300 - pecs and abs for days

[uwsman2]

The new movie "300" which opened nationwide on Friday is a live-action feature based on a graphic novel (the fancy name these days for comic books) about the Battle of Thermopylae, at which a small band of Greek warriors, spearheaded by 300 Spartans, held off a massively larger force of the invading Persian army commanded by Xerxes for long enough so that an alliance of Greek city states could form to protect the peninsula and ultimately beat back the Persians. All the defenders at Thermopylae died, but their defiant stand saved Greece from destruction. The account of the battle by Herodotus is a major source for the graphic novel and the movie, which is faithful to the historical record in many (but not all) particulars.

 

What struck me, apart from the extreme violence of the battle scenes and the stark depiction of the rituals undergone by Spartan youths in order to "win their spurs" as members of the military leadership, was the way computer graphics have now been used to enhance the musculature of all those gorgeous Greek soldiers. I've never seen such an awesome assembly of pecs and abs on one screen. Loads of hot-looking men with enhanced midriffs, big shoulders and arms - if certain body types turn you on, you're likely to have wetdreams for weeks after seeing this one!:7

[jackhammer91406]

I want to try to be careful and give full credit as to where I saw this, but I think in an article in Entertainment Weekly, I believe it was the producer who went to great lengths to explain that the only CG effects in the film were the backgrounds and the large crowds in battle scenes. The principles all went through a rigorous training camp to make the pecs and abs very, very real.

 

IF there has been any copyright infringement in this post, it was inadvertent and unintended.}(

[JT Brooklyn]

There was an article in "Men's Health Mag". Gerard Butler did indeed go thru Extensive Workouts..That is his Bod as well as Other's in the Film...

 

The 2 Hr "History Channel" Program also explains in detail all of the events before and after the Greek-Persian Encounter.. :P

[Guest josephga]

I read some place on line they did 6 weeks of training b4 shooting started on 300

[Guest ReturnOfS]

>I read some place on line they did 6 weeks of training b4

>shooting started on 300

 

Can you get that buff in only 6 weeks? I bet that they also used that body painting techniques that helps to bring out your abs and other muscles. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them were kind of buff before the training. I'd guess that the combination of those three things brought about what we saw on the movie screen.

[Guest josephga]

This film was shot in just 60 days on a sound stage against a blue screen then went into 1 year of post production. I bet alot of the look could have been done in post

[JT Brooklyn]

RoS...4 Months of..25 pullups,50 deadlifts(135lbs) 50 pushups 50 jumps on a 24" sq box 50 flr wipers 50 single-arm clean and press using a 36 lb kettle bell and 25 more pullups...Plus Tire flipping here and there! AND 5 weeks of Body Building Before the shoot!

 

Now this is the SPARTAN LIFE! The "NYC Yuppies" would never make it! LOL :P

[FinFangFoom]

What you failed to mention is that the movie is a big piece of snore pie with yawn sauce. It has some ravishing images and those are all in the trailer.

 

On a side note, no, you can't go from nothing to that in six weeks. You have to have something to start with. And yes, the abs were accentuated with body paint.

 

Spartanly yours,

 

FFF

[Bilbo]

I seem to remember having learned, one way or another - I forget, that the real life Spartan 300 were 150 matched pairs of gay lovers who would fight even more fiercely because their lover was there - both to defend him and to not be disgraced in front of him. But I am finding that nowhere in anything talking about the film.

[Epigonos]

In Sparta young boys, destined to become warriors, were removed from their mothers care at an early age. These young boys were housed in dormitories and gay sex was not only common but encouraged. At about the age of 16 a boy became a protege/apprentice of an older accomplished warrior. They trained together and gay sex was definitely an encouraged part of their relationship. The idea was that they would fight with greater energy to protect their sexual partner.

Hollywood has NEVER come to grips with this concept and though I have not yet seen 300 I am willing to bet that it is not presented here either. The issue of the Greeks attitude toward gay sex is either glossed over (Alexander) or totally ignored (Troy).

[jackhammer91406]

Saw the movie last night with a date. (yeah, I know, not really a date movie).

I was impressed by so many aspects of the film, not the least of which was the conditioning of the actors. Being mindful of the amount of CG used in the film, I would still have to say that the abs and pecs looked more real that CG.

 

great popcorn movie.

 

(Oh, my date was twitchy and jumpy for almost all of the battle scenes. I haven't had my arm grabbed that tight in a long, long time).

[Epigonos]

I seldom walk out of movies the last time was "Seven" several years ago. I walked out of "300". I thought it was god awful. The makeup, not just the enhanced abs, was terrible. I would like to know from what planet Xeres was supposed to have arrived. His facial piercings and gold chains were ridiculous. There were so many historical inaccuries that this monstrosity might best be considered science fiction.

[jackhammer91406]

It was less based on history than the comic book.

The movie was shot on special film to give it that dark, grainy look and to better allow the graphics to be inserted.

As a rendition of the comic and as eye candy, I completely enjoyed the film.

[2hard2tame]

...

 

Its hollywood, not the history channel.

 

If you want true to life, go watch another behind the music episode.

 

[Bilbo]

Yes, entertainment is rarely or never real history. However, I think that it's high time we glbt people reclaimed our glbt history. If we make as big a stink about it as the Blacks have, we may get somewhere with it. ___ And isn't this relevant, General Pace, sir? ___

Not meaning you, of course.

[2hard2tame]

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3166/300storekl9.jpg

[uwsman2]

I still think there was computer enhancement on the abs and pecs, and any propaganda put out to the contrary... well, is propaganda.

 

I didn't find it a snore, but then I'm a sucker for historical epics, they're just my thing. Just finished watching the new DVD release of the HBO 4-hour Elizabeth I, and I am totally in lust with Hugh Dancy, who plays the young Earl of Essex. Saw him on Broadway in "Journey's End" a few weeks ago and was blown away, but all those close-ups in the film are to die for.... But no skin really, just the face of an angel and apparently a good (clothed) body.

[valentino11]

I dont know if someone else pointed this out but there was definitely some type of charcoaling/airbrushing with the abs BUT I HAVE TO SAY that most of those guys were 35 and up and in phenomenal shape !

 

I love movies and dont have to much critical ability but i loved 300. man i wish i was in that movie

 

did everyone miss the comment that the sp[artan king made about the men of athens "philosophers and little boy lovers"

[+ purplekow]

 

 

A different take on the trailer

[+ Hoover42]

>did everyone miss the comment that the sp[artan king made

>about the men of athens "philosophers and little boy lovers"

 

Nope, I noticed it. He must have been one of the few Spartans who had a thing against younger lovers.

 

By the way, didn't the Spartans adopt the practice of having their warriors train with each other while covered in oil?

 

...Hoover

[GloriousGodfrey]

I rather enjoyed the obvious homosexual attraction between the captain's son and the other young stud he was fighting with. They were obviously very into each other.

[+ Tom Isern]

One of the worst movies ever made. Racist, homophobic, Republican, maculinist fantasy. If that's your thing, rush to the nearest showing.

[poiuyt]

It's how Greeks "bathed" after exercise (they didn't have soap). They'd coat each other oil and scrape it off.

 

There's a nice scene of this in Rome, where James Purefoy is being scraped off by a slave.

 

Speaking of history, it's funny no one's mentioned the Sacred Band of Thebes ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Band_of_Thebes ). I think it's going to be a while before Hollywood gets around to these guys.

[Bilbo]

Thanks! That's what I was referring to above. I had them confused with the Spartan 300. Thank you very much for the link!

[+ Lucky]

I wish I had listened to you, Epigonos. I lasted 25 minutes before walking out of this dreadful movie.