Getting in the mood for Rome 2 [Film/Programme Thread]

[a tw player]

Don't know about you guys, but before playing a game I love to watch some TV set in a similar time period to get in the mood (Kingdom of Heaven for Med 2, WW2 documentaries for HOI 3 etc etc). So, I thought I'd set up this thread for people to post suggestions for other users on what would be a good idea to watch!

Off the top of my head:

HBO's Rome - Definitely worth a watch!
Gladiator
Spartacus (the modern film)
Centurion
The Last Legion
Caesar (2002)
King Arthur (sort of...)
Attila (2001)
Time Commanders!

Feel free to discuss films/programmes in here but please keep it civil should a flame war look like starting

[Rezza]

Spartacus the TV Series pretty fun to watch. Might not satisfy a history geek but as a TV series it was very successful.

[Shaun]

Spartacus the TV Series pretty fun to watch. Might not satisfy a history geek but as a TV series it was very successful.

Wasn't the Spartacus TV show merely Roman themed soft porn?

[Metallistic]

Wasn't the Spartacus TV show merely Roman themed soft porn?

Even worse.

[redxavier]

Wasn't the Spartacus TV show merely Roman themed soft porn?

No, it's pretty great drama with some thrilling fight scenes, the gladiator bouts in the first series especially. It's actually more historically accurate than most other series and films too, so don't pay much heed to those who complain about that aspect of it (people who probably think Gladiator is accurate).

[Metallistic]

No, it's pretty great drama with some thrilling fight scenes, the gladiator bouts in the first series especially. It's actually more historically accurate than most other series and films too, so don't pay much heed to those who complain about that aspect of it (people who probably think Gladiator is accurate).

Drama??? It is a slow-motion fest with blood splashes on every third scene. One does not simply die in a non-spectacular fashion in that show. Apart from that, the lead character is the typical pretty boy with a chip on his shoulder, who has the charisma of a non-functional toaster. I am not even going to touch the "historically accurate" statement, because I do not want to get on my hands.

People watch it for the exaggerated 300-style fight sequences. Ease up on the sugar-coating. Nothing wrong with that, but don't claim statements that are far-fetched to say the least.

[zala]

Drama??? It is a slow-motion fest with blood splashes on every third scene. One does not simply die in a non-spectacular fashion in that show. Apart from that, the lead character is the typical pretty boy with a chip on his shoulder, who has the charisma of a non-functional toaster. I am not even going to touch the "historically accurate" statement, because I do not want to get on my hands.

People watch it for the exaggerated 300-style fight sequences. Ease up on the sugar-coating. Nothing wrong with that, but don't claim statements that are far-fetched to say the least.

That's you opinion, and he has his. Just leave it at that.

[redxavier]

Drama??? It is a slow-motion fest with blood splashes on every third scene. One does not simply die in a non-spectacular fashion in that show. Apart from that, the lead character is the typical pretty boy with a chip on his shoulder, who has the charisma of a non-functional toaster. I am not even going to touch the "historically accurate" statement, because I do not want to get on my hands.

People watch it for the exaggerated 300-style fight sequences. Ease up on the sugar-coating. Nothing wrong with that, but don't claim statements that are far-fetched to say the least.

Sounds precisely like someone who's not watched it... which forms a poor basis for any sort of argument. That there are some episodes with hardly any fighting in them demonstrates how unequivocally wrong you are about why people watched the series.

And I love to hear how you think the show is less historically accurate than HBO Rome, Centurion, The Eagle, Spartacus, Gladiator, Ben Hur etc., especially since the events of The Third Servile War and Spartacus himself remain somewhat sketchy.

[BalrogOfMorgoth]

I dare you to watch Druids, the movie about Vercingetorix.

I dare you.

[webMaster412160]

The roman world was soft porn. XD So they had to keep it real. Without including what they did "cough cough" it wouldn't be realistic.

[Sjoepap]

registered especially to tell you guys to listen to "history of rome" podcasts by Mike Duncan.

Excellent series of podcasts. That'll bring you in the mood...

[zala]

The PBS Empire series, did one on Rome/Greeks etc. Narrated by Liam Neeson too

[zala]

Alexander (the final cut/whatever the extended version was called)

[bangell99]

The BBC did a series of documentaries that had excellent production values:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1hivAnBETQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTBgxV7B6yc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftizkOoNBkA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFOleWqwj1M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25K1Q86-xEE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZYF6bGMlv0

[zala]

The BBC did a series of documentaries that had excellent production values:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1hivAnBETQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTBgxV7B6yc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftizkOoNBkA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFOleWqwj1M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZYF6bGMlv0

Just finished watching the last one of these this morning actually, very good watch.

[Hadro]

The BBC did a series of documentaries that had excellent production values:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1hivAnBETQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTBgxV7B6yc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftizkOoNBkA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFOleWqwj1M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZYF6bGMlv0

This is the bbc series I was talking about. Really good!

[bangell99]

This is the bbc series I was talking about. Really good!

I think you were referring to this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB732wBSTvw

That's the 14-part one; not as exciting or well-made but probably more content.

[zala]

I think you were referring to this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB732wBSTvw

That's the 14-part one; not as exciting or well-made but probably more content.

That was the American one, he stated he was thinking of the BBC one.

[Hadro]

Rome: Rise and fall of an empire

It is a 14 part documentary series aired on the bbc a few years ago. Great idea if you want to delve into some of the politics and wars of the period.

It is all on YouTube as full episodes!

[HigoChumbo]

To be honest i can only recommend HBO's Rome and, maybe, Gladiator.

If you want others, yeah, go with The Eagle, Centurion, Alexander (bit out of timeframe), Rome: Rise and fall of an empire, that BBC documentary about Hannibal, Kubricks' Spartacus (i did not like the movie to be honest, but the battle scenes are great), Ben Hur (i find it boring tbh), Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "Julius Caesar" and "Cleopatra" (with Marlon Brando and Liz Taylor), Amenábar's Agora (with Rachel Weisz), and, why not, the Asterix movies (both animated and live).

I haven't seen the '76 brit series "I, Claudius", but i hear it's great.