The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[JenB]

Hullo! What's on for this evening?

[HairOfTheDog]

It is weird if your browser seems to be functioning normal otherwise.

Have you tried just starting over? - Restart and reconnect? - That solves a multitude of problems!

[HairOfTheDog]

They should be jpg's

[HairOfTheDog]

I am leaving in a few minutes for Two Towers! - That's what's on for me!

[DonnerT]

Browser works fine otherwise. Wierd!

[HairOfTheDog]

Huh... Well, I am off. See you in a while! Will be late when I get back home.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Great stills. Smeagol was just amazing.

[osagebowman]

SQ: Congratulations to you as well, glad to know there are a few others out there that remember the ballatine paperback LOTR series at 95 cents a volume.

[osagebowman]

SQ: Congratulations to you as well, glad to know there are a few others out there that remember the ballatine paperback LOTR series at 95 cents a volume.

[SuziQ]

glad to know there are a few others out there that remember the ballatine paperback LOTR series at 95 cents a volume.

What is really funny is that I received the trilogy in paperback in a nice slipcase from my brother and his wife for my 15th birthday. I wasn't interested in it and never read it. Almost 20 yrs. later, when our older two boys were 11 and 8, Sir SuziQ wanted to read it to them, so I brought out my old copies. They only survived a couple of readings before the pages started falling out! I wasn't even interested enough in it then to listen while he read to the boys.

When FoTR was announced, our younger two were interested, so we began reading it to them every night, and got almost through TTT before the first movie came out. I guess I was just in the right mood for it because I just fell in LOVE with the story. Now I've read the entire trilogy through twice, and up to TTT the third time. I'll start RoTK after Christmas.

Funny how that goes; I guess I just wasn't ready 34 yrs. ago to be captivated by Tolkien's world, but it sure has a hold on me now!

[Penny1]

I have seen some hotels that have a lounge with a bigscreen TV, etc. It seems possible that we could arrange the use of something like that if we stay in a place that has a set up like that.

Oh! I just thought of something....

Does anyone here have a projector? A couple of years ago I traveled with a group of people, and we wound up watching SW Ep 1 projected on the wall from someone's laptop DVD drive. It was way cool! The only problem we ran into was the sound because we didn't have the necessary audio cables. It would have been easily fixed, with a set of patch cables. If no one actually owns a projector, I bet there's a way to rent one, then all you need is a blank wall and a way to hook up to external speakers, which probably could be done through the hotel's televsion set.

What do you guys think?

[Penny1]

I like the speech, only wrinkle my nose because it feels like exposition of the whole movie, when it could have been a more personal moment with Frodo.

I think perhaps that is one of the things that bothered me about the movie--it seemed like there was less personal interaction depicted onscreen. Moments like Sam's speech were not allowed to be personal exchanges because of the accompanying camera work. There wasn't that quietness that we got in the first film. For example, I think of Aragorn's explaining to the hobbits about the Nazgul in the first film. Eventually, we cut away to shots of the Nazgul, but for the bulk of the exchange we just have Aragorn and the hobbits interacting. I suppose it's that tricky business of balancing character interaction and acting with the need for flashy visuals and onscreen activity.

I get to go see it for viewing #2 tomorrow with Irishtenor and Mrs. Irishtenor...I can't wait to see how my reaction to it will change now that I know what to expect...

I wonder if it's possible that PJ reacted to the criticisms that FOTR wasn't action-packed enough and tried to make sure TTT didn't get the same complaints. Unfortunately, it's working, because the critics are all saying it's way better than FOTR. Great, that means by the time we get to ROTK we'll be lucky to see the actors together in the same shot at all.

::: sigh :::

Ah well.....

[Penny1]

I had almost the exact same experience! I think I was about the same age when I got The Hobbit and LOTR, and although I read them, I had to force myself to keep slogging through because I found it to be so slow. All the details drove me crazy, and I think I only read them through twice. I think the first time I probably took months and months, because I'd keep giving up and stop reading, then I'd pick it up again.

But now, I just devour it over and over again. And I sure didn't "get" much of the depth of it when I was a teenager that I just love to delve into now.

Isn't it fun to rediscover it later when you can really appreciate the value of it?

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I just got back from seeing it again (3) I liked it even more, and the time flew by. I even liked Sam' speech. View number three was my very favorite of FoTR too!

[Penny1]

Well, I have tentative hopes for tomorrow...

I have this sinking feeling, however, that I'm not truly going to be able to enjoy it until I can pause the movie for those "moments" that fly by so fast...

Meanwhile, I've been perusing some other fan sites, and there are a lot of furious Tolkien fans out there. I remember seeing that in the early days after FOTR was released and it gives me hope that once I see TTT a couple more times I'll love it.

[Penny1]

You are quickly getting ahead of me in # of viewings! :o

[HairOfTheDog]

Heh. Well, it is easier to talk about what we didn't like than it is what we like.

I respect reviewers that can remember the GOOD things about a movie when they write about it!

"You look terrible" HA!

"Would you like me to describe it for you Gimli? Or shall I find you a box?" HA!

[HairOfTheDog]

Good night Penny! - I am fading fast!

[LinnieBeth]

I'd really like starting the thread again. We had some really good posters but it just petered out.

Check and see what Scott on the Left Coast and Sam Cree and I can't remember now, but see if they weigh in.

[JameRetief]

Starting next week, I will be posting the Tolkien Virgin articles which will provide a structured reading cycle starting with The Silmarillion and working through The Hobbit and LOTR. My next posting of the Daily Tolkien will let everyone know the particulars.