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"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
Fans of high fantasy — fantasy that takes place on an epic scale in an imaginary world in which otherwise supernatural creatures and forces are simply a part of the natural environment — were all but left out in the cold in 2012, while superheroes, aliens and secret agents were free to run amok on the big screen. Where were all of the wizards, dragons and elves? Except for animated movies and the pair of Snow White adaptations, high fantasy movies have been noticeably absent from the Cineplex of late.
Thankfully, fans of the fantasy sub-genre will not have to wait much longer with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opening in only a matter of days and Russian director Sergei Bodrov's (Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan) new fantasy adventure, Seventh Son — that's a begrizzled Jeff Bridges in the hood and cloak above, playing an aging knight who must train a new apprentice (Ben Barnes) to help him battle a malevolent witch (Julianne Moore) that seeks to destroy him — debuting next year. In anticipation of the return of magic to movie theaters, help us rate the best high fantasy movies of all time (beyond time).
Rate the Top 10 Best High Fantasy Movies >>
Image courtesy Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures
Posted 12.05.12 by BrentJS -
Arnie wasn't lying when he said, "I'll be back."
The Austrian Oak, Arnie, the Governator, Ah-nuld, ...whatever you call him, Arnold Schwarzenegger is in a class all to himself. Born in Thal, Austria, in 1947, Schwarzenegger rose up from his humble background as the rebellious son of a local police chief in post-War Europe to dominate the world of professional body-building — three Mr. Universe and seven Mr. Olympia titles between 1968 and 1980 — and then he set his sights on Hollywood. Despite one mouthful of a last name and a thick accent, Schwarzenegger tackled Hollywood with the same zeal he put into bodybuilding, becoming Sylvester Stallone's chief competitor for the title of '80s action mega-star, starring in a string of monster hits that, all told, have earned over $3.8 billion at the worldwide box office.
After climbing as high as he could in U.S. politics (limited by the fact that he was born overseas), Schwarzenegger is once again in the entertainment business, popping up in a cameo role in Stallone's ode to he-man action movies, The Expendables, before playing a more significant role in The Expendables 2. Schwarzenegger will team up with Stallone again in the action-thriller The Tomb, take on Mexican drug lords as an aging small-town cop in The Last Stand and is rumored to be involved in some way with a planned fifth movie in The Terminator franchise. Whether Schwarzenegger's second act in Hollywood has a hope of matching his first remains to be seen, but let's look back on the movies that made him great and pick the best ones.
Rate the Top 10 Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies >>
Posted 10.07.12 by BrentJS -
It's finally upon us: the last of this summer's epic string of comic book adaptations. Some exhaustion is understandable given that this has been perhaps the most action-filled summer of all time. In fact, if you've been to the movies regularly, action's been nearly impossible to avoid. Even so, here are five reasons to take one more testosterone-filled trip to the theater this summer.
5 Reasons: Conan the Barbarian >>
Posted 08.18.11 by reelz -
Paradox Entertainment recently announced the start of production on director Marcus Nispel's as-yet-untitled Conan reboot in Bulgaria, even as cast members continue to be added. Headlining the movie is 30-year-old actor Jason Momoa, stepping into the role that launched Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie career 28 years ago.
Though lacking the muscular girth of "Ah-nuld," Momoa is a physical specimen himself at 6'5" and 225 pounds, amply filling the boots of the barbarian-turned-king created by Robert E. Howard back in 1932. However, in an interview with his hometown newspaper, Momoa called himself a "mama's boy" and admitted that, in real life, he is nothing like the aggressive, blood-letting Cimmerian.
I'm a little hippy kid from Iowa, man. I was no toughie. I spent my fair share of time stuffed in lockers.
Momoa was only two years old when Conan the Barbarian was in theaters and, though he found it to be "amazing," he said that he took most of his inspiration for the role from the original Howard stories.
I did more research with the books [than the movies], to tell you the truth. The original Conan stories are very strong stories.
An official plot synopsis for Conan has not been released yet. However, the cast description for the role of Conan sheds some light on the plot by describing the character as "determined [to] avenge his people's slaughter" as "the last of his tribe." And, while Momoa considers himself an easy-going "hippy kid," he said that he could relate to Conan's quest for vengeance.
… If that happened to my family, I’d do the same.
Conan also stars Ron Perlman, Leo Howard, Rachel Nichols, Bob "The Beast" Sapp and Stephen Lang.
Posted 03.18.10 by BrentJS -
With production on director Marcus Nispel's still-untitled Conan reboot set to start in less than two weeks in Bulgaria, one more of the lead roles has finally been filled. According to LatinoReview, Rachel Nichols has been cast in the role of Tamara, a love interest and equal in combat to Conan. The official cast description for the role, as posted on Moviehole, reads:
[ TAMARA ] She is 18 to 24 years old, Caucasian or Middle Eastern, open to all ethnicities; beautiful, studious, correct, a novitiate of a Greek influenced monastery. A master of martial arts, she has been trained to be the Queen's servant, bodyguard and best friend. She and many other female bodyguards to the queen have been in hiding most of their lives because of the curse of Acheron, which would take the queen's life to bring almost immortal power to its king. When Khalar Singh, a powerful warlord with ambitions to become the king of Acheron, storms the monastery and captures all of the novitiates, she is separated from Ilira, the one she must protect. With all of her strength and will, Tamara is determined to find and rescue her. She finds herself in league with Conan because of a mutual need to find Khalar Singh. She is not in the least intimidated by Conan's size or grim demeanor and their alliance eventually blossoms into something that surprises them both. LEAD
According to the list, there are four lead roles, three of which have been filled so far — Conan (Jason Momoa), Ukafa (Bob "The Beast" Sapp), and Tamara (Nichols) — leaving only the main antagonist, Khalar Singh, yet to be cast. The only other role that has been filled is that of young Conan, which will be played by Leo Howard, Nichols' G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra cast mate. There is still no official word on the rumor that Mickey Rourke will play Conan's father, Corin
Conan the Barbarian was created by fantasy author Robert E. Howard and first appeared in the short story "The Phoenix on the Sword" in Weird Tales in December 1932. Conan's adventures take place during the mythical "Hyborian Age," a period of time shortly after the fall of Atlantis and before the rise of the ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The character has appeared in two movies, two animated series, a short-lived live-action TV series, and numerous short stories, comic books and novels.
Posted 03.06.10 by BrentJS -
Director Marcus Nispel's (Pathfinder) Conan reboot has taken one (small) step closer to being ready for its March 15th production start in Bulgaria with the news that the role of young Conan has been cast. According to LatinoReview, the role of the boy who will one day become King of Cimmeria has gone to Leo Howard, who played the young version of Snake Eyes in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and most recently appeared in Robert Rodriguez's Shorts as Laser.
The title role of the adult version of Robert E. Howard's famous barbarian was only recently cast, after coming down to a decision between three actors: New Moon star Kellan Lutz, Jared Padalecki of TV's Supernatural, and Jason Momoa of TV's Stargate: Atlantis. Momoa was said to have won the coveted role thanks in part to his deft handling of a sword during the audition process.
When the news that Momoa had been cast in the lead role in Conan broke several weeks ago, LatinoReview reported that Mickey Rourke had been approached to appear in the movie as Conan's father, Corin, but nothing more has been heard of this rumor and no further casting announcements have been made. Screenwriters Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer each wrote drafts of the screenplay, and Andrew Lobel (Delirium and the Dollman) is said to have been brought in to do script revisions. Nispel's as-yet-untitled Conan feature is slated for a 2011 release.
Posted 02.18.10 by BrentJS -
The search is over! According to Deadline Hollywood, Jason Momoa (Stargate Atlantis) has been chosen to play Conan in Marcus Nispel's reboot of Robert E. Howard's original Conan the Barbarian franchise.
Momoa participated in a few trial scenes, during which he wielded a sword. Apparently, that's what convinvced Nispel that Momoa could follow in Arnold Schwarzenegger's footsteps. The announcement is welcome news for the producers, as Conan is scheduled to begin production on March 15 in Bulgaria. Any further delays in casting might have proved costly to the project.
Apparently the role of Corin, Conan's father, has been offered to Mickey Rourke, according to Latino Review. The news, however, is not confirmed. The look and physique of Rourke's character in The Wrestler certainly makes the rumor seem plausible...
In the meantime, check out this spoof image of Coco the Barbarian.
Posted 01.22.10 by reelz -
Rose McGowan revealed in November that she thinks the adaptation of Red Sonja will "start filming again in maybe a year," but it looks like she and producer Robert Rodriguez will likely have to wait longer than that. In an interview with ComicBookResources, Luke Lieberman, a Red Sonja comic book writer and executive producer for the movie, revealed that the Conan reboot is shooting first.
There are a few things brewing, but it looks like they are going to shoot Conan first, in the early spring.
The Marcus Nispel-directed reboot of Conan has yet to choose its leading man, though the part is rumored to be between X2: X-Men United's Daniel Cudmore and Terminator Salvation's Arnold Schwarznegger-body double Roland Kickinger.
Posted 12.31.09 by Ryan -
A new, action-packed video clip has been released as part of a series promoting writer-director Michael J. Bassett's new movie, Solomon Kane. While the title character name may not be very familiar to some, Solomon Kane actually comes with a strong pulp-fiction pedigree, having been created by Robert E. Howard (Conan).
Actor James Purefoy (HBO's Rome) stars as Solomon Kane, a 16th-century Puritan who once fought evil, but renounced violence to save himself from damnation. When evil rises once again, Kane is inexorably drawn into a conflict that could cost him his soul.
Solomon Kane also stars Rachel Hurd-Wood, Pete Postlethwaite, and Alice Krige.
Posted 12.16.09 by BrentJS -
The casting characters list for director Marcus Nispel's (Pathfinder) live-action reboot of the Conan franchise has been leaked online at MovieHole.net, and it appears the producers are not necessarily looking for a "name" actor to fill the sweaty boots of the Cimmerian barbarian created by Robert E. Howard.
Below are the descriptions for the lead protagonists. The complete list also has cast descriptions for the lead antagonist, "Khalar Singh" (a warlord seeking the blood of a queen to "bring life to the demonic minions of Acheron"), "Young Conan," and multiple "Pict Savages." WARNING: The descriptions give quite a bit of information about the movie's plot, so if you don't like spoilers, read at your own risk!
[ CONAN ] He's in his 20s to early 30s, Caucasian, powerfully built, broad-shouldered, sun browned skin lined with scars. Piercing blue eyes and square-cut black mane, tall. He is a savage killer that has matured into the refinement his father tried to teach him when he was young. Conan is very smart, almost inhumanly strong, and very cunning. His entire life, from the moment of his birth, has been shaped by violence. Being the last of his tribe and having to watch his father die a cruel death, he is determined avenge his peoples slaughter by killing all those who led the attack on the Cimmerians, including the all-powerful Khalar Singh. He is prepared to die in order to accomplish his goal. What Conan did not expect, was to find a reason to live. LEAD
[ TAMARA ] She is 18 to 24 years old, Caucasian or Middle Eastern, open to all ethnicities; beautiful, studious, correct, a novitiate of a Greek influenced monastery. A master of martial arts, she has been trained to be the Queen's servant, bodyguard and best friend. She and many other female bodyguards to the queen have been in hiding most of their lives because of the curse of Acheron, which would take the queen's life to bring almost immortal power to its king. When Khalar Singh, a powerful warlord with ambitions to become the king of Acheron, storms the monastery and captures all of the novitiates, she is separated from Ilira, the one she must protect. With all of her strength and will, Tamara is determined to find and rescue her. She finds herself in league with Conan because of a mutual need to find Khalar Singh. She is not in the least intimidated by Conan's size or grim demeanor and their alliance eventually blossoms into something that surprises them both. LEAD
The as-yet-untitled Conan movie is expected to begin shooting in Bulgaria in February.
Posted 10.27.09 by BrentJS