Re: Miscellanous music thread

**Seamaster** Wed Mar 07, 2012 9:36 am

I have heard only good things about that series. Let me know what you think and if it is worthwhile picking up.

**Iago** Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:28 am

I watched the first episode last night and it was a very good start -- especially the ending. If they end all episodes in a similar fashion, it will be difficult to keep from watching the whole season in one sitting.

**Seamaster** Wed Mar 07, 2012 11:37 am

The episode ended on a cliffhanger, I assume? That is the same approach used for True Blood.

**Iago** Thu Mar 08, 2012 7:19 am

A definite cliffhanger, yes. Or maybe not so much a cliffhanger as a shocking moment, which makes you want to continue to find out where it goes from there. The show introduces three characters in the re-credit sequence, most of whom do not make it to the credits. They definitely have no fears about keeping viewers on their toes.

**Seamaster** Thu Mar 08, 2012 10:35 am

What's the main premise behind the series (i.e., what's it about)?

**Iago** Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:28 am

Well, I have never read any of the books, so I am really uncertain where all of it is going. Here is the Wikipedia entry on A Song of Ice and Fire:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_of_Ice_and_Fire

The long and short of it is political and familial intrigue in a fantasy setting, with epic scope. Good material for a series -- this definitely would have been too truncated as a feature film or even a series of films. Fortunately HBO has been hitting it out of the park from a quality standpoint.

**Seamaster** Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:25 pm

Well, once you get a few episodes in, let me know what you think. I might have to pick Season 1 up.

**Iago** Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:56 am

Well, I have little doubt at this point that it is going to be a winner. If it helps, try this trio of nearly unanimous reviews of the set:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/53523/game-of-thrones-the-complete-first-season/?___rd=1

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/5165/game_thrones_s1.html

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Game-of-Thrones-The-Complete-First-Season-Blu-ray/25599/

I may not get much watched today as we are going to the Twin Cities with a couple of Eve's friends and may see either John Carter or Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. Though one of our dogs threw up all through the night last night, so that may keep us home and I will watch at least two more episodes.

**Seamaster** Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:33 am

I hope your pup is feeling okay.

**Iago** Mon Mar 12, 2012 1:05 pm

She is back to normal. It may take a while for the house to smell normal, but there you go.

Three episodes in. Buy it.

**Seamaster** Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:16 am

Okay.

**Iago** Tue Mar 13, 2012 1:02 pm

That version may be remastered nonetheless, but get the expanded version anyway. The bonus tracks make it more than worth the extra. That is the only way that you will get "Porcelain."

**Seamaster** Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:31 pm

Nice. A post referring back to the first half-dozen posts in this thread!

**Iago** Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:32 pm

Weird -- when I clicked into the thread that was what it popped up. I thought that you were saying that you finally pulled the trigger. But I am typing on my work laptop which has some lines running through the screen, so I must not have actually clicked on the last page like I thought that I had.

**Seamaster** Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:50 pm

Well, I did pull the trigger, so your post works. Plus, since we embrace off-tangent commentary, it also works from that angle!

**Iago** Thu Mar 15, 2012 1:48 pm

Well, there is always room for the Mobius.

Great news -- I got an email from Oppo that they have a new firmware release. I have been having problems with series like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, Mildred Pierce, etc. where the discs do not load, especially after you have viewed the first episode. Apparently I was not the only one -- the release notes say that there was a glitch with BD-Java tracking for series that use it which prevented the discs from loading. I was beginning to think that it was the player itself.

**Seamaster** Thu Mar 15, 2012 6:31 pm

It is always a pleasure when a firmware update fixes a problem.

**Iago** Fri Mar 16, 2012 6:45 am

It really made things a drag, especially with HBO series. The player would usually load the first disc the first time, then if you stopped it and restarted it, sometimes the disc would not load at all, or if it did, when you tried to play the next episode it would not load it. I would have to turn off the player, eject the disc and reload it. Given how long the non-skippable titles are on HBO discs, that meant sometimes watching them over and over again for ten or fifteen minutes until it finally loaded properly.

**Seamaster** Fri Mar 16, 2012 10:13 am

That'd drive me to drink.

**Iago** Sat Mar 17, 2012 11:47 am

No, your heritage does that with no need for assistance!

**Seamaster** Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:25 pm

Now hold on just a . . . , yeah, okay, you have a point.

**Iago** Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:55 am

Five episodes in to Game of Thrones. I am trying to pace it, but it is getting increasingly difficult. It would be easy to pull a marathon and watch the whole show in one sitting. One of the best HBO series so far.

**Seamaster** Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:15 am

I saw a few random scenes (from what episode, I have no idea), and it struck me as odd and awkward. I think I'd need to watch it from the beginning. Is it better than Rome?

**Iago** Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:54 am

Not really apples to apples, but so far it is at least in the same league as the first season of Rome. You really cannot watch isolated clips -- the mythology of the universe is ridiculously complicated. There is an excellent "Complete Guide to Westeros" interactive feature on the discs that I highly recommend going through if you have never read the books -- it really helps.

**Seamaster** Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:46 pm

I'll check it out when I pick up the set.

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