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[Edmond Dantès]

More Hobbit artwork.

By http://dennykotian.deviantart.com/

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri Talks Gollum, 48 Frames/Second Challenges And Pleasing Peter Jackson

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/08/the-hobbit-visual-effects-joe-letteri_n_3037926.html

 

[Edmond Dantès]

UK Steelbook edition.

 

[Loxley]

Looks really nice, glad you guys where finally able to get it.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Looks really nice, glad you guys where finally able to get it.

Here's hoping that the extended editions are released simultaneously.


Misty Mountains Cold on Piano

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIZbwia3Odg

 

[Edmond Dantès]

I think it's safe to say that the Misty Mountains theme is now Howard Shore's most memorable Middle-earth theme, surpassing even the Fellowship theme.

The full rendition of it in Over Hill is wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD8269JEdPA#t=2m45s

Look forward to hearing more variations of it in the next two films.

 

[Loxley]

I think it's safe to say that the Misty Mountains theme is now Howard Shore's most memorable Middle-earth theme, surpassing even the Fellowship theme.

The full rendition of it in Over Hill is wonderful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD8269JEdPA#t=2m45s

Look forward to hearing more variations of it in the next two films.

I agree, it's definitely caught on. I think that's largely because unlike the LotR films - where there were multiple themes used throughout the trilogy - The Hobbit had one grand unifying theme with Misty Mountains, I think they must have used some variation of the track four or five times throughout the film.

That said, I only wish that the version of the song we heard in the first trailer was the one they ended up going with. I like the orchestration slightly more compared to the final version we hear in "Over Hill". But overall it is definitely a great theme, I especially liked it's use in the 'Roast Mutton' scene.

 

[Megalosaro]

It's an great theme, but it felt overused to be honest. Whenever the Dwarves did anything, it'd play some variation

 

[Edmond Dantès]

It's an great theme, but it felt overused to be honest. Whenever the Dwarves did anything, it'd play some variation

True. Howard wasn't as subtle in its use as he was with the Fellowship theme.

 

[Loxley]

True. Howard wasn't as subtle in its use as he was with the Fellowship theme.

I'm actually curious as to whether or not the switch to three films affected the way he ended up scoring AUJ, it's possible that that over-use of the Misty Mountains theme was a result of shifting around some of the score here and there.

 

[Mr Cola]

Just purchased the HD Itunes version!


!!
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!
!
!
!

 

[Edmond Dantès]

I'm actually curious as to whether or not the switch to three films affected the way he ended up scoring AUJ, it's possible that that over-use of the Misty Mountains theme was a result of shifting around some of the score here and there.

I think the differences between the soundtrack album and the score as edited in the film is quite telling.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

We'll be seeing a great deal of Smaug in film 2 according to Richard Armitage in this interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBdv3ylXh6c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Mr Cola]

Watching it now, the Prologue is so so so so GOOD! The cinematography is astonishingly beautiful.

And when they find the stone :O

 

[Mr Cola]

Edmond any clue who the guy on the far left is, next to Thorin?

I only ask because he seems in such good company, maybe he is someone from lore?

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Watching it now, the Prologue is so so so so GOOD! The cinematography is astonishingly beautiful.

And when they find the stone :O

I love how haughty Thranduil is in the prologue.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Edmund any clue who the guy on the far left is, next to Thorin?

I only ask because he seems in such good company, maybe he is someone from lore?

A young Gloin.

 

[Megalosaro]

Could be Thorin's brother, Frerin.

 

[Loxley]

I think the differences between the soundtrack album and the score as edited in the film is quite telling.

I still lament the film's loss of that excellent Erebor track Dare I say it's one of my favorites of the entire OST.

 

[Mr Cola]

I love how haughty Thranduil is in the prologue.

Yes, he is played so well without words, the whole scene is wonderful save TWO things

1) Bilbos line "And where sickness lies, bad things follow" Bad seems like an overly simplistic word to use for the gravity of the scene, it feels out of kilter with the dialogue.

2) Thranduils Moose...not the best use of CGI

Also pertaining to a comment i made a few days ago i counted 4 bearded Dwarve women!

 

[Mr Cola]

Ha! I love Bilbo and Gandals first conversation, especially this bit

Gandalf: Im looking for someone to share in an Adventure!
Bilbo: An Adventure... No i dont imagine anyone west of Brie would have much interest in adventures! Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things..make you late for dinner!

So well delivered by Martin

 

[BobTheFork]

I haven't had a chance to talk about it but I finally saw it at home after seeing it in the theatre HFR/3d.

It is stunning how much better the film looks without 3d or the high frame rate. The movement on screen didn't look off or inconsistant. Simple forest backgrounds and real sets don't look like blurry crap. The CG looked better, especially in the prologue. I have some issues with the movie, but I enjoyed watching it this time. Lots of fun.

 

[timetokill]

It is stunning how much better the film looks without 3d or the high frame rate.

Couldn't disagree harder.

 

[Dmax3901]

I haven't had a chance to talk about it but I finally saw it at home after seeing it in the theatre HFR/3d.

It is stunning how much better the film looks without 3d or the high frame rate. The movement on screen didn't look off or inconsistant. Simple forest backgrounds and real sets don't look like blurry crap. The CG looked better, especially in the prologue. I have some issues with the movie, but I enjoyed watching it this time. Lots of fun.

This is the opposite of what HFR did for me. The exact opposite.

 

[Ixion]

I think it's safe to say that the Misty Mountains theme is now Howard Shore's most memorable Middle-earth theme, surpassing even the Fellowship theme.

The scene when the dwarves sing that song is my favorite scene in the film. It blows my mind that one of the critics couldn't stand it.

 

[Mr Cola]

Maybe im going mad but is this Weathertop?

From where the Orc Pack report back to Azog about their failure

 

[Megalosaro]

Yes. Which is strange because Weathertop is like 2 weeks away from Rivendell

 

[Mr Cola]

Indeed!

Remember wherever something unexplained happens wizards did it!

 

[Loxley]

Yes. Which is strange because Weathertop is like 2 weeks away from Rivendell

Jackson has pretty much perfected the time-warping effect in his Middle Earth films with the way they're edited. Heck in The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf rides from the Shire to Minus Tirith in what seems like maybe one day, a journey which would probably take close to two months.

 

[Mr Cola]

Jackson has pretty much perfected the time-warping effect in his Middle Earth films with the way they're edited. Heck in The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf rides from the Shire to Minus Tirith in what seems like maybe one day, a journey which would probably take close to two months.

Wizard did it!

 

[Megalosaro]

Come to think of it, in FotR, Frodo gets stabbed at night. That same night, they meet Arwen, who then races him to Rivendell over the span of a couple hours.

 

[Mr Cola]

I was just thinking what proportion of Gaf walked out when the Eagles came

 

[fallout]

I was just thinking what proportion of Gaf walked out when the Eagles came

I just had this vision in my head of a bunch of them reading the book for the first time and hurling it across the room.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

I was just thinking what proportion of Gaf walked out when the Eagles came

To be fair, the eagles are getting tiresome. Deus ex machina.

And I love how they continue to drop everyone off MILES from where they need to go. Why not fly them all to Erebor? Or at least bloody closer?

 

[Sushigod7]

To be fair, the eagles are getting tiresome. Deus ex machina.

And I love how they continue to drop everyone off MILES from where they need to go. Why not fly them all to Erebor? Or at least bloody closer?

The eagles are tired and only can stand having passengers for a few minutes. lol It's one of those things I guess maybe it's explained somewhere in greater detail.

 

[Megalosaro]

That's because Peter Jackson keeps screwing up and removing all personality from the Eagles.

Plus they're still a couple hundred miles away. Bilbo couldn't see Erebor until he got out of the forest in the book

 

[Loxley]

The short explanation is that the Eagles are doing the dwarves a huge favor by helping them at all. They're not just Gandalf's minions that he can call on whenever he wants to (something the films admittedly do a poor job of communicating), they are their own race with their own goals and ideals and they care little for the problems of men and dwarves. Although I'll admit that while audiences could deal with talking mountain trolls in The Hobbit, talking Eagles would have been pushing it.

They also don't want to fly close to Erebor because of the big dragon that's supposedly inside it. They're looking out for themselves just as much as anyone else is, how do they benefit from the dwarves taking back the lonely mountain? It's really not their problem.

In the book, the Eagles just happen to be passing by when they notice the dwarves are in trouble (their particular colony nests on the High Pass leading from Rivendell, so they're close to Goblin Town), so they decide to briefly help them out.

You can bemoan their appearances in the film all you want, but at the end of the day they're ripped straight from the book.

 

[AngmarsKing701]

The short explanation is that the Eagles are doing the dwarves a huge favor by helping them at all. They're not just Gandalf's minions that he can call on whenever he wants to (something the films admittedly do a poor job of communicating), they are their own race with their own goals and ideals and they care little for the problems of men and dwarves. Although I'll admit that while audiences could deal with talking mountain trolls in The Hobbit, talking Eagles would have been pushing it.

They also don't want to fly close to Erebor because of the big dragon that's supposedly inside it. They're looking out for themselves just as much as anyone else is, how do they benefit from the dwarves taking back the lonely mountain? It's really not their problem.

In the book, the Eagles just happen to be passing by when they notice the dwarves are in trouble (their particular colony nests on the High Pass leading from Rivendell, so they're close to Goblin Town), so they decide to briefly help them out.

You can bemoan their appearances in the film all you want, but at the end of the day they're ripped straight from the book.

Right. My point is that they show up in the movies at just the right moment to save the day based on Gandalf twittering to a moth. So I guess I'm bitching more about PJ's use of them than Tolkien's legendarium.

 

[vagabondarts]

Right. My point is that they show up in the movies at just the right moment to save the day based on Gandalf twittering to a moth. So I guess I'm bitching more about PJ's use of them than Tolkien's legendarium.

Surely the opportunity will present itself in the next movie for Bilbo to inquire to Gandalf why the Eagles drop them off there and Gandalf can explain it as simply as its understood in the book.

I would think.

Also, I'm really excited for all the Beorn scenes in the next movie.

 

[B-Dubs]

Surely the opportunity will present itself in the next movie for Bilbo to inquire to Gandalf why the Eagles drop them off there and Gandalf can explain it as simply as its understood in the book.

I would think.

Also, I'm really excited for all the Beorn scenes in the next movie.

It would be a really easy thing to fit in right at the start, I'd be shocked if they didn't give a quick explanation.

 

[Megalosaro]

Yeah, I can see Bilbo grouching away as they climb down.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

Yeah, I can see Bilbo grouching away as they climb down.

Or one of the dwarves.

DORI: Master Gandalf, why didn't the eagles carry us all the way? Not that I don't appreciate the rescue.

GANDALF: They are a proud people with better things to do than ferry ungrateful dwarves across the world.

BIFUR: Arak shzum kharg!

GANDALF: Now now, that was certainly uncalled for!

 

[Edmond Dantès]

The eagles and their actions throughout the three ages fit perfectly within the defintion of eucatastrophe, a word Tolkien himself coined.

Although, these kind of moments will be few and far between from now on.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

Tolkien fans gather for festivals coinciding with The Hobbit: An unexpected journey’s release

Following the release of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s classic novel, The Hobbit, and its sequel, The Desolation of Smaug, on DVD and Blu-Ray, fans are banding together in fellowships of their own; according to Ray Jelley, Angry Goat Productions is the only company willing to create an adventure to match! 

"The Trilo3y.net Lord of the Rings Wine & Film Festival takes the critically-acclaimed Lord of the Rings Trilogy and combines it with one of the largest and most immersive festivals ever based on Lord of the Rings; no matter how many times you’ve seen the trilogy, you’ve never seen anything like this," explained Jelley.

Angry Goat Productions is currently scheduled to host the festival in metropolises including Los Angeles, London, Sydney and Wellington. The 3-day film festival is a rare opportunity for fans to make memories that will last a lifetime; for example, fans will get to experience The Fellowship alongside other fans from around the world.

http://trilogyfilmfest.mymiddleearth.com/

 

[Edmond Dantès]

WETA producing the goods once again

http://www.wetanz.com/art-print-dawn-counsel-at-rivendell/?affiliate=1834

 

[Megalosaro]

That Gollum statue is amazingly dynamic that it's creepy. I'd probably not be able to sleep if I had it in my room at night

 

[Shadow Hog]

I'm more wondering how the hell they managed to place the center of that mass of that thing in such a place that it stays upright. That must be one heavy rock.

 

[Napalm_Frank]

*sigh*

I caved in. Oh well it's just 20€ so not that big of a deal :/

 

[Mr Cola]

I have a feeling im going to be watching this every night for a few weeks

 

[fredrancour]

Or one of the dwarves.

DORI: Master Gandalf, why didn't the eagles carry us all the way? Not that I don't appreciate the rescue.

GANDALF: They are a proud people with better things to do than ferry ungrateful dwarves across the world.

BIFUR: Arak shzum kharg!

GANDALF: Now now, that was certainly uncalled for!

More like:

Fili: Why couldn't they set us down a little further along the way?

Gandalf: Did you hear that last series of "kaw" sounds as they flew away?

Fili: Yes?

Gandalf: That was Eagleish for "Y'all gonna get eaten by a dragon, fuck that shit. Eagles out, bitches."


My apologies to Christopher Tolkein for my liberties with the mannerisms of eagles.