Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan' (Video 2000)

Director:

Laurent Bouzereau

Writer:

Laurent Bouzereau

Stars:

Sandahl Bergman, Ron Cobb, Ben Davidson

Cast

Credited cast:
Sandahl Bergman	...	Herself
Ron Cobb	...	Himself
Ben Davidson	...	Rexor (archive footage)
Dino De Laurentiis	...	Himself
Raffaella De Laurentiis	...	Herself
James Earl Jones	...	Himself
Terry Leonard	...	Himself
Gerry Lopez	...	Himself
Mako	...	The Wizard (archive footage)
John Milius	...	Himself
Basil Poledouris	...	Himself
Edward R. Pressman	...	Himself
Valérie Quennessen	...	The Princess (archive footage)
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Himself
William Smith	...	Conan's Father (archive footage)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 May 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Conan Unchained: The Making of 'Conan the Barbarian'

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Studios Home Video

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This documentary is featured on both the Collector's Edition and Franchise Collection DVDs for Conan the Barbarian.

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Connections

Features Conan the Barbarian (1982)

User Reviews

Conan Unchained: The Making Of "Conan The Barbarian" (V) (Laurent Bouzereau, 2000) **1/2

This is a competent, fairly lengthy but hardly exhaustive documentary on the subject by renowned film-maker/historian Bouzereau. It should perhaps have dug deeper into the history of Conan – creator Robert E. Howard (and his personal demons) is only mentioned in passing; ditto for the influence maverick illustrator Frank Frazetta had on the mythology behind the character (and the fictionalized era which he inhabited) – not to mention the film’s sequel, or its own place within the whole sword-and-sorcery cycle prevalent during the early 1980s!

Still, several of the main contributors (both behind and in front of the camera) have their say about the film: at the forefront, of course, are John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger – but it also goes on to interview Oliver Stone and Max von Sydow (who, of his performance, recalls best his bloody death scene which remained on the cutting-room floor!). The documentary also deals with the painstaking production – from the film’s elaborate sets to its choreographed swordplay, and even touches upon the creation of CONAN THE BARBARIAN’s special effects (here the speakers felt the need to remind the audience that these were done in the days before CGI). However, some discussion on critical reaction to the film at the time of its release – and how it has worn the passage of time – should not have been amiss.