Snark, Critic and Pop!

A nice little clip of Andy Serkis who plays Gollum in the LOTR and the upcoming Hobbit trilogy (ARG!) reading to children in character. I would imagine all those children spent the night screaming in wet bed sheets.

For those of you who planned on spending the next two holiday seasons basking in the sure to be pure awesomeness of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit movies – better clear your 2014 calendars because like a Mogwai in a tub it is splitting again.  The Hobbit is now a trilogy.  Despite what Jackson and the studio are saying this seems like a blatant money grab, and I for one am outraged.  I will only see each one twice instead of three times (see – I will still go the to movies 6 times).  But on a serious note, I hope that there is some value to the added screen time  and it is just not a watered down experience.  Now lets get it done and get on with making “The Tale of Beren and Lúthien”!

Actor/Comedian Billy Connolly has joined the cast of Peter Jackson’s forthcoming The Hobbit as the dwarven warrior Dain Ironfoot.  Dain becomes King Under the Mountain upon the death of Thorin Oakenshield.  The 69 year old comedian was in the news last week after walking off stage and ending one of his shows early in response to hecklers in the audience.  Aside from his comedy, he has had a successful acting career… he was a late series call up in “Head of the Class” which got him his own spin-off “Billy”.  He also had roles in “Muppet Treasure Island” and “The Last Samuri”.

In the grand scheme of things, 2011 was a bit lackluster in the “big movie” department. Some good Summer fare, nothing really blew me away. 2012 is looking quite extremely rather marvelously good, however. Where to begin? Where better than the Hobbit Part 1, which comes out December 2012:

(continue reading…)

A young Bilbo reads a letter. 

On the surface, not necessarily the most exciting visual ever.  But it’s the frickin’ Hobbit, people!

This can’t hit theaters soon enough.

It’s a great day for elves, Americans, and movie enthusiasts alike.  Best known as “Kate” from TV’s Lost, Evangeline Lilly has joined the cast of the forthcoming Hobbit movies as an elf.  I’m not sure how this can get much cooler, I am a Lord of the Ring fan as well as a fan of the greatest TV show of the past decade, Lost.  (Sorry, CSI: Miami.) 

Evangeline Lilly fans were quite worried about her post-Lost career, as if she might be drifting unmoored in some unknown location in her career.  Lilly’s next movie is inarguably the dumbest looking boxing robot movie ever conceived, Real Steel.  Not a lot of hope for Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots: The Movie.  But Peter Jackson directing Tolkein?  I think I’ll be getting in line for this one right after The Dark Knight Rises lets out.  Huzzah!

I won’t beat around the bush, here is what you came to see:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Release date December 2012

The Hobbit: There and Back Again – Release date December 2013

And, as we have previously posted, Leonard Nimoy as Smaug!

355 days ago, Brian posted that Nerd Magnet Leonard Nimoy had retired from acting.  Now, it’s been rumored that Leonard Nimoy will be providing the voice of Smaug in the upcoming prequels to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit Part 1 & 2. 

As a childhood sufferer of the condition known as “Trekkieness,” admirer of the 2009 Trek reboot (featuring Nimoy reprising his Mr. Spock role), and a fan of Tolkein/Lord of the Rings, I have to say this almost breaks the coolmeter.  (Incidentally, you ask how I got cured of being a Trekkie?  I had a Trekkieotomy, of course.)  What better way to celebrate than with Leonard Nimoy’s musical homage to the Hobbit, the BALLAD OF BILBO BAGGINS!? (continue reading…)

There is much rejoicing in Hobbiton tonight.  The director of Lord of the Rings Peter Jackson has stepped up to the plate to direct the forthcoming two films from J.R.R. Tolkein’s Hobbit novel, which introduced the world of Rings.  Article here. 

I’m just relieved it’s not Michael Bay, personally.  Perhaps now there can be peace in Middle Earth. . .