300 (2007)

“THIS… IS… EPISODE 300!”

Join Ian, Liam, Megs & Kev as we hit a huge milestone with our 300th episode by reviewing Zack Snyder’s visually explosive, slow-motion-soaked epic 300 (2006). Four hosts, six-packs optional, and absolutely no capes required — though Kev may or may not have shown up in one.

This week we discuss:

• 300 episodes strong — how did we get here, and who yelled the loudest doing it?
• How 300 redefined the look of early-2000s cinema and became the blueprint for a decade of digital epics.
• Is 300 the natural endpoint of a cinematic obsession with masculinity that began with Braveheart and Gladiator?
• Just exactly how much does this movie borrow from these films and which elements does it outright steal
• How the film balances mythic masculinity with questionable historical accuracy — and does it matter?
• Megs is here to give us some historically accurate statements on the battle of Thermopylae
• We've got a classic BFE taste test of a product you won't believe
• Several people reach out to congratulate us and some familiar voices show up to toast with us 
• Which one of us would make the best Spartan, and which one would be sent to tell the story?
• The surprising cultural impact of “This is Sparta!” — and which line from the movie we’ve all been yelling at each other for days.
• Ian breaks down the film’s visual language and pacing — why Snyder’s comic-book literalism both elevates and limits the story.
• And finally, whether 300 is the Best Film Ever—or just the most gloriously sweaty milestone we could’ve picked.

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Massive thanks to Lex Van Den Berghe for the use of Mistake by Luckydog. Catch more from Lex's new band, The Maids of Honor, at https://soundcloud.com/themaidsofhonor.

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