So here’s a display of honesty you don’t often see in the movie biz.

Sean Hood, one of four scriptwriters who worked on the recently released “Conan” reboot shares what it’s like to work on a movie that flopped. The reimagined adventures of the famed barbarian, which cost $90 million to make, did just $10 million at the box office in its opening weekend.

In a Q&A with the Internet site Quora, Hood observes:

“When you work “above the line” on a movie (writer, director, actor, producer, etc.) watching it flop at the box office is devastating. I had such an experience during the opening weekend of Conan the Barbarian 3D.

A movie’s opening day is analogous to a political election night. Although I’ve never worked in politics, I remember having similar feelings of disappointment and disillusionment when my candidate lost a presidential bid, so I imagine that working as a speechwriter or a fundraiser for the losing campaign would feel about the same as working on an unsuccessful film.

One joins a movie production, the same way one might join a campaign, years before the actual release/election, and in the beginning one is filled with hope, enthusiasm and belief. I joined the Conan team, having loved the character in comic books and the stories of Robert E. Howard, filled with the same kind of raw energy and drive that one needs in politics.”

The full piece really is worth a read.

Elsewhere …

… fellow WordPress film blogger Alex Nevala-Lee reflects on the decade that’s passed since the release of Peter Jackson’s “The Fellowship of the Ring.”

Here’s the nut graf:

“And whatever its other qualities, the movie works. It still looks great, and the special effects, if not miraculous, do a fine job of serving the narrative and performances. And while I’m personally of the opinion that Peter Jackson never quite figured out the right tone for his material until The Return of the King, Fellowship still has the strongest story in the trilogy. There’s something inexpressibly satisfying about seeing the pieces of the epic falling into place, as the Fellowship is gathered, tested, and finally scattered. The other two movies have their moments, and Return of the King in particular is a masterpiece, but I’m guessing that when most viewers think back to their favorite scenes, whether they’re casual fans or Tolkien obsessives, this is the installment that first comes to mind. And the individual moments haven’t lost any of their power: when Aragorn beheads the Uruk-Hai at the end, for instance, the entire auditorium erupted in cheers, drowning out the orchestra.”

Weird to think that it’s been 10 years already … Time flies.