DVD DUO

Over the weekend Grant and I finally finished our run through Batman: The Animated Series Vol. 2. It took us at least two months to watch all 28 episodes, maybe more. Of course, we also watched all the features and commentaries available...no skimping on the DVD experience for us.

I think it's one of the best cartoons ever and this volume has a number of the very best episodes of the series - the adaptation of the classic "The Laughing Fish"; the villains trading stories of how they "Almost Got 'Im"; Batman meeting up with an old friend in "Zatanna"; and the team-up of "Harley and Ivy." Watch any one of them and you'll be hooked on the series. Of course, not every episode is as high quality as those but most are still very very good. The best part? We still have two more volumes to watch!

Jill and I just took two nights to watch 300 (sometimes life gets in the way of DVDs). I had wanted to see it in theaters but it just never worked out. I'd read some mixed reviews but wanted to make up my own mind, as I read the Frank Miller comic books series as it came out a number of years ago. I liked it quite a bit back then. And I liked this movie quite a bit too.

First of all, the movie is visually stunning. Yes, much of it looks like it came off the pages of the comic but that's not a bad thing in this case. It is highly stylized and wonderfully colored and is a feast for the eyes. I thought the performances complemented those visuals very well. It was a different time and a different people and an epic tale - the acting should be heightened and can be done so without scenery chewing. I believed that's what Spartans were like, even with the pounding rock soundtrack. Gerard Butler was great as King Leonidas and David Wenham was perfect as the narrator (I forget his character name). Dominic West and Lena Headey and all the rest...it just worked very well.

After seeing this movie, I have hopes that Zack Snyder will pull off Watchmen, which he is going to start shooting soon. His visuals will definitely be up to the task. Now, Watchmen is a much different story so a lot will come down to the script; his cast looks like it will be up to the task. I'll be there opening weekend without a doubt.