New on DVD: '300'

300 (R)

This grisly gore-fest of a film, based on a graphic novel by acclaimed-artist Frank Miller, was a surprise smash in the theaters. Its depiction of the legendary last stand by the Spartan King Leonidas and 300 Spartan warriors against the hordes of Persian invaders is as blood spattered and imaginatively death-filled as any film in memory. And "300" works surprisingly well on the small screen. The entrails are played down, and more life is given to the story and its characters – movie-cartoonish though they may be. The extras, which include interviews with historians and writers, admirably tackle the inevitable questions about historical accuracy. Grade: B