STACK November 2016 Issue 145

R 18+ Restricted to 18 and over

While stocks last

The Compl ete Se a sons 1-6

resents

THE MOST EMMY

-WINNING

DRAMA IN HISTORY

201610051_Game_of_Thrones_S1-6_Contour_Ad_STACK_DPS.indd 2-3

What's so ominous about the phrase "Winter is coming"?Who is this Jon

Snow and why does he know nothing? And why is everyone so in love with

this HBO fantasy series? Allow us to explain...

Words

Scott Hocking

WHAT TO EXPECT

The world of Westeros is

modelled on the Dark Ages and

historical conflicts like the War of

the Roses, which means lots of

treachery, political intrigue, blood

feuds, shifting allegiances, and no

small amount of gratuitous flesh

and blood –

Game of Thrones

R-rated for a good reason. Yes, it

also has dragons and sorcery, but

if you’re the type who runs a mile

at the mere mention of hobbits,

dwarves and wizards, fear not.

GoT

might feature these fantasy

staples – as well as an army of

ice zombies – but it's not

The

Lord of the Rings

. The fantasy

elements are almost incidental;

it's the power play, politicking and

unforgettable characters that will

have you well and truly hooked.

The major players in the game

of thrones are the Starks (noble

northerners), the Lannisters (rich

tyrants), the Targaryens

(dragon-blooded tyrants),

and the Baratheons

(who are ruling

when the series begins). There are

plenty of other minor houses and

players, with the most duplicitous

being brothel owner Peter Baelish

(aka Littlefinger).

The first thing you'll love about

the show is the ringtone-friendly

opening theme (by composer

Ramin Djawadi) and the superb

title sequence, the latter an

animated 3D map of Westeros (and

also Essos to the east) that adds

new locations to the geography as

they are introduced.

The second is the well drawn

cast of characters who will

become your friends and foes over

the course of a projected eight

seasons. You'll quickly choose a

favourite, whether it's the bastard

Jon Snow (Kit Harington), the

Mother of Dragons Daenerys

Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), the

rebellious Arya Stark (Maisie

Williams), the diminutive Tyrion

Lannister (Peter Dinklage), or if

you have a thing for bad boys, the

Kingslayer Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj

Coster-Waldau). You might even

decide to name your children after

them, as many have.

Don't become too attached

to them though – a lot of

#8 -

GAME OF THRONES

BEGINNER’S

GUIDE

HBO's Emmy-laden adaptation of George R.R. Martin's

best-selling multi-book saga

A Song of Ice and Fire

is,

simply put, a swords and castles epic set in the Seven

Kingdoms of Westeros, where feuding families compete

for control of the realm. And they will stop at nothing to

sit on the Iron Throne. Know this: "When you play the

game of thrones, you win or you die."

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jbhifi.com.au

NOVEMBER

2016

DVD&BD

FEATURE