Rome - New HBO show

it is a co-production between HBO and BBC!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/21/nrome21.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/21/ixhome.html

Most of the cast seem very British. Brutus seems almost American.

Roddy McDowall's performance has scarred me for life on that front.

the show was flat.

Mr teeny and I had a good discussion on the authenticity of the landing strips on the ladies--I pointed out that the roman men seemed to favor shaving their faces and so perhaps the ladies shaved as well, but he maintained that if that was the case, it would probably be all or nothing. I was frankly stunned that he did not know of some poem or whatnot that would settle the debate.

M.: Because nudity was more common in Rome than it is here. Public baths alone (which were not always unisex), I mean!

blood and landing strips aside, what i liked, and what i'm hoping the hbo-nastiness allows more windows into, are moments where the historicity of the show can seem really alien, ie where the attitudes and motivations of ppl can be shown to be actually "classical" ie pre-enlightenment and pre-christian. there were a few flashes of this, the best one i wish i remembered better, but Octavian says something like "I'm going alone?" and Atia responds yes blah blah... a few lines later she mentions which slaves he's taking, threatens one to protect him with his life, and this was no dissonance at all: alone = your slave retinue. similarly, she was fucking the horseman with all of these people milling around her bed: there is no private self, and they didn't count anyway.

I don't see how this will work as a series on HBO, cock and vadge aside. (I know it's nice that they can let it all hang out, but HBO needs to step off the naked train, it's a bit of a cliche.) Hopefully it gets better as they have time to flesh out individual plots and follow characters, rather than telling the I, Claudius story.

Wouldn't it have been better to see the story of the Pompey/Caesar/betrayal/Civil War through the eyes of a set of characters not in the history books? I guess it's a harder sell for $100mn, but that story through a minor aristocratic family with sons on both sides, following their slaves as real characters etc. sounds much more interesting than upper-echelon aristocratic decadence and politicking.

but really, rome so far has been awesome, sex, violence, and enough history to keep a nerd like me happy

I was reading a Byzantine history book recently so I'm an egg spurt!

I think ye misunderstood my point about Antony’s tattoo.

oh, I think not. HBO knew what they were aiming for and it wasn't historic accuracy, but something a bit more, um... differently located.

That was my point though?

funny thing is, the eyeliner could have been true to life. at least when he was in Egypt.

actually thinking his snake “tattoo” was maybe?just henna? Which would have made more sense at the time.
https://www.frockflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/tumblr_m607rfgUaC1qeun5ho1_500.gif

I've been discovering an obsessive interest in Sumerian culture lately, and kohl (šembi, šimbi, šem-bi-zi-da) goes back 3000 years prior to Antony. Originally charred frankincense, by Antony's time powdered antimony or lead compounds, and neurotoxic. So a little crazy should be expected from those with heavy eyeliner/mascara.

"... Tattoos appear to have arrived in Europe around 1500 CE...."

Didn't Ötzi the Austrian Iceman have some ink on his back?

Yes. He did have some tattoos. The practice of tattooing doesn't seem to have carried forward in any big way into more modern times. When European explorers encountered it in the 1500 CE time period they acted like they'd never seen or heard of such things.

What does that have to do with James Purefoy being hot though?

Quite right, tokyo rosemary. I felt sorry for anyone who couldn’t enjoy Antony’s decline both thematically and visually.

I have the DVDs so I’m going to have to do a rewatch soon.

“Bruno [Heller] once did outline a story that he was going to start the whole series with,” Stevenson said. “An 88-year-old Pullo going down to the riverside by Vorenus’ tomb, or sarcophagus, pouring wine on it, taking a sword out while sitting there on the banks, looking at the glistening river, and committing suicide.

“And as he has his face hit the sand on the banks, a fish jumped out of the water, and the silver light on the fish caught the sword, which brought us right into that first battle with Lucius Vorenus and [Titus Pullo] where he breaks ranks.”

As according to Stevenson, the final scenes of the series would have eventually explained this fate as the relationship between Octavian, who is only a child when Rome starts, and Pullo becomes clear.

Says Stevenson, “The reason was that the only person on the planet who [knows] the Emperor Augustus to be human, who was Octavian, is Pullo. And Pullo’s the only one who has that memory of him or that life. And basically, [Augustus] asks him to. Nobody else could kill him. But at that stage, Octavian is obviously in his paranoid imperial sort of thing, and Pullo is the last tie to that time when he was a boy. It’s genius.”

Finished my third (fourth?) rewatch and it hasn't lost any of its greatness. As for the question about Vorenus' fate: why would Pullo lie to Augustus? Maybe because LV was loyal to Antony and Pullo was just lookin' out for his homie? Hmm.

Would be nice if a surprise "20 Years Later" type film following up on our characters ever gets made. Not holding my breath. But I will make a little offering to Dis and see what happens.

Thanks. Haven’t rewatched since the first time but have certainly thought about it.

I don't think I ever finished this- is there any gay stuff?

ctrl+f gay suggests no :(

THIRTEEN!!!

Ray Stevenson...the one Titus Pullo...Rest In Peace.

Fuck this. Favourite show of all time, adored this guy.

Hadn’t even realized. RIP :(

Been thinking about rewatching recently.

Just was recommending somebody watch that show as an alternative to reading Gibbon.

Finally watched Rome this year, what a treat. Stevenson elevated anything he was in, RIP

One of my favourite non-Thirteen Pullo moments is when Cleopatra is trying to get pregnant and first invites in Vorenus, who refuses. Then Pullo is invited into the tent as second choice, has no problem and they have wild sex with ululating etc. Cut to Vorenus lying outside, fuming, wide awake. Pullo comes out of the tent walking on air, tries to talk to Vorenus, who just shuts him down immediately. It’s an incredible scene with their dynamic and Stevenson’s comic timing is incredible. RIP.

Hahah

IIRC This was the First ever BBC drama (maybe HBO) to be filmed in HD, a good choice looking back on it,

first of the new, rather than last of the old.

R.I.P Ray, you were great in this.

rewatched series one a few years ago, maybe time to go into Season two.

The BluRay has an option which points out all the historical stuff going on in the background, really wish more dramas include that especially all the easter egg filled Marvel/Disney shows.

Forgot about Michael Apted’s involvement.

such a classi, great show. RIP Titus Pullo

The writers hate Cicero so much.

Just saw a trailer with Indira Varma front and center!

She lives round the corner from me and is

…always quite striking even in “just got out of bed to grab coffee” mode

Also a surprisingly awesome audiobook reader for Terry Pratchett’s witches books

Exactly as this thread was revived, I was watching Indira play Lady Macbeth in London's Docklands.

she was great, in case that needed stating....

That’s the trailer I saw!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57_IiR1ynw8