It’s Raining Men! 300 Of Them!

Thanks to Kalen, I got a lot of coworkers asking me, “What are you laughing at?” and had to use words like “homo-erotic overtones” and “Man-titty.”

And to give y’all even more to read and ponder, here’s Dan Savage’s take on the movie (scroll down to bottom) 300. Raining men, indeed.

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  1. Kalen Hughes says:

    Glad you enjoyed it. I think I’ve watched it about 100 times now.

  2. Outstanding!  I still need to see 300 ‘cause I’m a Frank Miller fan from way back.

  3. Carrie Lofty says:

    Here’s my review of 300. And yes, it was just about that gay.

  4. Piper says:

    Hmmmm.  I think this movie mostly underscores that we see what we want to see.  I loved it, and my friend (who went with me and had NO expectations whatsoever) loved it.  I went to ogle the mantitty, but got caught up in the cinematography and amazing soundtrack (manages to include 80s metal, choral, techno, and orchestral without missing a beat and was always perfect for the scene).  So the story isn’t historically accurate (find me a movie that is) or the characters particularly well developed.  It was a beautifully done adaptation of a work of art by Frank Miller, all changes were vetted by the original author (unlike, say, V for Vendetta), and there was actually more character development in the movie than in the book. 
    And all those people who rant about the homo aspect of Spartan life being removed (that’s you Dan Savage)…get a grip.  Spartan sexual reputation has been altered nearly as much as Mary Magdalene’s.  That is to say, very little about what we assume to know is accurate or based in anything more than tradition. 
    That being said…I laughed my ass off when I saw the “Raining Men” video.  Thanks for that!

  5. Raina_Dayz says:

    I had mixed feelings about that movie, but as I was leaving I had two chief thoughts.  – for a movie that used some anti-gay language, it was probably the gayest movie I’d ever seen.  My gay dude friends really liked it. 

    I had the ‘buck o five’ song stuck in my head from Team America for about a week after I left the theater, from the ‘freedom isn’t free’ line. 

    I don’t know, it was pretty, spectacular even, I liked the story, I liked the music, I’m not a huge beefcake lover so that part was kinda lost on me, it felt like propoganda ultimately, and that feels pretty bad.

  6. I saw it and just enjoyed it for what it is. A movie. I’ve seen better movies, but hey, it wasn’t bad. 🙂

  7. CantateForever says:

    O God. Well, that was my ab workout for the day! Thanks for the clip!

  8. Aquariscies says:

    That was a fabulous movie! I loves me some mantitty. *drool* The softcore porn in the beginning was fun too.

  9. Kiku says:

    I loved the movie – it was a beutiful portrayal of Frank Miller’s (genius!) graphic novel.

    I’m a bit surprised that *anyone* is surprised about perceived homoeroticism in something (admittedly very loosely-) based on Greek epic anything.

    Did no one learn from ‘Troy’?

  10. shuzluva says:

    Thank you for the thoroughly enjoyable clip. I’m thrilled to FINALLY get to see this movie this weekend. I’m not interested in analyzing it for the pro/anti war overtones, the pro/anti gay overtones or, lets face it, any other damn tone. I’m going to the movies to enjoy hot men that are mostly naked in what should be a visually satisfying (if not astounding) experience.

    If I was looking for real depth, historical importance and *ahem* tone, I would just stay home and re-read Herodotus. But I’ve got a babysitter and the hubster and I are going to enjoy ourselves!

  11. Jess says:

    I checked my brain in the lobby and enjoyed the movie.  I went to ogle abs of steel and watch some interesting cinematography. In my estimation this was a fantasy movie not a historical one by any stretch of the imagination.

  12. Jeri says:

    I gagged on the “Freedom isn’t free” line and went back and checked: it’s not in the graphic novel, which is gorgeous and powerful but still a fantasized (as opposed to merely fictionalized) account.

    Funnily enough, many of the really snappy lines (like “Then we shall fight in the shade”) are historically accurate.  Dienekes was apparently famous for his witty comebacks.

    The major Sparta historians seem to love Stephen Pressfield’s novel Gates of Fire, which is absolutely un-put-downable. 

    And after Gates of Fire, seeing it translated as “Hot Gates” in 300 made me go, meh.  Hot Gates sounds like the name of a Key West nightclub.  Probably the place where the Devil from yesterday’s cover dances every night.

  13. Seressia says:

    Ah, yes—I saw this on a friend’s LJ a couple of weeks ago, and blogged about it myself.  Love this, and loved the movie enough to see it once in a regular theatre and last weekend in a sold-out IMAX.  My SO thought it the best movie he’s seen in ages.  I went to get *ahem* inspired, and it definitely worked in that regard.

    (The only part I didn’t like was Gorgo giving it up to the little worm.  She should have just gutted him for suggesting it, but then we wouldn’t have had the great scene in the senate.)

    “nations75” for authorization?  appropriate.

  14. Rebekah says:

    Lots of over-muscled men in an underdeveloped plot.  That movie was Dumb.

  15. Lisa says:

    I like It’s Raining Men, but I’m still holding out for a 300 trailer set to Be a Man. They can throw in some Alexander, too.

  16. Emily says:

    They can throw in some Alexander, too.

    My God. I met two friends on the bus this morning and we spent our entire half-hour commute bitching about that movie. I’m so glad I downloaded it and therefore didn’t put ANY money into it.

    I was all “Production values yay! Plot and accuracy *thhbbbpt*! And just get over yourself and give Hephaestion some tongue, already! You guys have been alone for hours! Don’t tell me y’all just spent that time HUGGING!”

    Hayley was all: “FUCK! YES! We know Colin can be experimental. So just DO it!”

    Matt was all: *in agreement but slightly intimidated by all this talk (read: screaming) about man-sex.*

    After about ten minutes I started to feel bad for the guy sitting next to us with his toddler, given the swearage flying about.

    I have yet to see 300, but I kind of feel like I have, really.
    And I’ve got a friend who now screams “this is Sparta!” when he stomps on bugs and spiders.

  17. Keziah Hill says:

    And David Wenham’s in it! Swoon!

  18. Selah March says:

    Visually, the movie is gorgeous. But Savage is spot-on about the propaganda. The iconclast leader struggling against the blind, stick-in-the-mud council that’s far too concerned with the law and not concerned enough with honor and duty and freedom. The breaking of the law for “the greater good,” and the martyrdom of the brave soldiers in service to what appears to be a lost cause. The loudest voice against going to war belonging to the evil traitor. Seriously, did Coulter and O’Reilly ghostwrite this script? 

    And people in the theatre where I viewed it audibly groaned over the “Freedom isn’t free” line.

    After a while, I literally put my hands over my ears and just watched The Pretty pass by.

  19. Gennita Low says:

    I loved the movie.  Loved, loved, loved me those mantitties.  I was watching Youtube showing an interview with Gerard Butler, and the female interviewer summed up the movie quite nicely: “Three hundred half-naked men, with swords of varying sizes, unsheathed, yes…unsheathed, doing battle in a very. Narrow.Valley.  This girl needs some alone time now.” 😉

    shown89

  20. Kaite says:

    And David Wenham’s in it! Swoon!

    Yes, but doing the Carl voice from VanHelsing, not the Faramir voice from LOTR. Not “swoon,” just *thud*

  21. Summer says:

    One of my sisters went to see it last weekend and her complaint was that it was gory and violent, other than that it was ok she said.  Her male companion liked the movie a LOT.  They did not indicate any impressions of subtle (or unsubtle) political or homo messages.  I think that some people are almost too sensitive to that sort thing.  Maybe this just illustrates that when I watch certain movies I am there to be entertained, not have someone’s BS political ideas indoctrinated into me. For example, when I saw V, I watched it with some good friends who felt that Adam Sutler was a picture of George W and how the US is going to hell in a handbasket, bla bla bla.  My take on V was TOTALLY different.

    I want to see 300 because Gerard Butler and David Wenham are super-hot and I would love to watch them run around scantily clad.  I think I’ll go see it this weekend.

  22. Nifty says:

    I loved it too and didn’t think it was particularly gory or even violent.  Not like, say, Braveheart or Gladiator.  And besides…it was all cartoony, which totally lessened the violence-impact for me.  LOVED the Greek-vase styling and the look of the film.  Loved the over-the-top spectacle of it.  Loved that it really didn’t seem to take itself uber-seriously…like, say, Alexander.  Loved that it had a totally hot and buffed out Gerry Butler, not to mention Michael Fassbender (Azazeal from “HEX”). 

    A friend’s criticism was that she didn’t feel it had a lot of story.  Hello…it’s about a two-day long battle segment.  What kind of story is there supposed to be?

    I totally didn’t get any political undertones, but maybe I’m just oblivious that way.  Thank God.

    Well worth my $7.

  23. Candy says:

    I think that some people are almost too sensitive to that sort thing.

    Well, yeah. Usually, the people who are most sensitive to that sort of thing are the people who either disagree with the stated position of the art in question, have extensive knowledge about the topic at hand, or who are predisposed to reading and interpreting subtext. Picking up on what is implied or that which is conspicuously omitted is not necessarily the same thing as jumping all over them and condemning them, but the issues that emerge certainly are interesting to think about. Personally, I picked up on the tension between the homoeroticism (one especially memorable panel detailing how Spartans prefer to train comes to mind) on one hand and homophobia on the other (calling the Athenians “boy lovers” as a pejorative? Bitch, please!) in Miller’s interpretation of the story—and this was from reading the comic.

    And isn’t it interesting that the Caucasoid Xerxes of history was turned into a big, hulking, androgynous black dude? I mean, come on. That’s not even sub-text any more.

    From what I’ve heard, the movie is even more over-the-top and less subtle, difficult though it may be to credit, since the comic is about as subtle as a cockslap. Miller is many things, but subtle he ain’t. Sometimes I love him for it, sometimes not so much. I have really mixed feelings about the comic, and I’m looking forward to seeing the movie, even as I’m kind of cringing at the thought of confronting its politics.

    Emily: That’s GENIUS. For my part, I think when my cats start meowing forlornly at me for no particular reason, I’ll glare at them and thunder out “THIS IS SPARTA.”

  24. Seressia says:

    And isn’t it interesting that the Caucasoid Xerxes of history was turned into a big, hulking, androgynous black dude? I mean, come on. That’s not even sub-text any more.

    I’m black.  I didn’t see Xerxes as black.  (though really, he did call to mind disco-diva Sylvester—now I’m dating myself!) but I just took him as a gold-colored Persian.  I do have to find out who the bald-headed (fine) black guy with the beard plait who got beheaded was.

    I suppose I just prefer not to read all these overtones and undertones into something I consider strictly entertainment.

  25. AJ says:

    I went to see it despite what I’d heard about the anti-gay, anti-Muslim attitude. I decided to not think about that and enjoy the movie.

    I didn’t enjoy it, at all. I even tried to oogle the man titty. To no avail. I thought this movie was a string of tedium. 

    To top all that off I’m really tired of people refering to this as a historical film. Yes, there was a Sparta and a war, but come on didn’t the guy with swords for arms tip anyone off that this film wasn’t even attempting to be historically accurate.

  26. Najida says:

    I’ve watched that clip at least a dozen times!  I love it!

    Oh, and I loved the movie too.  I too am a huge Frank Miller fan.

  27. Zeek says:

    The non-Caucazoid Xerxes is actually the perhaps-of-latin-decsent but more likely caucaziod hunk of Brazilian movie fame Rodrigo Santoro- who just happend to be recently killed off of Lost fame as well.

    Oh yeah, he’s a hottie.

  28. Zeek says:

    Is latin descent and caucaus decsent the same?

    I guess it is.  Either way he’s not black.

  29. Zeek says:

    Despite the Lenny Kravitiz skin tone they photoshopped on him.  (yummm!)

    😛

  30. AC says:

    OMFrackinGs! That was awesome! For some unbeknownst reason I can’t help watching it over and over again!

    I loved the movie. Why?
    -mantitty
    -gerard butler
    -michael fassbender
    -david wenham
    -tom wisdom
    -mantitty
    -and it looked cool too

    Historical accuracy? What are they smoking and not sharing?

    THIS IS FRANK MILLER!!!!

    Not the Discovery channel and since when has Hollywood been historically accurate?

    As for anti-gay, the “boy lover” comment, I took for pedophilia, not homophobia. And since I went into it with the view of historical fantasy, the only thing that riled me up is (you guessed it) – mantitty!. It was visually stunning and worth the price of admission.

  31. Qadesh says:

    Thanks for 300 clip, that was a riot! 

    As for the film, I enjoyed it, The Hub did not.  I warned him, did he listen?  No. 

    For me it was entertainment, I didn’t view it as propaganda in any form.  It isn’t historically accurate, but neither is most of the stuff coming out of Hollywood.  Anyone who gets their historical education from watching 300, Troy, Braveheart, The Ten Commandments, Samson and Delilah or anything else Hollywood produces deserve what they get.  A piss-poor education. 

    If you on the other hand want to kill a couple of hours with mindless entertainment with near naked men, that they can do.

  32. Candy says:

    The non-Caucazoid Xerxes is actually the perhaps-of-latin-decsent but more likely caucaziod hunk of Brazilian movie fame Rodrigo Santoro- who just happend to be recently killed off of Lost fame as well.

    Eh, I was going off the look in the comic—and Xerxes definitely looks black in the graphic novel. My fault for not specifying which depiction I was referring to.

    As for the historical Xerxes being Caucasoid: I assumed he was since he was Persian, and Persians are Caucasoid—if I’m not mistaken, it’s a rather old-fashioned term for it, and my anthropologist friends would probably would’ve beat me over the head for using that word.

  33. Ann Aguirre says:

    I reviewed this film today on my blog. Haven’t watched the clip til now…

  34. michelle says:

    i had no desire to watch this movie.

    i borrowed it from a friend last week and ended up loving it.

    true…it could just have been the abundance of mantitty or maybe i was high off the testosterone oozing from the screen—but i thoroughly enjoyed it.

    finally. a chick flick your boyfriend will be proud to watch with you.

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