Not a Blog

Season Four Is Coming…

February 25, 2014 at 12:01 am
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… to Santa Fe.

Yes, yes, it's coming to the rest of the country too.  HBO will broadcast episode one of season 4, entitled… ooops, sorry, don't think I am allowed to reveal the title yet… on Sunday, April 6.

But on Saturday, March 29,  375 lucky New Mexicans will get a chance to see what the rest of the country will need to wait another week and day for.   I am thrilled to announce that on that day, by special arrangement with HBO, we will be presenting three advance screenings of episode 401 at the Jean Cocteau Cinema.

Last year, many of you will recall, HBO had a gala Season 3 Premiere in Los Angeles, with a huge red carpet screening at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, followed by an incredible party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel across the street.  Even if you weren't there, you probably saw the pictures.  That LA premiere was followed by advance screenings and premiere parties in San Francisco and Seattle, which were almost as exciting.

Our Santa Fe event will not be THE Premiere for season four.  One of those is in the works, for a city considerably larger than Santa Fe and a theatre considerably larger than the Jean Cocteau, but I will leave it for HBO to make that announcement when the time is ripe.

Our Santa Fe screenings will follow the big red carpet premiere, the way San Francisco and Seattle followed LA last year.  We expect to have a red carpet too, though I make no promises about who might show up to walk on it… besides myself, of course. I'll be there, for sure.

Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister_photo Macall B.Polay_HBO
photo Macall B. Polay HBO

The Jean Cocteau is a small hall, with only 125 seats, so we will be showing the episode three times.

The evening screening is by invitation only.   That's the red carpet screening.  And there will be a huge party following at the Sanbusco Center right across the parking lot from the Cocteau.  That's by invitation only too, alas.  Sorry.

But we wanted to do something for the fans as well.  So even before the VIP screening and party, we'll be showing episode 401 twice that day, for a few lucky members of the general public.  There will be one screening in the afternoon, and one that morning.  And here's something cool: the first show, the morning show, will be the Spanish language version of episode 401.  New Mexico has a huge Hispanic community, and we wanted to include them as well… so in a sense, the Santa Fe premiere WILL be a world premiere… for Spanish.  (The afternoon showing will be English).

Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon_photo Macall B. Polay_HBO
photo Macall B. Polay HBO

 I hear you asking… "how do I get tickets to the Santa Fe premiere of season 4??"

 Two ways.  Luck and determination.

 We have 125 tickets for each show.  About 75 of those seats will be given away ahead of time, as door prizes to those attending the weekly GAME OF THRONES marathon shows, and various other movies showing at the Jean Cocteau.  The marathons are first come, first seated, and we can't always fit everyone in — some nights we've had to turn away as many as a hundred, when the lines were just too long — but those who do get in are all given a raffle ticket, and at the end of the evening, we draw the names of a few lucky winners out of a dragon's egg.  We have other door prizes as well, so even if you don't win the coveted season 4 premiere tickets, you may go home with a calendar, a Funko Pop doll, a signed book, a movie pass, a stuffed direwolf, or some other goodie.

 ((The next marathon screening is this Wednesday.  We will be screening episodes six, seven, and eight from season two, Kit Harington will be joining us via Skype, Spirit Wolf Sanctuary will be bringing up two of their wolves… and yes, we expect to give away four tickets to the season four premiere, two to the English language screening, two the Spanish.  Each ticket admits two.  So get in line early if you want your chance to win)).

Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell, Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand_photo Helen Sloan_HBO
photo Helen Sloan HBO

 Not all the tickets will be given away as door prizes, however.  We are holding back about forty for both the morning and afternoon showings.  Those will be awarded the same way the tickets to our marathon showings are : first come, first seated.

 There's lots more surprises in store, but I will save those announcements for later down the line.  For now, suffice it to say:

  WINTER IS COMING TO SANTA FE!

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Magic & Mystery

February 19, 2014 at 1:17 am
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Everyone needs a little magic in his life.

So come join us at the Jean Cocteau next week, for MAGIC & MYSTERY WEEK.  Starting this Friday, the whole week will devoted to wizards, sorcerers, illusionists, and practitioners of the dark arts (like screenwriting).

For starts, we have three movies opening.

DESPERATE ACTS OF MAGIC is a delightful new romantic comedy about magicians.

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THE PRESTIGE… well, what can I say?  Based on the novel by Christopher Priest, this tale of a bitter feud between two rival magicians is becoming a classic, and may well be the best film about the world of magic ever made.  Directed by Christopher Nolan, adapted from the novel by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, it stars Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johanssen, and Michael Caine.

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And, for our midnight shows, we have THE RAVEN, Edgar Allen Poe by way of Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff.  (Yes, and Jack Nicholson, believe it or not).

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The movies are just part of Magic and Mystery Week, however.

We also thrilled to present the first live-in-person magic ever offered at the Jean Cocteau: three performances by the Amazing MISTY LEE, straight from LA's famed Magic Castle.   Misty will be performing three shows only, so be sure to catch them if you're in the area.

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And last, but certainly not least, on Sunday February 23, we will be joined at the Cocteau by JONATHAN NOLAN, screenwriter on THE PRESTIGE and MEMENTO, showrunner on PERSON OF INTEREST, and all around terrific talent.  Jonathan will be introducing THE PRESTIGE and answering questions about the film… and he and I will also be doing a dialogue about scriptwriting and adaptation on Sunday afternoon.  Should be fun.

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Advance tickets to the movies, the magic shows, and the dialogue are all available on the Cocteau website.

So come join the fun.  We promise not to saw you in half.

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A Time for Wolves

February 19, 2014 at 1:10 am
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Friends, fans, and autograph collectors… here's your chance.  We're doing another great fundraiser for our friends at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary down Candy Kitchen Way, and for "the Westeros Pack"     http://www.wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org/westeros_pack.php

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For one week only, we're offering all sorts of signed GRRM and ICE & FIRE books and other collectibles will be available for those who help out with donations large or small.  For more details, go to http://www.wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org/game_of_thrones_westeros_pack_charity_auction.php

We were going to start the drive at midnight tonight… but we've decided to add even more prizes, giveaways, and signed books, so it will take another day or two before the fundraiser goes live.  Once it does, it will run for a week.

Watch the Wild Spirit site for more details.  And once the flag goes up, give generously.

It's for the wolves.

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Santa Feans!

February 18, 2014 at 11:32 pm
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Don't miss tomorrow's GAME OF THRONES marathon session at the Jean Cocteau.

We'll be showing three episodes from season two:  "The Old Gods and the New," "A Man Without Honor," and "The Prince of Winterfell."

The wolves will be back!  Our friends from Wild Spirit Sanctuary are bringing up two ambassadors from Candy Kitchen.

 And we'll have snow.  Jon Snow, that is.  KIT HARRINGTON will join us via Skype.

 Best of all, after the screening, we'll be giving away two pairs of tickets to the Santa Fe premiere of season four!!

 And admission is FREE.

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Another Tease, Another Taste

February 16, 2014 at 11:50 pm
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HBO gave us another taste of season four tonight, before the latest episode of TRUE DETECTIVE.

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48 days and counting.

Unless you live in Santa Fe.

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Report from Santa Fe

February 15, 2014 at 1:17 pm
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Last month I did a local television interview with Lorene Mills, of REPORT FROM SANTA FE.

For those of you who cannot get enough of me talking, here's the link:

http://reportfromsantafe.com/episodes/view/211/george-r-r-martin-author-game-of-thrones/

Lorene has had a very eclectic guest list over the years.  A lot of New Mexico politicians, to be sure, but also artists, writers, and even stranger types.

She's a big Peter S. Beagle fan as well, and interviewed him when he was here a few weeks back with THE LAST UNICORN.

Speaking of which:

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After the Final Curtain

February 13, 2014 at 5:53 pm
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Movies, music, and booksignings aren't the only things we offer at the Jean Cocteau in Santa Fe.

The theatre lobby also doubles as a small art gallery.  Every month or so we mount another exhibition… of painting, photography, mixed media, what have you.  As with our movies, we strive to be eclectic in the art we show.

Up to now, we've displayed the work of local artists, some very talented painters and photographers based in Santa Fe and vicinity.  But next week we'll be offering something a little bit different — a display of photographs by Matt Lambros, an amazing photographer from New York who has spent the last several years travelling around the country photographing abandoned and decaying theatres and movie palaces.

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The moment I saw Lambros's work, I knew I wanted to show it at the Jean Cocteau.  What better venue, than the lobby of a theatre that has returned from the dead?  I find Matt's photographs very powerful and very sad.  These dream palaces had a brief heydey compared to the great cathedrals and castles of the middle ages, but they share the same sort of grandeur, even in decay.  There's a strange beauty here.  By rights, all these theatres should be haunted, and maybe they are… by the ghosts of all the kings and queens, heroes and villains, lovers and louts who strolled across these stages.

Lambros displays his photographs on his amazing website, AFTER THE FINAL CURTAIN, which you can check out for yourself here:
http://afterthefinalcurtain.net/

There's far more on his website than can be exhibited in the Cocteau's small gallery area, so in addition to the exhibition, Matt Lambros will be doing a lecture and slide show on Monday, February 17, starting at 6:20pm.  Tickets are available at the Cocteau website.  http://www.jeancocteaucinema.com/

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I am really looking forward to hearing Matt Lambros, and seeing some of his work up close and in the original.  The exhibition will run from tomorrow through March 17.  If you get the chance, come see it.  And if you're in town Monday night, join us for the lecture and slide show.

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Dunk & Egg Conquer Kindle

February 12, 2014 at 1:42 pm
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THE SWORN SWORD is back.

The graphic novel, that is.  Scripted by Ben Avery, illustrated by Mike S. Miller, it has been out of print for years in its original editions from Marvel and DBPro, and fetching ever higher prices on ebay, but now at last there is a brand new edition for those who want to read Dunk & Egg's second adventure without paying collector's prices for it.  Jet City Comics released their own edition of THE HEDGE KNIGHT II: THE SWORN SWORD on January 22, in both digital and print formats.   You'll find the paper editions on sale at your favorite local bookstore or comics shop.  The electronic version is available for Kindle from Amazon at

http://www.amazon.com/Sworn-Sword-Graphic-Novel-Thrones/dp/1477849297/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392582991&sr=1-1

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So far, the response has been great.  Both the physical and digital editions debuted on Amazon as #1 in Comics & Graphic Novels: Fantasy, ahead of many great works.  And the physical edition rose to the Top 600 in Books.

The graphic novel of THE HEDGE KNIGHT also saw a boost, rising to #2 in Comics & Graphic Novels: Fantasy.

And Jet City published a new interview with Mike S. Miller about his experience working on both projects.

 Meanwhile, over at Random House, Ben Avery and Mike S. Miller are reportedly hard at work on a graphic novel adaptation of the third Dunk & Egg novella, "The Mystery Knight."  More on that one down the line.

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This Weekend at the Jean Cocteau

February 12, 2014 at 11:10 am
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Something for all tastes, I think.

See you at the movies.

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The Jokers Are Back

February 11, 2014 at 11:01 pm
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September 15, 1946 was the first Wild Cards Day, the day that Jetboy met Dr. Tod in the skies over Manhattan, and the wild card virus was released onto an unsuspecting world.

September 15, 1986 was the 40th anniversary of that fateful day, and a pretty eventful 24 hours in its own right.  The triumphs and tragedies of that day were chronicled in JOKERS WILD, the third volume of the Wild Cards series… and the first of our "full mosaics."  Back in 1986, when we wrote the book, we were experimenting with a form that no one had ever attempted in SF and fantasy before.  Seven writers, seven characters, seven stories… all woven together into a fully collaborative novel, wherein the whole (we hoped) was more than the sum of its parts.

And let me you, editing this one was a bitch and a half.  But well worth it.   My writers complained a lot, as did I, but the readers love the result… and so did we, after a bit of time to reflect.  So the Wild Cards series has continued to feature fully-interwoven mosaic novels ever since, albeit usually only once every three books or so, since the process of hammering these out is exhausting for all concerned.

February 11, 2014 is the day that JOKERS WILD, first of the full mosaics, was reissued by Tor books in trade paperback.  It's been out of print and unavailable for longer than I care to think about, but now once more it is available at your local bookstore, or from your favorite online bookseller.  Never looked better either, dressed up as it is in a spectacular new cover from Michael Komarck.

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The featured writers (and their characters) this time around are yours truly (Hiram Worchester), Lewis Shiner (Fortunato), John Jos. Miller (Wraith, our new cover girl),  Edward Bryant (Sewerjack), Leanne C. Harper (Bagabond), Melinda M. Snodgrass (Roulette), and Walton Simons (Demise).

(I should mention: some Wild Cards books are good entry points to the series, but this is not one of them.  JOKERS WILD is the culmination of our first triad, so you probably read WILD CARDS and ACES HIGH before tackling this one).

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