300: Film Review

I finally got around to seeing 300. This of course is the tale of 300 brave Spartans (and a few allies) who took on a giant Persian army in Greece ca. 450 B.C. O.K, the movie is a home-erotic beef fest, but I don’t have a problem with that. The film actually takes as its visual inspiration Frank Miller’s comic book telling of the tale. I enjoyed it so much more than the last film based on Miller’s work, “Sin City”, which I honestly thought was an execrable piece of filth. I super enjoyed seeing Gerard Butler running around mostly semi-naked in this film. And sincerely he was a terrific King Leonidas. I’m sure the real King Xerxes was not a 9-foot tall ambisexual having a snit, but one can’t question artistic license.

Grade: B+ for stunning CGI visuals and boffo male pulchritudinousness

A Performance of Macbeth: Film Review

This was filmed in 1979 as a recreation of a successful theatrical production by the Royal Shakespeare Company ca. 1976-1977. It stars (Sir) Ian McKellen and (Dame) Judi Dench as the Macbeths. McKellen looks shockingly youthful for those used to seeing him as Gandalf in the Rings franchise. Check this out:

This production has virtually no props and relies on Shakespeare’s words as delivered by the thespians. McKellen is brilliant, the supporting cast is too. Dench is good, especially in the sleepwalking scene… perhaps too maternal and nice-seeming to be the diabolical Lady M. This is a truly minimalist production. I loved it.

Grade: A for brilliant performances all-around