Ambitious is a great catch-all phrase to describe Game Of Thrones, and the features on this particular season’s home video release go into great detail about just how hard it is to make a show of this magnitude work with a variety of fun behind-the-scenes features. There are a lot of angles to approach the show from, and the special features provide a lot of opportunities to learn just how much effort goes into creating it. That attention to detail comes through in the making of a single episode. Another great behind-the-scenes feature is a walk-through of the making of the last episode of season 5, Mother’s Mercy. The “Anatomy Of An Episode” feature goes through the production of the episode, from the writers’ room to post-production, but it’s the special effects features that prove to be most interesting. It’s amazing to see just how much practical work goes into creating an episode of Game Of Thrones, and how seamlessly the CGI is integrated into the live action portions. Some sets, like Winterfell, are complete locations built from the ground up. Other places integrate real locations—the home of the High Sparrow is a former convent—with added CGI backgrounds and backdrops, courtesy of some very clever green screens and build-outs in real places. If that’s not enough background information, there are a staggering 12 commentary tracks to listen to. Game Of Thrones is one of the most expensive shows ever produced for television, and it looks it. That care taken in preproduction leads to a great viewing experience. The scenes are crisp, the blacks are luxuriously inky. The sound is crisp, even through my inferior flat-screen speakers, and the balance is good with background noise rarely overwhelming the spoken dialogue. The backdrop CGI is incredibly well done, and upon review, the blending CGI on Cersei’s walk of shame is much better than I remember it to be, though I don’t think it’s been smoothed out after the episode aired originally. As always, the Game Of Thrones boxed set is phenomenal, and if you have a proper Blu-ray player, the only way to consume the episodes are on physical media. Of course, like most media these days, it comes with a downloadable copy you can get through your provider of choice (iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and Flixster), but after watching the episode in HD on a big screen, it wouldn’t be much fun to watch it on a telephone or tablet screen. Still, it’s always a nice option to have, and I will definitely be redeeming it. I’m not sure how the minds at HBO keep one-upping their stellar home video releases, and yet they do. More features, more extras, more of what people like myself want when they pay for physical media. It looks good on the shelf, and it looks better on the screen. Game Of Thrones season 5 is out now on Blu-ray, DVD and digital release.
