This looks kinda cool.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/300/trailer1/

Watya guys think? I like how they used a NIN song

Some parts of it looked amazing, but I felt like the style somehow wasn't "different" enough to warrant the technique, which made itself obvious. It'll probably be really good nonetheless.

Looks like Troy meets Alexander...isn't that original *cough*

Wow, this looks awful.

It was frankly a terrible idea to make a 'historical' movie with a comic-book style, even if it is based on Frank Miller.

This looks like it's targeted towards 13-year-old kids who are three Slipknot songs away from heading into homeroom with enough guns to blow themselves into the afterlife.

I'm pretty excited about it. Thought the trailer was really well edited, too. I've watched two different versions of it.

[In response to Evan] As for the style, I see it like this: if it gets people interested in the actual history, interested enough to go out and read about it and learn for themselves (i.e. what's fact and what's fiction), then the style has worked. I was a history major, and I loved reading about interesting historical events on my own (and I think the Battle of Thermopalyae ranks up there as interesting), but not everyone is like that. So, if this movie reaches out to the kid or audience member who usually doesn't go out to discover the information via a textbook, then hopefully they will be motivated to go to the library or internets after seeing a movie like this. Then, they can say "Hey, that's pretty acurate," or "Hey, William Wallace didn't knock up the queen of England! What gives?!"

[In response to the titanium alloy pastry] I think the style wouldn't work too well if it were a straight-up historical drama, but from everything I've read, it's more of a historical "fantasy" for lack of better words. So, maybe the style will really contribute there? I'm think it'll look beautiful with well coreographed fight scenes.


And yeah, me rikey the NIN song.

"Watya guys think? I like how they used a NIN song"

This movie has shot to my #1 most-anticipated. I CAN'T WAIT. Here's why:

1. Battle of Thermopylae (sp?)
2. Frank Miller

A winning combination, to hell with what Evan thinks. The trailer is one of the first to really make my hairs stand up on end. I don't approve of the NIN, however. I do agree it caters to a dumber crowd.

Nevertheless, this is going to be awesome. Awesome, I tell you!!!

quote:

So, if this movie reaches out to the kid or audience member who usually doesn't go out to discover the information via a textbook, then hopefully they will be motivated to go to the library or internets after seeing a movie like this.

Fine, but that doesn't mean I will be part of the audience who enjoys it. My issue is not even historical accuracy per se but just a drastic dissonance between the style and the topic. You don't make a film about Hitler or the Holocaust with CGI farm animals (although now that I mention it, I'm sure someone will - could be interesting), and this type of visual trickery seems totally unnecessary, IMO, on such an already-compelling story.

The trailers for Kingdom of Heaven were similarly awful (lots of dumb rock), although the director's cut was actually decent.

quote:

Originally posted by Evan Kubota:

quote:

So, if this movie reaches out to the kid or audience member who usually doesn't go out to discover the information via a textbook, then hopefully they will be motivated to go to the library or internets after seeing a movie like this.

Fine, but that doesn't mean I will be part of the audience who enjoys it. My issue is not even historical accuracy per se but just a drastic dissonance between the style and the topic. You don't make a film about Hitler or the Holocaust with CGI farm animals (although now that I mention it, I'm sure someone will - could be interesting), and this type of visual trickery seems totally unnecessary, IMO, on such an already-compelling story.

The trailers for Kingdom of Heaven were similarly awful (lots of dumb rock), although the director's cut was actually decent.

Very true about Hitler and the Holocaust, but something to keep in mind there is that that's fairly recent history, too. It's still fresh in people's minds; hell, there's still Holocaust survivors and WWII vets who would be up in arms if WWII was presented as historical fantasy. But, a battle that happened centuries ago is a little different. This seems like it is going to be a very "heroic" film, and them there ancient Greeks loved hero stories. So, it seems appropriate...maybe even kinda paying homage to the Greeks of old in a creative way. Not trying to get you to change your mind or anything, nor do I think I am completely pulling this out of my ass.

To hit upon the WWII idea again...it's impossible to say what a filmmaker will do 20 centuries from now with that event. Maybe they will get a little creative with it and use CGI farm animals.

But I do agree...it is an already compelling event to make a movie about (which has been done before with a movie in the 60s, I believe). Personally, though, I won't complain as long as it is a well done movie.

With all that said, one historical movie that did irk me was U-571, but that's just because the movie completely shat upon history. I think the only thing historically accurate about it was the fact that there was a WWII, and it had submarines in it. But, hey, maybe someone went out and looked up something about the Engima machine because of it...who knows?

This movie looks gorgeous. Every frame looks like a painting and the story will be epic and kinetic. This looks amazing. I hadn't seen Evan use Hitler as a straw man yet. I guess it was inevitable.

The reason you use Hitler in an argument is that you feel so insecure in your reasoning that you have to use a topic so sensitive that anybody who disagrees with you has to be in support of Hitler. Evan I disagree with you practically constantly but that's not good form. The battle of thermopylae is NO WAY relatable to the Holocaust.

quote:

Originally posted by Daniel McLellan:
This movie looks gorgeous. Every frame looks like a painting and the story will be epic and kinetic. This looks amazing. I hadn't seen Evan use Hitler as a straw man yet. I guess it was inevitable.

Gorgeous is a pretty good word for it. That word was escaping me when I first wrote my posts.

quote:

The reason you use Hitler in an argument is that you feel so insecure in your reasoning that you have to use a topic so sensitive that anybody who disagrees with you has to be in support of Hitler.

...huh?

Your argument makes no sense. You could substitute Hitler with any historical event/figure involving loss of life. I'm not comparing Thermopylae to Hitler specifically, but rather as a general historical representation. The approach should suit the subject, unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise - and no, marketing it to 13-year-olds with crappy rock music doesn't count.

reminds me of when Tarantino said he was gonna make a WWII film with hip hop

quote:

Originally posted by Evan Kubota:
...huh?

Your argument makes no sense. You could substitute Hitler with any historical event/figure involving loss of life. I'm not comparing Thermopylae to Hitler specifically, but rather as a general historical representation. The approach should suit the subject, unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise - and no, marketing it to 13-year-olds with crappy rock music doesn't count.

Although I do agree that they could've used something that relates more to the trailer, NIN is hardly 'crappy rock music'. I don't know any 13 year olds who listen to NIN, just stuff like Paris Hilton. Don't you jam to her album? And last time I checked the movie is rated R, no?

Next, Frank Miller's books are aimed at adults.

This movie takes the heroic legendary stance on the event w/ some mythology, which I think is better than trying to make something historically accurate and having it be a piece of sh*t like Troy. Instead of paying attention to minute details & facts, they're focusing on the epic legend.

The movie looks beautiful, and it's gonna be brutal with no remorse for the weakminded, just how I like it.

Why Trent, why!?!?!

Who wouldn't wanna see this stuff on film & on the big screen?



Longer trailer: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Tp0lKbYQ7mE

One for you NIN haters: http://youtube.com/watch?v=dCfVgRqO6EA

Cute montage: http://youtube.com/watch?v=hxyaVfo9n5I&mode=related&search=

This message has been edited. Last edited by: FashtheStampede,

My argument makes sense. You said that anybody who thinks this looks good would like to see a "cool rock version for 13 year olds" about Hitler and the Holocaust and a centuries old battle is not the same as a decades old genocide.

Don't use Hitler to make a point about not liking a movie's style.

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I don't know any 13 year olds who listen to NIN, just stuff like Paris Hilton. Don't you jam to her album? And last time I checked the movie is rated R, no?

Next, Frank Miller's books are aimed at adults.

Was that even NIN? What album/year? It sounds nothing like the NIN that I am familiar with (and generally like).

Also, who cares what it's rated?

Finally, I don't see how the 'aim' of Miller's books is relevant at all. I was solely commenting on the trailer, which seemed like a stupid piece of trash aimed at angry teenagers. For all I know, the graphic novel could be excellent - I like Frank Miller and I think his approach would work better with this subject in the comic, not on screen.

Again, it's not the fast and loose historicity that bothers me. Just the general tone of the trailer seems off. The emphasis is on dumb-looking CG camera moves during battle sequences. It's clear that they are trying to posit this as something 'cool' for the young male audience, and it totally fails in its goal for me.

I watched the longer trailer on youtube. The first part was somewhat better - then the same stupid music kicked in when the black guy fell into the pit - this type of 'action-motivated' use of aggressive, beat-driven music reveals the intended effect of the trailer. Clearly, it was meant to emphasise how 'cool' they could make this little moment of violence.

I saw a lot of shouting and scowling - same old stuff. It's probably not the worst thing ever, but it didn't make me want to see the movie.

quote:

Originally posted by Evan Kubota:
Was that even NIN? What album/year? It sounds nothing like the NIN that I am familiar with (and generally like).

"Just like you Imagined" - The Fragile 1999ish. Probably his most underrated album. It's epic.

As for the movie itself, man I dono what to tell you except that the movie seems to be VERY faithful to the comics. Like shot for shot. Maybe it's just the trailer & how it was constructed that turned you off. But dude, I'm telling you this is going to be groundbreaking. It's gonna be brutal. I don't even think the people that wanna see it here know how hardcore this is gonna be.

I think we can all agree that Evan is judging a book by its cover.