The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) just announced its nominations for the best films of 2012, and “The Hobbit,” snagged 3 separate nominations. One each for Sound, Special Visual Effects and Hair & Makeup. “Lincoln” received the most nominations with 10, even though Director Steven Spielberg was not one of the directorial nominees. Following close behind were “Argo,” “Les Miserables,” “Life of Pi” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” all with multiple nominations and among the Best Film category, along with “Lincoln.”
In the Sound category, “The Hobbit” is nominated with “Django Unchained,” “Les Miserables,” “Life of Pi” and “Skyfall.” In my opinion if the voters were able to see and hear a Dolby Atmos screening, this would be in the bag, but that is still a fresh and technology with limited availability. In the Special Visual Effects category, “The Hobbit,” is nominated with “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Life of Pi,” “Prometheus” and “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble.” In the Hair and Makeup category, all the nominees except “The Hobbit” are period pieces, while “The Hobbit,” definitely has some fantastical creations. Not sure which is the advantage here. The other nominees are “Anna Karenina,” “Hitchcock,” “Les Miserables” and “Lincoln.”
One notable nominee in the Documentary category is “West of Memphis,” produced by Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson. Jackson appears in the film that looks at the arrest, conviction and release of three then teens for a murder in West Memphis, Arkansas. Many felt it was a wrong conviction. The British Academy Film Awards will take place on February 10 at London’s Royal Opera House. For a full list of the nominations, please check the BAFTA website
The Huffington Post recently posted a story about why many critics currently savaging The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will regret it in the long run. It has more to do with the fuller history of Middle-earth, of which most critics are completely unaware, and less to do with them reviewing the first part of a trilogy that has yet to play out. This article gives a run down of the pertinent bits of Middle-earth history before The Hobbit, and the time between the two stories, to more fully connect them and give a proper perspective to character motivation.
Please note that there are some SPOILERS in this article for those who have not yet read the book.
Many fans traveled to New Zealand from around the world in the days and weeks leading up to the Premiere, just to be there on that fateful day. One such person is Dr. Lynnette Porter, author of a new book “The Hobbit: The many lives of Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin” (review forthcoming) and previously a speaker at one of TORn’s Lord of the Rings related conventions. She has just posted an in-depth article on why so many Tolkien fans flock to New Zealand and just what made Premiere week so special. You can check out her article at Popmatters to read about ‘What happens when Humans go a-Hobbiting’.
And for those wondering, it is likely that TheOneRing.net will mount another tour of New Zealand, but whether that is in conjunction with a Premiere or not is still to be determined. Wellington would first need to secure one of the two remaining film’s World Premiere to justify the level of activities they hosted this time around. But then, the locations are always there, and if not a tour, a Cruise to Middle-earth is a very relaxing way to see such a delightful and beautiful country. Keep an eye out, we will post something if the omens look favorable.
It is widely known that the novel called The Hobbit is supposed to be the journal, or autobiography of Bilbo Baggins, and his recollections of his adventures with Gandalf and the Company of Dwarves. In the beginning of both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Bilbo is seen writing his story. That book is then passed along to Frodo to include his grand adventure, The Lord of the Rings, and then finally given to Sam to finish. But where does this love of storytelling come from?
Again, in the FOTR in the chapter called “Concerning Hobbits” not only does Bilbo describe every little detail of just what is a Hobbit, but he mentions their love of genealogy, biographies, nature studies and maps. And while it is made clear Hobbits do not like going on Adventures, they are not opposed to listening to stories of adventure. Later on in FOTR, in Rivendell, there is a Hall of Fire, where songs are sung and stories told and thus, it becomes clear that Elves love storytelling as well. And finally, in The Hobbit during the Unexpected Party, the Dwarves sing their own songs tell some tales of their own history. It is clear that while Professor Tolkien is telling us a tale, to make each culture richer and seem more real, he is giving them individualized stories of their own within his greater story.
Hobbit fans from across the US and around the World are now happily planning for a weekend of fun in Hollywood in late February. So here is your helpful guide to what is going on and how to best take advantage of the activities. On Friday, February 22 TheOnering.net will be hosting An Unexpected Art Show, featuring artwork inspired by Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other realms created by J.R.R. Tolkien to take place in Downtown Los Angeles. On Sunday, February 24 TheOneRing.net will be hosting The One Expected Party in Hollywood. Please see their respective web pages for details.
Before you ask about Saturday, we’ve decided to leave that to the Fans to determine for themselves. Suggestions would be a Studio tour, a visit to the Griffith Observatory with it’s commanding views of Hollywood and Downtown LA, or a trip to the Getty Center in the Santa Monica hills, both a wonderful museum and one of the best views of the Pacific Coastline. And if you are from a cold clime, you might consider a visit to the Santa Monica pier and then a stop at one of a dozen Pubs in the area. But if you prefer to keep the weekend focused on movies and the Academy Awards, you might consider one of the many symposiums that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosts on the Saturday before the Oscars. Please check their website in early February, but typically they host the Foreign Language nominations at the Beverly Hills home for Oscar, while the American Cinematheque hosts two symposiums, usually either Editors or Cinematographers and then Art Directors. These symposiums are always free and very educational, offering you a view into movie making you just can’t get anywhere else. No matter what you decide to do on Saturday, there should be no shortage of other Tolkien fans willing to ‘Moot’ with you.
Here is a little checklist to help you plan your weekend:
1) Buy your tickets for The One Expected Party now. You could wait until the nominations are announced on January 10, but you risk tickets selling out. The party is scheduled to go on as planned, with or without nominations, this is a celebration of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” regardless of Hollywood’s attention.
2) Buy your tickets to An Unexpected Art Show now. For those traveling from afar, this is a great way to extend your vacation a little and see more of your Ringer friends. And for those not attending the Party on Sunday, this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the joy of artists expressing the creativity inspired by Tolkien, and to hang with your Ringer friends from far and wide.
3) Make your travel arrangements, be it ‘trains, planes or automobiles’, figure out your travel dates and get yourself to Hollywood in time to celebrate with everyone. This includes making sure you have your hotel settled now, because they will sell out. Oscar time in Hollywood is very popular with foreign tourists, every hotel expects to be sold out. So check our Hotel and Lodging page on the hotels we’ve set up blocks with. Some have links to make booking super easy and instantaneous while others require you to call in, just make sure to use the Hobbit Oscar Party name for the group and you should be fine. If there are problems with booking into the group, contact us and we’ll get you sorted. Some of these rates are phenomenal for that time of year, and are selling quickly, so don’t delay. We do have to return unsold space in just a few weeks time.
4) Plan your attire. Most of you will find your own dresses, tuxedos or costumes, but if you find you need a little assistance, visit our Costumes and Attire page for assistance.
5) If you are coming on your own, or have never been to a TORn sponsored event or convention and don’t know many fans, fear not. You can find fans on our TORn Facebook page and here in our message boards. Those attending the Art Show and Oscar party should be able to find threads on the TORn Moots and other events, just look for the appropriate threads for each event. This will help you figure out how to fill up your Saturday and make sure you have the best possible Hobbity Weekend you could imagine.
An insightful article appeared yesterday on “Heirs of Durin” about the appeal of Thorin, Fili and Kili beyond the physical response to the actors. It was originally written in German and then translated into English, but still makes for a good read. There are some minor spoilers at the end of the article regarding the end of the book and likely the end of the final film as well, so caution to those who have not yet read the book. So click on the link to read about Thorin Oakenshield and “the Sons of my Father’s Daughter, Fili and Kili of the Race of Durin”.
TheOneRing.net staffer Garfeimao and long-time TORn friend Nancy Steinman were able to secure tickets to the World Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Here are Garfeimao’s largely spoiler-free thoughts on what she saw.(more…)
Warner Brothers has kicked off their Awards Season website for many of their films, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey among them. The page links to the Official Website and trailer, gives a brief synopsis of the story, and then lists all the names of the people who worked in eligible categories, from the Writers to the Sound Effects people, and a few of the actors. And just as a tease, there is a list of screenings, but those screenings are for Academy voters and members of the various Guilds (Screen Actors, Writers, Directors, etc) only. A full list of eligible names and categories below. Hopefully this means we will have a lot to celebrate at our own Oscar Party! [Website]
It appears that at least for the next few weeks, all advance purchases of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie tickets on Fandango will earn purchasers a free song download. The song will be Howard Shore’s “The Adventure Begins” and once you make your purchase, they will be sending you an electronic coupon to download the song. Every transaction will trigger this free download, until November 30. So buy early, and collect your song. And make sure you jump on our Message boards (TORn Moots) to talk about what theater you will be going to and what format you will be seeing, and most importantly, will you be in costume. Scan our Line Party pages, find one to join, or create one of your own.
It is November 7 and in a few short hours, tickets will be on sale for most of the theaters in the US and Canada that will be showing The Hobbit. This will include many of the Regal and AMC theaters we’ve recently reported on that will screen the film in 48fps. The Trilogy screenings the weekend before The Hobbit opens are also on sale today. Before you go and buy tickets to see The Hobbit, take a look at our Line Party page and see if there is one near you. And if there is no existing Line Party near you, feel free to start one at whichever theater you buy your tickets at. Right now, there are some 40+ Line Parties, including a party in Bulgaria, Curucao, Mexico, Helsinki and Auckland, as well as across the US. Hey Canada and Australia, whats up with NO Line Parties? TORn staffers are leading parties in Boston, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Hollywood, Allentown, Irvine and other locations, but anyone can host a Line Party. So click on the Community button, select the Line Party option and get to planning your own little shindig. All you really need to know is the actual address of the theater to get it pinned onto the Line Party map. [Line Parties]
Warner Bros. just uploaded this lovely little 30 second TV spot for The Hobbit, and it starts just as it should. Click the story title to get to the video.
Martin Bayton, creator of Jane and the Dragon, is spearheadng an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Sandcastle building on Sunday, November 25 starting at 8am. This is not just a passing social event, funds are being raised for the Neonatal Trust of New Zealand. Wellingtonians, Kiwis, and everyone else visiting the city that weekend are invited to participate, and to encourage that, there are some benefits. WETA and Air New Zealand have come on board to offer some support and sponsorship, including a Pair of Tickets from any Air New Zealand gateway city to Wellington for the week in order to help build a Sandcastle and see all the Premiere activities. For New Zealanders, you simply need to join Adventure Wellington and then RSVP, everyone else would want to donate a minimum of $10NZD, which includes a ticket to the event and en entry to win the trip. You can find all the details at WETA supports world Record Attempt WETA is even making custom molds to help make sure the Sandcastles are built up to the required specs to meet the Guinness requirements.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) just announced its nominations for the best films of 2012, and “The Hobbit,” snagged 3 separate nominations. One each for Sound, Special Visual Effects and Hair & Makeup. “Lincoln” received the most nominations with 10, even though Director Steven Spielberg was not one of the directorial nominees. Following close behind were “Argo,” “Les Miserables,” “Life of Pi” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” all with multiple nominations and among the Best Film category, along with “Lincoln.”
TheOneRing.net staffer Garfeimao and long-time TORn friend Nancy Steinman were able to secure tickets to the World Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Here are Garfeimao’s largely spoiler-free thoughts on what she saw. 
