Must-watch TV; The last stand of the 300

Earlier this week I watched an excellent documentary in the History Channel, The Last Stand of The 300

After Custer, Thermopylae is the most famous last stand in history. In a narrow pass in Northern Greece, seven thousand Greek soldiers await an onslaught of epic proportions. They will soon face the largest fighting force ever assembled--the war machine of the mighty Persian Empire, estimated at over a million men. The Greeks are led by three hundred of the most ferocious warriors of the ancient world--the Spartans. Their leader is the fearless King Leonidas, who after this battle would be catapulted into legend. When it is over, every Spartan in the pass will have sacrificed his life for freedom.

The Last Stand of The 300 will be on the History Channel today at 5PM EST, and also on Friday, March 30 at 08:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

Dr Sanity. Belmont Club, and Winds of Change are posting about the movie 300

Since "300" is from the makers of Sin City, the only film I've walked out of in years because it was that gross, I don't think I'll see 300 in theaters but will wait for the DVD (yes, I fast-forward gruesome scenes).

But Victor Davis Hanson's got a great article History and the Movie "300", and he's doing the introduction to the book released about the film:

The phrase "300 Spartans" evokes not only the ancient battle of Thermopylae, but also the larger idea of fighting for freedom against all odds - a notion subsequently to be enshrined through some 2500 years of Western civilization.

Which is why The Left Doesn't Like It One Bit.

Here's a trailer to "300"

and another History Channel program on Thermopylae: