Spartacus: Blood and Sand

I guess I'm watching. Anyone else?

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/re...acus22_ST_N.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/video/#/Life/He%20...001/62681139001

guy also known as gaius

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/re...acus22_ST_N.htm

 

guy also known as gaius

At least I learned a new word (the name of a job that I had no idea exists) from this review

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/re...acus22_ST_N.htm

 

guy also known as gaius

 

At least I learned a new word (the name of a job that I had no idea exists) from this review

Fluffer! Hahaha! I knew what that is! (Don't ask.)

-- Nephele

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/re...acus22_ST_N.htm

 

guy also known as gaius

 

At least I learned a new word (the name of a job that I had no idea exists) from this review

 

Fluffer! Hahaha! I knew what that is! (Don't ask.)

 

-- Nephele

Hey, I've watched the that show "Real Sex" for a number of years now. I know what it means too. After seeing previews of Spartacus B &S, I decided I wasn't going to watch; but after reading this review how can I resist at least one episode?

http://www.fancast.com/tv/Spartacus%3A-Blo...-Serpent/videos

It's a male fantasy, nothing more. Impossible action sequences, mindless gore, beautiful women having sex left and right.

But at least it didn't bore me. Much better than the USA channel's godawful remake of Spartacus a few years ago. As long as I can see it for free on Fancast, I'll watch it.

Impossible action sequences, mindless gore, beautiful women having sex left and right.

And all above can happen at the same time!

The worst part it's when they speak, it's like some kids playing a RPG, especially the romans are pompous and precious, declaiming like in a Shakespeare play. For balance the leading actor speaks and acts like a robot.

The second episode has fluffers...

http://www.fancast.com/tv/Spartacus%3A-Blo...-Serpent/videos

 

It's a male fantasy, nothing more. Impossible action sequences, mindless gore, beautiful women having sex left and right.

It's not just a male fantasy.

Hey, I didn't know I could watch it for free online -- thanks for that link!

I found it quite entertaining. Although, I must admit, watching the blood splatter in slo-mo, along with assorted limbs and disembodied heads flying about, made me want to reach for a pair of 3D glasses.

Funniest line (when the Thracians are fighting the Getae): "Where the fuck are the Romans??"

-- Nephele

I was turned off by the copycat filmography of 300.

Funniest line (when the Thracians are fighting the Getae): "Where the fuck are the Romans??"

 

-- Nephele

For me the funniest line in Spartacus BS was when Spartacus shouted the order "keep the formation!" while there was obviously no formation.

Impossible action sequences, mindless gore, beautiful women having sex left and right.

I can't wait for this show - I have to own the DVD box set (I wrote to Starz on Twitter and they confirmed that the DVD will be out at the close of the first season and it'll be stuffed full of extras. I think a second series has also been commissioned which is brilliant news too.

I saw Andy Whitfield (no relation sadly!) in a movie called "Gabriel" which is a kind of Prophesy-esque Fallen Angels flick and he was brilliant in it.

Spartacus isn't going to be a critical success, but I reckon it'll be a hit show for the reasons that Ursus describes above. I'm so excited about "Spartacus" - can't wait to see it.

Cheers

Russ

For me the funniest line in Spartacus BS was when Spartacus shouted the order "keep the formation!" while there was obviously no formation.

Totally -- this was just one of many times I was yelling at the screen.

I'm tempted to shake my fist and demand that hour of my life back, but I was at least pleasantly surprised that the Getai and Thracians were given *any* time in a sand-and-sandals flick. Normally, movie-makers treat all non-Greeks and non-Romans as interchangeable, nameless 'barbarians' who only fight Romans and Greeks but never each other. Don't get me wrong: I'm not asking for some politically correct vision of barbarians as noble savages (like in that wretched movie Avatar). Far from it -- the more accurate the portrayal of barbarians, the greater the glory for Rome, who knew how to use its intelligence about barbarian tribes for its brilliant strategy of divide and conquer.

I watched it last night (rerun of 1st.episode). One question......don't they get COLD? I mean really, I know barbarians are tough but come on, it was blowing cold and snow right? Of course I guess in the heat of passion you can make love right out there in the elements, snort.

Too much blood, altho done very well; but I'm just coming off reading the Under The Eagle series. I've had quite enough of that thank you very much. And I swear I heard someone mention a guy named "Cawto". Have I been mispronouncing "Cato" all this time?? Or is that just the British accent there?

I agree with everyone who mentions the film "300". Pretty similar at times.

I actually thought the style/effects were better here than in 300. But maybe it was just because there wasn't an armored battle rhinocerous charging at a phalanx.

The worst part it's when they speak, it's like some kids playing a RPG, especially the romans are pompous and precious, declaiming like in a Shakespeare play. For balance the leading actor speaks and acts like a robot.

How about the comment by Andy Whitfield (Spartacus) when he said the Romans were "supposedly" more civilized than those noble savages.

I watched episode 2 (on line, for free) last night. John Hannah gets fluffed and Lucy Lawless makes a Roman feminist pronouncement about propriety and female enslavement.

Star of this episode: The house of Batiatus. Interesting camera panning, coming down through the compluvium, into the dry impluvium with its fish mosaics, then out into the atrium and through the house. Great interiors and exteriors.

Character to watch: The baby-faced, blond, curly-haired Roman citizen who has sold himself into slavery to be trained as a gladiator, in order to pay off his debts and provide for his family. Spartacus has befriended him, and his name is Varro. Could this possibly be Marcus Terentius Varro, the Roman writer?

Funniest bit: The gladiator with the honkin' huge "FUGITIVUS" painted (?) or tattooed (??) around his forehead.

I guess this is supposed to represent the branding of runaway slaves, although I find it difficult to believe that a branding iron bearing the entire word of FUGITIVUS could have wrapped around the guy's forehead so neatly, leaving behind such a legible word.

Presumably, the production crew of this series must have figured that viewers would be confused by seeing the more likely brand of an "F" abbreviation on the gladiator's forehead