Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
This is a continuation of the infamous thread New Zealander Builds Hobbit Hole originally posted on January 26, 2001 by John Farson, who at the time undoubtedly thought he had found a rather obscure article that would elicit a few replies and die out. Without knowing it, he became the founder of the Hobbit Hole. For reasons incomprehensible to some, the thread grew to over 4100 replies. It became the place for hobbits and friends of hobbits to chit chat and share LoTR news and views, hang out, and talk amongst ourselves in the comfort of familiar surroundings.
In keeping with the new posting guidelines, the thread idea is continuing here, as will the Green Dragon Inn, our more structured spin-off thread, as soon as we figure out how to move all the good discussion that has been had there. As for the Hobbit Hole, we will just start fresh, bringing only a few mathoms such as the picture above with us to make it feel like home, and perhaps a walk down memory lane:
Our discussion has been light:
It very well may be that a thread named "New Zealander builds Hobbit hole" will end up being the longest Tolkien thread of them all, with some of the best heartfelt content... Sorry John, but I would have rather it had been one with a more distinguished title!… post 252 - HairOfTheDog
However, I can still celebrate, with quiet dignity, the fact that what started as a laugh about some wacko in New Zealand has mutated and grown into a multifaceted discussion of the art, literature, and philosophy that is Tolkien. And now that I've managed to write the most pompous sentence of my entire life, I agree, Rosie… post 506 - JenB
Hah! I was number 1000!! (Elvish victory dance... wait, no; that would be too flitty) … post 1001 - BibChr
Real men don't have to be afraid of being flitty! Go for it. – post 1011 – HairOfTheDog
Seventeen years to research one mystical object seems a bit excessive… post 1007 - JenB
Okay...who's the wise guy who didn't renew Gandalf's research grant?… post 1024 – Overtaxed
To the very philosophical:
…Judas Iscariot obviously was a good man, or he wouldn't have been chosen to be one of the Apostles. He loved Jesus, like all of the Apostles, but he betrayed him. Yet without his betrayal, the Passion and Crucifixion would never have occurred, and mankind would not have been redeemed. So without his self-destruction infinite good would not have been accomplished. I certainly do not mean this to be irreverant but it seems to me that this describes the character of Gollum, in the scenes so movingly portrayed above… Lucius Cornelius Sulla
To fun but heartfelt debates about the integrity and worth of some of the characters…
…Anyone else notice how Boromir treats the hobbits? He's very fond of them but he seems to think of them as children - ruffling Frodo's hair, calls them all 'little ones'. He likes them, but I don't think he really respects them… post 1536 - JenB
Yes... Tolkien told us not to trust Boromir right off the bat when he began to laugh at Bilbo, until he realized that the Council obviously held this hobbit in high esteem. What a pompous dolt… post 1538 - HairOfTheDog
…I think almost every fault of his can be traced directly back to his blindness to anything spiritual or unseen. He considers the halflings as children, because that is what they look like. He considers the only hope of the ring to be in taking it and using it for a victory in the physical realm. He cannot see what the hobbits are truly made of, he cannot see the unseen hope of what the destruction of the ring might mean--the destruction of Sauron himself, and he cannot see the unseen danger that lies in the use of the ring itself… I just feel sorry for Boromir--he is like a blind but honorable man, trying to take the right path on the road but missing the right path entirely because he simply cannot see it… post 1548 - Penny1
Boromir isn't a jerk, he's a jock… post 2401 – Overtaxed
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Oh, I think by the time Frodo reaches the Cracks, he's not even himself anymore! I think he's not only on the brink of a dangerous place physically, he's on the brink of losing himself completely during the exchange with Gollum. But for some reason, the take-over isn't complete till he actually has to throw the Ring in. The person speaking to Gollum is not Frodo, but the "Wheel of Fire" that Sam sees. After the Ring is destroyed, Frodo not only comes back to himself, but comes back with the unbearable (to him) knowledge of what it's like to be completely without compassion. I think that's why it's so important to him to be compassionate in the Shire… post 2506 - 2Jedismom
…Regarding Frodo's compassion... it's a little too much at the end. Even Merry tells him that he's going to have to quit being so darn nice. But you're right. He's learned a lesson about evil that very few ever learn since it wasn't an external lesson but an internal one. (Those kinds of lessons have the greatest impact) Not only did he totally succumb to it, but he was rather ruthless to my little Smeagol… post 2516 - carton253
Well that Frodo was a big mean bully! (to Smeagol)… post 2519 – Overtaxed
So as you can see, everything JRR Tolkien (and Peter Jackson) is welcome here in our New Row, our soon-to-be familiar New Hobbit Hole…; philosophy, opinion, good talk and frequent silliness.
It's not working, is it?
For the record, Corin is neither snooty nor an elf.
But also for the record, you didn't "upset" me either. I just thought (think) your list was a little over the top. Except for those cheapo Star Wars type "novels" that are written from the script, not many books made into movies or movies made into books bear a lot of resemblence to the original.
FOTR wasn't perfect. But it came very close and I thought it was pretty faithful to the spirit of, if not the letter of the original book.
I didn't want to see it just because I wanted to "re-read" the entire story. I wanted to see the story come to life. And I think it did.
That's not all that fair to us WFTR.... We all said we can agree on the points, we just came to a different conclusion!
It was just overwhelming to try to talk about thirty gripes at once. This morning we have talked about some of your points again amongst ourselves, like the Arwen situation, without anyone getting upset.
Perhaps it is that I don't know you well enough to not feel threatened by your criticism of it. We criticize the movie alot here, believe me in that. It is not a sacred cow.
Ever seen how people can bad-mouth their own family member harshly, but if someone from the outside says the same thing they are tromped? Same thing.
No harm no foul.
Shameless. Absolutely shameless.
Darn kid woke up from his nap I and I got distracted. But we're going to the pool shortly...
This is a picture of the Kia certificate (and Matthew holding his Aragorn that he got for his birthday. As usual, Joshua just sits by and observes.)
You can't really tell it's three-dimensional...but it is.
I'm too old to cut the mustard anymore...
Did they check you for gall stones? That happened to my Dad 3 times over the years... went to the emergency with terrible chest pains, they checked him out and couldn't find anything, decided it was acid reflux (which he did suffer from.) Finally he mentioned the episodes to his oncologist, who suggested doing an ultrasound for gall stones... sure enough, that was the problem all along.
That's how they found mine too, but it was on my first trip to the emergency room. A gall bladder attack can have all the physical symptoms of a heart attack... the emergency room staff were somewhat confused when I had a normal EKG and blood electrolytes. Being thorough, they rolled in an ultrasound, checked my gall bladder, and bingo! They admitted me that night and removed it the next day.
No they didn't. They wanted me to come back in for more tests, but my doctor thought it probably wasn't necessary. If it happens again, I'll have 'em checked...
'scuse me while I go breathe into a brown paper bag...
Did the cardiologist recommend any special diet?
Ooo, do you get rain with those? I've heard of rain...
Well, I'm back and avoiding working again. Was going to take the little one to the pool, but I forgot the swim team banquet is tonite. Pool is closed.
And, I just bathed the fish, only to find that "Strider" is no more. Didn't notice him because he sank to the bottom instead of floating to the top. He was kinda scrawny anyway. Gandalf (the white) and Legolas (the gold) have grown since they replaced the hobbit-fish a few weeks ago. But strider (black and grey) didn't grow...
Funny thing is I wasn't scared at all, just in a lot of pain.
(17982)Prognosis is good if I can do the "Patooie" diet. You know the one,, if it tastes good spit it out!
The "ranger caught off his guard" line is the worst offender, IMHO, but even that doesn't bother me too much; sort of like finding an insignificant blemish on a beautiful work of art.
Comments by Jackson show that not only is he a fan of LOTR, but that his knowledge of it and of Tolkien is substantial. Apparently everyone involved gave their all to the project, it seems to have been a 110% effort in every way. I guess these things are what show through in the spectacular result. The book is often said to read more like history than fiction, my feeling is that the movie succeeds completely in this also, and for many of the same reasons.
I may want to freepmail you for some tips on putting up a webpage, if it's OK.
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