RIP Ray Harryhausen

I was deeply saddened to hear today that the legendary Ray Harryhausen has passed away at the age of 92.  Harryhausen's is one of a handful of names I would select as the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century.  His work on classic fantasy epics like Jason and the Argonauts, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad and Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger will be well known to fans of the sword and sandal genre.  He was a pioneer in the world of visual effects, designing stop-motion animation techniques that would be used for decades.

If you ask almost any filmmaker who has worked in sci-fi, fantasy and horror who one of their earliest influences is they will say Ray Harryhausen.  As a character and creature designer he was years ahead of his time.  As an animator he understood that each character must have its own personality.  He knew how to bring those personalities to life in service of a story.  Harryhausen directed the film sequences he worked on and was also instrumental in crafting the stories for his films.  Thanks to him, thousands of kids have built model dinosaurs in their basements and spent their summer vacations writing epic tales of fantasy.

Harryhausen has been a personal hero of mine since childhood.  I regret that I never had a chance to meet him.  His amazing body of work will continue to inspire and astound for generations.  If you haven't discovered his films I highly recommend them.  The world is a little less fantastic today.

Rinse The Blood Off My Toga

Beware the Ides of March...

Here's a great spoof of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar from Wayne & Shuster.

Eye Candy: Channing Tatum in The Eagle

6'1" Channing Matthew Tatum was born April 26, 1980 in Alabama.

Tatum's first "big break" was being cast as a dancer in Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" music video.  From there, he went on to work as a model and an actor in commercials.

These images are of Tatum as Marcus Flavius Aquila in The Eagle.  His impressive physique and experience as a dancer make him a perfect choice for sword and sandal films.  I hope he'll be able to do more of them.

Yet More Spartacus Auctions!

VIP Fan Clubs continues to list more and more awesome props and costumes from Spartacus for auction!

Here are two stunning gowns worn by Lucy Lawless as Lucretia and Viva Bianca as Ilythia.

This is a full set of Roman armour worn by Jared Turner as Furius.  There is also a separate auction for some stunt elements of the costume.

Here is a Roman helmet worn by Craig Parker as Glaber.  I love the detail of the spider!

Here is an iconic mask used in Gods of the Arena.

I really like these unique props.  The wax tablet was used by Simon Merrells as Crassus and the vexilla regis (banner) was made for John Wraight as Cossinius.

This is a costume worn by Nick Tarabay as Ashur.

Here is an amazingly detailed costume worn by Daniel Feuerriegel as Agron.  The costumers must have had a lot of fun putting together the various textures and pieces.

Here's another incredibly detailed ensemble worn by Dustin Clare as Gannicus.  The little splashes of colour are terrific.  They really make the costume "pop" on screen.

Finally, here's a great costume worn by Manu Bennett as Crixus.

More Spartacus Auction Items

VIP Fan Clubs continues their eBay auctions of costumes and props used on Spartacus.  Here are some highlights from this week.

First up is a beautiful gown worn by Lucy Lawless as Lucretia.

This is a bracelet worn by Tom Hobbs as Seppius in season two.  It is made of plastic and then electroplated to appear metal.

This jewelry and gown were worn by Viva Bianca as Ilythia.  The attention to detail is amazing!

This beautiful costume was worn by Craig Walsh-Wrightson as Solonius.  It must have been a pleasure to wear pieces like this.

Here are two gladiatorial shields used by Nick Tarabay as Ashur and Manu Bennett as Crixus.

And now, the two most impressive lots...

First, a costume worn by Peter Mensah as Oenomaus.

And, finally, a hero costume worn by Liam McIntyre as Spartacus.

The Eagle (2011)

The Eagle was released on February 11, 2011.  It is based on Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 novel The Eagle of the Ninth and directed by Academy Award-winner Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September, The Last King of Scotland).  Like Neil Marshall's Centurion, The Eagle deals with the mysterious disappearance of the Ninth Spanish Legion in the second century CE.  I think this film is highly superior to Centurion.  In fact, I really enjoy it!

20 years after the disappearance of the Ninth, Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) arrives in Southern Britain to command a small Roman garrison.  We learn that he requested this undesirable post because his father was in command of the Ninth.  Aquila hopes to restore his family's honour and to find the golden Eagle standard that his father lost.

When his fort is attacked, Aquila leads a brave fight against the rampaging Celts. His efforts save most of his men but Aquila sustains a serious leg injury that cuts short his military career.  He is sent to recover at his uncle's estate in Calleva. There, Aquila saves the life of a slave named Esca (Jamie Bell).  Esca is then purchased by Aquila's uncle (Donald Sutherland) as a personal body slave.

Esca is the son of a Brigantes chieftain and he tells Aquila that he hates everything Rome stands for.  Despite this, the fact that Aquila saved his life means Esca is bound to serve him.  During Aquila's long healing process the two begin to form a grudging respect for one another.  When rumours surface that the Eagle of the Ninth has been seen in the far north, Aquila decides to travel by himself, beyond Hadrian's Wall to find the Eagle and restore his father's honour.  He brings Esca with him despite his uncle's warnings that Esca will probably try to kill him at the earliest opportunity.

After weeks of searching beyond the wall, the duo find a former legionary who has assimilated into a Celtic tribe.  He takes Aquila to the site of the final battle where most of the Ninth was slaughtered by a combined army of all the northern tribes. He tells him the Eagle was taken by the painted Seal People.  It is revealed that Esca's people, the Brigantes, were also part of the defeating army.  This causes a brief fight between master and slave.  When they finally encounter the Seal People, Esca tells them that Aquila is his slave and they welcome Esca to their home.

The Seal People were invented by Sutcliff for her novel and the filmmakers really run with the concept.  They invented a fascinating culture and intriguing look for them.  The Seal People use the Eagle in rituals.  Aquila witnesses a ritual for young men becoming warriors in which the Eagle is used.  In the wee hours of the morning when most of the tribe is in a drunken slumber, Esca and Aquila capture the Eagle. Aquila kills the king of the Seal People but is wounded in the fight.

Now, there is a great race to get back to Hadrian's Wall.  Esca's horse dies after days of hard riding and they must eventually abandon the second horse as well.  Aquila's wound slows them down further.  They are forced to travel in a river so the Seal People cannot track them.  Finally, Esca must leave Aquila so he can get help.  He returns with the survivors of the Ninth.

The elder Romans bravely fight the young warriors of the Seal People.  Most die, but they do manage to win the day.  In the battle, Aquila must kill the lead warrior to save Esca.  The Eagle is safe and the duo return with it to the south where a senator restores Aquila's family honour.

The Eagle is a great story and it's very well-directed by Macdonald.  His experience as a documentary filmmaker is evident.  He often places his camera directly in the action and there's a lot of interesting foreground elements.  Both Tatum and Bell are excellent dancers (Billy Elliot, Step Up, Magic Mike) and their experience clearly serves them well in the fight sequences.

The other star of this film is the locations.  The crew filmed in some beautiful and extremely rugged places.  It must have been challenging to work in some of these locations but the film benefits greatly from them.

I'd say this is a must-see film.  It's available on DVD and blu-ray.  If you're like me and you love combo packs, seek out the rare Best-Buy exclusive which features a two-sided disc; one side DVD and the other blu-ray.