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Fri 9 Sep, 2005 08:51 pm
After two episodes, "Rome" is really impressing me. Like "Carnivale," the opening credits alone are aesthetically provocative in their superb design.
It's "Deadwood" in ancient Italy -- the characters are conniving, self-centered and capable of all sorts of evil (golly, sounds like Washington DC, doesn't it?) They're traveling the same ground as Shakespeare now in his "Julius Caesar," going back a bit further into the history of Pompeii and the machinations in the Senate. Bravo!
Man, I just can't get into it so close on the heels of SFU. I saw the first episode ansd was impressed, but I'm having trouble getting spun up over it.
I love Deadwood. Probably my favorite HBO show. Al Swearingen is hands down the best bad ass ever to grace the ion bombardment ube.
Did you notice that the theme music for Carnivale, Deadwood, and Rome all have a similar sound? I'm wondering if the shows have a common musical artist performing the opening music.
Jeff Beal composed the score for "Rome" as well as "Carnivale" while David Schwartz does "Deadwood." All are on CD.
I like it okay...but don't find it as engrossing as Deadwood or Carnivale.
I'm really enjoying it....we especially like Titus Pulo. He's an opportunist, but has a good heart.
Titus Pulo is almost a lovable character -- when he gets that nasty bash in the head I really felt empathy for him. He's certainly abound with character flaws and temptation is often just too much for him. I think they are building up historic background for the assassination of Caeser which has been depicted so many times, is there a new approach? I'm sure it's going to be violent and bloody but what happens next is going to be the crux of the series. How can anyone, for instance, write something better for Marc Antony than Shakespeare. A tough bill to fullfill.
Ummmmmmm, in the last show, I kinda liked that scene where Marc Antony was standing in the courtyard getting his arms shaved.
interesting costume choice :wink:
Or lack of...
He was just kinda hangin' out.
Can't wait to hear what Chai Tea says about the latest episode...
Something nearly hit the floor.
It's getting into the big battle between Pompeii and Julius Caesar -- the ending scene with the puny ships on the spectacular stormy sea was great.
Well...I was convincing myself that nothing could be better than Deadwood...
...but Rome is probably going to take over top spot for me.
I cannot get enough of it...and I am not much for watching TV at all.
I watch each episode at least 2 times...in order to be sure I've caught each little nuance.
Enjoy.
It is terrific.
The production design is as good if not better than "Gladiator" but this has a more pungent script. I found some of the scripting of "Gladiator" only average , while this is closer to "I, Claudius."
Lightwizard wrote:The production design is as good if not better than "Gladiator" but this has a more pungent script. I found some of the scripting of "Gladiator" only average , while this is closer to "I, Claudius."
Ahhh...I, Claudius.
What a wonder that was.
But my guess is Rome is going to be even better.
All the movies, including "Cleopatra," which show Pompeii's statue where Caesar fell after being assassinated left one wanting a film about the history that lead up to the event. Here it is.
Not sure how they are gonna handle that...because they certainly have a long way to go. Caesar still has to go to Egypt and do his Cleopatra thingy first. Hope they get to the part where Octavian starts kicking butt. Most of us loved Augustus in I, Claudius. And Livia...oh, Livia.
Brand X wrote:Can't wait to hear what Chai Tea says about the latest episode...
It was even gift wrapped!
Yeah, like Frank, I watch it again on Tuesdays to make sure I got it all.
Sometimes I miss some of the lines.
Poor Octavius. I don't believe it worked out very well for him at his initiation.
All it lacked was some flashing neon, but then they didn't have neon.
This is going to be a bit weird, but I have got to get it out in public.
I have never
NEVER
ever even come close to feelings for characters in a movie or teleplay like I do for the characters in ROME.
I am enchanted with them
every last one of them. Cannot get enough of them. I watch almost every re-run of each episode
and go more and more ga ga over the people and settings with each watching.
I even love the guy who plays the town crier.
ROME is a spectacular production.
Here's a good site to visit:
http://www.hbo.com/rome/
Thanks, Frank -- I've been visiting the site regularly and agree that all the characters are fascinating. Makes me wish I could be absorbed into the screen and converse with them. However, it is dangerous because it's beginning to make my friends and family seem rather boring.