300 blogs about Frank Miller's '300'

The Battle of Marathon - 2500 year anniversary

2010-10-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

Please click the following link to read more about the 2500 year anniversary of the Battle of Marathon.

New poll - The Battle of King Leonidas

2009-07-08T03:00:00.000-04:00

There is a poll on the following blog whose results I am very curious about as far as the favorite actor to play King Leonidas. The actors are as follows -

Richard Egan - The 300 Spartans
Gerard Butler - 300
Brian Danner - Last Stand of the 300 - (Documentary)
Sean Maguire - Meet the Spartans - (Parody)

'300' prequel/sequel to star Gerard Butler???

2009-07-07T03:00:00.000-04:00

After the huge box office returns of Warner Bros. 300, there has been quite a bit of speculation about either a prequel or sequel to the Frank Miller comic book series based on the Battle of Thermopylae. If either one of these projects come to fruition, one thing is pretty certain and that is ........Gerard Butler will NOT be reprising his role as King Leonidas.

The reasons for this are quite simple!

A prequel to Thermopylae would be the Battle of Marathon which was an Athenian/Plataean victory over the Persians, 10 years earlier in 490 BCE. The Spartans arrived after the conclusion of the battle due to the strict adherence of their religious beliefs which prevented them from marching during the festival of Carneia.

The sequel would be the Battle of Plataea which was the ending scene after King Leonidas (Gerry Butler) is killed in 300, in one of the great last stands of all time.

Of course something ludicrous could be contrived (raised from the dead, for example), however, I believe that Butler has too much respect for the heroic Spartan king to be used in a money-making vehicle which makes a mockery of his death.

John Trikeriotis
http://300spartanwarriors.blogspot.com/

'Bringing Back the Blog'

2008-12-31T03:00:00.003-05:00

This blog has been relatively dormant over the last several years as all new materials with the respect to the Battle of Thermopylae have been posted to the 300spartanwarriors.com website. The main function has been to serve as an educational tool and to bring awareness to the Leonidas Expeditions.

A derivative of the website and probably one of its most gratifying functions is our group 'The Warriors of Thermopylae'. Photos from our appearances and announcements of future demonstrations and presentations will be posted there.

Therefore, due to the expansion of the website, along with increased activity for our Living History Group, it's been decided to 'Bring back the Blog'!!!

Frank Miller '300' Shield replica

2007-04-13T22:11:00.003-04:00

I had a chance recently to examine one of the Warner Bros. '300' shield replicas which were sold by the wholesale company NECA to retailers. Lately they've been selling on eBay for over $1,000, and sometimes much more than that. It's probably closer to $1,500. However, here is the kicker! Several of the eBay sellers in their listings are saying that this is "no. 3 of 300" or "lowest limited edition number" on ebay.

Upon closer inspection, it's only the box that is showing the limited edition number (unlike the signed limited edition lithograph) as it isn't reflected anywhere on the shield. So before you make that big purchase and see that you've bought no.1 of 300, no. 2 of 300, etc., etc., please be advised that in essence you are paying for the box that has this limited number written on there with magic marker, not your shield.

Warner Bros. '300' pays homage to a defining moment in Greek history

2007-03-06T08:30:00.002-05:00

On March 25th, our fellow Greeks and Philhellenes will observe Greek Independence Day, not only in our ancestors' birthplace, but throughout countries all around the world. This event holds much significance for many of us, as it honors Greece's declaration of independence on this day in 1821 against the Ottoman Empire's 400-year occupation and oppression. Kolokotronis, Bouboulina, Nikitara, Karaiskakis, Mpotsaris and the countless freedom fighters from the land of the Hellenes are honored and revered for their struggle which led Greece to be the proud independent nation which she is today.

Equally as important in the annals of our beloved Greece's modern history is OXI Day (phonetic, aw-hee), which is observed on October 28th of every year. This holiday is celebrated in commemorating General Ioannis Metaxas' defiant reply of 'oxi', to Benito Mussolini's ultimatum to allow Italian troops into Greece. This one word response precipitated Greece's formal entry into World War II and which culminated in the Hellenic forces repelling the invading Italian army all the way back into Albania.

Coincidentally, it is another laconic phrase in the Warner Bros. movie based on Frank Miller's '300' which will echo throughout cinemas around the world starting this week. The words Molon Labe (phonetic, Maw-lon Lah-veh), which spoken by King Leonidas of Sparta in 480 B.C., have resonated throughout history over the last 2,500 years. The translation which means 'Come and get them' will be spoken by Gerard Butler who portrays the legendary Spartan king who spearheaded the defense of Thermopylae.

According to Herodotus and other historians, the Greek garrison which consisted of approximately 7,000 hoplites, 300 of whom were King Leonidas' fellow Spartiates, held off the numerically superior Persian army for several days. Several scholars, researchers and contemporary historians have conservatively estimated the invading force of Xerxes I at 200,000 warriors, comprised from a multitude of nations from the east.

For two days, the 300 Spartans and their allies inflicted heavy losses on the invaders before their position was compromised by a Malian traitor. On the third day, rather than surrender, the remaining Spartans and the remnants of the Thespian contingent which originally numbered 700, fought to the death so that their countrymen could withdraw safely. It was their heroic self-sacrifice which inspired their Greek countrymen to subsequent victories at Salamis, Plataea and Mykale.

Therefore, this movie pays homage to not only King Leonidas and the heroic '300' and their fight for freedom, it also pays tribute to Greece, the birthplace of democratic principles.

John Trikeriotis
www.theleonidasexpedition.com
www.300spartanwarriors.com

The 2010 Leonidas Expedition

2006-12-31T03:00:00.002-05:00

There are several questions that have remained unanswered relative to the Battle of Thermopylae for approximately 2,500 years. One of these is the site of the Phokian skirmish and another is the path that was used by the Immortals to encircle King Leonidas, the remaining Spartan, Thespian and Theban warriors?

To read about the 2010 Leonidas Expedition and its objectives, please access the following site.

MOLON LABE!!!

Archived index of "300 blogs about Frank Miller's '300' "

2006-07-09T03:00:00.000-04:00

In an effort to facilitate matters relative to the postings about Frank Miller's '300', this blog will contain an index of all the most recent archived materials. Each day's posting will be directly underneath this one, however, the first 150 blogs can be accessed by clicking on the following link.

Blog Number 171 - Video Journal #4 for Frank Miller's '300'

2006-03-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

Video Journal #4 is very interesting since it is narrated by the costume designer Michael Wilkinson who gave the audience insight into the making of the clothes worn by the actors. It also gave us a brief glimpse at Xerxes, the king of the Persian army who will be played by the Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro.

The sight of the bejeweled Santoro pretty much has taken the mystery out of how the last major character will appear. This also pretty much confirms that the appearance of the actors will coincide with the look of Frank Miller's '300' illustrations.

Blog Number 170 - Critics of Frank Miller's '300'

2006-03-01T03:00:00.000-05:00

Occasionally I'll check out the IMDB boards to see what the latest topics and responses are to the '300' posts. It seems that several of the prognosticators and pontificators have criticized the movie before it has even premiered.

The primary reason for the abuse that has been heaped on '300' is that the movie will not be an accurate portrayal of the Battle of Thermopylae. Do I agree with this assessment? Absolutely!!! However, what has to be remembered is that '300' will be a reflection of the comic books as written by Frank Miller, not a documentary based on the works of Herodotus.

Blog Number 169 - Recommended reading along with Frank Miller's '300'

2006-02-28T03:00:00.000-05:00

Since the momentum has slowed down because of the year we will have to wait for Frank Miller's '300' to premier, I will recommend several books in the next several postings to satiate your interest relative to the 300 Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae.

Blog Number 168 - Update to Zack Snyder's Production Blog

2006-02-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

Zack Snyder has updated his Production Blog to discuss the reasons why he chose Mark Twight as the individual who would train the cast and stuntmen. Pretty good stuff!

Blog Number 167 - Training regimen for Frank Miller's '300'

2006-02-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

In Blog Number 158, I included Video Journal #3 which showed the training regimen of the Spartiates. Since the Spartans would be filmed without armor, it was essential that they look the part of muscled warriors. After looking at the video clip and the exercises that the extras went through, they definitely look the part.

Blog Number 166 - Recycled sets & props for Frank Miller's '300'

2006-02-25T03:00:00.000-05:00

I initially had reservations about the movie's budget of $60-$70 million as did quite a few others. However, after looking at the stills and movie clips, especially of Video Journal #2 which I featured in Blog Number 131, the set designer's ability to recycle sets and props could bring the final numbers in line with their projections. Case in point, if you listen to James Bissell's commentary, a sculpted rock was used over and over for about 9 times.

It is this kind of economy that will allow the money to be used for the necessary digital effects. This should allow Zack Snyder to complete '300' as the vision which Frank Miller intended.

Blog Number 165 - Another image of the Tomb of King Leonidas of Sparta

2006-02-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

In Blog Number 122, I included an image of a French postcard of the Tomb of Leonidas which I acquired several years ago. This is a better image for which I have to thank the Laconian Professionals for providing.

Yiasou patriotes!

Blog Number 164 - Thermopylai, Myth & Reality in 480 B.C.

2006-02-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

One of the more interesting books about the Battle of Thermopylae is this one co-authored by G.J. Szemler, W.J. Cherf and J.C. Kraft. There are several books which I recommend about Thermopylae and this one being one of those, since it uses geographic analyses to arrive at several interesting conclusions.

Blog Number 163 - Lion of Sparta comic book

2006-02-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

Here is the 'Lion of Sparta' comics which the movie 'The 300 Spartans' was to be originally called. I will be posting several of the images from this comic book over the next several days.

Blog Number 162 - National Geographic illustration of the Battle of Thermopylae

2006-02-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

Here is another image of the Battle of Thermopylae, this time from a National Geographic issue. This painting was illustrated by H.M. Herget whose work was featured in many of the National Geographic issues of the 1930's & 1940's.

Blog Number 161 - Illustration of Xerxes

2006-02-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

Here is an illustration of Xerxes, the king of Persia from Mary Renault's 'Lion in the Gateway'. All the images which I've included from this book were illustrated by C. Walter Hodges and this one captures the difference between King Leonidas who will be played by Gerry Butler and Xerxes who will be played by Rodrigo Santoro. While Leonidas fought with his 300 Spartiates and perished with them, the Persian king was safe and sound on his throne, overlooking the fighting and impervious to any of the fighting beneath.

Blog Number 160 - Another illustration of King Leonidas of the '300' Spartans

2006-02-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

Here is another illustration of King Leonidas from Mary Renault's 'Lion in the Gateway'. This book was published in 1964, therefore, I've wondered if Renault wrote the book after having watched the 1962 movie, 'The 300 Spartans'.

Blog Number 159 - Illustration of King Leonidas of the '300' Spartans

2006-02-18T15:00:00.000-05:00

Here is the cover to the book 'The Lion in the Gateway' which was written by Mary Renault in the early 60's. Depicted in this illustration is King Leonidas of the 300 Spartans who will be portrayed by Gerry Butler in Frank Miller's '300'.

Blog Number 158 - Video Journal #3 for Frank Miller's '300'

2006-02-17T03:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to the third Video Journal for Frank Miller's '300' which is on the Yahoo website.

Blog Number 157 - Post-production for Frank Miller' '300'

2006-02-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

Now that Frank Miller's '300' has finished filming as of the end of January, the post-production work has begun which means that the raw video footage and audio elements have been completed.

Now the editing, titling, special effects insertion, image enhancement and audio mixing will be be added and refined to bring the finished product to the masses in the summer of 2007.

Blog Number 156 - Statue of a Spartan warrior training

2006-02-15T03:00:00.000-05:00

This is an image of a Spartan warrior training in the nude. Since the armor that the hoplites wore was so heavy, it was placed on minutes before the battle since it comprised about half of the weight of the warrior.

Blog Number 155 - Statue of a Spartan warrior

2006-02-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a statue of a Spartan warrior that closely resembles the illustrations of Frank Miller in that the warrior is without the cuirass, greaves and other clothing that he would have worn at Thermopylae.