Back on the Game of Thrones Band Wagon- Spolier Free
About to eat humble pie after months of moaning about how Game of Thrones has taken over the UK convention circuit I'm back watching the show...and loving it!
I did watch the first season not long after it aired but alas lost the channel it was aired on (Don't get me started on the Tyrannical reign of Sky One! There's not enough blogg space) I was left in a void as harsh as any landscape found beyond The Wall. Bitterness grew as fantasy became 'Fashionable', I know I know I should be pleased that fantasy was being priased, loved and talked about especially as a long term lover of made up worlds, orcs and warriors I was told time and time again that 'Fantasy was boring' and faced with indifference. (That idea was voiced by many of my fellow Geeks as well)
I think that being spoliered and the focus in the media being drawn to the violence and nudity (As Always see any article about Spartacus) rather then it's epic storytelling, award worthy acting and breath taking cinematics was the main source of my grumblings.
Yet thanks to a wonderful relative lending me the First and Second season combined boxset I have been reminded again why I fell in love with the show and seek to read the books.
It's not television, it's not even a movie on the small screen, it's part of a new wave of media that breaks away from convention and seeks to push the boundaries of entertainment. This, along with shows like The Walking Dead and Spartacus have dared to challenge the conventions of TV, creating vast worlds and characters that before had only been put onto the big screen in Epics or more often found in books (As GoT and TWD did originate from and what inspired Spartacus).
The direction is more cinematic in scope, a dedication to detail and characters which challenge the sterotypical stock figures we are used to. I find myself wondering if I should be liking the characters. Are they truly heroes or villains? Are they the victim of others or a bully themselves? How much are they a product of their world or a reflection of our own world's inner demons? Again this is only possible because of the brilliant script writers and talent of these actor's who keep you second guessing and totally clueless as to where the story is heading. I have read half of the Walking Dead comics before season 3, I know the historical events around Spartacus' rebellion, yet every week the cast and crew manage to put in a performance that rises above it's already brilliant source material and tweak it just enough to not only surprise but IMPROVE in most cases the dramatic tension.
As expected and already mentioned these sort of shows grab the Media's attention, though liked, the press emphasise the violence and nudity questioning its use. As edited versions of these shows have proven, in most cases they are vital in the creation of these darker, dangerous worlds. (One Australian reviewer at AUSXIP commented on viewing both the original and edited cuts of Spartacus that little sense could be made of the story once the more hardcore scenes were removed.)
I'm rambling a bit now but the inner Geek needed an outlet ;D
I did watch the first season not long after it aired but alas lost the channel it was aired on (Don't get me started on the Tyrannical reign of Sky One! There's not enough blogg space) I was left in a void as harsh as any landscape found beyond The Wall. Bitterness grew as fantasy became 'Fashionable', I know I know I should be pleased that fantasy was being priased, loved and talked about especially as a long term lover of made up worlds, orcs and warriors I was told time and time again that 'Fantasy was boring' and faced with indifference. (That idea was voiced by many of my fellow Geeks as well)
I think that being spoliered and the focus in the media being drawn to the violence and nudity (As Always see any article about Spartacus) rather then it's epic storytelling, award worthy acting and breath taking cinematics was the main source of my grumblings.
Yet thanks to a wonderful relative lending me the First and Second season combined boxset I have been reminded again why I fell in love with the show and seek to read the books.
It's not television, it's not even a movie on the small screen, it's part of a new wave of media that breaks away from convention and seeks to push the boundaries of entertainment. This, along with shows like The Walking Dead and Spartacus have dared to challenge the conventions of TV, creating vast worlds and characters that before had only been put onto the big screen in Epics or more often found in books (As GoT and TWD did originate from and what inspired Spartacus).
The direction is more cinematic in scope, a dedication to detail and characters which challenge the sterotypical stock figures we are used to. I find myself wondering if I should be liking the characters. Are they truly heroes or villains? Are they the victim of others or a bully themselves? How much are they a product of their world or a reflection of our own world's inner demons? Again this is only possible because of the brilliant script writers and talent of these actor's who keep you second guessing and totally clueless as to where the story is heading. I have read half of the Walking Dead comics before season 3, I know the historical events around Spartacus' rebellion, yet every week the cast and crew manage to put in a performance that rises above it's already brilliant source material and tweak it just enough to not only surprise but IMPROVE in most cases the dramatic tension.
As expected and already mentioned these sort of shows grab the Media's attention, though liked, the press emphasise the violence and nudity questioning its use. As edited versions of these shows have proven, in most cases they are vital in the creation of these darker, dangerous worlds. (One Australian reviewer at AUSXIP commented on viewing both the original and edited cuts of Spartacus that little sense could be made of the story once the more hardcore scenes were removed.)
I'm rambling a bit now but the inner Geek needed an outlet ;D