My introduction to the world of Tolkien

In The summer of 2002 I was living on my own (21) and working a dreadful job at a meat packing plant. The hours were from 4:50 am to 1:30 pm so I was out of sorts with night time living. But I am thankful none the less because I met a friend at this aweful job called Aaron Borque. Aaron and I were both into fantasy and gaming and before long we ended up spending most of our weeks playing card games (like Magic, Star wars card game) and weekly role playing nights. Any free time was taken up on the PlayStation. It was a good summer to be a geek.

I am glad to say that I introduced Aaron to the world of Star Wars. Aaron introduced me to Tolkien. He asked me if I ever read anything by the old English author. I said no, I haven't. He showed me his book collection and I was urged to go buy the books. So I did. The next day I jumped on the bus, went down to our local book store and purchased the box set of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.Unknowing that it would soon become a huge part of my life, and that I would trade and replace my love for all Star Wars for Tolkien.

I'll admit they stayed unread for a month. I was in the process of moving out of my small 1 bedroom apartment and getting rid of everything to move to Quebec City for September. I had cleaned out my pad fairly well.Moved my single mattress into my empty living room since my room was as bear as the rest of my place. And there one night I opened The Hobbit. I still remember reading in on that mattress on the living room floor, a lamp beside me. I had nothing in my possession but these books. The Hobbit was a great book and it's still one of my favorites of all time. I would stay up late reading it and be happy to be tired for work the next day. I looked forward to every night while reading it, I would think about the story at work. I'll admit J.K Rowling's writing did the same thing to me.

I wouldn't start reading the Fellowship of the Ring until October of 2002. Once I had settled in Quebec city and my mind could focus once more on Middle Earth. I was working graveyard shifts at a Toy's R us in St. Foy Quebec. I read the books rather quickly because I was trying to Finnish the Two Towers before the release of the film that winter. I had no social life to speak of. I worked, came home went to bed at 7 am. Woke up at 4pm, read until 8:30 then went back to work. That was my life for 3 months. Tolkien was the only thing I really had at that time. I guess that's what shaped me into the collector/fan I am today.

At the time of the Two Towers release there was a lot of collectibles coming out. There was a store at the mall called Imaginaire, and they carried the swords, Armour,Weta statues and a bunch of goodies from the movies. Now I was flat broke and couldn't afford it (still can't) and I would go there on my lunch break to take a peak at the new stuff they got in.

Being in the age of 21,22,23 I was always broke. But I started collecting the books seriously by the time I moved back to British Columbia in 2003. I have searched my fair share of new and used bookstores. So this is how it all started for me. I'd like to hear your story. Just comment bellow or send me a message and I'll re post it for you.

Hobbit Production vid #5

A very intense vid from the point of view of the crew. Watching a big budget movie, we sometime forget the scale and production time it takes to make 3 minutes of film. With over 500 in crew around New Zealand filming the Hobbit, this vid shows us what the crew goes through. It's a massive operation. Everyone needs to be fed, watered, and taking care of. Including toilets.

I am in awe after watching this,500 million dollars seems like a lot, but you see where a movie like this needs it's funding. The vid shows Hobbiton. They filmed there about a month ago.writer for "Ain't it coll news" wrote of his experience on the set. He played the Hobbit that sells a fish to Bilbo (Martin Freeman)

We see Elijah Wood as Frodo again. Like he mentions in the vid. The first time he stepped into the roll of Frodo and Middle Earth he was 19. He is now 30. 11 years of Tolkien movie making. Warms my heart.

It's not to say this movie felt like a struggle for so long.With law suits, and actors strikes, and Guillermo Del Toro stepping down it took 8 years after the Return of the King to get anywhere with this film. Seeing it in full production is, to say it plainly, Fucking Awesome!

The vid ends with the cast and crew wishing the fans a Merry Christmas. And that's where I'll leave you too. This is my last blog of 2011. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a great 2012 (where we get to see the first movie An Unexpected Journey)

The Hobbit : An unexpected Journey Trailer

All Day, Dec 20, I've been watching online waiting for this trailer to appear. The release time for British Columbia was 7pm. But the trailer did not appear for me until 7:34pm. I was told by my brother (Tyler) to look it up on youtube. He was right, apple trailers failed me but youtube stayed loyal.
There's not too much to this trailer since the movie is not done being filmed and the special effects were just put in for the trailer, I believe Weta will have more time to enhance the shots later. But we got some good insight from our friends @ The One Ring.Net who did a shot by shot analysis of the trailer.
The Gandalf shots where he's alone in a strange place is Dol Guldur, Sauron's stronghold in Mirkwood. There Gandald find Thrain, father of Thorin Oakenshield, in the dungeons. He's gone mad and in the trailer you can see him fighting Gandalf. That is where Gandalf finds the map which he gives to Thorin later. All of this takes place in Unfinished Tales, but Peter Jackson and Philipa, Fran added in for good reason.

By the looks of it they added allot of Unfinished Tales related material in the movie. We'll see more of it in later trailers I'm sure.

The basic thing about this trailer is it shows Hobbiton and Bilbo being persuaded to go with the Dwarves on this mad men quest to kill a Dragon named Smaug.

There's a quick snipet of Troll Shaw, and Rivendel where the dwarves are being surrounded by horse backed Elves. The lack of love for the Dwarves will really show through in the Hobbit, in Rivendel, Mirkwood and Battle of the five armies.

This is a very cool trailer, And I am looking forward to seeing the next one already. Or another production vid from the set would suffice.