1 November 2012 is when the hobbits take down the won

2 Yeah, we'll be putting that on the To Do list for next December...

3 And this will be eclipsed by the Prometheus trailer on Thursday?

4

So this is part one of a two part series right?

5

I'm going to admit something here that I've never told anyone.

I don't care for the LOTR and Hobbit books or movie. I don't know why exactly, I just don't.

6

So this is part one of a two part series right?

Posted by: middle eart geek at December 20, 2011 10:45 PM (4nxhP)

-------------------------------------------------------

Yes Pt1 of the Hobbit covers events to the battle of the 5 Armies.

Pt 2 covers events after that all the way up to the Lord of the Rings.

So is more than just the events in the book the Hobbit.

7 I cannot wait to hear the epic score that Howard Shore is writing. The music of LOTR was absolutely breathtaking.

8 Loved the LoTR. Something looks off about the dwarves here. Too skinny in the face or something (except for the one uber-fatty). Hopefully it grows on me.

The dwarf in LoTR was done perfectly.

9

I'm going to admit something here that I've never told anyone.

I don't care for the LOTR and Hobbit books or movie. I don't know why exactly, I just don't.

Posted by: Ben at December 20, 2011 10:47 PM (UvdzB)

I gonna admit something here that I've never told anyone.

When I watched "Bugs Bunny" when I was little, I got wood when he dressed in woman's clothes...

10

I'm going to admit something here that I've never told anyone.

I don't care for the LOTR and Hobbit books or movie. I don't know why exactly, I just don't.

Posted by: Ben at December 20, 2011 10:47 PM (UvdzB)

Probably your stunted emotional nature due to overexposure to liberals and other vermin. I prescribe a steady dose of LOTR until you get the feeling back in your stone cold heart.

11 So is more than just the events in the book the Hobbit. Posted by: William Amos at December 20, 2011 10:48 PM (FEvhT) Is Jackson drawing fro the Silmarillion, as he did in LOTR? I thought the bit about the origin of the orcs was from the Silmarillion, because I don't remember it from the books.

12 0:45 Tim Geithners does a cameo.

13 Jackson doesnt have the rights to the Silmarillion. So he cant use those books. He seems to be heavily drawing from the Return of the King Appendexes.

14 13 Jackson doesnt have the rights to the Silmarillion. So he cant use those books. He seems to be heavily drawing from the Return of the King Appendexes.

Posted by: William Amos at December 20, 2011 11:06 PM (FEvhT)

Yeah, but how much could the rights to the Silmarillion be?  You can't make a movie out of that.

15 A movie I'll actually see one day.

16 Wait, when did Ron Paul get his own movie?

17 I'll just be breathing into that bag over there.

The music call back at the end is just awesome.

Oh Peter Jackson, you may not break my heart with this.

18

I think of all of Tolkien's books the Silmarillion would be the best book for Jackson to make a movie out of it. Its more of a outline of a story (There are few dialog scenes in it for example) than the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

 I believe I read that the people who own the rights to the Silmarillion want a lot of money to release the rights. That and Jacksons fight with Newline over LOTR royalties have crippled efforts to get the rights to the Silmarillion.

19 17- I agree, ATC, the music for LOTR was beautiful and heart-rending at the same time. Very happy it's echoed in the Hobbit.

20

I'm going to admit something here that I've never told anyone.

I don't care for the LOTR and Hobbit books or movie. I don't know why exactly, I just don't.

It's okay.  We are a warm, caring and accepting group.  You're safe here.  Even if you are a heartless, horrible, terrible monster. 

I actually hate Dr. Who, in each and everyone one of its incarnations, so I understand. 

21 Okay, I'll see it. That was easy.

22 December 2014: The Similarillion: The Discordant Notes of Melchior.

23 the Hobbit (book) was a much livelier, adventure-ier tale than LOTR.

24 I sort of like The Hobbit better than LOTR. But I have a feeling Jackson is going to make the tones similar, which will require making The Hobbit more ponderous and stuff which isn't fun.

25

It's okay.  We are a warm, caring and accepting group.  You're safe here.  Even if you are a heartless, horrible, terrible monster. 

I actually hate Dr. Who, in each and everyone one of its incarnations, so I understand. 


I just don't get it. Reality and history are so much more interesting.

Let me know when they make a movie of William Shirer's Collapse of the Third Republic. 

26 The only movie I'll be seeing in a (cough) theatre (cough) next year.

27 This is funny. I was just actually out at a bar talking about longbows and yew and such, and when I clicked on the nerf-grabber thread, the last post was about longbows and yew.

28 This is funny. I was just actually out at a bar talking about longbows and yew and such, and when I clicked on the nerf-grabber thread, the last post was about longbows and yew.

The power of the longbow compels. 

I just want The Darkest Hour not to suck.  I have an inexplicable fondness for Emile Hirsch and him in an aliens destroy everything movie is a lovely Christmas gift to me. 

29 The dwarves in the Hobbit kind of look like the midgets in Legend.

30  just don't get it. Reality and history are so much more interesting.

Let me know when they make a movie of William Shirer's Collapse of the Third Republic.

Posted by: Ben at December 20, 2011 11:19 PM (UvdzB)

-------------------------------------

One thing I miss from Holliwood is the grand historical epic. They dont do those anymore. Other than Troy or Patriot (both that werent technically that accurate) Hollywood refuses to do a historical film that doesnt have an agenda unless it bashes the US.

 

31 >>>Pt 2 covers events after that all the way up to the Lord of the Rings. WHAT? William Amos, you are surely wrong. You have misunderstood. There is no way in holy hell that is correct. Part 1 will be like the Hobbit until barrel out of bounds or something, and Part 2 will be until the Battle of 5 armies/thief in the night/resolution/the long way back. They're not covering the eleventy years between The Hobbit and LOTR. For one thing, nothing really seems to happen.

32 Wait, when did Ron Paul get his own movie?

And does he have flying monkeys to aid him in his heroic battle against the Jooos?

33 >>>One thing I miss from Holliwood is the grand historical epic. They dont do those anymore. The Tom Cruise Valkyrie movie was good. I don't know if it's "grand," though.

34 "8 Loved the LoTR. Something looks off about the dwarves here. Too skinny in the face or something (except for the one uber-fatty). Hopefully it grows on me. The dwarf in LoTR was done perfectly. Posted by: Clubber Lang at December 20, 2011 10:51 PM (QcFbt)" Yes, I had the same thought. The proportions on some of the dwarves are off. Thorin, in particular, looks way to "mannish" to be a dwarf. He looks much more like a Ranger than anything else. That could be a big mistake on Jackson's part. If enough of the fan base objects to this, he's gonna have a PR nightmare to deal with. By the way--how the hell do you do html in the comments? I can't figure out blockquote, italic, etc. Someone wanna clue me in?

35 One thing I miss from Holliwood is the grand historical epic. They dont do those anymore. Other than Troy or Patriot (both that werent technically that accurate) Hollywood refuses to do a historical film that doesnt have an agenda unless it bashes the US. Posted by: William Amos Could it be that writers and directors in hollywood don't actually know any history, so they wouldn't know how to write a script based on an actual historical event. That would require research, which is hard. Far easier to just read Chomsky and use what he says.

36 The only movie I'll be seeing in a (cough) theatre (cough) next year.

Not if our lawyer has anything to say about it.

37

One thing I miss from Holliwood is the grand historical epic. They dont do those anymore. Other than Troy or Patriot (both that werent technically that accurate) Hollywood refuses to do a historical film that doesnt have an agenda unless it bashes the US.

 

I concur whole heartedly.

I would even settle for a fictional story set against real life events like Dr.Zhivago.

38 Who cares if the world ends a week later? I'll have seen the visual representation of a literary classic...the first half that is. Can't wait for this to come out. Sure, there will be vast differences from the book, but as long as one considers each of them in their proper place, both can be enjoyed.

39 I can't wait to download it illegally.

40 "31 >>>Pt 2 covers events after that all the way up to the Lord of the Rings. WHAT? William Amos, you are surely wrong. You have misunderstood. There is no way in holy hell that is correct. Part 1 will be like the Hobbit until barrel out of bounds or something, and Part 2 will be until the Battle of 5 armies/thief in the night/resolution/the long way back. They're not covering the eleventy years between The Hobbit and LOTR. For one thing, nothing really seems to happen. Posted by: ace at December 20, 2011 11:23 PM (nj1bB)" Actually, he's mostly right, I think. I'd heard Part 1 is simply "The Hobbit". And Part 2 is the gap between the end of the book and the start of "The Lord of the Rings". Jackson's basing it on the Appendices in "The Return of the King", and the "Unfinished Tales" series. I'm hoping I'm right, as I think ending Part 1 at the Battle would be a horrible way to split the story. Tolkien was a master story-teller, and knew how to manage story lines and tempo. Artificially breaking the story line would be another big mistake on Jackson's part. He's really fucking around, if this is the case....

41 I just posted this in the nerf-grabber thread: Oh okay I remember now. I was just at a bar literally discussing longbows with people. We were deep in medieval trivia. I brought up my connecticut yankee in King arthur's court fantasy, where I said, and I quote (quoting army of darkness), I would go back in time and teach those "primitive screwheads" what's what. Then I click on this post at home, and that's what the thread is about, and Pecos mentions primitive screwheads. Which I literallly spoke aloud not fifteen minutes ago. The conversation was kind of funny. Three men, one woman. When I expressed my fantasy that I would go back in time and teach the English how to rampage over France, the woman said, 'But that's not the message of Connecticut yankee. The message was that even with all this technology, he still couldn't 'win,' due to politics and human nature." I said, "Well then I missed that because I TOTALLY got the opposite message." the two men agreed with me. ... Literally, I was just talking about longbows, and I said "primitive screwheads."

42 >>>Actually, he's mostly right, I think. I'd heard Part 1 is simply "The Hobbit". And Part 2 is the gap between the end of the book and the start of "The Lord of the Rings". Jackson's basing it on the Appendices in "The Return of the King", and the "Unfinished Tales" series. I need a cite. This seems crazy to me.

43 There will be no silmarillion movie as long as Christopher Tolkien is alive. Trailer looks great, I'm wary of Jackson's overuse of cgi, the over saturated look is primarily due to shooting in 48fps 3d so it may be toned down in the theaters with 3d glasses. Anyone notice the nazgul statue? , obviously a scene of Gandalf in dol Guldur.

44 >>>hat could be a big mistake on Jackson's part. If enough of the fan base objects to this, he's gonna have a PR nightmare to deal with. i agree but bear in mind he has THIRTEEN FRICKIN' DWARVES he needs to be physically distinguishable (even if it's like six sets of twins and triplets). He has to have some leeway on body type here. Of course Thorin gets the most heroic body type. And Fili and Kili, if I remember right, were described as tall, almost looking like elves.

45 http://tinyurl.com/833qsoc

46 Ace, I'll see if I can dig up a cite, if you'll drop me some html goodness tricks for comments. ;-)

47

but I think he references going off to meet with the White Council who are actually characters like Galadriel and Saruman and people who we see in Lord of the Rings. He mysteriously vanishes for a while and then comes back, but we don't really know what goes on." Jackson was also interested in showing Gollum's journey to Mordorand Aragorn setting a watch on the Shire

Del Toro said that he was faced with two possible places to split the story, including Smaug's defeat. He noted the second film would need to end by leading directly into The Fellowship of the Ring

48 Part 1 will most likely end with the battle to throw out the necromancer out of dol Guldur so part 2 can include Smaugs death & the battle of the 5 armies. I don't think people will be able to sit through 2 or even 3 battles in the same film.

49

The Tom Cruise Valkyrie movie was good. I don't know if it's "grand," though.

I would disagree. I thought that was a terrible movie.

It completely glossed over the real motives of the plotters.

The problem with grand histroical epics is that the writers try to stick to the fictional concepts of good and evil.  History isn't so black and white.  There are grey areas. For example, look at Lawrence of Arabia. It made no attempt to show the British is a good light. It showed them for the land hungry imperialists that they were. It was clear that they were involved in the war not for democracy, but for post war supremacy.

The Valkyrie plotters weren't pro-democracy, they simply wanted a different dictatorship/oligarchy.  The film never touched on that.

 

50

Ending at The Battle of 5 Armies is a reasonable spot. Anything before that, and the tale is left hanging.

But Jackson worries me. He changed a few things in LoTR (elves at Helm's Deep?) and spent too much time on irrelevancies (Arrowroot gets wounded, the rides around on his horse for 5 minutes of film time .. why?) ... what will he change?

51

I am going to laugh in 20 years when Jackson goes back and adds a "NOOOOO!!!!" to the scene where Gandolf and the dragon fall off the bridge.

Don't make the same mistake Star Wars fans did. If you like LOTR, be sure to buy the DVD's now before the originals disappear.

52 Drama wise the white council scenes need to be in the first film or we just have Gandalf disappearing. Most likely the white councils efforts, meeting & war with the necromancer will appear intercut with the slower mirkwood & frodo hiding among the elves scenes.

53 Yeah, up to the five armies.  Going all the way to the barrel ride would leave too little for another movie.

(And this stuff about filling in until the time of LoTR?   Yeesh.  Doesn't sound good.)

54 william amos, thanks for the link, but I read that as saying that it's just going to be a two-part The Hobbit, with a few added scenes of stuff to link it to LOTR. Perhaps a long epilogue (and we know about long epilogues don't we?).

55

I am hazarding a guess here. But I think I heard rumors that the first movie will start out with the battle of Nanduhirion. Where the dwarves fight with the orcs over the murder of Gror. Where Thorin Oakenshield got his name.

Azog is listed as one of the characters in the Hobbit.

---------------------------

The war climaxed in T.A. 2799, when a final battle was fought in the valley outside the eastern gates of Moria, the Battle of Nanduhirion or Azanulbizar as the Dwarves called it. It was later said that the memory of that battle still causes "Orcs to shudder and Dwarves to weep." The battle initially went against the Dwarves, for the Orcs had the high ground and the greater numbers, and being a dark day in winter there was no sun to bother the orcs. The tide was only turned when a last contingent of fresh warriors from the Iron Hills, led by Náin son of Grór, arrived to reinforce the wavering Dwarves. Azog was slain by Dáin Ironfoot, son of Náin, and his head stuck on a pike with the money bag stuck inside the mouth. The Orc-host suffered vast casualties with some 10,000 killed and the remaining remnant routed

56

The Silmarillion is the greatest book I've ever read. I read it in '93 at the height of my pot-smoking days, and I listen to parts of it on audiobook every day. In the quiet hours of my life, or when I am depressed, I live in middle earth inside my mind when I listen to those audiobooks.

57

They should make an entire film that consists of nothing but Elvish poetry read in a beatnik-style at a Bohemian cafe in New York City.

Similar to this.

58 Wait, it comes out in a freaking year?

Wow.  That's a ton of time to build up hype.  Pretty annoying.

59

Minimizing the Troll scene, just before Rivendell, eliminating the rescue by the eagles scene and minimizing the events with Beorn and the Mirkwood spiders, might make the result 90 minutes.

If the first 20minutes or so of the movie are the preceeding events from the Appendices, and G.'s trip to see the White Council (when he leaves before Mirkwood) is done in 15 minutes, then the total is about 2 hours.

Stick with the plot and dialogue, don;t get stupid with fight scenes, and we have a good 2 hour movie.

60

Peter Jackson? The director?

Fuck that guy.

61 william, So that's a 10-15 minute teaser before The Hobbit proper, which would mimic the long prologue portion of LOTR. Add 10-15 minutes of that, a few scattered scenes of Gandalf who we didn't see in the actual hobbit, and some kind of long 25 minute epilogue (aka "LOOK!!! It's Aragorn! Everyone cheer!") and you've got two 1:45 movies. Doing a novel right really takes about three hours, anyway. When filmmakers cut it to get it down to 2 hours running length, they either cut a lot or edit it in a choppy way.

62 Speaking of Gandalfs line to Bilbo in the trailer & Jackson's propensity for switching dialogue "Say not unscathed, but if you say unchanged, then maybe you will speak the truth,' said Aragorn."

63 31 They're not covering the eleventy years between The Hobbit and LOTR. For one thing, nothing really seems to happen.
________

So.... a miniseries, then?

64 That looks so good. I think I'm glad I didn't kill myself yesterday.

65 Yeah, he sucks. I didn't get to do any frolicking.

66 "The Silmarillion is the greatest book I've ever read. I read it in '93 at the height of my pot-smoking days, and I listen to parts of it on audiobook every day. In the quiet hours of my life, or when I am depressed, I live in middle earth inside my mind when I listen to those audiobooks."

Other than being almost sexless, it was a good universe.

67 I loved all the LOTR movies, and I loved the books before when I was a boy.

Awesome series, and done well.  All of it's easy to enjoy.

Even the music is great.

But they are showing be a trailer a year in advance?  Is that normal?  For all I know that's normal.  I think it's quite lame.

68 The Silmarillion would be difficult but fun, I think.  It's hard to see where it could be a big money maker.  But it would give a director and writer a lot of latitude on how to depict the creation of the world and the first big conflicts.

It could be a beautiful movie.  It wouldn't be limited to linear time.  You'd have to drive the plot with narration and exposition.  What do you call a story that is presented in vignettes?

It has the potential to be awesome, but it would be high-risk and very easy to fuckup.

69 Peter Jackson will be shown the error of his ways by Tolkien for eternity.

70

That is why Ace I think Jackson can take more liberities with the Hobbit than he did with the LOTR. The White Council and Gandalfs journey to Dol Guldor were only hinted at in the books. Jackson and put his own spin on those scenes because Tolkein never fleshed them out.

Is why I think the Silmarillion would be the best movie for jackson to monkey around with. He is less constrained by events in that book because Tolkein never wrote extensively about them in such detail as the LOTR.

71 Years ago, I read The Hobbit, and I really disliked it.  So much so that it was years before I read the other books, and then only because I wanted to have my own images of the characters, not Hollywood actors.  And I liked those books more than The Hobbit.

The trailer looks handsome, but is not reassuring re: songs.  I really hated the songs (all one billion of them) in The Hobbit.  We're talking a Tom Bombadil level of hatred.

Urgh.

(I once asked a friend of mine, a big Tolkien fan, how he got through The Hobbit with all those songs in it.  He said, "Oh, I just bleep through them."  I was worried about him before he said that.)

72 No Arbalest, beorn is necessary to the story, he strikes the final blow at the battle of he fiv armies. It's part of tolkiens genius & intention that unnecessary & unwanted deviations from the path of the quest fold neatly by the end of the story. Listen to the Tolkien professors podcasts on the hobbit do more perspective on how the final part of the hobbit is the most important one.

73 I've not seen anything that directly confirms what I'd heard before. And, in fact, it seems W. Amos is correct. At least as far as I've been able to glean. This is definitely different from what I'd read a few years ago. Seems to be a weird way to do it. I'm going to have to re-read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. Maybe I can get a better handle on how they're proposing to fill the story out.

74

Other than being almost sexless, it was a good universe.

Posted by: Random at December 20, 2011 11:53 PM (YiE0S)

---------------------------------------------------

Considering rape and incest take place in the Silmarillion could be a bit stronger than the LOTR movies.

75

Posted by: Goodberry, Tom Bombadil's Whore-Fey at December 20, 2011 11:53 PM (nj1bB)

 

and apparently the Ewok translation has at least one error.

76 Re: The Silmarillion

"It has the potential to be awesome, but it would be high-risk and very easy to fuckup."

You mean like Atlas Shrugged, except not a masterpiece written by a bitter autistic?

77 Downfall, Blackbook, and Sophie Scholl:The Final Days are three of the best WWII historical dramas that I have seen in the past few years. Granted-they are all German or Dutch, but still better than Hollywood crap.

78 Seems to be a weird way to do it. I'm going to have to re-read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. Maybe I can get a better handle on how they're proposing to fill the story out.

Posted by: NukemHill at December 20, 2011 11:56 PM (7WLzC)

----------------------------------------------------------

Best to read the Appendices in the Return of the King for events that would happen in these movies.

 

 I think Jackson wants to also push LOTR again so is looking for the Hobbit to resell them. Heard rumors that even more scenes than even in the extended version of the LOTR might be included in the re release. Talking about as much as 40 more minutes of film total.

79 I brought up my connecticut yankee in King arthur's court fantasy,

They would've burned you as a witch.

Because you're made of wood.

80 Considering rape and incest take place in the Silmarillion could be a bit stronger than the LOTR movies.

You don't say. I read it once, a long time ago, read LOTR at least 5 times, and the Hobbit, has to be well upwards of a dozen. So I was immersed in innocent Tolkien.

My mistake!

81

72  Jules at December 20, 2011 11:56 PM

Ok, minimize Beorn. Reading the Hobbit, Beorn's appearance at the end sounds like J.R.R.T. was doing this to please a child. Not bad, but from a movie perspective, the Beorn scene is looooooong.

82

Other than being almost sexless, it was a good universe.

Posted by: Random at December 20, 2011 11:53 PM (YiE0S)

---------------------------------------------------

Considering rape and incest take place in the Silmarillion could be a bit stronger than the LOTR movies.

Although come to think of it, I'm into fun hot consensual sex with non-relatives. Was there much of that?

83

Considering rape and incest take place in the Silmarillion could be a bit stronger than the LOTR movies.

The scene where Lúthien rides the Sybian would make great film.

84 My concern is PC revisionism by screenwriters Walsh and Boyens.

85

Nienor at last yielded to his enchantments and Glaurung put her in a state of total amnesia and dumbness. The amnesiac woman was found by Mablung, who intended to take her back to Doriath, but their company was attacked by Orcs near Nivrim. Nienor suddenly regained her feelings though not memory, and fled away in fear, tore off her clothes and ran naked through the woods until she fainted near the Forest of Brethil.

Her brother Túrin, who at that time hid his past under the pseudonym Turambar, found her lying on Haudh-en-Elleth, the grave of his dead lover Finduilas. Because Nienor did not remember her identity and Turambar had never met his second sister, he named her Níniel which means "Tear-Maiden" and brought her to the dwellings of the woodfolk at Ephel Brandir. Níniel fell sick having seen the Ravines of Taeglin from the Rainy Stair, but Brandir the Chieftain of the Men of Brethil tended her and taught her to speak, secretly falling in love with her; Níniel, however, loved Turambar. Brandir restrained her from marriage, foreboding evil doom, but after two years Turambar promised Níniel to go never again to war and at midsummer they were wedded.

By the next spring, when Níniel was two months pregnant, Glaurung left Nargothrond intending to devastate Brethil. He was slain by Turambar at the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras,

http://tinyurl.com/6rgg46t

86 Individual stories from the Silmarillion would make good movies, The Tale of Beren and Luthien is a near perfect story for a movie.

87 Individual stories from the Silmarillion would make good movies, The Tale of Beren and Luthien is a near perfect story for a movie.

+1

88 Well there's already the inclusion of a completely unnecessary female elf played by that chick from lost. The master of lake town is played by Stephen fry but he's supposed to be a greedy asshole so it remains to be seen whether the writers preserve the conservative bent of the trilogy. SAMs monologue MAKES the two towers.

89

The Silmarillion is what, 5 or 6 major stories, and potentially many more? I read it a couple of times, and occasionally had trouble keeping the names and events straight.

I also found it to be joyless. The Elves are out for vengance because Morgoth stole their (actually Feanor's) jewels, so they have to stomp him. Twice. Men appear eventually, and do a lot of suffering. A lot of details need to be added.

Making a very good movie, or 20, out of it will require quite lot of work.

90 Fuck this shit- P R O M E T H E U S!!!

Chariots of the Gods, motherfuckers......

91 For those of you who don't get the silmarillion, check out the Tolkien professors silmarillion seminar podcasts, you will find new appreciation for tolkiens epic vision.

92 "Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
The pines were roaring on the heights,
The winds were moaning in the night,
The fire was red, it flaming spread,
The trees like torches blazed with light."

93 Individual stories from the Silmarillion would make good movies, The Tale of Beren and Luthien is a near perfect story for a movie.

I'd love to see (and hear!) a depiction of the first couple chapters where the angels (yes, I know Tolkien used another word, but it's been years since I read it) sing the world into existence (or a prophecy of the world, or something). Even if it's just an extended title intro.

94 The Music of the Ainur, by Howard Shore.

95 Starring Brian Dennehey as Melkor/Morgoth.

96 One of the interviews on the return of the king dvd was with that fat c*nt Phillipa Boyens(one of the "writers" of the movie), and she said they didnt want to make the orcs black, because "there were too many black villains in movies". Although Tolkein specifically told of the orcs and their black skin, this fucking fat whore thought it better to second-guess the man who actually wrote the damn story, due to her PC bullshit. I see a lot of revisionist horseshit coming in the new movie(as in making Arwen's role bigger in the LOTR, simply to paint her as a heroine).

97 When I first heard they were making Lord of the Rings movies, I thought they were gonna be awful, but I ended up liking them a lot.  I hope The Hobbit continues the good work.  That trailer looks promising.

alexthechick:
I actually hate Dr. Who, in each and everyone one of its incarnations, so I understand.

Me too.  It's because Dr. Who is tedious, in pretty much the same way as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  (Blasphemy, I know.)

ace:
I sort of like The Hobbit better than LOTR.

I hear that a lot, but I had the opposite reaction when I read them.

Literally, I was just talking about longbows, and I said "primitive screwheads."

All right, that does it.  Ace, gimme your lunch money.

98 as in making Arwen's role bigger in the LOTR, simply to paint her as a heroine)

Yeah, that sucked ass.

99 Well fine. Get it out of Jackson's system so he can get on with the IMPORTANT work - the remake of the DamBusters.

100 > 44 >>>hat could be a big mistake on Jackson's part. If enough of the fan base objects to this, he's gonna have a PR nightmare to deal with. i agree but bear in mind he has THIRTEEN FRICKIN' DWARVES he needs to be physically distinguishable (even if it's like six sets of twins and triplets). He has to have some leeway on body type here. Of course Thorin gets the most heroic body type. And Fili and Kili, if I remember right, were described as tall, almost looking like elves. Posted by: ace That's not a problem. He uses forced perspective and motion controlled cameras and other tricks that he got down to a fine science in LoTR.

101 Just think, Obama will be elected out of office while you watch this film. This film was shot with 40 EPIC cameras in 3D. www.red.com

102 Sweet, I look forward to it.  The last three movies I saw in the theater were LOTR so I guess I can keep the streak going.

And it's a fact, Dr. Who sucked the bag.

103 Let me know when they make a movie of William Shirer's Collapse of the Third Republic. Posted by: Ben at December 20, 2011 11:19 PM (UvdzB) You're living through the collapse of the American Republic and that's not enough for you? Fine. Fine. We'll let you know when that Shirer thing happens...

104 I'm surprised nobody here's mentioned the biggest movie news.  New Plinkett review coming soon.  Anybody who hasn't seen the trailer (yes, a trailer for a review) want to guess what the subject is?

105 >>>That's not a problem. He uses forced perspective and motion controlled cameras and other tricks that he got down to a fine science in LoTR. I meant they must be physically distinguishable from EACH OTHER There was only one dwarf in LOTR. it was obvious who the dwarf was. This film will have 13 of them. Almost all have beards and long noses. if they all had the exact same broad-shoulders/barrel-chest body type, how does the viewer tell them apart? Not through characterization or name. People have trouble keeping six characters straight, let alone 13 similar looking ones.

106 amish, I won't say as I know (I watched it). I was thinking, "There's no point to a long review anymore, he trashed all the nerd films that need trashing," but then he revealed which film. Yes, I am looking forward to it.

107 I know, ace, I only know from your twitter feed.  Actually, he could have done a bunch of superhero movies that are relatively recent.

I still say a Plinkett review of the Obama administration would be hilarious.

BTW, ace, have you heard a podcast called "How did this get made?"

It's done by Paul Scheer (you'd recognize his face) and they chat about awful movies and try to pick apart what the moviemakers are trying to do.  It's more of an inside Hollywood view rather than a film student view and it's a lot more stream-of-consciousness.  Still, very entertaining.

108 Looks like a good trailer...  I look forward to watching this next year.  ... IN TEXAS Ya'll..  yee haw!  ( contract pending of course..)

109 People have trouble keeping six characters straight, let alone 13 similar looking ones.

Smurf you, ace.

110 I have not heard of that one but it sounds interesting. I heard of another one called something like "Is It that Terrible?" in which they review films alleged to be terrible to determine if they really are that terrible.

111 The Superman III edition of "How Did This Get Made?" is epic.  I'm going to check out "Is It That Terrible?".

112 I still say a Plinkett review of the Obama administration would be hilarious.

BTW, ace, have you heard a podcast called "How did this get made?"

It's done by Paul Scheer (you'd recognize his face) and they chat about awful movies and try to pick apart what the moviemakers are trying to do.  It's more of an inside Hollywood view rather than a film student view and it's a lot more stream-of-consciousness.  Still, very entertaining.

113 and on telling the dwarves apart: people are relatively good at telling real people apart... especially if they're of the same race, and are conditioned to detect fine differences between members of that race. No one is good at telling one dwarf from another. They will be wearing make-up to make them look inhuman, to throw off our inborn human-recognition software. This is just reality. If they have the same basic hair and same basic bodies, they're going to appear to be clones. Especially because, let's face it, Tolkein didn't do a lot of detailed characterization of Bifur, and how he was a totally different character from his brother Bofur.

114 Hey, a full quote from "sexy clothes".

Nice.

115 Especially because, let's face it, Tolkein didn't do a lot of detailed characterization of Bifur, and how he was a totally different character from his brother Bofur.

Posted by: ace at December 21, 2011 01:21 AM (nj1bB)

"It's called acting, my boy." -- Lawrence Olivier to Dustin Hoffman

Also, do the anime trick, give several of them blue and purple hair.

116 amish it isn't called that. I can't think of what it's called. Something like that. "is it bad as they say?' or something.

117 "Yeah, it's that bad"?

118 106 amish, I won't say as I know (I watched it). They hinted that at the end of the 'Cop Dog' (ghost dog?) movie review.. Hey.. where did my font buttons go when I upgraded Firefox?

119 that's it, amish.

120 I heard it was good. steve_in_hb likes podcasts and he said that one was worth checking out.

121 Uncanny Valley?

122 The beautiful thing about the Plinkett reviews is that he goes really deep.  You think it's about stilted dialogue and bad acting but he makes you realize that's just the tip of the iceberg of what makes a bad movie.  I guess film school geeks see it right away, but I'm fascinated.

123 NERDSSSS!!!

124 not uncanny valley, that's a different effect. (when something looks almost but not quite real and ends up looking creepy, alien, and alarming)

125 OK THIS IS IT. I FINALLY REACHED MY PSYCHO NERD RETARD STRENGTH LEVEL. TRANSFORMATION NOW IN PROGRESS. YOU HAVE A FUCKING HOBBIT TRAILER POST BUT YOU (ok, yeah. I'm going all caps. thats how this is going to go down, ALL caps) DO NOT HAVE THE DARK KNIGHT RISES POST ABOUT THE NEW DARK KNIGHT RISES TRAILER THAT JSUT CAME OUT. SO MUCH NERD RAGE...."WHEN GOTAM IS IN ASH, YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO DIE." BANE

126 So we still have a year to wait?

127 max, I had the dark knight rises trailer yesterday.

128 oh, sorry ace (crawls away in deep shame)

129 One thing about the trailer I don't like is that funeral dirge they were singing.  It sounded like a Gregorian chant sung by snoring.  No reason to darken up the story like that.

130 I just love the Bane voice so much, BTW. I am already deeply, emotionally involved in this movie. (Last post, suffering from Seasonal Affected Disorder Alcohol Related Disorder)

131 It seems like Jackson was a bit more subtle with the OWS theme in The Hobbit than Nolan was with DKR, which I like.

132 max-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc4A4uPMH6I&feature=related

133 rdbrewer: This is going to be a deeply depressing tragedy. Nolans reveal, I think, will be some weird uplifting mindfuck at the very end (this is mirrored in the trailer).Imagine pulling off the "happy ending" in the last few minutes of a bleak film. Is that really Bruce Wayne in the Batman suit after all? Now that he's declared "dead" does he decide to accept the mantle of Ras Al' Guhl at last?

134 I was talking about the Hobbit trailer. 

135 It'd be cool if Peter Jackson would film The Old Forest chapter with someone like Robin Williams as Tom Bombadil.  But I don't see how.  It would be, like, a 40 minute mini-story.  No one would go to a theater for that.

136 "The dark filled all the room, and the fire died down, and the shadows were lost, and still the played on. And suddenly first one and then another began to sing as they played, deep-throated singing of the dwarves in the deep places of their ancient homes; and this is a fragment of their song, if it can be like their song without their music.

Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere the break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold."

It continues for 9 stanzas.

137 Thanks, 80's.  I don't remember a solemn moment like that.

138 And Fili and Kili, if I remember right, were described as tall, almost looking like elves. Posted by: ace

Didn't someone already post this stuff here on your website.

Character pix; Fili and Kili:

139 The Hobbit looks amazing....I'm stoked!

140 137 It is in "An Unexpected Party". After cleaning, the dwarves bring-out their instruments and play for some time. The song about the Misty Mountains moves Bilbo, albeit temporarily.

My interpretation as to tone is mystical, desirous, and passionate yet sober. Some of the interpretations I have heard are far too whimsical, which overlooks the introspective nature of the song. They are singing about what was and their determination for restoration.

141 Its Pleasure to understand your blog.The above articles is pretty extraordinary, and I really enjoyed reading your blog and points that you expressed. I really like to appear back over a typical basis,post a lot more within the topic.Thanks for sharingÂ…keep writing!!!

142 I came.

143 135, You mean other then me

144

I'm going to admit something here that I've never told anyone.

I don't care for the LOTR and Hobbit books or movie. I don't know why exactly, I just don't.

Posted by: Ben

Ditto, and I will raise that with Harry Potter.

145
I'm getting this vibe that a crazy long movie review is in our future.

146

air filter,oil filter,water filter,all filter

www.genset-china.com

147 Planet of the Hobbits, ("Stop standing with your dirty snout right in front of my cooter, you Damn Overgrown Hamster!" coming, 2014.

148 Our Hobbit-like President's Greatness will maybe be fully appreciated in 50 years, so says "presidential historian" a/k/a Apologist on MSPMS this morning. Translation: We're Screwed for at least the next half-century. The Greatness: I seez it!!

149 Thanks for posting, I was just saying the other day when I saw Jackson's name attached to the new animated thing Spielberg is putting out, he needs to stop messing around and get this finished. No doubt he'll still be tweaking it up to a few days before its release. That's alright, he's earned the right to our trust that he'll do a decent job of it.

150 Man, we be gettin our geek on in this thread.  I'm not complainin, just sayin.

151 I agree...Dr Who sucked the barbed cock of Satan.  Just sayin'.

152

i agree but bear in mind he has THIRTEEN FRICKIN' DWARVES he needs to be physically distinguishable (even if it's like six sets of twins and triplets).

He has to have some leeway on body type here.

Most of those dwarves aren't very compelling characters; half may not have any lines at all.

I had totally fogotten for a moment there they were all twins and cousins. That's kind of a cool dwarf flavor thing... He should have paired them all off in look-almost-like doubles.

153

I agree...Dr Who sucked the barbed cock of Satan. Just sayin'.

You will burn in the pit of hell.

Doctor Who is awesome.

154 Is it just me, or do the dwarves in the trailer look a little.....disney-ish? I'm hoping Jackson didn't just pull an enormous Jar-Jar Binks.

155 Bah, no thanks. He's screwing with the story, inventing his own, and after the travesty that the LOTR trilogy ended up with his little additions and changes I am just not interested.

156 My interpretation as to tone is mystical, desirous, and passionate yet sober. Some of the interpretations I have heard are far too whimsical, which overlooks the introspective nature of the song. They are singing about what was and their determination for restoration.

That whole part of the book seemed to me more like, "Party at Bilbo's!"

157 Yeah its a kids book, written with silly lyrics and whimsical dwarves, from a childish perspective.

158 Is Bilbo being played by Dent Arthur Dent?

159 The Hobbit was the keyword of yeaterday. I've been waiting for so long.

160 ;">Nother test o' invisible text.