For the record, I resisted the urge to make a pun about Warren Ellis pulling the script for Excalibur out of a stone. Although it’s a possibility.

After the box office success of 300, Warner Bros. has realized how much money they can save on their big-budget tentpoles by not paying A-listers (or anyone close to an A-lister), and they’ve consequently chosen to exercise that option with Watchmen.

Do not be alarmed — Neil is not taking over the DVDs I Bought This Week column, just filling in for a week to give Brian’s mounting debt a week off.

Since the release of 300 in 2006, fans have been enamored with director Zack Snyder’s ability to translate the style of Frank Miller to the cinematic medium. Now, we are finally seeing some movement in sequel territory.

While sitting in the press conference for Guy Ritchie’s hopefully triumphant return into manhood, RocknRolla, Gerard Butler was asked about his possible involvment in the sequel/prequel for 300.

Legendary Pictures wants more 300. And no surprise since the film made its own history as the third highest grossing R rating movie ever.

Hide the women and children because these movies will make you stupider just by watching them.

Gearing up for this year’s New York Comic-Con, it seems that alot of merchandise is getting pumped out for all the upcoming comic to film adaptations.

For the past year, Gerard Butler has become somewhat of a household name. And let’s face it, he deserves it. We can all agree that he kicked all kinds of ass in 300, but there’s a deeper side to this guy than just running around yelling, “This is Sparta!”

The sexy up-and-comer takes her 300 and ‘Sarah Conner’ fame to Ridley Scott’s next project.

With 300′s epic bloodbath matched only by its own epic gross, it should come as no surprise that the studios want to get working on a sequel.

It’s a surprising shortlist for the best visual effects Oscar this year, with some startling inclusions and some even more startling omissions.

In 2007, our cinematical heroes kicked a fair amount of ass and I had the pleasure of compiling the best of the best for your viewing pleasure.

Looking back on the year that was 2007, what scenes or moments from films will live on? What will people be quoting a year from now — McLovin or Dewey Cox?

As we begin our look back at 2007 at the movies, we start where most people usually start their movie experience — with the posters.

Alright people, when I first reported about the upcoming flick Meet the Spartans (originally called Hunting and Fishing), the parody of 300 being written and directed by Jason Friedberg (the brilliantish mind behind such classics as Epic Movie, Scary Movie and Spy Hard), I was only mildly annoyed. After seeing the trailer, I am now fully enraged.

Just in case you didn’t think that this weekend’s release The Comebacks was bad enough, here is another bad idea to keep your Netflix queue full of crappy flicks. Writer/Director Jason Friedberg (one of the 6 writers of each of the Scary Movie installments as well as the guy who helmed Epic Movie) is directing Meet the Spartans…

Moments prior to screening the film 300 a few days back, only one thing was going through my mind: Please don’t suck! After all of this hype, watching the trailer seemingly thousands of times, writing about the film constantly on various websites and even interviewing Director Zach Snyder, I would be truly disappointed if I were forced to set this one ablaze as I have countless films thus far in 2007. But I was comforted when I remembered the words of Zack Snyder, who said of his film, “I wanted to do a movie that when you walked out you were like ‘Fuck! That was awesome!’ And like, you wanna kick some ass.” Upon seeing the film, I am in total agreement with its director, It was awesome! Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller (Sin City), 300 tells the story of 300 Spartans lead by their King, Leonidas (Gerard Butler) into the face of an insurmountable invasion at the hands of a million-man Persian army. Despite a lack of support from the Spartan council and a group of creepy elders who communicate with the Gods via a half naked teenage girl (in a scene that is alluring and tastefully done), Leonidas decides that rather than allow his nation to be conquered into slavery, he must take his best warriors, the Spartan elite, and do what he can to fend off the impending invasion. From there the film explodes into a highly stylized, intense battle