300, aka "He's the Goddamn Frank Miller!"

[Major Blood]

http://download.ifilm.com/qt/portal/2773266_300.mov

**Gapes with mouth open in awe**

[Archbio]

Are the characters this "intense" during the whole movie?

I'm sure all of this "acting" took years off of everybody's life.

[ZERO.]

For a second, when I herd the word spartan I thought "Halo movie?".

Seems like a good movie to me though.

[TheSpacePope]

WOW. Just Wow.

That looks like a real good one.
Real god damned good.

[Fifthfiend]

You know we could solve the entire world's energy crisis, if we could tap the massive, infinitely renewable power source that is Frank Miller's ego. Oh man, nothing to me says entertainment like Nietchzian power-woship and cripple-bashing.

[Mashirosen]

It's also in kinda questionable taste to put out a film glorifying a fascist war machine state and its epic struggle against those filthy Middle Easterners at this particular moment, but then Frank Miller can't exactly be accused of subtle, nuanced thoughts and tastes.

I'm still going to see it anyway.

[Flarecobra]

Ok, I saw the origional trailer and got to hear him talk about it while I worked at Comic-con, and the amount of effort they put into this, was quite astounding. They actually did histroical research into this movie, visiting the sites where the battles took place and whatnot. And yes, there WILL be gratuitus nudity, violence, and some sex. I wouldn't recommend taking little Jimmy and Sally to it.

[dposse]

Can someone get a non-quicktime version of that video please?

[Meister]

Can someone get a non-quicktime version of that video please?
Quicktime is entirely unrequired as the VLC Media Player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) plays .mov formats just as well. Unless you don't want to install it for some reason, in which case, yeah.

Looks like an interesting movie. Also, methinks Frank Miller has a thing for grotesque deformities. Yes, I picked it up just that quickly.

[Fifthfiend]

It's also in kinda questionable taste to put out a film glorifying a fascist war machine state and its epic struggle against those filthy Middle Easterners at this particular moment

Questionable like Frank Miller is subtle.

On a tangental note, anybody know when he's planning to finish Batman Smashes the Wogs! Holy Terror, Batman!? I've really been looking forward to that one.

And yes, there WILL be gratuitus nudity, violence, and some sex.

At least the spartans are apparently wearing briefs in this version. Which is a welcome change from the comic, on the whole.

[Leaf]

I always wanted to pick up this comic, but never got around to it; now I don't have to :D

I think it's going to be a pretty decent movie; although, I'm just a sucker for ancient Greek war scenes.

[katsielyonz]

My only nitpick is that in Spartan Culture woman went through equally tough training as well, and the woman that I saw in the trailer should be as muscly as a man - think the venus sisters except with swords.

[Random Ninja]

...but then no one would go to watch it except for like...four people.

[MFD]

It's also in kinda questionable taste to put out a film glorifying a fascist war machine state and its epic struggle against those filthy Middle Easterners at this particular moment, but then Frank Miller can't exactly be accused of subtle, nuanced thoughts and tastes.

I'm still going to see it anyway.

... Spartans fight for freedom? Anyone else find something grossly wrong with that statement?

Also, um... women's muscle tones are different from men. So, the women in the trailer COULD be as strong.

[Azisien]

I don't know enough about the Frank Miller adaptation to say, but if this is his interpretation, I don't think the knocks of historical accuracy matter. He could have written in pink unicorns for all he wanted, though I imagine the pull of this refined awesome ore (I refer to 300) would be significantly less.

Does anyone else absolutely love the music accompanying the combat scenes? I gotta find that song...

[Archbio]

... Spartans fight for freedom?

Freedom as in freedom of the hellenes from foreign powers (in this case the High King of Persia), which is the way in which this conflict was traditionally dramatized, if I remember correctly.

Of course, it's possible Miller is just a drooling idiot and stuck FREEDOM there in a glorious, brute and anachronic ideological display.

[warpdragon]

I never read the comic, but what was the point of historical accuracy when they include things that look like they came out of a video game or something? See the thing with swords for arms about 3/4 of the way through (right after the two people kiss) and the other weird thing with the spear (right after they launch all the arrows and the main female tries to grab someone) about 9/10 of the way through.

[Azisien]

I never read the comic, but what was the point of historical accuracy when they include things that look like they came out of a video game or something? See the thing with swords for arms about 3/4 of the way through (right after the two people kiss) and the other weird thing with the spear (right after they launch all the arrows and the main female tries to grab someone) about 9/10 of the way through.

It's Frank Miller.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

Does anyone else absolutely love the music accompanying the combat scenes? I gotta find that song...

If you do find it can you tell me the name? I love it too.
Edit: Favorite line "Madness? This is Sparta!*Pwned into a hole!*
Edit2: Just thought I'd post the Wikipedia article on The battle of Thermopylae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae

[Eltargrim]

I realize the questionable taste of the film, but I'm still seeing it anyways.

Why?

Badass.

[Igbutton]

I've never read the comic either so I don't know about how historicaly accurate it is and I don't really care I'm going to watch it because it looks fabulous.

[Tyler-The-Wizard]

300 will basically be about the Legend of the Spartans at Thermopalye. It'll be about as realistic as Sin City is about criminals and prostitutes.

THEY ALL HAVE CRAZY KUNG-FU! FREAK OUT!

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

The name of the song that plays during the second half is "Just like you imagined" written by Nine inch Nails.

[Eltargrim]

grthwllms, you rock. I never would have placed it.

To Limewire I go! :D

[Tydeus]

Damn (http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/300/trailer1)

[Fifthfiend]

By your threads combined - I am captain fifthfiend!

... I don't know where that came from.

sorry.

[Tydeus]

sorry -- I was so overwhlemed by the torrent of unfiltered liquid awesome pouring through my blood-brain barrier that I didn't even bother to check for other threads about 300.

Anyway, I don't see how this is in questionable taste. First of all -- back then, the Spartans were facing a real threat from Middle Easterners, and had all the right in the world to fight for autonomous rule.

Secondly, fascism is totally over-used and broadly defined. As an Italian (by ancestry), and someone who likes Nietzsche, I resent that fascism and tyranny (and Nazism) have become interchangeable.

Third, they had a brutal, domineering society, but it wasn't as though it was some artificial makeover -- it's simply how their culture developed. So, it's not particularly comparable to fascism.

Fourth, those filthy Middle Easterners are Persian, pre-Islam (or Christianity, for that matter), so it's not like they're going to be screaming about Allah in some terribly offensive and stereotyping manner (not that the people who do scream about Allah and jihads don't deserve to be ruthlessly parodied).

So, uh, yeah, seems totally fine to me, even at this particular moment in time. I'm pretty sure "300" won't be giving Bush a boost in the polls or anything like that. Though the Persians in my school may attempt to beat up a Greek kid -- if they can find one. XP

[Fifthfiend]

Basically everything by Frank Miller is in questionable taste, by virtue of being by Frank Miller.

Everything else is just details, really.

[Tydeus]

Basically everything by Frank Miller is in questionable taste, by virtue of being by Frank Miller.

Well, of course, but not for any political reasons -- this time, anyway.

Oh, and here's a link to a quick sketch of Leonidas I drew from the trailer, if anyone cares. Linky (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/41527719/)

[Sir Pinkleton]

404 file not found

what happened?

[Tydeus]

404 file not found

what happened?

really? Huh. Weird -- the link works for me. Perhaps you have to be a member of deviantart.com (http://www.deviantart.com). I'm not sure though.

EDIT--

Btw, I have a couple other "300" fanpics on my account there, plus some work for a D&D adventure I'm writing with a friend....just so you know. Totally for your benefit. Definitely not plugging, or anything...Yup.

[notasfatasmike]

The link doesn't work for me. But if Frank Miller's recent work is any indication, I probably don't WANT to see it.

I just repeat to myself over and over again..."Miller never made a Batman Comic after Year One and Dark Knight Returns...nope...didn't happen..."

[Fifthfiend]

I just repeat to myself over and over again..."Miller never made a Batman Comic after Year One and Dark Knight Returns...nope...didn't happen..."

Good to see somebody talking sense, 'round here.

[Toastburner B]

I've seen this movie.

Well...maybe not this movie, but a movie very much like it. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/) Right down to the talks about freedom and all that jazz.

[Tydeus]

I've seen this movie.

Well...maybe not this movie, but a movie very much like it. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/) Right down to the talks about freedom and all that jazz.

Well, yeah. That's the movie that inspired Frank Miller to write the comic book version. No one at "300" is denying that this is a remake-of-a-comicization of the 1962 movie.

Still, you can bet that this will be a very different movie -- far more stylized, less realistic, more action-focused, different visual style, faster paced, etc.

So, it will be a different movie, and probably worth seeing even if you've already seen the original.