Month of Joy: Audio Commentary by Alex Bledsoe
As both a full-time writer and stay-at-home parent of three children, two cats, and a dog, my days tend to be packed. There is joy in my responsibilities, to be sure, but it’s often balanced by stress, doubt, and the sense of futility experienced by all artists (and parents). However, there is one tiny area where I do find moments of absolute unqualified joy: the audio commentary. I discovered my love for movies – and stories – simultaneously: with the 1977 release of STAR WARS, followed by years of magazines and books that picked over its sources and influences. And to this day, I love movies almost as much as I do books. They’re both ways to tell stories, after all, and the things that make a good story apply in both forms. And just as I learn from every book I read, I pick up things from movies as well.
Flick Bits: Game of Thrones DVD Sales Slash Record
Reuters reports through Yahoo AU that the DVD sales of Game of Thrones have crushed a previous sales record for HBO. From the article in question: Season one DVD sales reached about 350,000 units in the first seven days following its March 6 release, the network said on Thursday. That pace ranks ahead of other popular HBO series including “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City” and “True Blood.” Cue a geek celebration of enormous magnitude. There is something deeply satisfying about this news. As a fan of the TV series (and, now, the books), I worry about things like ratings and sales. There is so much story left to tell. With so many TV shows coming and going, I’m always afraid that HBO will pull the plug after the second season, or the third, or, dare I think it, the season right before the final moments of George R. R. Martin’s enormous story! That would be awful. But we’ve got good news. Huge DVD sales. Good job, geeks! Now we just have to wait until April for Season Two…
