300

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

300
This movie won't be as captivating on DVD as it was on the big screen, but with the DVD, you'll get the inside scoop on one of 2007's most unusual films. An adaptation of Frank Miller's comic, 300 isn't going to win any screen-writing Oscars — we hope — for its portrayal of the lopsided Battle of Thermopylae. But it does break serious ground in terms of visual effects.

Be sure to check out some of the special features, like a commentary by director Zack Snyder, a gallery of production stills, and several featurettes including "The 300: Fact or Fiction?" in which "historians, authors, and filmmakers reveal how much of the film was based on fact."


Two more new DVDs if you read more

Last week we found out that Sarah Silverman will host the MTV Movie Awards, and now we know who will be vying for the coveted Golden Popcorn. 300 is leading the way with five nominations including Best Picture, followed by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest with four and Blades of Glory, The Devil Wears Prada and Borat with three each.

Greatest potential for a catfight: the Best Performance category, which sees Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson going head-to-head for their Dreamgirls roles. Also, did I totally call Columbus Short's nomination for Best Breakout Star after Stomp the Yard, or what?

The awards will air live for the first time ever on June 3, and voting is open now online and via text message. The viewer-generated Best Movie Spoof entries can be viewed here, and to see who's in the running for the rest, read more

The epic action film "300" tells the story of 300 Spartans who, in 480 B.C. go to war against an army of 250,000 Persians. Hey, but what about the cats, you ask. Well, here's the ridiculous answer...

I knew there was a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie coming out, but I'd heard so little about TMNT that I was surprised to see it No. 1 at the weekend box office. Taking in an estimated total of $24.4 million, it knocked 300 to second place after its two-week reign. I guess this just goes to show that you can never underestimate the power of kids — or CGI turtles who are also mutant ninjas.

Both TMNT and 300 are Warner Bros. productions, so you can bet that studio is happy after this weekend. As for me, I was bummed to see that Shooter only came in third, debuting with $14.5 million in sales. I know many people were looking to this movie as a test of Mark Wahlberg's star power, and while third place isn't bad, it may not be what the actor needs to get more A-List roles.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Though 300 wasn't exactly a great movie, it was unlike anything I've seen on the big screen, which is why I'm excited to see what director Zack Snyder and the rest of the 300 gang will do next. Not surprisingly — given the movie's massive box-office success — most everyone involved in 300 has some very cool projects coming down the pike. Here's a look at what's brewing.

A 300 Sequel? Maybe

When a movie makes this much money, it doesn't take long for people to say "sequel." But director Zack Snyder says that issue should be taken up with Frank Miller, the graphic novelist behind the 300 source material. In a very geeky interview conducted in the virtual world of Second Life, Miller said he is talking to Warner Bros. about the possibility:

"I do know exactly what the sequel would be," Miller responded with a chuckle. "But I'll say to you the same thing that I've said to the people at Warner [Bros.]: That's all anybody gets without paying."

Snyder, meanwhile, is working on another project for the studio; for the details, read more

The latest movie to crush blockbuster records is 300, the much anticipated epic on Spartan and Persian history. Forget breaking blockbuster records, what about those abs? Gerard Butler's six-pack is beyond impressive.

Being curious as to how he got so damn cut so damn fast, I searched high and low for his exercise routine and Men's Health is reporting that crushing skulls Spartan style would be easier than Gerard's killer workout from Mark Twight, a former world-class mountain climber.

To see if the "300-rep Spartan Workout" is for you, read more

The wonderfully over-the-top epic adventure 300 conquered the box office for the second weekend in a row. According to Variety, even St. Patrick's Day and the NCAA tournament didn't stop the male-skewing movie from raking in $31.1 million this weekend for a combined total of $127.4 million.

Ten dollars of that $31.1 million came from me, and I have to say, 300 fully lived up to my expectations. Sure, the movie is lacking in substance, and the clunky script leaves a lot to be desired. But it also looks unlike anything I have ever seen committed to film, which is more than I can say for most movies, and I walked away thoroughly satisfied by the visually indulgent flick. For the rest of my take, read more