The Best and Worst of Game of Thrones Season 8

May 31, 2019Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

After two years of anticipation, Game of Thrones returned for their final season in 2019 to a lukewarm negative reception. It made everyone question how can a show like that dip in quality episode after episode in one season. It got so bad, that it made season 8 of The Walking Dead look like a masterpiece (unpopular opinion, but I love that season since the source material is also my favorite arc) and that is quite telling. I have been a fan of this show since the beginning and although I have never reviewed an episode, I always shared my thoughts to my friends and fans in different places whether if the episode was good or bad. But all of it was not bad though since there are a few good moments that came out of this season. Today, I will rank the best and worst moments of the final season of Game of Thrones.

THE BEST

Brienne is Finally Knighted

While Brienne and Jaime and the rest were waiting for the White Walker army to arrive for the huge battle that will happen, there was a ceremony that took place. Torment questions Brienne about becoming a knight, Brienne said that she could not become one due to tradition. That tradition was about to be broken as she becomes the first woman to become a knight in Westeros. This was a powerful moment in the series as we thought that would never happen in the universe of Game of Thrones and it was much deserved for her to become a knight. Everything that she has been through has come to this as Jaime says that he can knight whoever he wants and he chose to knight her.

Jon and Arya’s Reunion

This was a moment seven seasons in the making as the last time these two seen each other, was in season one. They reunited on the first episode of the 8th season and the fan inside of me came out to clap for this moment as I realized myself that they have not seen eachother in a very long time. Seeing this scene really got me excited for the rest of the season (This was before that it all went under after episode 3).

Lyanna Mormont vs. The Giant Knight

During the Battle of Winterfell, Lyanna proved that she can fight and she tried to step up to attack The Giant Knight with her Dragonglass Axe. She did succeeded, but it came with a brutal consequence as she was squeezed by him to death. She did manage to stab him right in the eye to kill The Giant, but it was her last breath as she died shortly afterwards. Lyanna was one of my favorite characters so this made me sad.

Death of Theon

Theon has went through a very rough time during his entire run on the show. From him being tortured for most of the series, to seeing the horrible things Ramsay did to his sister, it was hell and back for him all because he did not know that he is a member of the Stark family. I did not think his death would come very early as the Night King stabbed him through the chest and tossed his body away from him. Long live Theon.

The Battle of Winterfell and The Death of The Night King

Game of Thrones has always had some of the greatest battles on television that we will all remember. This battle that took place on the third episode has been building up since the Night King was introduced. Although mostly nobody could see the battle on their televisions due to the very dark screen, it was worth watching it if you brightened your television. The army of the dead has poured in and everyone tries their best to take them all out. The death of the Night King was also very satisfying and nobody would have expected Ayra to kill the King as well. In my opinion, this season peaked on this episode and no episode could not top that.

THE WORST

Euron’s Ambush

This one puzzled me since I have seen it and even the writers of the show tried to defend this. Nothing makes sense at all during this scene as Daenerys and her two dragons had to return south after the big battle, and then suddenly, a large crossbow bolt pierces Rhaegal a few times as his body comes crashing down. Although when we first seen The Scorpions a few seasons ago say that a dragon would someday go down, this could have been better executed as Daenerys was in the air and could have seen those ships from a far distance. The writers of the show said that Daenerys forgot about the ships. But how could that be possible when it was mentioned to her in another scene a few minutes before this scene even aired.

Missandei’s Death

I have a mixed feeling about this one. On one hand, I had a feeling that she was going to die before the final episode and that was way before her death got leaked. On the other, this just felt like a comic book story where the woman is killed to serve the purpose of building development of the male that is attached to her. Plus it is the final season so who is going to care anymore after this? Cersei is however not the same person anymore ever since that walk of shame so I did took her more of a serious approach ever since.

Daenerys’ Story

How do you go from one of the best written characters on television to being the worst written characters on television. Seeing her change from a good girl gone bad is as effective as Dean Ambrose’s WWE heel run. Nobody believed it and it felt rushed and unorganic to the viewer. The worst out of character moment we have seen her do is burn the entire city down which also killed millions of innocent families and children. Ridicilous choice to turn her character upside down.

The Production

It felt like the producers did not care anymore when it came to not only writing the show, but leaving objects in plain view such as a coffee cup and a empty water bottle on the final season. But the biggest production error I have seen is when Jaime somehow grew his hand back at one of the scenes. All of this along with the messy and choppy screenwriting made this season one of the worst in recent memory. When the Iron Throne was burned down to the ground, that right there told me to put this show out of its misery.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @julianexcalibur for more content and subscribe to The Wrestling Court as we talk about the latest in pro wrestling, pop culture, and comics along with our live watch reactions to past matches. Contact me at julian@alternativemindz.com.

Tribeca Film Festival 2019 Red Carpet Interviews

May 4, 2019Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

The Tribeca Film Festival took place this week in New York and many films were showcased during the two week festival. Many different genres that ranged from horror, narrative, documentaries, LGBT, action, and much more. As with every year, there are a mix of films and events for everyone to enjoy. Tribeca never upsets anyone with the huge variety of selections of films and select shorts and television shows. This year at Tribeca, I attended a few of the great red carpet events in which I had the opportunity to interview the actors and actresses.

Before I begin, I was also at the Tribeca Talks Games: Hideo Kojima and Norman Reedus event as they talked about Death Stranding. The event had a huge swarm of details that we have not heard about until this event and it was very informative. As a Metal Gear fan myself, I was satisfied.

My first red carpet event that I covered is for the film CRSHD (crushed) as I got the chance to interview filmmaker and writer Emily Cohn, and Actresses Sadie Scott and Isabelle Melody Barbier. You can check that out below as I am now looking forward to seeing the film.

Next is Morena Baccarin as we talked about the movie her and Alex Baldwin stars in (Framing John DeLorean) for a few minutes. It was also funny seeing Alec Baldwin make a cameo during this interview as well.

I spoken with Tracey Edwards about her documentary “Maiden” as we talked about the best and worst places she has ever traveled to, what was it like for her to be a sailor, and much more.

I also interviewed “Game of Thrones” actress Hannah Murray as we talked about the final season of the show along with Charlie Says. That movie will be focused on the three women that has followed Charles Manson as she also talked about how she got the role.

And finally, I interviewed Scottie Thompson as we talked about Crown Vic which you can check out right here.

EXCLUSIVE: Former Developers of Telltale Games Breaks Their Silence on the Layoffs

September 23, 2018Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

The news broke out Friday that Telltale Games has laid off over 250 members of their staff and only kept 25 members of the staff to complete the Minecraft Story Mode for Netflix. This is the same company that has produced many hit titles such as The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, Batman, Game of Thrones, and Tales of Borderlands and their upcoming titles included a sequel to Game of Thrones, and The Wolf Among Us and an upcoming Stranger Things title. The news came out of nowhere and those titles were canceled. The biggest hit from the titles is The Walking Dead as their final season of the game just started over a month ago and after the second episode which will release this Tuesday, we will not get the rest of the planned episodes. This caused a huge uproar online due to the fact that many people has paid for season passes for the game and they cannot give out refunds to the people who has purchased the game expecting a full season.

Since then, the hashtag of #TellTaleJobs started trending and major gaming studios started to pick up on this and it shows a good sign that they want to hire many of the former developers. Of the many developers, I have interviewed one of them and his name is Johnathan Straw of Telltale Games and this is what he had to say of the situation:

Hey Jonathan. Thank you for taking the time for this interview. I appreciate it very much. What can you tell me about the situation at Telltale and did you have any indicator that this was going to happen on Friday?

Jonathan: “Here’s my side of things. I was actually on PTO on Friday, and noticed something was up as I was waiting for my flight at SFO. I noticed rumblings through our Slack channels, and saw an all hands company meeting appear on the calendar. Shortly after I saw a cryptic condolences message on Slack and began asking for clarification on what had happened. While waiting for a response, my company email account force signed off. Then peers started alerting me through Slack that the company had been closed and everyone had half an hour to vacate, then return on Monday to gather belongings. There was no indication that this was going to happen. In fact, just within the last week or two, we had made new hires, and one of my supervisors had just returned from intern recruitment outreach in Florida. I had a meeting on Thursday right before the closure concerning training plans for transitioning the studio to Unity, and even had a candid conversation about converting my employment status from project hire to permanent hire. Both of my immediate supervisors were enthusiastic about advocating for my conversion. My team had a major project review that is typical and routine to our development process still on the calendar as the employees were being ushered out of the building. All I can really say is that everything was running as normal until suddenly it wasn’t.”

Yikes! This is crazy. So of the 25 that stayed, were they alerted also, or they found out as it happened. And there is a load of rumor and innuendo going on with the last few episodes of the game including the talked about situation of the way they will be released and that the CEO’s only focused on gathering as many IP’s as possible. Would you like say your input about it here?

Jonathan: “I don’t even know who the 25 retained employees are. I won’t comment about rumor and innuendo. The official statements from Pete Hawley and Telltale official social channels are as much as I know about project and IP status. I hadn’t gotten to a point in my employment to begin exploring our IP library, as I was primarily focused with getting The Walking Dead: The Final Season out the door. Even if I knew what else we were exploring, I wouldn’t be able to reveal them if they hadn’t already been announced by the company.”

Interesting. My final question is, since a number of former employees were let go while their health benefits were cut, did that happen to you as well? And do you feel that there was an over saturation with the amount of people that were hired through them? I would also would like to add in that there will be a class action lawsuit (which just came out today) against Telltale. Would you like to comment on that?

Jonathan: “All my benefits were rescinded immediately just like everyone else’s. I didn’t feel there was an over-saturation of hires. I was hired after the November layoffs, and it was a bit sad to see a quarter of the building empty where there were previously desks and people when I first interviewed. The teams I saw there were adequately streamlined, and in general we were all working under better creative conditions both from my observations based on my previous employment at Telltale Games (2010 – 2012) and from sentiments among my peers. I am following the class action lawsuit. We have all been discussing the legality of the lay-offs, but none of us are lawyers. I suppose it was only a matter of time until this all caught the attention of lawyers. If it gets me and my peers the severance we all deserve, then I am all for it. Fortunately, I have been in this kind of situation before. I am prepared with alternate sources of income, independent game projects of my own making, and a healthy network of friends in the industry.”

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @julianexcalibur

Natalie Dormer of HBO’s Game of Thrones will attend Wizard World for the first time ever in Philadelphia.

March 8, 2018Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

‘Game of Thrones’ Star Natalie Dormer To Make Wizard World Comic Debut In Philadelphia, May 19-20

‘Margaery Tyrell’ On HBO Series To Appear Saturday And Sunday At Pennsylvania Convention Center

PHILADELPHIA, March 8, 2018 – Natalie Dormer , who gained international attention with her performance of “Margaery Tyrell” on the HBO series “Game of Thrones,” will make her first Wizard World Comic Con appearance when the tour hits Philadelphia on May 19 and 20. Dormer, who also earned acclaim as “Anne Boleyn” on the Showtime series “The Tudors,” will greet fans, sign autographs, pose for photo ops and conduct an interactive fan Q&A session at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Dormer made her screen debut in Lasse Hallstrom’s romantic film Casanova (2005), followed by a small part in the dramedy “Distant Shores” (2005). After her key role in “The Tudors”(2007–08), for which she was nominated for two Gemini Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Drama Series, she played “Irene Adler/Moriarty” on the CBS series “Elementary” (2013–15), “Cressida” in the science-fiction adventure films The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015), and “Sara Price/Jess Price” in The Forest (2016). She plays the lead in this year’s Amazon Video mini-series “Picnic at Hanging Rock.”

Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) continues its 2018 schedule with its 16th trip to the City of Brotherly Love, May 17-20. Joining Dormer as celebrity guests announced to date are Sebastian Stan ( Captain America franchise), the Justice League trio of Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher, Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), the Lord of the Rings duo of Sean Astin and Billy Boyd, among others scheduled to attend the comic con and pop culture extravaganza. A full list of guests to date is available at http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR.

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop culture: movies, television, gaming, live entertainment, comics, sci-fi, graphic novels, toys, original art, collectibles, contests and more. The fifth event scheduled on the 2018 Wizard World calendar, Philadelphia show hours are Thursday, May 17, 4-9 p.m.; Friday, May 18, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, May 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Kids 10 and under are admitted free with paid adult.

Wizard World Comic Con Philadelphia is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor and participate in the famed Wizard World Costume Contest on Saturday evening.

For more on the 2018 Wizard World Philadelphia, visit http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR .

Follow me on twitter @julianexcalibur

Follow me on instagram @jaxocalibur

The Holidays are gettimg Batty with 4D Batman Gotham City Puzzle

November 15, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

4D Batman Gotham City Puzzle (1500+ pcs)

Watch this amazing video preview!: https://youtu.be/ACo_91E7RGM

4D Cityscape now introduces the official puzzle guide for Batman Gotham City, based on DC Comic’s famous Batman Comic Series. This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the official DC map of Gotham City in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Gotham City. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the night landscape based on DC Comics official map of Gotham City. For the the third layer you add 3D miniature replicas models into the puzzle, which include famous buildings and structures such as Wayne Manor, GCPD Gotham City Police Department, Ace Chemical Plant, Wayne Tower, Iceberg Casino & Lounge, and many more! Each model is a highly detailed sculpt piece of the actual location. In addition, the puzzle comes with an Official Guide to Gotham City that teaches you everything you need to know about Gotham City. Bonus items include a mini LED Bat Light located at the top of the GCPD building. It shines the batman logo into the sky as Gotham City calls for help.

Ages 14+

Fully assembled: 32 x 19.2 x 6 inches

MSRP of $89.99

4D Game of Thrones Essos Puzzle (1500+ pcs):

This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the map of Essos in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Essos. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the current landscape based on the famous introduction of the television series. The third layer adds the 3D miniature replica models that you insert into the puzzle, which include famous cities and castles such as Braavos, Pentos, Meereen, Valyria, Astapor and many more! In addition, the puzzle comes with an information booklet that teaches you everything you need to know about Essos, including over 45 flags to mark famous landmarks, 10 sigils to mark the Houses, and 3 battle markers to learn the locations of three major battles. Bonus items include a miniature set of the Dragon Eggs.

Ages 13+

Fully assembled measures 30x18x2 inches

MSRP of $69.99

4D The Hobbit Puzzle (1400+ pcs):

4D Cityscape now introduces the official puzzle guide for The Hobbit, based on Warner Brother’s famous Trilogy. This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the official Hobbit Middle-earth in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Middle-earth. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the colorful landscape. The third layer you insert 3D miniature replicas models into the puzzle, which include famous buildings and structures such as Hobbiton, Dale City of Men, Cave of Gollum, Rivendell, and many more! Each model is a highly detailed sculpt piece of the actual location. In addition, the puzzle comes with an Official Guide to Middle-earth that teaches you everything you need to know about Middle-earth.

Ages 14+

Fully assembled: 30 x 18 x 2 inches

MSRP of $79.99

4D Lord of the Rings (2100+ pcs):

4D Cityscape now introduces the official puzzle guide for The Lord of the Rings, based on Warner Brother’s famous Trilogy. This puzzle will guide players through the assembly of the official The Lord of the Rings Middle-earth map in a patented multi-layer design. The first layer is a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle that will teach you all about the various locations and regions of Middle-earth. The second layer is an artistic 200+ piece jigsaw puzzle that replicates the colorful landscape. The third layer you insert 3D miniature replicas models into the puzzle, which include famous buildings and structures such as Barad-dûr, Mount Doom, Minas Tirith, Isengard and many more! Each model is a highly detailed sculpt piece of the actual location. In addition, the puzzle comes with an Official Guide to Middle-earth. Ages 14+

Fully assembled: 37 x 25 x 4 inches

MSRP of $89.99

Toy Fair 2016: Dark Horse

February 19, 2016Rob Leave a Comment

Game Of Thrones Product Showcase Event photos

April 29, 2015Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

Last week i was invited to an event to cover an Product Showcase from The Game Of Thrones. i took as much pictures as incan as isedn pretty cool products such as cosplay items, figures, props from the show and more merchandise.

follow me on twitter @julianexcalibur

DARK HORSE REVEALS AN ALL-NEW GAME OF THRONES® FIGURE AT COMIC CON INTERNATIONAL!

July 25, 2014Rob Leave a Comment

The doors are open at the pop culture event of the year! To celebrate, Dark Horse is kicking things off with the reveal of the latest figure to join the growing line of figures based on characters from the smash hit HBO® series, Game of Thrones!

Tywin Lannister, father of Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion and known as the wealthiest man in the seven kingdoms and Hand of the King, is a perfect addition to the upcoming group of detailed collectible Game of Thrones figures produced by Dark Horse Comics.

“We just couldn’t say no to Tywin,” said Dark Horse VP of product development David Scroggy. “It didn’t seem like a smart idea to deny him.”

Exclusively revealed on social media by HBO earlier this afternoon, the figure prototype can be viewed throughout the show as a key item in Dark Horse’s upcoming products display at booth #2615!

The Tywin Lannister figure joins an ongoing series of non-articulated figures based on characters from the popular series. Debuting in January 2014, the ongoing range will continue through 2015.

The Tywin Lannister figure measures approximately 8” tall on his base. It will be packaged in a full-color window-box package.

Scheduled on-sale date is March 2015, making this figure available in-store just ahead of the season five premiere of Game of Thrones.

About HBO Global Licensing
HBO Global Licensing officially licenses the HBO® brand for the development and merchandising of innovative product lines inspired by the network’s award-winning programming. With products created around hit series like Game of Thrones® and True Blood® as well as classic series like The Sopranos®, Sex and the City®, and Entourage, items include fashion apparel, figures, jewelry, digital and CD soundtracks, prop and costume replicas, games, books, and beverages, as well as exclusive, premium collections in partnership with upscale, designer brands. Merchandise can be purchased in retail stores nationwide, at http://store.hbo.com, and at the groundbreaking HBO retail hub, the HBO Shop®, located at 42nd and 6th Avenue in New York City. HBO Global Licensing products are also sold internationally across Europe (www.hboshopeu.com), Asia and Australia.

DARK HORSE UNVEILS THE 2014 CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE GAME OF THRONES® ITEMS!

July 9, 2014Rob Leave a Comment

DARK HORSE UNVEILS THE 2014 CONVENTION EXCLUSIVE GAME OF THRONES® ITEMS!

MILWAUKIE, OR – Following up on last week’s announcement of the first wave of Dark Horse’s 2014 Comic-Con exclusives comes the full slate of exclusive items based on the massively popular HBO series Game of Thrones! We have created not one, not two, but all three of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons, an exclusive new map marker, and a new shield wall plaque! These items will make their debut at Comic-Con International, when doors open to the public on July 23!

Game of Thrones: Convention Exclusive Bolton Map Marker

4″ tall hand-painted polyresin Bolton Map Marker. In Game of Thrones, we see Robb Stark plotting the movements of opposing armies using a map of Westeros and a set of map markers, each hewn into a representation of one of the house symbols. With our Map Marker Set, we have reproduced these items in their true size, using the actual props as reference. This limited-edition Bolton Map Marker is an additional piece only available at San Diego Comic-Con International.

Price: $25.00
Production Run: 1,200
Limit: Two per person

Game of Thrones: Convention Exclusive Lannister Shield Wall Plaque

Limited-edition 8″ x 5″ polyresin replica of Lannister shield. Packaged in full-color box. Includes hook for wall mounting.

Price: $30.00
Production Run: 2,300
Limit: Two per person

Game of Thrones: Convention Exclusive Dragon—Drogon

3″ tall, 6″ wingspan limited-edition pewter replica of Drogon, the black dragon commanded by Daenerys Targaryen.

Price: $35.00 each / $90.00 for Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion
Production Run: 1,250
Limit: Five per person

Game of Thrones: Convention Exclusive Dragon—Rhaegal

3″ tall, 6″ wingspan limited-edition pewter replica of Rhaegal, the emerald green and bronze dragon commanded by Daenerys Targaryen.

Price: $35.00 each / $90.00 for Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion
Production Run: 1,250
Limit: Five per person

Game of Thrones: Convention Exclusive Dragon—Viserion

3″ tall, 6″ wingspan limited-edition pewter replica of Viserion, the cream-colored dragon commanded by Daenerys Targaryen.

Price: $35.00 each / $90.00 for Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion
Production Run: 1,250
Limit: Five per person