Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 16, 2012



Conan the Barbarian is a 1982 fantasy film. It is based on the stories by Robert E. Howard, a pulp fiction writer of the 1930s, about the adventures of the eponymous character in a fictional pre-historic world of dark magic and savagery. The film adaptation was written and directed by John Milius, and produced by Raffaella De Laurentiis and Buzz Feitshans. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger (pictured) and James Earl Jones, and tells the story of a young barbarian (Schwarzenegger) who seeks vengeance for the death of his parents. Filming took place in Spain over five months, in the regions around Madrid and Almería. Conan grossed more than $68 million at box-offices around the world, though the revenue fell short of the level that would qualify the film as a blockbuster. Academics and critics interpreted the film as advancing the themes of fascism or individualism, with the fascist angle featured in most of the criticisms of the film. Critics also negatively reviewed Schwarzenegger's acting and the film's violent scenes. Despite the criticisms, Conan was popular with young male audiences, and the film brought Schwarzenegger worldwide recognition. The film spawned a sequel, Conan the Destroyer in 1984, and a remake in 2011. (more...)

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