Posted on 10/25/2005 4:36:38 PM PDT by DCBryan1
I might have to get HBO.
That is one uuuuuugly man.
Jumping up and down, screaming. Very, very funny.
I have been watching the series and I love it!!
The actors are fantastic and I think the whole look of
the show is beautiful. The actors must be having a ball saying some of those lines. I loved when Atia was going to call the dogs on Octavia's lover. love the whole cast.
Pompeii was great, Octavian, he is fabulous, I believe he was the young actor in Master and Commander. You can go on HBO's site and read all about the cast and see what other viewers are saying. I was thrilled to read about a second season.
I like the actor playing Brutus. Whoever did the casting on this show did an excellent job. IMHO.
Anybody watching Extras? It is a darned funny little show.
He is doing a great job in the part. We just call him Brutus of Many Teeth around here.
I agree, USA network's Attila & Sparticus had battles, hell even TNT's Caesar had at least some fighting. All 3 combined probably had only ¼ the budget of HBO's Rome, yet Rome had two chances with Pharsalus and the Siege of Alexandria and both times they showed nothing.
Pharsalus was one of the most pivital battles in history, it's terrible the way they glossed over it like they did. Part of the reason the Romans are so fascinating is they were such bad asses, and not to see them in battle just takes something away from the show.
Well there's always battles of Thapsus and Munda, but from the coming attractions it doesn't look like that will happen either.
But on the other hand, the writers made sure to put in enough time dedicated to a make out session between Octavia and Servilia.
Really? Dam it, I must of missed it.
Over all though, except for the lack of battles I must say it is a great show
I love ancient history !!
Not really.
ROME is spot on, almost word perfect! If you've ever taken Latin, or read Julius Caesar's and Cicero's works in translation, you'll know a lot of the script before any character says a line, or an action takes place.
Wanna complain about Roman bisexuality? Take it with the contemporaneous writers; whom I quoted as my first sentence.
I,CLAUDIUS was filled to the brim with nudity, sexual acts, and showed less war scenes. I,CLAUDIUS was based on two books of fiction,written by Robert Graves. It too deviated somewhat from factual history, as well as Graves' books.
thanks for the ping!
Rome (new HBO series)
HBO | August 2005 | some HBO shill
Posted on 09/03/2005 7:52:54 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1476409/posts
BBC's £58m Rome is most violent, explicit and costly drama yet
UK Telegraph | 8/21/05 | Chris Hastings
Posted on 08/21/2005 12:09:19 PM PDT by wagglebee
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1467783/posts
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
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By Jupiter's ears, I hope so. There is so much more to the story after Julius Caesar is murdered in 44 BC.
Going by the last episode, where Caesar holds up his newborn son (presumably Caesarion) the series is now at about June 23rd, 47 BC.
So we are now about 2½ years prior to Caesar's murder in March of 44 BC. After that is when it gets really interesting. The whole story of Octavian's (Soon to be Augustus Caesar) rise to power, the Second Triumvirate, Antony's affair with Cleopatra after Julius Caesar's death, and Octavian's defeat of Antony at Actium (and all the intrigue that led up to it).
Here's a little time line...
47 BC Caesarion (Ptolemy Caesar) born on June 23.
46 BC Cleopatra arrives in Rome, Caesar appointed dictator for ten years; revision of calendar.
45 BC Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces in Spain.
44 BC Assassination of Caesar. Cleopatra returns to Egypt.
43 BC Second Triumvirate: Antony, Octavian, Lepidus.
42 BC Brutus and Cassius defeated by Antony and Octavian at Philippi.
41 BC Antony 'summons' Cleopatra to Tarsus. They become lovers.
40 BC Reconciliation of Antony and Octavian at Brundisium.
36 BC Antony invades Parthia but is defeated.
35 BC Antony returns to Alexandria.
32 BC Antony marries Cleopatra.
31 BC Octavian (and Marcus Agrippa) defeat Antony (and Cleopatra) at Actium.
I noticed that also. Indeed, classic. (Is that a pun?)
I think that the use of Pullo and Vorenus as focal points of the story is fantastic.
Incidentally, the two characters of Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus were actual soldiers in the Roman army. They are the only two soldiers ever mentioned in the writings of Julius Caesar. This is why I suspect that the series may end at or around 44 BC when Julius is murdered. For obviously there would be no further mention of these two after his death.
I hope the writers find a way to keep it going.
I had understood that this series was going to tell only this one story about Caesar. A mini series like Band of Brothers. I'm very glad if that is not true, as I cannot find a thing about it on the website.
Anytime fair lady.
It is interesting how Antony carried out Caesar's planned war against Parthia using Caesar's 'back-door' strategy of invading through Armenia, and how he so badly botched it -- starting the campaign too late, leading him to leave his supply train defended by only two legions while he hurried ahead to Phraaspes. These two legions were promptly defeated by the Parthians who wisely avoided Antony's main force. This main force then tried to lay siege to Phraaspes, where Antony planned to stay for the winter, w/o most of the siege equipment. He failed, and was then forced to withdraw, and it was this retreat (weather and lack of supplies) that was responsible for most of his losses, and not the Parthians who (I think???) didn't actually defeat Antony in battle.
Even though Caesar was known for his rapid, bold, and even reckless moves, I have a hard time believing he would have faired so badly.
But anyway, ROME has been renewed for a second season, but it won't start filming until next year, and won't air until 2007. This should actually work to its favor though, as it will allow the actor who plays Octavian to grow into the the approximate proper age for the character at the time of Caesar's death.
I was surprised about Pharsalus as well. I thought that they were saving their resources to put it into a grand recreation of that battle, but apparently even a $100 million budget spread over 12 episodes wasn't enough for that. And you're right, if they weren't going to go all out for Pharsalus, then its a safe bet that Thapsus and Munda will get similar treatment, if they are addressed at all.
The Alexandria battle surprised me a bit as well, even after seeing the treatment that Pharsalus got, because I thought that they could economically film the lower-scale engagements that made up most of that campaign.
And the two actresses playing Servilia and Octavia clearly aren't comfortable filming lesbian scenes.
But still, for the most part, it is an excellent show. My biggest gripe is that they haven't shown enough of Caesar.
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