The Northman shares wayyyy more DNA (and actual sequences/conceits/sword stances) with Beastmaster & Conan the Barbarian than I had expected. It’s kind of proudly schlocky(?!)

If you listen to any of Eggers’ The Lighthouse interviews to hear what a pretentious asshole he sounds like (though props to him for getting me to watch the superb Kameradschaft). I can’t imagine that he’s admitting to any of this stuff. Go listen to his A24 Podcast interview with Ari Aster and tell me they don’t sound like the two most insufferable film school pricks. Sucks that they’re probably the filmmakers of their generation.

Northman retains his interest in ethnography; there are more than one excellent musical sequences! People would’ve lost their minds but I could’ve done twice as many.

I’m more glad this exists than anything. Thanks to that cheesy A & E Vikings show for getting this made and allowing a huge $70M swing from a honest to god auteur, even if it was from a filmmaker that probably owned sibling ferrets and cranked it to Tanya Robert’s one too many times.