300 ... Gory epic 'good publicity' for modern Sparta
PARTA, Greece (AFP) - Blood-spattered spear in hand, King Leonidas leads his Spartan warriors into a whirlwind dance of flying Persian heads and limbs in "300", the new epic on the Battle of Thermopylae that premiered in modern-day Sparta on Wednesday night.
"Spartans, prepare for glory...tonight we dine in Hell," bellows the king, moments before his warriors start hacking off enemy body parts.
Nearly 2,500 years after they marched off to Thermopylae for their legendary last stand the Spartans are back in force -- and their hometown, which was treated to a special premiere of the movie on Wednesday hopes to benefit from the exposure, gory or not.
"This movie will be played worldwide, and we expect it will bring visitors," says Sparta Mayor Sarantos Antonakos.
"It's good publicity for our city, and we will make use of it as much as we can," he told AFP.
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"Spartans, prepare for glory...tonight we dine in Hell," bellows the king, moments before his warriors start hacking off enemy body parts.
Nearly 2,500 years after they marched off to Thermopylae for their legendary last stand the Spartans are back in force -- and their hometown, which was treated to a special premiere of the movie on Wednesday hopes to benefit from the exposure, gory or not.
"This movie will be played worldwide, and we expect it will bring visitors," says Sparta Mayor Sarantos Antonakos.
"It's good publicity for our city, and we will make use of it as much as we can," he told AFP.