Film recommendations

Ok, if you've been under a rock for the past few weeks and haven't had a chance to see 300, do it.

The movie is fantastic. It's amazing how Frank Miller and Zach Snyder could take a fairly straight forward story and transform it into a cinematic masterpiece. While certainly a miraculous tale, the Battle of Themopylae was not exactly plot-central. For anyone familiar with the comic, the movie parallels it sufficiently to do justice to Frank Miller's original creation.

Do not expect one hundred percent historical accuracy, for you will be sorely disappointed. 300 is derived from a graphic novel which is based roughly on the Battle of Thermopylae. Of course King Leonidas, the Spartans, and the miraculous battle with the Persians are all central, but the story Miller weaves delves so much deeper. Speculation and fiction? Of course, but it sure makes for excellent cinema.

And the gratuitous violence, blood, and gore are all here...but it's an ancient world battle! Even movies like Braveheart, one of the greatest films of all time in my opinion, did not do old-world combat justice in the ways of sheer gore. There was nothing pretty about the pitched battles of the old world...and even they were an improvement on the ancient world. Spear + chest = blood. Fact.

A lot of people grilled Snyder and Miller about whether or not the movie was meant to mirror our current conflict in Middle East...and if it did, which side it supported. Both sides found evidence in their favor and tried to justify their opinions on such things...but when questioned, both director and writer laughed and simply said something to the effect of, "Make of it whatever you want. We're not going to say anything. Why on Earth would we alienate half our audience either way?" I whole-heartedly both respect and appreciate that.

The Prestige is also a fantastic movie. I rented it over Easter Break, and made an afternoon out of it. According to every other person I have talked to recently who has seen the movie, it was the most unpredictable film in history...I swear I had it pegged from very early in my viewing experience. That certainly did not stop me from enjoying it though. The entire film will probably keep you guessing. Give it a rent and then buy it!

My room mate and I have decided we're going to swim everyday to get in really good shape for the record APFT at the end of the month. So far so good...very sleepy. We'll see how PT goes in the morning, heh.

Ok, time to get to work. Peace out.