Zack Snyder's "300"
A trailer for Zack Snyder's 300 used to be on this AICN page, but it appears to have been taken down. (I don't know what happened.) I know the film is based on the Frank Miller graphic novel of the same name -- kind of a Sin City take on the Battle of Thermopylae. Impressively stylish (or do I really mean stylishly impressive?), but also over the top. People like me are always looking for ground-level echoes while graphic-novel guys are always looking for "whoa!" and "awesome!" More's the pity since the story -- how 300 Spartans held back tens of thousands of attacking Persians in order to give their countrymen time to prepare themselves against invasion -- has real relevance to today's events. Just as Kingdom of Heaven worked as an allegory about the current tensions in the Middle East, 300 reflects on some level the struggle between the Persians (i.e., Iranians) and the west, which has been raging off and on for over 2500 years. (Thanks to Rich Swank for the heads-up.)
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 21, 2006 at 2:39 PM
comment #1
vjp666
says ...
You can find the trailer here
http://mftm.blogspot.com/2006/09/300-2007-promo-trailer-scoop.html
Posted by vjp666
at September 21, 2006 3:10 PM
comment #2
atticusrex
says ...
Not that it matters but the reason it was taken down at AICN is the fact that they 'borrowed' it from the site source instead of linking to it. And that site did whatever they do to dismantle the feed to them. Perhaps it's because at the time AICN didn't aknowledge the folks who posted the trailer.
But whatever... the link above works and you get to see the splendid footage. Now the 'Real' story is: When will this footage be available in Quicktime!
Even in this poor video grade you can tell this is going to be one hellava cinematic treat!
Posted by atticusrex
at September 21, 2006 3:25 PM
comment #3
Telemachos
says ...
Yawn. It looks like a videogame cutscene run amuck.
I enjoyed "Dawn of the Dead", and to some degree am willing to give Zach Snyder the benefit of the doubt, but this doesn't look that interesting, visual flair aside. I really wish someone would approach this story from a more authentic aspect: "Gates of Fire" as directed by Ridley Scott or Michael Mann, for example.
This looks like visual wanking for internet fanboys.
Posted by Telemachos
at September 21, 2006 3:26 PM
comment #4
Zac Bertschy
says ...
Looks like a good time at the movies to me. The quality on that trailer was pretty terrible but I got a sense that it'll be very bombastic and visually indulgent, which, you know, is pretty common for Frank Miller stories.
Although I guess it's cool now to bash anything that's based on a comic book as being "internet fanboy wanking". It is possible to enjoy something stylish and cool and based on a comic book without having to reduce it simply being the product of a million hyperbolic forums posts from basement-dwelling supernerds. I guess you can entertain yourself in your ivory tower, though, atticusrex.
Also, anyone else notice Gerard Butler's mouth opens to the side? He has the same wierd side-mouth talking thing that Daniel Radcliffe has. It's distracting.
Posted by Zac Bertschy
at September 21, 2006 3:53 PM
comment #5
Telemachos
says ...
"Although I guess it's cool now to bash anything that's based on a comic book as being "internet fanboy wanking"...."
It is?
"It is possible to enjoy something stylish and cool and based on a comic book..."
Sure -- however (and perhaps this is just cynicism from me at this point), the prevailing trend for these graphic novel-oriented films is pure visuals and very little else. Which is fine for some topics, and less interesting for others.
Posted by Telemachos
at September 21, 2006 3:57 PM
comment #6
actionman
says ...
I saw 300 a few weeks ago at the first test screening. It was a masterpiece.
Posted by actionman
at September 21, 2006 4:55 PM
comment #7
Undercover Brother
says ...
It may very well be a masterpiece. The trailer looks like a more elaborate Nike commercial.
Posted by Undercover Brother
at September 21, 2006 8:58 PM
comment #8
Dan Revill
says ...
actionman, how finished was the version you saw?
Posted by Dan Revill
at September 21, 2006 10:46 PM
comment #9
actionman
says ...
they said that there were some effects shots not complete and there were a few here and there that didn't look done. but for the most part it looked pretty done to me. and fucking mind blowing all throughout. from a visual standpoint, it's like nothing I have ever seen. it up's the ante on sin city's elaborate visual style. the music was all temp and they said that scoring was happening soon (or now?) and the tracks were very eclectic (lots of thin red line and last samurai and hans zimmer cues and some nine inch nails.) i saw the 5 minute hard-core trailer at comicon and flipped out. so when i had the chance to see the test screening i nearly had a heart attack. i am not an invested fan and had heard about the graphic novel in passing...but what I saw a few weeks ago was one of the coolest, sexiest, most viusally arresting movies in YEARS. each and every shot looks like a Renaissance-era painting...I will see it 5 times when it's released next year.
Posted by actionman
at September 21, 2006 11:44 PM
comment #10
fnt
says ...
From Jeffrey Wells, the man who loved MIAMI VICE, criticism at 300 for being over the top and overtly stylish.
Hilarious.
Posted by fnt
at September 22, 2006 1:44 AM
comment #11
slothroplt
says ...
I don't know. That trailer makes 300 look like the best-looking piece of shit ever. It sort of a reminded me of a US Marines commerical crossed with Ridley Scott's Legend. If nothing else, I think the improbable reality of the battle of Thermopylae and Spartan life lends itself perfectly to this type of hyper-real, hyper-masculine (read: homosexual) interpretation.
Posted by slothroplt
at September 22, 2006 10:15 AM
comment #12
actionman
says ...
ENOUGH already with the homosexual references to this movie. It's so fucking stupid and ignorant. WATCH the god-damned movie first before passing judegement.
Posted by actionman
at September 22, 2006 4:13 PM
comment #13
slothroplt
says ...
"Fucking stupid and ignorant" would be to ignore the fact that homosexuality was a normal part of Spartan military life.
If you want to see stripped down, oiled up, sweaty, muscled soldiers writhing in battle and reveling in their swelling, primal lust as a macho, heterosexual, historical drama, go right ahead. Just know that not only did those 300 badass Spartans soldiers hold off the massive Persian army...they also fucked each other, regularly.
Sorry to spoil that for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spartan_Pederasty
http://www.androphile.org/preview/Culture/Greece/greece.htm
I believe it was Freud who said, "Subtext is a bitch."
Posted by slothroplt
at September 22, 2006 5:03 PM