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The Little Rascals Volume 4

Blu ray – The ClassicFlix Restorations

ClassicFlix

1933, ’34, ’35,/ 1.37:1 / 218 Min.

Starring George McFarland, Dorothy DeBorba, Dickie Moore

Written by H.W. Walker

Directed by Robert F. McGowan, Gus Meins

Often dismissed for their old-fashioned ways, classic films should be applauded for those very qualities. For better—and sometimes for a lot worse—movies operate as de facto documentaries of their generation, and none more so than the string of depression-era comedies produced under the most un-comical circumstances. Those two-reelers featured bankable stars at center stage but lingering on the sidelines were the dime a dozen extras who came to California looking for work and found it in, of all places, Hollywood. Brutalized by their circumstances, these migrants would not have been out of place in a Walker Evans photograph—instead those careworn faces would be documented by the likes of Mack Sennett and Hal Roach. One of Roach...

Starz's Spartacus is one of those shows that just grips you and doesn't let go, particularly during the 13 episode journey of the thrilling first season, Blood and Sand. The show follows one of the most iconic figures in ancient history while incorporating the rich elements of old Roman society and its unique culture of Gladiator games. The quality cinematic production, intense action, and clever writing set the stage for an engrossing trip into ancient Roman history through the lens of one of its most influential figures. The blend of authenticity and historical fiction creates a rich premise that's easy to get immersed in as we follow Spartacus' rise to glory.

Related: Spartacus: 5 Things That Are Historically Accurate (And 5 Things That Are Completely Fabricated)

Season 1 focuses on the rather humble origins as Spartacus as a slave and gladiator, and it generally works as an epic, inspirational story in overcoming adversity.

Spartacus: Blood And Sand – The Complete First Series

Stars: Andy Whitfield, Erin Cummings, John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Nick Tarabay, Viva Bianca, Jai Courtney, Antonio Te Maioha, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Craig Parker, Katrina Law | Written by Steven S. DeKnight & others | Directed by Rick Jacobson & others

“The controversial Spartacus: Blood and Sand is the re-imagined story of Spartacus, a slave of the Roman Republic who led a slave revolt that grew to more than 120,000 fighters. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus (Whitfield), a Thracian warrior is captured by Romans and enslaved into a gladiator training school owned by Batiatus (Hannah) and his wife Lucretia (Lawless).

Forced to fight daily for his life under the brutal whip of trainer Doctore (Mensah) and condemned to a life in the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment, he must become more than a...

Mini-series prequel remains Champion of cable network shows.

The Set-up

Exactly one year ago, the Starz Network stupefied both critics and the public alike with Spartacus: Blood and Sand. In this mini-series prequel, show creator Steven S. DeKnight has pressed the attack, delivering Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Debuting on January 21st, 2011, the show details the blood-drenched history of the House of Batiatus, the tale finding Batiatus as a younger man having recently acquired the ludus from his ailing father and adopting the title of lanista. The focus of the prequel series is the current Champion of Capua, a bon vivant gladiator named Gannicus whom Batiatus is resting all his ambitions upon. Long before Spartacus graced the ludus with his presence, struck fear into the Romans and captivated an entire city, blood flowed heavily in the Old Arena, a young recruit battled fiercely for his future, and an ambitious son...

Warning: This article includes minor spoilers on the upcoming season of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.

When actor Andy Whitfield, who played the title character in last year's break-out cable hit Spartacus: Blood and Sand, was diagnosed with cancer, it forced the producers of the show to get creative while they hopefully waited for him to recover.

The result is a six-episode "prequel" series debuting January 21st on Starz that begins with a glint in the eye of Batiatus dying at the end of Blood and Sand and takes us back to tell the story of Batiatus' ludus before Spartacus' arrival.

It also gave the producers a chance to tell a gay sub-plot that seems considerably different than the one between Barca (Antonio Te Maioha) and Pietros (Eka Darville) in Blood and Sand: Barca's earlier love affair with fellow gladiator Auctus, played by Josef Brown, an Australian dancer and actor.

While there's zero update on "Spartacus: Blood and Sand", Starz unleashed the photos of "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" cast in their individual characters. The pics show some "Blood and Sand" characters way before Quintus Batiatus took over the Ludus and reveal the new characters such as Capua's sexy social climber Gaia.

John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Nick Tarabay and Antonio Te Maioha return as Quintus, Lucretia, Doctore, Crixus, Ashur and Barca respectively. They are joined by new faces like Jamie Murray as Gaia, Marisa Ramirez as Melitta and Jeffrey Thomas as Titus.

But the central character would be Dustin Clare's Gannicus aka the original Championship of the House of Batiatus. He lives in a more ruthless time before Spartacus' arrival where honor was just finding it's way into the arena. As the prequel begins, Quintus Batiatus is the acting Lanista while his father Titus...

***Warning*** This article discusses plot points for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.

While the deaths of Barca and Pietros on the first season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand didn't spark quite the same level of outrage as did the death of Ianto Jones on Torchwood, their demise did lead to a fair bit of controversy.

Pietros and Barca

Even though many fans may not have loved what happened to the two slaves, most saw it as simply part of the story. Others, however, saw their deaths as yet another example of queer characters being killed off indiscriminately — even if Spartacus killed off plenty of straight characters as well.

Still others suspected the show had never been that interested in actually showing a pair of gay lovers, despite how well Barca and Pietros' relationship had been depicted up until then.

And despite assurances from Rob Tapert and Steven S. DeKnight,...