I thought we’d had winter already on a global stage of culture–apparently, NO! Winter’s just beginning.
Because the word Hori means “George” in Te Reo Rangatira, The Language of Chiefs of Aotearoa New Zealand, I guess I should run guest commentary on George R.R Martin‘s book series hitting HBO where Oscar Winner Anna Paquin is this networks big, big star. Vampires… move over, horsemen and horsewomen are a coming to the USA via HBO. Wolves, stay though, along with humans in the trending topic of all world news – that being the theme of “power struggles.” Everyone involved in this new saga, looks a bit like Sir Peter Jackson‘s Oscars fan club. As I live here, and none of them do, really… I’m cool with that. Let’s wave these crazy kids Nordic flag today on Hollywood’s first and only Hollywood-based entertainment blog in The Entertainment (maybe soon to be Tsunami hit jk :) Capitol of the World.
Joy Press writes via Hero Complex of the LA Times today, what we can expect from HBO’s hit drama, Game of Thrones:
“Gargantuan dire wolves, frozen tundras, corrupt royals, brutal deflowerings, gullets slit wide open — oh, and don’t forget the debauched dwarf. The chilling slogan “Winter Is Coming” only hints at the epic scope and brooding cinematic feel of the much-anticipated series “Game of Thrones,” which premieres April 17.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels, the 10-episode saga is a high-stakes move for HBO — an expensive leap into spectacular fantasy for a network whose reputation was built on nuanced, character-driven dramas geared toward adults. The show’s stars merge actorly skill with genre-movie magnetism: Sean Bean is best known as Boromir inPeter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Lena Headey starred as Queen Gorgo in “300,” and indie movie veteran Peter Dinklage played Trumpkin in “Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.”
Writes Chicago Tribunes – Maureen Ryan: “The pilot for “Thrones” was shot in Northern Ireland and other European and North African locations in late 2009. Production will resume in June in Northern Ireland. It’s expected that the show will arrive on HBO in the spring of 2011, but no firm date has been set.”
Joy writes, “Thrones” has been in development since 2006. That’s when friends David Benioff and Dan Weiss decided they wanted to bring to life Martin’s magnum opus about bloody power struggles, dark mystical forces, and children grappling with the sins of their forefathers, all set in a gritty yet vaguely medieval fictional kingdom.
Benioff and Weiss have known each other for decades, and their meet-cute story is pretty unusual for hot Hollywood show runners: The Americans befriended each other while getting master’s degrees in Irish literature at Dublin’s Trinity College.
[Photo caption - Sean Bean and Julian Glover in "Game of Thrones" (Helen Sloan/HBO]
“Dan was studying Joyce, and I was studying Beckett,” Benioff says with a slight grin. The pair are sitting in a Pasadena hotel, both looking rakishly groomed, with 5 o’clock shadows in force midday.
Having studied two of 20th century modernism’s towering geniuses and later published literary fiction themselves (Benioff wrote several novels, including “The 25th Hour” and “City of Thieves,” while Weiss penned “Lucky Wander Boy”), it might seem strange that they were drawn to Tolkien-esque fantasy.
But for all their education and high-end novels, Weiss and Benioff quickly point out that they’re not just literary geeks: They are also Dungeons & Dragons geeks. “We were both dungeon masters,” says Weiss, whose novel “Lucky Wander Boy” is steeped in video game culture. In fact, the huge popularity of Martin-style fiction seems to go hand in hand with the immersive, drawn-out and escapist entertainment of video gaming.
It’s a full-on geek move that should stand them in excellent stead at Comic-Con International, though neither has learned Dothraki yet. Weiss quips, “It’s on my to-do list. I’ve been told Klingon was hard to learn, so we asked that it be easier to learn than Klingon.”
Maureen writes again, “HBO’s description of the series: “Based on the series of books by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is an epic struggle for power set in a vast and violent fantasy kingdom.”
Series regulars in alphabetical order: Read the rest of this entry »
THE HORIWOOD TOP TEN – FRI 3.25.11
Hollywood entertainment, celebrity and news topics voted today. Here’s our top ten with some Avalanche City singing Love, Love, Love shot on fan cam. Love it. This is Royal Wedding fever expressed this way on guitar, live in concert, Down Under in paradise. Woot!
1. Iran
2. China favors nuclear energy still
3. The Holocaust
4. Jeremy Irons new TV show
5. Jemaine Clement
6. Rachel Hunter
7. Google parodies Harry Houdini
8. Homage to Dame Elizabeth Taylor
9. Starbucks, smartphone spend & coffee, milk, free music in China
10. In Libya all military spend gets served up to NATO
Travel destination nation - Hanakapi’ai Falls
Song Lyrics via – Ngaio May – Girl I say, if only life would lean our way, well you and me we’d run away to be where ever our adventure waits. And time would be a distant memory, nobody could tell us to stay. Well I’ve been dreaming ever since I’ve seen you, heaven when you came my way.
I heard your heart sing love, love, love. I heard you heart sing love, love, love. I heard your heart sing love, love, love. I heard your heart sing love, love, love.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by horiwood on March 26, 2011 in Entertainment Celebrity News, Music Industry News, Horiwood Top 10, Hollywood Entertainment News, Kiwi Pop, Poetry, Song Lyrics, Entertainment News, Guitar, Live Music Artists, Entertainment Distribution, Pop Cultural Commentary, Song Writers, Celtics, Avalanche City