poesel Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Hmm, looks like I'm the only one who liked The Hobbit (book & film). But then, I would also watch a documentary of 'Rivers of Beleriand' or a 'Cooking With Finarfin' show. Glad to have so many Tolkien fans here. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerMike Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 Really, you liked the Hobbit? I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. So many things in the movie that I hated: the Goblin King, Radagast, racing bunnies, the stone throwing giants (boooring), the ridiculous chase through the Goblin Mountain, Azog (who needs him, gawd), etc, etc, etc. I put up with Legolas and his skateboard and some other stupid stuff in LOTR. I learned to live with some changes Jackson made to that story, although I I did not like them at all (Aragorn falling of the cliff, the Arwen crap, Army of the Dead, etc.). There was so much other stuff that was really great to compensate the flaws to some extent. Not so with the Hobbit. What a mess. Argh. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altipueri Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 I have three books on the table next to me. Which to read? 1. Game of Thrones by George Martin - I'm told this is the new thing 2. Churchill's Marlborough - His Life and Times. A classic. 3. World Politics since 1945 by Peter Calvocoressi. A classic, for some at least. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Placebo Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 The best Tolkien movie for me is LOTR part 1, just like the first part of the book it was brilliant, slowly Jackson seems to have become more self-indulgent and the films really tailed off. Like you i really wanted to like the Hobbit, maybe when all three are out someone will be able to cut the 3 into 1 good movie 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Balboa Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 If you've read the books then you shouldn't be surprised that the hobbit movie has some ridiculous moments. It was, after all originally written as a children's story. So even though PJ took some creative liberties I think it still maintains that child like qualities in some area's. racing bunnies is a good example ... The LOTR movies for me got more difficult to consume as they went along. Legions of elves showing up at Helms deep as well as Legolistic escapades ruined that epic battle IMO. Also Lego sliding down the trunk of an Oliphant during the battle of Gondor was another major distraction. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
womble Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 I think it's telling that, for many, the Tolkein films (all of them) get harder to like the more they deviate from the source material in any way other than elision. Though I don't have a problem with Radagast and his "husky" lapines, only the way he entirely failed to do as he said he would and draw off the pursuit, in a frankly Looney Tunes manner. And I quite like the inclusion of the Dwarves' backstory into the Hobbit (let's face it, that story needs some padding to make three films worth of material). But the escape from the Goblin Halls was gratuitous cheese. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 I think it's telling that, for many, the Tolkein films (all of them) get harder to like the more they deviate from the source material in any way other than elision. Though I don't have a problem with Radagast and his "husky" lapines, only the way he entirely failed to do as he said he would and draw off the pursuit, in a frankly Looney Tunes manner. And I quite like the inclusion of the Dwarves' backstory into the Hobbit (let's face it, that story needs some padding to make three films worth of material). But the escape from the Goblin Halls was gratuitous cheese. You and I are in agreement on all those points, especially the ones I bolded. As I said before, Tolkien was a master story teller and Jackson just isn't up to that level. Not even near it, in fact. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sburke Posted November 11, 2013 Share Posted November 11, 2013 I have three books on the table next to me. Which to read? 1. Game of Thrones by George Martin - I'm told this is the new thing 2. Churchill's Marlborough - His Life and Times. A classic. 3. World Politics since 1945 by Peter Calvocoressi. A classic, for some at least. Game of Thrones is good. Pretty bloodthirsty though. The downside of that book is that the following volumes get worse and worse as they progress. Read it. hopefully you will enjoy it, but know that continuing to follow the story will inevitably start to disappoint. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfhand Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Game of Thrones is good. Pretty bloodthirsty though. The downside of that book is that the following volumes get worse and worse as they progress. Read it. hopefully you will enjoy it, but know that continuing to follow the story will inevitably start to disappoint. For me, callow and stunted as I am, the worst part of the A Song of Ice and Fire series is waiting for the next book... and yes, I liked Jackson's take on Tolkien's books even though they weren't "faithful" reproductions. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Add me to the list of hopeless Tolkien geeks. Wrote 400 pages of LOTR/Silmarillion derived stories at age 12, with lavish illustrations, while nearly flunking out of middle school. Followed by a Silmarillion strat wargame with hand drawn hexes and over 10,000 counters. Yup, the same bizarre mix of ADD meets OCD that brought you Ramadi. With a freeking side order of crazy. Fortunately, the Aspergian Gods also gave me reasonable quant skilz. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altipueri Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Well for me as opening page excerpts: "He commanded the armies of Europe against France for ten campaigns. He fought four great battles and many important actions. It is a common boast of his champions that he never fought a battle that he did not win, nor beseiged a fortress that he did not take. Amid all the chances and baffling accidents of war he produced victory with almost mechanical certainty." Beats "Gared did not rise to the bait. He was an old man, past fifty" So Marlborough gets my attention, aided by the discovery he was born about five miles from where I'm reading this - so he's a local lad what done good. Shocked to discover Game of Thrones was published in 1996 - so much for me thinking it was the new thing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerMiller Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 Add me to the list of hopeless Tolkien geeks. Wrote 400 pages of LOTR/Silmarillion derived stories at age 12, with lavish illustrations, while nearly flunking out of middle school. Followed by a Silmarillion strat wargame with hand drawn hexes and over 10,000 counters. Yup, the same bizarre mix of ADD meets OCD that brought you Ramadi. With a freeking side order of crazy. Fortunately, the Aspergian Gods also gave me reasonable quant skilz. Wow...this is hardcore, LLF! Sounds a lot more interesting than your standard middle school experience... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted November 13, 2013 Share Posted November 13, 2013 Well, I got beat up a lot and girls.... ha! (More time and pocket money for gaming tho) Men must live with their seasons or the gods will laugh at them (Mary Renault) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Well, I got beat up a lot and girls.... ha! You got beat up by girls? Wow, man, that could leave you emotionally scarred for life. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PanzerMike Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Tolkien geeks and girls, hmmm... Oh well, this Tolkien geek married a beautiful girl eventually. I think I only confessed my Tolkien craze AFTER I married her though. That probably helped a lot, he he he. Ow, and I never told her about my CM addiction too. CM geeks and girls, hmmm... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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