I was never impressed by Conan.
The movie was okay.
Since we in Germany don`t really have a comic book culture the only comics you could get back then where Donald Duck, Micky Mouse and stuff like that. If you got lucky Superman or Batman on occasion.
When the movie (Conan) came out on video they did releasse some of the comics and I remember owning some of them. But again, I wassn`t impressed by them either. The books where available here, but again, I really never liked them.
When Red Sonja came out I remember that I really liked those books. Maybe because the translaition wasn`t quite as blend or the stories where just more interessing.
But for Conan, despite it beeing an okay-movie, I don`t think it`s really fair to even compare it to F&B since it can`t hold a candle to it. Conan is more what today would be a PG-13 movie, where F&B always was intend to be at least R rated.
Conan is also set in the fictonal time (The Hyberion Age) where F&B is set in an actually time period (16. Century), even in an actuall country (Border of todays Spain/Portugal) in a real conflict (The Algavan City Wars) that took place during that time (~ 1490 - 1520). .
Verhoeeven was wise to choose that particulare setting since it was a relativly minor, but despite very brutal and harsh conflict that raged over years back and forth and not much is know of these conflicts at all because it took place in a time where pracitly the whole Iberian Peninsula (and the whole of Europe as well) was engulfed in a semingly endless series of minor and mayor wars.
--
"I used to be Tommy Vercetti, now I'm Phil Cassidy."
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barlowe2003
18 years ago
Nope, Conan the Barbarian would still be "R" if it were released today. Lots of nudity, gore, and brutality for everyone.
But I think you guys have become somewhat desensitized because you've seen "Flesh & blood" too many times. I didn't find it as violent as I'd been told it would have been (and it certainly wasn't as violent as Total Recall, RoboCop, or Starship Troopers).
Comparing these two films is sort of like comparing apples and oranges, even if F&B does owe a little to CtB in score and in it's view of a harsh, Neitzschian struggle. Besides, Paul Verhoven admits to this at least once in the DVD commentary.
And Conan is definitely one of the most underrated movies of all time. Here's a good critical essay I found by Davd C. Smith that really illuminates the deeper philosophical subtext of that film:
http://www.barbariankeep.com/ctbds.html
I hope you guys like it, and I hope it helps you appreciate CtB even more!
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discordia_7
18 years ago
No comic culture in Germany? Are you kidding or do you life on the countryside?
I live in Mannheim and when Conan came out there were countless comics on the market even in the public libraries.
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Tank-the-Hatchet
18 years ago
> (...) I live in Mannheim...
Mannheim ist ja auch eine Großstadt. Wir hatten aber zu der Zeit hier nur ein Kaufhaus das Comics hatte. Dessen Auswahl war nicht sehr groß und wen es mal irgendetwas besonderes gab (Star Wars A4 Comics zB.) mußtest du schnell sein um eines zu bekommen.
An den Kiosken bekammst du nur Yps, Micky Mouse uä.
Die Stadtbücherrei hier kannst du ganz vergessen. Damals und heute!
Versandhandel war damals noch nicht so wie heute.
Ich weiß noch das ich mein aller erstes SW-A4 in Erlensee gekauft habe. An einem Kiosk an der (heute) alten B40.
Wen du was haben wolltest dann mußtest du nach Hanau.
Wen du 11 bist, ist das nicht so einfach.
--
"I used to be Tommy Vercetti, now I'm Phil Cassidy."
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shaaron-2
18 years ago
Thank you for the historical provenance. I was thinking it might be based on one of the many Italian conflicts going on at that time. This movie really cannot be compared with Conan, because it's a fictional fantasy, not historical reality.
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ronin1976
18 years ago
Of course opinion is opinion is opinion. But I'm of the opinion that Conan the Barbarian is a much better film than this. And as far as historical movies go, Flesh + Blood is of the lowest grade. There was very little in the way of production value, and it seems like almost zero research into period was done. It was impossible to tell what period the movie was set in simply by watching the movie. I did not watch the commentary. And you shouldn't have to just to know where and when the movie took place.
I fart in your general direction.
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gumborific
18 years ago
OK, the movie is not based on a comic anyway. So what the hell are you talking about?
Of course, you could buy the Conan books in Germany. Robert E. Howard wrote them in the late 20's and 30's.
Maybe Germany didn't have copies of Weird Tales at the time he wrote them as short stories, but I am sure you could find the published short novelas in Germany before 1980.
And also, stop comparing these two films. It's silly.
"In our wings that bark, flashing teeth of brass, standing tall in the dark" - David Bowie
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gumborific
18 years ago
Ok, before any of you correct me I will correct myself. I was unaware that the movie was more inspired by the Marvel comic. I kept researching after my post because I had a feeling I was missing something.
I can understand if those comics were hard to get in Germany.
Also, I now understand why the film has more humor in it than Howard's books which were void of humor really, and just plain brutal. The comic was more playful obviously.
So, flame away if you will, but I still stand on my point that we should not be comparing these two films anyway, LOL.
"In our wings that bark, flashing teeth of brass, standing tall in the dark" - David Bowie
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