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.
We've gone through that this year. It's better now, but the first four weeks of daycare, our little one came home with a cold or stomach virus every week. I've held most of them off, the Mrs. (who is also with school kids) is currently battling the sinus/throat thing.
One Flew Over the Conservative's Nest
The Tessaract Files: Episode One
by Ward Smythe
Please be kind...
Careful with the Diana character, Corin... (do you know what my name is?) She isn't going to do anything really horrid in the story is she?
Thanks for the suggestion, Hair...I'll keep it in mind, especially if I start to go stir-crazy here!
I didn't quite finish the first chapter of my story, but (in Word format) here it is anyway. I renamed Tom. And I like him better now that I've had time to get used to him. I was mean to him earlier...guess I should apologize. Poor misunderstood fella!
I read a little of Jen's story - it's a hoot! I need to find time to read more of it. Haven't gotten around to the others, and I'm gone from six thirty tomorrow morning until about eight in the evening, so I don't know how much time I'll find, but I want to read all of these!
Oh...and I got a lead on a job that MIGHT be the perfect one. I can't find out more until Monday, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed...
I never could identify with Bilbo saying "I feel thin..."
Get some sleep. Both of you.
Yes I know about the name. Not to worry, she's just a supporting character. I wasn't real happy with all of my name choices, but I didn't have the extra brain cells available tonite to come up with new names. Shall we rename her? (or can I do that?)
Anyway, I'm going to bed myself. Got to get up early and work on windows, then rehearsals all day tomorrow. Probably see y'all later this weekend.
Keep it secret. Keep it safe.
The Track Listing For The Two Towers Soundtrack!
Strider @ 5:55 pm ESTSoundtrack.net have managed to be the first site to snag the official track listing for Howard Shore's score to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and the line-up looks as, if not more, impressive than last year's Oscar-winning soundtrack.
1. Foundations Of Stone
2. The Taming Of Sméagol
3. The Riders Of Rohan
4. The Passage Of The Marshes
5. The Uruk-hai
6. The King Of The Golden Hall
7. The Black Gate Is Closed
8. Evenstar (featuring Isabel Bayrakdarian)
9. The White Rider
10. Treebeard
11. The Leave Taking
12. Helm's Deep
13. The Forbidden Pool
14. Breath Of Life (featuring Sheila Chandra)
15. The Hornburg
16. Forth Eorlingas (featuring Ben Del Maestro)
17. Isengard Unleashed (featuring Elizabeth Fraser & Ben Del Maestro)
18. Samwise The Brave
19. Gollum's Song (performed by Emiliana Torrini)
20. (Bonus Track): Farewell To Lórien (featuring Hilary Summers)There will be three different editions of the soundtrack released: a standard edition with one of five collectable double-sided trading cards; a limited edition with the extra bonus track, "Farewell to Lórien" from The Fellowship of the Ring: Special Edition DVD; and finally a mysterious third edition with a run of only 5,000 available to buy online.
After studying the list for a while, here's some random thoughts from my TORn desk on this enthralling line-up:
Is the name of the opening track a reference to Emyn Muil, and thus supports the belief that the opening shot is of Frodo and Sam instead of the Three Hunters?
The promotion of the soundtrack should be a marked improvement without Enya, after Reprise's disasterous campaign last year which focused too heavily on their Irish singer.
A greater emphasis has been placed on vocals, the number of featuring artists doubling from 3 on the FotR soundtrack to 6 on the TTT soundtrack.
'Forth Eorlingas' and 'Isengard Unleashed' seem to be the two tracks which will play during the Battle of Helm's Deep.
There does not appear to be a Minas Tirith track of any kind on the soundtrack.
'The Forbidden Pool' suggests the Henneth Annun will definetly make an appearance in the film, most likely with the footage of Gollum hitting a fish of the ground which was being filmed during the Two Towers preview on the FotR DVD.
Will 'Gollum's Theme' be the last track to play into the credits at the end of the film? And what does this name suggest; perhaps we will get a glimpse of Gollum's betrayal of the Hobbits to Shelob in anticipation for the opening of The Return of the King. Or will we see some inner struggle between the guilt-ridden Slinker and the ring-obsessed stinker which will continue in RotK?
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