Lucy Lawless returns to ancient Rome in "Sparticus: Blood and Sand" (video)

I had the opportunity to catch "Sparticus: Blood and Sand" this weekend and I'm still conflicted about it. The newest retelling of the gladiator epic is a lot more gory than I usually like, but it was worth it to just see Lucy Lawless return to the screen as Lucretia, the scheming wife of an incompetent military leader. The two try to reclaim their social standing and influence by training the fierce warrior Sparticus at thier gladiator training camp.

It's safe to say that this is not your grandpa's Sparticus. This version is filmed in the graphic novel style and like "300" features scores of scantily clad beefy gladiators, gratuitous nudity, lots of sex (both hetero and homo) and did I mention Lucy Lawless?

"Sparticus: Blood and Sand" airs on Starz on Friday and Sunday nights (check listings) and is rebroadcast on Encore on the same nights. The first clip below is the official series trailer. The second is an interview with the former Xena star done last summer at ComiCon, where she talks about doing nude scenes, being fitted for a merkin and how she'd love to play Xena again.

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