The Hobbit

[Bernhard]

Looking forward to seeing it this weekend!

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1SJ7yaa7cI

Latest video blog of Peter Jackson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vqyzHwnEiY

 

[Finduilas495]

I've seen it yesterday and thought it was wonderful :) Have fun :)

 

[Gimpy]

Hubby and I want to see it, along with Les Miserables when it comes out. (Never seen the second one, in movie or play format.)

We may wait til he's on vacation to see it, the crowds are expected to be large.

 

[1984]

I saw it at a pre-screening Tuesday night - I thought it was good but I'm not so sure that it should be dragged out over 3 movies. The main thing I didn't like about it was that I had to see it in 3-D.

 

[Gawan]

I'm also looking forward seeing the movie.

I saw it at a pre-screening Tuesday night - I thought it was good but I'm not so sure that it should be dragged out over 3 movies. The main thing I didn't like about it was that I had to see it in 3-D.

Three movies, I didn't know that. So far I assumed there will be just two parts.

 

[1984]

I'm also looking forward seeing the movie.

I saw it at a pre-screening Tuesday night - I thought it was good but I'm not so sure that it should be dragged out over 3 movies. The main thing I didn't like about it was that I had to see it in 3-D.

Three movies, I didn't know that. So far I assumed there will be just two parts.

Nope, http://screenrant.com/hobbit-3-movie-trilogy/ :)

 

[knowledge_of_self]

3 movies for one book? Isn't that a little excessive? To me it just seems like they want to make money. The Lord of the Rings trilogy kind of made sense because it was 3 books and 3 movies. So I find this very consumer like.. but maybe that's just me...

 

[Vulcan59]

Saw it yesterday morning and have to agree with the Onion's take on it.

The film’s director, Peter Jackson, expressed excitement about the film’s premiere, and hinted that the second film in the Hobbit trilogy would chronicle Bilbo’s return to the Shire after he realizes he forgot his toiletries bag.

 

[knowledge_of_self]

I found out about this really sad bit of information today and thought I'd share it.

Apparently 27 animals died during the filming of the movie (though the studios are denying that number). :(

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-hobbit-movie-is-no-fantasy-for-animals-8411487.html

The Hobbit movie is no fantasy for animals
Allegations of animal cruelty on the set of The Hobbit threaten to tarnish the film's reputation. So has director Peter Jackson done enough to answer them?

"What do you fear, lady?" Aragorn asks in JRR Tolkien's The Return of the King. Éowyn replies, "A cage. To stay behind bars …".

The animals, more than two dozen of them, didn't even get a cage: they lost their lives during production of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in freakish and no doubt preventable ways. A rep for Jackson acknowledged the lives lost but said that some died of natural causes. The deaths are worth remembering as the film is set to premiere in the UK, just two days after International Animal Rights Day is recognised around the world.

Unlike Frodo Baggins, animals don't aspire to do "great deeds" (although if you realise that the albatross was the first living being to circumnavigate the globe and that ants built boats out of leaves to cross mighty rivers before any human, they certainly can carry them out). They ask for far less: simply to be able to live their lives, seek out small pleasures and basic pursuits and go about their business without being captured and controlled, tormented and slaughtered.

In the production of The Hobbit, goats and sheep were reportedly corralled in crowded pens, kept on land full of burrows that caused them to lose their footing and exposed to a variety of other hazards from which they could not escape. Chickens, naturally timid birds, were left at the mercy of marauding dogs and were chased down and killed.

Four wranglers who worked on the set and saw animals being hurt and killed say that they repeatedly asked those with the power to take corrective action, but their concerns were ignored. Two horses were stampeded over steep embankments and died (one was found the following morning with a broken neck and her head submerged in water), one horse sustained a severe injury after being housed with other horses despite previous conflicts and sheep broke their legs in sinkholes. A spokesman for director Peter Jackson said the company had improved the conditions for the animals after two of the horses died. He told AP the production company had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on improving the facilities at the farm. But PETA is outraged by what we see as his cavalier attempts to shirk responsibility. And then there was the cruelty in tying a horse's ankles together for more than three hours reportedly because he was deemed "too energetic" for his rider.

No matter how big a Tolkien fan one may be, there is no justification for animals to die for the sake of a movie.

Although faced with a public outcry that would make an Orc flinch, director Peter Jackson has deflected these serious charges by focusing on the use of animals during his action sequences – even though they were off camera when they came to harm. “The producers completely reject the accusations that 27 animals died due to mistreatment during the making of the films," he wrote in a statement. "Extraordinary measures were taken to make sure that animals were not used during action sequences or any other sequence that might create undue stress for the animals involved. Over 55 per cent of all shots using animals in The Hobbit are in fact computer generated; this includes horses, ponies, rabbits, hedgehogs, birds, deer, elk, mice, wild boars and wolves. The American Humane Association (AHA) was on hand to monitor all use of animals by the production. No animals died or were harmed on set during filming. We regret that some of these accusations by wranglers who were dismissed from the film over a year ago are only now being brought to our attention. We are currently investigating these new allegations and are attempting to speak with all parties involved to establish the truth.”

Jackson has even less of an excuse than most: he's the Gandalf of CGI – computer-generated imagery – yet to me he's apparently playing the role of Sauron, wielding power and control over animals simply because he can. That shouldn't happen in any production in which animal welfare is at stake, let alone one with this kind of budget.

Technology has changed the direction of movie-making with astonishing speed and precision. Those who are still resorting to using live animals will be left behind faster than that kid in Home Alone.

 

[EricG]

3 movies for one book? Isn't that a little excessive? To me it just seems like they want to make money. The Lord of the Rings trilogy kind of made sense because it was 3 books and 3 movies. So I find this very consumer like.. but maybe that's just me...

I agree I think these three new Hobbit films are just a cashcow for Pete Jackson and co.

 

[hiker]

I was prepared for the worst due to the weak reviews, but was pleasantly surprised, in my opinion the movie was quite good :)

Granted the story could have been squeezed in to a single movie, but I think they have expanded the story (from the book) surprisingly well to make it fit the larger middle earth mythology, and to match with the LOTR -movies. I remember reading Peter Jackson mentioning that this is probably the last time Tolkien’s work can be filmed (the Tolkien estate is against the movie adaptations and will probably not let go of the rights for e.g. Silmarillion), so their aim was to expand on the original Hobbit -book, with the information from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and its appendices. As such, I think they did a good job.

It is sad and unfortunate if animals died during the filming, but the statements by the crew seem to be quite sincere: the handling of the animals has been of a high standard. This could be damage control, of course.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/peter-jackson/animal-allegations-on-the-hobbit/10151300381651558

The Hobbit production has always instituted swift and immediate investigations in to any concerns of any kind over the treatment of animals under its care. A prompt and thorough investigation into the recent unsubstantiated allegations by the American organisation, PETA, in to the ‘hobbling’ of a horse during the making of The Hobbit was undertaken. No evidence of such a practice was found to have occurred at any time. Further, the production contacted the owner of the horse concerned who provided the following statement: “I am 100% happy with the return of Shanghai and his condition. In the term that he was leased he was picked up and returned to me two times. On both occasions there was not a mark on him and he was healthy and happy. He has shown no signs of ill-treatment. I would not hesitate in leasing him to the movie again.”

To date, the only horse wranglers whose treatment of animals fell below the production’s standard of care seem to be the two wranglers who have chosen to level this new accusation on the eve of the premiere of the first Hobbit film and who were dismissed by the production over a year ago. Reports of their actions are documented in several written statements dating back to October 2011.

The production regrets that PETA has chosen to make such a serious accusation, which has distressed many of the dedicated Kiwis who worked with animals on the films - including trainers, wranglers, care-givers, farm workers and animal health care professionals - without properly vetting the source from which they received this information.

The production has been inundated with calls of support as regards to this matter, including the following statements:


FROM: DR JULIA BRYCE BVSc
“From December 2010 till July 2012, this practice was the primary Veterinary care giver for the horses and livestock in the care of “Three Foot Seven”.

During this period we were consulted promptly in cases of injury and illness. We were also consulted routinely about ongoing veterinary care and preventative medicine.

If referral was required to a specialist clinic or Massey Equine Clinic, this occurred promptly. As occurs in normal practice there are incidences and injury which may result in an unfavourable outcome and others that recover completely; like the young goat who fractured a front leg but recovered completely after 6 weeks in a cast and hospital rest, or the rooster who spent two weeks at our clinic with a foot infection.

These and other animals in the care of Three Foot Seven Limited received the best available treatment to ensure their recovery, their welfare and return to good health was paramount to those in charge. At no time were we concerned about the welfare and on-going treatment of animals under our care.”


FROM: JOY GRAY - FARMER
“I was appalled to hear of the wild claims being made in the media by PETA. I and my family own the farm which the Hobbits used to train their animals. Myself, my manager, my children and grand-children saw nothing to make us uncomfortable or give us cause for concern. We all had totally free access to all activities at all times. In fact, the animals were wonderfully looked after, being well-fed, well-housed, and well-treated. As both farmers and dedicated horse people ourselves we would have stood for nothing less. I myself ride horses, all my children rode competitively and now my grandchildren ride.

I was involved in Pony Club for many years and was District Commissioner for the Wellington Pony Club. My manager was totally aware of all that was happening with the Hobbits and he is outraged at these false claims.

The sixty horses, the cattle, oxen, sheep, goats, dogs, pigs, hens etc. were given professional and humane treatment.”


FROM: JED BROPHY - ACTOR (NORI)
“As an actor and animal trainer who has worked on large scale productions here in New Zealand, in particular The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and more recently, The Hobbit, I am flabbergasted to read this morning of the accusations levelled at the production by PETA. With a production as large as The Hobbit, filmed over such an extensive period the care of the animals used in filming was exceptional. The entire time we were on set, and when we were training with the animal wranglers employed to look after and train the animals for filming, I observed no mistreatment - in fact the opposite is true.

The animals were treated with the utmost care and responsibility. The farm in which they were housed had excellent facilities for the care and maintenance of the animals’ health. So much so that I moved my own horse on site so I could ride him for training exercises. At all times on set we had experienced Wranglers and Animal health Authorities on hand and Vets to monitor the welfare of the Animals working for the film. It has been my experience working for this film company that they take every conceivable precaution and employ the very best practitioners in every department and that includes the animal department.

I feel that there is a certain amount of personal vindictiveness levelled at the production from individuals with their own agenda. As is often the case in these situations, organisations will leap at the chance to gain publicity for their cause without seeking the truth. Being an experienced horseman and having worked as a wrangler and rider in the past, I would not have allowed myself to be a part of any production that knowingly employed unsafe practice in the workplace in this way. I can say with absolute certainty the production went out of their way to treat animals with the upmost respect and care.”

 

[Seppo Ilmarinen]

I watched the movie yesterday. Some of the scenes felt quite overextended, especially in the beginning the Bilbo's house scene (that onion's take that Vulcan posted nails it down :) ). Because the movie was in 3D it gave me a slight headache in the end. Here and there it was quite good and entertaining but I had much more expectations because of the LOTR series.

 

[Ollie]

I missed the pre-views at my local cinema, however they were offering both 3D and 2D versions to view.

 

[Gimpy]

Just got in from seeing this one in 2-D.

Even in 2-D? It made me motion sick, which is rarer than it used to be. I did skip dinner just in case, and am glad I did. Hubby said he's not feeling great afterwards either. (He's never motion sick)

Other than the motion sickness? I enjoyed it very much, especially the singing. That was wonderful. I may need to stay off line a while til everything quits spinning around.

 

[Carl]

Just got in from seeing this one in 2-D.

Even in 2-D? It made me motion sick, which is rarer than it used to be. I did skip dinner just in case, and am glad I did. Hubby said he's not feeling great afterwards either. (He's never motion sick)

Other than the motion sickness? I enjoyed it very much, especially the singing. That was wonderful. I may need to stay off line a while til everything quits spinning around.

The dwarf song in Bilbo's house was both haunting and beautiful, one of my favourite scenes. I'd love a full length version!