Conan the Barbarian Films Overview + Interview with Arnie Impressionist "The Govournator"

[00:00:00] This podcast is a production of Unfiltered Studios. If you would like to know more about joining Unfiltered Studios, please visit our website at unfpod.com for more information. So welcome all. So once again, we decided let's just do an overview on Conan the Barbarian. You know, it's just there's so much to like. I took a brief discussion that I already had done. It's a crossover episode with the great Jamie Ray on Favorite Five.

[00:00:31] And I did all kinds of other stuff, but I was like, yeah, I mean, I even had again at the very end, we have a great discussion with none other than the Mountain Impersonator Govournator on Instagram who does his great Arnold Schwarzenegger singings, impressions. He's great. Also known as James Burnett.

[00:00:55] But before we close out that interview, you know, you're going to hear some other discussions with Matt Litwin, Nick's from Cinema Shit Show, Ethan Weeks and Todd Sinsome. And we try to close it out. It's like, yeah, so is it a good movie, a trashy movie franchise? It's a bit of both. But ultimately, why is it considered some of the best, you know, films of all time?

[00:01:23] So plenty to like here. And ultimately, I thought we hit the nail on the head. We just got straight to business, but mostly we were geeking out about how cheesy and stupid Cole the Conqueror was. I meant to talk more about the TV show, but truth be told, I'll just say that here in this intro. Just look that up on YouTube. There's always someone uploading it.

[00:01:47] And on least the cheese, bring some drinking buddies because sadly trashy and stilted by its production, even though it's trying to coincidentally ape similar stuff like better productions like Highlander and other lowbrow, but deliberate cheese like Xena and Hercules TV shows. So it's a bit of everything, but it honestly speaks for itself.

[00:02:10] But and so we just mainly just said, let's discover both Arnold Schwarzenegger movies and a bit of the remake. We didn't really talk much about, but I was like, yeah, Jason Momoa was perfect for the part, but the movie was just kind of meh and generic. But we hopefully hit on some points on why, hey, this was your go to fantasy movie before you had Lord of the Rings.

[00:02:34] I mean, you already had other stuff like Dragon Slayer, but this is before other stuff like Willow, Princess Bride, even classier stuff. And you had knockoffs. We do talk about some of those as well as the pre Game of Thrones fandom. But yeah, mainly we were just predicting is like, what would this third upcoming movie actually look like? But glad it's finally happening. And so enjoy gang.

[00:03:49] It's best in life to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and they had a lamentation of their women. Conan the Barbarian. Conan the Barbarian. Yeah, man. With Fulsa Doom. James Earl Jones just really tearing the screen up in this one. And it's so strange to see him in this movie. Makes you want to see him in Darth Vader. Yes.

[00:04:16] You know, because almost every movie you in, he's always, you know, the respectable. He's, you know, always kind of funny or, you know, he has wisdom and stuff. And this movie, he's just straight up bad, man. I mean, he turns into a frigging snake. Yes. You know? So this is a great film, you know, from 1982.

[00:04:37] It's one of, I think, the best uses of his Mr. Universe body type that's anywhere. Because when I think of Conan, I've always thought of the Basima, you know, drawings, the comics art of him. And then this. Yes. And then when this came along, that just superseded it just from the way that it was. Yeah.

[00:05:04] And call her Valeria if you want to, but we all know that was Red Sonja. Until they got to use later on, you know? And it just, it was just a great movie. And I always thought, and I'm going to go off here a little bit on a tangent, okay? I always thought that Conan, of course, was the best. The Destroyer was a completely kind of different feel to a movie. Right. But I always thought they should have done a third film that starts off. Now, don't, I'm going to trademark this right now, okay?

[00:05:34] Where it starts off with Conan, King Conan, sitting on his throne in his castle. And you hear all of the people outside banging to get in, okay? And then, you know, he's sitting there with the crown on his head. And we pan into him. And he starts telling you about, you know, the journey that has brought him here to the Lamentations that are coming back to him.

[00:06:01] And then the movie goes into a younger Conan. So another actor plays him, okay? And then at the end of it, it ends up where he's, you know, he quote-unquote kills somebody or should have killed them and they go off. And that's the people outside the gates. And at the very end, old King Conan has to pick up the sword and heads toward the door right as it busts open. And then end credits. Man.

[00:06:29] I just, I thought that would be a cool movie. And it would really book in not just that movie, but the trilogy, as it were. So, of course, I can't write it right now because I, you know, am two. And I wouldn't say I'm picketing because I've never written a good thing in my life. But I'm supporting my brothers and sisters. Yeah. Yeah. And there might be aliens. I don't know. We'd see.

[00:06:58] What do you guys think is like the essential so bad it's good Arnold movie? Because it's like, I love everything. I will watch everything with Arnold in it. What about Red Sonja? Okay. Perfect. That's bad. That's just bad. It is straight up bad. What? This is so funny. He's playing Conan, but they can't legally say it. Say it's Conan, right? Did all of a stone write to Conan the Barbarian? Yes, he did.

[00:07:27] Well, here he started about that until recently. I'm like, huh? Were you thinking Jason Momoa? No, we're not. No, no, no. Arnold won. Oh, yeah. Yo, oh, man. I think Momoa did his best considering how he was one of the. I actually liked that. I still legit like him. Even when he's in a dud, I'm like, okay. But he's a smart guy. He's a likable guy. It's up to Hollywood to give him a role where he's not just taking off his shirt and, you know, making people swoon.

[00:07:56] I thought he was hilarious in Hercules in New York. Well, for Arnold, yes. But I'm talking Momoa. I'm like, but yeah. Oh, that's a dog boy. But yeah, Arnold. Yeah. I mean, it is so funny. It's like, I'm pretty sure people had to see. I mean, even with the Dino De Laurentiis connection, it was like someone had seen. Hey, he technically played a version of Hercules. So, yeah, he should play Conan. And so it is wild how he's finally going to do King Conan. And you're like, yeah, OK.

[00:08:26] About fucking time. Finally. That was in development over the years. And it was during the early years of clickbait on the Internet. And it was like, read the article carefully. He hasn't met with a pitch meeting. He wants to do it. Well, you know, and it should have been done when he was in his 60s, I think. I agree. You know. True that. And it's got. I'm just trying to think. There you go. Yeah. It was like.

[00:08:53] And who can we find who can do fantasy epics now? Because all the other ones who were making a career that have either retired, passed away. Well, you know, and I saw that Red Sonja remake that they, you know, they did. And it was not. Go figure. Go figure. Because, I mean, like, I didn't even know anything about it. It had a five out of ten. So I'm like, oof, that's rough. And then they had that several years back. They had the Kevin Sorbo whole movie. And it was it was not good either. It was to PG-13. Yeah.

[00:09:21] Yeah, it was it was basically a discounted episode of Hercules with Tia Carrere looking to her usual beautiful self. But the best Ron E. Howard adaptation would probably be it was one of those other ones where it's just it kind of. Well, I didn't like Solomon Kane either. Oh, well, that's OK. I I liked it on a review. It was just like, OK, that's pretty close to his material. It's just it's very slower paced. It's just kind of a slow build up. They're trying to get the world down.

[00:09:51] I don't know. It must be me. And, you know, whenever it comes to European films, it kind of, you know, American films, it's an American made film, but it's like done in Europe or something. It just doesn't sit right with me very well. Well, it is a millennium films thing to do. They've been pretty much doing the canon films deal where they're just like, let's just make, you know, do what we're doing with the Expendables, make everything in Bulgaria. We'll have some questionable CGI and then some real stunts and then make a junkie.

[00:10:22] Before you go, I could I could let you have your final take on Conan the Barbarian. Where do you rank that on Arnold's filmography? Would you say? Because I see so many others who are like, I like it, but I don't love it. And there's others who are like, oh, it's a fantasy classic. That's what got me into all those violent epics. And I actually don't care much for it. No, it's fine. I don't care much for it. There's no wrong answer. There's no wrong answer. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:10:50] I know I don't like Conan the Destroyer. Like that. Yeah. So I'm going to I'm going to disappoint you. I know that's a little shoddily written, but I kind of have more fun with just the death traps action in that movie. Yeah, even though most people saw it because it was just easier to modify for TV, just take out a few camel punches and it was safe to air on TV despite the monster. But I haven't seen Red Sonja.

[00:11:20] Oh, yeah. I've seen it. Yeah, that that when we did our Arnold rankings, we had our so bad, they're good, trashy, fun ones. We had our bad ones that are, you know, unwatchable, awful. And is that the same? Is it Richard Fleischer again or no? I know he did Conan the Destroyer, right? Let's see. Let's see. That's the funny thing, too. That's just so funny. People forget Conan the Barbarian. That was by John Malias and then Oliver Stone scripted.

[00:11:47] I forgot for a while that Oliver Stone wrote Conan the Barbarian. I even asked that at one of our, you know, a few nights ago because I was like, wait. Yeah. Yeah. I always forget about it, too, even though I've known about it for a while. It's just one of those it's kind of like Scarface is like, is it a diploma movie or is it an Oliver Stone movie? You know, same thing if you want to do with the verdict. Is this a David Mamet movie or is it a more? Cindy Lamette. And so, yeah, you are right. I didn't realize Richard Fleischer did Red Sonja.

[00:12:16] And I don't hate Bridget Wilson. I understand what she she was kind of the Denise Richards, for lack of better comparison, of her world where she was there to just look cute. And I get that. So I'm less hard on those people if I know. If as long as they stay in that zone. So, you know, since then, after she divorced Stallone, she was the B movie gal. But I just find it funny, though, how when you think about it, it's like, yeah, this is kind of just how this thing works.

[00:12:44] It's like you just need a look and that you'll keep getting work. Right, right, right. Yeah. And so I think Arnold could have easily been in a worse place. He could have easily been, you know, we will not give you anything decent. But he fought. Right. Oh, I didn't know. I didn't know this. Oh, yeah. You haven't heard the stuff about Dino De Laurentiis. I know he told what is it?

[00:13:12] Meryl Streep, some nasty things to her face or something. I didn't know about that. So, hey, you just surprised me. I, yeah, like, I guess I just I just mean, like, he explains it in his biography, the my total recollection, as well as the Netflix free part doc. And is like, he basically just read Dino De Laurentiis, you know, the riot acts. It's like, I see what you're doing and I'm all stars and I'm not going to walk over me either. You know, so.

[00:13:42] You can talk to me, but I got more dirt on you, buddy. Arnold was saying that, you mean, of Dino, you mean? Yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. Dino is just being a douche to him and really the only issue I have, and this is a valid one, I think, just with Conan the Destroyer, is just realizing that Olivia Diabo's, you know, was, you know, 14 at the time. So a bit of grooming there. That's not cool. Jesus Christ.

[00:14:10] Yeah, but at least she's just basically just tagging along. And so, and Arnold does a lot of physical comedy. There's some legit dumb stuff, but I also have fun with the legit fun stuff. So I do find it funny, though, that Mako is not a good, he's a good actor and I like this character, but he's not a successful wizard. So it's so funny how he keeps trying out spells and none of them are working. Right, right, right. Yeah, like Mako, yeah.

[00:14:39] Yeah, no, I think Meryl Streep tried to be in King Kong, I believe. Oh, wow. Before Jessica Lange. I'm not 100% sure. Talk about a movie beneath you. Dino De Laurentiis said the problem is nobody wants to fuck you. He said that to her face, yeah. Jesus. Jesus. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:15:00] And the fact that anyone would say that back in the day is like, I don't know if it was for King Kong, but I know it was, in fact, Dino De Laurentiis that said it to Meryl Streep about you're not going to be in a movie because. The thing is, is like when someone has that big a motor route, that lets you know this isn't the first time they said something awful like that. Yeah, yeah. I can only imagine the stuff that was, yeah. Did he do Blue Velvet? I think so. He produced a lot of stuff. Yeah, yeah.

[00:15:30] His main success was producing all the different Hannibal Lecter movies. And so I can only imagine. I'm sure if you were to interview any of his kids who are also producers, they might be like, any questions about my dad are off limits and I wouldn't blame them. You're like, yeah, he gave me everything I asked for and he's a piece of work. He's a piece of shit. So don't don't even bother asking because it's not good. And it's kind of where you have to.

[00:16:00] It's kind of like all the people who had a career thanks to Weinstein is like, yeah, you got to just call it out. Just let him know and just say, hey, he sucked. Interesting. The amount of people that say they had no idea, but some writers say it's an open secret. It was an open secret. Yeah. It's like, how do you know? And Brian Cox said on Cox. Brian Cox said that he met with them once. Oh, dear.

[00:16:30] And his flesh crawls like he just he got these vibes. Yeah. And he's playing Hannibal Lecter. So yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, what would you rate as like good fantasy movies? Because it's like usually people just go straight up to Lord of the Rings. And nowadays, Game of Thrones is all the rage. But yeah, it's like that was kind of what spearheaded it. That and Beastmaster.

[00:16:54] And then you had like the cheesy cartoons like Wizard by Ralph Botsky and his version of Lord of the Rings. But then, you know, then we had Willow, you know, we had Roger Corman. I haven't seen that. Oh, really? Okay. Well, and yeah, Dragon Slayer. And then I heard that was good. I think you'd like it. But how about the fact that we had all those knockoffs like Deathstalker? You know? Yeah, right. Right.

[00:17:23] There was there's a lost kingdom and utter trash by Roger Corman. You're like, hey. Yeah. Yeah. He's got to do what he's got to do. Right. Right. Right. People remember them because it's like, yeah, we laughed at it, but we watched it every time it was on HBO. Yeah. But I do find it funny that it's just. Conan is many guys are going to go. That was my what made me become an adult. And that's what got me in the gym.

[00:17:53] And I'm like, hey, well, if you say so. I just thought it was that big. I love lots of. Go ahead. I love lots of Arnold movies. I do. But yeah, that I don't. I just didn't. Yeah. No, that's fine. My mother is actually a huge Arnold fan. She was always like, yeah, it's fine for what it is, but I'm not the audience for this. And then I had others who's only seen it on modified cable TV. So it would be so funny. They'd be showing it at parties. They're like, this is safe. I'm like, no, it's really not.

[00:18:23] You got it. This is like way more violent. Indiana Jones. But with a few extra boobs and intense scenes. And it's like, but what a good role for James Earl Jones is like Thulsa Doom. It's like I was freaking right. I was in the great white hope. And, you know, then I was in The Man and so many other just surreal movies. I'm Dr. Strangelove and I'll always be the voice of Darth Vader. It was like, no, Thulsa Doom.

[00:18:49] That's probably your best live action villain role by far. Jesus, he was the main villain, huh? Yeah. Yeah. And I do love it. I remember he was in it, but I just I didn't. Yeah, I do love, though, how that's where Arnold developed his friendship with his stunt stunt buddy. Oh, was it Sven Olforsen? And nicest dude ever. He's Denmark's strongest man of 83.

[00:19:17] And he's like, yeah, he's he was doing what Arnold was doing. And Arnold was like, hey, I need a gym buddy to be in all my movies. So I'm going to I'm going to kill you on screen. And but I yeah, much like Brian Thompson, I I am afraid of that guy because I'm just like, yeah, sure. He is kind of the he's when it comes to henchmen who get killed in every movie. He's up there with stunt guys like Ali Young or actors like Danny Trejo. But I'm like, no, this is the dude who was coincidentally also in Cold the Conqueror playing a different role.

[00:19:47] But he's in every single one. So there you go. Yeah, he's he's been in all of Arnold's other stuff like Red Heat and End of Days. But yeah, like, yeah, I remember how he gets killed in Predator. I remember him in The Running Man. 13th Warrior is one of the Vikings. He's in B-movie junk, like Nowhere to Run, Overboard and Cyborg 2. And but you probably have seen him the most in Twins and Last Action Hero and Hard Target. Hard Target.

[00:20:17] The sum of all fears. He's a Russian aide. He's basically a kill squad. And then he was in other stuff like Hidalgo and Charles Angels 2. But I like how he still has some fanfare, thanks to being in the Captain Power TV show. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I remember seeing the cover of that. Like on VHS. Yeah. And then he did other Arnold knockoff movies. I don't know what he plays in Terminator 2, but he's credited as stunts. So he's probably one of the stunt guys.

[00:20:43] But one of the roles where he actually had dialogue that he probably had a significant role in would either be Best of the Best Four or Gladiator. But just that. Oh, yeah. Right. Right. Gladiator. But yeah, I do think he dies about like twice in Conan the Barbarian. And then, yeah, there's some other guy gets slugged and destroyer. You're just like just seeing any clips that people have been courteous enough to upload on YouTube.

[00:21:09] But he's easier to find compared to some of the other guys who you have to often freeze a frame just to see who's getting gunned down or sliced. And it is just so funny. He always lets out, oh, you know, just like powerful bellowing, you know. Yeah. Is he still with us? He's still with us. Surprisingly, it's Franco Colombo that died, right? Franco Colombo has unfortunately left us and he'll always be the futuristic Terminator.

[00:21:37] And he did some other stunts. And we still got Arnold's other stunt double buddy. Oh, he was on Joel Kramer, is it? Not Joel Kramer. It was a God. Oh, Peter, Peter Kent. Yeah. Yeah. He's awesome. And he's still with us. And he's been on all those Canadian shows a bunch of times. But yeah, I got to end it to Savannah. I mean, they even got to call him that in The Running Man.

[00:22:07] Yeah. It's like there's just something I just find it just more fun how Arnold gave him this boost. But you just look forward to seeing him in all these other movies because then you realize, yeah, that's the other muscular gunman in a low down dirty shame. That's he's in on deadly ground. And he's, you know, done the usual spots like quantum leap. But, you know, Walker, Texas Ranger is like, yeah, right. He was in that. I'm surprised. Yeah.

[00:22:38] Yeah. I do find it funny, though. I will see people get into the who's better, the Terminator or Conan. And I'm like, well. Well, the Terminator for me. It's just more digestible. And I like the world better. But yeah, Conan. I could totally understand if that was you were a bored 80s kid and that was your introduction to just fantasy in general that you otherwise couldn't visualize in a post comic book world.

[00:23:04] I could totally understand that, but so, yeah, it's not an instant favor of mine either. But I do. I do respect it. I do understand what it did for comic book adaptations, all alone epic fantasy movies, because that's all we had before we had stuff like Braveheart and Rob Roy type spectacles. Right. John Milius. Yeah. Definitely would be in his top ten somewhere because, I mean, yeah, he did Farewell to the King.

[00:23:33] And Red Dawn. And yeah, it is. I haven't seen Red Dawn. Oh, really? Oh, my God. You're in for a treat. Yeah. Yeah. All the Tom Clancy movies, rewrites and everything and extreme prejudice. Extreme prejudice. Dirty Harry films. Jeremiah Johnson. Dillinger. That's a great one. It is so funny, though, how Coppola denies that Apocalypse Now is political. It's like, I'm looking at all the deleted scenes here. You can't not be political when you're talking about Vietnam. Yeah.

[00:24:02] Yeah. Right. Several times working with Coppola, Lucas Spielberg and Don Siegel and all those guys. It's like, yeah, it is so funny how he's in that just realm of the universe. He's surprisingly still with us, despite smoking like a chimney. Yeah, right. Jesus. I did see that documentary on him. I think I saw part of it.

[00:24:30] I didn't see the whole thing, but it is so funny how everyone's like, yeah, before he was the creator of HBO's Rome. This is the dude who did surfing movies and cop movies. Yeah. Even people who just none of them were on the same political spectrum he was. And that's OK. They would still hang out with him because he just he was the script doctor who would come in. And so whatever you do, you can find YouTube clips of it. Make sure to not listen to any of the DVD commentary by him.

[00:25:00] And Arnold is like, my God, what a perverted old man fantasy they're going on about. Yeah. I was like, here's a pump to you. And then Malaise is like, oh, here's our beautiful lead. I'm like, OK, perv. Jesus Christ. Big Lebowski, right? Isn't John Goodman based on him on that? Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Yeah. And I didn't get that for a long time.

[00:25:30] I just thought he was just. Yeah, it's a documentary. I saw they say it and I'm like, oh, OK. It was like a total inside joke. And it's like and that was one of the many movies that started doing that is like. And this is a few years before we start having every producers inspired by Weinstein's like. And that's what's caused all kinds of conspiracy theories lately where people are going back and looking at creepy movies and wondering, I wonder if that was inspired by someone who knew Epstein. I'm like, probably not. But you probably wouldn't have to dig far for someone who.

[00:25:59] Did inspire it, who did know Epstein or was in a circle. It's like the world is a small place when you're now we can't even go and stop at the money. Now we're going to just look at all the other problematic people in the room. We'll get our answers. But yeah, it is so funny how. Elias is all these movies are just that big trend of over the top, just.

[00:26:25] Spectacles, your conservative uncles like it just as much as you're forgivable, forgiving liberal, you know, fathers. And it's just so funny how it's like he just made a living doing that. Just like I'm going to do bizarre. If we won the war type movies, I'm going to do the wind of the lion and people will be fine with it, even though the female leads treated like crap. I'm going to do. Big Wednesday and get a normal performance out of Gary Busey.

[00:26:55] I'm going to do farewell to the king and have Nick Nolte. Big Wednesday is great. Yeah. Yeah. And it's like, yeah, but big Wednesday. Farewell to the Kings was always on stars growing up. And so I haven't seen that. I think you'd like it. It's like it's basically. Yeah. Yeah. If I was a head hunter in the jungle and who are you going to cast? Nick Nolte. Yeah, right, right, right. Flight of the Intruder is a junkie movie, but I kind of have fun watching it. I would see parts of it.

[00:27:24] It would always be on at like six in the morning on TNT. And I finally would recede in college. I was like, you know. The story sucks, but it's worth it just to see Danny Glover and William Dafoe kicking ass. So it's OK. It's like tearing it produce. I didn't know that, but that makes sense. And so it is so funny, though, when I think the biggest influence Malias has had would probably be on video games.

[00:27:51] I like you definitely can tell that there's a total Red Dot inspired mission in Call of Duty, too. And I wouldn't be surprised if you ask someone who plays Medal of Honor or Battlefield. And I'm sure they would say instantly. He's like, yeah, I watched junkie Rambo wannabe movies. I mean, Malias wishes he created the Rambo character. That is for sure.

[00:28:16] All those Vietnam movies are often put together because they're so jingoistic. Yeah. What are you going to do? And it is so funny how progressives like us, we just look past it. It's like, hey, you can still have fun with it, even though the flag waving is kind of stupid. Oh, that's a good transition. We'll return after these messages.

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[00:31:07] or check us out at whowouldwinshow.com. I like the idea. I like, so, do you quote Crumb? What is best in life? I quote, I quote, I quote, Crumb. Crumb? I have no prayer for tongue. Lamentations to women. No, no, I just, but if you don't hear me, then to hell with you. Then to hell with you, and as he punches a camel, ah. No, no, then that's, yeah.

[00:31:37] Go ahead. I'm just talking in general, like his whole signature is like back and forth. But yeah, he says to hell with you a few different times. I've been looking forward to King Conan for like the last 20 years. Oh, God, yeah. You know, this is one of those ones where it's like it was in developmental hell. I know Milius, I think Milius had written a script. Let's look it up. I don't know if that's true or not. I think they were, because they did, they did Conan the story and that kind of like,

[00:32:05] you know, Christopher McQuarrie is currently attached to. Okay, good, good. So that's a good day. That's a good day. We also got Will Bell and Andrew Berloff and just a few other movie and TV guys. But yeah, it was really stupid how in early clickbait era of the 2010s, they would keep just going and saying, oh, yeah, it's been pitched. I'm like, no, he's talking about it. He hasn't actually sat down and pitched this in front of a meeting.

[00:32:32] I think the thing was he was waiting for the right script. And the idea is to have it where Conan is doing. And the audience has to like it. He knows the net worth and star meters and all that. And, you know, he was doing plenty of throwback movies. He's like, that's better to do than just a sequel that no one asked for. You know? I mean, that one Conan that came out in the early 2000s, you know, I wasn't really, I wasn't really that big about it. You're talking about Jason Momoa.

[00:33:02] Right. It was memorable. It was kind of like, OK, whatever. Aquaman. He's going to be in the next Supergirl movie playing another DC character. Lobo. He should have been playing all along. He never should have been Aquaman. I kind of like Aquaman. Who else would have played Aquaman? He was already in Stargate and Atlantis. Here you go. The guy from Antiparage. Yeah. Which one? No, that was part of the plot. That was part of the plot was him being in the Aquaman movie.

[00:33:32] As little as I saw that, yeah. Yeah, Cameron was supposed to be doing the Aquaman movie and, like, you know, Adrian Brody was supposed to be, like, that was the big plot line. And he was probably going to be fun. Welcome, everybody. Nick's from the next. Formerly of Cinnaboo's Shit Show. So, Nick's, I know you like yourself some Grindhouse and Sleaze and Trash and over-the-top movies. And there's nothing wrong with that. We're all here. We're all here. But are you... Sounds like a negative. It's a positive.

[00:34:01] It's a positive because you're an expert on it. But are you stoked for King Conan? Is it actually going to happen? Yes. Arnold... It's so funny. Arnold confirms it at the same time. He's like, I'm coming back as Dutch and Predator. And I mishear that as he's playing the Predator. He's like, no, no. He's playing Dutch and Predator. And he's doing a script for Commando, too. I gave him one. What? The guy's at Fox. I'm like, let's fucking go. What the fuck, man? Arnold just doesn't...

[00:34:31] He just doesn't stop. He can't. He's no longer governor, so he's going to go back into movies, I guess. Well, and then his 50-year-old daughter in Commando has to come back. Oh, wait. No, wait. What was... That would be funny, though. It's like she's doing... Oh, that's a lot of... Oh, that's a lot of... I was doing, like, John Wick type... Who's the boss? Yeah, there you go. She should say that. Like, she'll rip someone's learnings out and be like, who's the boss now? Ba-dum-dum. Hey, would you want to be blown off to Melrose Place?

[00:35:05] King Conan, whatever he does, he definitely needs to punch, like, just a bunch of camels that all, like, start falling over like dominoes in a row. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Like... Oh, do it like a... Like, in a comedy movie where you're not over motorcycles? Yes. Kind of like the... Are you the Arabs outside? Yes, what about it? I knocked the camels over. One of them spit on me.

[00:35:35] I punched them all out. They'll be out for a couple of hours. So if you guys want to chase me, you know, chase me with your little, you know, your little Arab things and you go across the desert, I'll outrun you still. Don't worry. Well, and then we got to have an Indiana Jones, like, spoof where he's like, hey, I just found gunpowder. You know? Just like... I watched. I watched. You got to throw into a gunfight. We got the ultimate geekster. We got James Burnett, also known as the governor. Yeah.

[00:36:05] Hey, how's it going? Yeah. I like the background. Yes. This is right. Out in the gym. So, great having me on. And for starters, how did you get into viral videos and voice acting? Let's see. I was on YouTube since like 2006. So I have my original videos on YouTube of me doing Bohemian Rhapsody as Arnold doing karaoke back in like 2006.

[00:36:34] And that was like my first, like, I don't know, introduction to YouTube and doing videos like that. How did the mountain come along? It was from work. Someone from work asked me if I ever see Game of Thrones. They're like, yeah, you're the mountain now. I'm like, sold. Oh, okay. I'll take that nickname over annually. Yeah, exactly. You can give me that name instead of anything else. So you're active on Cameo. It's been the funniest happy birthday or.

[00:37:03] Oh, I've had some crazy ones. So I started on Fiverr and then I just got Cameo just reached out to me about two weeks ago. And they're just like, hey, we're going to feature you. I was like, great. So, but Fiverr, I have like hundreds of orders on there and I don't get too weird of requests. Usually people just want me to do Arnold or James Earl Jones or Optimus Prime for something. And I'll just jump in and do those ones. But I don't get too crazy of requests every now and then. It's like someone's like, like wants to tell their friends, like, you know, something for

[00:37:31] a birthday or like very personalized of something weird. I'm like, I don't know. This must be an inside joke. So, but nothing too crazy yet. It's as official as they're going to get because they're there. It would probably be break their bank account if they ask the actual Arnold. Let's list off your complete arsenal. I didn't know you did Optimus. I knew you did Darth Vader and James Earl Jones in general. Who is your finalized list of impressions? Would you say? So Arnold's obviously that's that's my best one.

[00:37:59] James Earl Jones is the close second with Darth Vader. Obviously Optimus Prime is something I've been working on for years and I finally kind of got it down. His voice is just so freaking low. So that one's pretty rough. Lilo, like Stitch from Lilo and Stitch. Oh, really? You know, those types. So it was like my normal ones. I have Tone Loke. And then I do like that announcer type voice from Let's Get Ready to Rumble. That standard like baseball announcer voice. We're ready to rumble!

[00:38:29] Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages. Like that type of stuff, you know. I do applaud some of the AI and other stuff people have been able to use. And there's like two Sam Hughes and one of your other colleagues that have also been collaborating on some of these different videos. It's like it is just a perfect example of people just love Schwarzenegger. It doesn't matter. It's been forever since he's had a hit. It's just like, yeah, it's just everything is just better if he says it. It's just no shame.

[00:38:59] We are doing our best to keep him alive. You know, it is crazy. Fantastic and great. He's out there doing his thing and pumping everybody up. It's totally like you can it could be the worst soap opera or music video ever. People would still rather watch it because Mr. Arnold is in it. Yeah. So it's a fun transition. Yeah, I mean, I just I needed someone to just weigh in on just their final take on just

[00:39:27] isn't it wild how for a man who's played so many different spies and military guys and he's coming back as Dutch inevitably for Predator. He's already, you know, retired as Terminator character. But it is so funny. I people go back and forth on Conan the Barbarian. Most people will say I like, you know, I like it as an adaptation. It's kind of a cheesy movie. Others are like, it's so bad. It's good. Others are like, it's trashy. Awesome. Other people are like, it's what made me first become a man.

[00:39:57] Others are like, that's a fantasy classic. Where do you personally come down on it? Because like, you do kind of have to be in a mood to watch something that over the top. Yeah, it's like watching like Red Sonja or something like that. Or his first Hercules. Like the his acting was still like it was pretty, pretty rough. His accent was even rougher. It's like when he was so guttural back then. Like, oh, how are you? I'm Krom. You know, listen to me, Krom. I don't know. Like, he's just literally just fumbling over. And Krom is a fictional god.

[00:40:25] So you're just like, he doesn't pray to our god. He prays to this fictional fantasy god. And he has meko. I think it's like a cult classic, you know. As long as if you're an Arnold fan, it's a cult classic. And it's just one of those movies where it's like, if you've seen it, like, great. But yeah, you definitely have to be in that mood to like watch those old school movies like that. They were a slow bird for me growing up. Yeah, definitely like Gangs of New York. Like, very low top.

[00:40:51] But I didn't know growing up that I knew it was by Roddy Howard, the same late author. But I didn't realize that was technically his character in Red Soody was technically supposed to be Conan. But they had lost the license. They didn't have that ability. But I'm just kind of, I don't know. I'm kind of giddy. I was like, okay. So because in the early years of the 2010s of clickbait, people were going back and forth. King Conan's happening. And it was like, no, no, no.

[00:41:20] Read the article. He said he would like it to happen. It hasn't actually been pitched. So now it's gone through. And he has the script for that. And Commando 2. And I'm like, no way. There's been a script for Commando 2 you guys have been sitting on for years. Why now? I guess everyone got jet lag after a while. It's like, you do know you could use more Arnold. Yeah, always. It's a personal question, James.

[00:41:47] If you had a list of like maybe just five people, it was like, those are my gods. Those are my crumbs. Who would it be, do you think? Like when it comes to actors and like that type of stuff? Yeah. Or just even a feel-good, self-help author. Just a workout guy. I think Arnold's on there somewhere. But when I look at like movies I grew up with and everything, it goes back to just like I'm big on superhero stuff. Like so any type of superhero movie I was always into.

[00:42:16] But when it comes to actual actors, I think it's more of like, you know, Bruce Lee, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Like all the martial arts, even Michael J. White and his renditions of Black Dynamite and all these other movies are so amazing. Oh my gosh. So it's just like I loved Jackie Chan. Like just all the martial art movies growing up and all the, you know, really crappy subtitles where they're like, hey, I see you. Dubbing. Yeah.

[00:42:43] And I see others who are so nostalgic. They're like, how dare you make fun of it? I was like, I'm not making fun of the person. I'm making fun of the edit. I can tell I've watched the American thing. And, but yeah, Bruce is kind of electrifying. He's like, just get away from the amazing movies. How about the fact that he developed his own workout routine? That's kind of, that was unheard of back then. Like, I mean, you're, you're deciding how you run and train and. Yeah. MMA pretty much. You're choosing your own fighting style.

[00:43:13] What? Everyone else knows there's all these grapples and, you know, military backgrounds so they can do, you know, certain wrestling moves and mix it in with street fighting. It's like, no, he's making up his different kind of pressure point and applying all that. I'm like, yeah, unheard of and a legit human being like you, you, without fail, someone once a year will share a quote.

[00:43:42] It's like, I got nothing. Yeah. I've just spoken to a literal God in human form by seeing that Bruce Lee or even a Brandon Lee quote that you've just shared is like, don't get me wrong. Jackie's amazing. And I'm, I will cry like a baby when he leaves us. God forbid. I will cry like a baby when Arnold leaves us. It's like, don't do it. Come back. And he's like, as I was on a freaking coffin, I'll be back. Yes. I was back. No. Wrong.

[00:44:14] Yeah, man. This is like, you can't not have enough of. Bruce Lee. And it's a shame that he and Arnold couldn't have been in a movie together. I mean, that would be awesome. Jackie wasn't a movie with Arnold. Well, it's not good, but you should see it anyway, because it's freaking amazing that someone made this distorted, bizarre vision. I mean, with AI, the possibility is endless now as far as like some of these renditions and everything. So.

[00:44:42] Did you ever want to actually do any modeling or action movie or even stunts growing up? Yeah. Really? Okay. So when I was like 19, I was trying to go into that. I was on MTV a couple of times. I'm six eight. So. Yeah. So I'm a little bit taller. It's a little bit harder to get on the screen when you're when you're as tall as I am. So, yeah, I'm in my 40s now. But, yeah, I've always been six eight since I was 18. And, yeah, I always wanted to get into acting.

[00:45:12] So, you know, voice acting was a close second. But, you know, my real careers took over and children and all the other stuff. And so it kind of put all that stuff in the back burner. And, yeah, it's been it's been a journey. But I've always wanted that type of thing. I'm like, I'd love to be Conan, you know, something like that. That'd be freaking awesome. Even a photo double or rival warrior he fights that be the epic. That is kind of it is so weird when I explain that to some other movie buffs are like you'd actually want to be killed by your icon on screen.

[00:45:38] I'm like, yeah, yeah, I would love to get machine gun by Ali on my neck snapped by Bruce Willis or Stallone back in the day. Dolph Lundgren, you're still available. So. Yeah, I if I have to get blown away by a Terminator or decapitated by Conan, even Conan the Librarian. That is that is that's awesome. Yeah, that's. Yeah, man, I it is so weird. The Conan character, he's kind of physically built like a Hercules die.

[00:46:08] He doesn't have as many dry lines as like a Zorro or Indiana Jones. And yet that character has just kind of he's still instantly recognizable just with that giant. Yeah, almost semi religious. It's so funny because it's about to do terrible, brutal killing methods. It's asleep with everyone on the planet. And yet he's got fictional like religious emblems on his both his helmet and a sword. And you're just like, that's. But that was the thing.

[00:46:37] And it's so funny how you're being compared to the mountain and gamer phones is kind of like the second deal of bringing back brutal fantasy and pulp stuff. Yeah. For today's audience. And yet Conan was kind of the thing. But because without before that, you had after you had all the different Italian knockoffs like a tour. Yeah. Then you got other stuff like Beastmaster that same year. But I'm like, yeah. Yeah. Highlander to some extent. Yeah. Like bringing that back too. Yeah.

[00:47:05] So what do you make of just these fantasy icons? It's like if you don't. Now we're spoiled by superhero movies. Now we're spoiled by streaming. But what where does Conan rank as like Arnold's like he popularized it was already pretty established character, but he made it even bigger, kind of like Wesley Snipes did with Blade. But what is it about just a brutal conqueror who fears no one? I think it's just similar to Game of Thrones.

[00:47:33] It's that hyper like violence, hyper fantastic, like like fanaticism, shamelessness. Yeah, it's just like it's so great if they do it right and have like the right actor, the right screen. You can make anything, you know, great. So I think they really have that ability to have that fantasy world of like just a little bit more strength. There's a little bit more this and like really make it into something special. Perfect. I love it. Couldn't have said it better.

[00:47:59] Are your kids already asking you for different characters you can do? Oh, yeah. So I've done my youngest. Well, sometimes like mimic Arnold as well. I'm starting to show my middle kid like all the movies now as far as like Predator, Terminator. Like we're starting to get on that now and just having some fun Jing all the way, you know, like the slow kindergarten cops. We're doing the slow introduction. And so they hear him like dad. He speaks like you. I'm like, no, listen to me.

[00:48:28] I speak like him. He was the first when I'm the second. You know, it is great. I'm like a clown, like a little bit taller, a little bit darker. Perfect. Hey, would you say the circuits you've been at? I'm not sure if you're based in L.A. or. Yeah, I'm in Southern California. OK, perfect. How would you describe a lot of those gyms and. Wow.

[00:48:58] So yeah, so I just started exploring that. I love it's never too late to get into fitness, guys. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I started my like I've always been into fitness, but I really started again about two or three years ago. And then I got a coach in October and now we're just shredding. I'm preparing for a competition in November. So I'm trying to get my body fat percentage down under 10 percent. I'm just like 15 right now and just start to just start to shred. And the gym scene down here is pretty good.

[00:49:27] I love TG. They took over like a golds or world gym down here. It looks great. And I've been traveling to different gyms. I actually want to go to the golds gym on Venice Beach and travel up there to work out there just to see. So it's like I want to start doing stuff like that and start traveling around the nation to go to different gyms and work out in them. Sweet, man. And I've got into it more recently as well. I just never cared for it growing up. It was no different than work.

[00:49:56] And then I was like, I need to actually be able to sleep better and my mind. Yeah. The body's on autopilot. You got to do this. And I'm just glad I did. But it is amazing how. Everyone is like, I feel so much better. I'm like, yeah, you know, if I'd only listened, you know, it's like it kind of goes back to anything. If you can make it sound fun or just make this sexy, then we're talking, you know, it's like. Yeah. And I take my kids with me. Like they'll get up on their own. Oh, nice. And all three of them will wake up with me and they'll work out with me. Everybody.

[00:50:26] See, you're creating an army of kids now. But that's cool. And why do you think you gel? Because it's so easy growing up for kids to be like, you know, dad. It's yeah. I think they saw my transformation in the last two years because I wasn't like crazy overweight, but I wasn't in the best shape anymore. And I was in really good shape when I was younger. So they saw me transform in like the last two years to, you know, what I was to what I am now. And then so now they see it. They see my nutrition.

[00:50:56] Like they just jumped on board and they wake up on their own at four o'clock in the morning. They'll come out and work out. We actually just got back from the gym right now. So they work out with me and it's been great. So I think they see me as that kind of role model and they want to emulate that. So it's been great. That's great, man. And do you feel like this just changes your overall just like accessibility? Like just everyone's like, yeah, I can talk to him.

[00:51:26] He knows what he's been doing for years. You know, it's like. Yeah, I think it's that. And then on top of that, it shows like when people are taking care of that, it shows that they have a certain type of discipline. And then on top of that, it just makes it to where like you understand what it takes to kind of do that with your body and how long it takes and the discipline you have to have. So it's like it's easier to like try to channel that to people because that's something that everybody can pretty much do. It's just people make excuses.

[00:51:53] But at the end of the day, like I looked at it from a longevity standpoint of I want to be able to walk my kids down the aisle. I don't want to have any debilitating weakness. That was a poor personal choice, you know. So, yeah, it's been really important for me lately. It's like we got to just have a wake up call and it's like, hey, you know, this is nothing to politicize. This is nothing to this isn't even about even looks anymore. This is do I want to be able to be in good health? Yes. Yes. Walk upstairs.

[00:52:23] You know, do I want to be able to squat down and pick up with something like just simple stuff? Yeah, it's like you can say anything else you want to this. This has nothing to do with that right now. And. Yeah, so that's awesome. You're you're beasting it with both in the gym and getting your your fun voiceovers. Did you do a lot of theater growing up in high school?

[00:52:50] No, I did theater in middle school, but I did choir from fifth grade. Oh, whoa. To my senior year. So I did a lot of choir and I was in like a show choir, like my junior and senior year. That is weird. Where we danced and sang and everything. So shit. Yeah. Got to really project your voice. So what's your what's on your bucket list now in this case? For this, I would love to have a sit down with with Arnold and have a cigar.

[00:53:20] That'd be awesome. Stogie. Yeah, get a little stogie, you know. And like, listen, I can have my stogie whenever I want. You know, I don't have to be a little hideaway like you. Thank you, man. Get out of here. What are you doing? That would be awesome. Awesome. I do want to start working out the gyms across like the nation, like the popular ones. I've already got down Colt Fitness and Dragon's Lair in Las Vegas. Those are really cool. So I want to start doing that, too. And like, that's kind of been on my bucket list now.

[00:53:47] It's just, you know, having fun and traveling around the nation and working on different awesome gyms and to see where it takes me. I could see that, too. You could do maybe a travel show where you check out gyms in other states. It's like, how do they compare to my number one? That'd be awesome. You're my number one customer. You're my number one customer. That is right. It's not a workout gym. It's a flexing place.

[00:54:16] There's something effortlessly about the way that man is talked. And so it was just so funny. It's like he was an example of like, it's like, hey, you don't have to love him as an actor. You got to just love him as a charismatic god. It was like, yeah, it was like it's magnetic. It's like bodybuilding. You like him. I've heard I've listened to Mike Torch's. He's another workout god podcast. And he, of course, goes to all the Mr. Olympia different contests and everything. He's had dinner with Arnold several different times.

[00:54:45] And he just has hysterical stories about how Arnold will humorize all the waiters and then tell everyone stop eating all the ketchup. It's all crap. Oh, man. And there is just something about him is like even people who have been jealous about him for years, like, yes, I want to meet him. I just like him. Yeah. Arnold, I will never talk smack about you. It's not because I fear for my life.

[00:55:14] It's because I have I couldn't do what you could do so well. And I'm sorry. You are my God. He was my super. Did you have a superhero or other persona growing up where you're just like, I mean, you've discussed Bruce Lee, but did you have any mentors or awesome coaches? Are you like, yeah, he's awesome. I think a choir teacher. You're not.

[00:56:06] No, there's growing up. He's just an awesome hacker. Okay. Well, very neat for this mini discussion. My dude. Do you have anything else you would like to promote? No, just my social media is all the same thing. It's a governor spelled with a G-O-V-O-U-R-N-A-T-O-R. Like that's on all social media. I got it on everything. You know, it is my friend. It'd be super fantastic. It is like I am the governor.

[00:56:37] Hey, people still swear by it. They're like, come back to politics. You've got all those knuckleheads that go outside. You got the bench press. Clear your mind on this build. It's going to pass. Arnold makes everything cool. And I'm glad he's making you an awesome sensation on social media. It's like, yeah, it's fun too. It's like people love a celeb. So then they look forward to the impersonators or impressionists.

[00:57:05] And so it's weird how Arnold is kind of taking over. So he's up there in those top tens along with all the Scarface lookalikes and the Elvis impersonators. But the fact that anyone can make a living off a pre-existing image and then, yeah. So you have it on your bucket list. I want to meet my icon that I'm making impressions of. I hope that comes true. I hope you can get it. For the inevitable prodder movie, I'm sure it'll be a Comic-Con.

[00:57:32] And I'm sure you'll get to ask a question because he'll see your height. And he'll be like, hey, there's no way they're not taking that man's question. Awesome, man. I hope you have a really badass music playlist for your inevitable workout tomorrow. And yeah. Follow us on the web on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

[00:57:58] The podcast is available on Podbean, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Anchor, Apple, and anywhere else podcasts are available. Feel free to review our show and leave comments on any of those sites. Thanks a million for listening. So, check to... So, check to...