Category: Blog

In horror movies, we see characters deal with unspeakable terrors of varying degrees of power, most of which we wouldn’t want to have to deal with. Since these aren’t action movies, the characters don’t have tools to properly fight back, but some plots give even less to their protagonists.

These are, from what we could see, the characters that were doomed from the start. Don’t consider this a spoiler: not all of these movies end with the main character perishing. But even when they win or survive, it feels more like luck or circumstance than anything they could’ve done on their own.

The post 15 of Horror’s Most Helpless Victims appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

Steven Spielberg believes in UFOs, UAPs, and whatever else you might want to call the strange lights in the sky. The so-called “alien movie” is almost as old as accounts of unidentified flying objects, with The Flying Saucer coming out just three years after Kenneth Arnold coined the term based on what he claimed to […]

The post Steven Spielberg’s Alien Movies Are Really a Lifetime of Telling Us His Dreams and Fears appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

We’re all feeling the soccer spirit with the World Cup fever going all around the world, even if this is the first one you seriously think about watching. The event, happening once every four years, has already had its fair share of legendary moments, from incredible saves to questionable moves.

To know what to expect when watching the greatest at their best, we’ve compiled the most iconic moments of the World Cup’s history, since they are basic know ledge for any soccer fan. While many of these moments were made by players either gone or retired, they still mark a precedent for what to expect from their respective countries.

The post 15 Iconic World Cup Moments Even Non-Soccer Fans Should Know appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

In the wake of Widow’s Bay’s much-deserved season 2 renewal on Apple TV, series creator Katie Dippold has been discussing the horror-comedy show’s evolution from script to screen. Dippold, who accidentally became internet famous a decade ago after posting an image of herself dressed as the Babadook at her friend’s Halloween party (which unfortunately “had […]

The post Widow’s Bay Creator Reveals the Show’s Origin Story appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

Hollywood has a way of making everyone look larger than life. Between camera angles, carefully staged photographs, and larger-than-life personalities, it’s easy to assume many celebrities are taller than they really are.

In reality, some of the biggest names in entertainment are surprisingly short, often standing well below average height while still commanding enormous attention on screen, on stage, or in the public eye. Their success proves that charisma, talent, and confidence matter far more than a few extra inches. These celebrities may not be the tallest stars around, but they’ve built careers that tower over most of their peers.

The post 15 of Our Shortest Celebrities appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending. Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and […]

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

The big-screen debut of Lobo in DC Studios’ upcoming Supergirl is one that has been long-awaited (seriously it’s about fragging time). But this version sees the cigar-smoking alien space-biker in a more tempered state than usual. Fortunately for fans, Jason Momoa has promised that any solo movie for The Main Man himself will be strictly […]

The post Jason Momoa Has One Non-Negotiable Demand for a Lobo Movie appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

The death of Doctor Who has been greatly exaggerated. Yes, the show’s been put on a hiatus of indeterminate length, showrunner Russell T. Davies and his production company Bad Wolf have been removed (or stepped down, depending on how descriptively kind you’re feeling), and we have no idea when it will return. The previously promised […]

The post Doctor Who Will Survive its Return to the Wilderness (And Be Better For It) appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

It’s no secret that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull faced resistance from star Harrison Ford and director Steven Spielberg on the long road to its 2008 release, and that George Lucas’ insistence that aliens could be a viable plot device in the movie was a big part of that resistance. Lucas […]

The post Spielberg and Ford Fought George Lucas on the Worst Indiana Jones Sequel (and Lost) appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

The post Gladiator Is a Movie for Women, Argues Russell Crowe appeared first on Den of Geek.

Grand Theft Auto VI has the presence of one of those cliché high school bullies that, when they walk down the hall, you quickly get out of their way in fear of being shoved into a locker.  As hyperbolic as that may seem, it’s clear game studios have felt the looming presence of Rockstar Games’ […]

The post Every Game Release Is Avoiding GTA 6 Except Two Pop Culture Giants appeared first on Den of Geek.

If you’ve ever watched Letterboxd’s Four Favorites video series on social media, you’ll be more than aware that a lot of men really love Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, which remains understandable in a decade where “my Roman Empire” has been trending.

Scott’s crowd-pleasing, awards-hogging, fist-pumping action-adventure flick explores themes of honor, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood, and its central character, Maximus Decimus Meridius (portrayed by Russell Crowe), remains true to his principles and fights for something greater than himself until he becomes a true “soldier of Rome” in death.

The 2000 epic also has a really strong fan base among women, and that’s by design rather than accident, argues its star. In a recent appearance at the Taormina Film Festival (via Deadline) Crowe explained that Gladiator is actually a movie for women, not men.

The actor contextualized his conclusion by discussing the battle he once had with the movie’s studio over its eagerness to get Maximus involved in more sex scenes as Gladiator’s story played out.

“I just kept pushing back. I said, ‘This is a story about a man who’s avenging the death of his wife and his child. There cannot be a moment on that journey where he stops and has sex with somebody. It doesn’t make any sense… that destroys the journey,’” he said, adding, “They fought me, they sent me letters about it and everything, and I just stuck to my guns. Luckily for me, Ridley, even though he would have loved to write a sex scene with me and Connie Nielsen, he agreed with me back then, and that that was the moral core of the film.”

Calling Gladiator “really old-fashioned” and noting that the studio didn’t really understand why they were shooting for that vibe, Crowe felt his pushback was justified after seeing so many women turn out for the movie upon its release. He also voiced his opinion that Scott’s underwhelming sequel, Gladiator II, “destroyed” the first film’s moral center.

“On the surface, Gladiator is a movie for men, but if it was a movie for men, it would be about revenge,” Crowe explained. “But it’s not about revenge. It’s a movie for women because it’s about vengeance, and this is a subtle difference, but it is a difference. I needed the character to stay on that track. So for them, in a second movie to destroy that moral center, it’s very interesting because the second movie barely took the same box office that the first movie took but that’s 20 years later, and when you apply how much of a change there’s been on the value of a dollar, they failed, and they failed because they didn’t understand why it was successful, because it had a moral core.”

In the decades since its release, Gladiator has arguably proven to be popular with people in general (at least those unconcerned with historical inaccuracies) often ranking highly on lists of the greatest movies ever made.

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