Re: 300

Did we just get spammed by Zack Snyder's production company?

Re: 300

Nope, Jeremy's legit.

Too legit.

Teague Chrystie

I have a tendency to fix your typos.

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Re: 300

I ain't pimpin, just doing some research.

Zack's sensibilities for capturing action are clear even in his earlier work. Check out the way he breaks up the throws in the Jeep | Frisbee ad.

-edit-
Now with A Link™
Jeep | Frisbee

Last edited by jeremyschulz (2010-05-25 20:31:55)

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Re: 300

Finally listened to it. I was interested in the talk at the end about those who's reasons for not liking the film seemed to indicate they only watched the trailers. I have a Malaysian Muslim friend who saw the movie with her sister and complained at how pro American it was (what with all the fighting for freedom stuff, which brings up Robot Chicken's 1776 spoof but never mind). My reply was that it's all in how you look at it. Sure, it could be good Europeans fighting evil Iranians. On the other hand, you could just as easily see the Persians as representing the Superpower of that world and thus be the overconfident US. I think the ads had just beaten it into her going in that it was US propaganda so that was going to affect her opinion while watching.

I write stories! With words!
http://www.asstr.org/~Invid_Fan/

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Re: 300

So, where's Eddie's post about how he's not repressing?

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q47/sentrei/300_1-26-27.jpg?t=1274844481

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http://trek.fm

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Re: 300

Um, dude, YOU'RE the one harping about dong, not me.  I made a comment on how the visuals in the film ALMOST are taken straight from the book.  Yes there is some male nudity.  It's been years since I read it so I may have forgotten a dong or two amongst Frank Millers seemingly endless colleciton of it.  Hell, in "Elektra Lives Again," every other panel is Bullseye's flacid dong flapping about).

Eddie Doty

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Re: 300

Never much understood the whole US propaganda angle. Spartans as the US and Persians as Iranians/Iraqis breaks down quickly on inspection. Even the 'fight them at the Hot Gates instead of at home' doesn't mesh well with that nonsense 'fight the terrorists in Iraq instead of at home' spiel.

Which sort of brings me to my main complaint with the film - the politics. Now I like politics in my movies, but the genuine kind, not underdeveloped superficial politics (I'm looking at you Robin Hood).

Instead of the issue in Sparta being waiting until the Carnea is over and then sending the army - and thus have it be about timing (i.e., will the cavalry arrive in the nick of time?) - the movie changes the dynamic so that the Queen is trying to get the army sent period. But it does this without ever establishing how, when or why Sparta has changed it's stance from delayed march to non-intervention. The passivity of the Spartan council - having them be talked down to by the Queen - just makes them look stupid, and like the Jedi in the prequels, making supposedly wise folk look stupid for the purpose of plot is poor writing. One of their Kings has just thrown an envoy down a well - there is no going back, war is inevitable. But then there it is not and the story steps back from over that line and shows a debate. I find this sloppy and of course, it was an addition to the story.  It's there to give the Queen something to do - but surely there could have been a better way to do this?

The concept of a politician playing the game to further delay the march to war is a good one, but this one plays politics to stop the march from happening at all. Two problems here. It's not clear what his motivation is (compare to Ephialtes for instance) and it's not clear why he has such pull amongst the Spartans (his oratory skills aren't demonstrated and his arguments aren't that good) or how his politics can affect Sparta's ability to go to war. 

It also doesn't make sense that the council be on his side. They're Spartans. They love war. So why is a society based around war wanting peace? On the one hand the film shows a gung ho no retreat mentality for the Spartans, and then this willy nilly let's  not hurt ourselves weak mindedness. The two are opposites.

This could have worked had they made the obstacle at home Sparta's other king (the city had two partner kings) who had a genuinely good reason for not wanting to march to the Hot Gates and Leonides (i.e., he wanted to attack one of the other cities,  had another plan for where to go or hoped that Leonides would be killed).

Anyway, I'm rambling.

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan

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Re: 300

redxavier wrote:

Anyway, I'm rambling.

No, no, no, this is great! I honestly thought that I just missed the whole explanation of this in the movie when I saw it, because it totally did not make sense to me for the reasons you've just described. Now I realize that the explanation just isn't in the film.

Warning: I'm probably rewriting this post as you read it.

Zarban's House of Commentaries

Re: 300

redxavier wrote:

They're Spartans. They love war. So why is a society based around war wanting peace? On the one hand the film shows a gung ho no retreat mentality for the Spartans, and then this willy nilly let's  not hurt ourselves weak mindedness. The two are opposites.

I think you're misreading it.  Neither historically or in the film do they state that the Spartans LOVE war.  They prepare for war.  They train for war.  And when they die, they would only wish that they die defending their city and their families.  Do not confuse bloodlust for nationalism.  We see Leonidas at his happiest not when he is fighting but when he is playing with his son and boning his wife. 

At the end when Leonidas dies he doesn't shout out, "Helll yes, check out all these dead motherfuckers," he simply says... "My queen."

His profession may be war, but his passion is for his family and people.

Eddie Doty

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Re: 300

There is, however, a difference between loving war (or more precisely, combat) and bloodlust. You cannot deny the Spartans' enthusiasm for fighting, especially folks like the Captain's son and Stelios.

And like all his men, Leonides clearly enjoys fighting.

But my point here is that the motivation of the Spartan council was at odds with the portrayal of the Spartans as a warrior society. In reality, the Spartans didn't just train for war, that's all they did. There was no other profession. So how does an oligarchy comprised entirely of warriors, which believes it's the dog bollocks when it comes to fighting, choose to stand on the sidelines of such a great? It's like a football player shrugging and declining an invitation to join the world cup.

edited to add -
Have you read Gates of Fire? It's a pretty good novel about the battle from Steven Pressfield. Worth checking out. Its description of the fighting is vivid and gives an idea of the kind of horror that the men on both sides must have experienced.

Last edited by redxavier (2010-05-26 21:25:56)

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan

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Re: 300

Astroninja Studios wrote:

Um, dude, YOU'RE the one harping about dong, not me.

No, it's just that you said it would be 'on and cracking' come Monday, and it was Wednesday, and nothing. I wasn't sure what you'd found so offensive about my statement, so I was waiting to see what you were going to come back with.

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Re: 300

I'm so with Trey on this, and I am somwhat annoyed since this was labelled as a) having Trey and b) to be "most polarizing episode ever".

Imagine my disappointment when we got neither in actuality sad

I would have wanted at least one panelist to rip this film a deserved new a-hole.

In general, the DIF panel has always had at least one person I can go "yup, that's what I woudl have said", but this, and the "military hardware" episode are the lone standouts away from that, m'fraid.

/Z

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Re: 300

My apologies, 'cause I'm pretty sure I'm responsible for the most-polarizing thing. I meant that opinions on the forum are polarized. It's not my fault the guys on the podcast are all tasteless hacks.

(I kid because I love. No, seriously. Please don't ban me.)

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