We’re happy to announce that the Red Carpet Tours and TORN Premiere Party in Wellington raised $2600 for our chosen charity, Duffy Books in Homes.Thanks so much to Peter Jackson, Weta, Stansborough, Harper Collins and Asni the Harpist for donating beautiful things we could offer in our party auctions and raffles. Thanks to the generosity of the Red Carpet Premiere Tour too, who raised more money in a spirited round of bidding during their farewell dinner a week later.
Originally half the proceeds of the party were to benefit TORN itself, but after a quick palaver among TORN’s senior staff we decided to give it all to Duffy Books in Homes. The Duffy scheme provides books to New Zealand children in areas where books can not be taken for granted as part of the normal furniture of life. Duffy role models travel the country fostering a love of reading. It’s a great scheme, and one long supported by both TORN and Red Carpet’s founders Vic and Raewyn James, who were schoolteachers and principals before they went into tourism.
For the majority of the world, the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was just a simple visit to your local cinema. But for Ringers like us, one does not simply walk into…theaters. What did you do to celebrate the release of the latest adventure into Middle-earth? Did you participate in a TORn Line Party? Maybe you took the whole family out for a long overdue special night? Maybe you got together with your closest friends and dressed up like Hobbits, Wizards and Dwarves! Whatever you did, we want to hear about it. We have a form below where you can submit your Ringer Report and send us a few images. We can’t guarantee we will post all of the reports, but we will post a lot of them! This is your chance to shine in the spotlight of Tolkien fandom! We look forward to your reports…[Link to Form] Continue reading “Send in your ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ Ringer Reports and Photos”
For most of you, you’ve had at least your first viewing of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.‘ TheOneRing.net is proud to bring back our ‘Ringer Reviews‘ – a unique opportunity for fans to share their thoughts on this first installment of ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy from Peter Jackson and crew. This is not just a simple text form. Among broad questions concerning directing and acting, we also get into specifics, so beware of Spoilers! (Ie, don’t fill in a review until you have seen the movie!!!) Once your review is posted and approved (we are simply moderating to keep things family friendly), share it with friends and family through the social tools right on your own personal review page!
If sharing your thoughts with the world is not enough incentive…we are going to be giving away some great prizes over the next week to randomly selected reviewers. We’ll be contacting winners with the email they use when submitting their review. Prizes will be doled out over the next few weeks, so stay tuned to TORn’s homepage for winner announcements!
Also, we are going to be working around the clock to approve your reviews as they come in, so please be patient with the dedicated efforts of the TORn staff. [Ringer Reviews]
The danger will ramp up once the Company enters Mirkwood.
Another review from a staffer of TORN long ago, Wee Tanya brings her thoughts to you now.
Warning before you begin: Spoilers abound in this review. Read it or not, it’s up to you.
Tonight I had the extreme pleasure of watching a press screening of The Hobbit on behalf of TheOneRing.net. Not only was I ushered into the screening like an honored guest, but TheOneRing.net’s name is still renown, and I was even introduced by the night’s host to the whole crowd as “Wee from TORn”. Then he grilled me on Tolkien trivia, but don’t worry, I did us proud.
Much like Arathorn I’ve been keeping a low, spoiler-free profile for the past ten years. Life happened, and I managed to drift far enough away from the ride that when I caught up with Peter Jackson’s video diaries, I spent an entire evening watching every one. Fine, maybe I’m not totally unspoiled. But there I sat as the theater darkened, not knowing what to expect at all except for two things: first, that suddenly there were three movies instead of two; and second, that someone actually called the movie boring!
I’d like you all to know that it was not boring, not a jot. The pace is beautiful, lyrical even, and in the middle of Rivendell it slows to the stately walk of Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel. But it might seem slow at first because there is a LOT of tale to tell. Bilbo begins even before “Concerning Hobbits,” back in the dark days of the Silmarillion, and establishes the sacking of Erebor and Dale before we even know what a Hobbit is! In my opinion this was necessary, because it opens up a wider world to stare at (in awe) before the camera pulls back to the familiarity of Bag End. I wanted the camera to pause at every detail of Erebor, because it was stunning. It echoes the designs of Moria from the first movies, but amplified, because it is a Dwarven city at the height of its glory instead of one abandoned.
I admit that my eyes started leaking the second I saw Bilbo put pen to paper, and I have to applaud the larger-story continuity of the first scene. It begins on the very same day as Fellowship of the Ring, and shows Bilbo writing in the Red Book, expanding upon his story (which we all know he finishes up in retirement in Rivendell, so it’s even more touching to see this flow). Ian Holm is the first Bilbo that we see, and he’s perfect, of course. Elijah Wood’s Frodo wanders through, giving the scene even more continuity as we see Bilbo watch him leave — little does Bilbo know, Frodo is off to his own adventure. And then Gandalf shows up, and after that come dwarves and more dwarves, and the story is up and running.
But whose story? I’d like to posit that this movie is actually Gandalf’s story. Ian McKellen’s expressive eyes hold the heart of the plot, which for this movie boils down to, “Did Gandalf do well in choosing this particular burglar for the company?” McKellen must have some kind of meticulous timeline of Gandalf’s life in his head, because he can step back into the role of a younger, less secure, less shiny Gandalf with exquisite ease. Gandalf’s growth as a wizard is what’s tested here, and that stately-walking scene in Rivendel (which might be slow to some) is a fine moment in which we see Gandalf squirming in his seat, while his peers probe him: is this decision to help the dwarves really a good one? Can he back Radagast’s claim that the Necromancer is back, against the (slightly less Palantir-addled) Saruman? We’re not sure, and neither is he.
There are a few set pieces in this movie that all true fans expected, and all of them deliver. I was pleased to hear many songs meandering through Bilbo’s larder (That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!), and while the cut was more like a fan’s extended version than Hollywood might want, in short: F*** ’em. Peter Jackson gave me the story that I would’ve bought and watched in an extended version anyway, and I’m overjoyed that a third movie gave him the space to spread out and tell the tale as it was told in the books. Did the set piece with the trolls feel the way it did in the book? Of course. And I even squinted at them to make sure they were in the same position that Frodo finds them in, in Fellowship of the Ring. (SEE, Peter Jackson? You knew we’d keep track.)
As for Smaug, we saw some beautifully filmed teasing, but the Big Bad (ok, Medium Bad; the Big Bad is the Necromancer) is being saved for the final film. In a nice visual paeon to a certain Dark Lord, the movie ends with a thinly-slit reptilian eye. Symbolism, I get it! Other beautiful moments for Tolkien fans abound. Watch for: That Moment when Bilbo stays his hand instead of slaying Gollum. Watch for: The intricately designed beauty of each and every domain, including the goblin kingdom above Gollum’s layer. Watch for: FIGWIT.
I won’t discuss Riddles in the Dark, because it’s perfectly done.
What did I dislike? Well. Radagast was saved from being cute by his Peter Jackson-grossness (is that BIRD POO ON HIS FACE? Oh God of course it is), his plot explicated neatly from the Silmarillion. Radagast was necessary for getting information about Mirkwood over to the rest of the world. It’s a fan’s retelling of how it happened, and I’ll pretend that Fran and Phillipa heard it from local lore, the kind of stories that might appear at the Prancing Pony.
In short, I loved this movie, and I want more. Two more. Fine, take my money, and show me as many movies as you want!
The day has arrived when you will at last have the opportunity to purchase tickets for The One Expected Party! [Purchase Tickets] If you want to celebrate the first of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit movies, this is where you need to be. The only party in Hollywood on Oscar night 2013 to revel in Middle-earth, this exclusive event will be hosted just two blocks away from the Academy Award ceremony. With all kinds of fun, festivity, food and frolics, and featuring an amazing live show which includes star Billy Boyd with his band Beecake, this upscale, lavish party will be the can’t-miss black-tie event of the year for Tolkien fans worldwide. We’re working hard to make it an absolutely unforgettable occasion, both for the celebrities who will join us there and for YOU. Snag your tickets today! [Purchase Tickets] We look forward to seeing you in Hollywood!
Hobbit week continues as we all await the arrival of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ in theaters December 14th! We are both honored and excited to share with you a TheOneRing.net Exclusive clip from the film! The clip features Thorin and company singing ‘Misty Mountains’ at the end of a long evening in Bag End. The song ‘Misty Mountains‘ is now available for individual download or as part of the complete soundtrack worldwide. [iTunes: Special Edition or Standard] [Amazon.com: Special Edition or Standard] Enjoy!
We’re happy to announce that the Red Carpet Tours and TORN Premiere Party in Wellington raised $2600 for our chosen charity, Duffy Books in Homes.Thanks so much to Peter Jackson, Weta, Stansborough, Harper Collins and Asni the Harpist for donating beautiful things we could offer in our party auctions and raffles. Thanks to the generosity of the Red Carpet Premiere Tour too, who raised more money in a spirited round of bidding during their farewell dinner a week later.
For the majority of the world, the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was just a simple visit to your local cinema. But for Ringers like us, one does not simply walk into…theaters. What did you do to celebrate the release of the latest adventure into Middle-earth? Did you participate in a TORn 
For most of you, you’ve had at least your first viewing of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.‘ TheOneRing.net is proud to bring back our ‘
