111min Alternately tragic and comic, an exploration of the complexities of love in both its brightest and darkest corners. Adapted from John Irving’s best-selling novel A Widow for One Year, the film is set in the privileged beach community of East Hampton, New York and chronicles one pivotal summer in the lives of famous children’s book author Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges) and his beautiful wife Marion (Kim Basinger). Their once-great marriage has been strained by tragedy. Her resulting despondency and his subsequent infidelities have prevented the couple from confronting a much-needed change in their relationship. Eddie O’Hare, the young man Ted hires to work as his summer assistant, is the couple’s unwitting yet willing pawn – and, ultimately, the catalyst in the transformation of their lives.
Meet the Spartans is a 2008 parody of pop culture and the movie 300, which tells the ancient story of the Battle of Thermopylae. Born with biceps and the uncanny ability to survive all obstacles (including an attack by a penguin), King Leonidas (Sean Maguire) is the leader of Sparta, a city-state in ancient Greece.
When Persian messenger Traitoro (Diedrich Bader) arrives to deliver a message from Persian King Xerxes (Ken Davitian), who is trying to take over Sparta, Leonidas responds by kicking him into the pit of death. Although the Spartan Oracle, Ugly Betty (Crista Flanagan), tells Leonidas that he will die if he goes to war, the king decides to recruit 300 of his finest Spartan warriors to help him defend the pass at Thermopylae against the Persian invaders. Unfortunately, only 13 warriors show up, because they were the only men hunky enough to be allowed to serve in the army. Together, the men go to the pass and begin to fight against all kinds of Persian warriors, including Rocky Balboa (Dean Cochran), Ghost Rider (Theo Kypri), and a gang of dancers. Although Leondias and his soldiers keep triumphing over their adversaries, things begin to look grave for the brave Spartans when evil Paris Hilton (Nicole Parker) decides to betray them.