Conan the Barbarian

Debuting on Blu-ray, the original 1982 Conan the Barbarian—directed by John Milius from a screenplay co-written by Oliver Stone—is a grandiose, macho film with a sprawling scale (shot largely in the deserts and mountains of Spain) and an opening quote from Nietzsche: “That which does not kill you makes you stronger.” The blockbuster also helped transform Austrian former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger into a Hollywood action hero. Ah-nold's rippling physique definitively captures the impossible perfection of writer Robert E. Howard's primitive mercenary hero, who sets out to avenge the death of his parents, accompanied by the powerfully agile barbarian queen Valeria (dancer Sandahl Bergman), and a Mongol archer named Subotai (Gerry Lopez). A suitably intimidating James Earl Jones costars as the target of their quest, the despotic Thulsa Doom. Although in some ways it's still silly (Conan's ripe-for-camp philosophy is “To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women”), Conan the Barbarian remains a marvelous example of barbarian pulp, a beefcake fantasy of myth and magic featuring gorgeous, massive sets; a magnificent score (from composer Basil Poledouris); and endless he-man contests. Released to coincide with the 2011 remake—which tanked in theaters—the newly remastered Blu-ray features audio commentary by Milius and Schwarzenegger, a “making-of” featurette, deleted scenes, and archival interviews with cast and crew. Recommended. [Note: the 1984 follow-up Conan the Destroyer is also newly available on Blu-ray.] (S. Axmaker)