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But I have not seen any comments on the new intro. Is it just me, or did anybody else notice the split-second blinking while flying over Westeros? It looks like a flash frame, but I see the afterimage of a huge eyelid. I take it we are being treated to a dragon's point of view!
There's always been a point in the intro where the camera 'pulls back' from the map and there's a scissoring sound as the view passes through the 'ball of fire' object that I always thought represented a sun banded by brass rings. The brass rings appear to be spinning/rotating/"helixing" around the 'ball of fire' in different orientations, causing them to scissor at that point.
It was later pointed out that there was a marked similarity between the "ball of fire" and the armillary chandeliers in the Maesters Citadel in OldTown. There's a theory is that the opening credit is the point of view of a maester in the Citadel looking down through one of these armillaries at a map of Westeros.
D&D are writing their story, their way. It works, Game of Thrones is now the most watched non-sport, scripted TV series. Yes, they throw in some sex. Yes, they change characters from the book. They do what they think they need to do to make the best story they can. Some people won't like it. Some will. That's the way the horse races.
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Originally Posted by Grandstander
I've read the books and your complaints about the series are my complaints about the book. The series is way tighter and more cohesive than Martin's print saga which keeps widening and expanding with new characters at the expense of the central story.
I am only half-way through the first book (well, audiobook) and I am quite unimpressed with Martin's writing. It is bland and boring to me. As for any comparison to LOTR, he is definitely no JRR Tolkien, as far as I am concerned.
But reading the book now just amplifies my appreciation of the brilliance of D&D in their production of the TV series. Their imaginations tightened up the story (mostly ;-) and filled it out in an epic and grandiose way. They are the true "authors" of the show.
As for any comparison to LOTR, he is definitely no JRR Tolkien, as far as I am concerned.
Both Tolkien and Martin wrote a Fantasy story that appealed to a huge part of the population, including lots of people who hate Fantasy stories. In that sense, Martin is the American Tolkien. But there, the comparisons end. The two stories could not possibly be more different in terms of style, tone, morality, and theme.
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Originally Posted by noodlecat
But reading the book now just amplifies my appreciation of the brilliance of D&D in their production of the TV series. Their imaginations tightened up the story (mostly ;-) and filled it out in an epic and grandiose way. They are the true "authors" of the show.
Tightened the story? Yes, they did. Oftentimes to great improvement. But other times the lack of a TV show's budget shows. The wedding of Dany and Drogo is one of the best examples. In the book it is filled with tension and adventure and hope, and the wedding night develops the characters of both quite brilliantly. In the TV show it's just creepy.
The TV show more epic and grandiose? No. Quite the opposite in fact. The TV show has had to cut so much of the epic battles, grand locales, and characters that the TV show's scope is really quite small compared to the books.
The opening credits are actually like a Dyson Sphere. IOW, it's a 3-D map, projected on the inside of a sphere. At the center is the spherical astrolabe. Which yes, matches the scene in Oldtown, at the Citadel.
I've read all the books, and obviously watched all the episodes (duh!). The books range from great (the first three), to meandering slogs that could easily be edited (4,5). GRRM just got bogged down in the depths of his story.
Honestly, now that the TV series has moved this far, and will wrap up next season, I doubt I'll read the last two books. I didn't enjoy #4/#5 near as much as 1/2/3, and unless reviews are five-star, will be happy knowing the outcome based on the TV series.
It would not surprise me if he doesn't even finish them. He has a lot on his plate, he's enjoying life to the fullest, and he may feel like we do--once the story's told, why tell it again? Does he really want to devote another 5+ years of his life to the last book? He will publish #6 sometime next year, before the final season. But #7? Maybe never.
It would not surprise me if he doesn't even finish them. He has a lot on his plate, he's enjoying life to the fullest, and he may feel like we do--once the story's told, why tell it again? Does he really want to devote another 5+ years of his life to the last book? He will publish #6 sometime next year, before the final season. But #7? Maybe never.
I sometimes wonder if Martin enjoys being a writer more than he actually enjoys writing.
Grrr.....I got astrolabe mixed up with orrery. The Maesters Citadel has a large orrery (which models a solar system), and several pendent lamps styled as armillaries (which model the pattern of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky).
Maybe I should have stopped when the Dyson sphere was brought up
There's always been a point in the intro where the camera 'pulls back' from the map and there's a scissoring sound as the view passes through the 'ball of fire' object that I always thought represented a sun banded by brass rings. The brass rings appear to be spinning/rotating/"helixing" around the 'ball of fire' in different orientations, causing them to scissor at that point.
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I thought that was a lens change like when you're looking through a magnifying spyglass. Change lenses to zoom out.
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