HOLLYWOOD SPY'S SPOTLIGHT ON ARABIAN EPIC "BLACK GOLD" WITH ANTONIO BANDERAS, MARK STRONG, TAHAR RAKIM, FREIDA PINTO

We don't often get to watch epic films set in exotic locations, but this December (in US, November in Europe) will bring us a chance to watch one such movie - BLACK GOLD, lavish Arabian drama telling the story of the birth of modern Arabian kingdom. The film is directed by famous French director Jean Jacques Annaud famous for ENEMY AT THE GATES, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, THE NAME OF THE ROSE...

BLACK GOLD STORY

The story starts with victorious Nesib (Antonio Banderas), Emir of Hobeika, who lays down his peace terms to his rival Amar (Mark Strong), Sultan of Salmaah. The two men agree that neither can lay claim to the area of no man’s land between them called The Yellow

Belt. In return, Nesib will adopt Amar’s two boys Saleeh (Akin Gazi) and Auda (Tahar Rahim) as a guarantee that neither man can invade the other.
Twelve years later, Saleeh and Auda have grown into young men alongside Nesib's daughter princess Leyla who will later on share love with prince Auda. Saleeh, the warrior, itches to escape his gilded cage and return to his father’s land. Auda cares only for

books and the pursuit of knowledge. One day, their adopted father Nesib is visited by an American from Texas. He tells the Emir that his land is blessed with oil and promises him riches beyond his wildest imagination.

Nesib immediately imagines a realm of infinite possibility, a kingdom with roads, schools and hospitals all paid for by the black gold beneath the barren sand. There is only one problem. The precious oil is located in the Yellow Belt.

The stage is now set for an epic showdown for control of the Yellow Belt, for control of the two kingdoms, for control of the future. The film then focuses on prince Auda who becomes a warrior who fights to unite the warring desert tribes. Torn between two fathers and

two kingdoms, he is joined in his quest for a better future by the beautiful Princess Leyla through a love that began in their childhood. Together with Prince Auda, she will come to represent the new Arab world: young, dynamic and hungry for progress.

BLACK GOLD TIDBITS

The story of the film is based on the book "Black Thirst" by Hans Ruesch. With the budget of $55 million BLACK GOLD is the

most expensive movie related to Arabia ever since famous LAWRENCE OF ARABIA from 1962. The first reviews praise the performances by Tahar Rahim, Mark Strong and Akin Gazi, while Freida Pinto, as usually, got bad critics which state that she is again being expressionless and cold. The music in the film is composed by famous James Horner who already worked with Annaud on THE NAME OF THE ROSE and on ENEMY AT THE GATES. It is interesting that the film wasn't shot in Arabia but in Qatar and Tunisia.

And, please, don't forget to visit Movie411BlogAwards to vote for your HOLLYWOOD SPY in Gold Blog (bottom of the page) and Gossip Blog (in the middle) categories :) You know me loves you :) And vote for our dear Mel in the Sexy category too :)

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S EXCLUSIVE SPOTLIGHT ON STARZ' "SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE" EPIC SHOW WITH LIAM MCINTYRE AND LUCY LAWLESS

Are you excited, are you excited? :) The premiere of the second season of one of the most popular epic TV shows SPARTACUS:

VENGEANCE is just around the corner, ready to air at Starz on January 27th. After SPARTACUS BLOOD AND SAND, which has already become a cult show bringing revolutionary visual changes to television programmes, and the dramatic prequel SPARTACUS GODS OF ARENA, all is set for young Liam McIntyre to take over the lead role and shine in VENGEANCE. Check out the exciting clip bellow which presents the first three opening minutes of the first episode. Throughout the post you can also check out beautiful character pictures and posters for the exciting new season!

STORY OF VENGEANCE

On the heels of the bloody escape from the House of Batiatus that concluded SPARTACUS BLOOD AND SAND, the gladiator rebellion continues and begins to strike fear into the heart of the Roman Republic in SPARTACUS VENGEANCE. Gaius Claudius Glaber (Craig Parker) and his Roman troops are sent to Capua

to crush the growing band of freed slaves that Spartacus (Liam McIntyre) leads before it can inflict further damage. Spartacus is presented the choice of satisfying his personal need for vengeance against the man that condemned his wife to slavery and eventual death or making the larger sacrifices necessary to keep his budding army from breaking apart.

Containing all of the blood-soaked action, exotic sexuality, and villainy and heroism that has come to distinguish the series, the tale of Spartacus resumes in epic fashion at the beginning of 2012.

SPARTACUS TIDBITS

The second season will have ten episodes like the first one. Beside Liam McIntyre, who is replacing Andy Withfield, who died earlier this summer from cancer, and Craig Parker, one of New Zealand's best actors whom we also watched in LORD OF THERINGS

as the Elven general and in LEGEND OF THE SEEKER as Darken Rahl, the second season also brings back brilliant and spectacular Lucy Lawless as ambitious Lucretia, who has managed to survive the shocking bloodbath finale in the ludus in which she lost her husband and her baby, so now she is seeking revenge, not only from Spartacus and her lover Crixus who tried to kill her, but also

from Glaber's flimsy wife Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) who had left her locked in the House of Batiatus to die. Dustin Clare returns as Gannicus after his successful lead role in GODS OF ARENA, Peter Mensah returns as Oenomaus, Manu Bennett as Crixus trying to find his beloved Naevia, Daniel Feuerriegel as Agron, Nick Tarabay as Ashur, Katrina Law as Mira who is still faithful to

Spartacus. Liam has apparently gained 20 kilos in muscle in preparations for the role. Aidan Turner, Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller were all in the run for the lead role. The third season has already been ordered by Starz even before the start of the second season next year. This is their first original show to survive and get its second season.

HOLLYWOOD SPY'S SPOTLIGHT ON OSCAR SEASON FILMS: "FLOWERS OF WAR" WITH CHRISTIAN BALE AND "ALBERT NOBBS" WITH GLENN CLOSE

The season of Golden Globes, Oscars and other movie awards is just ahead of us, bringing us many great dramas with terrific performances, and today you can check out a spotlight on two

of the films which might score big at these ceremonies.

THE FLOWERS OF WAR

A movie adaptation of Geling Yan's book 13 FLOWERS OF NANJING, China's candidate for 2012 Oscars THE FLOWERS OF WAR is set in 1937, when Nanking stands at the forefront of a war between China and Japan. As the invading Japanese Imperial Army overruns China’s capital city, desperate civilians seek refuge behind the nominally protective walls of a western cathedral. Here, John Miller (CHRISTIAN BALE), an American trapped amidst the chaos of battle and the ensuing occupation takes shelter, joined

by a group of innocent schoolgirls and thirteen courtesans, equally determined to escape the horrors taking place outside the church walls. Struggling to survive the violence and persecution wrought

by the Japanese army, it is an act of heroism which eventually leads the seemingly disparate group to fight back, risking their lives for the sake of everyone. Through treacherous surroundings and facing unimaginable evil, THE FLOWERS OF WAR, inspired by true life events, manages to tell a genuine story of hope, love and sacrifice. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, fate always has a way of bringing the most unlikely heroes together.

 FLOWERS TIDBITS

The film is currently in US cinemas! With the budget of $90 million it is one of China's most expensive films ever. It is directed by famous genius Zhang Yimou best known for his amazing epics HERO, HOUSE OF  FLYING DAGGERS and my personal favourite CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER. It took 164 days, 18 hours a day, to shoot this epic.

ALBERT NOBBS

One of the films which amazed us all with Glenn Close's stunning transformation, is certainly ALBERT NOBBS which might bring the great actress an Oscar she has never, believe it or not,

gotten so far (she was nominated five times, though)! Hitting cinemas next January, this period drama will have legendary Glenn Close in the role of a woman passing as a man in order to work and survive in 19th century Ireland. Some thirty years after donning men's clothing, she finds herself trapped in a prison of her own making. Quite a stunning cast also includes young Aaron Johnson, the new count Vronski in ANNA KARENINA, amazing Maria Doyle Kennedy, whose magnificent portrayal of queen Catherine of Aragon in THE TUDORS we still remember, and two ultra talented Irish thespians Brendan Gleeson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

ALBERT NOBBS TIDBITS

The film hits cinemas January 27th. It is interesting that the first two actors to be offered the role in the film were Amanda Seyfried and Orlando Bloom, but after they've backed out, the roles were given to much weaker Aaron Johnson and extremely cold Mia Wasikowska.