Conan The Barbarian (1982) - Soundtrack

Here is an admission that might bring some heat from certain corners of fandom or the broader internet. I do not care all that much for the film Conan The Barbarian. While it does have its moments and elements that work for me, I also found the sum total of all those moments and elements dour and over serious. This might have to do with the simple fact that, as much as I admire John Milius as a screenwriter, I just do not connect with his work as a director. I also found the original Red Dawn to be a chore of a downer to sit through. Your mileage will vary, of course.

While the film itself might leave me feeling underwhelmed, the same cannot be said for the score for it that was composed and conducted by the late, great Basil Poledouris. It is a pulse pounding, fist pumping work of energy that will make just about anybody that listens to it want to pick up a sword and start swinging.

The film's Main Title, known as Anvil of Crom, is an undisputed masterwork, but I am just as fond of the Bolero-styled track The Kitchen/The Orgy, which is on the second disc of this three CD special edition set released by Intrada.