The Daleks Are Here

January 16, 2015 at 1:24 pm

Speaking of Doctor Who…

(Which we were. At least in passing, in my last post, and some of the comments on it).

… if you have ever wanted to see the Doctor on the big (well, medium-sized) screen, we're opening a Dr. Who movie at the Cocteau tonight. Yes, there was a Doctor Who movie. Two of them, in fact. I am surprised by how many fans don't seem to know that.

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Peter Cushing plays the Doctor. The Daleks play the Daleks.

(Maybe some hardcore Who-fan can tell me… when the Doctor's fandom talks about the third Doctor and the seventh Doctor and all that, right up to the present, how come Peter Cushing is never included or given a number. Doesn't he count? It almost seems as if his turn as the Doctor has been written out of history. Was that done with time travel?)

LATER: Okay, thanks for explaining, guys and gals. I've got it now.

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Tags: jean cocteau, television

Weekend Contests

January 9, 2015 at 4:42 pm

Some big big contests this weekend.

In the NFL, it's the divisional round. On Saturday, Baltimore is at New England and the Carolina Panthers are at Seattle. My former assistant Ty is a big Panthers fan, so my feelings for them are largely positive… but I like the Seahawks too. I had a very pleasant breakfast with their owner a few months ago. I have no favorite in that game. Of couse, I will be rooting hard for the Ravens to defeat Evil Little Bill and his Patriots. Hey, they are named in honor of Edgar Allen Poe, a fellow writer… and while it is true they beat my Giants in a SuperBowl once, it's been a long time, I forgive them.

On Sunday, it is Dallas at Green Bay and Indianapolis at Denver. I am for Denver in the AFC game; after all, Peyton is Eli's big brother. And the Colts should never have left Baltimore besides, so pfui to the Irsays. The early game, hey, no contest, I have hated and despised the Cowboys even longer than I have hated the Patriots, so I will be pulling hard for Green Bay and that baaaaad man Aaron Rogers.

(Meanwhile, I will also be rooting for the Jets to get a kickass GM and head coach, for Rex to get another head coaching job, and for my Giants to bring back Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator).

The NFL isn't the only contest this weekend. This year's Golden Globe Awards will also be presented on Sunday night, and GAME OF THRONES is nominated in Best Dramatic Series. The competition this time around is HOUSE OF CARDS, THE AFFAIR, THE GOOD WIFE, and DOWNTON ABBEY. David Benioff and Dan Weiss and Carolyn Strauss and a number of our other producers and cast members will be on hand at the ceremony, though I won't be there myself this year. But I will watching from home and cheering loudly for the show, and hoping that my friends and colleagues get a Globe (the GG rules are such that I would not get one myself, even if we win).

So in conclusion:

GO RAVENS
GO PACKERS
GO DRAGONS
GO DIREWOLVES
GO HBO!

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo, nfl, television

I’m Number Three….

December 17, 2014 at 8:24 pm

… again.

First the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER named me the third most powerful writer in Hollywood.

And now, yes indeed, Barbara Walters has included me as one of her Ten Most Fascinating People of 2014. The third, actually. Though I am not sure the order actually matters.

LiveJournal is not letting me embed the video, for some reason, but for those of you who missed the show, here's a link:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/game-thrones-author-george-martins-rise-success-27599428

(Look closely, and you can catch a glimpse of Parris, of Gardner Dozois, of various other friends).

It is gratifying to know that I am as fascinating as I am powerful (this year, at least). Plainly it must be the Autumn of George (obligatory SEINFELD reference).

Sad to say, however, I failed to win the triple crown. I may be fascinating, and I may be powerful, but somehow, unaccountably, PEOPLE magazine failed to name me Sexiest Man Alive to complete the sweep. They went with Thor… er, Chris Hemsworth… instead. And, yeah, okay, he's all rugged and muscle-y and stuff, and his hammer is bigger than mine, but really… PEOPLE did not even include me in the list of runners up, although Kit Harrington and Richard Madden were both included (and congrats to both of them).

But that's the way it goes with triple crowns. The Belmont always breaks 'em.

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Tags: awards, humor, television

Power, Power, POWER!!!!

December 8, 2014 at 5:26 pm

The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER says I am the third most powerful writer in Hollywood:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/person/george-rr-martin

Mwaaaahahahahaha. (Rubs hands together) What shall I do with such awesome power?

Let me banish all reality shows from the air!

And these 'talent' shows too! Instead of shows where assholes and audiences mack mock of wannabees who cannot sing and dance, let's bring back the variety show and feature really GOOD singers and really GOOD dancers.

Oh, and you movie studios… no more replacing screenwriters at the drop of a hat. It should as hard to replace the writer as it is to replace the director. And that "a film by" credit at the beginning of pictures should include the name of BOTH writer and director. The film is by both of them, not just one.

And every TV series should be required to take X amount of pitches from freelancer writers and beginners. That used to be mandated by the WGA, and way back when it was how a lot of newcomers got their foot in the door, but these days most shows find ways around it, and breaking in is harder than ever.

Since I am so so powerful, I know all this will come to pass!

(And if it does, I have a bride to sell you).

((BRIDGE! I meant bridge.))

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Tags: humor, television

This Week at the Cocteau

December 5, 2014 at 3:26 pm

We have a big weekend coming up at the Jean Cocteau Cinema.

We're extending the runs of both INTERSTELLAR and HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR, so you'll be able to catch both of those off and on during the week. Check the showtimes on our website for dates and details. But we're also opening a new film tonight. It's called BEFORE I DISAPPEAR. Check outthe trailer, looks like fun:

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Tomorrow morning, Saturday, we launch another one of our television marathons. We'll be screening the entire first season of the new WGN dramatic series MANHATTAN, which is filmed right here in Santa Fe on the replica of 1943 Los Alamos that they built back of the College of Santa Fe. If you haven't seen MANHATTAN yet, you should. It's terrific, and if there's any justice it will competing with GAME OF THRONES next year when the Emmys roll around. (And no, it's not set in New York, it's about the Manhattan Project).

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Keep a sharp eye out and you'll spot GAME OF THRONES alumnus Harry Lloyd, the late great Viserys Targaryen, at the Lab, part of the induction team. Harry's in London just now, and won't be able to join us for the marathon, but other members of the cast and crew may be on hand.

Best of all: admission to all the MANHATTAN screenings will be FREE. So come and enjoy the show, and be sure to buy plenty of radioactive popcorn and glow-in-the-dark cocktails.

That's not all, either. Come Sunday, December 7, the Cocteau will sponsor another of its famous author events. HAMPTON SIDES, the author of the bestselling novel of Arctic exploration, IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE, will be here to talk with me about his book, his career, the Arctic, James Gordon Bennett, and anything else that come to mind.

ice 34542-square

Admission is free with the purchase of a hardcover book, $5 with the purchase of a paperback, and $10 without book purchase.

Speaking of books… the Cocteau still has a huge stock of autographed books if you're looking for a Christmas present for that reader in the family. Junot Diaz, Anne Perry, Melinda Snodgrass, Pat Conroy, Neil Gaiman, Dennis Lehane, and many more are all available. And of course we have lots and lots of my own titles, including the brand new worldbook, THE WORLD OF ICE AND FIRE. If you're in the neighborhood, stop on by, catch a show, have a popcorn or a beer, and peruse the shelves.

See you at the movies.

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Tags: jean cocteau, movie theatre, signed books, signings, television

GOT, HBO Score WGA Nominations

December 4, 2014 at 2:53 pm

The Writers Guild of America has just announced the nominees for its annual awards, and HBO and GAME OF THRONES are both well represented on the shortlists.

The writing staff of GAME OF THRONES season four (David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Bryan Cogman, and me) scored another nomination for Best Dramatic Series. We'll be up against THE GOOD WIFE, HOUSE OF CARDS, TRUE DETECTIVE, and MAD MEN.

wga

But that's not all. In the Episodic Drama category, my own season four episode, "The Lion and the Rose," was nominated. It will be competing against episodes from THE GOOD WIFE, RECTIFY, MAD MEN, and two strong BOARDWALK EMPIREs. Tough company indeed.

But I am thrilled by the nomination. The last time one of my scripts was nominated was 1987, when one of my TWILIGHT ZONE episodes was a finalist. (I lost to Harlan Ellison, with another TZ script). So it's very cool to make the shortlist.

For a full list of nominees, go to:

http://www.eonline.com/news/603528/game-of-thrones-orange-is-the-new-black-and-true-detective-lead-2015-wga-nominations

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo, television

Emmy Night

August 25, 2014 at 8:21 pm

It's Emmy night!

(On a Monday in August… thanks, NBC, he muttered sourly).

Parris and I will be off to the Nokia Theatre in a few hours, battling the inevitable traffic jams, which will be much worse than usual because, well, it's a Monday in August.

GAME OF THRONES scored 19 Emmy nominations, more than any other program, and took home four awards last weekend in the technical categories. Tonight we are contending in five more categories: Neil Marshall for directing, David and Dan for scripting, Lena Headey for Best Supporting Actress, Peter Dinklage for Best Supporting Actor, and of course the show itself for Best Drama.

Whether we will win any remains to be seen. Pretty much everyone is saying that BREAKING BAD has this year locked up. Maybe they are right. But last week pretty much everyone was saying DOCTOR WHO had the Hugo locked up as well. Can GAME OF THRONES score another upset, and break through the Academy's long-standing aversion to fantasy and science fiction? We will know in a few hours.

That's why they play the games.

Anyway (all together now), "it is an honor just to be nominated," and the after parties are always fun.

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Tags: awards, emmy awards, game of thrones, hbo, television

Battle Is Coming, Blood Will Flow

June 7, 2014 at 11:06 am

Tomorrow night, on HBO.

Neil Marshall returns, with a battle even bigger than "Blackwater." Should rival or surpass any battle ever seen before on television.

Keep your swords sharp.

And be afraid. Be very afraid.

(No, I haven't seen the episode yet).

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Tags: game of thrones, hbo, television

The 6th Gun Returns to Santa Fe

May 10, 2014 at 2:29 pm

[THE SIXTH GUN is a exceedingly popular Fantasy Western series that's been burning up the comic shops the past few years. Zombies and gunslingers, hard to beat that. Given the popularity of the comic, no one was surprised when NBC picked up the television rights to the series and filmed a one-hour pilot, shooting most of it on one of the many "old west town" sets that surround Santa Fe. But everyone was surprised when NBC passed on the pilot rather than go to series.

Turns out that was good news for GAME OF THRONES, since we promptly made off with two of SIXTH GUN's stars, Pedro Pascal (who became Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne) and Michiel Huisman (our new Daario Naharis). It was less good for all the other folks on SIXTH GUN, whose work would never be seen.

But now it will… on Friday, May 23 the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe will be showing the pilot of THE SIXTH GUN… the first and, quite likely, last time the pilot will be shown, and beyond a doubt the ONLY time you will ever get to see it on a big (okay, medium sized) screen. It's an event that comic fans. fantasy fans. western fans, and zombie fans will not want to miss.

For those who don't know the comic, here's a taste:

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(FYI, it should be noted that the pilot is live action, not animated, the above shots all come from the comic).

We are planning a whole day of activities around THE SIXTH GUN. We will have two showings of the pilot, one at 4:00 pm and one at 8:30 pm. In between we will have gunfights, zombie shambles, zombie dance hall girls. Some local members of the cast and crew should turn up (the first time they've had a chance to see the fruit of their labors). Our bar will be serving a special cocktail, the Sinclair Shooter.

And we will have three very special guests: writer CULLEN BUNN and artist BRIAN HURTT, the guys behind the SIXTH GUN comic, will be flying into Santa Fe to join us, together with RYAN CONDAL, scriptwriter and executive producer for the television pilot. Cullen and Brian will be autographing copies of the comic and graphic novels, and joining Ryan for a panel discussion and Q&A about the comic, the TV show, and the future of the series.

The best part? All of this is FREE. No charge for admission to either of the screenings, the panel, any of it.

And if you get to the Cocteau by noon, we may even make a zombie of you. The more zombie gunslingers and zombie dance hall girls we have on hand, the more fun it will be. It takes a lot of zombies to make a proper horde…

See you at the shootout. May 23. Remember that date.

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Tags: comic books, graphic novels, jean cocteau, television

SAG, AFI Honor THRONES

December 11, 2013 at 1:19 pm

It's been a great week for GAME OF THRONES in Hollywood, with both the Screen Actor's Guild and the American Film Institute bestowing honors and recognition on the HBO series, and some of the folk who work so hard to make it great.

SAG announced the nominees for its annual awards this morning. I'm thrilled to say that the cast of GAME OF THRONES are nominated as Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Television Drama, on a shortlist that also includes our familiar rivals BOARDWALK EMPIRE, BREAKING BAD, DOWNTON ABBEY, and HOMELAND. The guild members also nominated our fearless stuntwomen and stuntmen for Outstanding Action Performance by Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series. BOARDWALK EMPIRE, BREAKING BAD, and HOMELAND are up in that category as well, along with THE WALKING DEAD. And Peter Dinklage, our once and future Tyrion Lannister, was nominated as Best Actor in a Television Drama. He will vie for the award against Steve Buscemi (BOARDWALK EMPIRE), Bryan Cranston (BREAKING BAD), Jeff Daniels (THE NEWSROOM), and Kevin Spacey (HOUSE OF CARDS).

749729_GOT3_HS_0904_EP307_DSC6223-1368328718000-A

For a full list of the nominees, go to:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/sag-awards-2014_n_4422434.html

The SAG nominations follow close on the heels of AFI's annual announcement, recognizing their ten favorite films and television shows of the previous year. GAME OF THRONES made the list for the third year in a row. The AFI recognition is especially nice since it has no winners and no losers; all ten of the chosen films and television shows share the recognition.

AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE
AFI AWARDS 2013 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
12 YEARS A SLAVE
AMERICAN HUSTLE
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
FRUITVALE STATION
GRAVITY
HER
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
NEBRASKA
SAVING MR. BANKS
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
GAME OF THRONES
THE AMERICANS
BREAKING BAD
THE GOOD WIFE
HOUSE OF CARDS
MAD MEN
MASTERS OF SEX
ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
SCANDAL
VEEP

Tomorrow the Golden Globe nominations will be announced, and we'll see if the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will make us three for three. Keep your fingers crossed.

A DAY LATER: Skunked in the Golden Globes. 🙁 As Vizzini would say, "Inconceivable!"

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Tags: awards, game of thrones, hbo, television

Not a Blog

The Daleks Are Here

Weekend Contests

I’m Number Three….

Power, Power, POWER!!!!

This Week at the Cocteau

GOT, HBO Score WGA Nominations

Emmy Night

Battle Is Coming, Blood Will Flow

The 6th Gun Returns to Santa Fe

SAG, AFI Honor THRONES

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