The 2010 Leonidas Expedition

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' "

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'

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'

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'

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

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'

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'

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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'

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'

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

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

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.

Blog Number 154 - Mosaic of King Leonidas

Here is a very rare mosaic that was given to me as a present several years ago of King Leonidas with the words MOLON LABE.

I'm always on the lookout for unique items that pertain to the Spartans, therefore, receiving this was a wonderful surprise!

Blog Number 153 - The '300' Spartans at Thermopylae by Richard Hook

This is another image of the final stand at Thermopylae by 'artiste extraodinaire' Richard Hook. This illustration is from the book 'The Spartan Army' by Nicholas Sekunda.

Blog Number 152 - Frank Miller '300' bookmark

Here is an image of a Frank Miller '300' bookmark which is pretty rare. Even though this is pretty hard to find, it pales in comparison to the signed lithograph, of which only 3oo were signed by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley.

Blog Number 151 - Frank Miller '300' promo card

Here is an image of a Frank Miller '300' promo card which probably is the most recognizable image from the comics. This is the helmet of King Leonidas who will be portrayed by Scottish actor Gerry Butler.

Blog Number 150 - 150th blog of '300'

When I started writing this web blog in September of 2005, it seemed like a mammoth undertaking trying to find material which wouldn't be repetitive. Well, I have hit the halfway mark and have to thank all the readers who have contributed comments. If it wasn't for you, I would be left scratching my head trying to come up with new topics.

Thank you for the inspiration!!!

Blog Number 149 - '300' Spartans' cuirass

Here is an image of a cuirass which I mentioned in Blog Number 147. The bronze 'muscle' cuirass was as Nicholas Sekunda wrote in his book 'The Spartan Army' 'modelled to the musculature of the body'.

As the shield, greaves and helmet were essential protective devices, so was the cuirass which has been noticeably absent from the Frank Miller '300' comics.

Blog Number 148 - Frank Miller '300' Spartans interview

I read another interesting Frank Miller interview today in Sci Fi Wire where he talks about '300'. Miller also mentions that the movie 'The 300 Spartans', 'changed the whole course of my creative life'.

Blog Number 147 - Greek Spartan statue

Here is a nice little statue which I bought years ago and which shows the armor which would have been worn by the Spartan defenders at Thermopylae.

The main protective pieces of armor are all included on the statue which consist of the Corinthian helmet, the shield and the cuirass which was the body armor which covered the chest and back.

Blog Number 146 - 'The Persian Wars' by A.R. Burn

Another book which I highly recommend is 'The Persian Wars' by A.R. Burn which I obtained in the mid-'80's. When this book was originally published in 1962 it was entitled 'Persia and the Greeks'.

Interestingly enough, 'The Greco-Persian Wars' book written by Peter Green which I mentioned in Blog Number 145 was entitled 'Xerxes at Salamis' when first published in 1970.

It seems as if the titles of the books change with the newer reprints. The newer introductions and prefaces to the books are very illuminating since the authors discuss the reasons for revising their original books.

Blog Number 145 - 'The Greco-Persian Wars' by Peter Green

In Blog Number 89, I mentioned the books written by Herodotus who is known as the father of history. Since Herodotus is the primary author of the Greek-Persian Wars and in particular the Battle of Thermopylae, all subsequent books have referenced his works.

In my opinion, Peter Green's book 'The Greco-Persian Wars' is one of the most informative books ever written about the Persian invasions of Greece. Herodotus' account of the number of warriors in the Persian army has been discounted by many authors and scholars, however, Professor Green's theory that there were between 210,000-300,000 infantrymen is probably one of the most plausible.

If you have read Frank Miller's '300', this is one book that I would highly recommend!

Blog Number 144 - The Spartan Rhetra

The Spartan Rhetra are the laws written by Lycurgus whom I mentioned in Blog Number 143. It took me quite a while to obtain this book, however, it was well worth the wait because it contains a wealth of information for those who are interested in Sparta and her military, economic and social policies.

Some of the examples that Lycurgus wrote about which are included in this book are that the Spartiates should wear crimson-colored tunics and that they should wear their hair long in the belief that it would make them look more taller and more terrifying.

Blog Number 143 - Lycurgus, father of Sparta

The laws that were followed by the citizens of Sparta were said to be written by Lycurgus, the legendary lawgiver, however, it is not known whether he really existed.

What is known is that Lycurgus or a composite lawgiver is responsible for the iron code of rules by which King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans trained to perfection.

Blog Number 142 - 'The 300 Spartans' bootleg

Here's a copy of a VHS bootleg of 'The 300 Spartans' which my good friend Pete gave to me a couple of years ago before the movie was re-released on DVD. I hadn't seen the movie in quite a few years, therefore, after I received it, I must have seen it more times in one week than I did all the times previously combined.

Frank Miller has stated that this movie was what inspired him to write '300'.

Thanks Pete!!!

Blog Number 141 - Daily Kos blogger mentions the '300' Spartans

One of the most visible and political blogs on the internet, Daily Kos had an overview of the 300 Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae which appeared January 12th, 2006.

Since my blog is apolitical, I included the the link because the battle is neatly condensed into eight paragraphs.

Blog Number 140 - One of the reasons why Ephialtes was not part of the '300' Spartans' phalanx

If you had a chance to view Video Journal #2, you will notice that the character Ephialtes had a difficult time holding his shield in the correct position.

According to Frank Miller's version of the Battle of Thermopylae, it was Ephialtes' inability to hold his shield which was the primary reason King Leonidas wouldn't allow him to stand in line with the other Spartans. Since the phalanx depended on the regimented cohesiveness of the unit, one warrior's ineffectiveness could lead the phalanx into disarray.

Blog Number 139 - Another historical element added to Frank Miller's '300'

While reviewing the IMDB credited cast for '300', another interesting character appeared. The role of the 'free Greek baker' played by Marcel Jeannin had originated not with the Frank Miller comics, however, this character is one who had been added to flesh out the story.

There were other Greek city-states who fought at Thermopylae besides Sparta, therefore, this character is a great addition to the movie. In Blog Number 119, I mentioned the other city-states that fought along with King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans. I believe that the 'free Greek baker' is one of the approximately 900 helots who were present at Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

Blog Number 138 - Stuntmen for Frank Miller's '300'

Here's something of interest to ponder about several of the actors in the cast of Frank Miller's '300'. If you look at the IMDB biographies of many of the cast members playing unnamed Spartans, they seem to have an extensive background in stunt work.

Blog Number 137 - Centurion in Frank Miller's '300'

Occasionally, I will go to the IMDB website to see if there are any new additions to the cast of '300'. There was one entry that really had me scratching my head and that was that Dylan Smith would be playing the part of the Centurion. It wasn't that Dylan Smith would be in the cast, it was that there was a character called the Centurion.

When I hear the word Centurion, I immediately think of a Roman officer commanding a unit of 100 soldiers. However, since it seems that all the major roles of the Spartans and Andrew Pleavin as Daxos have been named, I will assume then that the Centurion is the character who will be commanding the elite 10,000 man unit of the Persian army called the Immortals.

Exponentially it works out perfectly 100 x 100 = 10,000!

Blog Number 136 - Ephialtes in Video Journal # 2

The first Video Journal which was narrated by Zack Snyder gave us our first glimpse into the look of how King Leonidas and the Spartans would be portrayed.

Video Journal #2 was even more informative as it basically confirmed that the Immortals would appear as depicted in Frank Miller's '300'. It also gave us the first look at Ephialtes even though it was from a distance. However, now we know that Andrew Tiernan will be wearing prosthetics as opposed to how Gollum was created using CGI technology in Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Blog Number 135 - Map of the last stand of the '300' Spartans

Here is a map of the last stand of the '300' Spartans at Thermopylae and an image of the actual location which I included in Blog Number 81 from Peter Connolly's book entitled 'Greece and Rome at War'.

Blog Number 134 - Hydarnes, leader of the Immortals

Since they stood out so prominently in the video journal linked in Blog Number 131, the last several postings have been about Xerxes' personal bodyguard of 10,000 warriors known as the Immortals.

According to Herodotus, the commander of this elite Persian unit was Hydarnes, who incidentally was played by Donald Houston in 'The 300 Spartans'.

Blog Number 133 - The Immortals of the Persian army

In Blog Number 131, we were provided the first look at several members of the cast wearing masks who will portray the Immortals. The Immortals were the crack unit of 10,000 warriors who comprised the royal bodyguard of Xerxes, the king of Persia. They were named the Immortals because whenever one of these elite warriors would die of wounds received in battle or of sickness, another replacement would fill in the ranks, thereby, keeping the unit at 10,000 strong.

Blog Number 132 - Frank Miller '300' Immortals

If there was ever any doubt about whether or not '300' would conform to the Frank Miller comics, these thoughts should now be laid to rest.

While watching the video journal which I included in Blog Number 131, it became apparent that the masked extras being filmed represented the Immortals who were the elite 10,000 man unit of Xerxes' army. These Immortals conform to the Frank Miller illustrations as does Gerry Butler as King Leonidas and the other Spartan warriors.

From a historical viewpoint the Spartans are devoid of much of the armor which they would have worn at Thermopylae. For comparative purposes, I've also included a link to an illustration of one of the Immortals as how they would have appeared in 480 B.C.

Blog Number 131 - Video Journal #2 for Frank Miller's '300'

Here is a link to Superhero Hype which has the second video journal from Frank Miller's '300'. As much as I enjoyed viewing the first video journal, I liked this one even more.

Enjoy!!!

Blog Number 130 - Lena Heady talks '300'

Frank Miller's '300' will have a cast pretty much dominated by males, which isn't suprising since this is a war movie with a little political intrigue thrown in for good measure. Therefore, it has been easy to overlook the role of Queen Gorgo who will be played by Lena Heady.

Here's a link to Superhero Hype which contains an interview with the aforementioned Lena Heady who will be playing opposite Gerry Butler. In '300' when King Leonidas goes off to battle the Persians at Thermopylae, Queen Gorgo will be left to 'hold the fort down' and fight against political subterfuge in Sparta.

Therefore, it seems that Zack Snyder's rewrite will show the battle on two fronts, King Leonidas at Thermopylae and Queen Gorgo in Sparta.

Blog Number 129 - 'Good, then we shall fight in the shade!'

According to Herodotus, the Spartiati Dienekes (Dieneces) was told that the Persian army was so large, that when they fought 'Their arrows would blot out the sun'. To which he replied, 'Good, then we shall fight in the shade!'

In the Frank Miller comics, these words are spoken by the young Spartan warrior Stelios. Therefore, we can expect Michael Fassbender to speak these immortal words in '300'.

Blog Number 128 - Short shooting schedule vs. longer release date for Frank Miller's '300'

When I first read that Frank Miller's '300' would take only three months to film, I was astounded to say the least. Even more astonishing is the fact that the cast were given weeks off for the holidays, therefore, the shoot will be even more abbreviated. I assumed that with the lightning fast speed that it would take to film the 'live' actors, the movie would be released in breakneck fashion sometime in 2006.

However, according to an article written by Edward Douglas of Superhero Hype which I mentioned in Blog Number 126, it seems that the movie will be released during the summer of 2007. This will be almost a year and half after the filming of the cast which is scheduled to be wrapped up this month.

It seems that there will be an inverse correlation between filming and the time that it takes to work on the computer generated images. Yes, there will be a shorter shooting schedule with the cast, however, it is evident that it will take a much longer time to computer generate the landscapes, Persian army, corpses and even the 300 Spartans for that matter, since it seemed as if there were only 20-25 Spartan extras in Zack Snyder's video journal.

Blog Number 127 - Conflicting release dates for Frank Miller's '300'

Two articles which appeared within two weeks of each other mentioned different release dates for Frank Miller's '300' starring Gerry Butler as King Leonidas, David Wenham as Dilios, Michael Fassbender as Stelios, etc.

In Blog Number 112, James Christopher mentioned that '300' would be released around the end of 2006 while in Blog Number 126, Edward Douglas wrote that the movie was to be scheduled for release during the summer of 2007.

This is reminiscent of the speculation which brewed over the city where the movie would be filmed. It was first announced that '300' would be filmed in Toronto and then it was later changed to Montreal, Canada.

If the trend continues, the latest news seems to be the most accurate, therefore, I believe the movie will be released in the summer of 2007.

Blog Number 126 - Revision! Frank Miller's '300' to be released in the summer of 2007

I mentioned in Blog Number 112, that according to James Christopher of the U.K.'s Times Online, Frank Miller's '300' would be released around Christmas 2006.

Well, that seems to have changed now because according to Edward Douglas of Superhero Hype, Warner Bros. intends on releasing '300' during the summer of 2007.

Blog Number 125 - Irishman Michael Fassbender (Stelios in Frank Miller's '300') fan sites

Here are several Michael Fassbender sites which have visited the '300' blog on many occasions. I thought I should mention them since Michael Fassbender will be potraying the young Spartan warrior Stelios.

The sites are An Angel Underneath & Fassbender Fans and they contain a wealth of information for those who wish to know more about the actor who will have a prominent role in '300'.

Blog Number 124 - Meaning of Thermopylae

The name Thermopylae comes from the two Greek words which mean Hot (Thermo) Gates (Pylae). It is aptly named so because of the nearby hot springs which people still visit today because of the belief in their curative powers.

Blog Number 123 - January 12th update of Zack Snyder's '300' Production blog

I had a chance to look at the newest update to Zack Snyder's production blog which shows scenes of a Spartan agora that was constructed rather than created digitally.

This once again reaffirms my belief that '300' will be much more than what Frank Miller wrote about in his comic book series. Since this scene is only illustrated in one panel of the comics, I believe quite a bit will occur in the marketplace. It is evident that Zack Snyder seems to be conscious of production overruns, therefore, I don't feel that the money spent for this set will be only for cosmetic purposes.

Now the question is what will happen?

Blog Number 122 - Tomb of King Leonidas of the '300' Spartans

Here is an image of a French postcard which I acquired several years ago which legend has it shows the tomb of King Leonidas, leader of the 300 Spartans of Thermopylae.

If you would like to read more about this image and the reburial of King Leonidas, please go to the following link.

Blog Number 121 - CG and shake artists needed for Frank Miller's '300'

The text below is from an e-mail which another reader, or should I say participant, sent to me. As with all the info that I've received, the person(s) wish(es) to remain anonymous. I've been fortunate to be the recipient of some great information which I have always confirmed before posting. Since time is an issue here, I thought I would post it immediately since it seems like the real/reel deal. Yes, that pun was intended and I know it was lousy, however, I couldn't resist!

Best of luck, if you apply!!!
---------------------------------------------------
Highly creative, experianced (sic) and self motivated CG and Shake artists required for high profile production currently shooting. You will be based in Burbank and working directly with the VFX Supervisor for the producton in a small select team.

This is an opportunity to work with the shot material prior to it being distriubted (sic) to Vendors. This is a highly stylized production and requires the ablilty to work toward the Directors unique vision. You must be able to work under pressure and to set deadlines. No-one will be considered without a showreel.

Position required between - 9th Jan / Mid April or March (TBD)

Great Opportunity for Frank Miller Fans

Please send Resumes and Reels to...

VFX Dept
Les 300 Films
2595 Place Chasse
2nd Floor
MontrealCanada
H3Y 2C3

Blog Number 120 - Aussie David Wenham (Dilios in Frank Miller's '300') fan sites

There are quite a few websites devoted to Gerard Butler who will play King Leonidas in Frank Miller's '300'. By far the most active is GerardButler.net whose members frequently visit these pages and leave comments which I always enjoy reading.

Since my fellow Aussie countryman David Wenham will be playing the role of the Spartan storyteller Dilios, I thought I would list several of the websites which have frequented the '300' web blog. Two of these are Dessicated Coconut and Wenham-Wonderland and if you want to learn more about this actor from 'the land down under' who will be playing one of the 300 Spartans, these would be the websites to frequent.

Blog Number 119 - Greek warriors who fought with King Leonidas and the '300' Spartans

One of the misconceptions of the Battle of Thermopylae is that only the 300 Spartans fought against the Persian army. This has probably been reinforced by the titles of Frank Miller's '300' and the 1962 movie, 'The 300 Spartans'.

For those who have read/and or seen the aforementioned book or movie, there has been mention made of some of the other Greek warriors who fought with the 300 Hippeis of King Leonidas' personal bodyguard. Therefore, for those who have not read the historical accounts of the battle, here is the breakdown of the united army of Greece:

They are as follows:

300 Spartans
700 Thespians
400 Thebans
500 Tegeans
500 Mantineans
120 from Orchomenus
1000 Arcadians
400 from Corinth
200 from Phlius
80 from Mycenae
1000 Phocians
1000 from Locris, etc.
900 helots

Blog Number 118 - Address of Icestorm Digital Studio where Frank Miller's '300' is being filmed

The address of Mel's Cite du Cinema's Icestorm Digital Studio location where they are shooting Frank Miller's '300' starring Gerry Butler as King Leonidas, David Wenham as Dilios, Michael Fassbender as Stelios, etc. is 2595 Place Chassé, Montréal, QC H1Y 2C3.

Blog Number 117 - Azam Ali to be featured on Tyler Bates '300' score

An e-mail that I received from Tyler Bates mentioned that Azam Ali, the Iranian born renowned 'world music' vocalist will be featured during the score that he is composing for Frank Miller's '300'.

In addition, Ms. Ali is collaborating and recording together with Tyler on the project Roseland which they are nearing completion. To hear Azam she can be heard on the following websites niyazmusic.com or tylerbates.com.

In addition, if you would like to read Azam Ali's biography, please click on the blog number as it will direct you to her latest news.

Blog Number 116 - Tyler Bates' 'The Stand' promo from Frank Miller's '300'

Since the playlist for Tyler Bates' website is constantly revolving, here is the link to 'The Stand' promo composed for Frank Miller's '300'. The link will allow you to access the song irrespective of the current playlist which might not reflect the song on that particular day. Enjoy!!!

Blog Number 115 - Multicultural appeal of Frank Miller's '300'

Frank Miller's '300' comics have been translated into different languages and since the story of the 300 Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae has appealed to many different cultures, I thought I would provide a link which will allow those readers to be able to read my blogs in their native tongue.

If you click on the flag for for the language of your choice, the pages that you access should be translated. Forgive me as I am in the process of trying to find another link which will translate into more languages.

Blog Number 114 - Frank Miller's '300' - Barometer for the movie industry?

Apparently a $60-70 million dollar budget will suffice when it comes to Frank Miller's Battle of Thermopylae movie '300'. According to James Christopher's article which is featured in Blog Number 112, '300' could be a turning point with respect to financial conservatism.

If this movie is a success, it seems that many more studios would be willing to opt for this technology rather than then spending the big bucks on the movie sets and protracted shoots.

It seems that Hollywood will be watching how this turns out since it could impact movies in the future. Therefore, who knows we could see another Battle of Thermopylae movie in the future, like..........Steven Pressfield's 'Gates of Fire'.

Who knows, anything would be possible if costs could be scaled back. Therefore, I would be curious to hear your opinion.

Blog Number 113 - Inaccuracy of Herodotus' number of Persians vs. '300' Spartans

Perhaps the greatest source of controversy relative to Herodotus' account of the Battle of Thermopylae is the size of the Persian army. Herodotus' wrote that the size of the Persian army was approximately 1,700,000 men, however, historians over the years have calculated that number to a much more conservative range between 150-300,000 men.

Even so, the number of Persian troops amassed at Thermopylae was still much larger than the Greek army led by King Leonidas & his 300 Spartans which consisted of approximately 7,000 hoplites.

Blog Number 112 - Frank Miller's '300' 2006 Christmas release date

According to James Christopher of the U.K.'s Times Online, Frank Miller's '300' is scheduled to be released around Christmas this year.

There's an interesting paragraph written about '300' that you might enjoy reading in the article, which can be accessed by clicking on the Blog Number.

Blog Number 111 - New Year's prediction for Frank Miller's '300'

With filming scheduled to be wrapped up around the end of this month, it seems that Frank Miller's '300' will be released sometime in 2006. So here's my prediction for 2006 and the release of '300':

I think that '300' will recoup the money spent and earn much more with pretty good box office receipts, DVD sales and merchandising tie-ins. All of this I'm sure will be scrutinized by George Clooney's Maysville Pictures, who at one time were to produce Steven Pressfield's version of the Battle of Thermopylae entitled 'Gates of Fire'.

If '300' is a success which I believe it will be, I think that Maysville Pictures will reevaluate their position on 'GOF' and sometime in the near future we could see another movie based on the story of the 300 Spartans.

Have a Happy New Year!

Cheers,

John