While the reviews and the buzz for “visionary director” Zack Snyder’s Watchmen keep growing, the film that apparently made Snyder “visionary” is making Iran angry.

Javad Shamaqdari, the art and cinema adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, basically said that 300, Snyder’s first big film, depicts Persians in a not so great light:

The film “300,” portrays the battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., in which a force of 300 Spartans held off a massive Persian army at a mountain pass in Greece for three days. It angered many Iranians for the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks.

Shamaqdari also spoke out against The Wrestler and its inclusion of a character who goes by “The Ayatollah” while in the ring. His comments against such films came came after visiting 9 person group of actors and industry types from Hollywood. 

Shamaqdari warned Iranian film industry folks from meeting with the group until an official apology was issued.  He said that while Iran is happy to host the Americans, “it will not stop Iranians from demanding an apology.”

Speaking of Iranian cinema, takepart by learning more about my favorite Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami.