Tons o' Hobbit News

[ArathornJax]

why you find the addition of Alan Lee and John Howe to be depressing? This might be more appropriate as a PM and feel free to return that way if you like (or ignore this as you like ) but I would be interested to hear your opinion. I have several artists outside of Lee and Howe that I find interesting and would love to hear your thoughts. Anyone else depressed or looking for new movement on this front?

[Sauron the White]

The thought of John Howe, Alan Lee, Howard Shore and many of the production crew already being on baord makes me very happy.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by ArathornJax

why you find the addition of Alan Lee and John Howe to be depressing?

Actually, the artistic integrity of Lee and Howe were one of the things I actually appreciated about the films, as well as the stunning cinematography (minus, of course, the Great Red Eye Radio Station Beacon atop Barad-dur). The look of the movies (save, perhaps, the flouncy Elvish dress code) was spot on. My disagreements are almost entirely with the scripting.

[mark12_30]

I do have to keep reminding myself that the first movie is book-Hobbit, and the second movie is stuff like Dol Guldor and post-Battle-of-five-armies and maybe some unfinished tales...

Once reminded, I find myself very intrigued by the Second Film. It is borderline fanfiction; the sort of things fanfic writers are challenged by: "but while they were off doing that, what was so-and-so up to?" Of course, we want it to be terribly canonical. But what would YOU write?

Depending on what actors came back... what if they get some crazy unexpected combination? (say, for instance) Faramir, Boromir, Gimli, and Arwen, but NOT Viggo and NOT Orlando and NOT Elrond and not Galadriel...? I guess the options are as varied as the characters were... but we could end up with something very unexpected.

Kind of fun to imagine.

In terms of being an adult: During LOTR Aragorn is 87, right? ... In Movie terms, Frodo went east not-too-long after BIlbo's 111th birthday party, and so 111 - 50 = ummm 61, and so by THAT timeline Aragorn would have been 87 - 61 = ummmm 26. So although that's not Tolkien's original timeline for young Aragorn, it fits the PJ timeline, sort of. Using that PJ timeline, when Bilbo came eastward through Rivendell, Aragorn would have been a strapping starry-eyed 26-year-old fellow. On Bilbo's return trip he would have been 28. He met Arwen when he was twenty, so using PJ's timeline, there's room for an Aragorn-Arwen scene at Rivendell.

Remains to be seen what Del Toro will do with the timeline-- Tolkien's or PJ's?

One could also wonder whether we will be seeing Pippin and Merry's adolesence. Yeeee. And I wonder whether Tom Bombadil will make it into the second movie, if his actor comes back.

Right. Just kidding.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Once reminded, I find myself very intrigued by the Second Film. It is borderline fanfiction; the sort of things fanfic writers are challenged by: "but while they were off doing that, what was so-and-so up to?" Of course, we want it to be terribly canonical. But what would YOU write?

Helen,

I had to smile when I read this. You've hit the nail on the head. For better or worse, and many would say indubitably for worse, move #2 does seem to come perilously close to fanfiction. I have also seen more than one RPG where the "script" had to be rewritten at the last moment when an expected writer failed to materialize. My guess is that GdT would simply go for recasting rather than dumping a character, if he/she was needed.

I am looking forward to seeing these Mirkwood Elves!

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

(minus, of course, the Great Red Eye Radio Station Beacon atop Barad-dur).

Now that's interesting. I'm pretty sure they were going for the Nazi searchlight look.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Originally Posted by Gwathagor

Now that's interesting. I'm pretty sure they were going for the Nazi searchlight look.

Well, what they got was the portrayal of the title character as a Highly Irritable Lighthouse.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Well, what they got was the portrayal of the title character as a Highly Irritable Lighthouse.

It was laughable. Sometimes a cigar is not just a cigar.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Well, what they got was the portrayal of the title character as a Highly Irritable Lighthouse.

I'm wondering if its the Middle-earth version of the Grail-shaped beacon, and if so would the Mouth of Sauron be naughty Zoot or Dingo?

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

I'm wondering if its the Middle-earth version of the Grail-shaped beacon, and if so would the Mouth of Sauron be naughty Zoot or Dingo?

Maybe we should carry this on in the Monty Python's "There and back again" thread.

[davem]

For MGM, among those is a continuation of Bond and Pink Panther sequels, an announced remake of "Fame" and a not-yet-announced remake of "RoboCop," possibly in 3-D. "'RoboCop" would be great in 3-D, as would something we're hoping to announce soon," said Parent. This also includes "The Hobbit," which will be filmed in two parts released in 2011 and 2012, and maybe more after. "There's 80 years between the end of 'The Hobbit' and the beginning of 'The Lord of the Rings,'" said Sloan. "Think of the franchise."

http://www.indiewire.com/biz/2008/05...8_biz_d_4.html

Indeed - think of the franchise......

[Sauron the White]

I am all in favor of HOBBIT as a film. And I like the idea of a film based on the White Councils attack on Dol Guldur. Beyond that...... not so sure.

Here are possible ideas that could really turn it into a thriving franchise for the next forty years.

film six: ARAGORN AND ARWEN; TEEN ANGST

film seven: THOSE DARN DWARVES

film eight: DECORATING MORIA: TRADITIONAL OR CONTEMPORARY?

film nine: BROTHERS OF MINAS TIRITH

film ten: SLUMLORD - GREY HAVENS INTO CONDOS

[Kuruharan]

Originally Posted by ArathornJax

why you find the addition of Alan Lee and John Howe to be depressing? This might be more appropriate as a PM and feel free to return that way if you like (or ignore this as you like ) but I would be interested to hear your opinion. I have several artists outside of Lee and Howe that I find interesting and would love to hear your thoughts. Anyone else depressed or looking for new movement on this front?

Alan Lee's conception of Middle earth, in my view, could only be described as "fog-bound".

John Howe's vision of Middle earth just doesn't line up well with what Tolkien wrote. His paints his subjects in plate armor and tends to have too much of a High Medieval tone for my taste. It is probably more of a niggle for me than it should be, but I can't seem to help it. Also, his balrogs look like dobermans with bat wings.

I like Lee's clothing and armor styles better as they seem to be somewhat more in line with what Tolkien wrote...when you can see the clothing through the haze.

Did I mention that Howe's balrogs look like dobermans with *wings*?

My favorite Tolkien artist is Ted Nasmith. His landscapes are phenomenal, and while I admit that figures aren't his strongest suit, he clothes and arms them more in a manner which I believe to be consistent with what Tolkien wrote.

And his balrogs have no wings.

Did I mention that Howe's balrogs look like dobermans with *wings*?

[R.]

My personal favorite Tolkien artist even though he only did a few is Michael Kaluta although i don't know about his Legolas.



Ron

[Longstaff Sixpenny]

Anyone have a count of what creatures and landscapes in PJ's LoTR came from Howe or Lee? The Stone Trolls were essentially lifted from an illustration done by Lee, as was Orthanc. Howe's design for the Winged Beasts/Nazgul Steeds was also adopted pretty much wholesale. I wonder if the "camouflaging" Smaug will be closer to Lee's design? Here's a link to the two side-by-side:

http://fan.theonering.net/middleearthtours/dragons.html

[ArathornJax]

I have to agree with Ted Nasmith. I know that he was invited but couldn't contribute due to some personal issues when the LOTR Trilogy was made.

This website shows though Nasmith's influence on the Film Trilogy. It makes a solid case I think to his influence.

http://tednasmith.narod.ru/

BTW, I agree that Nasmith's people are lacking but his scenery is beautiful.

Though SHE may be to some more cartoonish, I really like Anke Eissman's drawings found at http://www.anke.edoras-art.de/anke_illustration.html.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

AJ, Anke is a great artist - and a she! Some of her artwork reminds me of Alan Lee's watercolors, and she does the best Middle-earth women I've seen yet. (Her Lúthien is beautiful and has a strong character face.) She's fairly young, so she may yet add to an already good reputation and become better known on your side of the Atlantic. I doubt that the Hobbit film producers will add another artist to their roster though.

[Mister Underhill]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

AJ, Anke is a great artist[...] She's fairly young, so she may yet add to an already good reputation and become better known on your side of the Atlantic. I doubt that the Hobbit film producers will add another artist to their roster though.

But I see that she has done quite a few fanfic paintings. I see a contact link on her site... could a REB series be in the offing?

[Kuruharan]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

But I see that she has done quite a few fanfic paintings. I see a contact link on her site... could a REB series be in the offing?

*evil maniacal laughter*

Do it Esty, do it, do it!!!!

This website shows though Nasmith's influence on the Film Trilogy. It makes a solid case I think to his influence.

http://tednasmith.narod.ru/

ArathornJax

That is a very interesting website...however, I'm not sure I find it totally convincing on all points. A number of the paintings and shots are quite dissimilar in content. I cite "Beren and Luthien are Flown to Safety" and the shot of Gandalf being carried over the mountains, the Arwen and Aragorn comparisons, the Eowyn and Witch-king comparisons and the shadow of Sauron shots. A number of the other ones are more similar but that mostly seems attributable to their being about the same thing.

There are a couple of pictures, though, that I do find a bit striking. "Leaving the Shire" and the shot of Gandalf's cart is one example. "Gandalf Escapes Upon Gwaihir" and the comparable shot from the movie is another. "The Anger of the Mountain" does seem to serve as inspiration for the shot from the movie. I also agree that the Watcher shots are probably related. I think the Dead Marshes shots are the ones where Nasmith's influence could most strongly be felt...they really are almost identical. The comparison of the Ents wrecking Isengard is nearly that similar too.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

But I see that she has done quite a few fanfic paintings. I see a contact link on her site... could a REB series be in the offing?

Nope, not REB, but I do happen to know that she is working on an illustration for an upcoming book about music in ME...

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Longstaff Sixpenny

Anyone have a count of what creatures and landscapes in PJ's LoTR came from Howe or Lee? The Stone Trolls were essentially lifted from an illustration done by Lee, as was Orthanc. Howe's design for the Winged Beasts/Nazgul Steeds was also adopted pretty much wholesale. I wonder if the "camouflaging" Smaug will be closer to Lee's design? Here's a link to the two side-by-side:

http://fan.theonering.net/middleearthtours/dragons.html

I think the dragon will look more like the one in the movie "Sword of Xanten", but that's just me.

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

My favorite Tolkien artist is Ted Nasmith. His landscapes are phenomenal...

Indeed. Nasmith's "Last Sight of Hobbiton" has brought me to tears more than once.