Rory McClan who plays the murderous and fire scarred Hound on Game of Thrones had a bit part as Micheal Armstrong in the 2007 action comedy Hot Fuzz.
Is it hard to believe that McClan once played such a docile and loveable character? Yarp. Arguably one of my favorite films of the last decade Hot Fuzz has such a tremendous supporting cast it does not surprise me at all that I have gone this long not connecting the dots.
Credit: [mentalFloss] via [Fark]
My unbridled love for HBO’s Game of Thrones is reaching a fever pitch with the third season just over a month away. And finally we have a full trailer which features some fleeting glances of some of the new characters and returning favorites this season which is based George RR Martin’s third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords.
Mance Rayder! Dragons! The Unsullied! PETER FUCKING DINKLAGE!!!!! Make sure that your DVR series recordings are set for Game of Thrones as it will return to premium cable on Sunday March 31st at 9:00pm.
via [Ain't It Cool News]
I like much of the English speaking world, am eagerly anticipating the next season of HBO’s Game of Thrones. The third season is currently in production, and while some cast members were announced around San Diego Comic Con there was one key character yet to be cast, Mance Ryder, The King Beyond The Wall.
/Film picked up on an interview with The Wire’s Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty) who said that he was offered a substantial part (which people believe to have been that of Ryder):
“I was offered something on Game of Thrones and unfortunately, I hadn’t seen it, but my nephew and his father said, ‘Gosh, Game of Thrones is the only great show on!’ And I felt terrible, because I’d just turned them down,”
Ugh. Jimmy McNulty is one of the great damaged heroes in all of television. I really would have loved to see West in any capacity on Game of Thrones.
I could go on for hours about how damn great The Wire is. I will leave you with one of my favorite scenes from the first season while I sulk about the lack of Dominic West in Game of Thrones.
Credit: [/Film via HuffPost TV]
The Walking Dead comes back this October for Season 3. The trailer is just non-stop. The prison! Michonee! The Governor! And Merle?!?! [Topless Robot]
After years in a legal battle over merchandise rights, Mattel and Hot Toys will start producing action figures based on the 1966 Batman series. The ’66 Batmobile from Hot Toys is a thing of beauty. [Action Figure Insider] & [Action Figure Pics]
During a panel for Dredd, Karl Urban let loose that footage from Star Trek 2 will end up on YouTube before the end of the weekend. [SlashFilm]
Neill Blomkamp’s followup to District 9, Elysium screened at SDCC and it sounds awesome. [Ain't It Cool News]
LEGO has unveiled their Superheroes Minifigure lineup for 2013. Spider-Man, Venom, Dr. Doom, Bane, Batman (possibly TDKR version) and even Aquaman! [FBTB]
Mattel also unveiled an exclusive subscription for 6″ scale, comic styled action figures based on The Watchmen [ToyNewsI]
Game of Thrones Season 3 begins March 2013. At the show’s panel, new cast members were introduced. Onto book three in the series, and possibly my favorite of all. [Screen Rant]
Entertainment Weekly had the exclusive list of the new characters we will be seeing next season on Game of Thrones. For fans of the show, many of these names have very little bearing at this point in time. However, long time fans of the the books are very excited at who will be introduced come next spring
No casting decisions as of yet, but here they are:
Mance Rayder: We’ve heard about him all season. A former member of the Night’s Watch who became the “King Beyond the Wall,” the leader of the Wildlings.
– Daario Naharis: A confident and seductive warrior.
– Jojen Reed; Meera Reed: A teenage brother and sister duo with special insights.
– Edmure Tully: A brash young member of the Tully family.
– Ser Brynden Tully (The Blackfish): Catelyn Stark’s uncle.
– Lady Selyse Florent: Stannis Baratheon’s wife.
– Shireen: Stannis’ daughter.
– Olenna Redwyne (The Queen of Thorns): Margaery Tyrell’s sharp-witted grandmother.
– Beric Dondarrion: A skilled knight who is the leader of the outlaw group Brotherhood Without Banners.
– Thoros of Myr: A red priest who follows the same religion as Melisandre.
– Tormund Giantsbane: A Wildling raider.
David Benioff and Dan Weiss have talked about some of the creative changes they have had to make translating from book to screen, specifically in that they have the largest cast on television. Speaking as someone who has read through the entire series to date, there are times where I get caught up in the who’s who of Westeros. So much so that when my dad calls me on Mondays to break down the latest episode, I get a little turned around.
Did you watch this past week’s episode of Game of Thrones? You did? Great, we can talk about it freely ….
How FUCKING good was that episode? The Battle of the Blackwater is a crucial plot point in A Song of Ice & Fire series. It was so important that the show runners brought in series author George RR Martin to script the episode and Neil Marshall (Descent, Centurion, Doomsday) in to direct it. I was absolutely blown away at how they were able to capture the major plot beats from the novel, while making TV appropriate adjustments.
I usually watch each episode twice, just to digest all of the dialogue and intrigue. I had to spool up Blackwater for a third time this week. I daresay that in a series in which excellence is par for the course, Blackwater may have been the finest installment to date.
And now words comes down from on high that HBO has granted us small folk a 10-minute bonus has been tacked onto this week’s season finale. Be sure to adjust your DVR’s accordingly.
Credit: [The Mary Sue]
Every Monday or Tuesday I typically get a phone call or text from my father asking for further clarification on the latest episode of Game of Thrones. One of the themes that comes up in our discussions is the various religions of Westeros.
Apparently my father is not alone in his confusion, and HBO has put together a pretty succinct video which breaks down all of the gods we come across in Game of Thrones. I will warn you that there are some spoilerish images for the remainder of the second season ahead.
via [Blastr]
Before last week’s premiere, I had full intentions of providing reviews of every episode of Game of Thrones. I may not get to full on reviews each week, but I want to make a point of breaking down some of the major plot points and elements. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I’ll pick things right up with the second episode “The Nightlands”.
For fans of the books as well as the television series, many wondered who would become the standout character over the course of the second season. WIth the way that George RR Martin developed the characters in the books, that preference changed rapidly (as many characters die in horrible ways). The same can be said for the show runners, who are doing a masterful job balancing the numerous plot lines and characters into a cohesive narrative (with hopes that it will pay off).
As a fan you may find yourself declaring for House Stark, because that is where the narrative begins. But as the story evolves, you start finding redeeming characteristics in some of the most unlikely places.
The easy choice for most is Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), who despite being known as “the imp”, strolled into Kings Landing as acting Hand of the King (by his father’s behest) to reel in the cruel boy King Joffrey and his mother the Queen Regent Cersei. Despite being enemies of the Starks, you can see especially in this week’s episode that Tyrion had a profound respect for Ned Stark and holds his King and Queen Regent to task for creating the War of the Five Kings which they are now in the midst of.
The other thing I wanted to make note of from this past week’s episode … Theon Greyjoy’s homecoming AWKWARD. It played out a little bit differently than the book, but the way Theon reunited with his long lost sister was a bit unnerving. Which is saying a lot considering the previous episode featured the slaughtering of babies.
The story in Game of Thrones is widening. We are going beyond the Wall and across the Narrow Sea to the Disputed Lands. Political intrigue in Kings Landing is a tricky thing, as Peter Baelish is learning (and seems to be taking a step back). The Iron Isles are ready for war, without their favorite son Theon at the vanguard. There is a lot to digest, this week and I’m interested to see how the pacing goes in the remaining eight episodes left this season.
HBO seems insistent on keeping fanboys primed for the second season of Game of Thrones. This latest trailer is probably the best yet, with glimpses of the Night’s Watch beyond the Wall, Melisandre, and the Battle of The Blackwater. Coupled with the music of Florence + The Machine makes for a pretty powerful trailer.
With less than a month to go, that anticipation is nearing fever pitch here at DDOY HQ.
I cannot even begin to describe how genuinely excited I am for the second season of Game of Thrones. While I dearly admire Justified and The Walking Dead, they both pale in comparison to the epic story unfolding on HBO. This latest teaser for the second season of Game of Thrones is chock full of greatness. Even though I’m finishing the fifth book up now, I still can’t wait …
H/T: [Ain't It Cool News]