Happy Tolkien Week, everyone, and happy Hobbit Day!
Today, September 22, is National Hobbit Day. Yesterday, September 21, 2012, marked the 75th anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit. And December 14 of this year marks the beginning of an epic three-year journey through The Hobbit as a film trilogy:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: There and Back Again
To make a long story very short, The Hobbit is a film series that almost never was. After a myriad of issues including production rights- starting back as early as 1995 (Peter Jackson kept purely with The Lord of the Rings instead), other legal issues, and multiple delays, the two movies finally got the greenlight. Filming commenced from February 2011-July 2012, and, as it was announced on July 30th, 2012, what was once a two-part adaption had now been confirmed to become a trilogy.
I am so excited to be reporting on this movie- as we now stand less than three months away from its world premiere! I was originally planning to do some speculation on the plethora of pictures for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that have been released over the past couple of weeks. But on September 19, The Hobbit's second movie trailer was released, and I just couldn't resist the chance for some serious spoiler speculation! I won't elaborate on everything (That would be called a book, in my case :P ); I'll just pick a couple little bits from the trailer that stood out to me the most.
So, on that note, I think it only fair to warn you, there are ***SPOILERS*** from here on out, for those who haven't read The Hobbit.
First of all, for any out there who haven't seen the new trailer-
http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-msn-full-length-trailer/2tv1rprl
(The teaser trailer is down the suggested videos list a little, if you haven't seen that one either.)
Well, I really don't know where to go from there... ;-) There was so much awesome in those 2 minutes, 19 seconds, it's hard to find a place to begin.
One thing that caught my eye, however, was Thorin's map.
It looks like PJ and Co. have done some updating on the map. There are subtle changes to a few key elements. Here is a shot of the map from Fellowship of the Ring, for comparison-
The first change is the addition of Ravenhill. As the place has a small, but key part in the story, it makes sense that PJ would give viewers a better sense of where that is. The second change is the mountain itself. The whole thing is turned clockwise a little. Instead of the secret door facing straight on, it's turned a little more to the northwest. (East is the top of the map.) The final and most important change is in the wording below the mountain: "Here of old was Thror King under the Mountain"... Wait a minute... Thror? In the bottom picture, as well as the original map in the books, it says Thrain, not Thror. (Thrain is the son of Thror and father of Thorin Oakenshield.) It's interesting, because technically Thror *was* the King under the Mountain, not Thrain, even though Tolkien made the map and appeared to suggest the latter. Hopefully the movie will clear that intriguing change up.
Another part that really caught my eye was the (all too brief) glimpse of Radagast the Brown. What with the impressive shroud of secrecy surrounding Radagast's image until now, this was quite a revelation. I feel Peter Jackson's image of this eclectic, hermit-like, animal-loving wizard is very true to the books. Just look at him! However, being a Doctor Who fan, it was very odd seeing the seventh Doctor as...well, as Radagast, but let's not get into that right now. ;-)
One last specific thing I will mention is Gollum.
Is it wrong to say that he actually looks kind of...cute in that shot? :P
Gollum is definitely still that shriveled, grey, creepy creature we've all come to know in Lord of the Rings, but here he seems a little different. He's not *quite* as skinny, he doesn't have all the scars from his torture at the hands of Sauron's goons, and his eyes are bluer (and prettier O_O). Possibly the Ring still having a direct influence on him accounts for the slightly younger, healthier look? The amount of thought Peter Jackson and Co. put into these small details is incredible. I'm definitely looking forward to "Riddles in the Dark" most of all, in this first film.
Overall, my official thoughts on this new trailer boil down to me being extremely impressed with everything we've seen and heard thus far.
I am very impressed so far with Richard Armitage's portrayal of Thorin. Thorin is the leader of this company of dwarves, and heir of the King under the Mountain. Armitage is a talented actor, and he has this presence about him that embodies the quality of the "noble leader and warrior" very well. I think I'm going to be quite the Richard Armitage fan once The Hobbit is all said and done.
That being said, we've only made it to the second trailer for the first movie, and I'm already falling in love with Thorin, Fili, and Kili... I suppose that's the point, but...really? Not cool, Peter Jackson. :P
I absolutely cannot wait to see more of Martin Freeman's portrayal of Bilbo. I can already see why he was chosen for the part. Freeman embodies what it means to be a hobbit so well, and he has that wit and charm we all remember Bilbo having in the book. I also love that this new Bilbo seems to have a touch of Ian Holm's portrayal in the LOTR films, but is undoubtedly still very much Martin Freeman's own Bilbo.
If you haven't caught on that I'm extremely excited about these films, I'll say it once more. I love Tolkien's books- I always will, I loved Peter Jackson's film adaptations for LOTR, and I cannot wait to see what he does with The Hobbit. :)
~Katie~
"Home is now behind you. The world is ahead." - Gandalf, from the trailer.
All images copyright New Line Cinema, MGM, WingNut Films, Warner Bros., etc.
Anyone who reads books and watches movies and TV shows will meet hundreds of characters in their lifetime. Some of those characters will be easily forgotten. Others are interesting, but are lost in the crowd. And then there are those who march into your head with their coat hanging on their arm and a suitcase trailing behind them, and they never leave.
I hope to write several character studies during the next few months, in which I will examine the characters who have taken up residence in my head and try to discover what makes them unique and why I love them so much.
One of the newest of my favorite characters--and the one who in some aspects is the least deserving to be on that list in the first place--is Arséne Lupin (Ar-son Lu-pen), Gentleman-Burglar.
Arséne Lupin finds his origin in a series of short stories written by Maurice LeBlanc, a French contemporary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Lupin actually goes up against the great Sherlock Holmes in several of the short stories.
So who is this Arséne Lupin chap, exactly?
He's a nigh-uncatchable thief. A master of disguise. A brilliant strategist. A solver of mysteries. He's witty, clever, just a little bit impudent, and arguably the best pick-pocket ever. (More on that later.) If I had to describe him in one sentence, I'd say that he's a warped combination of the Scarlet Pimpernel and Sherlock Holmes.
And he somehow snuck his way into my collection of favorite characters ever.
I think it's because he's unique, fascinating, and really well-written, Props to you, Mr. LeBlanc.
Yes, he's a thief. I'm neither condoning nor excusing him. What sets him apart, however, is that he's a gentleman-burglar. He only steals items of value--antique furniture, paintings, jewelry, and the like--and only from people who (according to him) aren't properly appreciating the items and can afford the loss.
As his Wikipedia article says, Lupin "is often a force for good, while operating on the wrong side of the law. Those whom Lupin defeats, always with his characteristic Gallic* style and panache**, are worse villains than he."
His thieving career began when he was a young child. The first thing he ever burglared was a famous necklace, and he used the proceeds from selling its jewels to support his working-class widowed mother.
Why did he keep stealing after that? He's far too clever for his own good, and I think he gets a thrill out of it. And he finds it far more interesting than working for a living. :P
But, there is one person who can get him to give things back--a young lady by the name of Miss Nelly Underdown who has secured the affections of Lupin but does not openly return them. There is an occurrence when Lupin is robbing a house that Miss Nelly is staying at. She hears a noise in the middle of the night and goes downstairs to investigate, catching the gentleman-burglar in the act of emptying out a glass cabinet. The larger articles of interest to him have already been removed.
And when Lupin recognizes Miss Nelly, he promises to return everything, and starts with dropping the things that he was in the process of removing. Nelly chooses not to sound the alarm, and Lupin, true to his word, returns everything the next afternoon.
You see? There is some gentleman in the gentleman-burglar. :)
All right, let's look at each of the characteristics of Lupin that I've mentioned in turn, now, shall we?
A nigh-uncatchable thief--Lupin is the French police force's worst nightmare. When he is captured it's only because 1) he allowed himself to be and 2) he wanted a change of scenery. On the upside, he actually helps to apprehend people every once in awhile. A word to the wise: don't tie up, gag, and rob Arséne Lupin. You won't get away with it.
A master of disguise--Lupin actually makes a comment once to his friend (who is basically the Watson to his Holmes) that he can't recognize himself in the mirror anymore, he's worn so many different disguises. *deadpan* Maybe that's why he's so hard to catch.
A brilliant strategist--Lupin can rob a house while he's in jail. In a different part of the country. 'Nuff said.
A solver of mysteries--In "The Seven of Hearts", one of my favorite short stories in The Extraordinary Adventures of Arséne Lupin, he tries his hand at being a detective and succeeds so admirably that he gives Sherlock Holmes a run for his money.
Witty, clever, and impudent--I think my favorite example of Lupin's sense of humor (and also a good example of his impudence) is a note that he leaves at the site of an intended robbery--"Arséne Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar, will return when the furniture is genuine." -The Extraordinary Adventures of Arséne Lupin, pg. 4. I bet the recipient of that note was thrilled.
The best pick-pocket ever--The first time that Lupin meets Holmes, they run into each other on the side of a road in France and engage in a few minutes of polite conversation. They part cordially. Later, on the way to the railway station and home, Holmes receives a package from Lupin. In it is a pocket watch. Holmes's pocket watch.
Arséne Lupin steals Sherlock Holmes's pocket watch--probably out of sheer force of habit--without Holmes even noticing.
Well, done, my dear Lupin, well done.
And there you have it. Arséne Lupin, flaws and all.
Why is he one of my favorite characters? Well, his personality is part of it. I love his humor and wit and audacity. But he's also a refreshing change from the characters that are too perfect. He's realistic, and it's easier to relate to him.
At the same time, you can tell that he just needs enough of a nudge to become something better--to use his incredible talents the right way. And if he was a good guy...he would be fantastic.
~Kellyn~
*"Gallic"--a synonym for "French". I think.
** "Panache"--"A grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair." Definition courtesy of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. This thing is three -and-a-half inches thick. I would not like to drop it on my foot. :P
Hello, there!
...It's really amazing how hard it is to come up with stuff to say for the very first post of a shiny new blog. Once all the excitement of naming and designing it is over, you hit the "new post" button...and then stare at that menacing white bit of screen, trying to think of a way to make yourself sound interesting and clever.
I suppose it's really just a matter of finding the balance of obsessing over our favorite subjects of the day and writing a decent paper. I'm really excited about this blog, because not only does it give us a great opportunity to share with others some of the crazy and fun thoughts that run through our brains, but as aspiring writers, it also helps us cultivate our writing skills as we discuss fun, casual topics.
Well, I suppose we should probably start with telling you a bit about ourselves.
My name is Kellyn, and I'm a Christian homeschooled teenager who is an avid book reader, an aspiring
writer, an anglophile, a casual photographer, a collector of hats and scarves, an enjoyer of music, and a violinist of three years.
Hi! I'm Katie. I also am a Christian homeschooled teenager. Among other things, I am a hopeful writer- who also loves a good book- a bit of a cinephile, as well as an anglophile. I love the arts- acting, photography, and dancing. As of this school year, I have been dancing for 12 years.
I'm also really extremely excited about this blog, and I hope that you'll enjoy reading it as much as we'll enjoy sharing our love for some of the things we're passionate about--books, movies, music, characters (Don't say they're fictional! You'll hurt their feelings! :P), song lyrics, epic quotes, and whatever else we end up talking about.
First of all, I think we ought to acquaint you with the stories we'll be discussing the most. You should expect to see plenty
of posts involving Tolkien's legendarium- both the books and the movies (including the forthcoming
Hobbit trilogy)- Doctor Who, and the Marvel cinematic universe. Those, I have a feeling, will be the subject matter of many of our posts. We will also be picking apart our favorite books, talking about our favorite movie soundtracks and composers, and a few other things besides.
We're still working out our posting schedule, but we'll most likely alternate, unless one of us has something that we absolutely have to report on right away. Which will probably happen. ;-)
The green and blue text colors let you know who is typing. Green: Katie, blue: Kellyn.
I can't really say how often we'll be posting, but we'll try to have something up every other week, at the very least.
Some Upcoming Topics:
Kellyn:
-A character study of Arséne Lupin
-Out of the Silent Planet, by C. S. Lewis
-A review of a stage adaptation of Gaudy Night, a Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey mystery
Katie:
-Speculation on the potential movie spoilers surrounding the trailers for The Hobbit, as well as the images that have been released over the past couple of weeks.
-The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin
-A review of The Avengers
Thank you so much for dropping by! We hope you enjoy The Inklings of Rivendell!
~Kellyn~ ~Katie~
