Perhaps a viewing of I, Claudius is in order...

[Armstead]

I dunno why, but the image of John Hurt as Caligula has been popping into my head lately.

I'm not sure why, but maybe I should head to the video store and watch that PBS miniseries about the fall of Rome again. Mebee it'll help me figure out why I keep thinking of John Hurt.

[edbermac]

1. Me too....I love gladiator flicks...

:evilgrin:

[Armstead]

3. "Hey Joey. Do you like Gladiator Movies?"

Maybe I should rent Airplane while I'm at it.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. ..and Nero fiddling...

[electron_blue]

4. Instead of Caligula, I keep thinking of the infantile king married to

Catherine the Great (Peter?)

[liberalitch]

6. Yup, that's him.

He tried to have her killed, but she beat him to it.

[captain beyond]

5. I, Claudius

Just pick up disk 2 and 3, DVD, at the library today. I watched it years ago.

[Jacobin]

7. Or perhaps a Dauphin from the pre-Elizabethan period

That's what keeps popping into my head.

A two year old king, surrounded by scheming ministers running the country, starting wars and pretending to speak for the two year old.

It just fucking fits

[DerekG]

8. Nader's '04 campaign reminded me of Claudius' final plan

An odd supposition, I know, but hear me out.

A lot of DUers deem Nader a sell-out, a demogogue even. I dunno. To me, he's an ideologue, whose campaigns were infused with a mad grandeur. Nader knows this country is bought and paid for. So it seems to me that he fancies Bush to be the catalyst he, and other leftists, were waiting for; here, in Dubya, was the kind of monster who'd finally expose the American Empire for what it was. This, of course, was the rationale for Claudius' support of Nero.

I'm not saying Nader was right (Claudius' plot certainly didn't restore the republic), but I admire him.

"Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out."

[No Exit]

9. Meanwhile, watch the HBO/BBC series "Rome"--Sunday 9 pm Eastern

Last episode coming up. We know what happens.

There are many striking and humorous parallels between the Roman politics (as depicted by HBO/BBC) and today's politics here in the U.S. (And the series even depicts the plight of war veterans trying to return to civilian life.)

Caesar's fate is sealed. They were worried he was getting too powerful. I can't really draw much of a parallel btw Julius Caesar and our currently too-powerful executive, though, because, for one thing, Caesar actually led troops in battle many times... for another, even a Roman from that relatively barbaric time is a prince compared to Junior.

3 earlier episodes of "Rome" are going to be re-shown on Friday night.