I remember seeing the Frankenstein with Michael Sarrazin when I was a kid, pretty sure it must have been made for TV.

And it was made for television circa the seventies, I think

(It's this film version I don't much care for -having much preferred the original Universal studios adaptation from the 1930"s)

Re"The Lord of the Rings" books- I had to read them in Catholic School as an
8th-9th grader. They were okay, I suppose -certainly not something I would read again

Today, I saw two movies. "The ladykillers" and "Troy". They were good movies!

Surplisingly,Troy's first running time was AM8:25 !!! Nevertheless, many people stand in line, so I went to see The ladykillers. I love Coen bros movies. The ladykillers is very funny comedy. I like it!

And,The ladykillers finished at AM11:10, then I went to see Troy at 11:30. What a busy day! Troy is great war action, I like such movie. Brad Pitt, Orlando bloom(Now he is most popular actor in Japan), Eric Bana, Peter O'toole....nice casting.

By the way, now Troy's wooden horse is exhibit in Shinjuku(Tokyo). What a BIG!

There did seem to be some liberties taken with the story, though I didn't think they destroyed the movie (remember I, for one, don't find it necessary to adapt a book to a movie EXACTLY in order for it to be a successful adaptation). Some questions I have for someone "in the know":

I was reading through some summaries of the Iliad last night and the only ones I could find seem to end soon after Achilles kills Hector and Priam comes to retrieve the body (significantly before the wooden horse and death of Achilles). Do Achilles death and the wooden horse actually occur in the Odyssey?

And when does Ajax die in the Homer epic? I am quite confident that he dies after Achilles and not the point at which he dies in the movie.

As for the characters, many (if not most) of the characters in the text I remember as having quite a few faults: Achilles and Agamemnon did argue over Briseis; Paris was quite the snobbish noble; Odysseus was reluctant to enter the war but once there fought quite valiantly; etc. And I don't understand your take on Helen/Paris.

Achilles does not die in the Iliad. I'm not sure, but it's either the Aenid or the Odyssey. We're reading the Iliad in class, but I'm not to the point where Ajax has come to any significance, but if he dies after Achilles, then it won't be in the Iliad.

Paris was a snob- and a coward. Was Menelaos in the movie? Helen was his wife and he challenged Paris to a duel and just before he was about to kill him, Aphrodite spirited him away to his apartments. I think to eliminate the gods would be to tell only half the story. Helen is a very conflicted character. While she intentionally left with Paris, she feels guilty about it and after he loses the duel with Menelaos she is about to leave and go back to Atreides (Menelaos), but Aphrodite pretty much threatens to turn the Greeks and Trojans against her.

It's a disappointment to learn that Diomedes wasn't in the movie. He's one of the greatest warriors the Achaians have, besting 50 men in one encounter one time. Also, the Aias brothers should have been in there too. They fought together, one giant, one small, the small one picking people off with a spear and the giant killing people by twos and threes. Was Patroklos in the movie?

Achilles does not die in the Iliad. I'm not sure, but it's either the Aenid or the Odyssey. We're reading the Iliad in class, but I'm not to the point where Ajax has come to any significance, but if he dies after Achilles, then it won't be in the Iliad.

Paris was a snob- and a coward. Was Menelaos in the movie? Helen was his wife and he challenged Paris to a duel and just before he was about to kill him, Aphrodite spirited him away to his apartments. I think to eliminate the gods would be to tell only half the story. Helen is a very conflicted character. While she intentionally left with Paris, she feels guilty about it and after he loses the duel with Menelaos she is about to leave and go back to Atreides (Menelaos), but Aphrodite pretty much threatens to turn the Greeks and Trojans against her.

It's a disappointment to learn that Diomedes wasn't in the movie. He's one of the greatest warriors the Achaians have, besting 50 men in one encounter one time. Also, the Aias brothers should have been in there too. They fought together, one giant, one small, the small one picking people off with a spear and the giant killing people by twos and threes. Was Patroklos in the movie?

Wasn't there two Ajaxs' in the Iliad? Or is that my memory playing tricks on me?

Wasn't there two Ajaxs' in the Iliad? Or is that my memory playing tricks on me?

Big Ajax and Little Ajax...

Big Ajax and Little Ajax...

Thought so but it has been a LOOONNNGGGG time since I read the Iliad.

At least I can relax knowing my memory isn't totally shot. Just partially shot.

Thought so but it has been a LOOONNNGGGG time since I read the Iliad.

At least I can relax knowing my memory isn't totally shot. Just partially shot.

I actually got that from "Ilium" by Dan Simmons.

I actually got that from "Ilium" by Dan Simmons.

Is Ilium any good? I am a fan of Dan Simmons but the last Sci-Fi of his was a bit dry (Endymion). I have had Ilium in my hand a few times at the book store and never made it to the check out with it.

Thoughts?

Is Ilium any good? I am a fan of Dan Simmons but the last Sci-Fi of his was a bit dry (Endymion). I have had Ilium in my hand a few times at the book store and never made it to the check out with it.

Thoughts?

Like any of his complicated, multi-plot books, it takes a while before the threads intertwine. The description of the Trojan War is great and has just as many characters as The Iliad. I really liked it and am looking forward to Olympos (book 2).