The New Hobbit Hole

[HairOfTheDog]

Sounds very good! Have DVDs, will travel!

[JameRetief]

One more report from TORN:

This one almost slipped through our fingers. Today, December 16th, is Miranda Otto's birthday! Miranda was born on December 16th 1967 in Brisbane, Australia. That makes her 35 today, happy birthday Miranda!

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't know what that means. No reason I can think of that RoTK wouldn't be released on time.

[Sam Cree]

I am going fishing, with an old friend, down in Key Largo, either on the reef for yellowtail, or in the back country for spanish mackeral and mangrove snapper.

I will look for our new Hole when I get online.

Have to go see daughter now who just got in.

Good night, Hair, All.

[Ramius]

Maybe a little more time in post-production... going for the gold... Best Picture Oscar. If it happens for LOTR (any of them) it'll be a watershed moment for all fastasy/scifi genre movies. Blows the doors open. Oscar movies won't have to just be chick-flicks anymore. :-)

[JameRetief]

I think it was a slip in that ROTK might be longer than 3 hours. Could be that Jackson has been trying to get New Line to give him a bit of extra time for the last installment. GO Jackson!

[HairOfTheDog]

LoTR is a chick flick!

[John Farson]

They are little flat packages, something like teabags, that you put in your shoes, under your socks. Then, when you wiggle your toes, they produce heat for a couple hours. You have to wiggle every so often, though, to keep them going. But they are great, my toes getting cold has always been a problem for me, even with 2 pairs of winter socks and thinsulate boots. The toe warmers make them OK.

I used to work in a cold storage warehouse. When it is -20°, those heat packs keep your toes warm -- and make you painfully aware how cold the rest of your feet are.

[Ramius]

LoTR is a chick flick!

EERRR... Pencils down. Test over.

[HairOfTheDog]

could be.... who knows! - Lets ask Deb perhaps!

Deb, what is our Elijah talking about here, do you know?

TORN also linked to this report:

© 2001 Sue Schneider
Elijah Wood at THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING L.A. premiere event.

CINESCAPE Scoop
Longer wait for RETURN OF THE KING?

Wood lets slip interesting tidbit

---

Dateline: Monday, December 16, 2002

By: MIKE WHYBARK

By: News Editor

Source: CINESCAPE reporting

While recently discussing this week's highly anticipated opening of THE TWO TOWERS, Elijah Wood made a comment that can rightly be considered interesting. The comments were in response to a journalist's remark about the difficulty in waiting another year for the final film of the trilogy.

Wood said, sympathetically, "I know, and it might be longer too."

The film or the wait, Elijah?

The young actor backtracked, responding disingenuously, "What? I didn't say anything."

[HairOfTheDog]

Did I pass or fail the test?

[JenB]

Hi. Back from 11 hours at work and four hours shopping. I now have presents for all my family members, which is good. My sisters and I went to Goodwill and bought $30 worth of hideous clothing for my brothers to play dress-up in. And then we got Dad some dvds and Mom a blanket and candle... ugh, I'm tired.

[HairOfTheDog]

I should start Christmas shopping!

[JameRetief]

This in from Ringbearer.org:

'Finding Hobbiton'

"I didn't expect to find any authentic evidence of Middle Earth still remaining in New Zealand. So, when I stumbled upon www.hobbitontours.com, I
just couldn't pass up the opportunity to jump aboard the Hobbiton express and see a piece of filming history. As I stood at the Matamata
Information Centre with bright orange ticket in hand, I couldn't hold back the geeky smile.

Photo 1

I was fortunate enough to be in a small group of other tourists led by Russell Stevenson, part owner of the property that was once just an ordinary sheep farm. He reminded us that it is still a working property, complete with authentic gates which visitors are encouraged to help open. And then close, after the bus had passed through! While the beautiful hills are still full of white woolly bodies, all those on board were keen to get a small glimpse of The Shire..."


Our tour passed the backstage areas of the property where a mini-city was constructed during filming. Animal wranglers, expert gardeners (should have just asked the Gamgee) power generators, toilets, lighting, plumbing, kitchens and costume/makeup vans had to be organised within the property. Apparently, at the height of activity over 400 people were fed three hobbit-sized meals a day. In all, a logistics nightmare. After seeing the backstage, Russell then drove us into The Shire.

The sign said: 'Welcome to Hobbiton' - it should have read check your brains at the gate and prepare to see some really cool stuff.

I walked along the path that leads to Bagshot Row.

Photo 2


According to Russell, we haven't seen the end of the Shire in the films. (Shhh! you didn't hear that from me. Big Yay! for the Shire. Can't wait to see more though!)

Photo 3

Photo 4

And saw across the lake toward the Pub and the Mill. All of these structures were created from scaffolding pipes and polystyrene cladding.
The Bridge, despite being made of pipes, plywood and polystyrene, had enough strength to withhold a 4-wheel drive!

Photo 5

From the top of the hill, we can look over the party field and see the Party Tree, which still has remnants of ribbons and decorations within its
branches. It was from this very spot, where Sir Ian McKellen and Ian Holm sat smoking pipe weed and contemplating Bilbo's Eleventy-First
birthday bash.

And then, we found it. Bag End. THE Bag End. It's right on the top of the hill, overlooking the Party Field, right where it should be.
Theres still a little bit of evidence of the wonderful garden Samwise would have maintained, with a small cobblestone stairway still set into the beautiful green grass.

Photo 6

And, of course, the window that poor old Sam would have been pulled through ...

Photo 7

You may have spotted the obvious lack of the big tree, which is featured on the top of Bag End. This tree had actually been transported from a neighbouring property (all 28 tonnes of it), then stripped and manicured to look exactly the way it does in the film.

Photo 8

Many small hobbit holes dotted the greenery, with a score more having been taken down after filming. Still, there was enough holes here to house a small army of hobbits.

Photo 9

Without retelling all of the tales and anecdotes, its hard to convey just how wonderful this tour was. Although The Shire has been left to regenerate into its natural state, the experience was really wonderful. The tour guide was more than willing to answer any questions and was always ready to recount some small snippet of information about the magical filming process.
Asked if there were plans on recreating an actual Hobbit Hole, Russell explained that it would be so difficult to do justice to the magic that
Peter Jackson created over 6 months of preparation before filming began.
Due to its remote location, maintaining a hobbit-garden would be extremely difficult despite the hundreds of sheep that would simply LOVE to make a
hobbit-sized meal of any pretty plants. Without hiring a fleet of gardeners, a recreation simply wouldn't hold up to the high standards that was created for the film. Visitors would likely be disappointed with any attempts, so the set was kept as it was left by the film crew when they
stopped filming back in February, 2000.

I tend to agree with him. The experience was more about learning how the film was constructed, rather than seeing the actual sets. We saw how the image was built, and how the small town of The Shire was created and to the lengths that Peter Jackson's team went to make everything as authentic as possible. (The thatching on the Golden Dragon Pub is real thatching, made from reeds from the Hobbiton Lake!)

I'm really glad I took the opportunity to visit the set, as it gave a unique look into the almost fanatical way the films were brought to life.
If I ever need another reason to praise the work of all those who worked on this film odyssey, this would be it. Long live Middle Earth!

May all your days be filled with Hobbit cheer.

Jac.

Photo 10
THE END

[JameRetief]

Sneak!

[JameRetief]

Sneak!

[JameRetief]

Sneak!

[JameRetief]

Sneak!

[JameRetief]

Sneak!

[JameRetief]

Snuck!