The film that made me buy a DVD player in 1998 returns to store shelves all over Hyperborea in a much improved and deluxe format in 2024 with the release of Arrow Video’s latest deluxe reissue of an 80’s classic.
Arrow Video’s Conan the Barbarian (1982) and the less-than-memorable sequel, Conan the Destroyer (1984), arrive with brand new 4K restorations, made from the original negatives, in 4K UHD or Blu-ray (or both in The Conan Chronicles Limited Edition set for those who want to own both Conan movies in one package).
The new transfers look great, with much improved color (especially on the original Conan film). All of the John Milius’ directed sword fights and snake battles pop with bright red plasma splashed all over the screen as well as the physique that launched America’s body building obsession.
Like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Universe body (in both films, although less in The Destroyer which required less cosmetic assistance) the 4K UHD is the best you’ll see, and even the Blu-ray is a marked improvement over recent editions.
Three versions of Conan the Barbarian are featured on the original film’s set, showcasing the Theatrical Cut (127 mins), International Cut (129 mins), and Extended Cut (130 mins). Most of the additional footage is from the deleted scenes that made up the earliest Conan the Barbarian home releases, without much difference between them.
The initial reasons I invested in a DVD player (and subsequent Blu-Ray and 4K machines) are on full display in the Arrow versions: the bonus features! Both films are replete with archival footage and interviews/commentary, including one of the best ever recorded, the Conan the Barbarian commentary track by John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recollections of the two friends (and the added context and jokes provided) are well worth the price of any collection.
In addition to the Milius and Schwarzenegger track, the disc includes a brand new feature commentary by genre historian Paul M. Sammon, author of Conan: The Phenomenon, adding a more scholarly, but also entertaining look at the famous hero (and many of the differences between the screen version and Robert E. Howard’s original creation).
The Conan the Barbarian disc also includes newly filmed interviews with production artist William Stout, costume designer John Bloomfield, special effects crew members Colin Arthur and Ron Hone, actors Jorge Sanz and Jack Taylor, assistant editor Peck Prior, visual effects animators Peter Kuran and Katherine Kean, filmmaker Robert Eggers (The Northman), and authors John Walsh and Alfio Leotta.
“A Tribute to Basil Poledouris” and his memorable score is told through a series of videos produced by the Úbeda Film Music Festival, including video of Poledouris conducting a concert of music from Conan the Barbarian in 2006 (remixed in 5.1 surround).
When it comes to the Conan the Destroyer, Conan fans are distinctly in two camps (probably based on your age when you first saw the film): those that still have deep seated resentment over the fact the sequel to the Milius film was not directed by Milius and became a PG-13 ensemble adventure story and those that find some charm and humor in the zany, less violent film.
Even if you are in the first camp, the Conan the Destroyer discs include enough bonus material to make you forget some of the blemishes of the misfire, with the typical feast of features that Arrow is know for.
The new collection opens with archival commentaries for Conan the Destroyer by director Richard Fleischer and actors Olivia d’Abo, Tracey Walter and Sarah Douglas, and another brand new commentary by Sammon.
The hits keep coming in newly filmed interviews for Conan the Destroyer with Bloomfield and Walsh, casting director Johanna Ray, art director Kevin Phipps and stunt coordinator Vic Armstrong are included, as well as Conan Unchained: The Making of Conan, an archive documentary from 2000 featuring interviews with Schwarzenegger, Milius, Stone, Jones, Lopez, Bergman, Poledouris and several others, and Conan: The Making of a Comic Book Legend, an archive interview with writers Roy Thomas & Gerry Conway.
Collectors will also be impressed with each of the discs physical extras like the double-sided fold-out posters, six postcards, and illustrated booklets. Arrow Video knows their audience and if the lure of all of the new and classic content and improved image and sound quality of the films wasn’t enough to get you to buy a new version of a old favorite, a poster, postcards, and mini-book are sure to do the trick.
Look for Conan the Barbarian and Conan the Destroyer at your local store on January 30, 2024 and stay tuned to Conskipper for all of your Conan news.
