Yeah, it's definitely noticable. Oberyn didn't offer to be Tyrion's champion, did he? Nor has the Mountain been seen for a while, making the Trial by Combat from the books a bit unlikely. And with Jaime telling Tyrion that he can trust him.... I actually wonder now if Tyrion will call upon Jaime for the Trial by Combat. That would be so awesome and Tyrion'esque. If Tywin and Cersei really want Tyrion dead they'll have to name someone who can beat Jaime and potentially risk his life (not sure if Trial by Combat is to the death, or if there's just a risk of that happening). If not, they'll have to name someone completely incompetent or someone who is ordered to lose, so that Jaime can literally beat him left-handedly - making the whole trial look ridiculous, plus Tyrion goes free. Of course, even after the trial Tyrion could not feel safe nor would he have any love or loyalty left for his family (except Jaime) and things could proceed as in the books.
The 8th episode of the series is called "The Mountain and the Viper". I think it is pretty likely.
I have to admit that that Batman pic looks very impressive. Whether it will be Batman that I'll be seeing or Ben Affleck in a Batman suite remains to be seen.
Anyhow, anyone know any really great cop drama films? Specifically Asian ones? I'm askimg b/c I recently saw Infernal Affairs, which is the Asian version of The Departed (or rather the other way around). I found the Asian one much better than the American one and got really interested in more. So I was wondering if anyone here has seen any good ones and could suggest watching.
Anyhow, anyone know any really great cop drama films? Specifically Asian ones? I'm askimg b/c I recently saw Infernal Affairs, which is the Asian version of The Departed (or rather the other way around). I found the Asian one much better than the American one and got really interested in more. So I was wondering if anyone here has seen any good ones and could suggest watching.
@chewin3 Funny. I have too recently watched the Infernal Affairs for the first time after seeing The Departed. Unlike you, I preferred the remake myself, but I do understand why someone would fancy the original more. Hong Kong movies have their charm.
I would basically suggest everything John Woo pre-Hollywood. A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hard Boiled especially. I would also suggest City on Fire, has a much more realistic feel since it's not a Woo movie.
I would basically suggest everything John Woo pre-Hollywood. A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hard Boiled especially. I would also suggest City on Fire, has a much more realistic feel since it's not a Woo movie.
I still can't see Affleck playing Batman. With Hack Snyder at the helm I'm not the least bit interested. Also, Superman and Bats in the same universe...bah!
There are different reasons to enjoy respective films since they both have different elements that both strengthen and weakens the experience. I'd say it ultimately comes down to which one you prefer does it better. I myself have a hard time putting it plainly which one is the 'objectively' better movie.
Anyhow, thanks for the suggestions! Will look into these movies and see how they are.
New Interstellar trailer ! Very Spielbergian, which is no surprise given it was originally written for him. That feel of wonder. I like the more... emphasized hopefulness of this trailer... kinda reminds of Inception.
Seems kinda obvious now that Jessica Chastain and Casey Affleck will be playing adult versions of Cooper's kids seen in the trailer. Twin paradox ftw
i bet he accomplishes his mission. saves humanity, returns to earth and sees his daughter as an old woman. :huh:
Been watching The Tudors. Not as good as Vikings, kind of a soap opera at times, but damn the sets and costumes are something else.
Ahhh.. i don't know where you got the idea that slavery is more productive than a healthy non-slave economy, but it's not. It can be -very- useful when you have to establish an economy, as your population is low and workers desperately needed. BUt that only lasts so long and in the Three Cities, they'd been established for years.
"Did slavery create the capital that financed the industrial revolution? The answer is "no"; slavery did not create a major share of the capital that financed the European industrial revolution. The combined profits of the slave trade and West Indian plantations did not add up to five percent of Britain's national income at the time of the industrial revolution." http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/slavery-and-anti-slavery/resources/was-slavery-engine-american-economic-growth
There are actually quite a lot of issues with cheap labour, from a business perspective. Most of us hope to grow our businesses and to do so, we don't just need warm bodies and good marketing, we also need talented employees who themselves want to succeed. If you want good product, you're going to need something more than unskilled workers. Before you point out China and Walmart, I'd urge you to check the numbers, Chinese monthly wages are $400-700 per month, depending on province. And a meal out there is about $4, as opposed to $15 here.
Slavery had it's economic uses and whether it was a burden or an asset to the US South, for example, is being debated to this day, but there is a reason everyone dispenses with it - it just doesn't work out in the long run.
As for the skill gap, well, Dany is butchering the Masters. Traders, architects, doctors, they are all fine. Unless they owned slaves. And then, chop.
Could Dany have been gentler? Sure. Could she have been harsher? Much. Google Genghis Khan. Is there a grotesque amount of excess wealth in Mereen that the Houses husbanded that she can draw on? Yes. The entire Essos will not be up in arms for two reasons - she's much better than the previous scumbags, and everyone who has crossed her, is dead. Oh and she has no use for money for herself, spending all her captured wealth on her people. They love that.
We are not talking about slavery of the last two-three centuries. These are completely different matters. Mereen is shown similar to Ancient Egypt, while the rest of the world - High Middle Ages, no later. In this part of Essos slavery is as essential as it was in Ancient Rome, or other civilizations of the Ancient World. Their entire economy is based on slavery, and slaves are used in a big part for hard, but essential basic labor. I am not saying she should keep them enslaved, by the way, I am saying that she shouldn't jump at and massacre free people because it is free people who provide skilled labor.
If a ruler wants to please everyone, it will be a disaster. Good ruling is not about giving people whatever a hell they want but about creating a stable social and economic organization, and it would require placing some limits on everyone. OK, Dany gave that guy three times more money for what his herd worth. Did she buy his loyalty? Let's say your neighbor has a pack of very evil dogs who are running around attacking things, and they killed off all your kittens and puppies. Your neighbor was in a generous mood and paid you three times their worth. Would you become his loyal servant? Why would you? Because you got a good compensation? What about his dogs who next time may kill your children? The wise thing is to take money and to get a hell out of there.
The same would be with that peasant. Dragons are still flying around, Dany has no idea how to control them, and the peasants, if they have any frigging sense, would just leave with the money. There will be less money in the treasury, and less peasants who can provide goat milk, hides, and meat, for the city. Sorry, but her paying up people is the dumbest thing economically. Give them new goats, make them work, trade, and pay taxes, not finance their departure.
I hope at some point she will realize that she is not suitable for leading any economic reform, and neither any of her advisers, and will find somebody as an equivalent of the hand of the king, who will deal with economic issues.
If a ruler wants to please everyone, it will be a disaster. Good ruling is not about giving people whatever a hell they want but about creating a stable social and economic organization, and it would require placing some limits on everyone. OK, Dany gave that guy three times more money for what his herd worth. Did she buy his loyalty? Let's say your neighbor has a pack of very evil dogs who are running around attacking things, and they killed off all your kittens and puppies. Your neighbor was in a generous mood and paid you three times their worth. Would you become his loyal servant? Why would you? Because you got a good compensation? What about his dogs who next time may kill your children? The wise thing is to take money and to get a hell out of there.
The same would be with that peasant. Dragons are still flying around, Dany has no idea how to control them, and the peasants, if they have any frigging sense, would just leave with the money. There will be less money in the treasury, and less peasants who can provide goat milk, hides, and meat, for the city. Sorry, but her paying up people is the dumbest thing economically. Give them new goats, make them work, trade, and pay taxes, not finance their departure.
I hope at some point she will realize that she is not suitable for leading any economic reform, and neither any of her advisers, and will find somebody as an equivalent of the hand of the king, who will deal with economic issues.
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lol, I have no idea what are you talking about, no filmstrip icon that I can see in Firefrox. 