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Saturday, March 10, 2007

300 Broke Records Before Release



Are you supposed to say "I told you so" when it's nothing bad? Wait - you're not supposed to say "I told you so" when it is something bad, right? Whatever.

I told you so:

Imax officials say all 57 of its screens sold-out in a record weekend as sales for advance showings were counted. Many arranged last-minute 2:30 AM showings for those who couldn't be fit into midnight screenings! Many of the other cinemas with advance screenings were also sold out, not just Imax theaters, according to WB officials.

Spokespeople have noted as much as 94% of online ticket sales are going/have gone to 300. "Exhibitors are continually adding show times," a spokesperson for Fandango said. While some articles are noting that the movie received mixed reviews - with many prudish, certainly "sensitive" reviewers denouncing its glorified violence and bloodletting - I have heard nothing but raves across the board, including earlier today on Roper & Ebert (although Ebert was not there), which gave it two thumbs up. On there, the reviewers noted that many other reviewers might not like it for this very reason: it is a picture which does, in fact, glorify war and battle.

Sadly, most people are not very edumucated. Sparta was, to be historically accurate, a warring nation. Their children were raised from birth to fight and those born with defects or abnormally small were thrown over the cliffs to their death (ostensibly - their culture was rife with legends of those who had survived the fall). The Spartans were an absolutely amazing culture, noted for their bravery, fighting skill, and sparse living (in fact, the word, "sparse," traces its etymology to "Sparta"), and they were by every measure a very violent society.

This is a film about war - a war involving a society known for its warring capacities - not about the horrors of war or anything so PC. If the film is badly-acted or simply a bad flick, that's one thing, but just because some sissified girly-men deplore war itself (as we should all - remember, the Spartans were the defenders against an invading army; they did not start this war) is no reason to pan a good movie.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great Fricking movie. Damn Iranians are saying the 300 portrayel of the persians (modern day Iran) is an act of terrorism. Screw those guys and the sissy men who don't like a good movie.

Manodogs said...

Geez. I had to rewrite this post because I've forgotten how to edit it correctly, but I understand your position.

I hate to be the one to point this out but, aside from the obvious cinematics and fantastic elements, The Battle at Thermopylae is, was, and always will be an historical event.

There may be something to the fact that those cats just can't stand how much better it looks that those grainy, cheesy beheading videos they love to make?

I'm just saying...