George R.R. Martin’s short film Mary-Margaret Road Grader to screen at Wasteland Film Festival

George R.R. Martin's short film Mary-Margaret Road Grader to screen at Wasteland Film Festival

As a lifelong fan of George R.R. Martin’s work, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and nostalgia with every new update he shares. With his latest blog post, “September Morn,” we get a glimpse into his recent travels and the upcoming projects that have him once again at the intersection of literature and film.

This week, we’ll delve into updates from George R.R. Martin, the brilliant mind behind “A Song of Ice and Fire,” as per the ancient rules. Last week, Martin shared a post revealing his recent return from a month-long journey across Europe. During this trip, he stopped by the set of the “Game of Thrones” spinoff, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” in Belfast, attended the World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, and more. Moreover, Martin hinted at expressing some concerns about season 2 of “House of the Dragon” in the upcoming days

As a gaming enthusiast, I’m sharing an exciting update from the world of entertainment! Contrary to the usual deep dives into “House of the Dragon,” this post titled “September Morn” takes a joyful turn. It’s about none other than George R.R. Martin, but instead of Game of Thrones news, we’re discussing his creative endeavors!

Martin discussed how novelist and screenwriter Joe Lansdale was in Santa Fe recently for a screening of The Thicket, a new movie based on his 2013 book of the same name. It stars Game of Thrones veteran Peter Dinklage and Yellowjackets’ Juliette Lewis. The Thicket is due out in theaters on September 6, but it had an early premiere at Martin’s Jean Cocteau theater in Santa Fe, with a larger premiere following in Los Angeles.

Martin shared his thoughts on the film: “The audience in Santa Fe seemed to enjoy it, and I did too.” He described it as a unique western, crafted only by Joe with its dark, twisty nature and vibrant characters. Both Dinklage and Lewis delivered impressive performances. If you’re fond of the Old West, don’t miss THE THICKET when it appears in a cinema near you

Martin doesn’t possess a personal bond with the thicket, but he has collaborated extensively with Lansdale in the past. Notably, Lansdale wrote the script for “Night of the Cooters,” which was the initial Howard Waldrop short film that Martin produced as recently as 202

That’s a great segue to talk about more of those Howard Waldrop short films! “And speaking of movies, we are moving along with the short films we made based on some of the short stories by the late, great, great great great, Howard Waldrop. Steven Paul Judd’s adaptation of MARY-MARGARET ROAD GRADER has been accepted into WASTELAND, deep in the heart of the Mohave Desert,” Martin wrote.

The Wasteland Weekend, held in the desert, is a grand occasion that honors post-apocalyptic themes from media and their influence on our culture. Beyond the Wasteland Film Festival, there’s a wealth of other forms of entertainment and activities designed to let you immerse yourself in your post-apocalyptic dreams. This setting seems ideal for showing the film “Mary-Margaret Road Grader“, a story set in a post-apocalyptic Native American society where powerful Mad Max-style tractor pulls serve as status symbols among rival drivers. You can catch a glimpse of the trailer for it at the beginning of this article

The Wasteland will be shown from September 25th to September 29th. Additionally, Mary-Margaret Road Grade is set to be screened at the Wairoa Maori Film Festival in New Zealand during early October. This means it’s got a few dates confirmed now, and Martin hinted that there will be more to come for both Road Grader as well as his new Howard Waldrop short, The Ugly Chickens, starring Felicia Day as an ornithologist seeking extinct dodos

There will be more, I am sure; festival season is just beginning, and we’ve entered MARY-MARGARET ROAD GRADER and THE UGLY CHICKENS in other festivals all around the country and the world. Watch this space; I’ll announce other show dates and locations as soon as we know.
George R.R. Martin on his Not A Blog

George R.R. Martin has more short films in the works

Apart from sharing exciting updates about the Mary-Margaret Road Grader, Martin also shared insights with his followers about the continuation of his upcoming short film projects. He has completed three so far, yet he isn’t finished. There are more to come

Martin mentioned that there are two more shorts currently being finished in New Mexico: one titled “Friends Forever” (which may change), another original called “The Summer Machine,” which is based on a story I pitched to The Twilight Zone in the 80s before it was cancelled. In “The Summer Machine,” Lina Esco, Charles Martin Smith, and Matt Frewer star. Michael Cassutt wrote and directed the short, using my treatment as a basis

What stands out about that update to me is the news that one of the upcoming short films isn’t a adaptation, but an original work by Martin. Previously, all the short films Martin has created recently were inspired by the writings of his author friend Howard Waldrop. However, it seems Martin might be venturing into creating content from his own ideas, which could potentially lead to intriguing developments in the future

In simpler terms, Martin acknowledged that while they have multiple films in the works, it’s uncertain which ones will actually be produced due to the unpredictable nature of the film industry. As the wise William Goldman once put it, “Nobody knows anything” in Hollywood

At present, the only opportunity to watch George R.R. Martin’s Howard Waldrop short films is through film festivals, so if there’s a screening in your vicinity, don’t miss it! And for those intrigued by the original Howard Waldrop short stories, you can find both ‘Mary-Margaret Road Grader’ and ‘The Ugly Chickens’ online on ‘Strange Horizons’ and ‘Clarkesworld’, respectively

2024-09-04 20:56

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