tagged w/ Lord of the Rings
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The Hobbit films suffer yet another setback this week with producer Peter Jackson warning that production could be put on permanent hold, as actors’ unions continue to kick up a fuss over pay.
This comes just days after the casting call was put out for all New Zealand actors who are under 5ft 2 inches tall and “fattish in the stomach, shortish in the leg”, with auditions taking place yesterday in Wellington.
In an open letter, the producer suggested ditching his beloved New Zealand and filming east instead ("Eastern Europe, in fact") or – a last resort – curtailing production completely. According to the unions, without their protection, the native actors are subject to contracts which "provide no minimum guarantees of wages or working conditions" – BBC. The International Federation of Actors is insisting they secure union contracts or, failing that, refrain from auditioning at all.
Jackson, the movies’ executive producer, who won three Oscars for his iconic adaptation of Tolkein’s Lord of The Rings and shares remarkable similarities with the diminutive Hobbit race, has assured the unions that those working without their protection are eligible to partake in a profit-sharing scheme.
This is the latest in a series of events stunting the movies’ development. Amidst ongoing financial uncertainty from Hollywood studios MGM and New Line, and a legal battle with Tolkein's heirs in September 2009, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro (of Pan's Labyrinth fame) pulled out all together earlier this year, fed up with two years of delays.
Jackson seems an obvious replacement. And if the unions don’t let up, he could even land the leading role.The Hobbit films suffer yet another setback this week with producer Peter Jackson... more
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Looks like the makers of aPotter parody are back and this time shooting out with a Boyz N the Hood spoof mix. Once again the video is hilarious and filled with some great composites. Though did they make the vuvuzela rings spoof?Looks like the makers of aPotter parody are back and this time shooting out with a... more
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I have to imagine that many, many readers of our site occupy an insane amount of time discussing with friends the casting of some iconic book or comic property for when it finally gets adapted for the big screen. My circle of friends and I would waste hours on my friends Steve and Jeff’s porch, drinking cheap beer and smoking… cigarettes, while trying to come up with our dream cast for various projects. By far the one we spent the most time on was The Lord of the Rings. We had this thing figured out… and the results of those nights are incorporated a good deal in this week’s Hypothetical Studio.
Filmmaking in the 1980s was much like the rest of the 80s – a study in gluttonous excess. We maxed out our credit cards; we bought boats, cars, and giant houses we didn’t need; we snorted seven pounds of cocaine a month (ok, not me, but coke was popular in the 80s, right?) and took the biggest and best of everything because the bigger and more obnoxious something was, the better it would be, yeah?
So it is with that in mind that we cast our The Lord of the Rings in the spirit of the 1980s.
With this cast and this story, you have to start off with Aragorn. Why start there? More on that later, but the main reason is the who to perfectly play Aragorn. The reason Frodo does not get top billing is because a real little person will have to be used. There is nothing wrong with that (it would in fact be closer to my idea of what a Halfling looks like), but there is only one semi familiar 80s little person of the right age and he does not have near the drawing power of our top billed cast.
One thing that many LOTR purists were upset about was the exclusion of Tom Bombidil in the aughts The Lord of the Rings. That is addressed in the 1980s version. As is the lack of any skin color but white. Quite possibly at the same time.
We also have pop idols, a creature effects master, knights, and several film icons. Strap in.
>>Finish this story at the linkI have to imagine that many, many readers of our site occupy an insane amount of time... more
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Big day in nerd news, everyone. First word of a Ray Bradbury adaptation for you hard sci-fi guys, now news Peter Jackson may direct The Hobbit films. According to Heat Vision, Warner Bros. and New Line are in talks with the director to continue his work finishing off the Tolkien adaptations, providing a unified vision across the Ring Lord films. If this goes through, expect high fantasy-themed revelry all weekend (sword swinging, celebratory incantations, Mûmakil vuvuzela-blowing).Big day in nerd news, everyone. First word of a Ray Bradbury adaptation for you hard... more
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The news from The Hobbit film started with the departure of Del Toro and pictures of the partly made Shire sets. Though the internet is buzzing with rumours Neill Blomkamp is set to take the directors chair for the Hobbit feature.
According to HeyUGuys, the news is being reported on a reliable LotR fan source theonering.net
"It should be mentioned that theonering.net state they are not reporting this is definitely happening but they do say they ‘received a spy report that stated it as cold, hard, unsurprising fact’, so make of that what you will."-HeyUGuys
Blomkamp is connected to Peter Jackson through the District 9 film.The news from The Hobbit film started with the departure of Del Toro and pictures of... more
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Middle Earth is preparing for the World Cup.
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One does not simply Vuvuzela into Mordor. Yep, Lord of the Rings and the Vuvuzela meme are now combined in a short but funny video. The part in the mine of moria worked really well, surprised they didn't use the Horn of Gondor scene too.One does not simply Vuvuzela into Mordor. Yep, Lord of the Rings and the Vuvuzela meme... more
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In 1984's The Karate Kid, Pat Morita coached Ralph Macchio to success with "wax on, wax off," and other old guy wisdom, using karate the life of a young underdog. From Moses to Gandalf to a little green guy who speaks backwards, this week The Rotten Tomatoes Show names the Top 5 Old Wise Dudes in film.
The Rotten Tomatoes Show is a movie review show that airs on Thursday nights at 10:30 e/p on Current TV. From reviews of the newest releases to commentary on cult favorites and movie trends, each episode of The Rotten Tomatoes Show is a fast-paced, comedic journey through the week in cinema.
For more from the Rotten Tomatoes Show: http://rottentomatoesshow.comIn 1984's The Karate Kid, Pat Morita coached Ralph Macchio to success with... more
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Everybody on the planet seems so excited to see Avatar. Everybody, except me. Most of my friends are using their craftiest rhetoric to convince me to see the movie. But I won't budge.
If you're in a similar situation, these are some helpful counter-arguments.
"James Cameron is not gimmicky with his CGI. In Terminator 2, the special effects helped to tell the story."
"In Terminator 2, I wanted to see the story because Schwarzenegger is a bad-ass. Are there any actors in Avatar who were also in Commando?"
"The special effects makes you feel like you're on acid."
"If I wanted to be on acid, I'd buy a hit of LSD. It's probably much cheaper than going to see the movie at the Universal City IMAX."
"It's going to be as EPIC as Lord of the Rings!"
"Oh. I walked out of Lord of the Rings. It was too epic and boring."
"Cameron developed technology to create a new type of 3D experience."
"Just because someone used a new invention does not mean it is interesting. For example Washington State University is working on an innovative way to harvest asparagus:
The promising new machine has a rack with 12 to 15 reels that are 18-inches in diameter. Each reel has 3 or 4 arms. In front of these reels is an optic sensor that can recognize an asparagus spear.
- California Farm Bureau Federation
Will this movie change the way I eat Asparagus?"
"It has a green, anti-war message!"
"So does that new Yes Men movie, and I didn't get a chance to see that yet."
"What's the real reason, you don't want to see Avatar?"
"The characters look like they are painted from the same palette as Blue Raspberry ICEE's, and I prefer Cherry."
"It'll be fun, we're going with a big group."
"I guess that's a decent point."
But seriously instead of going to see Avatar with you friends, you should all just order a pizza and rent the 1979 teen sex romp, Van Nuys Blvd.
Everybody on the planet seems so excited to see Avatar. Everybody, except me. Most of... more
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You have no idea how happy I am that Crying Wife didn't see The White Ribbon or The Lovely Bones for us this week.
That would've been really awkward. So what has she seen?
Well, Lord of the Rings made her break down. So did Back to the Future. But it seems 2012 is the clear winner of the actual tears, as countless ticket buyers must've done the same around her.
[Urlesque]
You have no idea how happy I am that Crying Wife didn't see The White Ribbon... more
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These are all scarily accurate.
Especially the Primer one.
[XKCD]
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Interviews are so bland these days. We never get to the heart of the matter, like a fascination with an obscure reference in a film or wondering if a blunt response can ever be given to "so, at the end of Lord of the Rings, did anyone else notice how...?"
But now it can be. Current wants your questions for some upcoming Current Takeovers.
Ask anything you want and it'll be said when the actors come in to discuss their upcoming work on Current. This time, drop any and all burning questions you have for Dominic Monaghan (FastForward, Lost, Lord of the Rings) right here in the comments. We'll stop taking questions on Wednesday, 10/8 around 2:30 PM EST.
Ditto for Adam Goldberg and Eion Bailey, stars of (untitled), right here in the comments. We'll stop taking questions on Wednesday, 10/8 around 3:30 PM EST.
Now, ask away!
(and if anyone can ask Adam if a Hebrew Hammer sequel is happening, I'll send you much love.)
-John Lichman
Interviews are so bland these days. We never get to the heart of the matter, like... more
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Lord of the Rings fan? planning for a holiday? well maybe it'll be in June and will just happen to be set around areas of New Zealand, since Ian McKellen confirmed on his website that filming for the Hobbit will start in June.
"The Hobbit, two films, start shooting in New Zealand in June. Filming will take over a year. Casting in Los Angeles, New York City and London has started. The script too proceeds. The first draft is crammed with old and new friends, again on a quest in Middle Earth," the site update said."Lord of the Rings fan? planning for a holiday? well maybe it'll be in June and... more
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A MacGuffin is a term coined by famous director Alfred Hitchcock (and used continuously by George Lucas) to define a plot element, generally an object, that drives the characters and the story. To illustrate, I compiled some of the most famous MacGuffins. Check my list out, and let me know all good ones I missed by leaving a comment!
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2009/10/04/top-macguffins-in-cinema/A MacGuffin is a term coined by famous director Alfred Hitchcock (and used... more
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One thing that every geek can do is quote their favorite geek-culture media, whether it’s movies, books, television, theater or music. The GeekDads have tried to compile a list of such quotes for your enjoyment. This list is certainly not definitive. Indeed, it’s only the beginning! Feel free to add your own (clean) ones in the comments below.
#52 “Would you say I have a plethora of piñatas?” - El Guapo, ¡Three Amigos!
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/01/100-quotes-every-geek-should-know/One thing that every geek can do is quote their favorite geek-culture media, whether... more
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