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Chris · Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:50 am Post subject: 300 Prepare for Glory!

Has anyone seen 300 yet?

300 is an adaptation of the Frank Miller and Lynn Varley graphic novel of the same name. The film is focused on what brought the war to Sparta and the political machinations that were going on in the local government. No the film is not history and anyone who uses a movie as history deserves the failing grade they are bound to receive. It is exaggerated in many places and there is a bit of political commentary that could be used today as well as then, but it is not exactly accurate in most places.

In fact, even the production comments say that the story is life a, "... half remembered dream one has when they awaken, able to remember only the emotion but not what exactly happened." I can deal with that. Because the true story, the reason behind the actions is still held strongly in the film.

There were excellent performances by all the leads in the film and some were downright amazing. Gerard Butler as King Leonidas and Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo are wonderful to watch. They work off and with each other like the seasoned and experienced actors they are, and the chemistry between them is great to watch. Therefore, they got along on set well or they are even better actors then I thought.

Fans of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings will like this movie. It has scenes that will appeal to both men and women. There is nudity, but it is combined with a tenderness that made it erotic and not dirty, except when it took place with the Oracle or in King Xerxes' camp. Hmm… maybe some of it was dirty and not just erotic. Guess I will have to watch it a few more times to decide.

However, there is a lot of violence so leave the kids at home. Honestly, this is not a movie for children — well, unless you have no problem with having your kids see hacked off arms, severed legs, decapitations, and a rape scene along with some truly hot and kinky stuff. Okay, fine — some of it was dirty. I am so ashamed. Anyway, leave the kids at home.

There are going to be a lot of people who will argue that the film has historical inaccuracies. Well, it does. And neither Zack Snyder nor Frank Miller have ever said they wanted this to be a documentary on Greek or Spartan history. It is a fantasy story based on an event that really happened, and is meant to entertain, not educate.

The only hope I have is that it will inspire people to study the truth behind the fantasy and maybe to discover the actual meaning of the words "hero", "honor" and what it really means to love one's nation.

And finally, what that nation can cost.

Cast
Gerard Butler ... King Leonidas
Lena Headey ... Queen Gorgo
Dominic West ... Theron
David Wenham ... Dilios
Vincent Regan ... Captain
Michael Fassbender ... Stelios
Tom Wisdom ... Astinos
Andrew Pleavin ... Daxos
Andrew Tiernan ... Ephialtes
Rodrigo Santoro ... Xerxes
Giovani Cimmino ... Pleistarchos (as Giovani Antonio Cimmino)
Stephen McHattie ... Loyalist
Greg Kramer ... Ephor #1
Alex Ivanovici ... Ephor #2
Kelly Craig ... Oracle Girl

300 Breaks March Records!

It was a bloodbath at the U.S. box office this weekend. Warner Bros. told me this morning its 'R'-rated 300 about the epic Battle of Thermopylae shattered the record for biggest March opening ever with $70+ million. (Or, $70.025 mil to be exact, though the studio didn't provide a breakdown.) Other studios say this 'Gladiator Gore-Fest' raked in $27.7 mil to $28 mil Friday and $24.3 mil to $24.8 mil Saturday and an estimated $16 mil to $17.2 mil Sunday from its 3,103 theaters. Toldja so... I said back on Tuesday that 300 was tracking huge -- even though most of its target audience fell asleep during that history lesson in school. But rival studios were complaining to me this weekend that the much-buzzed pic was pitched heavily to the youth market despite the R rating. (This is what gets Hollywood in trouble with Congress. In 2000, entertainment moguls had to explain to the Senate Commerce Committee, led by John McCain, why Tinseltown targets its sex and violence fare to kids.) Helped by omnipresent advertising, this CGI extravaganza was sold out even for Thursday midnight sneaks, including all 57 IMAX theaters. This pic from the creator of Sin City was cheap to make and shot in only 60 days and cast with no stars, so it ends up one of Warner's most profitable pics. The studio's moguls were thrilled after enduring expensive disappointment after disappointment in 2006 (Poseidon, Superman Returns, The Lake House, The Ant Bully, Lady In The Water, etc.) with the notable exceptions of Oscar winner Happy Feet from director George Miller and The Departed from Martin Scorsese. Especially with a per screen average of $9,045 Friday and $7,965 Saturday, 300 easily overtook the current record-holder for March: 2002's Ice Age and its $46.3 mil take. That was accomplished Saturday! (FYI: Since 2006 sequel Ice Age: The Meltdown opened March 31-April 2 with $68 mil, it can't be considered a March weekend record-holder. But 300 surged past that, too.) Though 300's haul is amazing considering its 'R' rating (Ice Age was PG), it's still not a record. The biggest R-rated pics are Matrix Reloaded at $91.7 mil in May 2003 and The Passion of the Christ at $83.8 mil in February 2004.

As for the other Top 10 movies, audiences are still hog wild for Disney's Wild Hogs at the start of its 2nd week out: the PG-13 motorcycle ride came in #2, making $7.8 mil Friday and $12.6 mil Saturday and est $7.8 mil Sunday from 3,296 theaters for what was a $28.2 mil weekend. (Its cume is now a healthy $77.6 mil.) Paramount's #3 holdover Zodiac, in 2,379 venues, continues to disappoint along with star Jake Gyllenhaal: it earned just $2 mil Friday and $2.9 mil Saturday and an estimated $1.8 mil Sunday for a meager $6.7 mil weekend (and new cume of only $23.7 mil). Meanwhile, 4th place went to Marvel/Sony's Ghost Rider which passed the magic $100 million mark the first pic to do that in 2007. (And continuing Sony's 2006 hot streak at the box office...) From 3,347 venues, the Nicolas Cage starrer added $1.9 mil Friday, $3 mil Saturday and an estimated $1.9 mil Sunday for a $6.8 mil weekend. (Its cume is now $104.1 mil.)

The only kiddie fare to make the Top 10, Walden/Disney's The Bridge To Terabithia, #5 from 3,210 theaters, took in $1.7 mil Friday, $3 mil Saturday and an estimated $2 mil Sunday for a $6.8 mil weekend because of the Saturday matinee bounce. (Its cume starting four weeks out is now $66.9 mil.) Jumping from 8th to 6th place this weekend, DreamWorks' Norbit with Eddie Murphy slowed after 5 weeks out: it earned $1.1 mil Friday and $2 mil Saturday and an estimated $1.1 mil Sunday from 2,505 theaters for a $4.3 mil weekend (and a new cume of $88.3 mil.) Starting its 3rd week, New Line's thriller The Number 23, starring Jim Carrey, collapsed to 6th place: playing in 2,489 theaters, it eked out $1.2 mil Friday, $1.8 mil Saturday and an estimated $1.1 mil Sunday for a $4.2 mil weekend. (Its cume is now only $30.3 mil.) Warner Bros.' Hugh Grant-Drew Barrymore chick flick Music And Lyrics is still hanging in at #8 after four weeks out: It made $1.2 mil Friday and $1.7 mil Saturday and an estimated $925K Sunday for a $3.8 mil weekend. (New cume is $43.8 mil.) Ninth place went to Universal's spy thriller Breach which, playing in just 1,505 venues, took in $745K Friday, $1.1 mil saturday and an estimated $660K Sunday for a $2.6 mil weekend. (New cume of $29.1 mil.) Finally, #10 was IDP's Amazing Grace, in 1,000 theaters, which made $735K Friday, $1 mil Saturday and an estimated $685K Sunday for a $2.5 mil weekend. (New cume of $11.4 mil.) As for this weekend's other openers: Bigger Picture's The Ultimate Gift had a $1.2 mil weekend from 800 playdates, IFC's Believe In Me a $87K weekend from 54 venues, Fox Searchlight's The Namesake a $233K weekend from 6 theaters, Magnolia's The Host a $301K weekend from 71 playdates, and Magnolia's Maxed Out a $20K weekend from 6 venues.

David · Member Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 1842

Getting to see this movie tonight for the first time. I've heard it's great to it's horrid.....although I tend to prefer the opinions of the one saying it's great...

So soon...I shall know for myself Smile

I expect I'll like it, doomed odds, fighting anyway, and trying to take them down with you appeals to me!

Chris · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:47 pm Post subject:

soooo what did you think? Did you get to see it?

David · Member Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 1842

Was very well done.

First the cons since there are so few.

The head bad guys doesn't know how to have bad guy eyes, he looks feminine....doubt it was intentional, but these days, who knows Razz

Hard to take him seriously as oh so scary.

Onto the good stuff Razz

The plot was good, the gore was ample, the people that needed to die to satisfy my petty streak died Wink

Lots of little speeches, that actually were pulled off very well.

I *thought* this story was based on the Romans in England. History has it 10,000 romans defeated over 100,000 attackers, using this kind of tactic to remove numerical superiority. But in this movie, they lose because of Quazi Moto being a bitch, not because 300 versus uncountable hordes (millions?) is just not a fair matchup, Spartan or no.

I don't want to ruin this movie for anyone, I thought it was very good and certainly worth the ticket price.

Let's here what you guys think when you see it!!

Chris · Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:11 am Post subject:

David.... I got a chance to watch 300 and I agree that it was a lot of fun to watch. There was a lot of blood and guts and ample killing as you put it.

If you consider that 300 which was an adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, did not have an allstar cast, it was a surprisingly good movie. I do not think there were any actors that you would even consider B rated and yet it was still enjoyable. I would suggest that Lena Headey who played Queen Gorgo, King Leonidas' wife, was probably the most renouned cast member as she did play parts in The Cave and The Brothers Grimm.

As for the story I think you may be mistaken. I don't think it was about 10,000 Romans but rather the movie 300 was based on the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

In the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC, an alliance of Greek city-states fought the invading Persian Empire at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the Persians for three days in one of history's most famous last stands.

A small force led by King Leonidas of Sparta blocked the only road through which the massive army of Xerxes I of Persia (Xerxes the Great) could pass. After three days of battle, a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks by revealing a mountain path that led behind the Greek lines. Dismissing the rest of the army, King Leonidas stayed behind with 300 Spartans and 700 Thespian volunteers.

The Persians succeeded in taking the pass but sustained heavy losses, extremely disproportionate to those of the Greeks. The fierce resistance of the Spartan-led army offered Athens the invaluable time to prepare for a decisive naval battle that would come to determine the outcome of the war.

The subsequent Greek victory at the Battle of Salamis left much of the Persian Empire's navy destroyed and Xerxes was forced to retreat back to Asia, leaving his army in Greece under Mardonius, who was to meet the Greeks in battle one last time. The Spartans assembled at full strength and led a pan-Greek army that defeated the Persians decisively at the Battle of Plataea, ending the Greco-Persian War and with it the expansion of the Persian Empire into Europe.