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Spartacus Blood and Sand: Season 1 Episode 1
The Red Serpent Review

by MaryD
 

I'm writing this review (without spoilers) after watching the first Spartacus: Blood and Sand episode via Starz. Many thanks to Starz for giving me the opportunity.

Betrayed by his country. Beaten into slavery. Reborn as a warrior. Spartacus: Blood and Sand is a graphic and visceral account of Rome's most famous gladiator. When he's separated from the love of his life, Spartacus is forced into the gruesome and bloodthirsty arena, where a grisly death is primetime entertainment. Spartacus must fight for survival, befriend his enemies and play politics in this new world of corruption, violence, sex and fame. He'll be seduced by power and tormented by vengeance. But his passion will give him the strength to prevail over every obstacle, in this modern and uninhibited tale of death, honor and endurance.

Starring Australian actor, Andy Whitfield (McLeod's Daughters) as Spartacus, Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) as Lucretia, John Hannah (The Mummy, Four Weddings and A Funeral) as Batiatus and Peter Mensah (300, The Incredible Hulk) as Doctore, this unique mix of live action, graphic novel effects and brutal battle sequences is set to make Spartacus: Blood & Sand an epic television event.

Read Review (does not contain SPOILERS)

The Planet A March which begins at 1 pm on 5 December has had a venue change. It is now starting from the fountain at Albert Park up to Queen Street to Myers Park.

The poster has also been changed to reflect the new location.

The concert will be held between 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Myers Park as scheduled.




Click here for more news about Lucy and the Planet A concert

The heat is on for John Key to go to Copenhagen and Lucy's attempt to give him a cheque for nearly $5000 in addition to flowers came to a complete half and couldn't get past security. Here's links and video of Lucy's attempt

Media (NZ and Overseas) | Video

Media

International Media

• Lucy Lawless Snubbed By NZ Prime Minister - Newsroom America
• PM avoids Lawless - The Age (Australia)

New Zealand Media

• PM a no-show for Lucy Lawless, cheque - NZ Herald
• Key hedges on Copenhagen - Stuff.co.nz
• Security blocks Lucy Lawless from delivering cheque - TVNZ 3 News
   

Video
 

 

It seems John Key just didn't want to meet Lucy and Dr Salinger to accept the cheque for $4781 to take him to Copenhagen. Lucy comes to your door with flowers, a cheque and a smile and you knock it back? Wow. <g>

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Actress Lucy Lawless, of Xena the Warrior Princess fame, and climate scientist Jim Salinger only got as far as the Beehive front desk when attempting to give Prime Minister John Key a boarding pass to Copenhagen on Wednesday.

Representing Greenpeace, Ms Lawless and Dr Salinger were responding to Mr Key's decision not to attend an international climate change meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, next month.

They arrived at Parliament with flowers, an over-sized boarding pass and a cheque for $NZ4781 ($A3,834), raised from sausage sizzles and cake stalls, to put towards the Prime Minister's air fare.

They waited, along with gathered media, while a Beehive staffer phoned Mr Key's office to say he had visitors, only to be told the Prime Minister was otherwise engaged.

After another attempt was made to see Mr Key - and declined, along with the cheque - the pair had to make do with leaving the flowers and boarding pass with security staff.

"He's a man, he can change his mind," said a hopeful Lawless.

Mr Key argued on Tuesday it was clear no binding treaty would be signed in Copenhagen - despite earlier talk of an international resolution being on the cards - and that Environment Minister Nick Smith would be New Zealand's representative there.

Lawless and Dr Salinger said progress would only be made towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions on an international scale if heads of state made it happen.

Sending bureaucrats or people representing heads of state was a cop-out.

Mr Key later said he had not been given warning about the visit, and shrugged off questions about why he didn't meet the pair.

"I was probably out getting lunch or something."

Dr Salinger said the unspent $NZ4781 ($A3,834) was likely to be referred back to Greenpeace for it to put towards its campaign to raise New Zealand's greenhouse emissions target.

Lucy Lawless and Jim Salinger will arrive at Parliament at 1pm with a cheque to help get Prime Minister John Key to the Copenhagen climate talks in December.and a Copenhagen boarding pass.

Press Release: Greenpeace New Zealand 
Wednesday, 18 November 2009, 10:03 am

Lucy Lawless and Jim Salinger offer nearly $5,000 to John Key

Auckland Wednesday November 18 2009 - Actress Lucy Lawless and top climate scientist Jim Salinger will visit Parliament today to present Prime Minister John Key with nearly $5,000 to help get him to the Copenhagen climate talks in December.

A fundraising drive to get "Key to Copenhagen" started last month (1), as part of Greenpeace's Sign On campaign (www.signon.org.nz). $4,781 was raised through cakestalls, sausage sizzles, donations and auctions across New Zealand.

"Copenhagen is the most important meeting of our time - it could set us on the path of positive change, or put the planet on a road of destructive climate change," said Jim Salinger. "Despite recent suggestions the talks are set to fail, all that's required to make them work is political will at the highest level.

"Global leaders, including John Key, need to go to the summit and ensure an agreement is reached to drastically reduce global emissions. It's not going to be the bureaucrats that make the meeting a success; it's going to be global leaders."

The Danish Prime Minister has formally announced he's invited all heads of state to Copenhagen and 40 world leaders are confirmed as going, including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2). It is also an increasing possibility that US President Barack Obama will attend (3).

"People from all corners of the country have given to the Key to Copenhagen cause, because they believe John Key must go to Copenhagen," said Lucy Lawless. "The comments on the donation site say it all (4); New Zealanders care about this issue deeply and they want John Key to step up.

"The Prime Minister must listen to the over 160,000 people who've Signed On, go to Copenhagen and commit to a 40% by 2020 emissions reduction target," said Lawless.

"New Zealand is currently placed badly in the international negotiations," said Salinger. "We are stragglers compared to many other developed countries. This failure to act will cost us with our trading partners; you only need to look at last week's Guardian article to see what we're up against." (5)

DETAILS: Lucy Lawless and Jim Salinger will arrive at Parliament at 1pm. They will have a cheque and a Copenhagen boarding pass to present to the Prime Minister.

(1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpp6RkLhRtg&feature=player_embedded

(2) http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5A521220091106

(3) http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,660386,00.html and

Spartacus Departacus - Sexy swords and sandals epic winds up - but is Lucy's new show too hot for NZ TV to handle?-  Sunday Star Times 15 November 2009

Sexy swords and sandals epic winds up - but is Lucy's new show too hot for NZ TV to handle?

THE CAST and crew of big-budget American TV production Spartacus: Blood and Sand farewelled international stars John Hannah and Australian Viva Bianca last week at inner-city Auckland bar La Zeppa. The raunchy show has been courting controversy ever since it was revealed that strippers were cast as extras. Rumours are it features full-frontal nudity, orgies and naked battle scenes. Scheduled to screen in the US in January, there is no word on whether Kiwis will see the R-rated series dubbed "the boldest show on television".

Canvas Magazine (the New Zealand Herald magazine supplement) had a great article about Rob and his contribution for the filming industry in Auckland. Check out the article which features mentions of Lucy, Xena, Legend of the Seeker and of course Spartacus Blood and Sand:

Canvas Magazine - 31 October 2009
West Side Story

While most Auckland businesses have spent the past year with the recession blues, the city's film production industry -- our so-called Westywood -- has been quietly prospering, partly thanks to the man who gave us Hercules and Xena. But, as GREG DIXON finds, the industry is short of space for future growth

IN SHOWBIZ, glamour is just another I special effect. On-screen and on the I red carpet, the business is one of alluring fantasies and luminous stars. Off-screen -- in, say, a warehouse in Auckland's drab, industrial suburb of Mt Wellington on a wet October I morning -- film and telly look much like factory work.

American TV producer Rob Tapert is walking me -- at speed -- through a soundstage converted from this particular warehouse, one where he's shooting parts of his latest TV fantasy series, the sword, sand and sex epic Spartacus. I am, apparently, the first New Zealand journalist to get this tour. And while I was grateful to Tapert -- the guy behind Hercules and Xena and husband of Lucy Lawless -- for bothering to make the time, it is, as one often finds on film and television sets, rather less fun than you imagine.

Read Full Article

Lucy Lawless - I Had A Ball With Ru Paul - It wasn't a drag for Lucy Lawless to take part in a new reality show - Sunday News (New Zealand) 1 November 2009

KIWI beauty Lucy Lawless has once again teamed up with the world's most famous drag queen.

The Xena: Warrior Princess stunner has long been friends with RuPaul, and in 2006 he dueted with the actress on the single Come 2 Me, which helped kickstart her singing career.

Now she has repaid the favour by appearing in the US entertainer's latest project, a reality show called RuPaul's Drag Race, dubbed America's Next Top Model for cross dressers.

Lawless will appear on our screens later this month as a guest judge in the series, which has been a surprise hit in the US.

Read Full Article

The following was posted by Greenpeace and sent out via email. No mention of Lucy attending but there are 40 locations around Auckland that she may or may not attend. If you are not in Auckland, the Greenpeace site has a world map and locations for themed events in your country/area.

Click here to view

On October 24, the International Day of Climate Action - organised by 350.org - will cover almost every country on earth. It's going to be biggest day of environmental action in history,so make sure you're part of it!

As the first country to see the sun, it'll be up to New Zealand to kick off the global day in style. There are over a hundred "350"-themed events planned - from planting 350 trees, to dancing in Britomart (Auckland), to human sculptures (Wellington), to impromptu choirs (Christchurch), to school bike rides (Masterton), to a massive Spring Food Festival (Dunedin).

Click here to find the event for you!

The latest issue of the Starship Foundation newsletter, Reach Out Summer 2010 edition has a nice little write up about the Starship Supernova event and a Lucy photo:

Reach Out (Starship Newsletter) Summer 2010 - Swinging with the stars at Supernova.

You may not have been present in person, but as a member of our Starship Family you were certainly present in spirit -- from any distance. Did you feel the swing?

Read more about the Starship Supernova Swing Event

Donate To Starship

Read more Starship News

The Southland Times and the Dominion Post both feature Lucy's Wellington College visit - and the same article but with different pics.

The Southland Times 16 October 2009 Lawless acts for climate change.
IN A nurse's uniform, Lucy Lawless turned heads - and bandaged up arms - all in the name of climate change. The actress left her warrior princess days behind for ''street theatre'' in Manners Mall, Wellington, yesterday...



The Dominion Post 16 October 2009 Climate Of Care Called For

IN A nurse's uniform, Lucy Lawless turned heads - and bandaged up arms - all in the name of climate change. The actress left her warrior princess days behind for ''street theatre'' in Manners Mall, Wellington, yesterday...





The Official Greenpeace site has added more pics to the galleries from the event

Thursday 15 October 2009 - Actress Lucy Lawless will be in Wellington today, talking to Wellington College students about climate change, and playing "head medic" at a climate emergency tent in Manners Mall.

Lawless is one of a range of high-profile New Zealanders who're ambassadors for Greenpeace's Sign On campaign (www.signon.org.nz), which is aimed at encouraging Prime Minister John Key to go to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December and commit to a 40% by 2020 emission reduction target.

Over 130,000 people have joined the campaign.