nok-ind: A true bad ass James Earle Jones as Thulsa Doom “They will all drown in lakes of blood. Now
nok-ind: A true bad ass James Earle Jones as Thulsa Doom “They will all drown in lakes of blood. Now they know why they are afraid of the dark. Now they will learn why they fear the night.” - Thulsa DoomWhen Is Evil is so bad it is Cool? one of my favorite movie villains from Conan the Barbarian, 1982. So what would make today’s Bad Man of note Thulsa Doom.Thulsa Doom was played by James Earle Jones.His story: Thulsa Doom is the leader of a vast army of guys dressed in black armor and black cloaks at the beginning of the movie. His army ransack and plunder many villages throughout the country side. They also kill just about everyone in these villages and burn the villages down. It is later revealed Thulsa and his men are looking for steel (or weapons). One of these villages laid to waste turns out to be Conan’s village. Conan is only a little boy when his village gets trashed.Thulsa Doom ends up killing Conan’s parents (he personally beheads Conan’s mom right in front of a young Conan) and he ends up stealing Conan’s father’s sword. Thulsa sells Conan and all the children who are left from the village into slavery and then Doom isn’t seen for awhile. During a montage Conan grows up and the movie jumps forward about 20 years into the future. A lot of time has passed and Thulsa has moved up in the world. He is considered a demigod now. He commands a large and powerful Snake Cult. The servants in Thulsa’s cult are known as Doom’s Children and their only purpose is to die in Doom’s service. It is also said that Thulsa “is an evil sorcerer who can summon demons.” Through the power of the snake god Set his cult seems brainwashed and they follow Thulsa blindly. The cult worship “emptiness” and are obsessed with death. The whole cult thing has a sort of Jonestown Massacre type vibe to it.So the cult loves Thulsa and since the cult is everywhere those not involved in the cult fear Thusla. Doom kidnaps and brainwashes The King’s daughter and the miffed King asks Conan and his pals to rescue her and to kill Thulsa and put an end to this Snake Cult jive. Conan ends up getting caught and Thulsa has his men beat the tar out of the simmerian. When Conan brings up the point to Thulsa that he killed his family back in the day Thulsa seems pretty nonchalant about it. saying ‘My child, you have come to me my son. For who now is your father if it is not me? I am the well spring, from which you flow. When I am gone, you will have never been. What would your world be, without me? My son’. He has Conan crucified to the “Tree of Woe”. Conan almost dies on the tree but is later saved by another wizard.Meanwhile back in Thulsa Doom’s throne room there is a big ass orgy going on and it turns out Thulsa and his cult are cannibals. Thulsa isn’t in the orgy though. He’s too busy turning into a giant snake. Conan and company grab the Princess and escape. Thulsa takes a tiny poisonous snake and turns it into an arrow and kills Conan’s girlfriend with it. Thulsa then leads his soldiers in an attempt to get the Princess back but Conan kills all of Doom’s men and only Thulsa escapes. He tries to kill the Princess with another snake arrow but fails. Does Thulsa live or die: Thulsa Doom dies. He tries to use his hypnotic glare on Conan but Conan isn’t buying it. Thulsa is beheaded in front of his worshipers and his head is thrown down a very long staircase. His followers, disillusioned by their fallen leader’s death, quit his religion and walk off. Conan then burns down Thulsa’s fortress.Some facts about Thulsa Doom: The director of Conan the Barbarian picked Jones to play Thulsa Doom because of Jones’s gravitas and his calm, deep voice. The director figured with blue contact lenses in his eyes and the long straight haired wig that Jones would look like a member of an ancient race that had died out a long time ago and that Thulsa (being an immortal) was the last of his kind. This is my favorite fact about Thulsa doomThe actor: James Earle Jones pretty much rocks the spot as Thulsa Doom. Most people know him as the voice of Darth Vader but Jones has had a long and brilliant career in movies. He’s starred in such varied films as Dr.Strangelove, The Hunt For The Red October, The Lion King, Coming To America and the mini series Roots. Jones is a great actor who’s deep voice is practically his trademark. Growing up Jones had a terrible stuttering problem. He didn’t overcome that affliction until he was in high school. Also at Jones’s own request he asked to go uncredited for his voice over work in the first two Star Wars movies. He considered his work as Darth Vader a special effect and didn’t want the credit. Later Lucas saw to it that Jones did indeed get the credit he deserved in Return of the Jedi. Part of the reason Vader is so spooky is his voice after all. -- source link