Conan the Barbarian (1982) - Holy Crom, the World-Building!

Okay, hear me out. I know Conan isn't exactly HARD sci-fi, but as a world-building junkie I think the OG Conan the Barbarian (1982) deserves way more credit than it gets. Like, forget Arnie's muscles for a sec (hard, I know). The sheer scope and feel of Hyboria is just... incredible. You actually BELIEVE this is a real, lived-in world. Milius and his team NAILED it. Think about it: the Pictish Wilderness, the snake cult in the Tower of Set, the desolate landscapes Conan crosses. It's all so evocative! Even the costumes and set design scream 'ancient, brutal, and utterly alien' without feeling cheesy or campy (well, mostly). What's everyone's favorite location in the movie, and why does it feel so damn real? I'm particularly fond of the Mount of Power, and its feeling of ancient, unknowable evil. I'm currently working on a project with a vaguely similar setting, lots of tribal cultures and weird magic, so I rewatched Conan again last night. Did anyone else get super inspired by the world-building every time they watch this movie? Did anyone else like to get super inspired by the world-building when they watch it? Anyone feel that this movie is a fantastic, yet flawed, gem? The scene where Conan first finds the Atlantean sword... that is gold as far as world-building goes. Also, quick aside: James Earl Jones as Thulsa Doom? Absolutely terrifying. His calm, almost fatherly demeanor just makes him all the more menacing. Seriously, that scene where he turns a snake into a person? Chills. Total chills! Let's discuss!