As reported by The New York Times, actor John Gavin—best known for his roles in Psycho and Spartacus, as well as a five-year stint as Ronald Reagan’s U.S. ambassador to Mexico—has died. No cause of death was given, but Gavin “had been ill for months.” He was 86.

Every day, Watch This offers staff recommendations inspired by the week’s new releases or premieres. This week: With the Academy Awards coming this Sunday, we’re highlighting work by master filmmakers who never won the Best Director Oscar.

During his 70 years on Earth, Stanley Kubrick made 13 films. It may not seem like that many (heck, it seems like Takashi Miike makes that many in a given year), but they are each classics in their own right and hold within them indelible images, unforgettable characters, and classic lines of dialogue. In honor of the…

It may be hard to remember in these color-corrected days, but there was once a time when the use of color in film was a more thoughtful process than hitting the “desaturate” and “lower color temperature” buttons in Final Cut and waiting for the MacBook to do its thing while you go get a burrito. Viddy well, then, at…

“Revelations”

“Party Favors”

After a strong opening to the series that culminated in the epic “Shadow Games” and the devastating “Delicate Things,” Spartacus slowed down for a few episodes, allowing Crixus to recover physically and Spartacus to begin to recover emotionally, while Batiatus and Lucretia put the next phase of their schemes into…

Much like its immediate predecessor, “Mark Of The Brotherhood” is a place-setting episode, resolving the lingering question of Crixus’ return to the ludus and laying the groundwork for the rest of the season to come. Of a piece with “Sacramentum Gladiatorum” and “Legends,” this episode allows viewers to sit back and…

Halfway through season one, Spartacus has already taken its lead on a tremendous journey, the first chapter of which concludes in “Great And Unfortunate Things.” With the loss of Sura still fresh, the Thracian contemplates suicide and acts out before ultimately embracing his new life: As the final moments of the…

With his victory in the arena still fresh, “Delicate Things” lays Spartacus low, stripping away the pretense of power awarded him after his defeat of Theokoles. He may be the new Champion of Capua, but Spartacus is still a slave and as Batiatus proves in this episode, his life can be thrown away on a whim and without…

After a very successful first four episodes, Spartacus shifts into a new gear with “Shadow Games,” as Spartacus and Crixus are pitted in the area against the great Theokoles. While a few of the improvements of “The Thing in the Pit” are not present—the show will likely take a couple episodes to embrace these…

After the previous episode’s heights of the Primus, “The Thing In The Pit” sees Spartacus fall to his lowest point yet. As the character struggles to hold on to his life and his sanity, the series reaches solid ground, firmly establishing its voice and hinting at the future history fans know is coming. The first three…

After its promising second installment, Spartacus: Blood and Sand wavers with “Legends,” as a handful of clumsy elements distract from an otherwise thoughtful episode. As in “Sacramentum Gladiatorum,” Spartacus’ emotional journey bookends “Legends,” as he learns a bit of humility and recalibrates his expectations.…

“Sacramentum Gladiatorum” picks up where Spartacus’ pilot leaves off, functioning far more as a part two to “The Red Serpent” than a discrete second installment of the series. Whereas the pilot is expansive, spanning the Empire, “Sacramentum Gladiatorum” immediately narrows the series’ scope, focusing exclusively on…

1. Spartacus
Game Of Thrones has left the air for another long hiatus. The HBO fantasy series became an even bigger hit in its fourth season, and at times seemed as if it was the only TV show airing, so breathlessly did the show’s fans and pretty much everybody in the media hype every twist and turn. (We at The A.V.…

No one can say that Nikita didn’t have a full plate this season. In addition to trying to hunt down the “Dirty Thirty”—the former Division agents who had gone rogue and were peddling their lethal services to the highest bidder—she also had to chop off the hand of her true love, Michael, in order to save his life.…

“What would you have me do?” asks Gannicus at the midpoint of tonight’s series finale of Spartacus. “The impossible,” replies the Thracian. Well, Spartacus itself would know impossible, since nearly everything about the show as a whole reeks of it. Better than we could have hoped, more emotional than we could have…

Da Vinci’s Demons debuts tonight on Starz at 10 p.m. Eastern.

Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13. All times are Eastern.

I’m of two minds about this, the penultimate installment of Spartacus. As an act of tribute, it’s pretty much a flawless success. The entire hour is basically one long ode to those that have fallen over the course of the series, primarily Crixus. The “Undefeated Gaul” no longer stands as such, but Spartacus himself…