Inching closer to The Hobbit film

[Sauron the White]

Yet again -for what must be my now a number beyond calculation (see how easy it is to do this?) you lapse into hyperbole of the worst sort to heap your special brand of scron upon Peter Jackson. Exaggeration upon exaggeration equaling distortion which no longer even resembles reality is what you seem to specialize in.

THUD AND BLUNDER. No doubt one of your pet phrases since you have used it before in discussing these matters of the LOTR films. In point of fact davem, you may know a great deal about the writings of JRRT, but your knowledge of the films is tiny because of your own self induced blindness.

Here is an example of actual thud and blunder

With one stroke of his fifty-pound sword, Gnorts the Barbarian lopped off the head of Nialliv the Wizard. It flew through the air, still sneering, while Gnorts clove two royal guardsmen from vizor through breasplate to steel jockstrap. As he whirled to escape, an arrow glanced off his own chainmail. Then he was gone from the room, into the midnight city. Easily outrunning pursuit, he took a few sentries at the gate by surprise. For a moment, arms and legs hailed around him through showers of blood; then he had opened the gate and was free. A caravan of merchants, waiting to enter at dawn, was camped nearby. Seeing a magnificent stallion tethered, Gnorts released it, twisted the rope into a bridle, and rode it off bareback. After galloping several miles, he encountered a mounted patrol that challenged him. Immediately he plunged into the thick of the cavalrymen, swinging his blade right and left with deadly effect, rearing up his steed to bring its forefeet against one knight who dared to confront him directly. Then it was only to gallop onward. Winter winds lashed his body, attired in nothing more than a bearskin kilt, but he ignored the cold. Sunrise revealed the shore and his waiting longship. He knew the swift-sailing craft could bring him across five hundred leagues of monster-infested ocean in time for him to snatch the maiden princess Elamef away from evil Baron Rehcel while she remained a maiden — not that he intended to leave her in that condition … .

It was written by Poul Anderson in an essay discussing that type of writing.

http://www.sfwa.org/writing/thud.htm

a complete copy of the essay can be found through the above link.

Thud and blunder is a gross exaggeration to the point where it becomes a parody or satire of its original form - heroic fantasy or the sword and sorcery tale. However, you utilize it merely to throw dirt upon the Jackson films simply because you yourself do not approve of them. And that is rank bias.

A few days ago you posted a wonderful answer to me regarding the question of Sauron needing the ring to win his war against the Free Peoples of Middle-earth. You helped me see that I was looking at it all wrong. I value your opinion on the books and thanked you for that. You are a very knowledgable person when it comes to the writings of JRRT.

But when it comes to the films, you have a blind spot that is large and unyielding. In order to battle the films you take every single inch of possible fault and turn it into a mile. A single pound turns into a ton. A simple farmers hut turns into a skyscraper. You cannot simply state a real situation you must exaggerate it to the point of being ridiculous.

Because the LOTR films contained some sword fighting and battle action they now become thud and blunder. By that standard, every tale involving love becomes a sweaty bodice ripper. Every tale that sees someone killed becomes a bloody gorefest.

Perhaps these are not the films that you yourself would have done if the opportunity and skill had presented itself. But there is great beauty and subtlety in those films. There is great attention to detail and thousands of man hours of labor to get things as right as possible within the limits of the film medium.