ANCIENT PERIOD MOVIE REVIEWS

[D B Campbell]

Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me! :lol: :lol: :oops: :wink:

Is that the Martin Landau character?! :wink:

[Vindex]

Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me! :lol: :lol: :oops: :wink:

Is that the Martin Landau character?! :wink:

...if you say it in an American accent...but there is NO WAY Kenneth WIlliams' Caesar has the same appeal as Rufio :wink: (and his knees are terrible).

[Ghostmojo]

I watched the old film King of Kings over the weekend. I don't think I have ever seen it all the way through before, and even on this occasion found my attention wandering. I really wanted to see what Jeffrey Hunter was like in the role of Jesus Christ, given his only other role I have seen him in was as William Shatner's all-too-brief predecessor in the first Star Trek pilot "The Cage"; as Captain Christopher Pike.

Well he was OK I suppose.

More fun was checking out the early 60s version of Roman equipment and attire in CE Jerusalem!!! :lol:

I defer my critique in favour of the Roman experts around here

[D B Campbell]

I watched the old film King of Kings over the weekend.

Snap! Loved it. (Again.)

[Albertomv]

I´m watching Spartacus Blood & Sand new season and I have been pleasantly surprised to find roman legionaries clad in lorica hamata, montefortino and republican scutum hock: :-D

[Niedel]

Saw that in the trailers to Spartacus Season 2 (or is it 3? Hard to tell with the "prequel season"). I think that would make it the first time Hamata and Montefortinos etc. are used in a major film/tv production (excluding documentaries). Of course, it seems they're combining them with the armor they used for season one, which was what I'd call "xenafied first century imperial". Still, a major milestone in the history of Roman legionnary attire on film!

[scotti73]

Theres armour in it?....................
something else keeps grabbing my attention when its on the telly

[john m roberts]

It's not your attention getting grabbed. :mrgreen:

[Albertomv]

There is even (in episode 2, I think) an officer clad in an engraved apulo-corinthian style helmet ... :grin:

[Alexand96]

Saw that in the trailers to Spartacus Season 2 (or is it 3? Hard to tell with the "prequel season"). I think that would make it the first time Hamata and Montefortinos etc. are used in a major film/tv production (excluding documentaries). Of course, it seems they're combining them with the armor they used for season one, which was what I'd call "xenafied first century imperial". Still, a major milestone in the history of Roman legionnary attire on film!

HBO's Rome had hamata, pseudo-montefortino, and oval scutum. However, all swords were primarily based off of Mainz pattern, as far as I can tell. Plenty of leather musculata, bracers, even leather 'Hollywood attic' type helms as well. Still, it was nice to see the relatively correct hamata and scutum.

[Niedel]

Saw that in the trailers to Spartacus Season 2 (or is it 3? Hard to tell with the "prequel season"). I think that would make it the first time Hamata and Montefortinos etc. are used in a major film/tv production (excluding documentaries). Of course, it seems they're combining them with the armor they used for season one, which was what I'd call "xenafied first century imperial". Still, a major milestone in the history of Roman legionnary attire on film!

HBO's Rome had hamata, pseudo-montefortino, and oval scutum. However, all swords were primarily based off of Mainz pattern, as far as I can tell. Plenty of leather musculata, bracers, even leather 'Hollywood attic' type helms as well. Still, it was nice to see the relatively correct hamata and scutum.

I don't think the Rome helmets were even supposed to be pseudo-montefortinos, I think they were exact replicas of Trajan's column helmets.

[Albertomv]

I agree with you Niedel, helmets in Rome were inspired in Trajan Column, as also did with lorica segmentata in season two.

But we can forget it was the first time in a TV series or movie where we see a legionary clad in ring mail armour.

[Ghostmojo]

Passed a reasonably entertaining 90 minutes watching The Last Legion on Netflix, which has fun and games with very late Roman and early British history. Somehow they managed to talk Ben Kingsley into appearing in this nonsense which sees the path taken by the boy Emperor Romulus. I'll say one thing for these ventures - there is a sizable clique of actors who appear in all these things. I noticed many familiar faces from Rome, Spartacus and other recent TV and made for DVD film offerings in this quasi-fantasy drivel :lol:

[Robert Vermaat]

Passed a reasonably entertaining 90 minutes

Ehh? hock:

this quasi-fantasy drivel :lol:

Now you're talking. 8-)

About re-occurring actors, I think that's also true with British 19th c. period drama. Maybe also with SF movies and series?

[Ghostmojo]

Passed a reasonably entertaining 90 minutes

Ehh? hock:

I did say reasonably ...

this quasi-fantasy drivel :lol:

Now you're talking. 8-)

About re-occurring actors, I think that's also true with British 19th c. period drama. Maybe also with SF movies and series?

I can't stand all that stuff. I'm sure they make all this Downton Expectations and Prejudice from the Madding Crowd crap for the US audience - many of whom think Britain is still like that :lol: