Oh, how quickly other worlds are forgotten. Like the real one of Melbourne 2011, or the fictional one of Tokyo 1Q84.
We have watched four episodes and this is going to be my summer obsession. Fuck bbqs and beer, give me Middle Earth and a show that actually hired a language consultant to create a glossary. Well, maybe bbqs and lagers can be accommodated.
David J. Peterson from the Language Creating Society was hired by HBO to develop the Dothraki language – "possessing its own unique sound, extensive vocabulary of more than 1,800 words and complex grammatical structure" – to be used in the series. [from wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones_%28TV_series%29]
There's too much goodness here, so much so that the books are on my Christmas list.
But I don't read fantasy, she says.
Oh, shut up, she says.
It's going to distract you, she says.
From what? she says.
From, you know. Being focused on your own stuff. The business.
Oh shut up.
Delicious.
11 comments:
Long time, no post-comments-on-your-blog! I'm sharing your current obsession at the moment.
I ordered the box set of the first 4 books and the new one - I'm only on book 2 and wondering how this level of suspense can be sustained for 3 more!
Mrs Grover thinks I'm cheating because I didn't read the first book, but I don't seem to have missed anything by watching it. I've promised to go back to it once I've finished the latter books.
I'm looking forward to reading what you think of the books a la 1Q84 - although with 5 massive volumes it might overtake the Diarama!
You have convinced me. It turns out I do indeed have some episodes of this. Am going to give it a watch.
Holy shit-balls. This was directed by Lee Van Cleef's ninja apprentice from The Master.
My boyfriend said "I don't like fantasy but I suppose I'll watch a few episodes with you".
Then there is Game of Thrones.
hey grover, have you seen the season 2 trailer? It's tiny and short but enough of a teaser to get me all revved up all over again.
I am being given the five books for Christmas from Clokes. Just found out today. They are small paperback which is not ideal but I don't care that much.
Grover, you're getting the box set? What format? I'm guessing bigger.
Maybe we could discuss?
Elaine, have you or are you reading, intending to read the books? Or listen to them? I also don't like or read fantasy, but as you say. Then there is GoT, as the cool kids say (my bro.)
And Grover, always time for Diarama. can never have too many sagas on the go at once.
Have you watched any yet Alex?
Sorry Elaine, der just went and checked, you ARE listening while knitting.
Maybe we need some discussion on this? Seems like about four of us are either watching, have watched, reading, have read.
Hey Alex
This is off topic but recently in one of our pornography discussions you said that google shapes its search results based on your individual search history. So that when you google 'cooking with eggs' your results will differ from mine when I google 'cooking with eggs'
Can you direct me to any articles where this has been discussed? In plain English that I would understand? I need a reference for an essay I'm writing.
Thanks!
Best place to start is probably the lecture that brought mainstream attention to this thing. Also, here's the Wikipedia page on the "filter bubbles" that he's talking about. I know you can't quote Wikipedia directly but you might find something useful in the further reading and reference links at the bottom. If you're looking at Google specifically, here's their own page on personalised search. And here's a page that discusses it in a bit more detail. I probably wouldn't use that last one for a reference, either. Just for background knowledge.
And on Thrones: Yep, I've watched the first few episodes and, well, um ... I hate to be the David to everyone else's Margaret, but, well, I don't agree about how great it is. Or at least, certain aspects of it. The actual yarn had me sucked in by the end of episode two and the people playing the dwarf and the youngest princess are excellent; but I'm finding the cinematography distracting. The story and dialogue and performances mostly seem so serious and sombre and dramatic and bleak and you can sort of feel them trying to conjure up this sense of gravitas, but then it all gets undermined by these visuals that are so unbelievably bright and crisp and clean and so very, very flat.
Still, I think I'll probably watch it through to the end. It's only ten episodes, and I do like the story, so far. Maybe I'd be better off reading the books.
Alex I can see the flaws as well but they don't matter to me, or not enough to make me not enjoy it tremendously. Of course it's not perfect, nothing is, I too have my criticisms but for me it's about silencing that little voice and letting myself be carried away by it. I don't think it's something that should be taken too seriously, and Princess has already disengaged from it, saying it's not historically accurate fashion-wise, plus we also had a heated discussion about whether the 'barbarian' types across the Narrow Sea could have been based on Gauls or not. These things annoy her. She's only 15 but she can tell you who wore what throughout the ages.
I agree with you, the youngest girl, Aria? and the dwarf, The Imp, are my two favourite characters so far. I love the bleakness, and the different locations esp Winterwall although I can see what you're saying about the cinematography. The light seems very wrong for Kings Landing (Knots Landing, as Clokes says) and the scenes across the Narrow Sea are too bright as well. So something's wrong there. The brother-sister duo in robey attire, they seem like caricatures and I keep calling the blond-bobbed brother Martin Bryant.
But as always, it's the story so I forgive these cosmetic things and just want more, more, more of the plot.
Thanks for the links to the google search thing as well!
Things like attire and architecture don't bother me, since it's obviously a fictional setting. As long as the internal logic seems consistent, I can go with it.
I think everything that goes on across The Narrow Sea seems a bit caricature-ish; barbarians included. But, even that grew on me eventually.
And have you noticed how it's sort of shot like a soap opera? Everyone standing or sitting upright, looking just off camera and talking. I think that's one of the things that The Imp brings (I've seen him before and wish I could remember his name); he's always looking for something to do -- to immerse himself in the world so that it doesn't seem so flat when he's on screen. The Wildling girl who gets captured by the Stark boys is much the same. Good acting overcoming bad direction?
Interestingly, at about episode four, it struck me that I wasn't watching an adventure series but a political drama with a fantasy setting. That made me smile.
Post a Comment