Read tweets from bottom: EricVespeEric Vespe @
@merilyn066 They both do. Absolutely. And your boy does, too, btw. 7 Jan
@merilyn066Merilyn
@EricVespe PJ must have a wicked & dark sense of humour!
7 Jan
EricVespeEric Vespe
Before winning the Oscar for Into the West, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson wrote this song (and it's even better): http://tinyurl.com/7fabll3
Thanks for the Alert, Musa: RA’s agent returned from her holiday in NZ and describes some of her experiences including having him as a tour guide on The Hobbit set....not that we're turning green with envy:)
http://joannascarrattuabrands.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/back-from-new-zealand/
SAW IT on TWITTER:
Following restaurant review is of interest to The Hobbit devotees. The main course is Beef Wellington but that fact doesn't signal it's location is in NZ - rather it's in California. Reading the menu descriptions has caused me to ponder whether Bilbo or Thorin would feel more at home partaking of a 7-course dinner at The Hobbit:
Hobbit forming: will Peter Jackson give Tolkien's story a new ending?
The dark arts of film demanded Jackson ham up the love story in LOTR, but bringing the Necromancer – later Sauron – into The Hobbit's denouement could break the story's spell altogether
Fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy who have also read the original JRR Tolkien books will no doubt remember the uncomfortable moment in The Return of the King when Hugo Weaving's Elrond rocks up rather randomly at Dunharrow and starts spouting nonsense about Arwen's fate being tied inextricably to the fate of the ring. It wasn't in the book, and it wouldn't have been in the movie had Jackson and his team not been determined to give the romance between Aragorn and his elven belle more screen time in line with Hollywood convention.
Never mind, most of us thought, forgiving a film-making team that had pulled off a minor miracle in bringing Tolkien's fantasy work to the big screen at all, and managed to do so with great care and brio. I wonder if we'll be so generous if new rumours that Jackson is planning to change the end of The Hobbit turn out to have any basis in fact.
Empire online spoke recently to Benedict Cumberbatch, the Sherlock star suspected of possessing his own magic ring that requires all major Hollywood directors to cast him in their latest productions. As well as voicing the dragon Smaug and the Necromancer (who morphs into evil eye Sauron for the Lord of the Rings) in Jackson's two-part take on The Hobbit, the British actor is also in line for a turn as the major villain in JJ Abrams's Star Trek II and is currently starring as Major Stewart in Steven Spielberg's Oscar-tipped War Horse. If you don't want to know anything about his Hobbity ventures before December 2013, when second instalment There and Back Again hits cinemas, TURN AWAY NOW.
"I'm playing Smaug through motion-capture and voicing the Necromancer, which is a character in the Five Legions War or something which I'm meant to understand," Cumberbatch told Empire. "He's not actually in the original Hobbit. It's something [Peter Jackson]'s taken from Lord of the Rings that he wants to put in there."
Hang on a minute. The Necromancer at the Battle of Five Armies (which is surely what Cumberbatch is referring to here)? Tolkienistas will know that the aforementioned conflict, a five-way rumpus involving dwarves, elves, goblins, wargs and men for the treasures of Erebor, marks the denouement of The Hobbit. There is little indication in the book that it has anything much to do with Sauron, who has recently been kicked out of Mirkwood by the White Council in events we hear about from Gandalf in retrospect. The idea that the Necromancer turns up to lead a battalion of (presumably) goblins seems to come from way out of left field. It's a bit like remaking the original Star Wars trilogy and inserting the ewoks in the first movie (OK, perhaps not quite that bad).
Could Cumberbatch have got it wrong? He does seem a little confused about his Tolkien terminology, so we can only hope that befuddlement is to blame here. With so many different roles to play in 2012 and beyond, who can blame him for getting a little mixed up?
Jackson has already shown a propensity towards presenting The Hobbit in a form which allows it to segue comfortably into the Lord of the Rings, and there's not much wrong with that. After all, Tolkien himself revised his earlier book after delving into deeper, darker territory in its three-part sequel. Few have complained that Galadriel, Saruman and even Legolas are due to appear in The Hobbit, since the book's background events offer Jackson some licence to include them, but allowing the Necromancer to play a major role in the film project's finale seems to me a step too far.
The Hobbit's major villain is Smaug, and nothing should be allowed to undermine that. The mean old worm may be an evil brute with a heart of frozen, inky darkness, but he is unconnected to Sauron and the dark lord's more ambitious machinations. Most would be happy to see the new films prefigure the rise of evil in Middle Earth, but few would expect to see the later books' villain promoted to a major antagonist before his time. By all means let's see the Necromancer get kicked out of Mirkwood, but please keep him well clear of the Lonely Mountain. Mordor is, after all, rather a long way south.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2012/jan/06/the-hobbit-peter-jackson-ending
Correct answer to recent poll question "which one is not RAspeak?":
11% answered correctly that "Leather love" is not a generally accepted RA fan terminology rather the most often used term is 'glove love'.
Meanings of the other mentioned RAspeak abbreviations etc are..
TDHCMO = tall dark handsome cotton mill owner
6 Little words refers to specific words used in a 'Between the Sheets' scene
TOC = Tongue of Concentration
14 comments:
Now I know I'm a hardcore fan. I'm in the 11% who knew the correct answer, as well the meaning of all the other abbreviations!
Lol..excellent - we'll need to think of some really obscure RAspeak to test you further. *watch future polls* :)
Ricrar! Just amazing video of RA on the Red Carpet. Thanks for posting and sharing.
I know he's not crazy about walking down the Red Carpet but he always does it with such charm and humor you have to love him for it :) Plus he was born to wear a tuxedo.
Yes, Musa, I've just remarked that it's unbelievable how Richard during the autograph signings never shows a split second of annoyance or inconvenience. He keeps the pleasantest expression possible on his face the entire time, and moves with such grace from group to group. *thud,wibble,drool*
Imagine our excitement to see him with The Hobbit cast members on the 2013 Oscars red carpet. WooHoo! Be still my heart! You just know they'll be invited to appear - will it be specifically to sing their dwarf songs? Will An Unexpected Journey be nominated as best picture of 2012..despite the fact it will only have been released for a short time.
Ooops! Edit: make that most pleasant.
Is it obvious it's almost bedtime. yawwwn! That's all folks! G'nite!
I love the video footage of Richard signing autographs and talking to fans on the red carpet. I've not seen this footage before, so thank you to whoever's responsible for supplying it and of course to you RiCrAr for putting it on your blog.
One more observation. The fan who was having a pic of her and Richard together taken, I can't help thinking that my arm and hand wouldn't have remained under his arm and around his back. I think my hand may have strayed a little lower to those peaches. He would certainly have a surprised look on his face if that ever happened! Well I always try before I buy and have a little squeeze of fruit to make sure it's absolutely fresh!
PS: It was terrible to hear the news about the deaths those people travelling in a hot air balloon in NZ. Tragic thing to happen. Do you think RA has considered hot air ballooning while in NZ? Apparently it's very popular.
RiCrAr,
Interesting theory that Peter Jackson may alter the ending of the film.
Apparently Tolkien was passed over for the Nobel prize of literature according to some 50 year old archived papers just released in Sweden. It seems he wasn't rated very highly by the jury.
Here's a link to an article on the subject:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/05/jrr-tolkien-nobel-prize?newsfeed=true
Thanks for that link, Sue. IMHO, fantasy probably didn't receive the attention 50yrs ago that it does today.
It's by far not my first choice in reading, but having learned about Tolien's background and his purpose at the time of writing "In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit", it seems clear children were indeed the targeted demographic he originally intended for his Middle Earth tales.
Of course, the table have turned with today's most popular literature. The success of Geo Martin's fantasy - Game of Thrones - signals it's acceptance on a wider scale than in the past. In fact, I've complained more than once that the airwaves are boringly saturated with a preponderance of zombies, vampires, dragons,etc.
teehee to squeezing the peaches, although keep in mind it could get you arrested:)
It seems a few RA 'fans/friends' have had a strong reaction to Fri night's Graham Norton show when a fan of Gerard Butler's in the audience kept correcting the actor about details of his life. I've not yet seen the show but will definitely take a look to see what all the fuss is about.
As for recent happenings in NZ, I'd not heard about the air baloon accident, by have heard one about an oil spill near NZ coastline. A freighter went aground and split in two, unfortunately it contains oil which is expected to wash up on those pristine beaches. IMO, the captain & navigating crew of these ocean-going ships need to be scrutinized better before granting them permission to handle such potentially dangerous cargo.
RiCrAr,
Yes, I'd heard about the oil spill. Apparently this ship ran aground quite a while ago but has only just split in two. There are ways of avoiding such oil spills, by the ship having a double membrane so that it is less likely to leak oil (or anything else) if it wrecks.
I didn't watch the Graham Norton show unfortunately. I don't think the fan should have corrected Gerard Butler's version of things, not very tactful. Perhaps they just wanted some attention. I think Richard may well have made a comment that if he wants to remember what he's done he checks it out on RA websites, which he finds useful for research purposes.
I like the seven-course meal menu, which may sound a lot but the restaurants these days usually only place a paltry amount of food on each plate and arrange it artistically. Personally I'd rather have a plate full of grub than prettily arrange food! Don't fancy the quail much though, not that you'd get more than a pick of meat off them as they are so small, a bit like eating a sparrow I should imagine. I'd advise Richard to go easy on the Brussels sprouts though if he wants a romantic interlude afterwards!!!!(Either that or carry an air freshener in his pocket!)
Hi Sue, I'm trying to remember the interview when Richard said he checks out fan websites when he wants to know what he's done. Thought I'd read all his interviews but that one doesn't sound familiar. Can you remember which show he was promoting at the time of the interview?
I've not watched the GN show either - don't really find his brand of humor very funny, so have not felt compelled to watch it. I am curious however, because I understand Gerard's fan spooked a few of RA's community of friends. It convinced them they might be stalkers.
I'll watch the show and comment about my impression of Butler's reaction to the woman. From the descriptions I've read, it seems he ridiculed her - which really is not wise for someone whose professional life's blood depends on fans/devotees/admirers/supporters/"community of friends". But, then again, Gerard always struck me as a bit rough around the edges - that personality quirk of his could explain his reaction. I will watch the show asap - out of curiosity more than anything else.
Did you notice the Eric Vespe tweet when he told one of RA's community of friends ;) that "her guy has a wicked & dark humor same as Peter Jackson's." Wouldn't we all love to know what sparked that comment. Perhaps a little coaxing will get him to give more details. Surely the cast is due to return soon to NZ?
o.k. I've finally taken the time to watch the GN show and have given my impressions in latest post.
I just want to say that Gerard was a perfect gentleman and did not really ridicule his fan. He did display a quick look of surprise when she reminded him where a photo was taken when he couldn't remember. In a good humored way he said to her "you probably took the photo, didn't you?" haha
It's worth watching the above video of the show, Sue, for the laughs alone. Some hilarious stories including a woman who starts her's by saying she rode an Arab stallion in the desert. You can imagine GN's reaction to that line*giggles*
IMO, both Butler and his *fervent* fan treated each other w/warmth and respect.
Absolutely spot-on there Ricrar!
Thought GB managed 'fan' in a similar way RA would I think. Both seem to be fairly grounded blokes still, with friends and family over here that probably make sure they remain so! And good on them.
Yes, MsG, after the fuss made about the woman and Gerard's reaction to her. I'd expected, upon finally watching the show, to see her ridiculed but was pleasantly surprised a warm exchange between the two of them.
He did seem creeped out for a split second when she identified the photo taken in Hawaii after he couldn't. That was perfectly understandable - he followed his slight grimace with some good humor by saying to her "you took that photo, didn't you?"
I reiterate - supporters/fans/friends are the life's blood of actors and the wise ones know it. RA himself said in an early interview "when you're popular people hire you." It's part of the reality of being a public figure. Those who move into the higher echelon of their profession - like Richard & Gerard - are highly compensated for any inconvenience or perceived lack of privacy.
RiCrAr,
Can't remember the interview Richard did when he mentioned using RA websites to check out things. It was way back, before all the furore about favouritism when leaving messages for fans on websites.
As for the way GB reacted to the fan. I think RA might just have smiled sweetly and said nothing.
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