer, if I'm being honest. And I don't mind a bit that my appreciation for Conan is both superficial and stereotypical.)

Moving along... today we have some more of Conan to love via a set of new production stills, most of which involve Conan (Jason Momoa) gripping his trusty sword and flashing an appropriately barbaric grimace. See below for more of the glorious, semi-gory stills.

As was mentioned previously, there's a lot of sword. But also great glimpses of the other featured players in the film: Rachel Nichols, Stephen Lang and Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman, who plays Conan's dad, Corin.


These new photos definitely give a good tease, particularly because of how excellent the production and costume design looks to be. One can never tell how it will look onscreen, but the photos are gorgeous, even if everyone in them is covered in dirt, grease, blood and/or crazy makeup and prosthetics.
We still have a little over a month before we get to see director Marcus Nispel's reinvention of Robert E. Howard's sword-swinging warrior in all of its R-rated, barbaric blood-and-guts glory, but I'm enthused about what I've seen so far.

"I lifted these images and the text from the MTV site splash page. In fact if you put the title of this post right into your search engine...it'll take you right to it." -Mikeyboy

Jason vs Arnold....why bother to compare?

What's to compare? Arnold was in THE GUINESS BOOK of world records as the worlds most perfectly developed man. A title only Charles Atlas and Steve Reeves can even partially come close to. But That being the case I feel it's unfair to try to compare Jason to Arnold.

Folks this is a movie , a film about our favorite broadsword wielding barbarian warrior it's not a body building competition. I myself will choose to leave my critique at the door after I've seen the movie. I watch these trailers and I like them. I like them with the Heavy Metal and without , I like them despite not having an Arnold running around as the infamous Cimmerian. I like them depsite the fact that there are people out there who don't. Know why? Because it's CONAN! You love CONAN you like CONAN whatever! They are putting together a movie for the people who love the character.

I know that Everyone has an image of CONAN in mind and Jason does not fit that said image. Many people like Arnold as CONAN because of his awesome physique and that's it. But in my humble opinion. Arnold treated CONAN as a joke. C'mon man..CONAN was not a buffoon.
He was not some guy who falls asleep in his gruel. He did not get drunk and walk into the chest of his enemy. He would not have said " Lot on your Knife ". That stuff was all campy nonsense in the spirit of the BATMAN tv show with Adam West. I prefer to remain diplomatic with the anticipation of this movie. I can't safely pass judgment and create a critique on a movie that has not come out. I had my apprehensions and reservations toward the movie when I first saw Jason...with his beard and his dreds. He was too thin and lanky. But then I saw some stills of him dressed up for the part and new hope blossomed in my heart.
In the spirit of giving a positive message for the fans of CROM and CONAN...please try to make an honest attempt to keep your mind open and look for the good in things surrounding this movie. Look at the glass as if it's Half full. There are too many critics in this world ready to bash and smash. But I am not going to sit here and compare physiques. Then take a look at Jason and judge the movie based on the fact he's not built like Arnold ( who happens to be a creep and an adulterer and I lost all respect for the guy ) NOBODY..can have a physique like that. That's a lot of training and a lot of juice. But the fact remains...I personally can't wait for this movie. The trailers...look good to me. I expect only good things.

Conan the Barbarian Red Band Trailer [2011]

Even yet one more trailer showing us just a wee bit more Cap'n. My only issue...is the pronunciation of his name. Do you remember when William Shatner was on the tonight show talking about his STAR TREK film "The Wrath of Khan" ? The way he pronounced Wrath because it flowed well with the word Khan? Think about it....

" The Wrath of Khan "...well.." CONAN the BARBARIAN "...( Don't give me that nonsense about Celtic pronunciation and the proper way it's supposed to be said. ) Howard was a writer...and he thought..as writers do. Food for thought. ;)

A little Critique on the work of Marcus Nispel

I’ve been watching films directed by Marcus Nispel to try and get a feel for what CONAN 3D might be like. I was watching the Dean Koontz's FRANKENSTEIN film starring Michael Madsen and Vincent Perez. ( He directed it ) Marcus is a fan of the medium shot and likes to have the subject approach the camera and do a pass as the camera turns when the subject gets closer. So we can expect a lot of that. Another Nispel habit is the segue…he melds scenes together in montage format and transitions to the following scene's establishing shot to create mood. He does this particularly using the medium shot and a lot of wind or rain to set the feel of the mood.

Another big time Directing favorite of Marcus’ is the extreme close up just before a flashback sequence. On a face or on eyes and then he does the fade in with the flashback…usually a medium shot heavily clouded or shadowed almost noir like with muffled voices echoing throughout the flashback.

When it comes to blood and gore he does not scrimp. After watching TEXAS CHAINSAW ( He directed it. ) I took note that he uses that medium shot he favors so much to stage the scene so you can see everything. Whereas somebody like George Romero or Tobe Hooper would have a close up on the wounding or maiming of the victim. Which in the case of CONAN would probably be a good thing what with all the swordplay in the movie and all.

One thing that concerns me the most is the actual sword fights themselves. I do not like in close tight shots. I want to see every Swing , swoop , dodge , block and parrie.

Excellent fight scenes of note from the last several years I’d say were in KING ARTHUR , Lord of the Rings , Braveheart , 300 , Gladiator and Pathfinder BUT…the fight scenes in the 13th Warrior were Too close for my tastes. The best shot in the entire film was when Bulwyf swings his sword like a bat and knocked the leader of the bad guys off his horse. The trial of the 3 shields scene was pretty cool too. Not to say I did not enjoy the film because I did…but that close up , way too close to the camera action takes away from the action itself and robs us the viewers of some well deserved sword play action!

In many ways Marcus’ Directing skills remind me of Russell Mulchahy’s work on HIGHLANDER which is a good thing. So I have faith in Marcus’ talents. I feel my research was worth the effort. I am highly optimistic. Now lets see that damned film!

Marcus Nispel...


Dean Koontz - FRANKENSTEIN...


Bulwyf ( Pronounced BULL VIFE ) from the 13th Warrior...

Mel...

Karl Urban - PATHFINDER...

Viggo - As Aragorn from the RINGS trilogy...

Conan Movie Comic Adaptation!

The folks over at Bleeding Cool News hip us to some interesting stuff revealed about the movie with the promotion of the upcoming movie adaptation comic book.

From the Dark Horse press release:

Adapted from the new film by writer Stuart Moore, penciller and cover artist Gabriel Guzman [cover art at head of post], and with inks by Jason Gorder
On sale July 20, FC, 64 pages, $6.99, One-shot

After witnessing his wife burned at the stake, warlord Khalar Zym sets out on a quest to find the mythical Mask of Acheron, an ancient artifact that will bring his beloved back to life. In his search across the lands, Zym destroys a village in northern Cimmeria, where a boy born of battle survives and is cast out into the world, alone.
Years later, Zym crosses paths again with the boy who survived – Conan. He must now contend with this barbarian nuisance who is now set on vengeance for the slaughter of his village. Zym and his daughter, Marique, eventually clash with Conan in an epic final battle, the outcome of which will decide the fate of the world.
Based on Conan the Barbarian, the new major motion picture starring Jason Momoa, Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman.

Hmmm... more slaughtered village nonsense. What do you all think? Does this make you want to see the movie more, or whittle away more hope?

"QUIET on the SET!"

I don't know...with that chain mail sleeve on his arm there...that's pretty Badass!

I don't know WHAT is going on here....Is that dude gonna get catapulted?

Ewww! That Pict Chieftan there is one ugly mother....and I don't like Staphen Lang's armor here.

Just exactly what is he doing sneaking around slashing peoples throats and stuff? SNEAKIN?

Quiet on the SET!!!! That's right!

Browsing the internet once again I come across more of these production stills from the upcoming movie” Conan the barbarian 3D”. I see all over the place on different blogs the reservations people have toward the upcoming movie. Everyone is comparing Jason to Arnold…as anyone naturally would. Arnold is a legendary figure he once held the title of the world’s most perfectly developed man. His Biceps were 21 inches around and his chest was an enormous 56 inches and he stood 6 feet 1 and 1 quarter inch tall….that I say is the perfect height. ( wish I was that tall ) So everyone has a natural bias toward the former ” Governator ”.

No Jason has nowhere near the physique Arnold had in his prime…but Jason is not a small guy. He’s 6’3” tall with a 50 inch chest and 19 inch biceps…you want to fight him?  I certainly don’t.

One specific point I would like to touch on is…” Why are these barbarian characters built like rejects from Planet fitness commercials? ” Back in ancient times Warriors and Gladiators and Spartans and Roman legion soldiers did not train with weights and in the gym toning and isolating muscle groups. They fought death with weapons and skill and so on.

Well…I’d like to clear the air on this right friggin’ now. Robert E. Howard the father of High adventure fantasy literature or the genre we know as “ Sword and Sorcery” had a very specific vision of who he wanted CONAN to be. Being a body building and boxing enthusiast he was around GYM’s and near guys who worked out and dabbled in body building and working out himself. He saw those guys at the Circus bending bars with 50 inch chests and so on ( Circus strong men ).

Go back yourself and read his books. His description of CONAN is one of a great big guy with corded rippling muscles who stood a complete head and shoulder over everyone else. CONAN in Howard’s mind…was a Monster of a man. He could pick up a foeman and break him in half by bending him over backwards with his bare hands.

Now …add the element of a broadsword or a battle axe and put him out on a bloody battle field and you have Frank Frazetta’s iconic image of CONAN in the famous BARBARIAN painting.  I too had my reservations about this movie… but now I am looking forward to it. I do have my fingers crossed. But….the movie could bomb. I would rather be optimistic about it.  As Reis once said in an earlier post someplace here in this Homage of a blog called CROM…he stated “ We don’t want no negativity ”…not verbatim but that’s my interpretation.

Introducing Jason Momoa as "CONAN"

I lifted this publicity still off the CONAN 3D Facebook page. Here we see Jason striking the classic pose ready for action and ready to do battle with Wizards , Evil henchmen , Monsters and Hapless moron's who would insist on getting in the way.
This movie has been a long time in the coming but it's on it's way. We the fans have been waiting for years. Sure there is general hesitance and doubts that the film will not live up to the hype. But you know what? I don't care...I see the stills , I see the interview clips and press material released to the public. Being the ever vigilant CONAN fan that I am. Well..I can't wait now. I am anticipating a great box office draw...it's CONAN man!!!
We just may all be in for a pleasant surprise.

MORE Conan Movie Pics!

These were e-mailed to me from CROM! regular, Mikeyboy, so mad props to him! I'm not sure where he found this pic, so maybe he can elaborate. I have to say, I know a lot of you all are railing against this new Conan, but the more of these pics I see, the more excited I get about it. I think this just might work.

*UPDATE* Cromsblood tracked down the source of the photos, which you can see by clicking HERE at The Cimmerian website, which includes the pictures re-posted below. Thanks partner!

It's tied to yet another article about how some Conan fan hates the new actor. I got a feeling that I'm going to get sick of this brand of ranting real soon.

First Sneak Peeks of Jason Momoa as Conan!

The website iFilm has posted a few pics of our new Conan, Jason Momoa, and my first knee-jerk reaction is that he doesn't look half bad at all.

You can click the link above to see a few more pics, or hit up Latino Review for the some other set shots or Quiet Earth for some shots (that Cromsblood eluded to the other day, but have since seemed to have disappeared) of some female extras showing their boobies.

Don't say I never gave you anything. ;)

We Have a New Conan!

And here he is, Jason Momoa!

According to the article on /Film:

Recently we heard that Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate were looking at three actors as possible options to be the new Conan the Barbarian in the film to be directed by Marcus Nispel. There was Jason Momoa, from Stargate: Atlantis; Kellan Lutz from Twilight; and a third, then-unnamed actor who turned out to be Jared Padalecki. Now two sources are reporting that the choice has been made, and it is Momoa.

Latino Review and Deadline Hollywood (the latter being the source of the original casting info) broke the news at about the same time this evening. This is the first really interesting news that has come out about the film. At the time Momoa’s name came out as an option I noted that he had a great look for the character — he’s physically imposing, but also looks smart and calculating. He’s not just some brute, and therefore a lot closer to Robert E. Howard’s original version of the character than was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Both sources report report that Momoa has been the top choice of Marcus Nispel, with LR saying that he charmed the hell out of execs and Deadline saying a few test scenes Nispel shot of Momoa in character were the tipping point. Either way, it’s an intriguing choice, and I’m happy to see that Kellan Lutz wasn’t chosen simply for the fact that he’s in Twilight.

Additionally, Latino Review is hearing that Mickey Rourke has been offered a role as Conan’s father. That’s just an offer for now, but we’ll keep on top of the cast as it develops. Shooting is scheduled for March in Bulgaria.

Before Conan hits, Momoa will be seen in the HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones, with the pilot directed by Thomas McCarthy.

Well, there it is, fellow Conan fans! Let's hear your thoughts!

MORE Conan Movie News!

To add on to the news posted by Cromsblood the other day (great scoop, my brother!) and to finally pass on some info sent to me by intrepid CROM! reader, Rob Rozum, several articles have been cropping up alluding to all kinds of Conan casting, make-up and creature design and other stuff, from ComicBookMovie.com.

Stated one article:

It looks like Lionsgate's new Conan starts shooting February 2010 in Bulgaria. Marcus Nispel ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Pathfinder") will be directing. Empire has the casting breakdowns, which help understand the characters, and some indication of the plot.

Conan: 20s-30s, Caucasian, the last of the Cimmerians, out for vengeance on Khalar Singh, a formidable warlord and warrior in his 40s or 50s, for whom the producers are "open to all ethnicities".

Singh is looking for Queen Ilira, whose blood will help him raise a demon army. Ilira's handmaiden is Tamara, who allies with Conan in what sounds like a Red Sonja hot amazon role. And there's Ukafa, Singh's untrustworthy henchman for whom a massive African or African American is required.

There are also supporting roles for Conan's dad Corin, who teaches his son the Riddle of Steel; Fariq, Khalar Singh's son and heir, strangely described as a "proto goth-rocker"

Remo the evil wizard; Fassir, a monk protecting Ilira.

Lucius, a mercenary scarred by Conan dumping him into a fiery pit

An unnamed one-eyed thief Conan rescues from Lucius.

Artus, Conan's pirate buddy; and Cheren, Khalar Singh's mystical blind archer.

Now interstingly is the worry for Khalar Singh and the reason he wants to raise a demon army in the first place, could it be arch-wizard Thoth-Amon, he only appears in one original Robert E. Howard Conan story, but is mentioned in a couple of others.

Thoth-Amon was played by Pat Roach in Conan the Destroyer (Love that movie ).

I think this has potential but unsure of the director. I hope Conan finally gets the on screen treatment he deserves.

Another article when on to discuss the art direction and creature design and a shooting date:

Mania broke the exciting news that Scott Wheeler and Shaun Smith of Zack Snyder's comic book movie '300' are on board to do their stuff.

Scott Wheeler will be heading up the makeup department bit and Shaun Smith will be acting as the creature designer on the new 'Conan' adaption. Both of the guys right now are working up the creature schemes for the picture with the director Marcus Nispel (Of the Friday the 13th reboot fame).

Smith confirmed all the news exclusively to Mania saying, "as you might expect I really can't say much except it looks really cool and we are excited to be a part of it."

Filming is soon to commence on the epic big screen return of the barbarian hero 'Conan'. Production plans are to start shooting in Bulgaria next February.

And for those of you with stronger stomachs than mine, there's even talk of Dolf Lundgren being in the film. Mitra preserve us.

To read the full scoop, along with all kinds of other sweet Conan movie speculation and rumor, click your mighty mouse pointer HERE!

Thanks again, Rob, for send me the links!

New Conan Movie Has New Director!

The stomach turning nightmare that Brett Ratner was slated to direct the next Conan movie is over! Thank Crom! Chud.com broke the news of the Conan project getting a new director, none other than V for Vendetta helmsman, James McTeigue.

This is what Chud had to say...

Yesterday we learned that Brett Ratner looked to be out of the director's chair on the new Conan movie, which possibly shoots this summer. The producers have been wasting no time in trying to get a new helmer for the franchise reboot, which after months of development still needs some script work and a leading actor. And according to my very trustworthy, very much correct in the past source, they've found their director:

James McTeigue.

The director of the first good Alan Moore adaptation (V For Vendetta) and the upcoming Ninja Assassin, McTeigue was long the Wachowski's first AD. There's no question that McTeigue has the action chops needed to bring the Hyborian barbarian's adventures to brutal, bloody life.

But will he have the money needed to do it right? My source fears that the loss of Ratner means a loss of budget. Ninja Assassin seems to be budgeted at around 50 million, and V For Vendetta was 54 million. Both look terrific - McTeigue is getting every penny on screen - but Conan will be much costlier, effects-wise. Will the current rumored 120 million dollar budget be slashed with this new director?

It's important to note that McTeigue hasn't signed any papers yet, so this deal is still in the making, but it looks like he's the guy Nu-Image/Millenium wants for the job.

And remember, the Wachowskis were once set to direct a Conan movie. They and McTeigue retain a tight relationship; might this Conan have their fingerprints all over it as much as McTeigues? That, to me, sounds like it could be a damn good thing.

And if you don't believe me, you can read it HERE.

Original Conan the Barbarian Film Slides!

Here's another interesting eBay find; original Conan the Barbarian films slides! Basically, somebody found an old copy of Conan and sliced it up into individual cells, then put them in slide casings. They're not worth a whole hell of a lot, because movie companies printed hundreds of reels and there are literally thousands and thousands of cells in a single real (24 for every second of viewing, in fact), but that doesn't take away from this being a cool collectible for the ultimate Conan fan!





As you can see in the bottom pic, the slides chosen are pretty nice ones, showing some of the most iconic scenes from the movie. I'd hate to order these, however and then get stuck with 20 shots of of the Wheel of Pain way off in the distance. ;)