New Zealander builds Hobbit hole

Ananova / The Evening Post ^ | 1/26/02

[John Farson]

New Zealander builds Hobbit hole A New Zealand man has built a Hobbit house. Carl Gifford, a stonemason from Wellington, says he used a 10-tonne digger to make the hole. He's put rocks either side of the front door and plans to install a chimney and lantern on top. He told the Evening Post he was embarrassed as he was constructing the home. He said: "I must admit I was hiding as the cars were driving past. I thought, 'These people think I'm an idiot'." The house is part of a series of stonework mounds, designs and sculptures dotted around his land. "I'm just having a bit of fun. Things that were built by those ancient people like caves have always fascinated me."

[Ditter]

LOL I get that way about movies sometimes, but not this one. Once was enough for me.

[2Jedismom]

I have looked and looked at that "dust" and am convinced it's smoke from a hobbit hole fireplace. I believe I saw Gollum yesterday at the Argonath. He is lying in the lower lid of the the king's eye, you only get a tiny glimpse of him right before the birds fly out.

Yes, I'm a big fan of these books and never found a single thing, no miniature, illustration or anything that compared to my imagination until this movie came out. The first time I saw it, I was completely speechless and couldn't even form the words for days afterward to describe the feeling. It was like the workings of my mind were being projected up onto the screen. Quite an event for me. I've been reading these books for 30 years and when I was in high school, I figured out the elvish language. I've since forgotten it.

[Cyber Liberty]

I expect the wanna-be posting police will be along any minute now....

[2Jedismom]

I would feel bad about it if I ever went to the movies...but I don't! I have not been to a cinema since seeing the Serpent and the Rainbow (incredibly stupid) before the hubby and I got married. We saw LOTR for our 10th anniversary. So, I am seeing this movie over and over to make up for all the times I never went! ;-)

[BibChr]

Nno, that's what I'm saying: I haven't seen it. It was one of the things mentioned on 101 Observations from The Fellowship of the Ring (or 101 things you probably missed). It's a fun article, in case you've missed it. One of the observations is, "[NEW] I was amazed to see that no one noticed Gollum's apearance when the Fellowship is going down the river. When the camera goes by the giant bearded statue, we see Gollum hunched over the eyelid of the statue, looking down at the Fellowship. It's impossible to see unless you're looking for it. – Jesse Collier"

I think I've watched for that the last THREE times, and all I see is a bird's nest. Unless Gollum is trying to steal eggses? (c8

Dan

[carton253]

Thanks for the info...I will look the next time I go.

Love that Gollum!

[carton253]

I understood what you were saying. My question was where was the Arganoth? I thought it was the two kings, but I wasn't sure.

[Rebelbase]

The Australian opal mining district of Cooper Pedy has plenty of "Hobbit Hole" residences.

[Rebelbase]

Re: Thread police.

I never knew how anal some conservative Republicans could be until I read the responses to that thread this past weekend.

[Cyber Liberty]

It didn't surprise me at all, once the source was considered.

[2Jedismom]

At least I believe that's Gollum...it goes really fast. See what you think and report back. :-)

The problem that I've encountered through all these years are nuts. It seems some people read the books and get so swept up in the fantasy that they think they have to live it. I actually knew of a guy twenty years ago that dressed up like an elf and hiked out into our city park and spent the night out there sleeping on the ground! Then a thunderstorm came up and he was just sitting out in the rain getting poured on! (Thunderstorms in S. Texas can be quite violent!)

This guy also tried to get me into playing D and D and I never could get into it. He loved it, but I found it boring and figured it must be some shortcoming on my part. I often wonder what he would think of me, a dull stay at home mom with two little boys. Last I heard, at almost 40 years of age, he was going around with the Society for Creative Anacronism.

[ecurbh]

I really think Gollum is not there (I have looked for it too). Notice that it is full daylight during that shot, and Gollum detests sunlight, and even moonlight for that matter. I doubt he would be in such an exposed place in the daytime.

[2Jedismom]

Wow, that is really neat! There's an old underground room here in Oklahoma somewhere that's HUGE! Used to be used for missiles or something, and the government sold it to some guy. I think it would be neat to have an unusual house like that. I'd like it better than living in one of those gigantic houses in a subdivision where every other house looks just like the others.

[2Jedismom]

You are probably right about Gollum. I had not thought of that. The scene goes very fast and I wasn't sure.

What do you make of the smoke and the corn field? I think it's a hobbit fireplace, not a car.

[HairOfTheDog]

SIX times for me! - The last time was funny because I sat next to this really jumpy woman who would squeal and jump every time something scary happened. When the Wringwraiths stabbed through the "stuffed" beds in Bree she bawled out NOOO!!! and tears were in her eyes... I grinned broadly through the whole movie predicting when she would scream and watching her reactions. It had to be her first time seeing it, and I can't imagine she is familiar with the story, or some of the traumas would not have been so scary. I ordinarily have little patience for audience noise, but she was so "into" it I got a real kick out it.

As for the car - I have seen it. It is on a wide shot at the corn field scene, and is moving quickly. It is right after the chimney smoke. You can only see a dust cloud moving quickly, and not what is causing it. I think it is black riders on the road, because a car would not have been unnoticed or ignored in editing, I think.

I had not heard about gollum at the Argonath... The object in the eye is a bird's nest I think. Gollum would not be out in the sun like that, IMHO.

As for the books, as it turns out, Gandalf is alive! Merry and Pippen are fine, and all of the Fellowship survived a hard battle at Helm's Deep. Saruman's place is a mess and he is fit to be tied. Still no word from Sam and Frodo and I am quite worried.

[Ditter]

Don't feel bad about it, enjoy! I won't tell you how many times I saw "Dirty Dancing", "The Piano" & lately "O Brother Where Art Thou?". "The Piano" even inspired a desire to go to New Zealand & stand on the beach where they filmed the beach scenes, which we did last year & are going back again soon. LOL ENJOY!

[BibChr]

Yes, the Argonath is (are?) those two gigantic figures whom Aragorn indentifies as his ancestors.

Dan

[2Jedismom]

LOL! What time did you go? I went at 1pm. Remember, we were supposed to go see it "together?" I'm going again tonight, around 7pm.

[carton253]

Gollum would not be out in the sun like that, IMHO

That makes sense since he hates both the yellow face and the white face.

[ecurbh]

Check out the Dictionary of Arda for some interesting info on the Argonath.