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By Corey Fawcett & Bruce Garlinghouse
Surely you've heard of a little fantasy trilogy called "Lord of the Rings."
I'd be much more surprised if you'd heard of the HBO series "Game of Thrones," although it has drawn many comparisons to the Tolkien franchise. And its fan base is growing by the second.
The series follows several noble families fighting for control of the seven kingdoms of Westeros, a medieval land where "summers span decades and winters can last a lifetime." A rugged and weather-beaten Sean Bean (who also played Boromir in Lord of the Rings) is Ned Stark, patriarch of the central family of the first and, so far, only season.
"Thrones," which is based on a book series by George R.R. Martin called "A Song of Ice and Fire," entails more than flashy swordfights between good and evil forces. It weaves the families together in a complex and unpredictable story of passion, loyalty, madness and murder. And the production value is so high it feels like one long, epic movie.
Get started on this almost flawless series if you haven't already. (Almost flawless. The only dark-featured people in Westeros are the "savages." Really?) It will take you on a fantasy ride like no other TV show has before and leave you antsy with anticipation for season two. Did I mention there are dragons?
-Corey Fawcett
This summer I watched my dreams of becoming a hot-shot journalist come crashing down and it was all thanks to Andrew Rossi and his documentary, "Page One: Inside the New York Times."
Rossi, the director and co-writer of the film, is given unprecedented access into a newsroom that is known for its tight grip on its self image, and explores the effects of journalism's confusing and scary transition from simple print to complex web coding.
It highlights the hard reality that even the journalism juggernaut has wavered and an entity that is seen at the pinnacle of news reporting can fall as it struggles to stay afloat amidst hundreds of layoffs and failed business models.
Its star, David Carr, a grizzled, drug snorting thug turned fearless advocate for journalistic justice, serves as a bright spot and has me holding on to my dream for the time being.
Carr's "old-timer" image makes him an excellent guide through print journalism's current metamorphosis and as he reminisces about the "days of old" and fears a time when old school journalism is replaced by iPads and the ability to navigate a Twitter.
Even if you aren't involved or interested in journalism, "Page One" is a useful documentary that does a wonderful job of explaining how the flow of public information is in flux and that papers don't just print themselves.
-Bruce Garlinghouse
