Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Ghost Whistler · May 10, 2010, 03:40:17 AM

So I just saw some clips from this in another programme (Charlie Brooker's excellent You Have Been Watching) having never heard of it before.

Is this a joke?

I'm no prude and I really hate to talk like some televisual puritan, but this - from what i've seen - is just some sad fucker's sick fantasy. It's the sort of infantile blood and fuckfest that some 14 yo, angry at his mom yelling at him to help out and thus stop him from playing God of War all day 'pwning' 'n00bs' online to prove his worth, dreamed up.

It's just pathetic and the sort of thing that unfortunately is designed to elicit the sort of media reactions that lead to genuinely good media getting restricted.

Insufficient Metal · May 10, 2010, 11:15:50 AM

The pilot is genuinely dreadful, and my reaction was pretty much the same as yours. But it does get better. The oceans of CGI blood get toned down, the dialogue starts actually conveying information rather than just being "cock shit cock ass cock motherfucker cock," and a story begins to develop.

It's certainly no Rome -- it's really more of a bloody, foul-mouthed cousin to Raimi's old Xena franchise. Very juvenile and in the guilty-pleasure category, but the end of the first season was much better than the beginning. It might even be a decent show somewhere down the road.

I don't mind the nudity, but they really do overdo it -- they're trying to be "bold," I guess, and that's the only way they can think of to do it.

Ghost Whistler · May 10, 2010, 12:36:31 PM

Quote from: Insufficient Metal;379670The pilot is genuinely dreadful, and my reaction was pretty much the same as yours. But it does get better. The oceans of CGI blood get toned down, the dialogue starts actually conveying information rather than just being "cock shit cock ass cock motherfucker cock," and a story begins to develop.

It's certainly no Rome -- it's really more of a bloody, foul-mouthed cousin to Raimi's old Xena franchise. Very juvenile and in the guilty-pleasure category, but the end of the first season was much better than the beginning. It might even be a decent show somewhere down the road.

I don't mind the nudity, but they really do overdo it -- they're trying to be "bold," I guess, and that's the only way they can think of to do it.

Nudity is the least of this show's problems from what I can see, though this trend for histo-drama to be all gratuitous (i've watched the Tudors, which unlike this rubbish is intelligent and not intended to give Kratos a hardon) is a bit sad.

But this is beyond the fucking pale. I'm no fan of censorship, but if this got banned I wouldn't shed any tears.

Insufficient Metal · May 10, 2010, 12:40:40 PM

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;379693Nudity is the least of this show's problems from what I can see, though this trend for histo-drama to be all gratuitous (i've watched the Tudors, which unlike this rubbish is intelligent and not intended to give Kratos a hardon) is a bit sad.

But this is beyond the fucking pale. I'm no fan of censorship, but if this got banned I wouldn't shed any tears.

I actually thought The Tudors was pretty gratuitous until I saw Spartacus. And like you, I wish we'd see more good historical dramas. I miss Rome, which was easily a hundred times the show Spartacus will ever be.

I think the show's too silly to worry about much -- big corny splashes of CGI blood and what-not. I don't know, I don't find it offensive, just goofy.

Ghost Whistler · May 10, 2010, 01:57:07 PM

The Tudors is gratuitous, but it's a million miles from the video game stupidity of this awful mess. It's a much more sensible, dare i say responsible show, and it certainly doesn't glorify Henry (or anyone from what I saw).

Insufficient Metal · May 10, 2010, 02:02:15 PM

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;379707The Tudors is gratuitous, but it's a million miles from the video game stupidity of this awful mess. It's a much more sensible, dare i say responsible show, and it certainly doesn't glorify Henry (or anyone from what I saw).

I think it did a bit early on, but now it's getting interesting as they show his descent into madness and repugnance. I seem to recall that in the first season, the creators were talking about framing Henry as a "rock star" a la Sofia Coppola's take on Marie Antoinette. Now he's getting into Elvis-on-the-toilet territory.

Bedrockbrendan · May 10, 2010, 04:53:48 PM

This one was a little over the top for me. Metal's right though, it does tone down over time. Still I couldn't stick with the series. As much as I like Roman stuff, this one was just too much.

Werekoala · May 10, 2010, 05:14:38 PM

I haven't seen any of these yet, but I have seen screen-caps of Lucy Lawless' hoo-hahs, and I'm calling it great television.

estar · May 11, 2010, 12:25:53 PM

While the sex and violence is over the top. Spartacus Blood and Sand turned out pretty good. The actors did a good job, some did great like John Hannah as Batatius, and over the 13 episodes the plot turned out to be engaging. Actions have consequences, Spartacus isn't always the hero and does stupid things, and plot threads are followed through.

However it is a love/hate deal with this series. Either you can get past all the sex, 300 style cinematography, and blood. Or you can't. I do not see much in the way of middle ground in liking/disliking this show.

It not a overblown Xena by any stretch of the imagination.

Koltar · May 11, 2010, 12:51:40 PM

Is it on DVD yet?

Or will it be a couple of months?

- Ed C.

estar · May 11, 2010, 01:08:25 PM

Quote from: Koltar;379969Is it on DVD yet?

Or will it be a couple of months?

- Ed C.

Don't know but it is on instant view on Netflix.

Insufficient Metal · May 12, 2010, 10:15:05 PM

There's not even a release date for the DVD as far as I can tell.

One Horse Town · May 17, 2010, 03:22:45 PM

Quote from: Koltar;379969Is it on DVD yet?

Or will it be a couple of months?

- Ed C.

Don't wear out the pause button.