Conference bookie::movies

    
    > These are some of Arnold Schwarzenneger's earliest film work -- early
    > eighties stuff I believe he landed directly after The Terminator,
    > though the memory clouds with the passage of time.
    
    Actually, I'm pretty sure that Conan the Barbarian was Arnold's first
    movie ever. It came out around 1982, whereas the Terminator was around
    1984. Believe it or not, he was much more polished in the Terminator!
    
    Previous to that time , Arnold was a Mr. Universe winner who went on to
    do some videos, and I believe a book, on weight training called
    "Pumping Iron." I remember seeing those Mr. Universe contests; of all
    the incredibly convoluted musculature there, A.S. was the only one who
    looked vaguely human. For the part of Conan, he said that he was *TOO*
    heavily muscled, and had to work himself down!
    
    "Conan the Barbarian" was campy but fun. We didn't expect much when we
    first went to see it ten years ago; it was interesting to see a
    bodybuilder with a heavy accent try to make it in the movies. At least
    he had sufficient muscle tone to live up to the covers of all those
    Conan paperbacks. What is surprising is just how much he has grown as
    an actor--still no Dustin Hoffman, but I think he does a very competent
    job.
    
    > The first one, Conan The Barbarian, spends about half an hour
    > giving us a new origin story
    
    Wasn't that funny? In Conan's childhood, his village is attacked, and
    about a dozen children (himself included) are taken as slaves on a long
    journey. It ends at this big stone pinwheel with a dozen handles on it,
    sitting in the middle of nowhere. All the kids are enjoined to grab a
    handle and push it around and around in circles, which looks like very
    hard work. You go from a scene of a dozen small children pushing this
    wheel, to six older children pushing it, to three teenagers pushing it,
    to one full-sized Conan pushing it by himself. the implication seems to
    be that he was the only one to survive the wheel ordeal, and that he
    wasted fifteen years of his youth doing essentially nothing. I had
    always wondered what the purpose of that wheel was: primitive
    electrical power, maybe?

It may be the first thing Arnold will admit to these days, but if the
databases are right, it was hardly his first movie:

Hercules in New York (1970) (as Arnold Strong)
Long Goodbye, The (1973)
Stay Hungry (1976) (N:GG)
Pumping Iron (1977)
Scavenger Hunt (1979)
Villain, The (1979)
Jayne Mansfield Story, The (1980) (TV)
Conan the Barbarian (1981)
Conan the Destroyer (1984)
Terminator, The (1984)
Commando (1985)
Red Sonja (1985)
Raw Deal (1986)
Predator (1987)
Running Man, The (1987)
Red Heat (1988)
Twins (1988)
Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Total Recall (1990)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Lincoln (1992) (TV) (voice)
Last Action Hero (1993)

That note next to Stay Hungry means he won a Newcomer Golden Globe for
that one.  And Sandahl Bergman got one for her CtB role -- probably the
only award either of the Conan movies got.  (I'm not sure I believe the
'81 for CtB; I also think '82 is right.)

    I actually enjoyed Arnie in "The Villain" as "Handsome Stranger" (named 
    after his father).  Also enjoyed the love interest named "Charming"
    (after the first thing her dad said when he found out his wife was
    expecting -- "charming ...  just charming ...").
    
    Steve

    
    The big wheel was a grist mill.
    
    DFW

    You know, you'd have thought they (whomever snatched those kids in the
    first place) would, over the passage of 15 or so years, have snatched a
    few more to replace the ones who'd died.  Maybe kidnapping went out of
    style.  Then again, if one guy is determined to push all by himself....
    
    Also, I rather like the imagery of Conan wasting all those years of his
    life pushing a Wheel of No Real Purpose.  It's more fun than a grist
    mill.  :)
    
    
    kim

    
    The Vanir were never known for their brains.
    
    DFW

    I like the original story better, it is much more interesting to know
    that the story's hero was already a battle veteran at 15 years old and
    had a wealth of experience by the time he was twenty with which to go
    off and conquer the known world.  The Conan character of Howard was not
    stupid, though the movie Conan was pretty close to it.  The movie Conan
    would not have been able to conquer Aquilonia, with the book Conan it
    was only a matter of time.
    The Conan novels were among the first fantasy novels I ever read way
    back when I was in fourth and fifth grades.
    
    Andrew
    
    Some would say that this would explain a lot.  I dunno
    

    These are good movies for watching with a group of friends, even better
    if there's beer....

    Let us not forget "Red Sonja", which was really "Conan III" in
    disguise.  Sort of fun in the same mindless way that two Conan pics
    were.  
    
    
    Cheers,
    
    kim

    A show on TV last week - "Macho Men of the Movies" (or something like
    that) had interviews with Stallone, Clint Eastword and Arnold. 
    
    When asked about how he felt about some of his early movies - he said
    he liked most of them because they were fun (Hercules in NY). But, in a
    specific reference to Red Sonya, Arnold made the comment to the effect
    of "looking for a place to hide whenever it is on".
    
    BTW - the show was much better than the title would lead you to
    believe. It consisted of interviews, both recent and from over the past
    10 years, mainly contrasting the difference/growth of the actors and
    their characters.  Host/interviewer (tv critic from NY) was rather
    pathetic, however.
    
    janetb.

    Now I don't know where I heard it (probably the radio) but there's
    a rumor goin' around saying that Arnie was offered the Conan III
    role, but he turned it down! I guess they'll find another muscle-head
    to take his place?  Has anyone else heard such a rumor?  
    
    	It's too bad really, I can see him now sitting on his throne with
    many followers waiting to follow his every command.  
    
    	I think he should...do you? 

    
    Crom 3 would be good if Arnie played the lead and they made it like the
    first one. The Destroyer was not up to par IMO.
    
    
    Subotai.

    I can already "hear de lamentations o' de wimmin' ..."
    
    Steve

    
    re: .12
    
    That's because he spoke more than 80 words...... =)