Rome if you want to
2005-10-22 / 11:35 a.m.
I think I have watched last week's episode of HBO's Original Series Rome about 12 times now. It's a great series, right from the opening credits, which show animated "graffiti" on the walls of the city coming to life and springing about to the music of Jeff Beals, who also composed the theme music for Carnivale. His style is so recognizable to me now. Jason was the first to point it out. We wish HBO would release a dvd with just the opening credits and trailers from their various series, like Six Feet Under... I know they're all included on the dvd boxed sets but a compilation would be nice as well. We'd buy it.
Anyway, in last week's episode they introduced Cleopatra, played by Lyndsey Marshal, who delivered a powerful performance as the Egyptian princess. In this episode, Caesar sends two of his men to follow the assassins sent by her brother and consort Ptolemy XIII to where his men held Cleopatra captive in the desert. Caesar's men are particularly gifted and blessed by the gods, so they succeed in their mission.
Oft-quoted will be the words Cleopatra hisses when her speech is interrupted by her brother's conniving eunuch: "It must not speak. It must die!" Riveting. She has actually inspired me to reactivate my Netflix account, to rent The Hours and The Young Visiters.
My other favorite character is Titus Pullo, played by Ray Stevenson. He's quite a hilarious character, brash and vulgar but endearing as well. I'd go on but for spoiling the show for those who haven't seen it... What the hey, I'll go on, but in hidden comments. < & -- ok? OK.
I'm tempted to read more about the history of Rome and Egypt, the Ptolemic Dynasty, etc. but I know it will spoil the show for me. I mean, we know they all die eventually, but how and where and when and why and by whose hand, I don't know well, and thus it's all the more thrilling to watch the show. I'll brush up on the history after the show's done, I suppose, and try to see where their retelling deviates from history. Not that I want them to be accurate; I don't. It's a great story in the first place, and they're doing a magnificent job dramatizing it and making it even more compelling to watch. (The nudity doesn't hurt, either.) I just want to see what they fiddled with, and what they left alone.
The show is actually on hiatus tomorrow night, until the 30th of October, but starting at 8 pm you can watch the first three episodes on HBO. You can also watch them all if you have On Demand digital cable. If you have that service, you can also watch little snippets of various episodes with commentary. I can't wait for the dvd to come out; I hope they have full commentary on all of the episodes.
Thus commences my tv-free weekend... Seacrest out!