Two motion pictures based on the Conan stories have been produced: Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984). Neither of these movies is based on a particular one of Howard's stories. Rather, they reproduce some of the elements commonly found in the Conan tales while following original story lines uniquely their own. The first one is scripted by John Milius and Oliver Stone and is entertaining fare — although its plot is almost nonexistent. Conan is played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, a one-time body building champion who turned out to be a good actor. His love interest is Valeria, played by Sandahl Bergman.

Conan's archenemy is Thulsa Doom, played by James Earl Jones, who comes off as a deeply menacing figure.

Snakes, nudity, and violence abound in this motion picture, as they do in Howard's stories. Those who like strong imagery and symbolism will probably enjoy the picture. The...