James Nesbitt Interview:Says RA is Master Horseman(link below) + THE HOBBIT Name Generator -- finally something concrete *winks*

HOBBIT News: Thanks to today's report from richardarmitagenet.com we know that fellow dwarf James Nesbitt had complimentary comments about RA's horsemanship skills.  Good excuse to reminisce..

http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/at-the-movies/a307731/james-nesbitt-talks-the-hobbit.html

As a newbie to the LOTR trilogy, this seems to be an appropriate place to insert a vid of my fav baddies amongst many.  The orcs are stunningly ugly but the black riders are uncannily eerie yet somehow elegant.  Their persistant pursuit of Froddo was the only time I'd truly felt apprehension for his safety in all 3 films,,,errr,,,that humungous black spider might've caused my skin to crawl slightly as well;)

Visual Tweet Update:

Immediate Disclaimer:)  This was not my idea..must admit it didn't take much effort for Sue's suggestion  to take hold.  Obviously we have far too much time on our hands in this lead up to THE HOBBIT filming;)  Anyway, Sue commented on Daniel Craig's appearance in drag yesterday, for International Womens Day..then wondered aloud what RA might look like in same situation.  She has high hopes for him as a glamorous female - doesn't all that stubble spoil the effect..*chuckling*

Your fav GoG shirt...

RA reading poet Ted Hughes letters - creatively used to show what would've been a similar situation if Guy and Marian had actually lived and experienced ep 13 of Robin Hood2...

Reveal my Hobbit name:
Belba Danderfluff of Willowbottom

[DanderFLUFF..is it a positive omen?;]
http://chriswetherell.com/hobbit/

You also have an elven name:
Nellas Calmcacil

[Calmacil sounds like a pharmaceutical sedative of some sort, doesn't it;)...I'll stay with Danderfluff thank you]
http://chriswetherell.com/elf/

NZ tour guide's culinary delights recommendations for those of you planning a visit:

Tour guide’s favorite spots  in Wellington, NZ area ( Cafes and such)

>The best coffee and best chocolate (my two weaknesses) can be found at Ciocco cafe, on Tory Street. It's a tiny little place and you could walk past it three times before you noticed it, but the chocolate is from Schoc in Greytown, and pretty much unbeatable. Disclosure - the guy is a good friend of mine, but only because I go there so often! For breakfast there's no going past Sweet Mother's Kitchen in Courtenay Place (near the Embassy Cinema)<
Ciocco, chocolaterie & espresso bar, Wellington NZ
http://www.ciocco.co/
http://www.sweetmotherskitchen.co.nz/
Scorch-o-Rama Cafe, all on the Miramar Peninsula ("Wellywood central");
http://www.scorchorama.co.nz/
Menu looks delish http://www.scorchorama.co.nz/menus.html
http://www.middleearthnews.net/2011/03/q-with-man-who-walks-lotr-everyday.html

Sir Ian's public photo gallery..there are definitely beautiful saving graces to compensate for the frequent quake threats..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ianmckellen/sets/72157626042104417/

Spooks9 writers li'l joke captured by bccmee...

Answer to poll query:  'KING LEAR' Excerpt:

"O, reason not the need: our basest beggars

Are in the poorest thing superfluous:
Allow not nature more than nature needs,
Man's life's as cheap as beast's: thou art a lady;
If only to go warm were gorgeous,
Why, nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear'st,
Which scarcely keeps thee warm. But, for true need,--
You heavens, give me that patience, patience I need!
You see me here, you gods, a poor old man,
As full of grief as age; wretched in both!
If it be you that stir these daughters' hearts
Against their father, fool me not so much
To bear it tamely; touch me with noble anger,
And let not women's weapons, water-drops,
Stain my man's cheeks! No, you unnatural hags,
I will have such revenges on you both,
That all the world shall--I will do such things,--
What they are, yet I know not: but they shall be
The terrors of the earth. You think I'll weep
No, I'll not weep:
I have full cause of weeping; but this heart
Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws,
Or ere I'll weep. O fool, I shall go mad!"

             

                             

Richard Armitage & Andrew Lincoln in SB uploaded by JoniaRogue + RA Profile:"King Under the Mountain Himself" + Sir Ian's Latest + Gimli Quote + Hunky is as Hunky Does ;) [despite recent blood-sucking vampire results:] Evidence Provided - You Decide...

 

THE HOBBIT happenings:  webmaster Rob Irwin of Sydney begins his profile with "the king under the mountain himself," and with the words "a very erudite man"  he acknowledged that he found RA's interview answers to be very nuanced and thorough.  [R:  IMO, one of the first glimmerings of beginning of the world's discovery of a super bright rising star]  http://kingunderthemountain.com/2011/03/07/hobbit-profile-richard-armitage/

Rest of quoted RA interview:
http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/in-conversation-with-richard-armitage/

Weta workshop auction results for earthquake relief:
http://kingunderthemountain.com/

                                 

                                

                                

Sir Ian’s latest journal post:

>For someone recovering from major abdominal surgery, Peter is looking better than fine, though it's still a surprise to see a slim-line rather than cherubic PJ, remembering first time round when there was always a tempting bowl of sweets ("candy" to the Americans and "lollies" to the Kiwis) by the director's chair. His eyes seem darker, more pronounced, more purposeful. He showed me his scar and said he is raring to go.

He suggests we should start talking through the script next week. Meanwhile he showed me the preliminary make-up designs for the dwarves, each utterly himself and yet dwarvish. Lots of hair and braids and some jewellery. My first glimpse of Gimli's ancestors.<
http://www.mckellen.com/cinema/hobbit-movie/110304.htm

Sir Peter Jackson’s NZ auditorium with sound-mixing control boards...  http://www.kristinthompson.net/blog/?p=2096

THE HOBBIT: Dwarf prosthetics comments - including quote from Gimli of LOTR who turned down the offer to reappear in The Hobbit:    http://theprelude.net/?p=87

Few facts about Thorin Oakenshield:
--Gandalf remembered Bilbo Baggins yearning for adventure and decided the latter might join forces with Thorin Oakenshield in order to start a quest to recapture the dwarf‘s homeland from Smaug the dragon.

--The wizard persuaded Thorin to consider a plan for a silent attack on the dragon by taking a hobbit as his secret weapon. Hobbits were stealthy, dwarves were not.

--Thorin had a haughty disregard for hobbits. He thought of them as merely food-growers.

--At one point Gandalf said to the head dwarf - “your own ideas are those of a King, Thorin Oakenshield; but your kingdom is gone. If it is to be restored, which I doubt, it must be from small beginnings.. I wonder if you fully realise the strength of a great Dragon."

--Thorin was the grandson of Thror. His Halls were in the Blue Mountains. There he agonized over the loss of the treasure of his forefathers.

--The leader of the dwarves expressed an immense sense of inherited duty to take revenge on Smaug the dragon (a sense of duty was taken very seriously by dwarves)

--Thorin was proud, obstinate and with a burning grudge.

              

               

                                

        There's no way...*shaking head in disbelief* :) in what alternative universe is this...

                           

hotter than...

              One of the beautiful settings to be found in upcoming Game of Thrones....

Around the world with Richard Armitage fans…Lucas & Jo…if only..

                              

Guy and Marian...
               

Original Review of Tolkien's THE HOBBIT + New N&S Vid:Weightless + Russian Lesson During 2007 Interview + Hobbit Size Barrel + New James Nesbitt(The Hobbit) Interview + Richard Armitage Pix

The original review of Tolkien's THE HOBBIT is being auctioned on ebay.  It was written by the author's friend CS Lewis and was published in The Times on Oct 8, 1937.

                                      New North and South vid byutubeacct2008..
                             

[UPDATE: Evidently the full pilot was only available for a week.  Now there's a lengthy trailer on the website.  First ep will be April 1.]  The new STARZ series CAMELOT will premiere on Apr 1, but the pilot episode is already available for viewing at the following website.  A reading of the cast looks like old home week for RA fans.  Sinead Cusack(Hannah Thornton) plays Sybil, Clive Standen(Guy & Robin's brother,RH3) is Gawain, and the last is actually associated with Sean Bean rather than RA - It's Darah O'Malley(Patrick in the Sharpe series) is Leodegrance. Many RA fans also enjoy that show.  CAMELOT was filmed in Co Wicklow, Irl(been there..beautiful landscapes)

http://www.starz.com/originals/Camelot

Upcoming new book might be of interest for avid Tolkien fans..

http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-4636-0

Listen as Richard describes that other remarkable British hovercraft - The Harriers

http://blogs.yourdiscovery.com/whats-new/2011/02/hms-ark-royal.html

Past posts of the Day: Jan 2010 - Strike Back publicity party..

http://allthingsrarmitage.blogspot.com/2010/01/richard-armitage-at-sky-publicity-party.html

and Apr 2010 - Strike Back Premiere..

http://allthingsrarmitage.blogspot.com/2010/04/strike-back-premiere-photos-thank-you.html

Here's the most adorable story about recent filming preparations for THE HOBBIT.  Apparently barrel riding scenes will be shot at the Aratiatia Rapids in NZ.  It's a popular tourist destination which will be shut down for 4 days.  Sweetest part of the story is the following pic - the barrels are pink in order to be properly filmed and there's a wee hobbit size barrel along side the dwarves..so cute..

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/02/26/42456-exclusive-barrel-riding-test-photos-at-aratiatia-rapids/

Russian lesson from Britu21 as you watch this Sept 2007 interview about filming RH2..apparently the Hungarian insects had all the fun ;) buzzzzz

NEWS: Thank you Musa for the information on today's James Nesbitt interview about THE HOBBIT..

http://www.beehivecity.com/radio/james-nesbitt-tells-absolute-radio-about-the-hobbit-and-new-zealand-earthquakes-986231/

Musa mused how RA might look with a Thorin wig and perhaps a braid(kept the latter to minimum..not fond of them on men;)  Apologies to the actor - he'll without a doubt look far better...