Some Sick Joke?

[general]

The Denver Post - Entertainment 4/14/03
Filmmakers Caesar the moment
Success of ‘Gladiator’ unleashes a legion of ‘toga movies’
By Hugh Hart, Special to The Denver Post
LOS ANGELES - Nothing inspires Hollywood like a half-billion-dollar box office and a best-picture Oscar. Behold the spawn of "Gladiator." .............

.......yadayadyadya............Here it is.....

George Clooney is producing and will likely appear in "Gates of Fire" (Universal Studios) about the Battle of Thermopylae. Michael Mann ("Ali," "The Insider") will direct the script from David Self ("Road to Perdition").

Spartan inspiration

That very same Battle of Thermopylae in which a brigade of Spartan soldiers held off 2 million Persian invaders at a mountain pass north of Athens in 480 B.C., also inspired an earlier film. The year was 1960, the picture was called "The 300 Spartans," and "toga movies" were all the rage. And now, stories of events two milleniums ago seem fresh again, thanks in large part to the smashing 2000 success of "Gladiator."


Please tell me this is a very sick joke!
George Clooney??.... My A This guy wouldn't know the whole point of the story......Can you believe this!?!??

 

[Standing Wolf]

That's seven and a half miles west of weird.

 

[Soap]

This is just the trillionith piece of evidence that Hollywood is jam packed with people who have opinions and no knowledge.

 

[BigG]

I thought Richard Egan made a good Leonidas back in the 1960 movie.

 

[cslinger]

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and go Huh?

 

[Yohan]

There's a reason his profession is called acting. I say you should deal with it.

 

[jhisaac1]

I'm sorry to take the seriousness of this thread down a notch or two, but while I was thinking of who should be in the movie, Keaneu Reeves came to mind for a split second....

[2 million persions come marching down the road]

<keaneu>
Whoa.
</keaneu>

We now return you to the appropriate level of mirth.

Jhisaac1

 

[4v50 Gary]

It was only the Royal bodyguard and 298 at that (2 had to excuse themselves before the big fite). Great story, but I dread what Hollywood would do with it. Can you imagine the prequel? Marathon. Sequel: Salamis with triemes. Princeton & the Greek navy each have a real one so there'll be computer generated triremes and lots of them.

 

[TarpleyG]

I would bet they even use the term "molon labe" or elude to it in some other way.

GT

 

[Tamara]

George Clooney may be a lefty-lib Hollywood poofter, but he did a durn good job in Three Kings. I may think that the man's politics honk, but that doesn't equate him being bad at his job.

 

[rock jock]

If I hear George Looney use our rallying cry Molon Labe , I swear I am going to hurl.

 

[asdaf]

I'm going to guess that hollywood just might keep the use of archaic Greek to a minimum. Remember, they're aiming for the lowest common denominator. There will be a catch phrase all right but it will be something modern and oh so clever. Something along the lines of "I'll be back" or "Do I make you horny, Babe?".

 

[Preacherman]

There will be a catch phrase all right but it will be something modern and oh so clever.

I can see it now... George Clooney lifting someone's toga (or whatever they wore) and commenting "Gee, at least on ER the nurses wore underwear!!!"

 

[XLMiguel]

Poofter - good word, Tam. I agree that he's apretty good actor, but like so many of us, he could learn from the notion that it is better to be quiet and be thought a fool, than open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

If they do, indeed, use "molon labe', we out to send them some TFL/THR apparel and thank them for the pub, via Fox News or some other 'media' outlet.

 

[blades67]

Free publicity is good, but they have to pay for the gear.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

If I hear George Looney use our rallying cry Molon Labe , I swear I am going to hurl.

Yeah, he's a good actor, but in real life I'd like to break.........never mind.

 

[Schuey2002]

What's Molon Labe! going to mean in this movie..

"Come and take them!"

 

[ares88]

Ummm.... what does Molon Labe mean. I'm guessing it's Latin.

Hey, at least I know what DVC means.

 

[Schuey2002]

"Come and get them!"

http://www.thefiringline.com/HCI/molon_labe.htm

 

[Jim March]

jhisaac1: I almost died laughing at "Keanu" .

As to George Clooney, what we're gonna get is "Moron Labe!"

 

[ed dixon]

I heard about a year ago that Clooney bought the rights to the book. Maybe it'll actually be good. Thought Jane's ex actually did a good job with "Gettysburg," so hold out some hope. I tried to read the book a couple years ago but didn't finish it.

 

[Matt G]

That's really odd and scarey. On the other hand, it's a really great story of heroism, and Clooney & The Gang would love to think of themselves as such.

I keep wanting to see a good movie representation of the tale of Horatius at the Bridge. Anyone know of a good version?

(B.T.W., single guys-- take heed: a really GOOD reading of "Horatius at the Bridge" from Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome can advance your seduction of a woman who appreciates true Manliness, in the most amazing ways. Thank me later. Remember to use this power only for good...)

 

[faustulus]

Greeks didn't wear togas, that was the romans.

 

[Snowdog]

I recall the only account of the battle of Thermopylae was by Herodotus, who recorded the event several years afterwards. I could have sworn Herodotus put the number of Spartans at 10,000 and Xerxes' Persian invaders at 150,000... not two million.

Anyway, I'd be tempted to see the movie just for the special effects.

 

[David Roberson]

You're right, Snowdog. Modern estimates of Leonidas' forces, including the Spartans, are slightly over 7,000, while Xerxes' forces are estimated at between 250,000 and 400,000.

In any event, it was an impressive stand.

If you haven't read the book "Gates of Fire," it's well worth a visit to the bookstore. It's available in paperback.