The Popular Arts Post: Film, Poetry, Roleplaying, Music and Literature

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Went to IMAX for the first time last week to see "300". As the thread on RPG.net suggestsit really isn't good at all (my summary is probably on the last page). Also recently saw The Notorious Bettie Page. Visually cute, it included some excellent thematic considerations and then utterly failed to elaborate on them.

Unitarian service last Sunday was poetry, readings and folk music. As is my norm, I selected Unitarian poets and authors, specifically, Horatio Alger, Ambrose Bierce, ee cummings, and Kurt Vonnegut Jnr.

Easter Sunday was spent, as per last year, playing GURPS Bunnies & Burrows. The Fellowship of Talor journeys in the eleventh scene for HeroQuest. Have managed to convince imajica_lj to run Call of Cthulhu in the near future.

Went a bit nuts on the weekend buying music: Johnny Cash, Velvet Underground, Hawkwind, Gang of Four, Devo, China Crisis, Eels, Elysium. No one can claim I don't have a variety of tastes. Have made a start on the small moutain of books sent to me by Ticonderoga; a seven-part space opera by Kevin J. Anderson. Also should mention that my review of Blackbeard: The real pirate of the Caribbean is available in the latest issue.

Cocktail party for Friday night is shaping up very nicely indeed.

Comments

[mundens.livejournal.com]

Someone else has heard of Hawkwind ? :)

[rodshark.livejournal.com]

Well, considering that 300 was based off a comic book, which was loosely based off of the real battle, I went in knowing it was going to be the "Sin City" version of the historical event.

I would have liked to have seen a little more historical accuracy and a little less Spartan torso, the real warriors wore bronze armor over their torso and their shields were individually decorated. And I did take issue with the whole "fighting for freedom" kinda thing and the whole Western idiology/Christian aspect they tacted on to it ("tonight we dine in Hell"? Um I am pretty sure that the ancient Spartans didn't believe in Hell, I think "Hades" is the word you were looking for *lol*)and Sparta at least wasn't a bastion of Democracy but a brutal totalitarian regime. But in this day and age it didn't surprise me a bit that they twisted it a little. Of course I have heard historians talk that the battle of Thermopyale was a turning point in Greek culture where it became "Greece" instead of individual city/states.

I totally agree, they really made Xerxes way too over the top, but I suppose they felt the need to have a "HUGE" imposing villian.

The action, Special effects, and acting were highly stylized and over the top, but being based off of a comic book they were intended to be.

I took it for what it was, a stylized action movie based off of a comic book that is loosely based upon a real battle in history. It wasn't the best movie I had ever seen by any means of the imagination, but I didn't think it was that bad either.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

You don't have varied musical tastes!

I'd be interested to know what Saga of Seven Suns is like. Having read some KJA in the past, I'm thinking The Wheel of Time-esque.

Having read one of his Dune stuff and the first of the Gamearth novels (which I need to track down to finish) I'd be wary.

[v3nu5.livejournal.com]

I r in Melbins from Thurs night til painfully early monday morning.

Xx

[discordia13.livejournal.com]

I'm with rodshark. I saw 300 last night, and it certainly wasn't a bad movie - it was what it was - a comic book adaption that faithfully reproduced the art using actors. Something that i'm finding increasingly cool these days.

It was fun to watch for the same reason The Matrix was fun to watch. The acting was just as wooden. The SFX were as good (albeit not groundbreaking). The plot was just as thin.

Certainly if you try to treat it as a historically accurate epic, it's going to fall short. Even the director admits that.

[lokicarbis.livejournal.com]

Easter Sunday was spent, as per last year, playing GURPS Bunnies & Burrows.

Now that's an Easter tradition I may have to adopt for myself :)

[filarete.livejournal.com]

http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s1874951.htm
Margaret and David:
...Gerard Butler, is one tough dude; he’s got more muscles than a seafood casserole...
...Xerxes looks as if he's going clubbing...

[dandelionclock.livejournal.com]

I have the comic and thought it was shit (not because it messes with an historical event, no, because hell, Herodotus did enough of that, no, it's because it was badly written and cliched) and I am avoiding 300 like the plague.

[kits-the-dm.livejournal.com]

I'm looking at this film interpretation of the 300 much in the same light that I looked upon the 13th Warrior. Sure, its based of a graphic novel which is loosely based on history. :) But it was a fun romp none-the-less.

Its a pity we didn't get the line of "Go marry a good man and sire good children" from Leonidas though ;)

Now I wonder if I need to learn ancient greek to properly apreciate it all. After all, why would I want to read Plutarch in the latin or english versions, when I can obtain copies of the original greek?

Made me want to run a D&D game set in 500BC Greece though :)

Mind you, those greek historians did bump the numbers somewhat (at least according to the line of thought which I kinda agree with - logistics and all) still, even with the smallest numbers of persians (according to modern estimates) the odds were 10:1 which is staggering (and no less intimidating than the 7000:1 depicted by the graphic novel)

We need more CoC victi^H ... players.

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

The game will be set late 1920's San Francisco, specifically September 2nd 1929 up to and including (should you survive) October 24th 1929.

I run story driven games that include massive detail & lots of action ... you will be limping and insane at the end of each session but like tonguing that cut on the roof of your mouth, you will enjoy it ... at least you won't be able to stop.

Dates announced soon.

Come.

[tempusfrangit.livejournal.com]

Read this. Not sure how to respond. <3

300

[kerrykitty.livejournal.com]

Personally I didn't go to see 300 for it's accuracy on historical events or to see how much or the comic book it followed (should mention I have never read the comic). I went to see the movie for it's so called film making wonderments.

to be sure it look VERY pretty... but in my opinion, every movie needs and engaging story line. I felt there wasn't a strong enough one with 300, it lacked so much, it was too drawn out in parts. For me the only thing it has going for it was the very pretty filming and fight scenes. But I felt nothing for the characters and the "story".

[crowroadaw.livejournal.com]

(also posted on rpg.net)

Personally, the anachronisms, historical inaccuracies, and other such details of 300 don't particularly bother me. I do get annoyed by this in some movies (Gladiator, I'm looking at you), but only if the material is being presented as 'real'. At no time in watching 300 did I ever think this was supposed to be an accurate portrayal of a historical event: it was clearly meant as myth. Thus, nearly naked Spartans, lack of phalanx tactics, and so on, didn't concern me.

What did bother me about 300 is that it wasn't very entertaining. It creaked along its pedestrian course without ever really engaging me on any level beyond "ooh! pretty pictures!", on the apparent assumption that spectacle trumps substance (which, given the high ratings it is getting from many people, seems to be a valid assumption).

[amazinggoatgirl.livejournal.com]

Haha, the 300. That looks like one of those movies I'd walk out of all disoriented, with my eyes dropping out of my face and scratching my neck like I'm in crack withdrawal or something. I can't imagine it on an IMAX.

it included some excellent thematic considerations and then utterly failed to elaborate on them.

How do you mean?

In something slightly related, my zoology prof was talking about dopamine yesterday and mentioned Mark Vonnegut as though LSD had caused his schizophrenia by itself - out of the blue after I had asked if Ritalin could cause some of the symptoms of schizophrenia in high doses ('cause it's a dopamine reuptake inhibitor). Just wanted to mention my mild outrage to someone, I guess.

Have fun at your party! It'll surely be badass.