SPARTACUS

I do not have STARZ, the cable channel, but thanks to the Internet, I have still been able to watch STARZ's first original series based on the legends of the Roman Empire: SPARTACUS BLOOD And SAND. It stars Andy Whitfield as Spartacus.

I am smitten with this series and highly recommend it. Plenty of action, gore and treachery. Plus the series is not bad on the eyes if you know what I mean. It even features Lucy Lawless of Xena Worrier Princess in a lead role. You can see episodes from the first season here: http://www.starz.com/originals/spartacus or here: http://watchspartacus.com/

The series also stars Peter Mensah and Manu Bennett.
I also just learned that the star of the series played by Andy Whitfield was just diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphona in the early stages. Production on the 2nd season has been postponed while the star Mr. Whitfield is undergoing treatment. I pray that he will get through this.

Rebirth

There's a reason my blog is named EVOLVING BLACKNESS. Evolving, reinvention, rebirth is a concept that is close to my heart and a process I continually go through.

I was just watching the ending of one of my favorite movies: Working Girl starring Melanie Griffith. At the end of the movie as the character Tess has finally evolved from secretary to corporate big shot, there is an outside shot of her window that pans out to reveal the city skyline.

Yes, as the credits roll, there are the Twin Towers. I have no doubt that the Towers have been used in many movies that are set in New York and that I have probably never noticed them each time they are featured. That has changed for all time. Now whenever I recognize that a movie is set in the Big Apple, that is one of the first things I look for, whether the movie is old or new.

As soon as that movie went off, the remake of "The Women" came on, starring Meg Ryan. This was eery indeed, because this movie starts out with the skyline of New York and it is so obvious that the Twin Towers are missing and will forever be in new movies post 9/11.

I was instantly sad but came to grips with this fact. We must all get through the tragedies in our lives and try to move on as best we can. With the example of a great city, and in the wake of tragedies that have befallen Haiti and Chile, we need look no further when we need inspiration to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and take our misfortunes and turn them into testimonies of how to survive and be reborn.