300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Frank
Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The
film is directed by Zack Snyder while Miller served as executive producer
and consultant. The film was shot mostly with a super-imposition chroma key
technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book. Spartan
King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fight to the last man against
Persian 'God-King' Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of more than one
million soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) attempts to
rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over
narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios (David Wenham). Through this
narrative technique, various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing
300 within the genre of historical fantasy. 300 was released in both
conventional and IMAX theaters in the United States on March 9, 2007, and on
DVD, Blu-ray and HD DVD on July 31, 2007. The film broke box office records,
although critics were divided over its look and style. Some acclaimed it as
an original achievement, while others criticized it for favoring visuals
over characterization and its controversial depiction of the ancient
Persians.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_%28film%29>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1689:
Glorious Revolution: Instead of James Francis Edward Stuart, the Prince of
Wales, acceding to the throne, his half-sister Mary and her husband William
were proclaimed co-rulers of England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_II_of_England>
1815:
The Cambridge Union Society, one of the oldest debating societies in the
world, was founded at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Union_Society>
1867:
Work began on the covering of the Senne, burying Brussels' polluted main
waterway to allow urban renewal in the centre of the city.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/covering_of_the_Senne>
1880:
American inventor Thomas Edison observed the Edison Effect, which later
formed the basis of vacuum tube diodes designed by English electrical
engineer John Ambrose Fleming.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermionic_emission>
1945:
World War II: The Allies began the strategic bombing of Dresden in Dresden,
Saxony, Germany, resulting in a lethal firestorm which killed tens of
thousands of civilians.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Dresden_in_World_War_II>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
dogma (n):
1. An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of opinion, especially
one considered to be absolutely true.
2. A doctrine relating to matters such as morality and faith, set forth
authoritatively by a religious organization or leader
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dogma>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Love has no uttermost, as the stars have no number and the sea no rest.
--Eleanor Farjeon
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Eleanor_Farjeon>