Viper2

First thing a friend of mine said when he left the movie theatre was "Too many small things were wrong. They didn't pay attention to detail. And the old guy was breathing!" (see: scene in Marcus Aurelius' tent)

Another friend of mine and I were speechless and on the verge of shouting "Maximus! Maximus" at a volume that most likely would have gotten us a free night in a local police station. Perhaps even with padded walls.

"Gladiator" is by no means a small movie. It is a HUGE movie.

I'm not familiar with the exact moviemaking dictionary definition of an epic.. but I'd say this movie was definitely one. The acting was grand, the scenery was grand, the fights were grand, and also quite surprisingly, the emotions were too.

I hate to be harsh on movies, but the day afterwards I went to see "Story of Us".. a cute little middle aged marriage problem drama. Not my kind of thing, especially not after "Gladiator". To those of you who have seen both movies you can imagine what a surreal experience that must have been.

My friend was right, as some critics will point out.. the little details weren't quite there... but WHO CARES??? Sit through "Gladiator" in a sizable THX movie theatre and I can almost promise you that you will feel the same way.

I walked into the movie theater last Friday not expecting at all what I was about to see. I'd heard about it, thought "Oh, another Seven". Same screenwriter, but I was way off track. I can stomach a lot, having no problem stuffing down popcorn during very graphic scenes. In 8MM, my coke had trouble going down. 8MM did not have consistent gory/violent scenes, but the way the movie was made made you fill in the blanks of what the makers of the movie could not screen. And if you pay attention and immerse yourself, you fill in more blanks than you really think you could, or want. As Max put it: "the devil changes you." The perversity and deep rottenness of the human minds displayed in 8MM is what disturbs you. Then you realize, that "snuff"-movies are real, that there are individuals twisted enough to endorse/enjoy/take part in it. And worst of all, that these individuals don't look like monsters, they're perhaps just overweight nearsighted men who look like your dad, your son, your brother, even yourself. And if you don't look out,(no matter how secluded you think you are in your suburban home, with a wife, a daughter, and a dog named Shep) you dive into the pit of perversion and rottenness as well, finding no way out. In conclusion: excellent music, acting very sufficient, the plot: a must see. Just don't bring popcorn, and prepare to walk out of the movie theatre disturbed, asking questions, and a little bit more suspicious of those walking around you, and yourself.