TV/Movies Megathread

[The Brain]

Spartacus is nothing like Vikings. If it was Spartacus would have been fighting in the Colosseum in front of Nero.

[viper37]

More historical than Vikings.

I've not watched Vikings, but I've very much tempered any historical expectations I'd have watching it, seeing it more in line with something like Spartacus: Tits & Dicks Blood & Sand

Esp. since I learned that in the show Hedeby/Haithabu looks something like this:





It's an hour's or so drive from where I grew up, and the site looks more like this:



Schleswig-Holstein is not known for its alpine mountains.

Vikings is set in Norway, while historically, the main character, Ragnar Lothbrok, if he existed, was from Denmark.
Also, it is a compressed history of all the viking age in time and space around one family, that of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons.

It is a very good show, characters dress and behave like they are supposed to, but that's about it.

[Syt]

So basically like Netflix's Norsemen

[Jacob]

Vikings is set in Norway, while historically, the main character, Ragnar Lothbrok, if he existed, was from Denmark.
Also, it is a compressed history of all the viking age in time and space around one family, that of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons.

It is a very good show, characters dress and behave like they are supposed to, but that's about it.

So they moved Haithabu / Hedeby to Norway? Why didn't they just use Kaupang instead, at least it's in Norway and has a few more hills.

[The Brain]

Vikings is the kind of show that has a guy travelling east along the Silk Road for months end up in Kiev. I don't know what more needs to be said.

[Jacob]

Vikings is the kind of show that has a guy travelling east along the Silk Road for months end up in Kiev. I don't know what more needs to be said.

Oh 

[Josquius]

I zoned out in the first series when they discovered the mystical never seen before isle of England via the cutting edge new compass tech.

[viper37]

So they moved Haithabu / Hedeby to Norway? Why didn't they just use Kaupang instead, at least it's in Norway and has a few more hills.

I have no idea why.  I know they mostly shot in Ireland, so that explains why they set their fictional "Kattegat" in Norway, but as for the rest, maybe because they were more well know cities.  I don't really know.

@Brain:
He fled Norway and travelled through commerce ways, by sea and land.  We only saw the last part of his trip.

[grumbler]

I zoned out in the first series when they discovered the mystical never seen before idle of England via the cutting edge new compass tech.

That's the point I said "pass" as well.  There's being silly, and then there's insulting the viewers' intelligence.

[Jacob]

I zoned out in the first series when they discovered the mystical never seen before isle of England via the cutting edge new compass tech.

[Josephus]

I zoned out in the first series when they discovered the mystical never seen before isle of England via the cutting edge new compass tech.

Yeah, that got me, but I still continued to watch it. It's pretty good (for a few more seasons anyway). I never expect anything close to historical accuracy in these things. These shows primarily are written with the lowest common denominator audience in mind, who likely wouldn't have a clue where vikings even came from. It was entertaining stuff. The Last Kingdom is better though.

[The Larch]

[Darth Wagtaros]

I want to see that.  It looks fucked up in the right ways.  Not the wrong ways.

[viper37]

I zoned out in the first series when they discovered the mystical never seen before isle of England via the cutting edge new compass tech.

the first episode features valyries taking warriors to Odin's hall and in all likelyhood Odin himself.  Following that, all throughout the seasons, we see an oracle that predicts the future.  I think based on that first scene, you should have realized it wasn't an historical documentary you were watching.

Now, England ain't mystical nor never before seen, just that this group of Vikings leaders pretends there's nothing to the West.  Others seemed pretty convinced there was something out there worth exploring and raiding.

Anyway.  It's more historical than 300 (Persians did not use war rhinos ), the battles sequences are more realistic that Spartacus, but that's about it.  Still a great show to watch and you shouldn't miss on it if you like historical fiction.

[Josquius]

The trouble with it is it falls in between being historical and fantasy.
300, The Great, etc... Have no pretense of being anything but silly and loosely based on a real story. And they work for it.

Vikings however fits into the same slot as the Tudors in presenting as a straight historic show, but being anything but.

Extra trouble with this kind of show is that even if we ignore the actual history and just look at it as a fantasy series in its own world on its own merits, it still doesn't work. So there's this tribe of mariners... Who don't know about a well known great big island in their part of the world?

Honestly I don't remember the gods in the show. It was long ago I tried to watch. But I wouldn't necessarily see an automatic problem there depending how they're fit into the world and if they make sense within the shows rules.