(no subject)

[shadowkat]

1. Had to look up Tony Curran who plays Datak Tarr in Defiance. Because I've seen him before - turns out he played Vincent Van Gough on Doctor Who, amongst other character roles. I adore the actor.

2. Apparently there's controversy over whether or not Arianne Martell has been cast or cut from the tv version of GOT. Okay that I understand. She's actually a pivotal character and a strong female character. I'd rather they cut the Iron Born and Quentyn Martell (who is annoying).

The book version has too many characters, as previously stated. And too much plot, also previously stated ad nauseum in various places. But it does have some of the best written female characters that I've seen.

3. Sharknado 2

"Sharks on the Subway"

Hee.

Also the statue of Liberty's head is rolling down the street taking people out.

I can hear the pitch meeting now:

Tornadoes? Dull and been done.
I know lets add Sharks!
That was also done.
Let's put it in New York City.
And call it "Sharknado!"

The Today Show:

Matt: It's tornadoes with -
Weather guy: sharkna-.
Matt: Tornados with sharks.
Weather Guy: They had this in Los Angeles, it's called a "sharknado". A rare occurrence where a water spout pulls up sea life, but with a sharknado - it's even more deadly, because it pulls up sharks.
Matt: You need to avoid going near one at all costs. (As if you'd want to go near a twister to begin with - I mean, hello, twisters take your head off.)
Weather guy: This is a twister with teeth.

They even have a song. "La, la, la..sharknado, go, go, go, go...sharknado.."

And to up the ante, because you know having water spout twisters with sharks is just not enough - they cut off the Statue of Liberty's head and have it bash into things like a huge bowling ball. The films always have a grizzled old guy/famous tv actor - this round it's Judd Hirsch as a cab driver - who takes our team of heros from place to place to fight sharknado and save each other.

The weather report:

"There could two inches of sharks coming down from the sky per hour. So you need to be really careful of flooding on Broadway. "

Comments

[ann1962]

I laughed out loud with Judd Hirsch as the taxi driver, like when he was in Taxi! Lots of nods!

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Then the line after Hirsch dies...when the guy from Beverly Hills 90121 (Ian)decides to use the sharks to jump across..

Guy: Dude - you've totally jumped the-
Ian: don't say it -
Guy: Jumped the shark!

Hee.

It's ludicrous on purpose. Only watched 20 minutes of it - mainly because it was on too late and bed called.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

I think they can get away with no Arianne next season and perhaps the following one. But I expect her to play a role in Book 6, so I'm surprised they don't just introduce her now.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Not unless they want to get rid of the whole "let's make Myrcella Queen" story line. Arianne was a major pov character in Feast and Dance. I know, I remember her chapters. The sand snakes, Trysten, and Aeof Hotah on the other hand really weren't that important. And they've all been cast. Aeof does get POV chapters, but they are deadly dull - but Arianne was the focus of most of them.

I can see why people are upset. I think she'll be cast, it makes no sense not too, unless they plan on completely rewriting the Dorn chapters...which makes no sense. I can understand wanting to condense or rewrite certain sections (Quentyn, Victorian, and a good portion of Davos and Sam's. But Arianne's? Really?)

[sophist.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, all that stuff is in there. I just expect them to write that story line without her. Whether that works or not is something we'll have to see.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

They may just cut that story. It doesn't really go anywhere. And write something else instead.

Actually there's quite a few story threads they should cut. I'd cut 75% of the pov's in A Dance With Dragons. I'd cut 50% of the book - it's a waste of paper. The man overwrites.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

Heh. I pretty much agree. I say "pretty much" because it's always possible that future books will make stuff relevant that doesn't seem so now. But I doubt it.

I'm often kind of a purist when it comes to converting books to movies or TV. I want it all in there. But this is a case where I think the story will benefit by compression.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's hard to get too upset when the tv version of GOT cuts characters or plot-threads.

The book is repetitive in places. I keep thinking, come on, get on with it.

I can however see why a lot of fans are so obsessed with Jon Snow being Rhaegar's son. GRRM spends a heck of a lot of time on Rhaegar's back story via Jon Connington's chapters. You want it to lead somewhere. And from what I've read? Yeah, it's highly likely. There's about five chapters - whose sole purpose in life is to explain how Rhaegar was forced to marry Ellia of Dorn, who was a weakling, sickly and barely survived childbirth. She only could have two kids. And what a great guy Rhaegar truly was - what an amazing and charismatic leader and king he'd have been. (Robert Barratheon is coming out to be a complete ass in these chapters. And I'm starting to wonder about Ned Stark.) There's also a lot of information regarding how people don't get wed to who they want to be wed to. Catelynn stole Lady Dustin of Barrowtown's suitor (Brandon), while Tywin Lannister stole Aerys lover.
So a lot of these conflicts were the direct result of star-crossed lovers being broken up for property and land treaties.

So we have:

* Lord Baelish (Little Finger) hating the Starks and Tully's for denying him Catelynn's hand.
* Lady Dustin hating the Tully's and Starks for denying her Brandon and Ned's hand.
* Aerys hating the Lannisters for denying him...
* Robert Barratheon declaring war on the Tarragaren's because Lyanna (ran off with/kidnapped) by Rhaegar.
* Cersei killing Robert because she'd rather be with her twin Jamie, and being upset with Ellia for marrying Rhaegar instead of her.

It's the War of Roses, basically.

At any rate - there's certainly enough evidence to build a case for Jon Snow being Lyanna and Rhagear's kid. And I think people care because those chapters are deadly dull and it helps if they mean something and aren't just filler.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

I'm a firm believer in R+L=J. I'm not sure what GRRM is going to do with it, but there's too much story for it to end up not mattering.

I agree with most of your points, but in defense of Ned, remember that Aerys burned his father alive at the stake for no reason, and that his brother was strangled trying to rescue his father. Robert's weaknesses wouldn't have been nearly as apparent when they rebelled, and Ned had very good cause, even putting aside what he had reason to believe about Lyanna.

I'd add that Lady Dustin protests too much. I'm suspicious of her game here.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Yeah, lots of unreliable narrators in these books, which adds to the convoluted plot and the confusion. It's hard to care about some of the plot-threads or some of the characters after a while.

Dustin goes on and on and on for about three chapters about nasty Starks.
Apparently the head of the Stark clan had big plans, and his eyes on the Iron Throne according to Dustin. She tells poor Theon, who could care less, about this in about three or four of his chapters. That's actually the bulk of the chapters. I'm thinking - okay, this is nice, but I want to get back to the plan to save Jeyne from Ramsey. And finally, enough already, I get it - the Starks were selfish asses, can we move on please! (LOL!) Just to make sure, we get the point - Connington and Dany's chapters decide to discuss some of these bits as well. Then, so does Jon's. And we get it again in Barriston's and Victorian(whose povs I could have lived without.) All of this comes right after a bunch of cliff-hangers. So I'm thinking - okay, why is GRRM giving me all this back story on the Starks, Tarragaren's and Barratheon's prior to the old war or leading up to the old war - right now, except from the opposite pov?? (In the first three books - we got all this back story from Robert, Ned, Jamie, and Catelynn's pov's. Now we're getting it from the opposite side of the conflict. And they aren't looking quite so heroic..also the result of their actions...not so great.) And he really is hitting you over the head with a hammer on some of it. Yes, I know Robert was a blustering ass but a great strategic warrior - move on!

I wish GRRM would just write a prequel, and get on with the action at hand. Partly because I'm beginning to think the backstory or prequel is more interesting than the current story. And partly because it keeps slowing down the action. You hit a cliff-hanger, then all of a sudden you get more ancient history.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

It's all that talking to Theon that makes me think Lady Dustin is up to something. There's no reason to tell this to Theon unless (a) she's testing him for no obvious reason; or (b) she expects her statements to be reported back to Ramsey, which will reassure him of her loyalty. But that suggests she's NOT loyal to him (which she has no real reason to be -- he's insane). Plus, why does she really want to see the crypts? Her reasons don't make much sense. She was looking for something there, but I don't know what. I do suspect that she's actually loyal to the Starks.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Maybe, maybe not.

It could just be an explanation as to why she's supporting the Boltons, even though she despises them. Ie. "A cigar is just a cigar".

Keep in mind the writer is more character oriented than necessarily plot oriented.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

I'm a firm believer in R+L=J. I'm not sure what GRRM is going to do with it, but there's too much story for it to end up not mattering.

Well, GRRM sort of hits you over the head with it in the latter half of A Dance with Dragons. So it must go somewhere - why else would he spend all this time building it up? Plus there's all these hints about how only someone with "dragon blood" can ride or control dragons. And Jon controls Ghost - the wolf, while Dany can speak with the dragons. (That's the point of Quentyn Tarragen and Victorian's chapters.)

I think Dany and Jon are the end game. They may well end up together, they are about the same age, and in this world...being related is not that much of an issue.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

That was my original view too (that Jon and Dany would end up on the Iron Throne). I think now that's too easy and there may be a different plan. I don't know what it might be, though.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

What I've noticed is a pattern emerging in how the books are structured.
Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings is basically all set-up for Storm of Swords, which is the longest of the three and where everything major happens. The first two books build up to it - which is why Clash of Kings bored me - it's basically just set-up.

Same true of Feast of Crows and Dance of Dragons - all set up for The Winds of Winter. He has to get all these wandering characters to a specific place, physically, psychologically, emotionally in order to play out the next bit.

That said, being an intuitive writer myself - I seriously doubt he could tell you plot specifics. Or even knows them. He just has a general gut feel for where it is going and where everyone has to be, and figures out the specifics as he writes. Intuitive writers tend to meander more, focus more on character/theme, and are less concerned with plot specifics. They'll pick up threads that they remember or interest them and forget the plot threads that don't - which can be grating to readers.

[sophist.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I've never tried to write fiction, so this is a new perspective. Thanks.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I'd rather they cut the Iron Born and Quentyn Martell (who is annoying).


I think they have (I'm thinking Quentyn has been rolled into the other prince that they cast).

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

That would make more sense. Although Quentyn is sort of important in Dany's story in ADofD. Unless they plan on cutting Quentyn out and just combining a few characters. I have no problem with that. Quentyn's chapters do feel a bit pointless at the moment - granted that could change, haven't finished the book yet - but I doubt it.

I don't think they've cut Arianne - because that would change the entire Dorn plot-line in a big way. She's actually more important to the central plot than Trystan, the sand snakes or Aeof Hotah.