243 replies to this topic

[Jason Panella]

Peter T Chattaway, on 17 January 2011 - 04:50 PM, said:

Slight nitpick: she only played Hermione's mom in Deathly Hallows (both parts, admittedly, but still).

Hermione's mom was played by Heather Bleasdale in Chamber of Secrets.

I knew I could count on you, Peter.

And Jeff, I agree — the resemblance is uncanny.

[Jason Panella]

A somewhat minor character in the series, but still:

Margaret John, who plays Old Nan in Game of Thrones, dies at 84.

Edited by Jason Panella, 03 February 2011 - 03:22 PM.

[J.A.A. Purves]

Nice little introduction to the main parts of the world the story is based in.

[opus]

Yet another new teaser/trailer. This just keeps looking better and better.

[Anna J]

[M. Leary]

We should do an A&F live chat when this comes out, though I imagine it would be largely silent until the credits.

[Jason Panella]

M. Leary, on 15 March 2011 - 09:22 AM, said:

We should do an A&F live chat when this comes out, though I imagine it would be largely silent until the credits.

I dunno. There's bound to be a lot of Hot Pie-related things we could discuss.

[opus]

M. Leary, on 15 March 2011 - 09:22 AM, said:

We should do an A&F live chat when this comes out, though I imagine it would be largely silent until the credits.

Shoot... I'm still trying to find someone whose HBO I can borrow. (We don't have cable TV.)

[Jason Panella]

opus, on 15 March 2011 - 10:57 AM, said:

Shoot... I'm still trying to find someone whose HBO I can borrow. (We don't have cable TV.)

Ditto. Knowing how HBO operates, I'll at least be able to rent the DVDs of the first season in three years.

[opus]

Does HBO stream episodes of their series online?

[Jason Panella]

opus, on 15 March 2011 - 01:11 PM, said:

Does HBO stream episodes of their series online?

Yes, but here's the catch: they just unveiled their HBO GO streaming program, and you must be a subscriber to use it.

Edited by Jason Panella, 15 March 2011 - 03:15 PM.

[opus]

Jason Panella, on 15 March 2011 - 02:44 PM, said:

opus, on 15 March 2011 - 01:11 PM, said:

Does HBO stream episodes of their series online?

Yes, but here's the catch: they just unveiled their HBO GO streaming program, and you must be a subscribed to use it.

[M. Leary]

Hot Pie would hate this kind of tyrannical programming.

[BethR]

opus, on 15 March 2011 - 10:57 AM, said:

M. Leary, on 15 March 2011 - 09:22 AM, said:

We should do an A&F live chat when this comes out, though I imagine it would be largely silent until the credits.

Shoot... I'm still trying to find someone whose HBO I can borrow. (We don't have cable TV.)

I seem to have acquired a few (three?) free months of HBO when I switched to a new TV service. You're welcome to come over to my place, but it's probably a long ride for a short visit every week...

[Peter T Chattaway]

HBO has posted the first 14 minutes.

[Anna J]

[Overstreet]

Very, very impressive.

Meanwhile, a concerned young man writes:

Quote

So, Mr. Overstreet...do you think Game of Thrones is going to be something a family could watch together.....something that will not offend the moral senses of a conservative christian....or is it going to be a typical HBO miniseries?

I responded as best I could, based on this excerpt and what friends have told me about the series:

Quote

Aaron, there are beheadings in the first few minutes. There is a cautionary statement about violence and nudity, etc. It's R-rated material. That will trouble some conservative Christians, but not all. Some people will find it too harsh for their sensibilities, others won't. Have you read the books? If you have, I think you'll know what kind of things to expect. This is definitely a series for discerning adults, not children. And anyone who watches it should attend to their conscience, as they should with anything they watch.

Would you add anything to that? Or disagree?

Edited by Overstreet, 04 April 2011 - 07:17 PM.

[Jason Panella]

Overstreet, on 04 April 2011 - 07:17 PM, said:

Would you add anything to that? Or disagree?

I think it's worded well, Jeff, and I agree. On a similar note, I'm getting kind of frustrated that amongst all of the press the show is getting, there's a common theme that the show is "fantasy for adults," and that the sex and violence are the main focus. If the show is anything like the book(s) (which, judging from everything I've read, it is), the characters and dense plotting drive stuff, and the "adult content" serves the story. In fact, I'm about to finish the third book in the series, and I was surprised had how restrained Martin was with some of the grittiness.

Sorry, rant over.

I thought the first few scenes were great, and I can tell all of the condensing they're doing works well to move the plot along. The ultra-crazy fanpeople may gripe that Ser Waymar didn't actually try to fight the Other in the beginning, but whatever. It works.

[opus]

Yeah, the whole "fantasy for adults" thing bothers me a bit, too. On the one hand, it's accurate: there's no way I'd let children read these books. On the other hand, I think it sets up certain expectations that the series is going to really sexy and salacious. Yes, there's a lot of sexual content in the books, but a good deal of it is, quite frankly, disgusting -- and rightfully so. For many characters, sex is just another way to gain and hold onto power (the most obvious example of this is Cersei). So while there will probably a fair number of exposed breasts in the series, their presence won't be quite so erotic and exciting if the filmmakers really hold true to Martin's words.

[Jason Panella]

opus, on 04 April 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

Yeah, the whole "fantasy for adults" thing bothers me a bit, too. On the one hand, it's accurate: there's no way I'd let children read these books. On the other hand, I think it sets up certain expectations that the series is going to really sexy and salacious. Yes, there's a lot of sexual content in the books, but a good deal of it is, quite frankly, disgusting -- and rightfully so. For many characters, sex is just another way to gain and hold onto power (the most obvious example of this is Cersei). So while there will probably a fair number of exposed breasts in the series, their presence won't be quite so erotic and exciting if the filmmakers really hold true to Martin's words.

Absolutely. This is material that's not at all for children, or many adults for that matter. Your point about the sexual content is accurate, and the same goes for the violence; there's nothing exciting about it. It's grisly and horrible, and I've been dreading having to wade through the sections that describe the aftermaths of battle. There have been a few fights that were exciting (Oberyn vs. the Mountain, for instance), but they often upend into the horrific and tragic before too long.