The final season of Spartacus: War of the Damned begins January 25^th on Starz.  That’s tonight! We left off last season with Spartacus and his merry band of rebels facing the full might of the Roman legion, which are not against pulling shenanigans.

I was more than happy to sit down with Manu Bennett, who plays the undefeated Gaul and Spartacus BFF, Crixus.  Manu was passionate, assured, and especially candid as he spoke about his former co-star Andy Whitfield and what awaits Crixus in the new season. Generous to a fault, he also shared some spoils of war. (Note: This interview contains spoilers.)

The Flickcast: “Be Here Now” is emblazoned on your shirt.  Can you talk about why the phrase “Be Here Now” is important to you?

Manu Bennett: “Be Here Now” was a tattoo Andy [Whitfield] had on his forearm when he was going through his cancer treatment.  There’s a documentary that’s going to be coming out soon.

Rather than not being in the know about what happened to Andy, this documentary is for people who are really interested in the show and really fell in love with Andy and I know there’s so many people out there who did. I’m sure Andy would have liked everyone to go and watch this documentary to see what cancer can destroy in this life.

The final season of Spartacus: War of the Damned is upon us starting this Friday, January 25^th on Starz. Last season we left off with Spartacus and his merry band of rebels facing the full might of the Roman army, which are as feisty as ever. I was lucky enough to sit down with the ruggedly handsome, chipper, and all around good guy to have in your corner if you happen to come across an army, Liam McIntyre. He shared some insight on the upcoming season.

The Flickcast: What has happened in the time between the ending of Vengeance and the start of this season, War of the Damned with Spartacus’ team?

Liam McIntyre: A lot, they’ve been fighting legions of Romans, so you’ll find everyone in a slightly different place. Spartacus is very much in commander mode, he doesn’t take shit from anybody, pardon.

From last year searching for a way into that leadership role and who he really is in terms of this war that they’ve gone on, he’s now very much that guy.  It’s fun to play and difficult because you can’t just play a commander, because he’s  boring.  It is all [about] the relationships with all of the generals. Each one has a different dynamic with the other and keeps kind of a shifting sands kind of feeling.

Well, here we are, a couple of episodes into the final season of Chuck. I predict this season there will be a lot of Subway sandwiches eaten, a choice Jeffster performance, and a plethora of geeky references. The training wheels are off, as Chuck has lost the intersect and Morgan is the new ace in the hole. The spy in tennis shoes and his team of rogue spies aren’t out for the count yet, though.

Read on, as the cast gives some parting words on their super secret missions on the mean streets of Burbank.

The Flickast: Chuck’s brother-in-law, Devon, has the nickname “Captain Awesome”. On a scale of 1 to 10, how awesome are you?

Ryan McPartlin: 10 being the most awesome? We have to clarify. (TF: Yes, 10 being the most awesome). It depends on what we’re talking about, like I feel I’m a really awesome dad and husband, so I’m a 10 at that area. But, there’s a lot of things that I can’t dedicate my time to that I think I could be really awesome at, like for instance, golf.

TF: What does Casey think of teaching the spy tricks of the trade all over again, this time to Morgan?

We had the opportunity to sit down with the cast of USA’s hit show Psych about a police consultant with an uncanny ability to pick up clues, almost psychically, some would say.  This season the detectives have more on their minds then just solving wacky crimes and spotting pineapples.

With love blooming in the air for even the most skeptical (I’m talking to you Lassie), I decided to question the cast on their pursuit of romance.

The Flickcast: Can you tell us what your favorite episode to shoot was this season?

Timothy Omundson as Carlton “Lassie” Lassiter: We did an episode that James [Roday] directed, which he and Todd [Harthan, producer] wrote called, “This Episode Sucks”, it’s a vampire episode, but to me it’s important because it’s the Lassiter falls in love episode.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with the cast of USA’s hit show about a police consultant with an uncanny ability to pick up clues, almost psychically, some would say.  Read below to hear what the cast had to say about next week’s vamp-themed episode, “This Episode Sucks” (pun intended), and the arrival of a former Starfleet Captain to beautiful Santa Barbara.

The Flickcast: What’s been your favorite episode to shoot for Season 6?

James Roday (Shawn Spencer): Probably our vampire episode [was my favorite to shoot this season], because it’s chock full of vampire fun for vampire fans but it’s also a love story for Lassiter’s character which is something we’ve never seen before. Any time we do something new, I get excited.

Steve Franks, creator: I really, really love the vampire episode. James directed it and put such a tremendous bit of magic on top of it, in such unexpected ways.  Yes, it’s vampires and it’s a little gory and it’s a little scary, but it also has such tremendous sweetness and heart.  It’s one of our nicest episodes and yet one of our darkest episodes at the same time.  So that one’s really fun.

As a fan of the Star Tours attractions on both coasts, I was excited to go to the D23 panel on the making of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue… I crowded into the 1,000+ seat ballroom, not knowing what Imagineer insights awaited me.

In true Disney fashion, the panel was a professionally crafted presentation, with no room for questions..errr, I mean error. In this panel, lead Imagineer, Tom Fitzgerald, spoke with the aid of Powerpoint and took us on the journey to bring this attraction into the future.

Tom Fitzgerald, began his Star Tours story in 1998 when George Lucas summoned the Imagineer team to his ranch to watch the pod race, and only the pod race. After seeing the infamous scene, the Imagineers decided to wait to see the rest of the film, hoping against hope that it would the pod race would be scrapped for something way cooler.

Ok, so Tom said, “In fact, we did think it was a great idea”, but I can read between the lines. Interestingly back in 1998, way before the 3D onslaught, the Imagineers knew the ride was going to be in 3D.

Man of Steel, The Red-Blue Blur, Kal-El, or Superman, Clark Kent has many aliases. Lois Lane has only one: Erica Durance. Played with wit, gumption, and feistiness, Erica Durance has made this iconic role her own.

Lois Lane proves she’s not just Superman’s girlfriend, but a real, modern woman who goes after what she wants and is not afraid to get bruised along the way. Hey, she’s got Smallville standing by to catch her in red and blue shiny threads, so why not throw caution to the wind?

Like the Daily Planet, The Flickcast sent its reporter to the scene to examine the truth behind the super stories. Ace reporter, Lois Lane, aka Erica Durance switches places as she answers our questions and sparkles with a style all her own.

The Flickcast: What do you love most about Smallville fans?

Erica Durance: You know, it’s just neat to see how many people love the show and are so excited about it. Thank God. I know that’s why we’re here 10 years later, or me only since 7. They’re so supportive and so excited and initially they weren’t with me.

So they’ve come around. But in fairness I wasn’t part of the mythology, Lois wasn’t, so that makes sense, so I can understand. It’s a beloved story and I kinda kicked in and invaded it, but they’ve been really, really positive now.

With the last season of Smallville swiftly moving along, The Flickcast decided to talk to one of the most convoluted characters to reside in the sleepy town, Tess Mercer. She’s been a good girl, bad girl, and somewhere in between- so in essence a real woman.

Popping on the scene as the mysterious heir and CEO to LuthorCorp in Season 8, she’s since been through many tenuous trials. She’s fought to save humanity, albeit killing a few in her way.

She’s survived multiple deaths, multiple kryptonite-fueled personalities of Clark Kent, and multiple conspiracies. The best is yet to come.

The Flickcast: You were first cast in Season 8 of Smallville, did you think the show would continue for many more seasons?

Cassidy Freeman: I thought this was a one year job. I mean they signed me on for three, so they had me if they wanted me for three. But I was told maybe a year and every year we get renewed. It’s almost like a roller coaster ride of a path. I feel like the end of this series has had such strength to it.

I mean, I’ve watched it all in wanting to get familiar with the show and I’m not saying that just because I’m in it, but I think that they’ve taken some chances and we’re more grown-up and I really, really enjoy being in it and watching it.

TF: Tess Mercer’s walked as much on the side of light as that of dark. What are your thoughts on playing this complex character?

During our ongoing investigative reporting into the final season of Smallville, we knew it was integral to speak with the brains behind the operation: Executive Producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson. Over the course of the last decade, Smallville has shifted from its one-off episode style to an ongoing mystery into the world of Krypton‘s favorite son. This season the mysteries will be resolved.

While the Greeks had Zeus and Athena, in modern times we have our own mythology in the form of superheroes. Like epic poems passed down myths, Smallville illuminates Superman’s origins with dramatic flare. After fighting Lex Luthor, Brainiac, and Zod, you’d think Clark Kent would get a nice vacay. Instead, his hero’s journey will only really begin after the final episode is over.

Yesterday we spoke with Souders and Peterson about episode 200, Kristen Kruek and more. This time we’re talking with the producers about Clark’s legendary journey thus far and what they have in store for our Man of Steel. Note: This interview may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

The Flickcast: Smallville’s plot structure has evolved from being a “Freak of the Week” structure to having an ongoing mythology. Can you describe why the choice was made?

Kelly Souders: Well, I think anytime you’re on the air for that long, you have to reinvent it. If not for just that we’d all get bored if we kept doing the same thing, but so that the fans have something new to grow with too. I mean ten years, you change a lot. We change a lot, each fan is going to change.

I think it’s evolving has a lot to do with it surviving. I think we tried to make the show as organic to real life as possible. If we don’t all change, find out new things about ourselves, or try to make changes within ourselves- the same thing would happen (to us) and we’d kind of stall out.

With the last season of Smallville off to a rollicking good start, we snatched up the chance to sit down with Smallville long-time executive producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson. While they were a touch shy about spilling the Kryptonite on this season’s surprises, we never-the-less used our super strength to investigate the return of former cast members and historic episode 200 (set to air October 15th).

It seems this season will be strewn with super heroes and villains from across the galaxy.  Giving Kal-El a run for his money, Laura Vandervoort returns in brilliant blue and red style as Supergirl in episode 3, airing October 8th.

The Flickcast: Can you tell us about any plans to bring back favorite cast members from past seasons?

Brian Peterson: Having Annette O’Toole back as Martha Kent and Michael McKean as Perry White- we worked all season to get that to happen. It was fantastic, they were so great, it was such a great episode.

We’d like to, it’s hard because all of these actors, it’s not always up to us, like they have TV shows and careers and theater. You know Glover, we would love to have John Glover back and that man is on Broadway from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.

So, that’s our goal, absolutely, to try to get people like Perry, and Martha Kent, and Lionel Luther back, or at least maybe an appearance.

FC: Last season, Smallville‘s epic episode entitled, “Absolute Justice”, featured the monumental members of the Justice Society. Any talk of a Justice Society spin-off series? Will any members of the Justice Society be making future appearances this season?

BP: I know people are so excited about that and right now, to my knowledge, there are not (spin-off series). I think there’s always opportunities.

But as far as episodes, we’re definitely going to have some of the Justice Leaguers and Justice Society people back in the show for sure (check out episode 2). But as far as a spin-off, I wish that was something I could see into the future and know, but I don’t know.

With the new season of Smallville fast approaching this Friday on the CW, The Flickcast took the opportunity to sit down with Justin Hartley, aka the Green Arrow. He was laid-back, insightful, and of course easy on the eyes.

DC Comic’s Green Arrow has made headlines recently for taking care of bad guys anti-hero style. Smallville‘s Oliver Queen is no different, albeit he had a certain explosive panache when he nixed Lex Luthor. The perceptive and pensive Justin Hartley had much to say about his character’s path towards enlightenment this season.

The Flickcast: What excites you the most about getting the green light another, final season?

Justin Hartley: The final season, we’re excited. I think I speak for everyone when I say that. The cool thing about this year, and I’m sure you’ve heard this before, is that there’s all these…little tidbits that haven’t quite been sewn up yet.

It’s interesting because usually they go, “Well we’re going to tie it up next year or at the end of it,” and they plan on tying it up whenever. But it’s like go-time so they kind of have to tie it up now. So hopefully we’ll get, maybe even one of those (questions answered) every episode. They’re doing it the right way.

It’s really cool, especially for all those people who have been watching the show for a long time, that we did find out that we had a final season and then we’re going to shoot it. Instead of at the end of nine finding out that there is no final season. So we have the opportunity to do that- which is pretty awesome.

As summer dies down with explosive fire power and spiritual journeys to other lands, I recall the glorious action fest that was The Expendables. In turns out Julia Roberts has nothing on protein packed men with a mission on their minds. My female counterparts have voiced their love of meaty men in droves and unexpectedly taken away business from Julia’s love fest. Nearly 40 percent of The Expendables‘ audience was women. X-Men Origins: Wolverine‘s audience raked them in as nearly 50 percent of the audience was female. It seems women have tired of the boys akin to Michael Cera and instead jones for something with a little more muscle. Stallone should have learned the key to Hugh Jackman’s success to driving women in throngs- taking off his shirt.

I hear Hugh gave up his lead in Avon Man to start his insane work-out to become the ferocious mutant once again. If you take months upon months to beef up like these 80‘s action legends did, you’d think they’d want to show it off. Plus, wasn’t it super hot in Louisiana and Brazil where The Expendables shot? It was like 100 degrees with 100 percent humidity. Stallone couldn’t have been the only one who was feeling the heat.  Take off those shirts and up your female movie-going audience to 51 percent.