Re: Game of Thrones -- TV ONLY

by Mrs Figg Sat Mar 14, 2015 11:59 am

oddly I find the GOT poster better.

by Bluebottle Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:19 pm

George RR Martin wrote:Someone started arguing online recently, I got an email about it, of whether Drogon.. could.. beat.. Smaug.

You know. As competitive as I am, and I would like my guys to win. Basically, no. Drogon is a very young dragon and still barely large enough to get Dany into the sky. Pretty formidable, but Smaug is gigantic. Not to mention the fact that Smaug talks, and would probably have an intellectual advantage.

by Bluebottle Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:29 pm

by Bluebottle Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:29 pm

I have a feeling the Dorne storyline might end up pretty underwhelming.

by Eldorion Sat Mar 14, 2015 3:47 pm

Bluebottle wrote:I have a feeling the Dorne storyline might end up pretty underwhelming.

I gotta be honest, that's kinda how I felt about the one in AFFC, so I'm open to the possibility of improvement in the show. I wouldn't say I'm confident it will be better, but I'm not gonna be too bothered by changes just because they're changes either. Shrugging

by Eldorion Sat Mar 14, 2015 5:41 pm

No Bran in S5:

'Game of Thrones' producers: Leaving out Bran is like 'Return of the Jedi' - Entertainment Weekly

So hint the showrunners of HBO’s fantasy saga, who benched Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) from season 5. The fledgling warg will receive his training from the Three-Eyed Raven and the Children of the Forest off-screen this year. “Like, it would be far less interesting, after The Empire Strikes Back to have an hour-long movie in between Empire and Return of the Jedi where Luke is training,” showrunner David Benioff says. “It’s so much cooler to cut from end of Empire to begging of Return, where he’s become the Jedi.”

Uh ... I guess Benioff blacked out for all the scenes of Luke on Dagobah in TESB? Or does he think they've already given us Bran's equivalent to the early training scenes? Because if we're going with the Star Wars analogy, Bran has only gotten to the point where he's first in Yoda's hut and realizes who he is.

by Bluebottle Sat Mar 14, 2015 5:45 pm

Yeah.. also it doesn't make all that much sense in the context of them including Arya's entire training arc. Character popularity might have also played a role. Shrugging

by Bluebottle Sat Mar 14, 2015 5:51 pm

Eldorion wrote:
Bluebottle wrote:I have a feeling the Dorne storyline might end up pretty underwhelming.

I gotta be honest, that's kinda how I felt about the one in AFFC, so I'm open to the possibility of improvement in the show. I wouldn't say I'm confident it will be better, but I'm not gonna be too bothered by changes just because they're changes either.

Sure, I can understand that. I guess I feel it's taking the storyline and removing all the things I found interesting about it I'm reacting to.

Spoiler:

That's what made that storyline great for me anyway. And all that is cut to have these three kick ass female fighters and a Jamie visit.. If that's what it'sgoing to be and those parts are out, I completely agree with you. They might as well have cut Dorn in it's entirety, just as they have the Iron Islands.

I'm hoping some of the Doran scenes might still be good though. And that we might get the "Fire and blood" speech.

by halfwise Sat Mar 14, 2015 6:00 pm

In the books what happens to Bran is so friggin' weird I think it's best they not push that storyline past what GRRM has given us until they have to. I think they're hoping Winds of Winter comes out first so the fan base can accept whatever's about to go on in that particular story line.

by Bluebottle Sat Mar 14, 2015 6:14 pm

Yeah, George has said himself that his original five year gap idea worked great for a couple of characters. Bran most prominently. Though both Sansa and Arya would also fall into that category. So, you could arguably have said you could have left both of them out of season 5 as well and used the time available on what they've decided to cut. Shrugging

by Eldorion Sun Mar 15, 2015 4:02 am

halfwise wrote:In the books what happens to Bran is so friggin' weird I think it's best they not push that storyline past what GRRM has given us until they have to. I think they're hoping Winds of Winter comes out first so the fan base can accept whatever's about to go on in that particular story line.

That's a good point. I know a few people who hadn't read the books who were put off by the increasing weirdness (and growing fantasy elements) of Bran's storyline. Though I do wonder what percentage of the show's audience has read the books. I suspect it's less than half.

by Eldorion Sun Mar 15, 2015 4:05 am

Bluebottle wrote:Sure, I can understand that. I guess I feel it's taking the storyline and removing all the things I found interesting about it I'm reacting to.

Spoiler:

That's what made that storyline great for me anyway. And all that is cut to have these three kick ass female fighters and a Jamie visit.. If that's what it'sgoing to be and those parts are out, I completely agree with you. They might as well have cut Dorn in it's entirety, just as they have the Iron Islands.

I'm hoping some of the Doran scenes might still be good though. And that we might get the "Fire and blood" speech.

I do think it's disappointing that

Spoiler:

by Bluebottle Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:34 pm

Spoiler:

by Bluebottle Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:37 pm

by Bluebottle Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:39 pm

New trailer from HBO Asia with some new shots.

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by halfwise Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:49 pm

Though not in the books, I think Varys' championing of Danaerys is a good move. Worth it just to get in the line "who said anything about him?"

It works better than the "I am no man" line in the movie version of RotK, because at that point the audience (and even Merry! Mad

) knew it was Eowyn. But the audience hadn't been tipped off who Varys was backing (until now Laughing

). I do wonder if this other Targaryen (forget his name) will make an appearance.

by Bluebottle Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:52 pm

It's a good line. It should be noted Illyrio said exactly the same thing to Tyrion in the books though. And sent Tyrion off on the same journey. So, I guess nothings conclusive yet. Shrugging

by Bluebottle Sun Mar 15, 2015 10:00 pm

Illyrio: Any friend of my friend across the water is a friend to Illyrio Mopatis, yes.

Tyrion: And any friend of Varys the Spider is someone I will trust just as far as I can throw him.

Oh, you have to love Tyrion. Laughing

by Eldorion Mon Mar 16, 2015 3:25 am

halfwise wrote:Though not in the books, I think Varys' championing of Danaerys is a good move. Worth it just to get in the line "who said anything about him?"

It works better than the "I am no man" line in the movie version of RotK, because at that point the audience (and even Merry! ) knew it was Eowyn. But the audience hadn't been tipped off who Varys was backing (until now ). I do wonder if this other Targaryen (forget his name) will make an appearance.

It is a really great line. I just hope they explain why Varys was cool with assassinating Dany in season one. Wheels within wheels, I'm sure. Razz

by Bluebottle Mon Mar 16, 2015 12:46 pm

I think you could probably explain that by saying Varys and Illyrio didn't decide to back Dany until she got the Dragons. Meaning their plans are evolving to fit their circumstances and open to change.

But hten how do you explain Varys and Illyrios meeting under the Red Keep in season 1 that Arya overheard. Which very much hinted at a in place and well constructed plan for the conquest of Westeros. Which was what? They had just sent Daenerys and Viseys off with the Dorthraki, knowing they would most likely die. And episodes later Varys, admittedly on Roberts orders, as you say, tries to have Dany poisoned.. It certainly doesn't make sense in the context of backing the Targaryans for the throne, because that's not what George wrote those sceenes to make sense as.

I guess it's one of those things one should try to not think that hard about. Shrugging

by Bluebottle Tue Mar 17, 2015 1:16 pm

George RR Martin made a quite interesting post on his livejournal a couple of days ago about his views on the number of seasons the show will have.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/412015.html

And have been answering some pretty direct questions in the aftermath.

On the nature of adaptation;

My view on ALL translations from page to screen -- not just GAME OF THRONES, please note -- is that the best adaptations stay as close to the source material as possible.

(Melinda Snodgrass have had many amusing debates on this subject at conventions).

Certain changes are always going to be required, as dictated by the realities of budget, shooting schedule, production requirements, and the like. But going beyond that is always a risk. The best Marvel movies, for instance, are those that stay closest to Stan Lee.

There is a reason a book or a comic is closer for adaptation, after all. Hollywood does not buy bad novels or comic books; they are cherry-picking the good stuff.

That being said, no adaptation can be completely faithful. We are dealing with different mediums, and there are always hard practical considerations.

Responding to someone saying the tv series passing the books was a betrayal;

I am not aware of any previous instances either... but then, life is full of firsts.

It is what it is.

I write the books as fast as I can, but that's not very fast. They are very big, very complex, very challenging. I have never been a fast writer, and the passage of years is not making me any faster.

Is it "kinda awkward?" Sure. Is it a "betrayal?" I think that's harsh, and unkind, and untrue.

Responding to someone putting forward he view that him spending time on other activities than writing the books is a problem.

I "see" that point of view, to the extent that I am aware of its existance, but it makes no sense to me.

Why would I delay the story 'of [my] own accord?' Every time a new ICE & FIRE books comes out, I make millions of dollars. If all I cared about was money, I would be churning out new installments every year. Maybe two a year. They would, of course, be crap, but they'd sell.

I have always been a slow writer. I have always done book tours, attended a half dozen SF cons each year, watched NFL games in the fall, travelled for business and pleasure. I have always had more than one project going at any one time: novels, short stories, anthologies, Wild Cards, what have you. Expecting me to drop all that seems entirely unreasonable to me.

And please, I am not the "custodian" of ICE & FIRE. That makes it sound as if I inherited it from a previous writer.

At least George is more han capable of answering these things eruditely.

by Bluebottle Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:31 pm

Livelink for the got world premier red carpet thingy.

http://bit.ly/1O3l9lM

by Mrs Figg Wed Mar 18, 2015 11:30 pm

I missed it Sad

by Eldorion Thu Mar 19, 2015 2:17 am

Ye gods, Natalie Dormer.

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Spoiler: