For those of you who have not watched the new show from Starz, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the DVD/Blu-ray of this great series premieres on September 21, 2010 (if you have Netflix, you can watch the show now as a streaming "Watch Instantly" series on your Netflix enabled device or computer). Be forewarned however as the “blood” in the title is copious, and if you're not into gratuitous sex and nudity, the show is certainly not for you.
Shot entirely on a soundstage, and intended to be reminiscent of the movie 300, S:BS deals with the leader of a legendary slave revolt in ancient Rome but on a level not seen before. The knowledge of Spartacus in history is sparse, and is known mostly as a name and as noted, leader of a slave rebellion. It literally took two years for Rome to eventually stop the revolt and some historians claim that the legend of Spartacus was altered (making him into a Roman soldier converted to slave) to explain how he could be so successful for so many years. Indeed, the Ridley Scott movie Gladiator, owes some of its storyline to the Spartacus legend.
Author Howard Fast, imprisoned for refusing to name names during the McCarthy era, wrote a book on Spartacus as metaphor for his imprisonment and injustice. That Spartacus was a slave from birth and is depicted as a rebel against the state. The book is told from the point of view of the mystified Romans who fail to understand how a slave could defeat Roman soldiers, let alone have the wherewithal to command others.
The more famous Kirk Douglas Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and written by another blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, is notorious for the "I am Spartacus" scene, in which other soldiers of his slave army claimed to be their leader to avoid a Hobson's choice of Spartacus sacrificing himself for the good of his soldiers (who would be returned to slavery or killed).
In the film, the slave revolt appears to be practically accidental and incidental to Spartacus’ discovery that the woman he loves is to be sold.
S:BS however, in the first season, provides a 13 episode reason why Spartacus chooses to lead a slave rebellion. Moreover, the producers of the program cleverly let us in on the secret that Spartacus is not his real name, turning the "I Am Spartacus" reference into an inside joke.
As noted, this program is not for everybody. Indeed, having been a faithful follower of the show since its premiere, I am more than curious how a promised set of extended episodes, with content apparently too tough for the Starz network, is even possible.
With the lead actor from Spartacus recovering from treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the producers have decided to move forward with a six episode prequel, starring everyone from the series except Spartacus to keep the appetites for the series alive. .
This program is highly recommended to those who can appreciate (or perhaps tolerate) the amount of gore and sex involved in the production.
Shot entirely on a soundstage, and intended to be reminiscent of the movie 300, S:BS deals with the leader of a legendary slave revolt in ancient Rome but on a level not seen before. The knowledge of Spartacus in history is sparse, and is known mostly as a name and as noted, leader of a slave rebellion. It literally took two years for Rome to eventually stop the revolt and some historians claim that the legend of Spartacus was altered (making him into a Roman soldier converted to slave) to explain how he could be so successful for so many years. Indeed, the Ridley Scott movie Gladiator, owes some of its storyline to the Spartacus legend.
Author Howard Fast, imprisoned for refusing to name names during the McCarthy era, wrote a book on Spartacus as metaphor for his imprisonment and injustice. That Spartacus was a slave from birth and is depicted as a rebel against the state. The book is told from the point of view of the mystified Romans who fail to understand how a slave could defeat Roman soldiers, let alone have the wherewithal to command others.
The more famous Kirk Douglas Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and written by another blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, is notorious for the "I am Spartacus" scene, in which other soldiers of his slave army claimed to be their leader to avoid a Hobson's choice of Spartacus sacrificing himself for the good of his soldiers (who would be returned to slavery or killed).
In the film, the slave revolt appears to be practically accidental and incidental to Spartacus’ discovery that the woman he loves is to be sold.
S:BS however, in the first season, provides a 13 episode reason why Spartacus chooses to lead a slave rebellion. Moreover, the producers of the program cleverly let us in on the secret that Spartacus is not his real name, turning the "I Am Spartacus" reference into an inside joke.
As noted, this program is not for everybody. Indeed, having been a faithful follower of the show since its premiere, I am more than curious how a promised set of extended episodes, with content apparently too tough for the Starz network, is even possible.
With the lead actor from Spartacus recovering from treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the producers have decided to move forward with a six episode prequel, starring everyone from the series except Spartacus to keep the appetites for the series alive. .
This program is highly recommended to those who can appreciate (or perhaps tolerate) the amount of gore and sex involved in the production.
