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HBO's Game of Thrones - Page 2

post #51 of 2289
11/24/08 at 3:56pm
Fantasy is interesting because you guys really don't care about prose. I mean, Martin's not a good prose writer. Period. You might like his stories and shit, but the guy can't write good sentences.

I think that there's an overblown, boring quality to his work that fantasy fans, used to reading books literally written at a high school level, mistake with 'good.'
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post #52 of 2289
11/24/08 at 4:12pm
I dug Martin for the plot and the characters, but yeah, definitely not for the high quality of the writing.
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post #53 of 2289
11/24/08 at 4:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd View Post
True Blood, of which I couldn't even finish one episode, is very much in the sexy vampire romantic fiction genre. It's adapted from books that might as well have been Twilight, or Anita Blake, or what the fuck ever. Martin is just from a (slightly) different corner of Barnes and Noble.
Believe me when I tell you those Sookie Stackhouse novels rank below even Twilight in terms of extreme crap.

I don't read a lot of fantasy any more, but I'll pick one up from time to time based on what the boards are saying. I wasn't that impressed by the Rothfuss or The Lies of Locke Lamora. Lions of Al-Rassan was awesome, though.
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post #54 of 2289
11/24/08 at 5:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by devincf View Post
Fantasy is interesting because you guys really don't care about prose. I mean, Martin's not a good prose writer. Period. You might like his stories and shit, but the guy can't write good sentences.

I think that there's an overblown, boring quality to his work that fantasy fans, used to reading books literally written at a high school level, mistake with 'good.'
I'd try Hal Duncan's Ink if I were you. Extremely well written and not for everyone.
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post #55 of 2289
11/24/08 at 5:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by devincf View Post
Fantasy is interesting because you guys really don't care about prose. I mean, Martin's not a good prose writer. Period. You might like his stories and shit, but the guy can't write good sentences.

I think that there's an overblown, boring quality to his work that fantasy fans, used to reading books literally written at a high school level, mistake with 'good.'
Deven is right, and I had problems finishing it also.
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post #56 of 2289
12/21/08 at 1:41am
http://winter-is-coming.blogspot.com...ive-pilot.html
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post #57 of 2289
12/21/08 at 1:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by devincf View Post
Fantasy is interesting because you guys really don't care about prose. I mean, Martin's not a good prose writer. Period. You might like his stories and shit, but the guy can't write good sentences.

I think that there's an overblown, boring quality to his work that fantasy fans, used to reading books literally written at a high school level, mistake with 'good.'
This is partly* right. Thing is most people confuse "writer" with "storyteller" (and even a lot of writers do that).
Martin's prose style is a drawback and he seems to have no concern for phrases or nuance or anything.

On the other hand, there isn't that much nuance to what he writes, plot-wise. Reading him is no different than watching a season of 24.

*edit: On second thought, saying fantasy is interesting because people don't care about prose is taking it too far.

Anyway, wasn't the season supposed to be one book? Or will they be expanding stories. It's been awhile, but that pilot description feels rushed.
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post #58 of 2289
2/5/09 at 10:58am
It's a rumor, hence the not send it as a scoop to Dev and the gang, but still, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion would be great.
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post #59 of 2289
2/6/09 at 7:59pm
http://winter-is-coming.blogspot.com...pt-leaked.html
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post #60 of 2289
5/6/09 at 11:20am
Director McCarthy, actor Dinklage in for pilot
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post #61 of 2289
5/6/09 at 11:32am
I don't understand this at all. "Deadwood", despite having good ratings, was cancelled after a third season largely because of its expense. I believe the same happened with "Rome". Why does HBO believe that the "Fire and Ice" series--a series featuring huge medieval battles, dragons and a massive cast--will be any less costly? Or is the plan to let it run for two or three seasons and then cancel it?
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post #62 of 2289
5/6/09 at 11:45am
From Brenner's link:

Quote:
Dinklage, repped by manager David Ginsberg and attorney Karl Austen, is filming two features: the indie "Pete Smalls Is Dead," which he also co-produces, and Screen Gems/Sidney Kimmel's remake of "Death at a Funeral."
They are remaking Death at a Funeral??? Is this for real? It is such a good, hilarious little movie as is. Was it deemed too British?
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post #63 of 2289
5/6/09 at 11:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattioli View Post
I don't understand this at all. "Deadwood", despite having good ratings, was cancelled after a third season largely because of its expense. I believe the same happened with "Rome". Why does HBO believe that the "Fire and Ice" series--a series featuring huge medieval battles, dragons and a massive cast--will be any less costly? Or is the plan to let it run for two or three seasons and then cancel it?
I guess they want to cash in the LOTR love left in the general populace.
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post #64 of 2289
5/6/09 at 8:16pm
Well the whole Deadwood thing was just a major fuckup by HBO, and they know it, which is why they made 'John From Cincinnati' as a kind of parting gift for Milch.

Then they go ahead and make 'The Pacific' and now this, while claiming they couldn't afford to keep Deadwood on the air. Still, by doing it now they know that no one really cares enough about Deadwood to make a fuss.

Though people rightly hail some of their programming, HBO are nearly as bad as the regular networks for stiffing shows sometimes.
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post #65 of 2289
5/7/09 at 3:13pm
I care enough to make a fuss.

...it's just no one will listen.
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post #66 of 2289
5/18/09 at 4:35pm
If THE KNIGHTS OF BLOODSTEEL (and a steady stream of other SciFi Original medieval schlock), KROD MANDOON, and LEGEND OF THE SEEKER can be made cheap enough, why not this?
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post #67 of 2289
5/18/09 at 4:40pm
Those are just TV. This is HBO.
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post #68 of 2289
5/18/09 at 4:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 View Post
If THE KNIGHTS OF BLOODSTEEL (and a steady stream of other SciFi Original medieval schlock), KROD MANDOON, and LEGEND OF THE SEEKER can be made cheap enough, why not this?
Yeah but those look cheap looking.HBO shows tend to be of a much higher quality which costs $$
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post #69 of 2289
5/18/09 at 6:34pm
Feh. A poor artist blames his tools (AKA budget).
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post #70 of 2289
7/20/09 at 10:26am
Bump. New casting news. Sean Bean to play Ned Stark.
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post #71 of 2289
7/20/09 at 10:31am
Blaaaargh, submit scoops etc.

That's very in keeping with Sean Bean characters.
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post #72 of 2289
7/20/09 at 10:35am
Blarg, it's been in several sites. Obviously no one here wanted to report this piece of news.
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post #73 of 2289
7/20/09 at 11:39am
Or had a chance to yet. They usually ask you submit a scoop and wait an hour or so. If there's no story, go nuts.
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post #74 of 2289
7/20/09 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca S. View Post
Blaaaargh, submit scoops etc.

That's very in keeping with Sean Bean characters.
Yep. This is pretty much on par with [spoiler] Keith Carradine on Deadwood casting [/spoiler]
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post #75 of 2289
7/20/09 at 1:53pm
Took me a second to figure out what you were getting at there.
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post #76 of 2289
7/20/09 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HBarr View Post
Bump. New casting news. Sean Bean to play Ned Stark.
Wow. Great casting. Thanks for the news!

Now, what are the chances they pick up Josh Holloway (Sawyer) to play Jaime Lannister ...
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post #77 of 2289
7/20/09 at 2:12pm
I'd always envisioned Viggo Mortensen in the role, but I'll gladly accept Boromir in place of Aragorn.

...and, God willing, that'll be the nerdiest comment I make all week.
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post #78 of 2289
7/20/09 at 2:25pm
Also, Mark Addy from Still Standing is playing Robert Baratheon.
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post #79 of 2289
7/20/09 at 2:30pm
I had no idea who he is or what "Still Standing" was until I looked it up. I see him as Baratheon about as much as I see a guy that looks like that scoring Jamie Gertz.
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post #80 of 2289
7/20/09 at 2:42pm
Well, by the time we see him in the book, he's gotten fat and lazy, so physically, Addy's got it. I've just never seen him in anything really dramatic to tell if he can pull off the part.
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post #81 of 2289
7/20/09 at 3:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
Well, by the time we see him in the book, he's gotten fat and lazy, so physically, Addy's got it. I've just never seen him in anything really dramatic to tell if he can pull off the part.
I don't really have an idea of this guy's size and, regardless of fatness, I always pictured Robert as a physically imposing presence. He's supposed to be a guy that used to wield a warhammer into battle. So, at the opening of "A Game of Thrones", he should be like a retired football player that's let himself go to pot. I pictured this dude when I read the first book:

Except, y'know, without the cheesy hawk costume...
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post #82 of 2289
7/20/09 at 3:03pm
Well, he'll probably be tied up with Thor, so he was most likely never a possibility.
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post #83 of 2289
7/20/09 at 3:05pm
Yeah, I pictured Blessed pretty much as he was in The Black Adder.
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post #84 of 2289
7/20/09 at 3:16pm
I fourth the Blessed nomination ... though he must be getting on in years by now.

I expect Alan Dale to be announced as Tywin Lannister any moment now.
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post #85 of 2289
7/20/09 at 5:11pm
If it follows the books, this show will live or die on how well they cast the Stark children.
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post #86 of 2289
7/20/09 at 5:13pm
Arya is gonna have to blow us all away, me thinks.
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post #87 of 2289
7/20/09 at 5:14pm
Jon Snow has been cast too but I forget who it is off the top of my head. THR has the story.
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post #88 of 2289
7/20/09 at 5:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HBarr View Post
Jon Snow has been cast too but I forget who it is off the top of my head. THR has the story.
Someone named Kit Harrington. Here, I just found this goofy link with the actors.
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post #89 of 2289
7/20/09 at 5:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
If it follows the books, this show will live or die on how well they cast the Stark children.
Hurm. I always thought Game of Thrones was the least juvenile-centric of the novels in terms of plotting.

I expect Brandon Sanderson to take over writing duties for George R.R. Martin at any moment now.
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post #90 of 2289
7/20/09 at 5:53pm
It's far too off to speculate, but I still wonder what the series will do if it makes it through "A Feast for Crows" because I anticipate that Martin will still not have completed "A Dance of Dragons" by that point.
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post #91 of 2289
7/20/09 at 6:50pm
You know what? I fucking hope so, that fat furry porn editing fuck. Let Benioff and Weiss finish it.
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post #92 of 2289
7/20/09 at 8:56pm
It's funny that GRRM has lost so much sentiment for taking a long time to finish his series. It's funny because I can see him dying before the series gets finished (but not before finishing A Dance With Dragons) and the HBO series having to create it's own ending AND be much better than the books overall.

That's assuming HBO greenlights the series and they go on for 5+ seasons. A huge hypothetical. But a TV series could actually improve on the books in many ways (I say this as a ASOIF fan, and I have a hunch Martin would agree).
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post #93 of 2289
7/20/09 at 11:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GDog View Post
It's funny that GRRM has lost so much sentiment for taking a long time to finish his series.
Well, the problem isn't that he's taking too long to finish the series. It's that there's a perception (rightly or wrongly) that he no longer gives two shits about finishing the series. Most reasonable folk are understanding if someone takes a long time to get something out if they're working on it. Cameron with Avatar being a good example. People are much less understanding in Martin's case because there is the sense he's cashed in his checks and almost gone into retirement.

I'm doing a re-read of the four books, and the guy is a pretty cringe-worthy writer of prose, and he's amazingly sophomoric with anything remotely sexual or scatological. He's a great creator of scenarios, plots, and characters though, and I bet his work will translate well to the screen because nothing will be lost losing his words.
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post #94 of 2289
7/21/09 at 12:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louris View Post
People are much less understanding in Martin's case because there is the sense he's cashed in his checks and almost gone into retirement.
And the fact that, if you read his blog, he's doing everything BUT working on the novel. Including never missing an opportunity to shill merchandise.
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post #95 of 2289
7/21/09 at 3:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Dickson View Post
And the fact that, if you read his blog, he's doing everything BUT working on the novel. Including never missing an opportunity to shill merchandise.
I do so love his posts about collecting toy knights, though. Don't you?
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post #96 of 2289
7/21/09 at 3:11am
I thought people were down on him because the last book was unmitigated dogshit.
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post #97 of 2289
7/21/09 at 11:58am
I always got the impression that Martin really does believe he's going to finish his series, someday. I just think the odds are against it, as he's not exactly the eat right and exercise kind of guy. But who knows, Kurt Vonnegut managed to make it to 85.
(Please please don't read that as any comparison of Martin to Vonnegut, other than as two authors who could give fuck all about their health)
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post #98 of 2289
7/21/09 at 12:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louris View Post
I'm doing a re-read of the four books, and the guy is a pretty cringe-worthy writer of prose, and he's amazingly sophomoric with anything remotely sexual or scatological. He's a great creator of scenarios, plots, and characters though, and I bet his work will translate well to the screen because nothing will be lost losing his words.
This is pretty much my feeling, too. Though the prose seems to have improved somewhat by the second book (which is as far as I've read so far).

It would be kind of interesting to see Benioff, Weiss, or someone else finish the story on TV. I haven't read this fabled fourth book that everyone finds so terrible, but the consensus seems to be that it feels half-finished, so it's possible they'll need to write new material for that season of the show, even before they get past the finished novels. I do like Martin's plotting and characterization so far, but as long as he's provided an outline or whatever I'm sure any reasonably talented writer could render it on the show.

That's pretty much exactly what I wish had happened for Stephen King's Dark Tower series, I'll tell you right now.
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post #99 of 2289
7/21/09 at 12:21pm
I feel that they could pretty much throw out everything that happens plotwise and just go nuts with the characters and the world thats been set up. Some characters live that shouldn't and vice versa. They're doing that with True Blood, and apparently it's working.
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post #100 of 2289
7/21/09 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Prankster View Post
I haven't read this fabled fourth book that everyone finds so terrible, but the consensus seems to be that it feels half-finished, so it's possible they'll need to write new material for that season of the show, even before they get past the finished novels.
I'm actually re-reading "A Feast for Crows" at the moment. It's not terrible. I think the main concern is that it doesn't treat with the characters that people are most interested in. Instead, we're introduced to a handful of new P.O.V. characters. The second major concern is that it seems like it's treading water a bit. The main plots are barely touched upon. My hope is that it's because "Feast" represents the movement of certain chess pieces into place for the next gambit (which may very well never happen). The bottom line is that I do not believe there would be so many complaints about "Feast" if it's chapters had been part of a larger novel (as originally intended).
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