I saw two movies recently: End of the Spear and 300. What do they have in common? Angry guys with six-packs. :-D My roommate rented End of the Spear on DVD. It's about a group of Christian missionaries who are killed by the Waodani, an Ecuadorian tribe, during the 1950s. The main characters are Mincayani, one of the tribesmen, and Steve Saint, one of the sons of the murdered missionaries. Undeterred by the murders, the missionaries' wives and family still try to reach out to the Waodani by living with them. Overall, it was an interesting story.
The next night, I saw the movie 300. I was reluctant to go b/c the movie looked like just another mindless, violent film, but I was with a friend and his friends and I didn't want to be a wet blanket so I went. Ok, let's see, the film had:
1) violence that seemed gratuitous even for a battle film
2) ridiculous elements that look like they're straight out of a J.R.R. Tolkien novel and not a history book (e.g. a giant rhinoceros, a Goliath-like creature, a half-goat/half-human, a human with crab-like limbs, fighters called the immortals with skull-like masks, a group of deformed mystics, and a hunchbacked Spartan)
3) occassional wannabe-freedom-speech moments that comes off as Braveheart-Lite
4) historical exaggerations, e.g. a characterization of Persian leader Xerxes that is downright silly
Aside from those things, the movie is great. hehe. Oh, I could go on, but I'll just say: skip this film and watch the History Channel or PBS if you want to know about Spartan history. Also, if you're into ancient war films (not necessarily Spartan-related), check out the classic Braveheart instead.
In meme related news, Carey created this meme in which I was included. Her rules are as follows:
1. Choose five blogs randomly from your blogroll.
2. For each blog, choose at least one entry (you could add more) which is your favorite post by this blogger.
3. Include a link to this post and explain why you like it.
4. The chosen five bloggers are considered tagged and they will also have to do the same in their blogs.
So far, Carey has posted this meme three times, each with 5 different bloggers. I was included in part 3. Cool. ;-)
Ok, like Alternati, I didn't really choose randomly. hehe. As I've said before, there's lots of great bloggers out there but I did have to choose only 5 of my favorite posts from the bloggers on my blogroll. That's not easy because each of them is unique and great in their own way. Note: I was a politician in a past life. :-D Anyway, here's some of my fave posts from the bloggers on my blogroll:
1) Toe's Let Me Drink My Diet Coke:
The first blog post that made me LOL.
2) Vern's The Pursuit:
It shows her persistence when it looked like she wouldn't get into the college of her choice. Her "won't take no for an answer" attitude is kinda inspiring. :-D
3) Alternati's 13 X-tinct Games:
I also played these video games as a kid and despite the cheesiness of the graphics, they do bring back memories. Just looking at the picture of the video game Kung-Fu Master makes me grin. If you've played that game, you know that the game is the epitome of "cheese" with it's damsel in distress plot. Still, I liked it. ;-)
4) Bill Billig's Let's Have Fun and Paulo Avelino Raps:
If there's one guy out there who speaks for my Igorot heritage, it's Bill. He articulates what I have a hard time putting into words. I chose two posts from his blog: his post about Paulo Avelino, a half-Igorot guy in some Pinoy game show and a second post about the controversy involving Barrio Fiesta restaurant. Ok, so Bill mentioned me in the 2nd post which is another reason why I like the post. hehe. Anyway, discussions on Bill's blog are always lively, fun and intelligent. Bring your thinking cap when visiting this blog.
5) Niceheart's Ten Things I Would Never Do:
I just feel bad for Arlene, who is mentioned in number 9. hehe
As far as tagging goes, like Alternati, I'm also waiving that requirement for the mentioned bloggers. ;-)
Technorati tags: meme, 300, End of the Spear
32 comments:
After seeing 300, I felt so invulnerable I wanted to pick a fight with the other moviegoers. :-)
Just for the 6-packs, i might get those movies (when they comeout on DVDs)
I liked all your choices for your best blogger's posts selecctions.
btw, i've linked you up. thx.
i was supposed to watch 300 with some of my kids, but then one of my sons, who just got home advised us not to watch it. he had to so much expectations, he said, because of all of the reviews he read. he was disappointed, he said "it would be expected that the cinematography would be great and I’d give it that. The script, well yes, it’s good too. But the entire concept itself simply ticked me off. I didn’t even see the plot progression. Yeah, there’s the introduction of course, but it seemed as if that the movie was tried to be one whole climax, which actually makes it flat." so we didn't watch it anymore.
Thank you for including me in your meme list and I'm glad that you liked that post. I saw Arlene at the dentist's during our last visit. She looked at me casually when she called her patient and I don't know if she remembers me but I tried to avoid her eyes. She had this look as if she was saying, "oh it's you. If you don't like me then I don't like you too." :) Well, maybe I was just being paranoid.
I watched 300 and as a movie I like it and downloading it for free from sonewhere in the net is even better and it's perfectly ok north of the border for personal use, our courts said, a decision much wiser than King Leonidas.. hehe, and with out the gratuitous violence and unbelievable heroics of the 300, the movie will be good for maybe one hour..the soundtrack is awesome though..
Braveheart is entirely different, it was a classic movie, realistic and the acting all over was superb, especially that of Mel Gibson..maybe download and watch it again...I started to like having this p.c. aside from blogging....
300 is a funny movie. Remember the scene where there was a rain of arrows from the persians and the spartans covered themselves with their humungous shields? Remember that their capes were pinned to the ground by those arrows? I really wondered why they were able to stand immediately without a trace of tear in their capes lolz. And of course it was the first time I saw a tall fag wearing bling-blings all over lolz Xerxes is a fag! Xerxes is a fag!
Anyway thanks for the tag..errr thanks? lolz stressful, stressful hehe
Hahaha... I loved the way you described these two movies... para tuloy naging funny B movies. :) And then you say that the movie is great... hahaha! :) BTW, Diet Pepsi is now available in Cambodia so I just converted. ;)
Lorimer, hehe. the movie is definitely testosterone-overloaded. :-D thanks for dropping by.
Leah, the one i feel sorry for is the guy in 300 who didn't quite have a six-pack. doesn't look like he did enough ab crunches. hehe.
thnx for the link. i'll link you up, too. :-)
sexy mom, interesting comments by your son. I assume he's the one with the blog. I'll check out his review.
niceheart, poor arlene. hehe. she probably saw that blog entry or the co-workers told her. :-D
vic, yeah, i agree with you. there really is no comparison when you compare braveheart and 300. braveheart is a classic while 300 is a classic piece of *#$@%. hehe.
verns, have fun with the tag. :-D btw, i think isaiah washington from grey's anatomy got in trouble by calling someone a "fag". Hey, i just don't want you to release a press statement and go into rehab. I'm looking out for you. hehe
Toe, well, to clarify, I only had a problem with 90% of the film. The remaining 10% of the film is great. hehe
bwahahahahaa oh yeah I know about that. He called T.R Knight a fag then when confronted and reprimanded, he went into this fund-raiser thingy for gays and lesbians lolz crazy hehehe hardcore GA fan here :) Anyway thanks for the concern but Xerxes is still a....alright I'll stop lolz
Hey! I enjoyed 300. It was one of those movies where you just enjoy the ride. It doesn't have the deep plot or twist or anything, its just bloody cool! Hehehe. I guess it just ends up with the taste though. :)
Hi Wil,
Thanks for mentioning my posts he he. Now, you've given me an idea on what to blog about next.
Wanted to go watch 300 this weekend but your review is so not very encouraging so I guess I will just watch my videos of the Lord of the Rings for the nth time hehe.
verns, glad to hear you won't have to check into rehab. hahaha.
ferdz, well, a lot of people feel like you do. It's made over $150 million, I think. That's probably a sign of the apocalypse. hehe
bill, another thing I noticed was the racial overtones: the good guys (spartans) were all light-skinned or fair while the bad guys (persians) were primarily dark. To be fair, I did find this link discussing whether the movie was biased against Persians. It would be good for you to watch it just so we can compare notes. ;-)
Wil, I also enjoyed watching 300. Really different. Upon leaving the cinema, I felt like I was drenched in blood. And I'm afraid of blood.
We're planning to go to Sagada this coming Holy Week. But accommodations are all booked, save for those handful who don't accept reservations. Wish us luck.
watson, gory movies seem to be a trend nowadays. To each his own, I suppose.
have a fun and safe trip to Sagada! :-)
I haven't been to the movies in quite some time. Oh, wait ... saw Apocalypto pala!
Off topic: That Disneyland thing got me chuckling to myself the entire day.
People will never get fed up with violent movies :( In truth, most of us experience the violence in this world through movies. THere's really a fine line between education and getting influenced by it :)
Senor Enrique, i haven't been to the movies in a while either. that apocalypto would've probably been a better choice than 300, that's for sure. :-D
btw, I like your reply to Leny in your blog. He must be so confused right now given that he seemed to be baiting you, but you didn't reply as he expected. :-D
bw, I have no problem with violence in film. It's only when the violence seems to have no purpose (i.e. gratuitous) and/or becomes excessive -- that's when I lost interest in the film.
Seclusion for a week away from da hustles and bustles of ct life is sooo soul and spirit cleansing. No cell, radio, ipod or tv. Just da birds and the bees. Wazzuup Sir Wil? Just like you, the last movie I've watched was Superman, in 1981!! Not a movie freak but minsan naman nanood din ng dvd. When you get a chance, watch "Maria Full of Grace" on dvd.
Only have THREE dvd in my collection, that's one of them, coz to me 'twas a great flick. After you watched it, I'll tell you why....goodhealth always and nice to rendevouz with the bloggers...
TruBlue
TruBlue, Superman in 1981? That's a long time ago, man. Special effects have improved since then. hehe. Anyway, I just did a google search of Maria Full of Grace and it sounds like an interesting flick. I'll try to watch it when i get the chance. :)
Wil, thanks for doing the meme even if it was just an option for you to do it or not (which means you liked it, yah? hhehehe)
i still have to read your choice picks, though i bet they're all must-reads. :)
carey, yeah, I figure i'd give it a shot. it was fun. :-D
I too felt caught up in the whole Spartan spirit, I wanted to fetch my broad sword and slice someone's leg off.
I so loved that post. hehehe... Kung Fu makes me chuckle... the sound the character makes when he kicks is oh so hilarious... Too bad kids nowadays have PS and 3d-accelerators, the family computer was waaay better. :P
Alternati, the video games today are so realistic that we can't even make fun of them. That was half the fun of playing video games like Kung Fu -- making fun of the cheesy aspects. hehe
All the dismemberment and beheadings and gore in 300 was too much for me. Do I really need to see a decapitation in slow motion? ;-)
the reason that alot of it was exaggerated is because it was being told from the point of view of the one-eyed guy. he hyped it up to the people like all men do when they tell a story, it was just a normal rhiniceros, xerxes wasn't that big, the crab guy just had blades in his forearms and the crazy monster thing was just some f****n huge crazy man. all the deformities were because of incest--if u listened, you would hear the narrator saying inbred swine. god, pay attention before you start criticizing. JESUS!! JUST ENJOY IT..IT'S GREAT
anonymous, well, it is just my opinion. as the saying goes, 'to each his own.'
mostly exaggerations true to hollywood movies when I saw it last week
i blogged about a similar story in my blog related to the philippines :)
tutubi, 300 has a similar story to the philippines? Did it involve a giant rhinoceros? hehe. Anyway, I'll have to check that out on your blog. :-)
Bill's blog is out of whack right now. Difficult to rationalize when you're dealing w/unrationalized beings in JC's death.
So let me unwind in your blog instead. As I mentioned 4/01/07 about why "Maria" was a great movie? I'll tell u why: only two actors in the film are veterans (Lucy and Carla, da sisters in the movie), da rests are amateurs. Da other two of my collections (only have three, remember?), are "To End All Wars" and a comedy "Let It Ride" which stars Richard Dreyfuss.
"To End All Wars" sounds like a gunbattle w/tanks, grenades, etc. but it's not. Sounds of gunfire in entire movie doesn't exceed a minute to my estimate. No need to elaborate more, but it's a great flick, a TRUE STORY. I replay the last eight minutes coz I love the end part and the songs. Sige na, takbo na sa nearest dvd rental, u
will never be disappointed....
Cheers and goodhealth..
TruBlue
TruBlue, i still haven't decided whether that commenter on Bill's blog really believes what he/she's saying (with his/her racist/ethnicist comments) or whether he/she's just trying to flame bait. Either way, it's a shame he/she is like that. He/she hasn't posted anything lately so I hope he/she's realized how silly his/her thinking is. Man, that's a lot of "he/she" that i've typed. :-D
For me, I liked the movie Maria b/c of the actress who played Lucy....caliente sya. hehe. Anyway, salamat sa next movie recommendations. Will look them up.
Cheers.
Guilied Lopez (Lucy) sure is a knockout!! She's very popular than Charo (hmmm, Charo's two assets are warm also,hehe) in her native Mexico as a daytime soap and movie star. Manana es utra dia....peace.
TruBlue
TruBlue, verdad, senorita Lopez es muy bella. :-D
vaya con Dios, mi amigo. :-)
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