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Hbo Rome and... BBC too

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also included: a charachter summary, which I havent seen on the HBO website (20 minutes long and very "light and fluffy").

Bruno Heller has a voiceover commentary as well, I am going to re-watch the first episode with that playing tonight.

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Add-ons to the first 5 discs also include a breakdown , in detail, of the "gladiator" sequence ("Thirteenth!") and Caesars Triumph.

 

Disc 6 is a special of extras : actors boot camp, sets, wardrobe.

 

A feature on Roman life (everyday life in the City)- and a picture gallery.

 

edit: The Roman Life extra is a 30 minute meditation on "were they like us or not?" , a constant theme underlying many debates in the various Forii here. One of the most useful remarks in attempting to achieve a Roman world "mind set" is the constant reminder that (this crucial period of the Triumvirate ) is wholly outside of any Judaeo-Christian moral framework. This is almost platitudinous but it bears repeating.

The rejoinder is , religion was everywhere in daily life and the activities of the state, but "Liberal Morality" as we understand it did not exist. Ok I know its just a tv entertainment , but having listened to Heller and his historical advisors , I dont doubt it is also a sincere attempt to make the place and things as accurate as can be, and a valiant attempt to re-create a different moral universe.

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Directors commentary on episodes one and two quite informative, nothing heavy but some interesting details that members may be unaware of . Some obvious things I should have known , for example-the brighter your clothes the richer you were , discreet pastels and dung colours were not signs of good breeding.

 

The photo album on disc 6 is quite reasonable if you want to choose a Rome desktop.

 

About to listen to Ray Stevenson's (Pullo) commentary on episode 5 "The Ram has touched the wall"

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Ray Stevenson's commentary is excellent, he obviously enjoyed himself enormously making the show but the info he gives about the sets is good-the depth of authenticity is possibly greater than one first appreciates.The historical research on colour, decor, clothes, mode of living, relationships ...whatever has been given considered attention. Stevenson also comes over as a very pleasant and witty person.

 

edit: the "shot by shot" extra on the Gladiatorial combat sequence (blending cgi to live action, use of props etc is very good) shows Stevenson and McKidd doing their own stunt work.

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More to report Fratres, Kevin McKidd ( Vorenus) does the audio commentary on "the spoils" , after listening to this my only remark is ....do not pick a fight with this man , his charachter is well informed by his real self. The commentary is dry, spare and witty in the extreme .Whomsoever did casting for Pullo and Vorenus hit the nail on the head.

 

Nice screen grab here:

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=963

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Hey folks just as a heads-up, if you open an account right now with online Barnes and Nobel, you can buy Rome at 10% off with free shipping.

 

They are also having some rather large clearance sale it seems, but I haven't had a chance to check around for items and prices.

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Hey folks just as a heads-up, if you open an account right now with online Barnes and Nobel, you can buy Rome at 10% off with free shipping.

 

They are also having some rather large clearance sale it seems, but I haven't had a chance to check around for items and prices.

 

 

It's still much cheaper at Amazon. 62.99 with free shipping.

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Hey folks just as a heads-up, if you open an account right now with online Barnes and Nobel, you can buy Rome at 10% off with free shipping.

 

They are also having some rather large clearance sale it seems, but I haven't had a chance to check around for items and prices.

 

 

It's still much cheaper at Amazon. 62.99 with free shipping.

 

 

Oh really? Thanks for the warning, I was close to buying.

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I have just started to watch HBO/BBC's Rome (that I bought it yesterday), and noticed that the politician and military leader, Lepidus doesn't seem to make an appearance in it.

 

I know that Lepidus did not really become a protagonist of the Late Republic until the assassination of Caesar (ultimately resulting in Lepidus' emergence in the Second Triumvirate), but beforehand he was a competent and prominent caesarian politician: Caesar appointed him as a governor of Spain in 49 BC, for which he received a triumph in 46 BC; Caesar sufficiently trusted him enough to make him his official right hand man, making him consul in 46 BC; and in the year of Caesar's assassination he had about to take command in Gaul.

 

It seems strange to leave out such a character from the program. I mean he would have to make appearance in the second series, so why not put him in the first?

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edit: The Roman Life extra is a 30 minute meditation on "were they like us or not?" , a constant theme underlying many debates in the various Forii here. One of the most useful remarks in attempting to achieve a Roman world "mind set" is the constant reminder that (this crucial period of the Triumvirate ) is wholly outside of any Judaeo-Christian moral framework. This is almost platitudinous but it bears repeating.

The rejoinder is , religion was everywhere in daily life and the activities of the state, but "Liberal Morality" as we understand it did not exist.

 

I just ordered the DVD from Amazon and am looking forward to it. Especially the commentary you cited above. I've been trying to get into the pre-Christian "Roman mindset" for a while now. And while I think I come closer to it than many people by virtue of studies in paganism, it's still difficult at times. It's really quite amazing how much cultural conditioning and baggage surrounds us, the weight (often dead weight) of history bearing down upon us as it were.

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edit: The Roman Life extra is a 30 minute meditation on "were they like us or not?" , a constant theme underlying many debates in the various Forii here. One of the most useful remarks in attempting to achieve a Roman world "mind set" is the constant reminder that (this crucial period of the Triumvirate ) is wholly outside of any Judaeo-Christian moral framework. This is almost platitudinous but it bears repeating.

The rejoinder is , religion was everywhere in daily life and the activities of the state, but "Liberal Morality" as we understand it did not exist.

 

I just ordered the DVD from Amazon and am looking forward to it. Especially the commentary you cited above. I've been trying to get into the pre-Christian "Roman mindset" for a while now. And while I think I come closer to it than many people by virtue of studies in paganism, it's still difficult at times. It's really quite amazing how much cultural conditioning and baggage surrounds us, the weight (often dead weight) of history bearing down upon us as it were.

 

Most interesting is the TOTAL lack of body-shame, gettting or being naked did not deprive a person of rank of any dignity (though rules of appropriate conduct still applied ), so , for example, we see Mark Antony happily chatting to Vorenus whilst being cleaned by his body slave in the courtyard of his house ( or rather the one he stole from Pompey).

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Most interesting is the TOTAL lack of body-shame,

 

 

 

Yeah, well, most people back then were in shape because they had to be. I look at the obesity epidemic in modern America, and I think the Judeo-Christian ban on nudity is one prohibition I can tolerate. ^_^

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Most interesting is the TOTAL lack of body-shame,

 

 

 

Yeah, well, most people back then were in shape because they had to be. I look at the obesity epidemic in modern America, and I think the Judeo-Christian ban on nudity is one prohibition I can tolerate. ^_^

 

Tthe Islamic prohibition on the display of female flesh is becoming a most seemly thing for this very reason.

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Most interesting is the TOTAL lack of body-shame.

 

I think this was because during Republican times, Romans (particularly the men) felt no shame for their physical appearance. This was indeed mirrored in the ruggedly realistic republican busts, but also in the fact that prominent Romans received really unflattering cognomen (e.g. Cicero) without offence.

 

Rome evidently was not 'dating culture'; marriages were often arranged to bestow financial or political gain on the participants

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