"But a new video essay from ScreenPrism suggests that Sheriff Bell’s calmly delivered speech actually encapsulates the film’s themes and gives deeper insight into its title"

At least it doesn't look like Vancouver.

2017 brings us the return of the Academy ratio! Too bad Robert Osbourne's not around to see it.

I'm with you with the cautious optimism, but it looks good. It appears to be well-cast and Derry looks like Derry. I'll miss the novel's digressions, but there's certainly still a strong story that can be told within a cinematic framework.

Mr. Beardsly!?

Thoros has kind of a fighter/mage thing going on.

I read that thread. It seemed like an instance of "pedantic=more knowledgeable". Why engage in discussion if you don't want to learn something?

They did a pretty good job with Oberyn but that may have just been Pedro Pascal being awesome. Other than that your point definitely stands.

I love that preview chapter so much because it positions Euron as a real and unique threat. The show seems to be going in the direction of "and then Dany shows up with dragons and takes the Iron Throne", if the leaks are to be believed, it won't be that simple but it's still likely to be far shallower than the books.…

The betrayal of Sansa's character is where I really got turned off by the show. I hated it, and I hated the line of bullshit the writers and the actress spewed to justify it. I'm sure I'll end up watching the new season, if only to discuss it, but when a friend of mine happily said, "One more week!" to me at a BBQ a…

Well, we haven't yet read TWOW so we don't know if Stannis will win or if Ramsay will have access to twenty good men.

I mentioned this below in response to Captain America's excellent post, but I should've said that the LOTR trilogy is optimistic, rather than the man himself.

Great post. Thanks for that. I'm obviously no Tolkien scholar, just an LOTR fan who occasionally digs into The Silmarillion. LOTR always leaves me with a positive feeling, which is why I have that impression. I just recently reread them in the wake of the last election when I was having a crisis of pessimism…

That's just because we get to watch some Freys pay for the Red Wedding, though. It doesn't have a lot to do with Stoneheart as a character.

I think Trig's making a joke, but even if that's not the case, they may have a point. To a huge segment of the fandom (viewers, rather than readers) the D&D version will be the definitive one. We ASoIaF fans may be able to point to the books as canon at some nebulous point in the future but the larger part of the…

His reading of Gandalf jibes with a reading of the trilogy on its own. If you take that particular story at face value (without digging into the deeper Tolkien mythos) I understand his point, which seems to be that you lose something after visiting the other side.

It'd be a mercy killing at this point.

That's a thing now? Does this mean we have to stop making fun of Bronies? Because if anyone deserves to be kink-shamed…

I own egg cups, but that's because I'm the kind of asshole who's obsessed with producing the perfect soft-boiled egg.

Ha! I do the same thing! I tend to buy when I'm watching while inebriated because if I fall asleep I'll still be able to finish the movie.