Starz launched their newest historical drama, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, in January, and it quickly picked up a rabid fanbase. Now they’ve released the complete first season on DVD in unique packaging and with a load of special features. Here’s a look at the new set and all the goodies packed onto the discs.
The Series
When Spartacus: Blood and Sand premiered, it was with huge fanfare and loads of promotion that would net more than 500,000 viewers on Starz and more than 400,000 on the Encore network for the repeat showing of the pilot episode. It was clear that Starz had a hit on their hands with this newly imagined tale of the undocumented early parts of the life of Spartacus, historically a leader in a great slave uprising in the Roman Empire. It also quickly became clear that the series would draw strongly from the visual style of Zach Snyder’s theatrical adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300. Crazily stylistic CG and copious fountains of digital blood blanket the first few episodes, which rely heavily on extreme violence and sex.
Viewers and critics alike agree that the series only gets better from that point, as the focus gradually shifts to the morally dubious roster of characters, their intricate politicking, and the eventual comeuppances delivered to some of them by the end of the first season. Punctuating all the Roman drama and scandal is an outstanding cast that includes Andy Whitfield in the title role, as well as John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, and Manu Bennett. Spartacus has some stellar talent behind the scenes as well, with Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert (Hercules and Xena) producing alongside head writer Steven S. DeKnight (Buffy, Angel, Smallville, and Dollhouse).
The DVD Release
This new DVD release collects all 13 episodes from the first season, and it bundles them onto four DVDs with some seriously awesome packaging. The DVD set comes in a clear plastic slipcover. Once you remove the cover, you’re left with a hardback book styled somewhat like a Roman pop-up book. Each “page” is a hard cardboard DVD sleeve with a colorful collage of imagery from the TV series. The packaging alone is a great piece for fans of the show and collectors and is a lot better than the usually bland plastic or cardboard boxes that hold most video releases these days. Each DVD features four episodes except the final disc, which has the season finale and a whole bunch of special features.
The Extras
All the special features are collected on the final disc of the collection, and there’s plenty of good stuff here to keep you interested after the final episode ends. Among the extras are nine featurettes:
- Spartacus: Blood and Sand – Behind the Scenes – Insight from the producers about the development of the series and characters.
- Spartacus: Battle Royale – A highlight reel of the big combat scenes from season one, set to music.
- Gladiator Boot Camp – A look at the extensive training the actors went through to prepare for the physicality of their roles.
- Grime & Punishment – A humorous and disgusting look behind the scenes of the punishment pit.
- Andy Gets Plastered – Andy Whitfield having casts made of his head and hand for use by the prop folks.
- Legend Re-Imagined – A feature about the legend and history of the actual Spartacus.
- Oh, Those Randy Romans – Interviews and discussion about the sexual side of Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
- Shooting Green: The Shadow of Death – A discussion about the special effects techniques and green screens used in the series’ production.
- Exposing Your Ludus – The cast and extras goof off behind the scenes and between takes.
Conclusion
Fans of the series won’t want to miss this outstanding Season 1 set. The deluxe, book-like packaging and the slew of featurettes complement the 13 episodes of the series to make a well rounded and exciting collection. There’s a lot of good Roman drama here, as well as some great insight into the series, its stars, and the history that inspired it.
