Rome

[Tydeus]

That, that right there is some damn fine television.

Wow.

OK, so, has anyone else here seen Rome? I just got it for my dad (OK -- admittedly, it was also kind of a gift for myself. Hooray greed!) and it is fucking awesome. Did I mention the constant sex and blooshed? No? Oh. Well, there's constant sex and bloodshed. I really mean constant. Like, you almost stop noticing it, because it happens so often. I say "almost," because it's sex and bloodshed. So, you know, it's kind of noticeable.

Oh, and the sex? This ain't your momma's "provocative" movie/TV. This is practically pornographic. I mean, it basically stops short of showing actual shaft.

And the bloodshed? Excellent. The fight choreography is quite good -- I'm guessing that, since it's for a series, they had enough time/considered it worthwhile to really train the actors. Anyway, it's badass.

It also has some serious motherfuckin' politicial intrigue. I mean, this shit is intriguin' as all get-out -- they aren't fuckin' around. Really, what great material though, you know? Trust. Friendship. Betrayal. Politics. Civil War. Empire. Betrayal Again. More Civil War. Death. New Leaders. Boy Kings. Still More Civil War. Then Some More Civil War. And Some Regular War. Diplomacy. Conquest. Imperial Expansion. Intrigue. Assassination. Exile. Etc. Etc.

It's just so darn cool. Plus, they've got a good 20-30 years of really excellent material. After Octavian becomes Augustus and gets settled down, well, things get less interesting, from a TV perspective. Still lots of intrigue and betrayal, but without the same backdrop of constant war on a massive scale. Though, then again, dealings with the Germans and Parthians (Persians) got pretty hairy at times, and not knowing the outcome ahead of time (like we do when we read histories) could make it a lot more interesting.

Anyway, truly excellent, excellent TV. Makes Battlestar look like crap. And I love Battlestar. But, I mean, wow. Just wow.

When's the next season start?

[MasterOfMagic]

It also has some serious motherfuckin' politicial intrigue. I mean, this shit is intriguin' as all get-out -- they aren't fuckin' around.
Apparently they are.

Yeah, that's all I got. Haven't seen it.

[Tydeus]

Apparently they are.

Yeah, that's all I got. Haven't seen it.

They really are, though.

I mean, it's kind of shocking, at first. And I love porn. But this, this you don't expect. You're not ready. But you get used to it, until finally, as one sex scene of Marc Antony boning some random sheperdess (the benefits of being a Roman general, I guess) fades to Marc Antony boning Atia, you hardly notice that the last 15 minutes of television you've been watching have involved Marcy Antony's implicit cock.

[Fifthfiend]

IIRC they were fairly explicit regarding Marc Antony's cock.

It's a pretty good show. It did a really admirable job of layering together the personal and political, all along the various strata of Roman polity. Once the fucking stops being surprising, the incest gets the job done. Lookin' forward to season two starting up a couple of weeks from now.

I don't see it running more than three seasons; they're setting up season two as Antony and Octavian versus Brutus, which should set up season three as Octavian versus Antony for the whole bag of gold.

[Tydeus]

IIRC they were fairly explicit regarding Marc Antony's cock.

It's a pretty good show. It did a really admirable job of layering together the personal and political, all along the various strata of Roman polity. Once the fucking stops being surprising, the incest gets the job done. Lookin' forward to season two starting up a couple of weeks from now.

When does the new season start, exactly?

I don't see it running more than three seasons; they're setting up season two as Antony and Octavian versus Brutus, which should set up season three as Octavian versus Antony for the whole bag of gold.

Woah. That must've moved...fast.

I mean, they just skipped the Triumvirate years? And then Caesar's four years as Imperator? Huh? I mean, Brutus/Cassius don't get to stabbin' until, oh damn, either 44 or 40 B.C. I can't remember if 44 B.C. is the start of Caesar's four-year-long rule, or if that's when he got stabbed.

[Fifthfiend]

January 17th, I think, for the new season.

And yes, it does move rather swiftly through events. The show actually starts up with Julia's death, and ends 12 episodes later with Caesar getting the coup de grace.

[Mad Jack the Pirate]

does it have caligula and his horse?

otherwise, not interested.

[M'k'n'zy]

I have seen bits and pieces of it at a friend of mine's house, and I am amazed at how much sex there is in the series. There are times where I feel like "do they really need to show that, cant they just leave it as implicit?" But I do love the storytelling. Its always interesting to watch.

[Squishy Cheeks]

Am I the only one who thought Cleopatra was hot, in a drugged out kind of way?

[scott wegener]

I NetFlixed the first season -really good stuff. not as good as Band of Brothers, but almost. This was a bad choice to watch while I worked as the constant killing and rutting made it impossible to work while it was on.

I thought the fighting was "meh" -they had a LOT of Italian extras and not much time to train them all, so the result (even with the main actors) is that you can tell they are just wacking swords together and not really trying to kill each other. The exception to this is the Gladiator episode.

The sex is . . wow. Just holly crap wow. Who needs the internet anymore?

The two main characters and the actors who play them are just fantastic. Somehow Rome manages to be a Buddy Movie without becoming silly. The historical characters are great also.

Best part in the show: Octavius' mother is giving gifts to Brutus' mother to gain favor with her and one of the gifts she is giving is a VERY well endowed slave. Octavia walks in, sees this guys massive shlong and does a little freak-out because she's embarrassed.

Mom just says, "What? Everyone likes Large Penis." (or something to that effect -I was too busy laughing my ass off to write it down.)

My wife also found it very funny but hoped for the sake of women everywhere that the guy was a "shower" and not a "grower" or whoever he got it on with would be crying out in pain and not pleasure.

Anyway, cant wait to NetFlix season 2.

[Fifthfiend]

Mom just says, "What? Everyone likes Large Penis." (or something to that effect -I was too busy laughing my ass off to write it down.)

"A large penis is always appreciated."

I mean, she's got a point.

Also I'm just throwing this out there, but did it kind of throw anyone else that the citizens of ancient Rome all speak with British accents?

[Muffin Mage]

They always did. Everyone speaks with British accents except the spunky band of young heroes and heroines. This is a law of the universe.

And when I read that, my first thought was Biggus Dickus. Ah, Life of Brian.

Never saw the series, but a friend was talking about buying it.

[Tydeus]

"A large penis is always appreciated."

I mean, she's got a point.

Hey, not gonna argue there.

Also I'm just throwing this out there, but did it kind of throw anyone else that the citizens of ancient Rome all speak with British accents?

Of course not. Before 1750, everyone in the entire world spoke with a British accent.

I have to admit -- cheesy as it may be sometimes, I totally love that. I'm a huge sucker for all those period-piece contrivances and clichés. I wonder if there are so many British accents because British actors are easier to find for the roles, or they can be paid less, or just because it sounds vaguely foreign, and makes stupid Americans like me feel like it's more authentic? Does anyone know the answer to that?

[Fifthfiend]

or just because it sounds vaguely foreign, and makes stupid Americans like me feel like it's more authentic? Does anyone know the answer to that?

I'd bet on that one.

Especially on account of, if you notice it, all the slaves / foreigners sound Italian.

Also, Cleopatra is clearly supposed to be French.

[Tydeus]

I'd bet on that one.

Especially on account of, if you notice it, they have all the slaves / foreigners sound Italian.

Well, they're vulgar lower-class types, so they don't count. As people. So they speak in a local vernacular, bastardizing the proper British way of speaking. Obviously.

Also, Cleopatra is clearly supposed to be French.

Well, she's exotic. Exotic people get to sound French. Especially if they're haughty. Is she kind of uppity (I left disc two at my dad's house, so I've seen episodes 1 and 2 three times each now, but I'm unable to progress beyond them)? Because that would totally explain the French thing. Uppity and/or exotic people have always spoken in French accents.

...

Call it suspension of disbelief?

[scott wegener]

Oh man, this is going down hill fast. lol

Rome is a British film project. Hence, everyone sounds like they might be from England or something. I do love the way they've worked that into the show though -as mentioned, the slaves tend to be native Italians, and the foxy French Cleopatra, etc.