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.
Does anyone know if that little snippet of Sam's poetry is from the book? It sounded familir to me, but I have no idea if it's in there or not.
Yay! We get some poetry....finally!
excerpt:
[Regarding LoTR:]....New Zealand's center-left government stepped in by lending its small armed forces to work as extras, while a cabinet minister was given the additional portfolio of minister of Lord of the Rings to help boost the country's profile. It also underwrote Friday's party at the plush Beverly Hills Hotel.DIRECTOR PERFORMS IN CIRCUS
Peter Jackson, the Oscar-nominated director, producer and screenwriter of "The Lord of the Rings," attended the event, as did several of his actors, including Sean Bean, Orlando Bloom and McKellen. Also on hand were Andrew Adamson, the New Zealand-born co-director of the hit animated film "Shrek," and Australian singer Kate Ceberano.
With Hollywood in fever-pitch preparation for its biggest night of the year on Sunday, the low-key Jackson told reporters he was somewhat dismayed by all the buzz.
"It's a bit of a circus, let's face it, and we're all the performers in the circus," he said. "So you just have to go along and enjoy the ride, I guess. I am trying to look on it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I may never be here again. And so I'll just soak it all in and take from it what I can."
He downplayed his Oscar chances, forecasting he would lose the adapted screenplay and director races. The film's best hope, among the major categories, is best picture, he said.
Richard Taylor, a triple-nominee for visual effects, makeup and costume design, told Reuters he also had mixed emotions.
"People keep saying, 'Are you excited?' It's not at all that we're cocky about it, we just don't understand the hype of what this is about. It makes it very, very unusual being here. It's very special, though. We do appreciate that we've been recognized at this level."
And Bloom can actually hit a target with that bow!
Loved seeing some of the scenery too...
Houghton Mifflin LOTR Day Video Clips
Looks like it's one special about the movie production split into several short media files. FYI, they take a long time to download, even with a DSL line, I am saving all of them to my hard drive.
Shouldn't we post notices on the threads which will not be active redirecting people to where we will be, or should we just have everybody do their own thing without even advising them where us activist hobbits are? (I used to be an activist organizer type, some habits [or is that hobbits] never die!)
I will begin hanging out in the chat room when the E! pre-red carpet show starts (9:00 Pacific), and announce anything I hear or see here too. ABC and E! are both showing red carpet shows prior to it airing (ABC 5:30 pacific), so we should split between the two so we know when our boys are on either!
I don't know what other sites to monitor... any ideas?
The Ring Ping King will undoubtedly let everyone know.
Now, what to fix for breakfast!
I haven't have any breakfast yet. Ponies eat first and they are still waiting for me to have more coffee!
Well we could have a FR browser window open to search on 'Rings' in a post title and if a new post appears go to that thread and suggest that folks might want to go where most discussion is going on (most likely here or the Guild threads, a little late to ask them to join the Yahoo site before the ceremony of course [I guess we would prefer to get used to them here before we invite them there, of course]).
Should we flag ecurbh here to share our thoughts (he isn't taking the day off, is he??!!).
I'll be checking in often during the day, but I, my wings (developed quite a fondness for hot wings!), and my pints are watching the race.
For what it is worth. Not much, of course, we can't sue him.
My horses are acting very strange today. Something is in the air.
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