Posts Tagged ‘blah’
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 77!
August 1, 2018
What was life like before A Game of Thrones? No, not for your illustrious cohosts (we can hardly remember; was there life before A Game of Thrones?) — for your favorite POV characters! On this installment of BLAH, Sean & Stefan discuss the attitudes and events they feel must have shaped the day-to-day lives of George R.R. Martin’s main characters prior to the start of A Song of Ice and Fire. How did Ned Stark balance his professional obligations against the ghosts of the past? What did Jaime Lannister have in common with a pro wrestling heel? What was the impact of domesticity on Catelyn Stark, and of domestic violence on Cersei Lannister? Why was Tyrion Lannister less interesting before the books began — and why was Davos Seaworth more interesting? It’s a deep dive into character and theme (and of course pure speculation), and we hope you enjoy it!
Additional links:
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 76!
June 30, 2018
A long time ago, in a theater near you, a movie named Solo: A Star Wars Story came out. It feels like an eternity has passed since then and now, but what better time to listen to Sean & Stefan discuss the movie that seemed to shatter the Star Wars franchise into a million weird pieces? In this episode recorded a week after the film’s release, we talk about director Ron Howard’s Han Solo origin story — the action, the acting, what worked and didn’t, how it stacks up against the other post-Lucas SW movies and the larger series in general, its place in the bizarre post-Last Jedi debate among fans and critics, how Disney-Lucasfilm screwed up its release and the future of the franchise, and more. If you’re sick to death of the state of the Star Wars discourse, we think you’ll dig what we do in this one. Enjoy!
Additional links:
Sean’s essay on The Last Jedi.
All of Sean’s recent-ish Star Wars writing.
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 75!
May 25, 2018
Matt Zoller Seitz: A 75th Episode BLAH Salon Spectacular!
Television and film critic Matt Zoller Seitz joins us to help celebrate our 75th episode in style! In this special edition of our BLAH Salon interview series, Sean & Stefan talk to Matt about his upcoming Split Screens Festival, a jam-packed series of screenings and panels featuring many of TV’s best writers and performers; the festival runs from May 30-June 3 in New York City. He also tells us about his background, his overall approach to criticism, how the field has changed, and (of course) how he feels about Game of Thrones. Stay tuned after the interview, too, as Sean & Stefan look back on seven years of podcasting. Here’s to seven more!
Additional links:
Split Screens Festival homepage.
Split Screens Festival tickets.
Matt’s work at Vulture and New York.
Matt’s work at RogerEbert.com.
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 74!
April 30, 2018
Monsters
Unleash the kraken! And the dragon, and the Other, and the wight, and the giant, and the direwolf, and the FrankenGregor, and the giant turtle, et cetera. Sean and Stefan tackle the monsters of Ice and Fire — the ones that aren’t human, we mean — and their roles in the setting, the narrative, and the overall project of ASoIaF. Consider it our Walpurgisnacht Special!
Additional links:
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 73!
March 30, 2018Starship Troopers and Rambo
Come one, you apes! You wanna live forever? We sure hope not, because when you’re pushed, killing’s as easy as breathing. And so is listening to Sean and Stefan discus two of the most violent — and morally complex — action movies of the modern era, Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers and Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo. Made in 1997 and 2008 respectively, these films use satire (in the former case) and spectacle (in the latter) to probe the gaping wounds of fascism, war, war movies, and the act of killing. If, like us, you’re an admirer of how A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones use epic-battle tropes to interrogate the horrors of war, this discussion of two strange films that do the same is for you. Enjoy…?
Additional links:
Stefan’s essay on Starship Troopers (Patreon subscribers only).
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 72!
March 1, 2018Books vs. Show
They said it would never be done! Your illustrious cohosts do the one thing they never do and spend an entire episode comparing and contrasting A Song of Ice and Fire with its TV adaptation, Game of Thrones. The casting, the writing, the plot, the effects, the sense of scale, the themes, the changes: We’re going all in, baby, and we’re unlikely to do this kind of thing again for a long long time, so enjoy!
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour #71!
January 27, 2018Underdog TV: Better Call Saul, The Americans, & Halt and Catch Fire
Your illustrious co-hosts are back on the television beat for a full episode on three underwatched shows very close to our collective heart: Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul, Cold War spy thriller The Americans, and tech-industry drama Halt and Catch Fire. Those capsule descriptions are entirely inadequate for capturing these series’ depth, heart, intelligence, and skill, of course, and this episode is our attempt to do so ourselves. (Honestly, Stefan is so insightful about all three shows that Sean pretty much takes the episode off other than to chime in with the occasional “I agree,” but he tries his best to keep up anyway!) Note: We kept our conversation SPOILER FREE in terms of big spoilable moments, so if you’re curious about any of the shows but want to know more about them before pulling the trigger, this is your chance!
Sean’s profile of Halt and Catch Fire for Esquire.
Sean’s recent essay on Better Call Saul for Rolling Stone.
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Mixtape Vol. 1!
December 31, 2017A holiday gift for you from Boiled Leather! Sean proudly presents a surprise collection of music from the Boiled Leather Audio Hour and the Boiled Leather Audio Moment — full-length versions of our opening and closing themes by composer Kevin MacLeod, plus 17 superb songs from across the musical spectrum that Sean threw on the podcasts just because he felt like it. Enjoy, and we’ll see you this time next year for Vol. 2!
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 70!
December 31, 2017The Impact of Ice and Fire
For our very special 70th episode of the podcast, and our lucky 13th installment of 2017, BLAH is going big! In this freewheeling, wide-ranging episode, Sean & Stefan trace the effects of A Song of Ice and Fire (and Game of Thrones) on our lives, our minds, and our world. How has ASoIaF shaped your illustrious co-hosts’ thinking on art and literature? How can it help us understand the simultaneous rise of the New Golden Age of Television and nerd culture, including nerd culture’s toxic elements as well as its positive ones? Where would each of us be without it? The answers to all these questions and many more await you in the grand finale of our three-part holiday special!
Additional links:
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 69! (nice)
December 19, 2017Sean. Stefan. Star Wars. ’Nuff said! Discover why Sean rates The Last Jedi as his least favorite Star Wars movie and learn what Stefan thinks it has in its favor as we go in-depth about Rian Johnson’s peculiarly divisive film in our longest episode ever!
Additional links:
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 68!
December 17, 2017BLAH takes a look back at the year that was in our long-related return! On this episode of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour, Sean & Stefan discuss 2017’s most memorable books, films, and TV — from Twin Peaks to Dunkirk and beyond. The state of superheroes and prestige TV get a good going-over too. You’ll also hear about stuff from past years that helped keep us afloat during a year when the world went adrift. Plus! A candid discussion of the illness that kept us from recording for the past month. This is just the first of three episodes we’ll be rolling out this month to thank you for your patience and faith in us, so listen up and stay tuned!
Additional links:
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
Programming note
November 30, 2017Due to illness on Sean’s part (yes, again 🙁 ), the next episode of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour has been postponed from our usual launch time around the end of the month until, most likely, some time in the next couple of days. But we plan to crank out the content throughout December to make up for this delay. Thank you for your patience!
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour is now available on Stitcher!
October 30, 2017The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 67!
October 30, 2017The Sons of the Dragon
Sean & Stefan review George R.R. Martin’s latest historical novella set in the world of Ice and Fire, “The Sons of the Dragon”! Found in The Book of Swords, the latest (and allegedly, until The Winds of Winter is published, the last) genre anthology co-edited by GRRM and Gardner Dozois, “TSotD” chronicles the lives of Aegon “The Conqueror” Targaryen’s two large adult sons, Aenys and Maegor. Being named “anus” and “meager” wound up being the least of their problems, as we soon learn. Sean & Stefan discuss the most striking aspects of the failsons’ stories, as well as the political and supernatural status quo of the era in which they take place; debate the quality and merit of this and other faux-historical texts in the setting; and end with commentary on Martin’s writerly priorities. Enjoy!
Additional links:
Stefan’s review of “The Sons of the Dragon” at the Tower of the Hand.
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Music
October 23, 2017Sean, as a patreon subscriber to the Boiled Leather Audio Moment I was wondering if you could post a track listing to the songs you use in your intro/outro for the BLAM eps, some of them I recognize/know but others not so much and would like to know. You have a good taste in music, unless it’s Stefan picking tracks in which case he has good taste! Thanks Sean (or Stefan)
31 October T-Shirts by Julia Gfrörer, Day 08: The Boiled Leather Audio Hour
October 8, 2017
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 66!
September 20, 2017The ‘Game of Thrones’ Season Seven Post-Game Show
You wanted it, you got it. Sean & Stefan vs. Game of Thrones Season 7. ’Nuff said! NOTE: Since a lengthy illness on Sean’s part prevented us from getting this episode out in a timely fashion, we’re rushing it to you with minimal editing. Ooh baby we like it raw!
Additional links:
Sean’s Game of Thrones tag at seantcollins.com, featuring links to all his work on this season for Rolling Stone, Vulture, In These Times, and more.
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
Boiled Leather Audio Hour delayed due to sickness
September 4, 2017Hi folks! By now you’re surely wondering when the next BLAH is going to show up, particularly since we’ve crossed over from August to September and the conclusion of Game of Thrones gives us a natural topic. Unfortunately I contracted bronchitis and laryngitis, which led to three problems: 1) I spent days so sick and exhausted by my limited lung capacity that I could barely work; 2) I have to prioritize catching up with external deadlines that I’ve missed; 3) I completely lost my voice, making it impossible to record even if I were to edit out the repeated coughing fits.
The good news is that I’m the mend, but my bronchitis and laryngitis have proved extremely tenacious, having lasted now for over a full week. While my cough has subsided somewhat and I’m now able to speak audibly for more than a few words at a time, my speech is still very limited by my hoarseness and punctuated by spasms of coughing, which in turn tire me out quickly.
While we can’t promise anything, we hope we will be able to record again by the end of the work week. Thank you for your patience — we’re really looking forward to recording our Game of Thrones episode for you!
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 65!
August 1, 2017Azor Ahai a Hound? (A Patreon Production)
The Pooch Who Was Promised! In this episode of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour, Sean & Stefan respond to the request of one of our $50-a-month Patreon subscribers, Ryan, to evaluate the odds that Azor Ahai Reborn is none other than Sandor “The Hound” Clegane. Working with material from both the books and the show, the illustrious co-hosts branch out from there to discuss the nature of this pivotal prophecy itself, their own preferred candidates for the messianic role, and what qualities we should look for in a savior. Hmm, is that salt and smoke in the air?
A Wiki of Ice and Fire’s Azor Ahai rundown.
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 64!
June 30, 2017Children of Men (A Patreon Production)
The Boiled Leather Audio Hour goes dystopian this month! By the special request of our Patreon supporter Jason, who earned the right to choose a topic for the podcast by subscribing at the $50 level, Sean & Stefan are taking a deep dive into the world of Children of Men, director Alfonso Cuarón’s gripping 2006 political science-fiction film. Starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore and set in a near future where the world has been rocked by an infertility epidemic that has completely ended all childbirths for 18 years and counting, the movie is striking both for its technical virtuosity, particularly during its white-knuckle action sequences, and its emphasis on very human cruelty and empathy. How does its technical prowess affect its message? Where does the storytelling and imagery succeed, and where does it falter? What does its bleak yet ultimately optimistic vision of the future portend for our own grim present? We’ll do our best to answer those questions. Needless to say, spoilers abound!
Additional links:
Abraham Riesman’s article on the making of the film for Vulture.
Our Patreon page at patreon.com/boiledleatheraudiohour.
Our PayPal donation page (also accessible via boiledleather.com).