Alex watched it, and we chatted [i.e. I talked at him] about it afterwards.
[Alex] yep, just saw
300
[Alex] big beardy men shouting a lot
[Steve] i hear they’re big beardy men with cg-enhanced chests
[Alex] but probably one of the best big beardy shouty hacky films I’ve seen yet
[Alex] especially at imax
[Alex] outrageously huge screen
[Steve] i can imagine
[Steve] makes something like gladiator just seem generic and tame
[Steve] made me want to go to the gym, too…
[Alex] ha
[Alex] it made me want a sword and shield
[Alex] you know, just for hacking
[Steve] and a crimson cape
[Steve] and a long pointy greek face
[Steve] great casting, whoever the main guy is
[Alex] a scot no less
[Steve] aye
[Steve] i loved the top-down shot near the end
[Steve] of all the dead spartans
[Steve] looking like a massive michelangelo painting
[Alex] yeah, looked great on the huge screen
[Steve] mmm i bet
[Steve] and i was all over the first big slow-motion action sequence
[Steve] with the speed changing to snap to the panels
[Alex] yeah
[Alex] legs flying
[Steve] i’ve had it in my head that that’s exactly how they should be doing comic book action for ages
[Steve] since the first x-men film came out
[Steve] which, of course, didn’t do anything of the sort
[Alex] doing what exactly?
[Steve] really stylised shots and editing, to mimic comic book panels
[Steve] shooting action scenes as a collection of perfect moments
[Alex] well, we did see that in sin city
[Alex] but I suppose so few other people do it
[Steve] i wanted to see near-freeze-frames of wolverine slashing stuff up
[Steve] and some classic comic book punches in the gut
[Steve] yeah i suppose, but it was only hinted at in sin city
[Steve] most of it was still shot like a normal film
[Steve] in terms of motion
[Alex] maybe they haven’t got the nerve
[Alex] or don’t like the idea of really being second to frank millers take on it
[Alex] which they obviously should be
[Steve] yeah
[Steve] and i think it’s traditional filmmakers being caught up in traditional ideas of how films “should” be shot
[Steve] especially now with CG, there’s so much potential for stylism that people aren’t really taking advantage of yet
[Alex] yeah
[Alex] especially dumb when comics will lay it all out for them
[Steve] exactly
[Steve] that’s what these frank miller films are all about imo
[Steve] film people finally admitting that comics have got stuff to bring to the table as a visual medium
[Steve] that they would never have without them
[Alex] doing them right
[Steve] yeah
[Steve] by actually respecting the source material
[Steve] instead of just shitting on it and running off with the cash
