Jun. 29, 2002 - 6:34 pm

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Spartacus (1960)

"do ya like gladiator movies Joey?" this is one of the few Kubrick films i had yet to see in its entirety. and you all know how i like to link everything together. one film leads me to watching another one etc. so obviously Minority Report (2002) led me to this. it's like playing the Kevin Bacon game with me. oh, expect another Kubrick review before the end of next week too.

funniest thing about the production of this film (which Stanley Kubrick had very little control over from the start) is that Kubrick was able to take over the control of the film's cinematography. Russell Metty, the cinematographer, was very upset and tried to have his name removed from the film. he got an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. more great trivia from the IMDb.

wow, so many stars i've seen in previous films took part in this film, but it's just too many to list. and that's not too interesting anyway for other people. wonderful acting from Laurence Olivier and Kirk Douglas though. i think i'll add more later. 7/10.

ok, now to finish up.

this is the classic gladiator film. if you could only see one, i would still recommend Gladiator (2000) which won Best Picture. yes, i did like that film. and i do like Russell Crowe. he's like one of those bands you always knew was good and then the mainstream audience picked up on it, but you still like them anyway because they're just undeniably good. plus you're better than mainstream anyway, so there.

Spartacus tells the true story of a slave who revolted against the gladiatorial system he found himself in, fighting to free himself, others like him, and the woman he falls in love with. he even marched on Rome eventually with an army of slaves. it's one of those amazing stories that actually took place in real life.

i can't resist any longer. recently seen castmembers. Laurence Oliver as Hamlet, Jean Simmons as Ophelia in Hamlet (1948). Woody Strode in C'era una volta il West (1969), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), and The Ten Commandments (1956). John Ireland in All The King's Men (1949). Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). ok, i'm done now. back to reading Cold Mountain.