Cinematic inspiration

Hello Folks,


One film we just lifted from, "Naked Prey." I was a solo adventure and Sanga (my character) dang near bought it just as Cornel Wilde's ivory hunter nearly did. If you're going to the Black Kingdoms any time, check it out.
 
In my opinion, asking for movies to be good Conan stories, I think atmosphere and feeling is paramount. If so, we must remember that Conan is adventure pulp, since Howard loved to write such, creating a fantasy world out of the hints of others. Howard enjoyed much more writing tales like Three-bladed Doom. But everything that was written in pulps in the pulp era, no matter the setting, had the feel in common. The best inspiration then would be films completely based on those pulp stories, that really capture the feel.

That is, the Indiana Jones films, and the already mentioned Mummy films -specially the 30's version- and obviously King Kong. Almost much better than Gladiator, which is a quite different kind of story. Big Trouble in Little China would do fine if you strip all the modern touchs. And there are many more films, but I'm just giving a guideline here.
 
Yogah of Yag said:
I've known about the legend of the ship Mary Celeste and there have been many literary and probably a few cinematic renderings of this legend. Very creepy, spooky....! :shock:

have ran a story based on that short story for all the games I have ever DMd also dont forget more anicent texts like beowulf they as a source rock 8)
 
toothill man said:
Yogah of Yag said:
I've known about the legend of the ship Mary Celeste and there have been many literary and probably a few cinematic renderings of this legend. Very creepy, spooky....! :shock:

have ran a story based on that short story for all the games I have ever DMd also dont forget more anicent texts like beowulf they as a source rock 8)

Thanks for subtly reminding me, toothill. I need to get back to my plans for a Beowulf RPG. The development will have to wait until well after the holidays. Merry Crom's Mass, toothill and everyone at toothill castle. :)
 
This isn't a movie (as far as I know) but I use massive amounts of material from de Bello Gallico and the Germania for inspiration.
The opening sequences of Gladiator wherein the Roman legions are attempting to annihilate the "remainder" of the Germani is marvelous, and when I first heard about the film when it was in pre-production, I secretly hoped that the bulk of the film was about the Roman campaigns in the "barbarian" lands. Sadly this was not to be. By far, the first 5-10 minutes of Gladiator are my favorite.

*HINT, HINT!* Com'mon Hollywood! Let's have a great action flick on the tribes in and north of the Alps! The Teutoni, Boii, Ambrones, Germani, CIMBRI, and all the rest! Let's see what struck fear into the hearts of the Southern Men! Let's see the clades variana!
 
Yogah of Yag said:
Thanks for subtly reminding me, toothill. I need to get back to my plans for a Beowulf RPG. The development will have to wait until well after the holidays. Merry Crom's Mass, toothill and everyone at toothill castle. :)

no problem same to yours old boy 8)
 
Just watched this on Sky+: Ronin.

Think carefully about which film characters should be NPCs! And you may have to discard "the twist". But the set up is great for bringing a party of - admittedly high-level - PCs together...

Ciao,
Ant
 
Game plots from movies / books / Opera

From Wuthering Heights, While passing a small rural community the P.C.s get requested to aid a young woman who is being haunted by the ghost of a paramour (bloke what fancied her). On the second night the P.c.'s are awoken and two sets of footprints disappear out over the 'moor' but only one person cannot be accounted for.

From Cinderella (La Cerentolla) The local Prince is an eligable batcholor who plans to invite all the suitable local young ladies (possibly including a p.c. if any are Nobles) to a ball to see if he can meet a possible match, however a local elderly witch has plans, nasty, nasty plans, involving a much put upon slave girl, some innocent mice and a pumpkin......

Resident evil set in Messantia (No real work required a underground maze full of flesh eating dead people....

Robin Hood, Returning from war you find your country under threat of userption, Your true King held prisoner by the enemy, Your family murdered and Lands confiscated.... Set in Aquilonia during the reign of Conan, Is he gonna be mad when he gets back ....now I would source most of this from the 'Prince of thieves' version but is the mood strikes throw in a few bits from Mel Brooks 'Men in tights' version too.... <giggle>

The towering inferno, While at a evening do in a tall building fire breaks out on the lower floors can your resourcefull p.c.s get out ? How many people can they save too ?

The Lost World (with a little Mountains of madness) -- Deep in the jungles of Khitai lies a small plateau where rumour has it the giant dragons of legend roam... And this Scholor is going there to see and you are going too.
 
The upcoming film Tristan and Isolde looks promising. 8) although perhaps more of a chick-flick than good, blood-n-gore guy-movie. :(
 
I remember, years ago, watching a western that is all set around a ferry crossing a river (one of those with a rope that is slung across the river that ferry/raft is pulled back and forth across).

The plot revolved around the good guys being on one side and the bad guys on the other. Can't remember what the film was called, but I always thought it would be ideal for a fantasy RPG scenario.
 
Yogah of Yag said:
The upcoming film Tristan and Isolde looks promising. 8) although perhaps more of a chick-flick than good, blood-n-gore guy-movie. :(

On the point of up and coming movies, how about the Beowulf and Grendel movie:-

http://www.beowulfandgrendel.com/
 
Sword and the Sorcerer
LadyHawk
Excalibur (already mentioned)
King Arthur (the newest one)
Record of Lodoss Wars (might be a stretch with the magic/dragons)
 
rigante said:
The plot revolved around the good guys being on one side and the bad guys on the other. Can't remember what the film was called, but I always thought it would be ideal for a fantasy RPG scenario.

Clint Eastwood classic, The Outlaw Josey Wales had a ferry scene in it.

Few ferry scenes in some other westerns and the Beastmaster movie had one too I believe.
 
There are 2 or 3 Beowulf-inspired movies. Note that I said "inspired." None of them appear yet to be faithful, respectful interpretations, which vexes me to no end. Beowulf is my all-time favorite piece of literature (sorry, Mr. Howard! But I think he would understand...) The Zemeckis project will supposedly be motion-capture, like Polar Express or the brawl in the 2nd Matrix film. I was hoping for 1 decent, live action version. Who knows? Maybe one of them will actually be worth watching without vomiting in disgust!

I saw Mothman Prophesies with Richard Gere a few months ago. Man, what a truly creepy movie! :shock: Probably more suited to a d20 Modern/X-files inspired campaign, but might suit a Hyborian campaign if restructured a bit.
 
A few for now...

Mothman: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265349/
Mothman, (US): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000648X0/qid=1137181733/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-4877066-1044633?n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance
Mothman, (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006J9UD/qid=1137181789/sr=8-2/ref=pd_ka_2/026-3171734-1622838
 
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