Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

There is a Great Wall of ice, under-maintained, which protects the 7 kingdoms from unspeakable horrors to the north. Below the wall there are 7 kingdoms vying to possess a throne usurped by a wrongful heir in a setting as authentically medieval as it is cruel and power mad. And across the Narrow Sea, the heirs of the last rightful king gather an army of barbarians to bring them home. Let the Game begin!This TV series, which has been more successful for HBO internationally than  The Sopranos: The Complete Series , is based upon the cycle of books in A Song of Ice and Fire. The TV series takes its name from the first book, and each season is planned to represent one book from the cycle of 7 total (two yet unwritten). Unlike a TV series like The Sopranos, this means you may already know what to expect when you sit down to watch. If TV is your first look at this story, you're missing much - my analogy is watching a sports game without knowing the players by jersey number. You will still enjoy the game but your viewing will be casual. The books are ripping good so I recommend them as well.The novels in this cycle:  A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One , A Clash of Kings [Book #2 A Song of Ice and Fire] (HARDCOVER) , A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) By George R. R. Martin , A Feast for Crows. Book 4 of Ice and Fire  and  A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Five  have all been praised as a realistic character-driven fantasy story.The biggest problem the TV series has is with recording the passage of time. Each episode goes over events without a set period of time delineated. Time varies from scene to scene and episode to episode. Ravens can fly only so fast, of course. Perhaps this matters most to people who have not read the book. As the novel has been serialized for TV, the typical plodding minutiae of follow-along soap opera is removed. (This series makes the case for the old 26-episode per season schedule from TV's Golden Age.) Another limitation to the medium is the TV budget, averaging to a whopping $6 million per episode. That's not much money, however, for epic cinematic storytelling. So, do not expect to trade soap opera pacing for lots of  The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)  set piece battle sequences. (George R. R. Martin, the story's author, has been contracted by HBO to write the season 2 episode with the big battle so that may underline the limitations that even the author will have to struggle with for TV.)And those are the two main negatives in my review of content. The story is epic, sweeping, exciting and intellectual. It is to fantasy writing what  The Great Gatsby  is to the American novel, and the TV series faithfully translates the work from one medium to the other within its given limitations.I had the privilege to view the first two episodes in a cinema recently and I noticed things on the big silver screen I had not on the idiot box. The cinematography is brilliant. The writing bears repeatedly scrutiny as much is packed between the lines and within the lines than what is typical for TV. The writing is laser superb. I also think the episodes I viewed were extended cuts, which I will be looking for along with the many extras released on the Internet, in the official DVD release.Episode # - Title - Internet Run Time (in minutes) opening to closing credits:01 - Winter is Coming - 61.3502 - The Kingsroad - 55.1503 - Lord Snow - 57.1204 - Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things - 55.3605 - The Wolf and The Lion - 54.1406 - A Golden Crown - 52.3407 - You Win or You Die - 57.5608 - The Pointy End (scripted by the novelist) - 58.0809 - Baelor - 56.1410 - Fire And Blood - 52.35On the topic of gratuitous sex and nudity, I did not find any. However, by watching this series, the uninitiated viewer will learn that women do not leap from bed clinging to bed sheets and men's genitalia bounce when running. You won't see any labia. One character operates a franchise of whorehouses where the women are not Julia Roberts but more like skilled factory girls. There is the use of the word fcuk, and it is very  The Oxford English Dictionary (20 Volume Set) (Vols 1-20)  usage correct. No one fades to unconscious black at a pure kiss before bedding time. Now, while I think that has more artistic merit than brutish demonstrations, I do think the brutish demonstrations serve their place here. It sets a tone that our civilized mores have robbed from us.In the mid-15th century, girls younger than 10 were married off; impregnated by 13; and old maids by 16. The act of copulation was to please men and male Gods. The man was rare who was concerned with whether the woman had her climax before he was finished. Women were chattel who could not possess property or power. Oaths were contracts of blood. Lawyers wielded axes... All this stuff that we have forgotten is definitely alive in this series as an accurate reflection of its time. Now, all that medieval framework laid, I must say the women are far from helpless furniture and the characters shine brighter among the darkness of their time.So it comes down to what you want to focus on while watching; and Parental Guidance is not so much a suggestion as it is an opportunity for parents with this series.Your mileage may vary, of course. But for those who expect Cyrano de Bergerac courtly love making, I recommend the purchase of  Ivanhoe  instead of Game of Thrones. Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe was another inspiration for the author after all.== My Original Review to be Deleted After I Complete My Review of the DVDs ==First, it needs to be said that the DVD has not yet been packaged or released. So if you are reading these reviews on the DVD set now, even before they're released, you're reading about something else. When it is released, I will give my opinion on the package so you can make an informed decision about the product. If you're a fan of the series, undoubtedly like myself you have already decided to buy it even if the DVDs are pressed cardboard and sold in flimsy sleeves. So this review will be for the rest of those people merely interested and looking for a good purchase experience.The novels in this series, A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One, A Clash of Kings [Book #2 A Song of Ice and Fire] (HARDCOVER), A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) By George R. R. Martin, A Feast for Crows. Book 4 of Ice and Fire and A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Five have all been praised as a realistic character-driven fantasy story favourably compared with the actual historical event of England's War of the Roses.You don't need to attend conventions and dress as an Elf to thoroughly enjoy this story and get caught up. But to be sure, some of these characters are driven by the most feral ambitions and base passions. How much sex, violence and betrayal you can stomach is served up by the characters who practice it - not audience expectations. These are not 21st century emos. These are authentic period characters.So far I can only comment on the running time of each show televised thus far in the hope that HBO will release the DVD without edits and with the many extras that are already available on the InterWebz. I have been watching these shows on the Web and have not owned a television since before HBO was available, so I cannot comment if these shows run with commercial interrupts. (They do not on the Web.)Here are the shows, by title, and with their Internet run times:Episode # - Title - Run Time (in minutes) opening to closing credits.01 - Winter is Coming - 61.3502 - The Kingsroad - 55.1503 - Lord Snow - 57.1204 - Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things - 55.3605 - The Wolf and The Lion - 54.1406 - A Golden Crown - 52.3407 - You Win or You Die - 57.5608 - The Pointy End (scripted by the novelist) - 58.0809 - Baelor - unaired at this time10 - Fire And Blood - unaired at this timeI will check the run times when I receive my pre-ordered DVD set. I not only expect the run times to match but I also expect to have the extras already available on the Web, including commentary, and, perhaps, even a glimpse at season 2 in packaging that is stylish, protective and enduring.I fully intend to write a review on the packaging of this series when it's released. HBO starts out with a 5-star rating at this point based upon the strength of its series ability to engage me.If you have not read the novel it is based on, and if you like good reads, do yourself a favour and buy it A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One. If you are a fan of the book and have not seen the series, then do so! But expect TV not a novel. The adaptation is good, in my opinion, but it is an adaptation of the novel not the story you were watching in your mind's eye.

The series is wonderfully written, acted, produced, and everything else. You should already know that before even considering buying this Blu-ray set. There are many other reviews that cover this around the Internet.The set itself is well made, though it has the oddity of having two slip-covers. The first is a thin, art-only cover that features embossed animals that represent the various families in the series, which surround a picture of Ned Stark (Sean Bean) sitting on the Iron Throne. The second is a sturdy, non-relief adorned version of the same picture. I'm not certain why they didn't merge the two together here.The set folds out and features pictures of some of the major characters from the show. The artwork on the discs themselves is pretty spartan, only featuring dark-gray sigils of the major families in the series against black backgrounds. I really like this austere presentation. They also through in a pamphlet that includes episode summaries, family trees for each of the major houses, and a map of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. It all looks pretty slick.The content of the discs is also wonderfully done, with a number of interesting features, with a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff. (Some of the features are a little repetitive, repurposing the same interview clips, but they're all worth watching nevertheless.)The vexing layout I mentioned in the title of this review comes from the simple fact that HBO really spread the episodes across the five discs irregularly.Disc 1: Episodes 1 & 2Disc 2: Episodes 3, 4 & 5Disc 3: Episode 6Disc 4: Episodes 7, 8 & 9Disc 5: Episode 10In addition to this, the special features are all spread out to wherever they could fit them on each disc. I wish they found a way to move the episodes around to free up one of the discs for the special features exclusively.The reason having everything spread out irregularly is confusing is that the main menu shows all of the available content across the entire set, not just that individual disc, with no warning that you'll be switching discs until you actually click on them. When we first got the set, my brother and I sat down to watch all the special features first, and after every couple, we had to change the disc to the next.The episode layout really gets you when you start up your player with the disc already inside, without having seen which episode numbers are listed on which discs, and you sit through all the extensive legal warnings (that seem to take up at least a minute or more) to discover that you have the wrong disc in there. (Thankfully, the menu seems to handle disc changes well, so when it prompts you to insert the next disc, you don't have to sit through the legal warnings all over again. This is appreciated.) Even if you take note of which episodes are on which discs, you'll find you have to get up and down a lot if you plan to marathon through this.Despite the weirdness, the show and the set are so beautifully done otherwise that I'm forced to give it 5 stars. It's all worth the grief.

On 2nd set of BD and they just won't play. Amazon was great with sending a replacement but the new set is just like the 1st, it doesn't work. My Blu Ray player works fine with all of my other movies, but I can't get past 25 min. on the 1st disk of this series without it freezing, jeking and then totally stopping. I've updated my player, reconnected it all and now I think it's just the coding in the Game of Thrones.

I returned this DVD because it didn't work, I thought there was something wrong with my laptop, and i tried on my BF's laptop, but also didn't work. You should test your DVDs before selling them.

De la serie hay poco que decir que no sepamos ya: impresionante producción como nunca se había visto en la TV.La presentación es increíble, digna de todo fan coleccionista, steelbook con 5 discos blu-ray + el escudo magneto que acompaña a cada edición. En este caso, el de la casa Stark. La serie se ve y se escucha impresionante, con multitud de extras. Un auténtico festín para los seguidores de esta saga.

In case you have (or have not) noticed that newer releases of GoT: Season 1 on Blu-ray no longer include the DVD version of what is, in my humble opinion, the best TV show ever made, and you haven't purchased this earlier edition - which thankfully includes the DVD as well as iTunes digital versions - when the retail price was about 1/2 of what it is currently, then, I imagine you might be irritated to learn this. Sorry - I don't mean to rub it in. But for those of you who did pick up said package when it was 1/2 price, generously pat yourselves on the back because you've made a fine investment and are to be commended for being in an elite club - indubitably so!Truth be told, those of you who own the newer production run of this fine gem of an HBO original series, unless you're desperately nostalgic for obsolete technology, you're really not missing out on much, as the DVD version comes in a small 0.5cm insert which contains two DVD-18s - also known as two double-sided + double-layered DVDs. They're special - kind of. It's apparently possible to record up to 17072495001.6 binary bits of data in total on one of these babies. Not too shabby eh?Anyways, I'm extremely satisfied with my copy of this item. And the same can be said for Game of Thrones Season 2 and 3 original Blu-ray releases, as they also include the DVD versions of the show. Unfortunately, HBO caught on to the fact it could make more money selling the DVD version separately and thus so it began doing so beginning with Season 4 onwards. Boo!TLDR: Astutely and indubitably 5/5, good day.

- Il Trono di SpadeGiudizio personale (in sintesi)Una serie emozionante, geniale, originale, appassionante, suggestiva, matura ed adulta che ogni cultore del fantasy non può farsi assolutamente sfuggire, ma che può avvicinare anche chi dal suddetto genere ha provato sempre perplessità e scetticismo. Una delle sue qualità, che la differenziano dalle altre serie TV, e anche quella di essere una serie basata su di un libro, anzi è una trasposizione visiva di quest'ultimo e quindi, a meno che lo scrittore non si perdi, non conoscerà quel classico calo dovuto alla mancanza di inventiva degli sceneggiatori che, dovendo creare una storia da zero contando solo ed unicamente sulle loro doti, finiscono per cadere nella banalità, rovinando il tutto. Inoltre non vi saranno, vista la natura della serie, quei fastidiosi episodi filler auto-conclusivi che nulla centrano con la storia principale e che porterebbero cosi a dei cali di ritmo e a dei buchi nella narrazione, bensì avremo sempre e solo episodi che si continuano l'un l'altro, creando un unico grande e complesso puzzle: un unicum. Tutti questi sono elementi che portano, secondo me, "Il Trono di Spade" ad un livello molto alto.Le critiche scaturite da alcuni sono, a mio avviso, poco fondate dato che la serie è stata concepita e rivolta esclusivamente ad un pubblico adulto. La buona e corretta morale non rientra necessariamente nel mondo di un adulto e le tematiche affrontate dal Trono di Spade non sono altro che una rappresentazione realistica e non mielosa dell'essere umano, che piaccia o meno.Ergo: impegniamoci nei confronti di cose ben più serie, invece di fare gli ipocriti credendo di lavarci la coscienza vietando e criticando una serie favolosa che nessun male può fare quanto delle azioni reali. Non chiudiamo gli occhi su fatti veramente osceni che, accadono ogni secondo nel mondo e nella realtà, davvero richiederebbero un urgente ed immediata mobilitazione. Pero, ovviamente, questo non fa comodo altrimenti ci si esporrebbe a ben gravi pericoli. Molto più comodo, dunque, criticare una serie TV... ipocrisia!A parte tutto questo, CONSIGLIATA!- CofanettoIl packaging è semplicemente perfetto. Il tutto è composto da un digipack contenente i 5 dischi BLU-RAY che è rinchiuso in un robusto customcase che, a sua volta, è ricoperto da una elegante e curata slipcover, finemente decorata e fatta di carta lucida.Avremo anche un libricino contente le casate, l'elenco degli episodi ed una fantastica cartina di Westeros.Cosa si può volere di più da una edizione Blu-Ray? Al momento è l'unica edizione BR di cosi ottima qualità che posseggo nella mia videoteca BR, e nel mondo delle serie TV vendute in Italia nel formato Full HD onestamente non ho visto nulla di meglio e di cosi ben confezionato, neanche per alcuni film.- Blu-RayFinalmente abbiamo un audio italiano in HD. Questo è un pregio davvero raro per i nostri BR che si aggiunge allo splendido cofanetto appena discusso. Il video è ottimo, davvero realistico e dettagliato ma non poteva essere altrimenti visto l'utilizzo delle telecamere digitali a 2K. Gli Extra, considerando che si parla di una Serie TV, sono davvero ricchi. Unico neo sono alcuni contenuti non sottotitolati (comunque segnalati), ma per il resto tutto è davvero ottimo, almeno secondo me.Edizione curata DA ACQUISTARE assolutamente, specialmente nel formato Blu-Ray!VOTO SERIE TV: 5/5VOTO EDIZIONE ITALIANA: 4,5/5VOTO BLU-RAY: 5/5Amazon: sono molto soddisfatto dall'acquisto visto che ho pagato soli 29,70 euro invece dei 45 di altri siti di vendita online. In più, anche su Amazon stesso, fino alla fine del 2013, la serie non la si trovava a meno di 35/36 euro. Quindi sono davvero molto soddisfatto da questo risparmio se si conta poi la qualità quasi eccelsa del prodotto, il quale è arrivato integro e senza alcun danno di sorta. Fidatevi, Amazon è una garanzia!

Confirmado, con el disco metido en el reproductor. Esta edición francesa de la primera temporada de Juego de Tronos lleva Castellano DTS 5.1, aunque, como comenta otro compañero, en la contraportada, por error, indica que solo es 2.0. La edición es amaray, no digipack. Así que a este precio (sobre 26 €) es una muy buena alternativa a la edición española que casi la duplica en precio. Imagen y sonido de referencia. Contiene todos los extras y están subtitulados en castellano.