Trailer Tuesday - Dragon Blade

I love a good historical fiction, but as a historian, I am often left disappointed. I judge costuming, props, dialogue, and facts all a bit too harshly. I try not to be too judgey, I promise, but if comic book fanboys get to pick over every detail of the latest Marvel offering, I should get to share my elation or disappointment over my genre of choice.

I'll be the first to admit, however, that I don't know all that there is to know about every historical period. I'm particularly deficient in world history Eastern history and there is a great deal that I have left to learn. A class on samurai a few years ago helped fill in my gaps on Japanese history, but I need a refresher on Chinese history, since my last experience with it was actually in elementary school. So, when I heard about a new historical film starring Jackie Chan as a Chinese commander would be released in 2015, I was pretty excited. The trailer, however, looks like a hot mess.

Beware the Ides of March

I think that's still my favorite line in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. I mean, "Et tu, Brute?" is pretty great, but I believe it's in the 1970 adaptation that has the best actor playing the Soothsayer. You see, all of the signs were pointing toward Caesar's untimely demise, but ol' JC's head had grown much too big for his laurel crown. The assassination of Julius Caesar is probably one incident in history that will continue to fascinate me. In the end, it took 23 stab wounds to bring Caesar down and Rome still went on to be the greatest power on Earth, well, you know, following a civil war and all.

Having the Roman Senate declare you dictator perpetuo (dictator in perpetuity) has some perks, really.  He did pretty much have Cleopatra in his back pocket until Marc Antony came along. Plus, he probably named a month after himself. We wouldn't have July without him, though Augustus may have made that designation.

And let's face it, Julius Caesar permeates our daily lives. There's a salad dressing named for him and even a method of child delivery, though it's technically named after his son Caesarian. 

So, to commemorate the (roughly) 2,057th anniversary of Julius Caesar's assassination, I thought I'd put together a few moments in popular culture which feature the toga wearing tyrant.