The Hobbit Movie Forum » Hobbit Movie

1. stuart Carrier
   Member

   Ayup All...

   For a while, frankly, it's been Dead here. And maybe with good reason. With absolutely NO what I'd call 'real' Hobbit News at all. No Production Blog,as promised, no nothing. then we get a flurry of 'silly' little articles since Billy Connollys casting. 'Hobbit Tourism', 'shooting in 48 FPS', 'Hobbit production staff Helping out in NZ', 'PJ promoting Documentary (!) at Sundance'...

   What I'm asking is, is this necessary ? is it wanted ? does It in the best PJ Tradition, 'Move the story along'... ? For me, frankly, it doesn't. I don't want to know about 48 FPS, I already do from the previous Blog, and the other news from other places. I want to know about how far along we are in shooting. Are we in Laketown this week, the Lonely Mountain, Thanduils Dungeon, fighting the Necromancer ?

   I'm really starting to lose Enthusiasm for this Project... Are You ?

   Posted 2 months ago #
2. lance
   Member

   Stu - I wouldnt say I am losing enthusiasm for the project. I think we have talked a lot of the unknowns to death and with the lack of news, dont have much more to go on (Billy's casting killed the king under the mountain thread).

   I am very much looking forward to it still and am waiting for some more news as and when it comes. We need someone to think of a few good topics to talk about in the mean time that we perhaps have not touched on as yet...

   Posted 2 months ago #
3. Todd VanDelinder
   Member

   Not losing enthusism and still am excited about the films but have seen too much stuff that doesnt really interest me about what is going on. The only reason I can think that PJ is keeping things so vague is to keep the mystique of what is going on. I for one was glad to finally hear about Conolly being cast as Dain Ironfoot it lifted a bit worry about them changing the plot line as drastically as I had originally feared. Not to say they won't change some of the major plot details (Azog possibly replacing Bolg or adding Tauriel) but overall I am not as gung ho as I was about discussing things. I know recently what has been getting me ticked off is all the people on other boards making idiodic thoughts about things they think should be in the film or what would be cool to see. Have these people even read the hobbit? I am beginning to wonder... I guess I am becoming a semi purist or crabbit in my own right. I do like hearing from actors and PJ himself that they are staying closer to the material, I'm sure they added a bunch of stuff trying to make the films flow better as a quintology which as long as it is good I can live with. But as far as forums I haven't been around too much because the lack of news. Hopefully we shall hear something new soon

   Posted 2 months ago #
4. julia mellor
   Member

   I am waiting for the promised video blog that was mentioned in PJs last video. He said there would be more news at the beginning of the year, and its now nearly the end of the beginning of the year. BOO!

   Posted 2 months ago #
5. lance
   Member

   Todd 'I know recently what has been getting me ticked off is all the people on other boards making idiodic thoughts about things they think should be in the film or what would be cool to see.'

   Sorry - I just started a thread a bit like that but more to make some conversation... not to tick you off! In it's defence though, it's not for discussing what may or may not be in the films and therefore encourage people to make stuff up.

   Posted 2 months ago #
6. jon
   Member

   So where's the new trailer? Winter is almost over!

   @Todd: Don't be baggin' on us purists! Them's fightin' words!

   Posted 2 months ago #
7. Todd VanDelinder
   Member

   Lance wasnt refering to you so dont take it that way. I was refering to those who think it is a good idea to keep Thorin alive, or making Tauriel such a important character thouh she had no role in the book. making the movies more about Sauron and the ring than should be, stuff like that is what bothers me. The main meat and potatoes of the film needs to be Bilbo and the story told in the Hobbit book. with all the extra fluff being what it should be filler material nothing more nothing less

   Jon i am fast moving the way of a purist well semi anyways

   Posted 2 months ago #
8. pettytyrant
   Member

   It's alive! Thought you lot had dropped the face of ME! We were starting to worry about you over in Forumshire- all we had were wanderers reporting empty streets and houses here- good to see some life in the place yet.
   And come on Todd- move every closer to the purist standpoint- you know it makes sense!

   Posted 2 months ago #
9. jon
   Member

   @Todd: Just joking with ya! Don't take it to serious! But the purist standpoint is, as you point out, well warranted, at least on occasion. It's certainly a good point to argue from if you're looking for reasonable (or unreasonable!) criticism of the movies - a Petty well illustrates.

   Posted 2 months ago #
10. Todd VanDelinder
    Member

    I am definitely closer to the purist side now than I was before starting on any forum but I can also separate the 2 different media styles of audio visual movies and the written works. I tend to think that if the book is good the films could be kept as close to the book as possible and still work without having to change too much. but then again every director wants to put his or her stamp on the source material. whether good or bad they all do it, but to what extent? that is the question. before the forums I never really took into account what was changed or why I just knew that the films worked on a cinematic level, looking at all the points brought up on forums it is correct in thinking that the films though great films (yes I think they were great) they were flawed. not to a point where they were ruined for me but to a point that after thinking about them for years and waiting for the hobbit I have come to expect more and want more from Jackson and crew. I know they are capable of delivering a film that is close enough to the book and mix in all the elements of Middle earth that film fans enjoyed without hurting the source material.

    Then to hear comments from Luke Evans, Evangelin Lilly, and Andy Serkis that they are trying to remain as close to the material in the hobbit while giving it an element of the LOTR film trilogy is hopeful. I think Jackson knows where he "screwed up" in some ways and will make right by them. but I also think he will open up a whole new can of worms by some of the White Council stuff and additional scenes that will be placed in the films. But we shall have to wait and see what they deliver in December hopefully it will be more in line with the book and have a certain edge that Tolkien fans deserve.

    Posted 2 months ago #
11. pettytyrant
    Member

    I remember similar noises during LotR's Todd- close to the book, keeping the spirit of it- no mention of stomping all over the heart of it, gutting many of the characters into 2D carboard cutouts of themselves, not bothering to resolve most of the character arcs- and my personnal favourite leaving out the entire ending and putting one on that doesnt make any sense.
    So you will have to forgive me if I keep my crabbit attitude until PJ proves me wrong (I hope he does but expect he won't).

    Posted 2 months ago #
12. Eldorion
    Member

    I'm not losing enthusiasm for the project but after following it for over three years I'm used to my level of active interest generally being fairly low. Aside from times when there are significant events (like the trailer) or a lot of announcements in quick succession, The Hobbit isn't on my mind much unless someone brings it up. If it wasn't for the people at this place and Forumshire giving me stuff to talk about I doubt I would be half as excited about The Hobbit. :P

    Posted 2 months ago #
13. Herbethor
    Member

    Well they can't give ya too much cuz then they couldn't charge ya 60 bucks for rhe extended behind the scenes dvds. As for new trailers I agree that they're attempting to hide quite a bit of the details to lake town esp is my guess. Purism doesn'ts work in most cases in the form of dramatization... FACT. Even John Ronald knew that.

    Posted 2 months ago #
14. pettytyrant
    Member

    Purism doesn't work -Herbethor

    That depends how you define it. If you mean putting every word and action from the page to the screen then of course not- but I have never heard anyone advocating such action and I am a purist. The only time I hear such an argument in fact is from PJ fans falsely accusing purists of it.
    There is however a world of difference between adapting an exisiting work with all the condensing of events, peoples etc that demands and making up huge chunks of your own story at the expense of the original work. Of completely rewriting characters so they are the opposite of the book version or shallow parodies of their personalities or adding in completely new characters of your own devising, or dumping the vast bulk of the original dialogue. (If you did that last one with Shakespeare people would not hesitate to point out without his dialogue it is no longer Shakespeare- so how come PJ can change nearly all Tolkiens dialogue and its still accepted as Tolkien?)
    Whats in question here is in a film like say TT, does the fact it follows the broad strokes of the books plot in outline make it an accurate adaption? Or does the fact it bears only a passing resemblence to the book make it a poor adaption?
    I obviously favour the latter view point.

    Posted 2 months ago #
15. julia mellor
    Member

    I have a feeling that once I have my bum on that seat, I have turned off my phone, I have had a good old wee so I dont need to get up in the middle of an important bit, I have made sure my husband isnt snoring and the lights have gone down, the opening music starts up, I wont give a flying monkeys nuts for purism, long contracts, Billy Connolly, Axes in heads or Tauriel. I know I will be swept away into Middle Earth Handsome Dwarves and all. After the film is a different matter, but all the nit picking in the world wont stop me loving it. and PJ for making it.

    Posted 2 months ago #
16. pettytyrant
    Member

    Sadly my internal crabbit meter has no off switch and will be on and probably very active throughout.

    Posted 2 months ago #
17. Kendalf
    Member

    Stu - Nope, I'm certainly not losing any of my enthusiasm for the project but, yes, it is a little hard to sustain through the dearth of news recently. Apart from the odd spy-photo here and magazine interview there, all we really have to go on is Jackson's Blogs and they're proving notoriously irregular, to say the least!*

    As for another trailer to dissect, I'd expect one in (very) early summer (around May?), when the big blockbusters start hitting the screens again. At that point, I daresay, we'll have plenty more to talk about!

    So, come on, Peter! Where's that "early in the New Year" blog you promised??

    *I've officially given up on his 20 Questions

    Posted 2 months ago #
18. julia mellor
    Member

    Considering there are only about four months left of filming, and they have recently started filming again after the break, (dont they finish in June?) there should be something soon surely? I have a feeling that maybe this weekend we may have another Quint report, but as they are nice to look at but dont really contain anything too detailed or controversial, I am hoping for a blog soon.

    Posted 2 months ago #
19. Kendalf
    Member

    Julia - "Considering there are only about four months left of filming"

    Is that just for Part I (and some of Part II), though? Are they not doing another block afterwards (early 2013) to complete Part II? Or will it just be the usual pick-ups etc? I'm sure I heard something like that somewhere, sometime...

    Anyway, yes, Quint's reports are another source of sustenance. I'd forgotten about those. Nice.

    Posted 2 months ago #
20. julia mellor
    Member

    Ken I dont know really I was just guessing. I thought they were filming everything back to back like last time? I read it was around June or there abouts, but it will probably continue afterwards for re shoots and such. But if the first film is to be ready for December they need to get their skates on as I am sure they spend ages editing and post productioning.

    Posted 2 months ago #
21. Todd VanDelinder
    Member

    Well according to Jackson BOTH movies should be done filming by June/July of this year. Not to say there won't be reshoots or pick up scenes involved sometime between the end of July and the release of the second hobbit film next year. The good point of that is they have a whole year or more of post production to get Smaug and all the CGI characters perfect...

    I too am ready for another blog but don't think we will get one till end of march or April sometime, just a hunch but PJ hasn't been too open about much lately. And yeah I agree I too have given up on the 20 questions maybe once filming is done he will answer them.

    I agree Julia I am anxiously awaiting the film and will hold my criticism till after it's over, but I do have some concerns that I guess will only be sated by watching the films I guess

    Posted 2 months ago #
22. lance
    Member

    Hasn't pj been back at pinewood doing all the post production stuff between shooting the blocks? I would guess a lot of the first film has been roughly cut and cgi etc has been done with anything extra that needs filming being done in this block. Sure a final cut will come together October time for the studio to see while film 2 has it guts chopped up and rearranged etc with any pick ups spring next year maybe.

    Posted 2 months ago #
23. Palo Stoney
    Member

    Evening all.

    Yes, long time no anything. Hope you're all well? Hopefully the winter hibernation is now over & the buds of spring we are seeing on here are the signs of more plentiful blooms to come (always glass half full!)

    To keep myself busy, after finishing Unfinished Tales (pardon the pun) I've now immersed myself in The Middle Earth Atlas. Am trying to get plenty of Tolkienish in my noggin ready for 10 months time, but without leaving it too close to the film that it seems a bit of overkill. Have also managed to see the trailer at the cinema too, which made it much more exciting still than via the ol laptop.

    Stay well, don't be a stranger & we must catch up again soon. In the meantime, to wet some appetites & for those who've not seen them, please pardon a link below to the excellent stills of some of the LOTR Lego sets!

    http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150562206254821&set=a.10150562204409821.389301.6425769820&type=1&theater

    Posted 2 months ago #
24. julia mellor
    Member

    <img src="http://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg632/cat402/google-middle-earth-corrected-big.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

    Youve probably all seen this map before but I like it so I posted it, it shows Middle Earth overlaid over Europe from the starting point of the Shire being Oxfordshire as thats where The Shire is supposed to be taken from. It looks like I live in Gondor which is pretty cool.

    Posted 2 months ago #
25. pettytyrant
    Member

    That fits perfectly with my preferred 'how to make a LotR's film' Julia!
    I have always said they should have been much more distinct in the look of each region of Middle-earth and in climate and in accents and racial types.
    I would have cast Italians as the Gondorians and shot there too, I would have made the Rohirrim Germanic.
    And the light is different in Italy too (why so many artists go there) one of the problems with everything beng shot in NZ is all the plant life and all the lighting is the same, but if you travel from England to the south of Europe there is a markd difference in all these things absent from PJ's representationof ME.

    Posted 2 months ago #
26. julia mellor
    Member

    I like the way you use the map as just another way to critisize PJ and LOTR. It was meant as something positive and fun and you turn it into something hard to beat him with. well done. my compliments to the chef.

    Posted 2 months ago #
27. pettytyrant
    Member

    Not my fault he made an arse of it Julia! If he hadnt made so many mistakes I wouldnt be able to find so many different ways of critisizing him now would I? And crabbit cooking is a speciality of mine after all. :)

    Posted 2 months ago #
28. julia mellor
    Member

    I would leave beans out of your cooking..

    Posted 2 months ago #
29. Kendalf
    Member

    D'oh! I'm at work and the Photobucket link is blocked!

    I'm going to hazard a guess: does Mordor overlay the Balkans? I remember reading somewhere that Tolkien, when once asked where Mordor was, replied "Roughly, the Balkans".

    Posted 2 months ago #
30. lance
    Member

    Look like I live slap bang in the middle of Hobbiton. Wondered why the locals looked at me funny when i got my snorkel and flippers out.

    Posted 2 months ago #

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