Conan the Barbarian (1982) John Milius   The definitive "Sword and Sandal" fantasy, Conan The Barbarian comes newly released in spectacular DVD from Universal Home Video. Despite its popularity at the time of its theatrical release (and its subsequent cult status), Conan has never been adequately appreciated for its artistic merits, which are many. Conan The Barbarian was far-reaching in its influence, spawning a sequel (Conan the Destroyer), and two more films based on Howard's characters (Red Sonja and Kull The Conqueror). TV series like Hercules and Xena, and even the recent Roman epic Gladiator, all owe a debt to the style of Conan. Inspired by author Robert E. Howard's pulp pastiche of ancient mythology, the film offers up a captivating script by Oliver Stone and John Milius, who also directed the film. Magnificent swordplay and battle scenes are plentiful throughout, and are some of the best ever put on screen. An offbeat cast populates the film, with athletes like Schwarzenegger, football player Ben Davidson, and surfer Gerry Lopez, playing opposite veteran character actors like James Earl Jones, Mako, and Max Von Sydow. Perhaps the athletes do not turn in the most refined performances, but they unquestionably look (and to a certain extent are) the characters they play. This lends an incalculable verisimilitude to their performances, which no amount of acting ability could achieve. And Director Milius' approach embraces such diverse stylistic influences as Frank Frazetta and Akira Kurosawa, while Basil Poledouris' score immerses the production in operatic splendor. Unfortunately, the film's soundtrack is in mono (the original sound elements were sadly lost, so remixing for stereo was impossible). However, this release does include some never before seen footage, particularly at the finale of the film, (which was originally cut down for theatrical release, while an ongoing commentary by Milius and Schwarzenegger is accessible on a separate audio track. If this weren't enough, the DVD also includes a superb hour-long documentary on the making of Conan, featuring interviews with all the principal cast and crew, and covering just about everything one could ever want to know about the film. —Paul Andrew MacLean

Click here to order: Conan the Barbarian       To order Renaissance Magazine, click here.     To order medieval tapestries and other period products, click here.