One of the most recurring themes of Game of Thrones was its intense death sequences. There is hardly any episode that does not feature an individual death or a large-scale massacre. However, no matter how many deaths the show features, very few of them hit us like the brutal killing of Oberyn Martell.
Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones | HBO Entertainment
Oberyn Martell was a breakout role for Pedro Pascal and had a massive contribution to his worldwide stardom. The charming Dornish prince was introduced in Season 4 and quickly became a fan-favorite for his charming personality.
Sadly, the Red Viper could not even last for a full season. A decade ago, on this day, he left the epic after being involved in one of the most scarring death scenes in television history.
What led Oberyn Martell to get one of the worst Game of Thrones deaths?
Pedro...
Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones | HBO Entertainment
Oberyn Martell was a breakout role for Pedro Pascal and had a massive contribution to his worldwide stardom. The charming Dornish prince was introduced in Season 4 and quickly became a fan-favorite for his charming personality.
Sadly, the Red Viper could not even last for a full season. A decade ago, on this day, he left the epic after being involved in one of the most scarring death scenes in television history.
What led Oberyn Martell to get one of the worst Game of Thrones deaths?
Pedro...
- 6/1/2024
- by Subham Mandal
- FandomWire
Apple has landed the worldwide rights to mount Everest climbing drama Tenzing, starring Willem Dafoe and Tom Hiddleston.
The package, which sold out of the Cannes film market, tells the true story of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who led the first climbers to the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Hiddleston will play New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Dafoe will play English expedition leader Colonel John Hunt. Casting is underway for the role of Tenzing Norgay.
Jennifer Peedom is set to direct the film. She made docs Sherpa and Mountain and has a close relationship with the Tenzing family and the larger Sherpa community. Lion writer Luke Davies is behind the screenplay.
Producing is Liz Watts, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning for See-Saw Films, alongside Desray Armstrong, Peedom and Davies. (Apple and See-Saw have partnered on five seasons of the series Slow Horses.) Simon Gillis, David Michôd and Norbu Tenzing (son of...
The package, which sold out of the Cannes film market, tells the true story of Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who led the first climbers to the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Hiddleston will play New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Dafoe will play English expedition leader Colonel John Hunt. Casting is underway for the role of Tenzing Norgay.
Jennifer Peedom is set to direct the film. She made docs Sherpa and Mountain and has a close relationship with the Tenzing family and the larger Sherpa community. Lion writer Luke Davies is behind the screenplay.
Producing is Liz Watts, Emile Sherman and Iain Canning for See-Saw Films, alongside Desray Armstrong, Peedom and Davies. (Apple and See-Saw have partnered on five seasons of the series Slow Horses.) Simon Gillis, David Michôd and Norbu Tenzing (son of...
- 5/14/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Arrow Video is bringing the entire original Child’s Play franchise to 4K Ultra HD with a brand new set they’ve just announced the morning, exclusively being released in the UK.
The good news? While it’s a UK release, Chucky fans in the United States can still grab a copy of the set online and enjoy it at home. 4K discs are inherently Region Free, we will remind!
Including every single film in the original Child’s Play saga, plus the Screambox documentary Living With Chucky, the set is available on either 4K Ultra HD or Blu-ray.
There’s also an Arrow Store Exclusive version of the set, with variant artwork.
Here’s everything you need to know about Arrow’s new Chucky set…
Limited edition deluxe packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Mark Bell Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by John-Paul Checkett, Kat Ellinger,...
The good news? While it’s a UK release, Chucky fans in the United States can still grab a copy of the set online and enjoy it at home. 4K discs are inherently Region Free, we will remind!
Including every single film in the original Child’s Play saga, plus the Screambox documentary Living With Chucky, the set is available on either 4K Ultra HD or Blu-ray.
There’s also an Arrow Store Exclusive version of the set, with variant artwork.
Here’s everything you need to know about Arrow’s new Chucky set…
Limited edition deluxe packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Mark Bell Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by John-Paul Checkett, Kat Ellinger,...
- 9/29/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Freddy’s Nightmares Shirt from Gutter Garbs
Here’s a little bedtime treat: Gutter Garbs is taking pre-orders for a Freddy’s Nightmares design by Sam Coyne. T-shirts, priced at $30, and 12×18 prints, priced at $36, are available through Sunday, May 21. They’ll ship the week of June 18.
Day of the Dead Plushes from Toynk
The dead cuddle! Following the success of their Killer Klowns from Outer Space dolls, Toynk is carrying exclusive plush toys from George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead.
Priced at $35.99 each, Dr. Tongue and Bub stand approximately 14″ tall.
August Underground Blu-ray from Unearthed Films
Can you stomach realistic gore in high definition? August Underground will test your limits when it hits Blu-ray...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Freddy’s Nightmares Shirt from Gutter Garbs
Here’s a little bedtime treat: Gutter Garbs is taking pre-orders for a Freddy’s Nightmares design by Sam Coyne. T-shirts, priced at $30, and 12×18 prints, priced at $36, are available through Sunday, May 21. They’ll ship the week of June 18.
Day of the Dead Plushes from Toynk
The dead cuddle! Following the success of their Killer Klowns from Outer Space dolls, Toynk is carrying exclusive plush toys from George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead.
Priced at $35.99 each, Dr. Tongue and Bub stand approximately 14″ tall.
August Underground Blu-ray from Unearthed Films
Can you stomach realistic gore in high definition? August Underground will test your limits when it hits Blu-ray...
- 5/19/2023
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Welcome, lords and ladies (and smallfolk) to the final edition of this year’s Game of Thrones TV Book Club, a discussion space for Thrones viewers who have also read the five books (so far) of George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. This week, Darren Franich and Hillary Busis dive into season 4′s supersized ending, a feast of brawls and murders and missing minor characters. Check out James Hibberd’s full recap of the episode, then join us as we venture into the narrative borderlands of A Storm of Swords (and beyond) below. (You know...
- 6/17/2014
- by EW staff
- EW.com - PopWatch
We've survived the fight between the Mountain and the Viper, and (for now) the battle for control of the Wall, and this Sunday brings the grand finale to the fourth season of "Game Of Thrones." In the four years since the show began, a curious thing happened—it became a phenomenon. The show was the biggest gamble the pay-cable monster had ever taken, a hugely expensive take on a genre that had generally been seen as niche and uncool, with too many dragons to attract the chattering classes that had turned "The Sopranos" and "The Wire" into must-see television, and potentially too much blood and gore to become the mainstream blockbusters that "The Lord of the Rings" films had been. And yet thanks to an outstanding cast, high production values, and perhaps most importantly, a truly remarkable job of adapting George R.R. Martin's books by showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss,...
- 6/10/2014
- by The Playlist Staff
- The Playlist
When it comes to the industry’s biggest awards, Game of Thrones is almost always the bridesmaid. The HBO fantasy hit has racked up a hugely impressive 42 prime-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominations across its first three seasons. It’s also won 11 of those awards, mainly for categories like visual effects, make-up, costumes and sound effects. Yet in the major categories — best series, acting, writing and directing — Thrones has taken home just two statues (a Globe and Emmy for Peter Dinklage as best supporting actor).
What gives?
We asked HBO’s programming president Michael Lombardo about this topic during a Thrones interview,...
What gives?
We asked HBO’s programming president Michael Lombardo about this topic during a Thrones interview,...
- 5/30/2014
- by James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
During the Cartagena International Film Festival (Ficci), the winner of three (3!) prizes here for Audience Favorite, Best Director and Best Picture, was Marmato by Mark Grieco. This is a well told story of universal appeal about mine workers in Colombia, some of whom came for the world premiere of an eye-opening, thought-provoking and empowering movie.
Marmato was work-shopped twice at Sundance labs and it premiered at Sundance this January 2014 (Isa: Ro*co, U.S. contact Ben Weiss at Paradigm). This is a movie which could be used for motivation and film training beyond its traditional viewing stations.
Mark Grieco was having his first experience living and backpacking through Latin America and working as a photographer. After one year, he arrived in Potosi, a world-known silver mine in Bolivia which was the main source of silver when the Spanish began their rape of the Latin American land. Known as Rich Mountain or Cerro Rico because the mountain seemed to be made of silver. , Founded in 1545 as a mining town, Potosi soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world, with a population exceeding 200,000 people. The riches were shipped to Panama City and from there went to Spain in the 16th Century.
In Spanish there is still a saying, vale un Potosí, "to be worth a Potosí" (that is, "to be of a great value").
Part of the tourist industry there today is to give coco leaves and cigarettes to the miners in exchange for taking a photograph with them. It struck him so hard that he refused to take any photos. However, he became very interested in mining and he started to search for a place where there is still mining that is not owned by a big corporation.
And so, Mark discovered Marmato, a small town still using the traditional methods to mine for gold which cycles into the local economy and benefits the community. At some point, a big Canadian company with an interest in buying up all the mines around. The layout of the town is built so that all doors open toward the mountain which has a value of $20 billion in gold. But to get at it, one would need to use open pit mining, removing the mountain in effect and getting rid of the whole town in the process. At a town meeting a percentage of the people were Ok with that and a percentage did not want to leave. A confrontation was pending, and he was a photographer taking pictures. He returned to the U.S. in 2008, saved some money and moved back to film the confrontation one-and a-half years later. During the first filming he worked in TV and had no film experience. During the following five-and-a-half years he was there, he learned that the Canadians were there; most miners sold to them at very low prices. Before all this, previously another Canadian company, Corona had bought the mines and failed, so the miners who had sold to Corona got their land back. They expected the same to happen this time but...
The 5 1/2 years of shooting gave Mark the chance to understand what he had been grappling with throughout his travels; the disparity between the "haves" and the "have-nots", and the mining roots in colonial cities like Potosi and Marmato. He had seen the end results and had never seen a film about it, about the process, who is involved in a way that was not about victims and evil-doers. To see and to understand something while making a film about it gives one plenty of time to become an expert. For the first 1 1/2 years of filming he would travel away every 2 months, returning to N.Y. for 2 or 3 months, and then returning. Then he realized he had to be there everyday and so he moved there permanently and he filmed in the mine everyday with the miners as they rose and went into the mine. Sometimes he shoveled and didn't film to gain the trust and experiencing the essence of being a miner. This changed and shaped his perspective in many ways. He originally had a simplified and reductive pov but as he learned more about the complexity of the situation he realized there was no "right" answer.
At first he looked for the pluses and the minuses of the situation but in the end he was more in the middle. He hopes to see and start an unusual dialogue with the film. The audience in Cartagena had a great reaction at its Sundance premiere where much of the Q&As were about the interest in how Marmato is now and how they might get involved. In Cartagena, he brought four of the main miners in the movie to see the film and a great discussion ensued.
The mission of the film is to give voice to those who are the least heard. His own filmmaker's voice is the least important.
The miners saw it, audiences applauded and the Colombians asked how it was possible that they had never heard about any of this before the film. The miners think the film is a great tool is great for them especially because the media does not talk at all about them. The film needs distribution in Colombia on a big screen. Even the miners said that it needs to be seen on the big screen. It is now a typical documentary; Marmato is a unique town and is the essence of their lives.
Another possible form of distribution is traveling the film festivals, though he wants to stay in Colombia with his wife who he met through a mutual friend and married shortly after. They now live in Medellin, about four hours from Marmato where he has spent months on end in the town and he thinks he could take a break of a couple days.
Mark says there is an endless amount of stories there yet to be told. Everyone only sees the bad things and large scale mining is a new phenomenon. La Guajira, the largest open pit coal mine since the 1980s but more money is now pouring in since the country seems more secure. Large corporations are spending bilions just in explorations. Even the people in Marmato see the positive side to big companies, depending of course, on their stage of life, etc. The town is divided. And the big company is not living up to its promises; flipping companies has cause a greater division. Resistance (marches and protests) is not politically useful. These miners are resisting the corportation through working. The Canadians co-own 90% of the mines and they closed them down leaving 800 to 1,000 miners wihtout work. However, the workers have returned to the mines, mining and selling s before and this work is their way of resisting. They are seen as squatters, but the miners believe the company lost its rights to the mine by not using them. Legally, the subsoil of Colombia belongs to the state. Only the houses above the land are owned. The State Equals The People. The law states that during the first six months of purchase, the owner must produce out of the mine and give 4% royalty to the government. There are also state taxes and the minors pay that from their sales. The state has an interest and there is a mining code. The Company states that it too has been paying taxes.
Miners are seeing the State as a betrayer of miners. Colombia President Santos says that mining companies are part of the new locomotive of the country; mining and energy are the new locomotives. The state owns the gold. The workers could work the mine for the next decade or so or the Canadians could remove all the gold in 20 years. The State wants fast returns. The Canadian companies also get tax rebates (as filmmakers do as well) so their 4% tax is nullified by the rebate. The people themselves of Colombia are therefore the ones paying with their own taxes and rebates to bring in international companies to take their resources out of their country, out of their own economy.
The film does not explain this. The film takes a more humanistic approach to 500 years of culture about to be dynamically changed. The story is told through the voice and lives of the people to capture audiences who will become interested in the complex issues by connecting to the people. The film is not an essay on mining in Colombia; it is more of a portrait of the people of Marmato, the region and town and the problem.
Mark is finding support as Colombian, U.S. and Canadian companies and institutions are aligning to make the first steps in what will be a long journey. The chance the film gives to the miners to see the film and talk to audiences has empowered them. They are seeing themseves as articulate and emphatic and are getting their issues across to audiences.
Mark will be making more films...he can't stay there forever but he will always make films with a social action agenda attached.
Once a film receives some funding, the rest followed. Marmato received funding from the Ford Foundation, Mac Arthur Foundation, Sundance, Cinereach, the Fledgling Fund and Brit Doc. Their reaction and involvement helps to crystallize what film can do as cinematic explorations of social issues. At first it is quite difficult to get funding. 90% of the work he did was grant writing and finding funds. One must have money to make money but once someone else is supportive financially, the others come on board.
Just when they needed the help as they started post, 5 years into the film, during the last year, Sundance and Sky Ranch stepped offering the Sundance Music and Editing Labs as Sky Ranch offered help with the sound design and final mix. Once Sundance came on board, everything changed from riding rinky-dink buses across the Andes alone to being the next week at Sky Ranch. Later he went to a Producers Summit where he connected with agents and other producers. At the very end of post-production he did a Kickstarter campaign in which Stuart Reid gave $45,000. Their international sales agent is Annie Rooney of Ro*co. They are now negotiating with a North American distributor through Ben Weiss of Paradigm Agency. They are also exploring festivals with audiences to harness their reactions; On board are Cleveland International, Ashland, River Run and others. Yale shows the film and Mark talks to their Law School's class on international law where there is a broad presence of international companies. Universities, law schools, international business all have uses for this film.
------
In upcoming blogs, we will talk about the other two Colombian films made by gringos, Manos Sucias by Josef Wladyka, a film with great pedigrees, directed, produced and shot by a team who have received the highest film and business educations from Tisch and Stern Schools at Nyu, and Parador Hungaro by Patrick Alexander and Aseneth Suarez Ruiz, a work of passion made with love and sweat. We already covered the uniquely beautiful and soulful study of a small part of the underbelly of the underworld in Medellin Mambo Cool by Chris Gude.
Marmato was work-shopped twice at Sundance labs and it premiered at Sundance this January 2014 (Isa: Ro*co, U.S. contact Ben Weiss at Paradigm). This is a movie which could be used for motivation and film training beyond its traditional viewing stations.
Mark Grieco was having his first experience living and backpacking through Latin America and working as a photographer. After one year, he arrived in Potosi, a world-known silver mine in Bolivia which was the main source of silver when the Spanish began their rape of the Latin American land. Known as Rich Mountain or Cerro Rico because the mountain seemed to be made of silver. , Founded in 1545 as a mining town, Potosi soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world, with a population exceeding 200,000 people. The riches were shipped to Panama City and from there went to Spain in the 16th Century.
In Spanish there is still a saying, vale un Potosí, "to be worth a Potosí" (that is, "to be of a great value").
Part of the tourist industry there today is to give coco leaves and cigarettes to the miners in exchange for taking a photograph with them. It struck him so hard that he refused to take any photos. However, he became very interested in mining and he started to search for a place where there is still mining that is not owned by a big corporation.
And so, Mark discovered Marmato, a small town still using the traditional methods to mine for gold which cycles into the local economy and benefits the community. At some point, a big Canadian company with an interest in buying up all the mines around. The layout of the town is built so that all doors open toward the mountain which has a value of $20 billion in gold. But to get at it, one would need to use open pit mining, removing the mountain in effect and getting rid of the whole town in the process. At a town meeting a percentage of the people were Ok with that and a percentage did not want to leave. A confrontation was pending, and he was a photographer taking pictures. He returned to the U.S. in 2008, saved some money and moved back to film the confrontation one-and a-half years later. During the first filming he worked in TV and had no film experience. During the following five-and-a-half years he was there, he learned that the Canadians were there; most miners sold to them at very low prices. Before all this, previously another Canadian company, Corona had bought the mines and failed, so the miners who had sold to Corona got their land back. They expected the same to happen this time but...
The 5 1/2 years of shooting gave Mark the chance to understand what he had been grappling with throughout his travels; the disparity between the "haves" and the "have-nots", and the mining roots in colonial cities like Potosi and Marmato. He had seen the end results and had never seen a film about it, about the process, who is involved in a way that was not about victims and evil-doers. To see and to understand something while making a film about it gives one plenty of time to become an expert. For the first 1 1/2 years of filming he would travel away every 2 months, returning to N.Y. for 2 or 3 months, and then returning. Then he realized he had to be there everyday and so he moved there permanently and he filmed in the mine everyday with the miners as they rose and went into the mine. Sometimes he shoveled and didn't film to gain the trust and experiencing the essence of being a miner. This changed and shaped his perspective in many ways. He originally had a simplified and reductive pov but as he learned more about the complexity of the situation he realized there was no "right" answer.
At first he looked for the pluses and the minuses of the situation but in the end he was more in the middle. He hopes to see and start an unusual dialogue with the film. The audience in Cartagena had a great reaction at its Sundance premiere where much of the Q&As were about the interest in how Marmato is now and how they might get involved. In Cartagena, he brought four of the main miners in the movie to see the film and a great discussion ensued.
The mission of the film is to give voice to those who are the least heard. His own filmmaker's voice is the least important.
The miners saw it, audiences applauded and the Colombians asked how it was possible that they had never heard about any of this before the film. The miners think the film is a great tool is great for them especially because the media does not talk at all about them. The film needs distribution in Colombia on a big screen. Even the miners said that it needs to be seen on the big screen. It is now a typical documentary; Marmato is a unique town and is the essence of their lives.
Another possible form of distribution is traveling the film festivals, though he wants to stay in Colombia with his wife who he met through a mutual friend and married shortly after. They now live in Medellin, about four hours from Marmato where he has spent months on end in the town and he thinks he could take a break of a couple days.
Mark says there is an endless amount of stories there yet to be told. Everyone only sees the bad things and large scale mining is a new phenomenon. La Guajira, the largest open pit coal mine since the 1980s but more money is now pouring in since the country seems more secure. Large corporations are spending bilions just in explorations. Even the people in Marmato see the positive side to big companies, depending of course, on their stage of life, etc. The town is divided. And the big company is not living up to its promises; flipping companies has cause a greater division. Resistance (marches and protests) is not politically useful. These miners are resisting the corportation through working. The Canadians co-own 90% of the mines and they closed them down leaving 800 to 1,000 miners wihtout work. However, the workers have returned to the mines, mining and selling s before and this work is their way of resisting. They are seen as squatters, but the miners believe the company lost its rights to the mine by not using them. Legally, the subsoil of Colombia belongs to the state. Only the houses above the land are owned. The State Equals The People. The law states that during the first six months of purchase, the owner must produce out of the mine and give 4% royalty to the government. There are also state taxes and the minors pay that from their sales. The state has an interest and there is a mining code. The Company states that it too has been paying taxes.
Miners are seeing the State as a betrayer of miners. Colombia President Santos says that mining companies are part of the new locomotive of the country; mining and energy are the new locomotives. The state owns the gold. The workers could work the mine for the next decade or so or the Canadians could remove all the gold in 20 years. The State wants fast returns. The Canadian companies also get tax rebates (as filmmakers do as well) so their 4% tax is nullified by the rebate. The people themselves of Colombia are therefore the ones paying with their own taxes and rebates to bring in international companies to take their resources out of their country, out of their own economy.
The film does not explain this. The film takes a more humanistic approach to 500 years of culture about to be dynamically changed. The story is told through the voice and lives of the people to capture audiences who will become interested in the complex issues by connecting to the people. The film is not an essay on mining in Colombia; it is more of a portrait of the people of Marmato, the region and town and the problem.
Mark is finding support as Colombian, U.S. and Canadian companies and institutions are aligning to make the first steps in what will be a long journey. The chance the film gives to the miners to see the film and talk to audiences has empowered them. They are seeing themseves as articulate and emphatic and are getting their issues across to audiences.
Mark will be making more films...he can't stay there forever but he will always make films with a social action agenda attached.
Once a film receives some funding, the rest followed. Marmato received funding from the Ford Foundation, Mac Arthur Foundation, Sundance, Cinereach, the Fledgling Fund and Brit Doc. Their reaction and involvement helps to crystallize what film can do as cinematic explorations of social issues. At first it is quite difficult to get funding. 90% of the work he did was grant writing and finding funds. One must have money to make money but once someone else is supportive financially, the others come on board.
Just when they needed the help as they started post, 5 years into the film, during the last year, Sundance and Sky Ranch stepped offering the Sundance Music and Editing Labs as Sky Ranch offered help with the sound design and final mix. Once Sundance came on board, everything changed from riding rinky-dink buses across the Andes alone to being the next week at Sky Ranch. Later he went to a Producers Summit where he connected with agents and other producers. At the very end of post-production he did a Kickstarter campaign in which Stuart Reid gave $45,000. Their international sales agent is Annie Rooney of Ro*co. They are now negotiating with a North American distributor through Ben Weiss of Paradigm Agency. They are also exploring festivals with audiences to harness their reactions; On board are Cleveland International, Ashland, River Run and others. Yale shows the film and Mark talks to their Law School's class on international law where there is a broad presence of international companies. Universities, law schools, international business all have uses for this film.
------
In upcoming blogs, we will talk about the other two Colombian films made by gringos, Manos Sucias by Josef Wladyka, a film with great pedigrees, directed, produced and shot by a team who have received the highest film and business educations from Tisch and Stern Schools at Nyu, and Parador Hungaro by Patrick Alexander and Aseneth Suarez Ruiz, a work of passion made with love and sweat. We already covered the uniquely beautiful and soulful study of a small part of the underbelly of the underworld in Medellin Mambo Cool by Chris Gude.
- 4/18/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
20) Road Signs
The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different.
Peter Drucker
Home Box Office has dodged more bullets than Wyatt Earp at the Ok Corral. Going on the satellite in 1975 turned the company from a regional possibility into a national success; then came “hitting the wall” and the challenge of VCRs in the 1980s; and then there was the late 1990s course correction which turned the service into an original series king; and then there was the struggle of the Chris Albrecht years and the WGA strike.
Today, HBO has its big hits – Game of Thrones and True Blood, and its second tier, buzz-making winners like Girls, The Newsroom, Veep and Treme. Medical dramedy Getting On, and Looking – often described as a gay Sex and the City – show the service hasn’t gotten any shyer about trying to tackle provocative subject matter in risky ways.
The only thing we know about the future is that it will be different.
Peter Drucker
Home Box Office has dodged more bullets than Wyatt Earp at the Ok Corral. Going on the satellite in 1975 turned the company from a regional possibility into a national success; then came “hitting the wall” and the challenge of VCRs in the 1980s; and then there was the late 1990s course correction which turned the service into an original series king; and then there was the struggle of the Chris Albrecht years and the WGA strike.
Today, HBO has its big hits – Game of Thrones and True Blood, and its second tier, buzz-making winners like Girls, The Newsroom, Veep and Treme. Medical dramedy Getting On, and Looking – often described as a gay Sex and the City – show the service hasn’t gotten any shyer about trying to tackle provocative subject matter in risky ways.
- 2/14/2014
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Failure is inevitable. Success is elusive.
Steven Spielberg
As HBO’s CEO, Michael Fuchs, who’d come up through the company’s programming side, had spent 11 years working to transform the service from a movie channel with some pleasant original filler into a true programming platform. Ironically, Fuchs’ vision wouldn’t come to full fruit until after he’d left the company in May 1995, and it would happen under a guy who had no programming experience at all: Jeff Bewkes, who took over the CEO’s slot after Fuchs’ departure.
A friend of mine in the company who’d worked with Bewkes once explained his programming philosophy while we were talking about some of the company’s big dollar extravaganzas, like Band of Brothers. Bewkes didn’t interfere with the creative side. “If you can make it make business sense to him, Jeff’ll say, ‘Go ahead.’ If you can...
Steven Spielberg
As HBO’s CEO, Michael Fuchs, who’d come up through the company’s programming side, had spent 11 years working to transform the service from a movie channel with some pleasant original filler into a true programming platform. Ironically, Fuchs’ vision wouldn’t come to full fruit until after he’d left the company in May 1995, and it would happen under a guy who had no programming experience at all: Jeff Bewkes, who took over the CEO’s slot after Fuchs’ departure.
A friend of mine in the company who’d worked with Bewkes once explained his programming philosophy while we were talking about some of the company’s big dollar extravaganzas, like Band of Brothers. Bewkes didn’t interfere with the creative side. “If you can make it make business sense to him, Jeff’ll say, ‘Go ahead.’ If you can...
- 1/17/2014
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
It said something about HBO’s elevating stature as a programmer that the company strategy was no longer catch-as-catch-can. HBO now found itself in the enviable position of being able to afford to turn shows down based on its view the project was – in the phrase I was coming to hear more and more often – “an HBO show.” Like the old joke about art, nobody could define what that meant, but they knew it when they saw it.
Case in point:
In 1996, HBO rolled out Arli$$ (1996-2002). Like The Larry Sanders Show, Arli$$ came from the off-kilter imagination of a stand-up comic, in this case Robert Wuhl, who also starred. In synopsis – and no doubt why HBO was interested – Arli$$ sounded like a sports version of The Larry Sanders Show. Wuhl played Arliss Michaels, a top-flight sports agent with the integrity of a hired killer moving through the circles of...
Case in point:
In 1996, HBO rolled out Arli$$ (1996-2002). Like The Larry Sanders Show, Arli$$ came from the off-kilter imagination of a stand-up comic, in this case Robert Wuhl, who also starred. In synopsis – and no doubt why HBO was interested – Arli$$ sounded like a sports version of The Larry Sanders Show. Wuhl played Arliss Michaels, a top-flight sports agent with the integrity of a hired killer moving through the circles of...
- 1/9/2014
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
If you aren’t making any mistakes,
it’s a sure sign you’re playing it too safe.
John Maxwell
By the end of the 1980s, HBO’s nightmarish headlong collision with The Wall in 1984 was just that; a bad dream fading over time. Even during the tough days, the company had remained a money-maker, and although it was taking more effort and cash to bag subscribers, the service was growing again, HBO original programming was racking up awards and acclaim, and in subscriber homes, the channel was kicking broadcast network ass. During the 1990-91 television season, the service beat all three major networks during Saturday and Sunday prime time hours. The good times were back.
Which did not change the underlying, immutable fact, and the greatest lesson to come out of that horrifying 1984 flatline: that the domestic cable universe was finite. Sooner or later, HBO was bound to hit another wall.
it’s a sure sign you’re playing it too safe.
John Maxwell
By the end of the 1980s, HBO’s nightmarish headlong collision with The Wall in 1984 was just that; a bad dream fading over time. Even during the tough days, the company had remained a money-maker, and although it was taking more effort and cash to bag subscribers, the service was growing again, HBO original programming was racking up awards and acclaim, and in subscriber homes, the channel was kicking broadcast network ass. During the 1990-91 television season, the service beat all three major networks during Saturday and Sunday prime time hours. The good times were back.
Which did not change the underlying, immutable fact, and the greatest lesson to come out of that horrifying 1984 flatline: that the domestic cable universe was finite. Sooner or later, HBO was bound to hit another wall.
- 11/6/2013
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
Even though it’s only been a short time since the final Breaking Bad episode aired, much has already been discussed and dissected about the way the series ended. (My two cents: mechanical but brilliant, like its lead character.) Whether you loved it, hated it, or were indifferent to it, the finale — and the entire last season — followed the time honored troupe that many shows before it did: present a meta-commentary of the series as a whole.
That commentary could be the main thesis of the show (the reason it’s on the air), lip service for the fans, the pointing out of societal shortcomings, or all three but it’s usually done in a very self-aware way. And it’s a luxury that writer’s rooms have once they know in advance of a show’s end date.
Vince Gilligan and company were quite aware that most of the...
That commentary could be the main thesis of the show (the reason it’s on the air), lip service for the fans, the pointing out of societal shortcomings, or all three but it’s usually done in a very self-aware way. And it’s a luxury that writer’s rooms have once they know in advance of a show’s end date.
Vince Gilligan and company were quite aware that most of the...
- 10/3/2013
- by Mo Fathelbab
- BuzzFocus.com
Here is my complete 2014 Oscar Preview in one complete list, with all 40 Oscar Contenders and my thoughts on each over the course of a massive 13-page spread and over 8,500 words. Trust me, I don't blame you if you take your time, but I think it may serve as a helpful list to look back at throughout the year. And, if you missed Parts 1-4 in which I featured each of these films, ten per installment, and just because it's fun to see them all in one place, here's a list of all 40 films included in this preview: The Great Gatsby, 12 Years a Slave, A Most Wanted Man, The Place Beyond the Pines, August: Osage County, Before Midnight, Blue Jasmine, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Diana, Elysium, The Fifth Estate, Foxcatcher, Frozen, Fruitvale, Grace of Monaco, Gravity, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, Inside Llewyn Davis, Labor Day, Lowlife, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,...
- 3/8/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Based off of George R.R. Martin’s 1,000-page opus A Clash of Kings, the second season of HBO’s Game of Thrones takes the first year’s intricate plot lines, character shadings, and thematic undercurrents and simultaneously expands and deepens them to a ridiculously exponential degree. Or, at least, it’s supposed to – the actual doing just may prove to be a ways off from the source material’s being.
This column (It Is Known: An Analysis of Thrones) acts as a companion piece to both series, novel and television, analyzing the continuing story of the War of the Five Kings – and how it fares in the transition from the page to the screen. What it will not do is spoil the story; the hope and intent is elucidation, not ruination.
Given the twists and turns, betrayals and sacrifices that await in the next seven episodes, such illumination will be needed.
This column (It Is Known: An Analysis of Thrones) acts as a companion piece to both series, novel and television, analyzing the continuing story of the War of the Five Kings – and how it fares in the transition from the page to the screen. What it will not do is spoil the story; the hope and intent is elucidation, not ruination.
Given the twists and turns, betrayals and sacrifices that await in the next seven episodes, such illumination will be needed.
- 4/29/2012
- by Patrick Sauriol
- Corona's Coming Attractions
7 Toughest Comebacks in Crime Film
Crime heroes and villains got it rough. They’re usually up to the gills in trouble and their genre, unlike horror, doesn’t smile on its bad-asses soaking up too many bullets.
A fortunate – or unfortunate, if you’re a “the grave’s half empty” kind of person – few manage some superhuman comebacks. Whether by the power of a psychotic episode, sheer grit or timely medical attention, these crime film characters practically pull off an Easter miracle.
Here’s our list of the grittiest mooks who managed the 7 Toughest Comebacks in Crime Film.
7. Fatal Attraction: Alex Forrest
We start our list off with a superficial softie – the sensuous and psychotic mistress, Alex Forrest. Fatal Attraction pits Alex (Glenn Close) against Michael Douglas and the family he shatters with his adultery. The whole film plays as an Academy Award-winning PSA against sleeping around. Then it...
Crime heroes and villains got it rough. They’re usually up to the gills in trouble and their genre, unlike horror, doesn’t smile on its bad-asses soaking up too many bullets.
A fortunate – or unfortunate, if you’re a “the grave’s half empty” kind of person – few manage some superhuman comebacks. Whether by the power of a psychotic episode, sheer grit or timely medical attention, these crime film characters practically pull off an Easter miracle.
Here’s our list of the grittiest mooks who managed the 7 Toughest Comebacks in Crime Film.
7. Fatal Attraction: Alex Forrest
We start our list off with a superficial softie – the sensuous and psychotic mistress, Alex Forrest. Fatal Attraction pits Alex (Glenn Close) against Michael Douglas and the family he shatters with his adultery. The whole film plays as an Academy Award-winning PSA against sleeping around. Then it...
- 4/11/2012
- by Matthew C. Funk
- Boomtron
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Weighing in at just over 800 pages, A Game of Thrones is full of plots and sub-plots, primary and secondary (and tertiary and ancillary) characters, major and minor leitmotifs, and foreshadowing of foreshadowing – to say it is a dense narrative is an understatement in the extreme, particularly considering its status as only the inaugural chapter of a much larger tale. This column (It Is Known: An Analysis of Thrones) will act as a companion piece to both series, novel and television, analyzing each installment’s character beats and plot points as well as scrutinizing the transition from page to script. What it will not do is spoil the story; the hope and intent is elucidation, not ruination.
With six further episodes this season, and a second year already greenlighted (and the much-anticipated and oft-delayed fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, due to release...
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Weighing in at just over 800 pages, A Game of Thrones is full of plots and sub-plots, primary and secondary (and tertiary and ancillary) characters, major and minor leitmotifs, and foreshadowing of foreshadowing – to say it is a dense narrative is an understatement in the extreme, particularly considering its status as only the inaugural chapter of a much larger tale. This column (It Is Known: An Analysis of Thrones) will act as a companion piece to both series, novel and television, analyzing each installment’s character beats and plot points as well as scrutinizing the transition from page to script. What it will not do is spoil the story; the hope and intent is elucidation, not ruination.
With six further episodes this season, and a second year already greenlighted (and the much-anticipated and oft-delayed fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, due to release...
- 5/16/2011
- by msunyata
- Corona's Coming Attractions
Updated Brackets Here
Day 11: Wow. Firefly, having battled it's way brilliantly into Round 2 with a stunning victory over 24, came nowhere close to pulling off another upset as Fringe also blew the whole competition into uncertainty. It scored a staggering 3892 votes, that is more than previous top overall poll The West Wing vs. Lost managed combined in their Round 1 tie. It's a staggering result, making Glee's total the day before look meagre in comparison. Also surprising is that Firefly lost over 1000 votes to it's Round 1 total. Wonder where they all were today, or maybe they all prefer Fringe. That sort of thing we probably won't find out, but it has sailed into Round 3 where it will take on The Wire, which ended fairly comfortably The Mentalist's run in the competition, failing to show the promise it did against Buffy in Round 1. It's becoming quite common that a certain poll gets...
Day 11: Wow. Firefly, having battled it's way brilliantly into Round 2 with a stunning victory over 24, came nowhere close to pulling off another upset as Fringe also blew the whole competition into uncertainty. It scored a staggering 3892 votes, that is more than previous top overall poll The West Wing vs. Lost managed combined in their Round 1 tie. It's a staggering result, making Glee's total the day before look meagre in comparison. Also surprising is that Firefly lost over 1000 votes to it's Round 1 total. Wonder where they all were today, or maybe they all prefer Fringe. That sort of thing we probably won't find out, but it has sailed into Round 3 where it will take on The Wire, which ended fairly comfortably The Mentalist's run in the competition, failing to show the promise it did against Buffy in Round 1. It's becoming quite common that a certain poll gets...
- 7/1/2010
- by Adam.D.Harris
- SpoilerTV
Update: 11:30 Brackets have been updated. How are you doing?
View Brackets
Day 3: So congratulations to Firefly, Fringe, The Wire & The Mentalist for making it through to the next round. So harsh on both Legend of the Seeker and 24, which had huge amounts of votes and both would have smashed any other showdown we have already had results for, yet they came up against too tough shows in Firefly & Fringe. Watch out for these two shows in the upcoming Rounds. Also surprising was the lack of support for The Wire, which despite an east victory, only managed 376 votes, compare this with 24's 1499 votes, and you can see it's going to potentially find it tough in later rounds.
For all those who have entered the competition, once the results are updated, you can check out how you are doing here: Updated Brackets
And so today's round here sees one of...
View Brackets
Day 3: So congratulations to Firefly, Fringe, The Wire & The Mentalist for making it through to the next round. So harsh on both Legend of the Seeker and 24, which had huge amounts of votes and both would have smashed any other showdown we have already had results for, yet they came up against too tough shows in Firefly & Fringe. Watch out for these two shows in the upcoming Rounds. Also surprising was the lack of support for The Wire, which despite an east victory, only managed 376 votes, compare this with 24's 1499 votes, and you can see it's going to potentially find it tough in later rounds.
For all those who have entered the competition, once the results are updated, you can check out how you are doing here: Updated Brackets
And so today's round here sees one of...
- 6/23/2010
- by Adam.D.Harris
- SpoilerTV
Curious to know what frightful films and devilish discs will be available to view in the privacy of your own digital dungeon this week? Fango's got you covered.
Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, September 22, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List. There's a good bounty to be had, so start making your own chopping list now!
Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com
Albino Farm
An Ozark Mountain town - with a century-old history of religious fanaticism - inadvertently creates a modern sadistic society of in-bred misfits who prey on stray travelers. Four young college students - lured into exploring the legend of the Albino Farm - uncover its disturbing past while enduring a night of horrors.
Autopsy Of The Dead
In 1968, the Dead walked...
Now the Dead will talk.
Board up the windows and doors! More than...
Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, September 22, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List. There's a good bounty to be had, so start making your own chopping list now!
Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com
Albino Farm
An Ozark Mountain town - with a century-old history of religious fanaticism - inadvertently creates a modern sadistic society of in-bred misfits who prey on stray travelers. Four young college students - lured into exploring the legend of the Albino Farm - uncover its disturbing past while enduring a night of horrors.
Autopsy Of The Dead
In 1968, the Dead walked...
Now the Dead will talk.
Board up the windows and doors! More than...
- 9/20/2009
- by no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
- Fangoria
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