6. Night at the Museum (2006), dir. Shawn Levy

[strange_complex]

Watched this evening on Channel 4, after recent posts by dakegra and ashavah reminded me that I'd always been mildly intrigued by the character of the Roman soldier (Octavius, played by Steve Coogan) in the first one

Comments

[gylfinir]

This was the first time that I'd seen this film too, and I loved it as a bit of fluff for a Bank Holiday Sunday night :)

(Plus I've got a bit of a thing for Owen Wilson. I know. Shoot me.)

[strange_complex]

Well, he's not really my cup of tea, but you are totally at liberty to like him! And his character is fun in this. I especially liked the Brokeback Mountain reference that cropped up at one point, where he said something to Octavius like "Don't worry - I ain't going to be quittin' you." I wonder if anyone has taken that as a prompt to write slash about them? *does not dare Google*

[gylfinir]

LOL! I now have Brokeback Mountain starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson flashing through my mind. And it is so very, very wrong.

:)

[sushidog]

If you can think it, someone's written it...

[dakegra]

I caught most of it today as I was clearing up after our day outside and subsequent barbeque, but it looked like enormous fun. Dick Van Dyke! Mickey Rooney!

We've recorded it so can watch it properly later. :-)

[strange_complex]

Ooh, lovely day for a barbecue. I didn't realise you hadn't seen the first one before, though.

Roman imperialism

[segh]

I suppose that ghastly Glyndebourne Julius Caesar, casting the Romans as the British Empire and the Egyptians as Indians, was in the same tradition.
On the other hand, I have an ancient novel, Hercules Sportsman by Bernard Atkey, which casts the Greeks as English hunting squires and the Romans as Americans ("That busy little burg on the Tiber . . . ")

Re: Roman imperialism

[strange_complex]

Oh, I really liked that Julius Caesar! The one with Sarah Connolly in the title role? I've only seen it on DVD, not on stage, but thought it was excellent.

Greeks as English hunting squires is a new one on me, though. What nationality was the author?

Re: Roman imperialism

[segh]

British as far as I know. I had a habit of collecting novels set in the ancient world - some of them were fairly obscure.
I saw the Julius Caesar at the proms - I don't have Glyndebourne money - and I hated it. It was great as long as Sesto and Cornelia were on stage; but every time Danielle Deniece appeared, I was disgusted. I thought her performance was one of quite extraordinary vulgarity. You might blame things like tipping off her cigarette ash into Pompey's urn on the producer; but her tinny voice, and her habit of sticking her bottom in the air at the least provocation, really got on my nerves. Julius Caesar is one of my favourite operas, and the whole thing made me very depressed.

Re: Roman imperialism

[strange_complex]

Ah, well - she seems pretty good on the DVD. Pity it doesn't seem to have worked live.

[a_d_medievalist]

I saw it this evening, too! All the way over here! And I found it thoroughly enjoyable as well :)

[strange_complex]

Ah - was it on one of your channels, then, or did you manage to get the Channel 4 web player thingy to let you watch it?

[a_d_medievalist]

It was on one of our channels. Just weird serendipity, I think!

[ashavah]

Glad to hear that you enjoyed Octavius. I really don't remember much about the first one except how much I loved him. He's just such a Roman soldier. ;-)

[strange_complex]

I liked it when Ben Stiller picked him up by his helmet, and he started protesting about the affront to his dignitas. I want my very own little Octavius now, so he can help me with my research. I would keep him in a match-box and read Cicero to him when he was good.

[ashavah]

You know you're awesome, right?

[strange_complex]

Darling, this is the Awesome Club, and you too are in it!