Happy Hobbit Day 2016!

It’s the 22nd of September, the birth dates of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, according to our Middle-earth calendars.

That means it’s officially Hobbit Day!

On Were-worms

Hunting the elusive creature

You pick up a copy of The Hobbit and start reading the first chapter.

Halfway through you encounter the following statement made by Bilbo Baggins:

“Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert.”

Holmes over Baggins: Why?

Is it normal I’m more excited about the Sherlock Special than the BoTFA Extended cut?

It’s no secret that I’ve been fascinated by Sherlock Holmes (who isn’t?) for many years: both as a literary character and the various film and TV adaptations.

I am also a massive fan of the British TV series Sherlock, and – if you’re like me – you possibly cannot have failed to read about the upcoming Christmas Special in December.

Well, with yesterday’s newly released trailer, that excitement couldn’t be more evident. That mixture of nostalgia and child-like anticipation, that has been so synonymous with the Festive period whenever a new Middle-earth film was released, is being felt again.

Tolkien’s Dickensian Dreams

Dickens’ short story that inspired a Tolkien chapter

This is somewhat a Tolkien paper I had written a while back, with the expressed intention to publish it one day. When that day never seemed to arrive, I thought it would be suitable to post an edited version on this blog.

The following, although much abbreviated from the original, is still pretty long. So proceed with caution but, as always, please enjoy 🙂

The Gaffer’s Elite: Characters

Ranking all things Middle-earth

Last week we discussed some of the most remarkable sets and locations from the Middle-earth saga. This week, we’ll be looking at the characters.

This was naturally tricky, so I’ve decided not to rank these in the usual way. Rather than assigning numbers, I decided to select 3 characters from each trilogy and briefly explain the reasons why I find them appealing

As with the other posts, it does not mean that those unmentioned characters are not my favourite; but to keep this post brief and maintain the sanity of you the readers, I’ve limited by list to a total of 6.

I’ve made one exception and omitted Gandalf from both trilogies. Let’s face it. These films wouldn’t be the same without the contribution of Ian Mckellan’s stellar performance. Considering he’s in all 6 films, I’ve decided to leave him out. Nothing against Gandalf, at all. Again, it’s all about brevity (… and sanity).

The Shire’s Military Structure?

Raising the Shire

They are (or were) a little people, about half our height […] have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs

– The Hobbit, ‘An Unexpected Party’, Chapter I

Ranks of skilled archers cleverly readying their bows. Organized groups of infantrymen waiting for the signal to attack. One word and any intruders will find themselves facing serious consequences.

It is hard to conjure up the imagery of an army within the Shire, based on the rather rustic and easy-going characteristics of the above quote.

‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ – Review

-Smaug has finally arrived!

As promised, here’s a much detailed review of the second installment in ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy. Having seen the film three times so far, I’m able to delve into a bit more detail concerning the workings of the film.

Pack your gear and sharpen your swords … Smaug is coming!

Beorn, Mirkwood, Spiders, Thranduil, Dol Guldur, Lake-Town, Bard, Erebor … Smaug.

There’s simply an embarrassment of riches coming up within the next week and expectation couldn’t be higher.

Lately I’ve been concentrating on posting stuff relevant to ‘The Hobbit’ films in anticipation of the second installment’s release.

Luke Evans’ Bard: My Man Crush!

I feel absolutely no shame or fear in openly declaring my sincere admiration towards Luke Evans’ portrayal of the Bowman in ‘The Desolation of Smaug’.

There, I said it.

‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ Extended Edition: Review

I know I said I’ll continue posting my ‘The Lord of the Rings’ review, but since that is taking rather longer to complete, I thought I’d write a couple of posts on news that is more pressing and currently ‘hot’.