# 300



## ChrisFilter (Mar 23, 2007)

Forgive me if there's already a thread in existance.

Saw this last night, was fucking wicked 

Copied from a conversation with Jodal:

ChrisFilter > says:
Oh, I saw the 300 last night.. it was fucking sweet
ChrisFilter > says:
the cinema clapped, which is always a bit crap
ChrisFilter > says:
but I can see why
ChrisFilter > says:
It would have been overly cheesy, except it had a sense of self-awareness that meant it could get away with it
ChrisFilter > says:
You felt like you were enjoying the cheesyness with the director, rather than it being a downside
Jodal says:
I'm probably wrong but I think it looks absolutely crap.

Very good action film.. I awate Urban's disagreement and disapproving stares


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## Kanda (Mar 23, 2007)

Just finished downloading, I'll watch it at work in a sec.

If it's any good, I want to see it at the Imax.


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 23, 2007)

Will be well worth it at Imax.. I'd skip watching it on PC, might detract from the screening.


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## Kanda (Mar 23, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> Will be well worth it at Imax.. I'd skip watching it on PC, might detract from the screening.



It got some pretty negative reviews so I'll check it out first as I hate going to the cinema usually.


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## Crispy (Mar 23, 2007)

Looks like a great big get stoned, much popcorn and giggle at the ridiculous violence movie to me


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 23, 2007)

You're spot on Crispy.. but the film makers giggle with you, I think that's why I liked it so much. That and it's dead perty.

Big cheers rang out in the cinema when people lose limbs, that was fun.

It does have some fantastic battle scenes, very well choreographed.


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## fear-n-loathing (Mar 23, 2007)

gonna watch it this weekend can't wait


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## jodal (Mar 23, 2007)

Maybe I'm being too harsh on a film I haven't even seen yet but...

I saw This Is England yesterday which might just be one of the best British films eva and 300, in comparison, looks the cinematic equivalent of a cheap hooker compared with, say... Letitia Casta.


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## undercover (Mar 23, 2007)

Kanda said:
			
		

> Just finished downloading, I'll watch it at work in a sec.
> 
> If it's any good, I want to see it at the Imax.


Off to the imax on weds to see it, will let you know!

12 quid a ticket though


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## joustmaster (Mar 23, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> Will be well worth it at Imax.. I'd skip watching it on PC, might detract from the screening.


i started to watch it on line a couple of weeks back. but decided against it. Will go to cinema unless i'm convinced otherwise


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## Kid_Eternity (Mar 23, 2007)

It's getting some crap reviews, the comic wasn't all that imo, one for pirate dvd methinks...


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## Pieface (Mar 23, 2007)

apparently the Spartan's pants steal the show.


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## Relahni (Mar 23, 2007)

Do you think Rollem would like to watch this with me as part of a date?


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## Rollem (Mar 23, 2007)

no, i dont think she would

unless you paid...popcorn included....


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## Relahni (Mar 23, 2007)

Rollem said:
			
		

> no, i dont think she would


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## pyrovitae (Mar 23, 2007)

i'm seeing this tonight and really looking forward to it.  having low expectations helps...whilst it's supposed to be impressive visually i've read there's virtually no character development and the dialogue is stilted.

who cares?  i want blood, guts and gore


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## Pieface (Mar 23, 2007)

and pants


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## dolly's gal (Mar 23, 2007)

"buff" men fighting, i heard


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## chegrimandi (Mar 23, 2007)

dolly's gal said:
			
		

> "buff" men fighting, i heard



no sweetie - thats on this thread http://tinyurl.com/ytxjf4

  

not.


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## dolly's gal (Mar 23, 2007)

rofl (as they say on the internet)


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## Dubversion (Mar 23, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> awate


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 23, 2007)

Dubversion said:
			
		

>



Oh dear. I've given up now, otherwise I'd get too down about it.


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 23, 2007)

jodal said:
			
		

> Maybe I'm being too harsh on a film I haven't even seen yet but...
> 
> I saw This Is England yesterday which might just be one of the best British films eva and 300, in comparison, looks the cinematic equivalent of a cheap hooker compared with, say... Letitia Casta.



It's the cinematic equivalent of a kebab after a night out on the piss.

This is England might be far better food at a top restaurant, but they're both equally enjoyable in their own way.


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 23, 2007)

pyrovitae said:
			
		

> i'm seeing this tonight and really looking forward to it.  having low expectations helps...whilst it's supposed to be impressive visually i've read there's virtually no character development and the dialogue is stilted.
> 
> who cares?  i want blood, guts and gore



Indeed. I had low expectations.

The characters don't really need to develop when all they're good for is kicking arse.


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## marty21 (Mar 23, 2007)

undercover said:
			
		

> Off to the imax on weds to see it, will let you know!
> 
> 12 quid a ticket though



might go and see this at the imax as well


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## jodal (Mar 23, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> It's the cinematic equivalent of a kebab after a night out on the piss.
> 
> This is England might be far better food at a top restaurant, but they're both equally enjoyable in their own way.


I should probs not enter into an argument about this until I have seen it... although I will say that even a kebab can be made to the highest standard. Think on that.


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## Crispy (Mar 23, 2007)

jodal said:
			
		

> I should probs not enter into an argument about this until I have seen it... although I will say that even a kebab can be made to the highest standard. Think on that.


Yeah, but who cares, when you're pissed?


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## jodal (Mar 23, 2007)

Yeah but you don't go to the cinema pissed... or do you?


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## loud 1 (Mar 23, 2007)

u can watch it online somewhere,real good copy too!

cant find it tho.


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## punkrockfaggot (Mar 23, 2007)

read the comic book... not impressed with em editing out the excessive male bonding that i've read about in Spartan culture...


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## The Groke (Mar 24, 2007)

Saw it:

Was utterly preposterous, pretty badly scripted and for "acting" read "shouting".

Still loved it mind - looked fantastic, sounded fantastic and had some of the best combat scenes I have seen on screen.

It entertained from start to finish, and that was enough for me.


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## oneflewover (Mar 24, 2007)

Swarfega said:
			
		

> Saw it:
> 
> Was utterly preposterous, pretty badly scripted and for "acting" read "shouting".
> 
> ...



In complete agreement and with great monstrous characters straight from LOTRs.


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## wishface (Mar 24, 2007)

is it racist? bloodthirsty? fascistic? prone to turning our streets into ever more swelling rivers of blood? The Metro thought say yesterday.

I think i'll probably dl it given how seeing it in peace at my local cinema would be impossible - that presumes there are decent copies online (not shaky camcorder jobs anyways). 

Cinema these days, as a venue, is dead.


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## The Groke (Mar 24, 2007)

wishface said:
			
		

> is it racist?



No




			
				wishface said:
			
		

> bloodthirsty?



Very




			
				wishface said:
			
		

> fascistic?



No




			
				wishface said:
			
		

> prone to turning our streets into ever more swelling rivers of blood?



No more so than, say "Norbit"




			
				wishface said:
			
		

> The Metro thought say yesterday.



It seems that in my absence, the Metro has turned into a distilled version of the Daily Mail then!

 





			
				wishface said:
			
		

> I think i'll probably dl it given how seeing it in peace at my local cinema would be impossible - that presumes there are decent copies online (not shaky camcorder jobs anyways).
> 
> Cinema these days, as a venue, is dead.



In DUbai, we have "Gold Class" cinema screens.

For a little extra - probably about 12 Stirling - you get massive, almost fully reclining leather arm chairs and waiter service. You also only get about 40 seats in the whole thing as well.......makes going to the cinema a pleasurable experience once more!


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## spacemonkey (Mar 24, 2007)

> *Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Time*s- "unless you love violence as much as a Spartan, Quentin Tarantino or a video-game-playing teenage boy, you will not be endlessly fascinated."


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## wishface (Mar 24, 2007)

Swarfega said:
			
		

> No
> 
> 
> 
> ...


though for £5 my local odeon might actually show the film without the projectionist fucking it up and you get all the noise you could hope for - including the latest ringtones, direct to your brain for free!

Who needs waiter service when you can listen to some chavs and wonder why these slow witted fuckmonkeys bothered to spend money to sit through a film they have no intention of watching!

Dubai, shmubai!


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## The Groke (Mar 24, 2007)

wishface said:
			
		

> though for £5 my local odeon might actually show the film without the projectionist fucking it up and you get all the noise you could hope for - including the latest ringtones, direct to your brain for free!
> 
> Who needs waiter service when you can listen to some chavs and wonder why these slow witted fuckmonkeys bothered to spend money to sit through a film they have no intention of watching!
> 
> Dubai, shmubai!


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## ska invita (Mar 24, 2007)

Here's a bit from War Nerds take (click the link adn read the whole thing - its funny and interesting):


> Only amateur fascists admire Sparta guys like Frank Miller, who are still pissed off because people like me dared to warn them the Iraq war was going to be a disaster. Now Miller and his fellow neocons have gone so over the deep end of delusional thinking that they've resorted to fantasizing about Sparta, where nobody ever argued, where everyone yelled and stabbed and otherwise kept their mouths shut.
> 
> It's downright hilarious the way this movie punishes every smart character. Every time someone wants to argue with the war party in this movie, he's evil. Everybody who talks in a normal tone of voice is evil. Miller shows two scenes where the Spartans murder Persian envoys arriving under a flag of truce. And both times, you're supposed to cheer.
> 
> ...



Frank Miller is certainly wanked over by the US right-wing:
http://hangrightpolitics.com/2007/01/26/frank-miller-on-the-state-of-our-nation/

And here's an article about how Miller is writing a propaganda (Millers word, not mine) comic of Batman vs Al-Q - he clearly knows what meaning his work carrys:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...ts15.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/02/15/ixworld.html







Sin City is macho sexist crap, but I always thought it was ironic - I doubt it very much now. And now BAtman appears to be just righteous-DailyMail-man. Miller is a muppet.

A bit more WarNerd on 300 here:
http://www.exile.ru/2007-March-23/war_nerd_alert.html


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## The Groke (Mar 24, 2007)

meh


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## Mrs Magpie (Mar 24, 2007)

Swarfega said:
			
		

> Was utterly preposterous, pretty badly scripted and for "acting" read "shouting".


I saw the trailer in the cinema...the lead bloke seemed to definitely be from the Brian Blessed School of Acting...beardy shouty man.


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## The Groke (Mar 24, 2007)

Mrs Magpie said:
			
		

> I saw the trailer in the cinema...the lead bloke seemed to definitely be from the Brian Blessed School of Acting...beardy shouty man.



Definitely!

Still, the missus enjoyed the endless parade of incredibly buff, bearded men running around in their pants, shouting a lot and being generally manly.

"ooh, can I get a Spartan" she said at the end....

Not sure where we would keep it though.


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## A.J. (Mar 24, 2007)

The metros review of this film was possibly the worse piece of movie journalism Ive ever had the misfortune to read.  Followed closely by that war nerds article.


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## Ranu (Mar 24, 2007)

Saw it this afternoon, enjoyed it.  It's not going to win any awards, unless there's a shouty homophobic Oscar, but if you withhold your disbelief and don't go in expecting too much, you'll have a fun two hours.


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## MikeMcc (Mar 25, 2007)

Just saw it this afternoon and absolutely loved it.  There's no way it can be described a historically or racially accurate, it is clearly a depiction of the comic book, it was never meant to be totally accurate.  But, bloody hell, it's an unrelentingly entertaining film. The ladies will love the incredible representation of the blokes, the blokes will love that the battle scenes make up about 2/3 of the film.  The cinematography is excellent, visually it is spectacular.  It grabs you right from the start and just doesn't stop, it's rare for me to find a film that is so consistantly in your face the whole way through. 

In reality the known discrepancies to history (that amount to little more to the depictions of the traitor Ephialtes, thenumbers involved, the scale of the Tespian support and the quality of the Perisian (read Iranian) elite, though it is also dimissive of the Greek ephors.

Mind you I've had a cracking day of watching films.  I watched the Shawshank Redemption this evening.  An intellectually much more challenging and detailed (intellectually) film.

Feeling really good at the moment after all that (it's either that or the bottle and a half of red wine!)


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## MikeMcc (Mar 25, 2007)

Ranu said:
			
		

> Saw it this afternoon, enjoyed it.  It's not going to win any awards, unless there's a shouty homophobic Oscar, but if you withhold your disbelief and don't go in expecting too much, you'll have a fun two hours.


The only homophobic bit was about the Athenians being 'boy lovers' which given the historical data about the Spartans is pretty rich!  I've seen critics refering to homoerotic rather than homophobic!  In general I've found both terms to be pretty pathetic and pointless


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## Termite Man (Mar 25, 2007)

I'm downloading 300 now on the strength of Filters recomendation . Although I seem to recall mr Filters favourite film being top gun so I'm not sure whetehr listening to him is a good thing


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## ruffneck23 (Mar 25, 2007)

just watched it on an excellent quality download ( .img print but 3.6gb )
I really enjoyed it for what it was , a comic book battle movie. The visuals were great too , might just go to the cinema to watch it on the big screen


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## jayeola (Mar 25, 2007)

I saw it last night in Brixton. Audence clapped. Great movie for what it was. The trailer said it all... "chuck norris & charles bronson types with beards and swords and they are very pissed off".


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## Agent Sparrow (Mar 25, 2007)

MikeMcc said:
			
		

> The ladies will love the incredible representation of the blokes, the blokes will love that the battle scenes make up about 2/3 of the film.


Fuck that, I'm going for the fight scenes rather than beardy muscular blokes!


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## Lord Camomile (Mar 25, 2007)

Saw it on Thursday, thought it was bloody entertaining and did exactly what you wanted it to do.

Unsurprisingly, watching at the cinema really added to the experience, especially with the bass cranked up so that when things hit each other on screen you actually felt it  The first charge, basically an uber-scrum, was very :ccol:

Anyone who bemoans it's 'lack of accuracy' clearly misses the point in the extreme - it's myth, not historical fact. In fact, it did make me think that in some ways the world must have been more interesting back then, when you could create stories and everything was a little less scientific and cold hard fact.

Was slightly difficult watching the blokes go through all that and ask for more and realising I'd probably die of a hangnail before I lifted my shield.

I'm such a pansy...


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## fucthest8 (Mar 25, 2007)

Lord Camomile said:
			
		

> thought it was bloody entertaining and did exactly what you wanted it to do.



Precisely. I don't think I've ever seen a film that was so incredibly camp and gory at the same time. Fabulous.


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## jayeola (Mar 25, 2007)

Funny how the King gets hammered by a shower of arrows but he's still in one peice at the end of the film. Would've been nice for him to have been sliced into little tiny pieces.... and still make him last speach for Spartar.


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## spacemonkey (Mar 25, 2007)

jayeola said:
			
		

> I saw it last night in Brixton. Audence clapped. Great movie for what it was. The trailer said it all... "chuck norris & charles bronson types with beards and swords and they are very pissed off".



Chuck Norris vs The 300 Spartans - who would win?

It's would be too close to call.


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## Santino (Mar 26, 2007)

Saw it last night. I loved the 9 foot tall Xerxes with his huge hands.

Disappointed to see McNulty from The Wire being so evil.


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## Groucho (Mar 26, 2007)

Jodal's right. It looks utter crap. 

_300 Spartans_ was a class film though.

...and to think that the real Leonidas' descendents were to go on to make such delicious chocolate too! 

*300 looks like a remake dummed down for people who found the 'talking' action man with the pull string too intellectual.*


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 26, 2007)

Groucho said:
			
		

> *300 looks like a remake dummed down for people who found the 'talking' action man with the pull string too intellectual.*



I think you've missed the point.


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## London_Calling (Mar 26, 2007)

I AM  SP . . . not watching it.


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## Relahni (Mar 26, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> I think you've missed the point.



I prefered the eagle eyed action man btw.

Really want to see this film -my work mate said it's great...


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## spacemonkey (Mar 26, 2007)

Why was the ugly, hunchbacked traitor from Swansea??


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## Bernie Gunther (Mar 26, 2007)

Nice review of the movie from War Nerd.


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## Sigmund Fraud (Mar 27, 2007)

It was great fun - dripping in testosterone, camp as christmas with plenty of slashing, bashing and OTT dialogue.  The first time they were charged was  .  Brilliant action flick.


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## Bob_the_lost (Mar 27, 2007)

The constant references to freedom irritated me muchly, other than that an enjoyable film.


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## ch750536 (Mar 27, 2007)

Loved the first hour but then...

SPOLIERS+++++++++++++++++
after the 23rd time that he made a speech, was attacked, defended, then killed everyone, I got a little bored.

Couldn't wait for it to end tbh.
Spoliers END+++++++++++++++


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## Jenerys (Mar 27, 2007)

Cracking movie - and they are right about those pants


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## Buddy Bradley (Mar 27, 2007)

Would have been a 5* film if it wasn't for all the additional bits with the wife and politicians back in Sparta (not in the book).

From another forum:


> 1. The facist-like Spartans are all portrayed to be noble, proper, brave heroes who are doing their best to protect freedom. From the outset of the film it is clear that Sparta in 300 is a simbol of USA, while Athens and the rest of Greece are continental Europe, and the Acadians are the British (they participate in the fighting against the Persians, but pull out at the end, and are prone to surrender). The Athenians/Europe are not thankful to Sparta/USA for protecting them against the evil Asian hordes(the film and comic book pay no attention to the fact that it was infact Athens whose efforts stopped the Persians via their fleet under Themistocles at Salaminas).
> 
> 2. All of the persians, who in history were very, very civilized, are portrayed as demons and subhuman inbred bastards who are (although the war in question, historically, happened out of purely political reasons), ofcourse, religious fanatics believing in "a false god". Any Spartan or Greek in general is, claims this movie, as a man, worth infinitely more than any Persian. Also, any Spartan who opposes Sparta's war effort is deformed and innately evil. A traitor=evil=democrat.
> 
> ...


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## Crispy (Mar 27, 2007)

IT DOESN'T MATTER!

It's all about the slo-mo battle sequences, sod all the posturing. I'm going to see this tomorrow and I may well put some headphones in and listen to very loud heavy metal music instead of listening to the film.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 27, 2007)

I enjoyed it. Nice line in stylised ultraviolence



this is SPARTA!!!!


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## ChrisFilter (Mar 27, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> IT DOESN'T MATTER!



Quite...

The dialogue is worth listening to, I think.. pretty funny in places.


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## Santino (Mar 27, 2007)

Leonidas' accent sometimes lapsed into Sean Connery. 

"We musht fight the Pershians. We musht defend Greesh and Shparta."


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## Jim2k5 (Mar 27, 2007)

i loved it and i will go see it again


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## jayeola (Mar 27, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> IT DOESN'T MATTER!
> 
> It's all about the slo-mo battle sequences, sod all the posturing. I'm going to see this tomorrow and I may well put some headphones in and listen to very loud heavy metal music instead of listening to the film.


That's a bloody good idea! Dialogue was --awfull--. The nineteenth battle-rousing speach....

"On thish day we shave our freedom!


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## DotCommunist (Mar 27, 2007)

jayeola said:
			
		

> That's a bloody good idea! Dialogue was --awfull--. The nineteenth battle-rousing speach....
> 
> "On thish day we shave our freedom!



I quite enjoyed the 'Enjoy your breakfast, because tonight we dine IN HELL'

Bit. I saw it coming and roared IN HELL along with Leonides

which startled my flatmate a bit


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## Cloo (Mar 27, 2007)

Going to it at IMAX on Thursday! We were shoo-ins for that when we walked past there and saw the photos.


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## A.J. (Mar 27, 2007)

Can someone explain why everyone is so concerned about them highlighting and talking about the fight for freedom so much, people need to remember that was the whole point of the battle, they were fighting against enslavement, its nothing to do with Dubya or recent wars and troubles.  I think everyone needs to remember that people were fighting for 'freedom' long before American foreign policy turned the word into a joke. 

Enjoy the film, its a big ballsy in your face popcorn blockbuster, intellectualize about it all you want but IMO you lose sight of what it was designed to do by the makers.  Saw it on IMAX, utterly spectacular film, loved it, will watch it again, its a brilliant interpretation of the graphic novel.  What it isnt is a commentary on the modern geopolitical environment.


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## treefrog (Mar 27, 2007)

Yay! Going to see it at the IMAX on Friday. Really, really looking forward to it!


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## fucthest8 (Mar 27, 2007)

Buddy Bradley said:
			
		

> From another forum: "... is a simbol of USA ... "



I absolutely refuse to deal with anything written by a person who can't spell symbol.

People really need to get the fuck out more. Who was it earlier on this thread who said something about a particular superhero being more like "dailymail man"

NO! Superheroes in incredibly conservative shocker!! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT


FFS.


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## Crispy (Mar 29, 2007)

Stupid film. Really, really stupid 

Oh, and has screen 1 at the Ritzy in Brixton got a digital projector now? The image quality was outstanding and rock-steady.

There were only 50 or so of us there, but people still clapped a bit and joined in some of the cheesier lines


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## jayeola (Mar 29, 2007)

But there were "cheeshy linesh for freedom!"


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## DotCommunist (Mar 29, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> Stupid film. Really, really stupid
> 
> Oh, and has screen 1 at the Ritzy in Brixton got a digital projector now? The image quality was outstanding and rock-steady.
> 
> There were only 50 or so of us there, but people still clapped a bit and joined in some of the cheesier lines




Did you join in with the 'tonight we dine *IN HELL*'  bit.

twas my favorite line in the whole film that.


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## Crispy (Mar 29, 2007)

Nah, didn't know it was coming. I haven't read the comic, haven't read reviews for the film, haven't seen it before. Just saw a trailer for it last week and thought "I have to see that. Prefferably stoned off my face." Which I was. It was ace


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## pyrovitae (Mar 29, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> ...and thought "I have to see that. Prefferably stoned off my face." Which I was. It was ace



ha, i was stoned too, which made queuing for refreshments...interesting.

i was slightly disappointed but thoroughly entertained. and no, those statements aren't contradictory.


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## Mrs Bradley (Mar 29, 2007)

saw it at the weekend with Buddy - er...it was ok, agreed that the Brian Blessed method was used first and foremost and also felt that the whole thing was abit er...y'know panto


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## Augie March (Mar 29, 2007)

Makes you want to jump out the cinema, charge people down in the street and bellow words like "FREEEDOOM!!" and "GLOOORRRY!!" into their terrified little faces.

A testestrone fuelled angry 2 hours to be enjoyed with tounge firmly placed in cheek because, lets face it, it's all very blokey, but it's VERY camp at the same time.


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## Crispy (Mar 30, 2007)

greasy muscles and blood, it's great!

I want to see this film edited down to 30 minutes of non-stop violence. It's some of the best movie violence ever actually.


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## Strumpet (Mar 30, 2007)

Gonna see it tomorrow.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 30, 2007)




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## DotCommunist (Mar 30, 2007)




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## DotCommunist (Mar 30, 2007)




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## ChrisFilter (Mar 30, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> It's some of the best movie violence ever actually.



Agreed, the first leg chop was a joy to behold


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## El Sueno (Mar 30, 2007)

I saw this on Wednesday, and thought it was great fun. I haven't been so mesmerised by violence since the last time I got beaten up. Some of it was kinda stupid, and there were some pointless scenes (porno montage anyone?) but the main thing is, when I left the cinema I was leaping about like a six year old, shouting "Hooh!" and asking my date "Can _we _be Spartans?".  

"Tonight we dine.. in Pizza Expreess"


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## DotCommunist (Mar 31, 2007)

El Sueno, last wednesday


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## camouflage (Mar 31, 2007)

Just saw 300 last night at the cinema.

Brilliant stuff. 

Complete Glorious Fascism throughout of course, but undeniably poetic with it. It's actually like some sort of... war poem or something. Loved the use of slow-mo, the billowing cloaks an'at.

Xerxes was definately my favourite character, brilliantly played as well.


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## isvicthere? (Mar 31, 2007)

Being an amateur scholar of ancient Greece and Rome, the trailer put me off seeing it. There was an elephant in it. The first time Greeks encountered elephants in battle was under Alexander the Great, some 150 years after Thermopylae.


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## Crispy (Mar 31, 2007)

isvicthere? said:
			
		

> Being an amateur scholar of ancient Greece and Rome, the trailer put me off seeing it. There was an elephant in it. The first time Greeks encountered elephants in battle was under Alexander the Great, some 150 years after Thermopylae.


You have completely the wrong attitude


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## Bob_the_lost (Mar 31, 2007)

I was more entertained by my brother's comment that "there's no body hair in the film at all"

So, did the spartans wax or shave?


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## Stigmata (Mar 31, 2007)

isvicthere? said:
			
		

> Being an amateur scholar of ancient Greece and Rome, the trailer put me off seeing it. There was an elephant in it. The first time Greeks encountered elephants in battle was under Alexander the Great, some 150 years after Thermopylae.



Having an A-Level in Classics (C), I was perturbed by the high proportion of mutants in the Persian army. Bear in mind that this is c2500 years before the Iranian nuclear programme...


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## spacemonkey (Mar 31, 2007)

Stigmata said:
			
		

> Having an A-Level in Classics (C), I was perturbed by the high proportion of mutants in the Persian army. Bear in mind that this is c2500 years before the Iranian nuclear programme...


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## Termite Man (Mar 31, 2007)

watched it this morning after downloading it and I have to say it was a good film , probably wouldn't bother paying to see it but worth watching anyway !


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## Cloo (Mar 31, 2007)

Well, it was fun seeing it at IMAX (although it gave me a headache)

Not a great film (cheesetastic script) but a fantastic envisioning of a story.


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## DarthSydodyas (Mar 31, 2007)

Watched it last nite and also thought it was _fun_, but no ground-breaking/shaking material.


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## camouflage (Mar 31, 2007)

> "I am Xerxes, Emperor of Persia, son of Darius, grandson of Cyrus. My grandfather Cyrus liberated the Jews from their Babylonian exile and let them return to Judea and rebuild their temple. My father Darius urged our people to revere the 'God of Daniel.' I myself married Esther, a Jew."
> 
> "I come from a long line of believers in the One God preached by Zarathustra, our Persian prophet whose teachings have influenced the Jews during their exile among us. I refer specifically to their concepts of Satan, Heaven and the future Messiah which weren't part of their pre-exile belief system and are clearly borrowings from our Persian religion.
> 
> ...








Leftist rant here.


----------



## absinthe pirate (Apr 1, 2007)

Well worth a watch, taken in context, it does exactly what it says on the tin, and does it well. Interesting CG, some excellent one liners and some truly impressive fight sequences.

But if you are looking for a gripping/thought povoking cinematic masterpeice with intelligent dialogue etc then why did you but a ticket for this film?


----------



## absinthe pirate (Apr 1, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> greasy muscles and blood, it's great!
> 
> I want to see this film edited down to 30 minutes of non-stop violence. It's some of the best movie violence ever actually.



Take out the slowmo, it would be hilarious/intense! 




			
				Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> I was more entertained by my brother's comment that "there's no body hair in the film at all"
> 
> So, did the spartans wax or shave?



Lol all my housemates noticed this...


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 3, 2007)

just saw it at the imax

if gladiator and lord of the rings had sex 300 would be their deformed basted love child


it was too unrealistic to have anything to do with actual history

yet

it wasn't quite ridiculous enough to really  be  truly great

it needed  giant robots


----------



## stroober (Apr 5, 2007)

I saw it last night

Loved it!!! the cinematography was fantastic.


----------



## treefrog (Apr 5, 2007)

saw it again last night with my mum and sister. Half way through, during all the gore and violence, my mum turns to me and whispers 
"This is the ultimate girly movie. I don't understand what men see in it at all" 
"What do you mean? What about all the violence?" I ask.
"What violence? I'm too busy watching the Spartans thighs"

Ace film!


----------



## Allan (Apr 5, 2007)

Carry On Shouting.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 5, 2007)

I love the way that when leonidas has something _really_ macho to say, his mouth twists to one side, you can see him tense his diaphragm and then the words come out at Force 12 like he's trying to push you over with the force of his breath. Great stuff. If I was still a student, I'd get all the boys round and we'd get completely leathered and cheer the spartans on.


----------



## Gromit (Apr 12, 2007)

Only saw this the other day.

Oh my god what a movie. I'll by buying on DVD.

I haven't read this thread which is probably full of rants about how historically inaccurate it all is but i don't care. Its a mythological exageration which makes for great fantasy.


----------



## Gromit (Apr 12, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> I love the way that when leonidas has something _really_ macho to say, his mouth twists to one side, you can see him tense his diaphragm and then the words come out at Force 12 like he's trying to push you over with the force of his breath. Great stuff. If I was still a student, I'd get all the boys round and we'd get completely leathered and cheer the spartans on.



Was it just me or did anyone else detect a hint of Sean Connery in the way he spoke occasionally?


----------



## Stigmata (Apr 12, 2007)

I wish _I_ was a Spartan.


*does some star jumps*


----------



## MooChild (Apr 12, 2007)

Marius said:
			
		

> Was it just me or did anyone else detect a hint of Sean Connery in the way he spoke occasionally?



I did notice that, sometime it sounded like he had watched a lot of bravehart to get into the mood for the film.

Come Shpartans, me musht fight


----------



## Reno (Apr 12, 2007)

I thought it was tedious and rubbish and the kind of film Leni Riefenstahl would make if she was making films today. Gerard Butler was nice eye candy though.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 12, 2007)

Marius said:
			
		

> Only saw this the other day.
> 
> Oh my god what a movie. I'll by buying on DVD.
> 
> I haven't read this thread which is probably full of rants about how historically inaccurate it all is but i don't care. Its a mythological exageration which makes for great fantasy.


Nope, it's full of rants glorifying spartan thighs, manly battle courage and powerful gay overlords with huge hands. It's great


----------



## zed (Apr 13, 2007)

It's just fascist, moronic, US propoganda-fuelled bullshit.  

A film whose probable target audience is acne-riddled, virgins below the age of 30 who will no doubt now form a '300' sub-culture, like all those transexual nerds did for the Rocky Horror film.  I can just see them now, all turning up for 'special viewings' of 300 in a few years from now, clad in chain mail, leather thongs and wigs ...and still having never touched a woman.

When so many people come in their pants about a film such as this, you realise how far we still have to go as a society.


----------



## Reno (Apr 13, 2007)

zed said:
			
		

> It's just fascist, moronic, US propoganda-fuelled bullshit.
> 
> A film whose probable target audience is acne-riddled, virgins below the age of 30 who will no doubt now form a '300' sub-culture, like all those transexual nerds did for the Rocky Horror film.  I can just see them now, all turning up for 'special viewings' of 300 in a few years from now, clad in chain mail, leather thongs and wigs ...and still having never touched a woman.
> 
> When so many people come in their pants about a film such as this, you realise how far we still have to go as a society.



I agree with you that the film is fascist and moronic, but don't understand the comparison to Rocky Horror, which was speaking to a very different audience in very different times.

One of the problems with 300 and part of its conservatism is that the Persians are shown to be disabled, deformed, black and gay, while the Spartans are all white and thoroughly heterosexual and thoroughly manly males. Don't even get me started on the films endorsement of Eugenics to keep its Spartan heroes pure. In its message 300 is the complete opposite of Rocky Horror, which at least was celebrating freaks and sexual liberation. Rocky Horror was speaking to teenagers who felt marginalised, while 300 holds up an ideal of the human race that is as crass as any Nazi propaganda film. It's exactly the kind of film Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers took the piss out of.

Having said all of this, I didn't find the film particularely offensive, because it doesn't engage the emotions or the mind on any level, with it's non-characters spouting ponderous speach bubble dialogue that makes Lord of the Rings sound like Harold Pinter. Its pretty images go for zilch, because the director is unable to make any of it count and it's like one long Calvin Klein Y-front advert that comes down to no more than muscled hunks posing.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Apr 13, 2007)

Urban's two biggest killjoys don't like a violent action film?!


----------



## Reno (Apr 13, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> Urban's two biggest killjoys don't like a violent action film?!



Not that I think you bothered to figure out what I was saying but if you are having a dig at me, I do actually like violent action film, just not one as ineptly made as 300. I think Sin City succedeed at everything 300 failed at for instance.


----------



## madamv (Apr 13, 2007)

Yup, I really enjoyed this film too!  

Enjoyed the 'roaaarrr' of it all, the whole fantasy debarcle.  Except for the girly wifey moments of her hands through the wheat scene.  Bit smushy for me.

Loved the colouring, and the particularly camp Persian Queen


----------



## zed (Apr 13, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> Urban's two biggest killjoys don't like a violent action film?!



Unlike you, I like "violent action films" to have less of an agenda, more roots in fact and less homoerotic posturing.  

BTW ...I don't find it at all surprising that the same person that posted a wankfest to the film 300, should aslo be dumb enough to consider putting his body up for clinical trialling as a way of earning extra money, before asking his employers if there was any chance of some overtime.  It all fits.

Have you ordered your pretend chain-mail body armour yet?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 13, 2007)

Watched this last night, was about as good as the comic as in not very. Bored the hell out of me. It was a very one dimensional film with really lame battle scenes. Another thing, anyone else felt like they were watching an advert for shampoo or perfume during some of the film?!


----------



## Reno (Apr 13, 2007)

Kid_Eternity said:
			
		

> Another thing, anyone else felt like they were watching an advert for shampoo or perfume during some of the film?!






			
				Reno said:
			
		

> ....it's like one long Calvin Klein Y-front advert that comes down to no more than muscled hunks posing.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Apr 13, 2007)

zed said:
			
		

> Unlike you, I like "violent action films" to have less of an agenda, more roots in fact and less homoerotic posturing.
> 
> BTW ...I don't find it at all surprising that the same person that posted a wankfest to the film 300, should aslo be dumb enough to consider putting his body up for clinical trialling as a way of earning extra money, before asking his employers if there was any chance of some overtime.  It all fits.
> 
> Have you ordered your pretend chain-mail body armour yet?



I think there's a real difference between putting myself up for clinical trials, and asking a question on a bulletin board, you po-faced tit.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Apr 13, 2007)

zed said:
			
		

> Unlike you, I like "violent action films" to have less of an agenda, more roots in fact and less homoerotic posturing.



Nothing wrong with homoeroticism in film, Top Gun is a fantastic film but gay as a lamp post.

As for agenda? Please, don't tell me you subscribe to the 'agenda' theory? That's such a cop out. Besides, I thought you were a right-winger (as opposed to right whinger)?


----------



## ChrisFilter (Apr 13, 2007)

Reno said:
			
		

> Not that I think you bothered to figure out what I was saying but if you are having a dig at me, I do actually like violent action film, just not one as ineptly made as 300. I think Sin City succedeed at everything 300 failed at for instance.



It was a slight dig, nothing overly serious. You both took the bait though, which was satisfying.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 13, 2007)

I should say I don't in anyway subscribe to this agenda theory, the film was just boring not some pro US/pro war political statement.


----------



## Gromit (Apr 13, 2007)

Ok I seem to have missed something…

How exactly was the Persian King gay? 

I thought he just appeared like someone who quite convincingly thought they were a god. Vain and over decorated with the agile grace of a former warrior. When he places his hands around his neck you might have interpreted that as sexual but I saw it as a owner trying to sooth a pet. That’s how I think he saw himself.

If he was so gay why did he have a female harem? 

How the hell is it racist? Because it was white vrs blacks? News for you, that war was whites vrs blacks. Well more light olive skinned vrs dark Arabic skinned but African American actors are easier to cast as there are more of them and we do have to pander to the white American market to some extent as that’s where the money is.

To say its racist is to accuse world war 2 films of being anti Germanic because all the enemy are Germans.


----------



## Stigmata (Apr 13, 2007)

Good film, does exactly what it says on the tin. Good-looking and violent. People can find something to be offended about if they want, I preferred to sit back and enjoy the film in all its over-the-top glory. The whole thing is quite clearly set out as an exaggerated retelling by the David Wenham character, so _of course_ there are ten million Persians, and of _course_ they're orc-like monsters and decadent foreigners while the Spartans are buff hardcases. It's a tall tale. It doesn't pretend to be the true story like (grr) _Braveheart_ or _King Arthur_.


----------



## Stigmata (Apr 13, 2007)

Marius said:
			
		

> If he was so gay why did he have a female harem?



Did you not stay for the credits? They listed 'Asian Transsexual #1,#2 and #3.


----------



## zed (Apr 13, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> Besides, I thought you were a right-winger (as opposed to right whinger)?



Further evidence of what a pyjama-wearing dork that assumes too much from one dimensional mediums such as bulletin boards you are then, isn't it?   

You're right about the "whinger" bit though.  I love a good slagging off of people or things that annoy me.  It's great.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 13, 2007)

.... except it was a true tale  that they fucked up

thats the only reason i disliked it... if it was just roughly based on  that tale   but  was  blatently fantasy  that would be alright... but  it was trapped between real and unreal    which kinda pissed me off


mind you  i don't belive that it was deliberatly made with an agenda  i just think it's one of those films you can blatantly shape to  your own agenda


----------



## ChrisFilter (Apr 13, 2007)

zed said:
			
		

> Further evidence of what a pyjama-wearing dork that assumes too much from one dimensional mediums such as bulletin boards you are then, isn't it?
> 
> You're right about the "whinger" bit though.  I love a good slagging off of people or things that annoy me.  It's great.



As do I, but you don't real annoy me enough to set me off. 

As for me assuming too much, isn't that exactly what you did a couple of posts back? 

*I'd argue that assuming too much based on a message board isn't exactly a heinous crime, often you can only go on assumptions as you know so little of a person.

Also, pyjama wearing? Is that even an insult?


----------



## zed (Apr 13, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> Also, pyjama wearing? Is that even an insult?



Only to some people.


----------



## ChrisFilter (Apr 13, 2007)

Oh, can't be much fun for them. I'd quite like a pair of plaid tartan pyjamas. As it stands I have to rely on the boxer / t-shirt combo that doesn't quite attain the levels of slumber time snugness I sometimes crave.


----------



## zed (Apr 13, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> Oh, can't be much fun for them. I'd quite like a pair of plaid tartan pyjamas. As it stands I have to rely on the boxer / t-shirt combo that doesn't quite attain the levels of slumber time snugness I sometimes crave.



Nicely put.


----------



## Reno (Apr 13, 2007)

Group hug.


----------



## sleaterkinney (Apr 13, 2007)

> it was too unrealistic to have anything to do with actual history


do you think, I mean part of the reason I've not gone to see it is the fact that what is portrays is almost the opposite of what actually happened, and that would wind me up.


----------



## jodal (Apr 13, 2007)

Reno said:
			
		

> Group hug.


<dissapointed at lack of handbags action>


----------



## Random One (Apr 13, 2007)

saw this last night too..was unimpressed. was a nice looking film but it was deifnitely not as violent/graphic as i heard it was...the few head chops weren't that exciting. The film was pretty boring all in all....not a very interesting story -  and the characters were all pretty one dimensional...and i agree that a lot of it did look like a long drawn out tv-advert


----------



## Allan (Apr 13, 2007)

I saw a clip on TV where a messenger gets pushed down a big hole. I'm not going to watch 300 ever but I'm curious to know what happened to him?


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 13, 2007)

when messengers were sent to sparta  to bring back symbolic gifts of earth and water (to signify the ownership of land and sea if i remember my history correctly)  they were thrown into a well  "to get it themselves" 

the movie has kicking   and  really large wells..


----------



## Stigmata (Apr 13, 2007)

Allan said:
			
		

> I saw a clip on TV where a messenger gets pushed down a big hole. I'm not going to watch 300 ever but I'm curious to know what happened to him?



He got eaten by the Sarlacc.


----------



## DotCommunist (Apr 14, 2007)

Anyone who looked further than mindless visual entertainment in this film needs to lighten the fuck up, really. Put your film degrees away people this is just solid visual entertainment. Fuck the story, it's all about the slo-mo carnage


----------



## Bernie Gunther (Apr 14, 2007)

I did like the South Park version ...


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 14, 2007)

Bernie Gunther said:
			
		

> I did like the South Park version ...



Never saw that! What was it called?


----------



## Allan (Apr 14, 2007)

You know it's a remake, don't you?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 14, 2007)

Allan said:
			
		

> You know it's a remake, don't you?
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/



It's based on the comic/collected graphic novel by Frank Miller.


----------



## lunatrick (Apr 14, 2007)

I saw it in the melbourne Imax - bloody huge screen...anyway it looked great but a lot of the dialogue was poor imo....but apparently they did frank millers script pretty much word for word, it seemd to flip from formal to off the cuff and back again .......so it may seem good in the comics but didn't translate to the big screen that well....in terms of the rascism thing hmm not sure but it portrays the persians as lowlife hedonists with the greeks being that much purer.....if flawed in some ways i.e. high if rigid ideals....anyway overall I enjoyed it and I thought the violence might get a bit much in the same way killbill but not the case really.....


----------



## Hi-ASL (Apr 14, 2007)

It was OK.

The theme of democracy vs slavery was a bit rich, considering that Sparta was a slave-owning military monarchy, but I did enjoy all the blood and the shouting.

I would have preferred a live action version though - I thought the comic-book graphics detracted from the all the delicious amputation and decapitation.

"Spartans, lay down your weapons!"
<whirr.. thunk>
Come and take them!

Good, but _Sin City_ was better.

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/23495.html


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 14, 2007)

Bernie Gunther said:
			
		

> I did like the South Park version ...



Found it!

"We. Are. LESBOS!"   

Fucking funny and way better than the film.


----------



## DotCommunist (Apr 14, 2007)

Kid_Eternity said:
			
		

> Found it!
> 
> "We. Are. LESBOS!"
> 
> Fucking funny and way better than the film.




Scissor me timbers!


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 14, 2007)

DotCommunist said:
			
		

> Scissor me timbers!


----------



## Orang Utan (Apr 18, 2007)

Saw this last night - proper Ronseal cinema - pure movie entertainment



Nice ladynipple action too


----------



## elevendayempire (Apr 18, 2007)

A.J. said:
			
		

> Can someone explain why everyone is so concerned about them highlighting and talking about the fight for freedom so much, people need to remember that was the whole point of the battle, they were fighting against enslavement, its nothing to do with Dubya or recent wars and troubles.  I think everyone needs to remember that people were fighting for 'freedom' long before American foreign policy turned the word into a joke.
> 
> Enjoy the film, its a big ballsy in your face popcorn blockbuster, intellectualize about it all you want but IMO you lose sight of what it was designed to do by the makers.  Saw it on IMAX, utterly spectacular film, loved it, will watch it again, its a brilliant interpretation of the graphic novel.  What it isnt is a commentary on the modern geopolitical environment.


Well, quite. All the people trying to imply the film's dialogue endorses current US foreign policy are rather overlooking the fact that the COCKING dialogue was written for the comic book. Which came out _two years _before GWB was even elected...

SG


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 18, 2007)

the idea of freedom was always a joke


----------



## Santino (Apr 18, 2007)

Shippou-Chan said:
			
		

> the idea of freedom was always a joke


It's easy to say that living in 21st century capitalist Europe. Try living in a black township in 20th century South Africa or in communist East Germany or in modern Saudi Arabia and then tell me that freedom is a joke.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 18, 2007)

thats a load of toss

just because  people are misstreated  and  wish for "freedom"  does not mean  that freedom  isn't a joke

don't be blinded  by that


----------



## Gromit (Apr 18, 2007)

Hi-ASL said:
			
		

> The theme of democracy vs slavery was a bit rich, considering that Sparta was a slave-owning military monarchy, but I did enjoy all the blood and the shouting.



Whenever the heroes aren't american they will always be portrayed as fighting for american beliefs so that the americans will root for them.


----------



## joustmaster (Apr 18, 2007)

one of my friends went to see it last night. Afterwards he looked very cross. after making some stiffled swearing noises he said "i studied that at uni and at no point did they mention there where monsters"


----------



## Gromit (Apr 18, 2007)

joustmaster said:
			
		

> one of my friends went to see it last night. Afterwards he looked very cross. after making some stiffled swearing noises he said "i studied that at uni and at no point did they mention there where monsters"



He has every right to be mad at his university for failing to mention the monsters. Would have made the subject a lot more interesting for starters.


----------



## Santino (Apr 18, 2007)

Shippou-Chan said:
			
		

> thats a load of toss
> 
> just because  people are misstreated  and  wish for "freedom"  does not mean  that freedom  isn't a joke
> 
> don't be blinded  by that


What am I being blinded by? The fact that there's no pure and perfectly free society on the planet? Fuck that. There are people alive today who have more freedom than millions alive and dead could have even conceived of.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 18, 2007)

so people are better off today..

so what

no matter what most peoples state of existence is like  doesn't  have any  real  correlations  to the   ridiculous ideas of freedom..


----------



## Ranu (Apr 18, 2007)

I'm free.

Mainly on Thursdays.


----------



## Gromit (Apr 18, 2007)

Ranu said:
			
		

> I'm free.
> 
> Mainly on Thursdays.



You lie. You told me you were free but then you tried to charge me.


----------



## Santino (Apr 18, 2007)

Shippou-Chan said:
			
		

> so people are better off today..
> 
> so what
> 
> no matter what most peoples state of existence is like  doesn't  have any  real  correlations  to the   ridiculous ideas of freedom..


Please enlighten us about why the idea of freedom is ridiculous.


----------



## onemonkey (Apr 18, 2007)

having watched it in America a few weeks ago i am more uneasy that the charges of propaganda do carry weight.. it was a distinctly uncomfortable experience to be subjected to such a simple-minded, one-sided glorification of war and xenophobia.

Thankfully, the audience didn't start cheering or jeering USA! USA! But i was in the notorious blue state of Massachusetts.


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 18, 2007)

Alex B said:
			
		

> Please enlighten us about why the idea of freedom is ridiculous.



dear lord

go do something more usefull with your time

i tend to  enjoy reading foxgirl maid porn

it's  far more enlightening than challenging people on the internet


----------



## creak (Apr 19, 2007)

Can someone please clarify for me... about two thirds in, in the Persian camp, that was a donkey playing the bongos, right?


----------



## corporate whore (Apr 19, 2007)

creak said:
			
		

> Can someone please clarify for me... about two thirds in, in the Persian camp, that was a donkey playing the bongos, right?



I _really_ got to see this film..


----------



## Shippou-Sensei (Apr 19, 2007)

creak said:
			
		

> Can someone please clarify for me... about two thirds in, in the Persian camp, that was a donkey playing the bongos, right?



more of a goat headed being ....   i'd  say it was an out  fit  but it  blinked didn't it?


----------



## Stigmata (Apr 19, 2007)

It was a Satyr gone wrong (like Team America, boom boom).


----------



## fudgefactorfive (Apr 19, 2007)

i found all the homophobia a bit dull




			
				Plato said:
			
		

> Wherever, therefore, it has been established that it is shameful to be involved in sexual relationships with men, this is due to evil on the part of the rulers, and to cowardice in the part of the governed.



the spartan view of sex between men was that it was fine, as long as you didn't talk to each other too much afterwards

plus ca change


----------



## T & P (Apr 19, 2007)

Got to see this last night. Good visual effects but I thought it was quite lame and failed to engage at every level. Like others have said it's like watching someone play a videogame.


----------



## fudgefactorfive (Apr 19, 2007)

i think the next Stargate film will be better


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 20, 2007)

Reno said:
			
		

> I agree with you that the film is fascist and moronic, but don't understand the comparison to Rocky Horror, which was speaking to a very different audience in very different times.
> 
> One of the problems with 300 and part of its conservatism is that the Persians are shown to be disabled, deformed, black and gay, while the Spartans are all white and thoroughly heterosexual and thoroughly manly males. Don't even get me started on the films endorsement of Eugenics to keep its Spartan heroes pure. In its message 300 is the complete opposite of Rocky Horror, which at least was celebrating freaks and sexual liberation. Rocky Horror was speaking to teenagers who felt marginalised, while 300 holds up an ideal of the human race that is as crass as any Nazi propaganda film. It's exactly the kind of film Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers took the piss out of.
> 
> Having said all of this, I didn't find the film particularely offensive, because it doesn't engage the emotions or the mind on any level, with it's non-characters spouting ponderous speach bubble dialogue that makes Lord of the Rings sound like Harold Pinter. Its pretty images go for zilch, because the director is unable to make any of it count and it's like one long Calvin Klein Y-front advert that comes down to no more than muscled hunks posing.



ok but for two things... 

one it's a film of a comic book which isn't meant on any level to be anything other than a film of a comic book there's no poltics in it except in the minds of those who have poltiical agendas and choose to use refferences from their political experince and tie these to the films...

secondly it's nothing like the comic, which is neither stylised in the manner the film is or for that matter does it follow terribly closely the plot from the comic.

thirdly the comic was written nearly 10 years ago so all the supposed ideas that it's in some way endorsing an attack on iran are quite quite mad... unless miller is some sort of soothsayer of biblical proportions... 

forthly Starship Troopers is and incredably fasictic book and the film made was a parody of that level of facism however the film again is nothing like the book...

fithly it's a fucking great action film with some of the best chorographed fights scenes in cinematic history, it does however suffer from over kill towards the end and the continued hack slash hack slash does get boring thought the wall of bodies is funny as ras, there's no need for it to be interlecual on any level it's a film a piece of art.

you get out of it what you take in with you...


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 24, 2007)

Just seen this tonight.

Really fun film, and at two hours didn't go on for too long. Didn't once think "I could do with a cigarette", which is my usual acid test in terms of the film being boring or that I wouldn't miss much by nipping out for one.

Glad I watched it at the flicks rather than downloaded it. 'Clever' films I generally enjoy watching at home in my own space, whereas 300 is a big screen, popcorn and fun company movie.


----------



## jodal (Jun 21, 2007)

Thought I'd add a little arguement me and chris where having on MSN today about 300.


ChrisFilter > says:
anyway, 300 is great, you're unromantic and a gnome, that's all I really wanted to say
Jodal says:
300 is like The Fast and the Furius but with spartans instead of cars. Its cgi porn for geeks which manages to turn one of the greatest stories ever told into mindless violence and slow-motion drivel. It literally made me spit in disgust at the pure laziness of the storytelling. 
Jodal says:
Yes it was pretty to look at but I for one want more when I go to the cinema, I expect more, I fucking demand more. And anyone who doesn't is basically to blame for the below average product that floods our silver screens every week.
ChrisFilter > says:
I think it's actually [film company] that are to blame for the below average products that flood our silver screens every week  
Jodal says:
I know you are sort of joking but...Depends on how you look at it.
Jodal says:
[film company] wants and needs to make a profit, like any company. It buys and makes films that makes a profit and in order to make a profit the film needs to have an audience.
Jodal says:
300 is a good example because its a terrible film which is hugely successful.
ChrisFilter > says:
I'd disagree, you're advocating a lack of variety in cinema, different films fulfil different roles
Jodal says:
Not at all
Jodal says:
I said films that have an audience.
Jodal says:
Smaller films have an audience too and are profitable too. Thats a matter of scale NOT quality.
ChrisFilter > says:
300 was beautiful in every way, beautifully choreographed, shallow yes, but it's about the spectacle, not the storytelling
Jodal says:
Don't put words in my mouth please
Jodal says:
I disagree
Jodal says:
Why can't you have both?
ChrisFilter > says:
Both what? I'm lost
Jodal says:
Storytelling and Spectacle.
ChrisFilter > says:
You can, but a lack of one or the other doesn't have to be detrimental
Jodal says:
I disagree.
Jodal says:
(british drive-by)
ChrisFilter > says:
Enduring Love is a great story, but there were fuck all explosions and guns
Jodal says:
Again, not what I am saying.
ChrisFilter > says:
I know, but it made me laugh
Jodal says:
Enduring Love is a different film, genre, audience
ChrisFilter > says:
Well of course, different role, different audience
Jodal says:
Yeah
Jodal says:
I think that it is a shame that people accept crappy storytelling in films like 300 etc just because they look pretty and have violence in them. Its a capitulation to a society which goes to the cinema to "switch off".
Jodal says:
I think that it is a shame that people accept crappy storytelling in films like 300 etc just because they look pretty and have violence in them. Its a capitulation to a society which goes to the cinema to "switch off".
ChrisFilter > says:
I'd disagree, I was fully engaged, just by the spectacle, not the craft of the storytelling
ChrisFilter > says:
People in the cinema loved it when I was there, and if a film can provoke that response, then great
Jodal says:
bullshit
ChrisFilter > says:
I don't buy in to the idea that art forms have a responsibility to progress people's mental development or stature.. perhaps I'm too hedonistic, but if people enjoy something and it doesn't hurt others, then why not?
ChrisFilter > says:
In the same way that there's a place for cheesy pop music, there's a place for a cheesy action films.. 
ChrisFilter > says:
And I know that's not your argument
ChrisFilter > says:
300 was massively enjoyed by a vast audience, including lots of profressional film critics, I think that marking it down for reasons other than a personal dislike, is unfair
Jodal says:
That's fine but I'm not gonna suspend my critical view of those things.
Jodal says:
I still demand more from pop
Jodal says:
I'm not talking about making 300 into a piece of art.
Jodal says:
Im posting this on Urban75 by the way


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## ChrisFilter (Jun 21, 2007)

I see you left out the bit where you admitted I was right and we had cybersex?


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## sleaterkinney (Jun 21, 2007)

I watched about half of 300 the other night because I was bored, I really hated the way they dissed the Athenians and set the Spartans up as wholesome.



> there's a place for a cheesy action films..


No, stuff like Die Hard isn't cheesy and that's what makes it good. For example - imagine how great Independance Day would have been without the cheese, Imagine Aliens with a happy ending etc.


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## Orang Utan (Jun 21, 2007)

Die Hard is well cheesy - yippy kay ey motherfucker!


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## jodal (Jun 21, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> I see you left out the bit where you admitted I was right and we had cybersex?


I didn't think the cybersex helped either side of the argument.


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## jodal (Jun 21, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Die Hard is well cheesy - yippy kay ey motherfucker!


Did you change your tagline and location just for that post or was that a happy coincidence OU?


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## Orang Utan (Jun 21, 2007)

jodal said:
			
		

> Did you change your tagline and location just for that post or was that a happy coincidence OU?


A happy coincidence!


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## jodal (Jun 21, 2007)

Nice one! Stuff like that is proof that there is a God...






A Cheese God.


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## sleaterkinney (Jun 21, 2007)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Die Hard is well cheesy - yippy kay ey motherfucker!


C'mon, it's like a mild cheddar compared to the overpowering livarot of 300.


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## Orang Utan (Jun 21, 2007)

sleaterkinney said:
			
		

> C'mon, it's like a mild cheddar compared to the overpowering livarot of 300.


Yes, exactly - there is certainly a Scale Of Cheese, but Die Hard is on that scale, no doubt


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## ChrisFilter (Jun 21, 2007)

And if we're talking cheese: "live free or die hard"


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## ChrisFilter (Jun 21, 2007)

Very different films anyway, can't be compared.

300's strengths are it's beautiful visuals and extremely well choreographed fight scenes that border on dance in places.


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## Gromit (Jun 21, 2007)

300 is action packed testoerone and is teh cewl. 

If you want history read a book don't watch a movie. Even the more accurate historical movies are rarely that acurate due to script demands from actors, agents, producers, directors etc. etc.


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## sleaterkinney (Jun 21, 2007)

ChrisFilter said:
			
		

> And if we're talking cheese: "live free or die hard"


Leonidas: LIVE FREE OR DIE HAAARRRRDDDDD
Spartans: HA-OOH! HA-OOH! HA-OOH!


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## jodal (Jun 21, 2007)

Marius said:
			
		

> 300 is action packed testoerone and is teh cewl.
> 
> If you want history read a book don't watch a movie. Even the more accurate historical movies are rarely that acurate due to script demands from actors, agents, producers, directors etc. etc.


and the fact that historical fact doesn't always lend itself to a great movie.


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## upsidedownwalrus (Jun 21, 2007)

I thought it was a very poor man's LOTR crossed with a computer game.
I don't mind mindless action - hence die hard being mentioned in my all time favourites list - but this just felt a bit... empty


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## DexterTCN (Oct 11, 2007)

here there be spoilers




			
				sleaterkinney said:
			
		

> Imagine Aliens with a happy ending etc.


You mean if the woman, child and hero lived?   And the robot sidekick?   

300 isn't based on history, it's based on the Frank Miller comic, with a specific style.   The main selling point is that the main man sometimes sounds like Sean Connery though.   "This Is Shparta!"

And it's a lot fucking better than Die Hard fucking 4.   Ooooh I'm going to shoot through me into you....but the bullet will kill you and only annoy me.   Fuck off.


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## Kanda (Oct 11, 2007)

I think 300 is superb fun.

I'm going to buy it on BlueRay today


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## Dubversion (Oct 11, 2007)

it's wank


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## bluestreak (Oct 11, 2007)

i thought it was a fine piece of hokum, fully deserving of a place in internets history as a fertile meme-farm, but let's not think it was anything other than a series of cheesy set pieces.


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## Stigmata (Oct 11, 2007)

Nah, it's great. You're watching it wrong.


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## Dubversion (Oct 11, 2007)

bluestreak said:
			
		

> i thought it was a fine piece of hokum, fully deserving of a place in internets history as a fertile meme-farm, but let's not think it was anything other than a series of cheesy set pieces.




i sat down to watch it expecting some enjoyable nonsense, I had no false expectations.

it was nonsense, but it wasn't in any way enjoyable


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## Kanda (Oct 11, 2007)

You rate Jackass over 300?


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## Dubversion (Oct 11, 2007)

fuck, yeh


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## Donna Ferentes (Oct 11, 2007)

If it leads anybody to read Herodotus it will at least have done some good.


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## bluestreak (Oct 11, 2007)

Dubversion said:
			
		

> fuck, yeh


 
you're weird


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## Dubversion (Oct 11, 2007)

bluestreak said:
			
		

> you're weird




Jackass is mindless, fratboy, puerile nonsense - but it has moments of slapstick genius.

300 is touted as some kind of camp, kitsch, OTT, nonsensical classic. It's just a weird CGI effect draped over barely competent actors bellowing poorly written lines.

It's actually DULL, which is bad news for an action movie


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## bluestreak (Oct 11, 2007)

i disagree.  it was not DULL!

*puts foot down*


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## Kanda (Oct 11, 2007)

Tis not DULL!!

Didn't know it was touted as that and watched it with a clear head and no expectations and loved it.


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## bluestreak (Oct 11, 2007)

i dind't either.  i watched it cos i thought the comic book was good.  i have my criticisms, for example soft focus ridiculousness, and the fact that yes it used the same CGI style as LOTR without adding to it, but meh, when you're watching something that is supposed to be sheer mindless entermatainment these things don't really matter when something is a load of blokes in their undercrackers hitting each other with swords whilst saying cheesy things!


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## Dubversion (Oct 11, 2007)

i mean, it's touted as that by people who like it.


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## Kanda (Oct 11, 2007)

Dubversion said:
			
		

> i mean, it's touted as that by people who like it.



Not by me it wasn't.


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## Dubversion (Oct 11, 2007)

Kanda said:
			
		

> Not by me it wasn't.




that's cos you can't even spell most of those words


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## Kanda (Oct 11, 2007)

Dubversion said:
			
		

> that's cos you can't even spell most of those words


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## ChrisFilter (Oct 11, 2007)

What with this and the flakes of normal fucking pepper, I'm rapidly losing respect for you. 300 is great, non-spicy pepper flakes aren't.

FACT.


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## Groucho (Oct 11, 2007)

Donna Ferentes said:
			
		

> If it leads anybody to read Herodotus it will at least have done some good.



Do you think it has/will?


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## Pingu (Nov 10, 2007)

oook

on paper this is a film I should have loved

mindless violence - check
blood and gore - check
historical slant - check
swords and stuff - check
no complicated wishy washy commie pinko twatty subplots - check


however I have to say I was disspointed. Yes the fight scenes were beautifully choreographed but other than that I was bored. 

It put me in mind of the Conan Films - but with less storyline and at imes worse acting (hard to believe but ...).

I was V dissapointed as was looking forward to watching it

maybe it was becasue I already was aware of the historical background etc to Sparta but for once I am in agreement with Dub


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## Boogie Boy (Nov 10, 2007)

Visually it was very interesting, and it was nice to see the male physique represented in such a beautiful, idealised way (the Spartans!!). 

BB


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## Reno (Nov 10, 2007)

.....


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## punkrockfaggot (Dec 12, 2007)

Crispy said:
			
		

> I love the way that when leonidas has something _really_ macho to say, his mouth twists to one side, you can see him tense his diaphragm and then the words come out at Force 12 like he's trying to push you over with the force of his breath. Great stuff. If I was still a student, I'd get all the boys round and we'd get completely leathered and cheer the spartans on.




Yeah, but if Brian Blessed played his part he wouldn't have had to kick the guy, just the noise he could produce shouting *THIS IS SPAAARRRTAA!* could probably knock the other guy into the well, blow the cinema speakers and make everyone in the cinema moist with fear and/or excitement.


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## Barking_Mad (Dec 12, 2007)

bread and circuses indeed.


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## LesNatrels (Dec 12, 2007)

Pingu said:
			
		

> oook
> 
> on paper this is a film I should have loved
> 
> ...



what other films check all those boxes and which you did enjoy?
i don't believe its possible to have an enjoyable film if all those boxes are checked.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Dec 12, 2007)

LesNatrels said:
			
		

> what other films check all those boxes and which you did enjoy?
> i don't believe its possible to have an enjoyable film if all those boxes are checked.



Izo

http://www.nipponcinema.com/trailers/izo/


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## LesNatrels (Dec 12, 2007)

that is a great film. but i don't think that that violence was mindless. At least not within the context of the film. I think it was used in a similar way as the violence in a film such as Clock Orange

talking about Izo I mean


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## cliche guevara (Dec 12, 2007)

I can't be fucked to read this whole thread, but am going to contribute my two penneth anyhow.

300 looked fantastic. The fight scenes were cool as fuck. It was violent without being over the top. *But* i don't rate it. A few things completely spolied it for me. First of all, the complete lack of any plot whatsoever. Secondly, the soundtrack. Cutting from classical to industrial metal made my ears cry. Thirdly, the entire fucking movie was in slow motion. Why? Understandable when you see a head fly through the air, but for a scene of a bloke riding to the edge of a city on a horse, a shot of someone handing over some coins, or even a fucking sex scene? No thanks. These factors ruined it for me. It's a six out of ten at best.


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## DexterTCN (Dec 12, 2007)

You do know it's based on a comic, aye?


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## Reno (Dec 12, 2007)

DexterTCN said:
			
		

> You do know it's based on a comic, aye?



Does that excuse it being a crap film then ? There have been some good films based on comics too.


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## cliche guevara (Dec 12, 2007)

DexterTCN said:
			
		

> You do know it's based on a comic, aye?



Yeah, but i fail to see how that's relevant.


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## jodal (Dec 12, 2007)

300 is crap, no arguments there, I didn't like Sin City much either.

And yet, I'm excited about The Spirit.

Whats that about?


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## mrs quoad (Mar 24, 2010)

Just bought this for £3 in Tesco's, whilst having my phone nicked 

I may or may not watch it tonight.


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## DexterTCN (Mar 24, 2010)

Oh I would definitely watch it.   It's great.   Not entirely sure there's a lot for women in there apart from serious eye-candy and Kelly McDonald showing where real men come from.

It has increased in popularity significantly since it came out.

I'm assuming you're a woman.  If you're a guy just fucking watch it.


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## mrs quoad (Mar 24, 2010)

DexterTCN said:


> Oh I would definitely watch it.   It's great.   Not entirely sure there's a lot for women in there apart from serious eye-candy and Kelly McDonald showing where real men come from.
> 
> It has increased in popularity significantly since it came out.
> 
> I'm assuming you're a woman.  If you're a guy just fucking watch it.


tbf, I'm not a particularly testosterone-fuelled man.

I quite like Moneybox Live on R4, and would kill for a bit of GQT.

I'm not convinced 300 is the sensiblest buy in the world, tbh


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## DexterTCN (Mar 24, 2010)

Oh no...it isn't sensible.

It is a bit iconic though, social references are commonplace.   And it is very reminiscent of the visual art from the original graphic novel...very visual, the primary reason for its popularity I'd say, along with an absolutely mental performance by Butler.   Quite unforgettable in parts tbh.   Won't win any Oscars, though.   Wasn't meant to.

There's a phrase rushing to my...THIS...IS...


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## kained&able (Mar 24, 2010)

SPARRRRTA

I fucking love this film it is silly over the top and impressively violent. Oh and mcnutty from the wire is in it!

dave


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## mrs quoad (Mar 24, 2010)

I watched The Most Dangerous Man In The World instead 

Awesome stuff!


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## DexterTCN (Mar 24, 2010)

Never knew that...clicked as soon as you said. 

You will not enjoy this...


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## kained&able (Mar 24, 2010)

get gone with your  inglorious & shabby self.


dave


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## Lord Camomile (Mar 24, 2010)

kained&able said:


> I fucking love this film it is silly over the top and impressively violent. Oh and mcnutty from the wire is in it!


McNu*l*ty, but I much prefer your one


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## Captain Hurrah (Mar 24, 2010)

War Elephants.  Historically inaccurate, but it has War Elephants.


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## BettyBlue (Mar 24, 2010)

I really liked it, might DL it again now.


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## Stigmata (Mar 24, 2010)

Tonight! We dine! IN HELL!


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## Upchuck (Mar 24, 2010)

It's a big pile of wank


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## sim667 (Mar 25, 2010)




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## DexterTCN (Mar 25, 2010)

Upchuck said:


> It's a big pile of wank


No.  You are.

Captain hurrah...it's not inaccurate, Dilios is telling a story before they charge to war, he embellished it



> The character of Dilios (David Wenham seems to be, in part, based on the actual, historical figure of Aristodemus - according to historian Herodotus, he was the sole Spartan survivor of the battle of Thermopylae, having been dismissed from the force by Leonidas on account of an eye infection (rather than a wounded eye). Rather than returning to lead any Spartan force, however, Aristodemus was considered a coward until he redeemed himself by fighting, partially blind, and dying in the battle of Plataea a year later (at which the Persian invasion of Greece was finally crushed).


imdb


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