Spartacus

LOS ANGELES – From his chiseled-from-marble good looks to his actor intensity on screen, Kirk Douglas defined the very concept of Movie Star. The actor also broke records for longevity, living to the ripe old age of 103. Kirk Douglas died of natural causes on February 5th, 2020, at his home in Los Angeles.

CHICAGO – We didn’t see this one coming. Starz has canceled their most highly-acclaimed drama “Boss,” starring Kelsey Grammer, Golden Globe-winner less than a year ago. The show had a number of critics on its side but the ratings never matched the press and Starz has decided not to re-elect the program for a third year.

CHICAGO – Starz’s hit “Spartacus: Vengeance” was designed for Blu-ray collectors. With the program’s emphasis on striking visuals, watching it in a quality any lesser than 1080p would be a crime. And Anchor Bay understands the cable hit they have on their hands and have given the show one of the most impressive HD transfers of the crowded TV-on-Blu-ray season and loaded it down with special features. There’s only one season of “Spartacus” left on Starz. Catch up with this 3-disc set before it premieres.

CHICAGO – To coincide with the Blu-ray box set of Stanley Kubrick films (including “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Shining,” and eight more films), Warner Bros. has released a very special edition of “A Clockwork Orange,” timed to the four-decade anniversary of one of the most influential movies ever made. With stellar new special features, a great transfer, and a timeless film, this is one of the best Blu-ray releases of the year to date.

CHICAGO – Starz Channel’s “Camelot” is an attempt to cash in on the same success that the network found with “Spartacus” and it almost works to provide a similar level of Friday night escapism, mostly delivering just that with an adult version of Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table.

CHICAGO – Randall Wallace began his screenwriting career at the top of the ladder, penning the script for the Best Picture-winning “Braveheart” and earning an Oscar nomination himself. He went on to direct “The Man in the Iron Mask” and “We Were Soldiers,” and returns this week with the inspirational “Secretariat,” the true story of the legendary horse starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich.

CHICAGO – Tony Curtis was the Prince of Hollywood, he was the original Fantastic Mr. Fox. He took his pretty boy good looks and carved a career that included the classic films “Some Like it Hot,” “Sweet Smell of Success” and “The Defiant Ones.” Tony Curtis died at his Las Vegas home yesterday at the age of 85.

CHICAGO – I think nearly every film critic with an association card has bowed at the altar of Stanley Kubrick at least once in their life (if they don’t still do so). I can vividly remember first seeing “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “The Shining,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “Dr. Strangelove,” and “Full Metal Jacket,” all films I could watch any day of the week and never grow tired of them. Despite saying that, I was never a huge “Spartacus” fan, a film I admire more than love. The new Blu-ray release has not changed my mind.

CHICAGO – Tony Curtis, who rolled into town to introduce his classic “Some Like it Hot” – December 5th and 6th, 2009, at the Hollywood Palms in Naperville, IL – has a sharp and voracious intelligence, plus the adventurous life story to share. In his new book, “The Making of Some Like it Hot,” Curtis relates the incredible Hollywood tale about how two big stars, he and Jack Lemmon, dressed up as women, and collided with the incomparable Marilyn Monroe and director Billy Wilder to create a true American film masterpiece.

The name of the new autobiography from Tony Curtis is perfectly descriptive … “American Prince.” From his hard-scrabble early life on the streets of the Bronx to the glamor and glitz of Hollywood stardom, Curtis has had a journey that experienced both the heights and depths of celebrity.