Now that we have official news, are you excited?

[Padme]

I'm excited, should be fun. I am looking forward to the speculation and guessing and gossiping of what is going to happen, and what really happens. However, I am not so much into these two films as I was the LoTR....mostly because my own life has taken such a change that I am busy with it as of late. And I must say the adventure I am on is pretty exciting stuff

[Lalaith]

I'm pretty excited! I missed the build up to FotR, though I was around for the other two. And it was fun!

I don't like The Hobbit the same way I like LotR, and I suspect that I'll like it better as a movie. I may be in the minority on this one!

[Primula Baggins]

Padme, I hope you'll update us on your adventures someday soon!

Lali, I'm with you. For me the stakes are not as high with the Hobbit as with LotR. Therefore, I suspect I'm more likely to be more pleased. (And yes, I was/am very pleased with LotR overall; I just had some teeth-gritting objections to some of it.)

[Ghân-buri-Ghân]

Disclaimer: I hated Peter Jackson's conception of LotR, so my appraisal of the same's forthcoming Hobbit will verge on the dyspeptic.

Martin freeman will be a great Bilbo. He would have been irrespective of director. In truth, he was my first, second and third choice. Great casting.

However, Mr Jackson, I believe, is directing it, or should I say, them. Two Hobbit movies from the vision of the Jackson who had Sam descend Cirith Ungol, flaming Denethor, oh dear...

I just can't see how the subtle, silly humour of the Hobbit can avoid the lumpen fist of "Bad Taste" Jackson.

Actually, I think the biggest mistake is to film The Hobbit as a prequel(s) to LotR. The two stories of self-evidently of different tone. They should be filmed distinctly. I have a fear that all the charm of the Hobbit will be lost in trying to makle it "Ringu(0)"

[vison]

I share your dislike of PJ's movies, but since I have no real emotional investment in The Hobbit, it won't break my heart. Not as Gimli broke my heart, or Legolas broke my heart, or Aragorn or Boromir or Théoden or Denethor or Éowyn or . . . that bally Arwen swanning off to Legoland or wherever teh heck she was going . . .

On the other hand. We have recently watched the EE versions of PJ's movies and since I hadn't watched them before I saw some nice stuff that was left out of the theatrical version. I also saw plenty of stuff I'm glad WAS left out.

The scenery was always splendid. Whoever went around New Zealand scouting locations should get the Nobel Prize for All Around Smartness and Good Eyes.

So many things so very, very perfect. It almost approaches making it okay that he completely missed the entire point . . .

[Ghân-buri-Ghân]

vison, I had the Hoobit read to me at school when I was 6 years old. Well, almost. It's quite a long book, so we were treated to a "this is what happened" finale. I do believe I cried when I was told Fili and Kili died, although the death of Thorin didn't really register. Make of that what you will.

But!

I think the fact that Fili and Kili make such an impression is testament to the fact that the Hobbit is a children's book. That is not denigration, merely observation.

And as a children's book, it should be so filmed. Certainly not as some prequel to LotR. Separate, distinct, a masterpiece of its own.

No chance with Mr Jackson.

[vison]

Well, I can't agree with you there. The only thing that could make it a "good movie" is to make it a prequel to LOTR. It would otherwise be merely hopelessly twee, like the book. Mr. PJ is not the best idea the Movie Gods ever had, but it's the sort of thing I try not to get upset about. I try. Do I succeed? That is for me and me alone to know.

Every now and again I get a shiver, some sort of dread of something that never happened: I might have read The Hobbit first.

Imagine.

I wouldn't be here now, arguing with you!

[Primula Baggins]

Well, that is a dreadful thought!

[Ghân-buri-Ghân]

I like twee!

I like silly but serious. I know that the Hobbit succeeds for children, because history tells me so. It really isn't LotR's poor relation. Scrape off the fanatic's need for congruence (and, yes, Prof T is guilty of that), and one is left with a simple tale that appeals. Bilbo is the perfect encapsulation of the vulnerable "other" who makes good.

Oh Jeez! I never thought I'd have to make an argument for the majesty of the Hobbit!

[Padme]

Padme, I hope you'll update us on your adventures someday soon!

Here you go Prim...

http://thehalloffire.net/forum/viewtopi ... 045#198045

[sauronsfinger]

The signature from Padme invoking the name of Ralph Nader deserves some mention. I sat at the same table as Nader some twenty years ago (if truth be told it was a rather large table) and the man did display a sense of humor. Its fairly dry and is more along the lines of ironic or sardonic wit but he does have one. He also has a new book called ONLY THE SUPER-RICH CAN SAVE US and it does contain the same sort of irony and dry humor. The title is one example.

This should be a very exciting ride for us film fans. As a collector of LOTR stuff, I look forward to the weekly announcements of warehouses filled with HOBBIT collectibles - which I imagine will range for "gotta-have-it" great to "oh-my-gawd" awful. I think I need to start saving now. I suspect Alatar is in the same position I am.

One thing I really am looking forward to is getting all the dwarves on a shelf - be they artfully detailed polystone sculptures or just plastic action figures. This is going to be great.

[Alatar]

I feel a little the same SF, but actually I'm thinking I'll hold out for a few jawdropping pieces, like a really good Smaug. My entire collection is notable for its absences. I avoided anything with a Face, since they invariably look plastic. My main collection was environments, and a couple of statues of the bad guys. I have Sauron and the Witchking, both with Helms on, so no faces. Also I have the Black Rider and the Nazgûl on Fell Beast, again, no faces.

The only pieces I have with human faces are the Old Friends Bookends, where the faces are sufficiently small that lack of detail or similarity is unimportant, and the Gandalf/Balrog wall plaque, where you can't really see the face. I also have two Gollums, but he avoids the uncanny valley by being slightly alien facially.

Given that the environments in the Hobbit are either underground or huge, I'm not seeing much opportunity for great pieces. I already have Bag End, and I doubt that Rivendell can be achieved in a single model. Likewise the Elvenkings Halls and Erebor. Maybe a nice Laketown, or Dol Guldor?

But yeah, ideally a really good Smaug would be nice.


Aside from all that, am I excited? Hell yeah.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Aside from all that, am I excited? Hell yeah.

[Elentári]

I agree about faces, Alatar, but I do have the Old Friends bookends and the "bridge" scene statue of Arwen giving Aragorn the pendant, which I love, and both faces are a good likeness, particularly of Liv.

Apart from the Collector's DVD statues I also have the Edoras environment. Bag End is tempting, though I would kill for a Rivendell environment...

[sauronsfinger]

from Alatar

Maybe a nice Laketown, or Dol Guldor?

Absolutely!!!! I would love to see both an exterior of Dol Guldor plus a lavish interior. Put now down for one of each please.

I sure hope there will be a toy company like Play Along who produces actual playsets with hundreds of figures. I still enjoy making dioramas of the various LOTR scenes with the items they produced. And the scale was perfect. Somebody - anybody - please keep to that same scale for HOBBIT figures and playsets.

[vison]

Wow, Voronwë, you look like you found the fountain of youth and did 100 laps! You look GREAT.

Snarkiness aside, I am looking forward to The Hobbit. Mr. Jackson showed that he is awfully good at a lot of things and I am longing to see more of his Middle Earth.

And, while I didn't entirely miss the buildup to FOTR, thanks to my youngest son, I didn't join the fan club until a few days before the movie came out and now I feel like I'm in on the ground floor of a wonderful new building. I was going to say "a wonderful new erection" but good taste stopped me.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Thanks, vison.

I missed almost all the build-up to FOTR. I didn't join TORC until after TTT came out. I am looking forward to seeing everything come together, although needless to say it won't be the same as it was the first time.

[Elentári]

Great photo, Big V!

I'm really excited to be part of a Middle-earth family this time 'round!

[eborr]

I was super excited when Del Toro was going to direct the films, but less so now that PJ is the front seat driver, also there is nothing in the cast announcements to excite me since most of them have tv backgrounds, and the only drama that I have enjoyed watching onTV is Sopranos , Twin Peaks and Band of Brothers. Having said that the casting on LOTR was pretty good, so I will trust his judgement on that. As far as the message boards go, the elder were wonderful, having TORC and TORN loaded and hovering in the background whilst I was working, and devouring every scrap that passed my way. Will we ever see it's like again, I hope so

[Holbytla]

Excited isn't the right word.
Pleased is more apt.
I'm hesitant at best with PJ at the helm.
Well that isn't really fair. I suspect it will be another up and down ride.

I witnessed at least the pre-LOTR debates being around since 2000 and before, and those debates were among the most heated and volatile I have seen. I doubt the enthusiasm will be as it was, and I doubt the divisiveness will be as strong. Still, the ride should be cool.