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Hollywood Historical Advisers - rrgg - 04-14-2011

The (in)famous lindybeige discusses a conversation he had with one of those historical advisers used by filmakers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJFFLvwNLlM

I can't honestly say it's too shocking but it made me laugh all the same. :lol:


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - jvrjenivs - 04-14-2011

Well, why they don't simply tell that history doesn't matter them and they just want to bring a money-making storyline...

Well, anyway, I think there is a big challenge for re-enactors in here. As we can convince the public these series are that worse and the public wants something more accurate, the filming company will follow eventually. Of course this is a great idea, but a very very very long way to go.


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - M. Demetrius - 04-14-2011

There has to be a cultural/political reason for them to change. US movies from the 50s and earlier depicted Amerindians as all alike, all wearing the same breechclouts and feathered headgear, no matter if they were Hurons, Apaches or Nez Perce. They all wore clothing like the Sioux, presumably so the public could recognize them as "Injuns" and categorize them into neat stereotypical boxes. It's not that way now, and that's because the political Native American lobby forced them to reconsider.

Sadly, we don't have any such committee in the Roman world. That's why we can have "Blue Painted Indians" masquerading as "Celts" in the Eagle movie, you know? What if the soldiers in a Julius Caesar movie actually wore different gear than soldiers in Constantine's day? What if Xerxes didn't paint himself gold and wear a Speedo? Never mind. They're not listening anyway.


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Forty-One - 04-14-2011

There are some production companies now who do make an effort. There was a BBC series a couple of years ago about the Romans that had actors wearing decently authentic-looking costumes. Sean Pertwee played Julius Caesar. His men had "Kasr el Harit" style shields, mucky white tunics, "Montefortino" style helmets and "tube and yoke" mail shirts (what more could you ask?). The program in the same series about Constantine had them in mail shirts, dished oval shields and those "Intercisa" style helmets. They even had a few dragon standards. Not everything was bang on the money, of course, but it was still a commendable effort.

I also recently saw a program about Boudicca with the delightful Bettany Hughes where they'd obviously got some reenactors to play the Romans (albeit complete with beerguts, grey hair and spindly white leggies, unfortunately).


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - M. Demetrius - 04-14-2011

Well, that is good to hear, and rare, even for the Beeb. Anyhow, there is also the (gag) history channel series on Roman stuff, and they can't differentiate much between the legions that opposed the Alans and Goths from the legions that followed Julius Caesar. Although, that Late Roman who did the body flip and fall was pretty good....:wink: :roll:


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Vindex - 04-15-2011

Thanks for posting that rrgg...I think that's really funny!Big Grin

A cat in hell would have a better chance...


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Gaius Decius Aquilius - 04-15-2011

Ummm... about once a year I get a call from some film person who wants to: a.) use a dozen or so of my reenactors for a film shoot in two weeks. or b.) My Favorite- The guy who claimed to be from a notorious (un-named) cable channel (you can guess) who was the "Roman Expert". He did not know who the Flavians were.

Need I say more...

Ralph


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Magnus - 04-15-2011

What is scarier here is how media in general will stoop to add credibility to whatever it is they are producing. Buyer beware as always! I feel bad though for the advisor in this case...now he's the laughing stock with all of his peers.

Any guesses as to the movie....Centurion? The Eagle?


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Dithrambus - 04-15-2011

Drink coffee and eat mars bars? Where do I apply?! :lol:

Recent ancient historical epic? Well there have'nt been that many, would almost have to be refering to Eagle or Centurion.


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS - 04-15-2011

I just hate bloggers, any blogger. Who is interested in their mumbling mutter, their idea of being interesting....

As if the world is at all interested in what they have to say. Let him get a shave first and dress properly, wearing a sweater from the 70s and a blouse which is even worse than that.

M.VIB.M.


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Robert Vermaat - 04-15-2011

Quote:I just hate bloggers, any blogger. Who is interested in their mumbling mutter, their idea of being interesting....
So WHY are you on FB exactly, HJ?:wink:


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Vindex - 04-15-2011

Well, my guess would be Centurion but I haven't seen Eagle yet. (Saving it for a rainy day after the school holidays are over and I am not knee deep in kids at the cinema.)


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Forty-One - 04-15-2011

Kathy Coleman wrote an interesting article about her work as "historical advisor" on Ridley Scott's "Gladiator". I can't seem to find it on the interwebs any more, though. Might someone have a link?

Here's the sort of thing she had to endure:

“Kathy, we need to get a piece of evidence which proves that women gladiators had sharpened razor blades attached to their nipples. Could you have it by lunchtime?”

Edited to add:
Hmmm...I can't find the post she made but she wrote a whole chapter in a book about the movie called "Gladiator: Film and History". The chapter by her is called "The Pedant goes to Hollywood" and it's available in its entirety to read on Google books
here


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - Vindex - 04-16-2011

Quote:...Here's the sort of thing she had to endure:

“Kathy, we need to get a piece of evidence which proves that women gladiators had sharpened razor blades attached to their nipples. Could you have it by lunchtime?”

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Hmm...sounds a bit like some excavation reports "editing" I have come acrossConfusedhock:


Re: Hollywood Historical Advisers - MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS - 04-16-2011

Quote: So WHY are you on FB exactly, HJ?:wink:

Well, as you can see on my FB page i do not write every time i break wind, you will find hardly anything about my personal life, contemplations or thoughts on there, you might find the occasional Japanese trinket i have bought and my early steps to actually get the first Samurai Group in the Netherlands to become a fact but apart from that... its a bunch of total nonsense.... I use it to vent steam after which i delete the posts in general xD

And all of that with the attitude of not being nor even wanting to come across as remotely interesting anyway...

Because actually... I dont give a fuck.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wS5xOZ7Rq8

:mrgreen:

KM