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.
Yeah.... maybe it'll stink!
I had a Deacon's meeting last night which I didn't get finished with until 11:30pm. I hung around the church for another 1/2 hour and then drove over to Wal-Mart. I arrived at Wal-Mart at 12:15am.
I went and bought some popcorn, I figured I'd be needing it VERY soon. I then wandered over to the electronics area. Just as I got there a couple guys had just delivered two shopping carts filled with these boxes that were labelled "Do not sell until Tuesday, 11/12/02."
One of the boxes was open so I peeked and it was the new Star Wars DVD. I asked the guy at the counter if he would have the extended version of FoTR, but he didn't even know it was coming out today.
He told me he was just covering for the regular clerk who was on break. He said to ask again in about 15 minutes.
I started browsing the software section. A few minutes later the guy went over to one of the boxes and pulled out a box. He walked over to me and asked, "Is this what you were looking for?"
He had in his the extended DVD! As calmly as I could I said "Yeah, that's it." He rang me up and I went home with my Preciousssss.
I got home, popped two bags of popcorn, moved the good living room chair into the middle of the living room, turned the lights out, woke my wife up, and popped in the first DVD. That was at 1:00am.
It was awesome. It was like watching the movie for the first time again. The new scenes were put in almost flawlessly. The only way you could tell a new scene was coming up was because the music changed from what it normally was, and face it, who would notice something like that except us?
I won't go into detail about the new scenes (unless you want me to) but I will say that they add much more humor to the whole film, and they serve to flesh out the characters. I especially liked the fact that the development of Gimli and Legolas' relationship was brought out more.
Gimli was made more alive, Boromir was made more tragic, Aragorn was made to struggle with his destiny more, Merry & Pippin were made more loveable, Sam was made more faithful, and the effect of the Ring upon Frodo was more pronounced.
There was one scene which wasn't transitioned to as smoothly as it could have been, but I won't mention it until everyone has had a chance to view this version. It may be that I need to watch it again because this first time I was watching it with an eye for catching the new things. The next time I can just relax and enjoy the whole thing even more.
Best Buy has the Special Edition (with the bookends) for $49.99!!! I'm going to get it during lunch (if I can). I'm so excited - what a geek I am!
Celebratory breakfast is in order! Let's have it all - flapjacks, french toast, waffles (with regular, maple, strawberry or blueberry syrup), eggs (any way you like), bacon, sausage, country ham, hash browns, home fries, and of course, plenty of mushrooms!! All the dress up stuff is next to the plates over there. Coffee, tea and various juices on hand as well.
ENJOY!
I think right now I ought to be taking a nap. ;^)
I forgot to mention that the sound sounded much better in this version as well. Things seemed more crisp, but I think that is because one of the sound options was just regular surround sound instead of those fancy 5.1 or dts thingamajiggies.
I don't have a home theatre system, so the regular surround sound works best on my tv, otherwise I lose some of the highs and lows.
You're welcome. It was fun to do. I kept telling myself as it got later and later that "I'm doing this for the Hobbit Hole. Just a little while longer...." ;^)
Yippie! I want unnecessary filler! The first movie went so fast!
If they're not shipping it to you until the 22nd, can you cancel that order and buy it close by? I'm getting mine later this morning from Tarzhay, and it is only $24.99.
Maybe I need to be wearing my 3-d glasses to get the full effect.
Aaaaah, much better! ;^)
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