It was widely known when Peter Jackson was shooting the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy a decade ago that there would be more than one version of the films for home theaters. Fan club memberships were sold with a promise of founding members getting their names in credits of the extended editions. Those watching the films in theaters the last two weeks have seen that promise still fulfilled again on screen at the cineplex.
There was even discussion of eventual superior editions in high definition once the debate over HD DVD vs. Blu-ray was settled. The Extended Edition DVDs, with far superior extras, were a big hit on DVD and were released for marathon watching sessions in select cities on “Trilogy Tuesday”. (Check out these links for a window back into time. They provide historical context.)
On this episode of Hobbit in 5, we discuss Benedict Cumberbatch’s role in The Hobbit, the small explosion at Stone Street Studios in NZ, the cast and crew’s involvement in the Christchurch Earthquake Relief telethon (and wish Ian McKellen a very happy birthday), and give an excerpt from Larry Curtis’s article from movies.com. We also take a look at Nori in this week’s character study.
Ginia Bellafante, in a review of HBO’s “A Game of Thrones,” that makes its television debut this weekend and stars LOTR’s Sean Bean, insinuates that women, or at least women in book clubs, aren’t passionate about “The Hobbit,” the beloved book by J.R.R. Tolkien. With over 10 years of experiences with fans of Middle-earth, and the many women that are passionate about it, Ms. Bellafante might be missing something. She said:
While I do not doubt that there are women in the world who read books like Mr. Martin’s, I can honestly say that I have never met a single woman who has stood up in indignation at her book club and refused to read the latest from Lorrie Moore unless everyone agreed to “The Hobbit” first. “Game of Thrones” is boy fiction patronizingly turned out to reach the population’s other half.
Readers of the interwebs, especially the females, are a bit miffed at the writer and there are several good female-authored blogs and responses, (read after the break for a list of some of the more notable responses) but most are from the perspective of “Game of Thrones,” readers. So, Tolkienites, do you agree or disagree with the above statement and the full review? Continue reading “Do women love ‘The Hobbit’? NYTimes says no”
From hollywood.com Bosses at Royal Mail have marked the 50th anniversary of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) by printing images of actors in classic William Shakespeare stage productions. Lord of the Rings star McKellen is shown with Francesca Annis from when they played Romeo and Juliet in 1976, while Tennant is pictured during his stint as Hamlet in 2008. RSC’s artistic director Michael Boyd says, “I am delighted Royal Mail has chosen to celebrate our fiftieth birthday with this set of stamps. It has been an almost impossible job to sift through 50 years of performances to choose images which represent the extraordinary range of work we have produced.”
Check out WBShop.com today for an exclusive offer when you pre-order The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Blu-Ray! Besides the set itself, you will also exclusively get a set of stunning 5″x7″ character portraits with your purchase, and save 10% on all official Lord of the Rings merchandise. This special offer ends on June 27th 2011, so act today! [WBShop.com]
Last week we alerted you to the pre-order of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy Extended Edition Blu-ray. This week, we have gotten our mitts on a new image of the entire set. (see above) If you didn’t see the news last week, you can now pre-order for the set exclusively through Amazon.com. To say reaction to the release of this set has been positive would be an understatement, though a few questions remain. We’ll try to get some clarity on exactly when the set will arrive at your homes! In the meantime, don’t forget to place your pre-order! [Click here]
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