|
Rome
Oct 13, 2008 17:42:32 GMT -5
Post by geneweigel on Oct 13, 2008 17:42:32 GMT -5
I remember when I went there in the late 90's, the tour guide in Rome was so blaise' the whole time and I'm "yeppita-yeppita-yeppita-Hey theres where-...etc., etc." so my wife's brother who is total military all his life is like "fuck this shit. Gene you're the fucking tour guide take us somewhere else." So he force marched us off the tour and I was improvising on the spot and I couldn't believe how much obscuria that I actually knew about was all lined up in a row. The Vatican was unbeleivable with tons of ancient gems in the museum and they even had the golden statue of Hercules from the Hercules temple. HERCULES!
|
|
GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
|
Rome
Oct 14, 2008 17:08:27 GMT -5
Post by GT on Oct 14, 2008 17:08:27 GMT -5
Heh! Yeah, well 'Da Church' in the Medieval era was akin to Germany and Russia during/after WWII in regards to art... ^__^
|
|
Falconer
Enchanter
Knight Bachelor
AD&D, Middle-earth, Star Trek TOS
Posts: 330
|
Rome
May 19, 2009 17:50:16 GMT -5
Post by Falconer on May 19, 2009 17:50:16 GMT -5
This is an old topic, but I loved Rome especially because it seemed like Vorenus and Pullo were PCs in some D&D game, They became more and more badass fighters as the series progressed. They just happened to be in quest after quest where history and the fate of famous people depended on their actions. And, can't you just hear the Pullo player jabbering at the DM, “I totally want to DO Cleopatra!!”
|
|
|
Rome
May 23, 2009 12:44:44 GMT -5
Post by geneweigel on May 23, 2009 12:44:44 GMT -5
I think ROME was my last blast at watching premium channel mini-shows. They shrunk it it seems in retrospect by quickening things. The vulgarity of these shows make it so you can't catch up with the kids around. We kept putting off DEXTER and missed an entire season of that so someone bought us it on DVD and still haven't watched it. I think that was two seasons ago! I just caught up with ABC's LOST and I think it "jumped the shark" as they say ("Fonzarelli-ed"? ) this season so that was the last show that I've been following and the only reason that I caught up with it was because the kids could watch it. Somebody said I should check out Mulder's sex junkie show on SHOWTIME but I don't know. Anybody?
|
|
Falconer
Enchanter
Knight Bachelor
AD&D, Middle-earth, Star Trek TOS
Posts: 330
|
Rome
May 23, 2009 15:28:51 GMT -5
Post by Falconer on May 23, 2009 15:28:51 GMT -5
I love TV shows, but yeah, from now on it's all about the 60s and 70s for me!
|
|
|
Rome
May 26, 2009 14:58:05 GMT -5
Post by amalric on May 26, 2009 14:58:05 GMT -5
I'm a huge LOST fan. We just finished series 5 (? The penultimate series, either way), and I've loved it all the way, even with the many twists, turns and time travel. Lots of great plotline/campaign ideas in there.
|
|
|
Rome
May 27, 2009 6:44:33 GMT -5
Post by Scott on May 27, 2009 6:44:33 GMT -5
Never saw Lost. I think the original Battlestar Galactica was the last show I followed when it was on. I've tried a few times, but I just couldn't do it. Now I just rent the seasons on DVD and watch them in bunches.
|
|
|
Rome
May 27, 2009 7:27:01 GMT -5
Post by Merkholz on May 27, 2009 7:27:01 GMT -5
I have just finished reading A History of Rome Vol. 1 by Cyril Robinson and Caesar’s Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar’s Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome by Stephen Dando-Collins. And I can with certainty that HBO did not show how weird religion in Rome actually was at that time period. (At least compared to how it was depicted in those books and others.) I think the trouble comes in when HBO (or whoever) only has time to show just a snipped of religions life. They try to cram all the oddness of whatever ancient religion is in question into two or three scenes. That is why it seems so odd. And to be clear when I say weird/odd I mean weird/odd to most people in modern times in America. And I sure do not mean weird/odd as in “thank goodness Christianity came along.” To the people of the time it was business as usual and to the Romans it was defiantly not as bizarre as what the Etruscans were doing before them. As far as portraying cretin personas of the time, they got the main characters spot on (IMHO) and the side characters were somewhat enlivened. Caesar was played with some conservative writing. (As opposed to acting.) Caesar was more than what they portrayed him as. Again compared to what I have read in his memoirs when he was on conquest. What I don’t understand is why they started the show with the surrender of Vercingetorix at the END of the battle at Alesis! Vercingetorix had led his army to Alesia. Caesar followed, killing those he could. When they reached Alesia, the Romans surrounded the hilltop city. Vercingetorix sent out mounted troops to go to their tribes to round up all those old enough to bear arms. They were able to ride through the places where the Romans hadn't yet completed their fortification. The fortifications were not just a means to contain those within. The Romans put torturous devices on the outside that could injure an army pressing against it. (Such as trenches, pig feathers, and dead falls.) The Romans needed some troops to gather timber and food. Others worked on building the fortifications, which meant Caesar's troop strength was diminished. Because of this there were skirmishes, although Vercingetorix was waiting for Gallic allies to join him before a full-fledged fight against Caesar's army. The Arvernian allies sent fewer than asked, but still, a great number of troops, to Alesia where they believed the Romans would easily be defeated by the Gallic troops on two fronts, from within Alesia and from those newly arriving. The Romans and Germans stationed themselves both inside their fortifications to fight those in the city and outside to fight the newly arriving army. The Gauls from outside attacked at night by throwing things from a distance, and alerting Vercingetorix to their presence. The next day the allies came closer and many were injured on the Roman fortifications, so they withdrew. The next day, the Gauls attacked from both sides. A few Roman cohorts left the fortifications and circled round to the rear of the outer enemy whom they surprised and slaughtered when they tried to flee. Vercingetorix saw what had happened and gave up, surrendering himself and his weapons. Later Vercingetorix would be displayed as a prize in Caesar's triumph of 46 B.C. Caesar, generous to the Aedui and Arverni, distributed Gallic captives so that every soldier throughout the army received one as plunder. Now would that not have been a great opening? Open with the start of a battle and not the closing of one. That would have been great! But also very costly! M
|
|
|
Rome
May 27, 2009 18:27:48 GMT -5
Post by Shalaban on May 27, 2009 18:27:48 GMT -5
Yes. True. But if they could have made a season out of it I would have bought it.
|
|
|
Rome
May 28, 2009 17:09:32 GMT -5
Post by amalric on May 28, 2009 17:09:32 GMT -5
Now I just rent the seasons on DVD and watch them in bunches. Similar - we record it on our satellite box, and watch it back in bunches that way.
|
|
GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
|
Rome
May 30, 2009 14:18:23 GMT -5
Post by GT on May 30, 2009 14:18:23 GMT -5
I still prefer History Channel... D'OHHHHH!!!!
|
|
GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
|
Rome
May 30, 2009 14:20:54 GMT -5
Post by GT on May 30, 2009 14:20:54 GMT -5
My opinion of LOST is "new version of PRISONER meets LAND of the LOST, but writers "lost" their way and have wandered in the wilderness"...
|
|
GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
|
Rome
May 30, 2009 14:31:47 GMT -5
Post by GT on May 30, 2009 14:31:47 GMT -5
Anybody have any news on anyone working on a new and perhaps acceptable version of Conan for movies?
|
|
|
Rome
May 31, 2009 11:36:12 GMT -5
Post by Scott on May 31, 2009 11:36:12 GMT -5
Just the Red Nails cartoon, I think we discussed that kind of recently.
|
|
GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
|
Rome
May 31, 2009 11:46:13 GMT -5
Post by GT on May 31, 2009 11:46:13 GMT -5
I heard a rumor that one is done and another is in the works, but waiting to see how the first one does. Supposedly starts with young Conan so that the movies can be ongoing... ^__^
|
|
|
Rome
May 31, 2009 11:50:55 GMT -5
Post by Scott on May 31, 2009 11:50:55 GMT -5
And Soloman Kane and Red Sonja too. Soloman Kane looks like it could be pretty bad, if you're expecting a real Howard feel.
|
|
GT
Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
|
Rome
May 31, 2009 11:55:18 GMT -5
Post by GT on May 31, 2009 11:55:18 GMT -5
Heh! They'll probably turn SK into a "goth fest" or "vampire romance" to suit the times...
|
|
|
Rome
May 31, 2009 12:02:53 GMT -5
Post by Scott on May 31, 2009 12:02:53 GMT -5
It looks like the Van Helsing movie that I was so disappointed with. They started working on that project right after Bram Stoker's Dracula came out, and Anthony Hopkins was supposed to reprise his Van Helsing role.
|
|