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.
I remember reading either in one of the books, or in the Silmarillion that some of the Elves didn't think immortality was all that it was cracked up to be. They began to get tired of life after a while. Some actually envied man the 'gift' of death that was granted them by Illuvatar.
I was thrilled that both Matthew and I got so much enjoyment out of LOTR. It was worth every penny I paid to see his eyes light up when Gandalf shot off those fireworks for the children. I already have told him that Star Wars is not of the same caliber and we won't be seeing it numerous times in the theater. He'll have to wait for Grandma to get him the DVD!
Oh, and I'll fork out money for a hobbit costume, but nothing from Star Wars! LOL
Yeah, dang. Too bad there's no one with theological training in the FR LOTR group you can ask. Blast.
Dan
We're going at 1:40 today. I'm a slave driver with the kids right now to get some 'school' done before we go. They'll have to finish their work when we get back home. Bummer, I know, but it's their own fault, they dilly-dallyed after getting up, so homeschool didn't start until 10:00!
Matthew's in such a state he wouldn't be able to do the work anyway. He's watching Episode I just to have something to focus his attention!
That's the way I feel aboutit. If I had to live thousands of years (in a world that didn't change much on top of it) I'd be bored out of my mind.
"Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory."
Things I liked - decent pacing to the movie, I never got too bored. Several key points to the overall story get addressed, which was cool - since Episode 3 is the only remaining movie it becomes more clear how we get from Episode 2 to 4. It's just plain fun getting back into the Star Wars story after not thinking about it for awhile.
Things I did not like - I'd thought Jar-Jar would only be in it briefly; he was in it for ~8-10 minutes, which was 8-10 minutes too long for me... The writing still was not as good as Star Wars or Empire Strikes Back, or perhaps I'm older and more critical, perhaps both. I'm being a bit picky here - I did not like the cgi Yoda. He was so engrained in my mind as a puppet/however they did it before, and now they try to do a lot more facial expressions and physical movements that he's never done. Just did not feel like the same guy to me, and that was a bit disturbing.
Don't rush out to see this one, but do see it in a theatre sometime. My .02.
Regards.
The reviews are mixed there. They are arguing about "mistakes"... but the die-hards love it.
Not yet. Look for Darth Sidious or Race Bannon or one of them guys to do it.
We like the Fandango guy too. I'm known to say, out of the blue, for no particular reason, "Fan DAN go." And Matt and I, also out of the blue, are likely to say, "Look out! Rowr!"
Dan
Yeah, we essentially homeschool year round (I'm just not telling the kids that's what we're going to do!!) Hey, they don't do anything special in the summer anyway, they may as well have a little schooling going on. Sir SuziQ is going to have to get cracking on their Science; he has been VERY remiss!!
I am waiting to hear the Freeper reviews too--I am sure the most dedicated SW fans will love it, but I am very skeptical. ;) I have become very spoiled--FOTR was such high quality on all levels it's going to be hard for me to put up with less-than-thrilling acting and dialogue that accompanies the expected thrilling special effects.
There is a competiton of sorts between LoTR and AoTC... But I never pick on an underdog!
You are more generous than I! I can't seem to stop poking rabid SW fans with a stick...I'm awful! I never used to be this way! :o
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