Oliver Stone had written his draft for the script of Conan the Barbarian before John Milius was on board, but even then everyone knew it was too grand and extravagant. With an estimated $40 million budget, they knew they had to thin it down quite a bit. Milius tossed quite a bit of Stone’s work though the two men clearly had similar masculine sensibilities so Milius’ tone still feels very much like Stone’s. So does the end result feel like something that Stone had helped develop? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Oliver Stone in the 80s series with Milius’ 1982 fantasy Conan the Barbarian.

We talk about the nature of fantasy films and why this style with scantily clad characters didn’t take off cinematically the way Lord of the Rings did. We also chat about how Milius, Stone, and the rest of the team still do strong work creating an effective, believable, and expansive fantasy world. We look at Arnold Schwarzenegger in this iconic, career-making role and what he brings to it. We discuss James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom, the villain of the piece, as well as what’s effective with his character and what’s ineffective. We touch on the nature of cults and conspiracy theories and how it seems Stone and Milius certainly seem to be drawing on stories relevant to them at the time but interestingly are still so relevant today. We point out the reasons this film landed on the American Humane Association’s “unacceptable” list. And we celebrate the iconic and unforgettable music by Basil Poledouris.

It’s a fun fantasy film that Pete and Andy are split on but still provides for quite an expansive conversation. Check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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Film Sundries

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Oliver Stone had already made an indie feature film in 1973 and had written the adapted screenplay for Midnight Express which garnered him an Oscar. These elements put him in the position to write and direct his first feature film, albeit one still relatively under studio control. He found the book “The Lizard’s Tail” by Marc Brandell and really enjoyed the psychological angle of the story. He decided to adapt it as The Hand and he set to work. But for Stone’s debut directing a studio feature, does the movie work? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our Oliver Stone in the 80s series with his 1981 film The Hand.

We talk about the nature of killer hand movies and why they’re largely so hard to buy into, but how the psychological angle of this one almost gets past that. We look at Stone and what signs of his works to come we can already see in this film. We chat about Michael Caine and his turn as an overbearing man slowly going insane and how it almost feels like a villain’s origin story. We discuss the elements of the story – divorce, emasculation as represented by the protagonist’s drawing hand getting amputated in a accident, the psychological collapse of a man unable to control his world – and look at how they work in horror films... as well as in this film. We look at the effects – from the severing of the hand to the various tricks to film a hand attacking and debate how well it works. And we look at tropes in the film and 80s attitudes toward yoga and psychologists.

It’s an entertaining film that doesn’t work completely but still is fun enough to watch. We have a great time talking about it so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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• The Lizard's Tail by Marc Brandell
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Looking at films that explore Soviet society and culture in the 70s through 80s allows for interesting glimpses into reactions to and critiques of changes happening through communism, perestroika and glasnost. The third film in our current series was made in 1988 and explores reactions to glasnost and changes leading up to the breakdown of the USSR. It’s not really science fiction, but is an absurdist, fantastical mystery that feels very Lynchian. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we finish our Soviet Science Fiction series with Karen Shakhnazarov’s 1988 film City Zero.

We look at the absurdity in this film and how it took some research for us to really grasp what the filmmakers were trying to say about society. We chat about a few specific scenes like the cake scene, the secretary scene, the museum scene, and the tree scene, and explore what Shakhnazarov and co-writer Aleksandr Borodyansky may have been wanting to say. We look at other absurdist elements that don’t really seem to be saying anything but allow for that dreamlike Lynchian vibe to spread. We discuss Leonid Filatov as our lead character and why he works so well. And we talk about the stillness of the shots and how the direction and cinematography play into the vibe of this story.

We had a lot of fun with this one, even though we determine it’s not really science fiction. Check it out – it’s available on YouTube – then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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In 2001, Nikolai Viktorov restored his father’s 1981 film Per Aspera Ad Astra for its 20th anniversary. This version has new special effects and a restored soundtrack, but Viktorov also decided to excise 25 minutes of footage from the film. Apparently, this decision was to tighten everything up a bit but also to remove some of the Soviet ideologies from the story. Whichever version of the film you watch, the ideologies seem relatively light so it seems an odd choice to remove content for a restored version. Regardless, the film makes for an interesting conversation. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Soviet Science Fiction series with Richard Viktorov’s 1981 film To the Stars By Hard Ways.

We talk about the ideologies present in the film and the mild changes in the new version. We look at how the film works and why largely it doesn’t. We chat about the effects and why they work in interesting ways, despite feeling very dated for the age. We discuss some of the performers like Yelena Metyolkina and Vladimir Fyodorov and why they all work so well in this film. And we hit on how this film could’ve worked better for us.

It’s not a completely successful film but certainly an interesting one to watch and discuss. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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Film Sundries

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• Watch this film: Amazon • YouTube
• Original theatrical trailer
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Science fiction stories often work well as a shell in which authors and filmmakers can provide social commentary without it being obvious. In the case of Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel, based on the book by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky who also wrote the screenplay, the film uses a detective story that ends up involving aliens and androids as a way to look at the closed-off nature of life under the Soviet regime. Is it a perfect film? No, but it’s a fascinating one. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our Soviet Science Fiction series with Grigori Kromanov’s 1979 film Dead Mountaineer’s Hotel.

We talk about the nature of the story and why it works well as both science fiction and social commentary. We look at the setting of the film and why the cold, oppressive mountains with the brilliant moog synth score work so well to set the tone. We chat about the surreal qualities of the film and how sometimes, it’s these elements that contribute to a confusing story, affecting our understanding and enjoyment of the film. We look at the authors/screenwriters and director, talking about what they brought to the table. we discuss the dark and cold cinematography by Jüri Sillart and why it’s so effective. And we look into Estonian folklore and how it may have influenced certain elements in the film.

It’s a fascinating film and one well worth checking out. We have a great time chatting about it so give it a watch – it’s streaming for free on YouTube – then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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Film Sundries

Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.

• Watch this film: YouTube
• Original theatrical trailer
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• Inspector Glebsky’s Puzzle by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
• Flickchart
• Letterboxd

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