The Hobbit Film Trilogy Thread

[Incanus 5,714]

Four legs! There are four legs!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Faleel 5,348]

Some images from the DOS Calendar

http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Hobbit/HobbitStills/album/index5.html

And Beorn from the german Calendar:

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Barnald 365]

He'll be good in the film. I have faith in Persbrandt...

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[gkgyver 1,645]

It's an improvement over Radagast, be grateful for what you get!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Barnald 365]

I guess they were trying to avoid the 'Hagrid Mk II' or 'Giant Dwarf' route.

In other news, the Appendices apparently suggest that Azog is only CGI because PJ realized too late he should have kept Conan Stevens, whose original design apparently resembled the final Azog. So Stevens originally looked more like Azog before he looked like Bolg.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[alicebrallice 134]

the score + beorn and persbrandt are like the main reasons why I'm still excited about this film... sure, he looks far from how I pictured him but he does indeed look way better than in the previous sneak peeks. I ain't letting no negativity affect me!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

Yes, let's all relax about designs, production woes, Popes, and look forward to a rollicking good time!

[Incanus 5,714]

Some images from the DOS Calendar

http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Hobbit/HobbitStills/album/index5.html

And Beorn from the german Calendar:

He looks more like a badger than a bear. And those eye brows!

But I am sure Persbrandt will deliver on the performance.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Barnald 365]

I guess they were trying to avoid the 'Hagrid Mk II' or 'Giant Dwarf' route.

Which is cool. The reason they tried something different is valid, and I'm OK with that. The reason I don't like Beorn's design is not because it doesn't fit the book's description. It's just that I find the end result less than stellar (yes, I know: "Wait and see until you see it on the big screen to make a judgment". But let's face it: will it look that different?).

In other news, the Appendices apparently suggest that Azog is only CGI because PJ realized too late he should have kept Conan Stevens, whose original design apparently resembled the final Azog. So Stevens originally looked more like Azog before he looked like Bolg.

Yeah. We talked about that. Apparently, Bolg's design was Azog's original design. See here.

Before that though, Conan Stevens was made-up to look something more like the Azog we know (and love?). There's pics over at TORN showing the various design stages before he arrived at the Bolg look.

And to complicate things, the Yazneg in the final film is not how Azog originally looked when played by John Rawls. I believe it was more of a Freddy Krueger old-man look, like the figure:

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Barnald 365]

This is where it gets really weird - apparently, while Rawls is still credited as Yazneg, the reshoots (I'm guessing all the Yazneg bits? Weathertop for sure) saw him played by movement coach Terry Notary.

[Jay 37,364]

My head hurts

[Incanus 5,714]

Azog here, Yaznek there, there are Orcsies everywhere!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,364]

[SafeUnderHill 205]

[gkgyver 1,645]

Tracking has nothing to lose in a Middle-Earth movie, only at the uttermost end of need. Period.

[KK 3,307]

This sounds nice, for all those who don't like the Hobbit grading.

My favourite new scene was Bilbo in the market. I just loved the look of it. It felt like... 'home . For the first time in the entire movie it really looked and felt like Lord Of The Rings again. It wasn't over done with colour grading or on a set it looked exactly like something out of the original trilogy. And it was a very funny scene as well!

http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?guest=95828165&do%3Dpost_view_flat%3Bsb%3Dpost_time%3Bso%3DDESC%3Bpost%3D656429=View+Flat+Mode#656429

Even though some music is tracked from FOTR, at least they credit the track in the credits and this surely means no other music is actually copied from the LOTR recordings, since they would have credited it.

Copying LotR recordings...re-recording the exact same piece with a "new" recording....they're both the same crime.

[Once 605]

This sounds nice, for all those who don't like the Hobbit grading.

My favourite new scene was Bilbo in the market. I just loved the look of it. It felt like... 'home . For the first time in the entire movie it really looked and felt like Lord Of The Rings again. It wasn't over done with colour grading or on a set it looked exactly like something out of the original trilogy. And it was a very funny scene as well!

http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?guest=95828165&do%3Dpost_view_flat%3Bsb%3Dpost_time%3Bso%3DDESC%3Bpost%3D656429=View+Flat+Mode#656429

Even though some music is tracked from FOTR, at least they credit the track in the credits and this surely means no other music is actually copied from the LOTR recordings, since they would have credited it.

I saw the scene on youtube the other day, but now the video is removed. The tracking annoyed me a bit.

[Jay 37,364]

Well I'm going to watch the EE of AUJ now. Thinking about liveblogging it.... not sure if here on on Facebook, hmmm
Screw it, I'll do it in both places.

Still a super noticeable music edit when the The Hobbit title card appears, and it switches to the insert

Such a shame they build a Dale set indoors instead of filming outdoors, looks so fake.

Same actor playing Thrain in the prologue, they didn't change that

First new scene! Thranduil arrives in Erebor to pay homage, Thror presents a chest full of crystal jewels that Thranduil deeply admires. Bilbo has done great narration here, and it even cuts back to him in Bag End, looking sadly contemplative as he narrates about old feuds and wondering how they started. Really good scene! Music seemed looped from what we already had before.

Smaug's attack on Dale seemed extended from the theatrical, with more destruction. Don't remember if a shot of someone blowing a giant horn was there before. The shot from all the DOS trailers of someone shooting a giant arrow at Smaug was inserted too.

Smaug 's design seemed changed. In the shot of his hands opening the door they seemed bigger; but overall he seemed more slender.

Still a damn shame PJ removed Thorin's theme from his charge

When Thorin calls for Thranduil to help and Thranduil refuses, this scene has more weight now with the prior Thranduil scene. Pretty cool actually. Bilbo still narrates that Thranduil didn't want to risk the lives of his men against a dragon, but the expression on his and Thorin's faces speak to the prior scene now.

Ooh, neat! After the end of the prologue with "and he never forgave, and he never forgot" as Thorin is making that sword, it smash cuts to a shot of a giant firework going off in Hobbiton and Hobbits celebrating, as Bilbo narrates "far away in another corner of the world, dragons where only make believe, a party trick conjured by Wizards on Mid Summer's eve". It shows young Bilbo partying with Gandalf, his mother comes and grabs him. Very nice little scene! Bilbo then narrates this this isn't where the story really begins, and it cuts back to the house where he is writing and continues from there with "In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit", etc. The entire party scene is scored with Flaming Red Hair, btw.

Nothing new in the Old Bilbo / Frodo scene that I noticed.

Bilbo talking to Gandalf about Old Took's fireworks now has more meaning with the prior scene, very nice.

Bilbo has two extra lines as he walks into his house telling Gandalf to go away, and the music is looped

Oh, very cool! After the scene of Bilbo in his house looking out the window and Gandalf makes the mark and he watches Gandalf leave, it cuts to a shot of him looking just as worried as he leaves his house later in the day. He walks through Hobbiton and arrives as a market with lots of Hobbits doing Hobbity things and selling meats and fish and fruits and vegetables, etc. One of the Hobbits looked JUST like Sean Austin! A Hobbit tries to sell Bilbo a giant tuber, and Bilbo asks him if he's seen a Wizard. As the other Hobbit describes Gandalf, Bilbo notices what looks like Gandalf's hat going by and he tries to hide, but it's just a blanket on top of things. It then cuts to a new exterior shot of Bag End at night time, before continuing as before with Dwalin showing up. The entire marketplace scene is scored with "Bag End" from FOTR

Nothing new with all the dwarves showing up that I noticed

Haha! When Bifur speaks to Bilbo, now there's a new bit where Oin tells Bilbo that he has an injury "From the axe in his head?" Bilbo says, and Oin says "No not dead, just between the ears" or something like that The music was just looped I believe.

Everything else through Blunt the Knives and Thorin arriving seemed the same

The entire rest of the Hobbiton sequence didn't have anything new that I noticed.

Nothing new all the way through Bilbo joining the party and the night camp on the cliff. Long stretch with no new scenes now!

Moria flashback looks the same, same awful color grading and "filmed on a set" feel. Didn't notice if Thrain actor was changed here or not (he is at this battle right?)

The entire Radagast sequence seemed identical to before as well. It's been a long time now since any new footage!

The entire troll sequence had no new footage either!!

Still no footage through the troll-hoard sequence and Radagast's flashback to Dol Goldur story. Never would have guessed there'd be so long a stretch of no new footage!!

Man do I love the unreleased cue as the first 2 wargs show up!!!!!!! Didn't notice anything new through the entire Warg chase into Rivendell either. Yawwwwnnnn.

OMG, FINALLY! The first new scene since Bifur's tiny new bit in Hobbiton is at Rivendell. The entire arrival at Rivendell is the same, as is Elrond's meeting of the company, and the start of the dinner scene. Then Kili notices the harp-playing elf and is clearly attracted to her, but tells the other's he doesn't fancy elves because the aren't hairy enough Then he points out one that isn't bad, which turns out to be a male elf Funny scene, which helps set up the Kili/Tauriel romance in DOS.

After Elrond describes the swords they got from the troll-hoard, there's more new footage! Thorin excuses himself when Elrond asks what they were doing on the Great East Road, and then Elrond asks Gandalf what he's doing with 13 dwarves and a halfling. Gandalf explains how they are from the line of Durin, but then they are all complaining about the music so Bofur gets on a table and sings a dwarf song! This leads to a food fight. Another good addition!

BTW, Bofur's song had no background music, and the extended dinner stuff was scored with a longer version of Shore's "The Valley Of Imladris" source cue.

OK, this is bad. After Bofur's song, it quickly cuts to Thorin, Elrond, Gandalf, and Bilbo being in that indoor place talking about Thorin's map, with no explanation of why they are there, just picking up with "our business is no concern of elves" line. This line starting the scene made sense in the theatrical, because it came right after Elrond asked "What were you doing on the Great East Road" in the theatrical. They should have ADRed in some other line here to have the scene make more sense coming after Bofur's song! Very sloppy. Also the scene not having any score until Thorin takes out the map made sense with the theatrical flow, but here it was odd and should have had some score added.

Another new scene! After the Weatherop scene, which is unchanged, it cuts to Bilbo wandering around Rivendell, and coming across the Shards of Narsil and the painting of Isildur facing Sauron. As he looks at it, you hear battle sounds and glimpses of Sauron's theme. Very cool. Then, it cuts to Bilbo wandering around outside, and he takes in the air and seems to be loving everything about RIvndell. Elrond then finds him and they have the conversation we've seen before. Really good performances by both actors here. Elrond basically tells Bilbo he is welcome to stay in Rivendell if he wishes, as Bilbo had expressed concern that he didn't fit in with the company. This was all very good stuff!!

I think the music was entirely from the White Council Extended Edition, though part of it might have been replaced by tracked music.

Next comes Elrond walking with Lindir, who notices all the dwarves bathing and having chicken fights in a large fountain, all naked. Pretty funny.

After the scene where Bombur crashes down after Bofur tosses him a sausage, it now cuts to Bilbo walking alone up some steps instead of cutting right to Elrond and Gandalf talking. Bilbo overhears Gandalf and Elrond talking about Smaug and how Elrond fears waking him. Gandalf insists its a good idea to try to take back Erebor and Elrond reminds Gandalf that both Thror and Thrain succumbed to dragon sickness. We now see that Thorin is listening to them talk along with Bilbo. It then cuts to Gandalf and Elrond walking up the stairs as seen in the theatricalre. All of these was good stuff that shouldn't have been cut.

Awesome new bit during the White Council! After Saruman says "Sauron is vanquished, he can never again regain his full strength", in the theatrical Elrond jumps right in with "Gandalf, for 400 years we have lived in peace". But here, Gandalf instead talks about the 7 Dwarven Rings, and how 4 were consumed by dragons, 2 were taken by Sauron before he fell in Mordor, and that the whereabouts of the final ring, Thrain's, is unknown. Saruman then reminds Gandalf that without the One Ring, the other rings cannot be controlled anyway. Saruman then says how the ring was lost long long ago, and swept out to sea by the waters of the Anduin. Then Elrond comes in with his "400 years" line, and it all makes more sense.

This was a great addition! It was cool to introduce what the One Ring Bilbo will find is here, and also Thrain's ring seems to set up when he will appear in DOS (which I'm sure was originally in Film 1 when there was only 2)

Oddly, no Ring Theme was used when Saruman mentioned the One Ring! Not sure if the music used here was looped, new, or unused from the album.

Bilbo's remorse at leaving Rivendell now makes much more sense with all the extra scenes of him wandering around!

No extra dialogue or anything with Gandalf and Galadriel's goodbye scene, or the company's journey to the mountains and the escape from the stone giants

Nothing new in the cave sequence, but Bilbo wanting to leave now seems to not just be a reaction to Thorin chewing him out after the Stone Giants, but also a result of his time in Rivendell. Neat.

Yikes. After Bilbo falls fighting that one goblin, there is this giant new sequence where as the company is brought to the Goblin King, he sings this entire song about Goblin Town and how they torture people. It was pretty bad and grinds the film to a complete stop. The CGI was pretty bad too. Some things are best left on the cutting room floor!

Then, after the Goblin King tells the other goblins to search them, instead of going right into him asking the company what they are doing in these parts, there is a sequence where they actually look at what they find with their search, which makes way more sense. They find a stash of things the dwarves stole from Rivendell (which they were seen doing during the EE dinner scene), and the Goblin King recognizes them as being made in Rivendell during the Second Age. Then in answer to his question about what they are doing there, there is a funny bit where Oin then Bofur speaks to him. Bofur really gets the most amount of new stuff in the EE!

Entire Riddles in the Dark sequence is identical to before. Getting sleepy, is there anything new at the end of the film?

BTW, The Goblin King's second song, after the Riddles in the Dark sequence, is completely identical to before.

Nothing new at all in the film after the extra Goblin King bits. Even Smaug at the end was identical to before

End credits begin running at 2:52:22 of the EE compared to 2:39:34 of the TE, meaning the film proper is 12:48 longer

Extra "cute Hobbit children" listed in the EE end credits compared to theatrical.

Overall film is 3:02:28 compared to 2:49:37, so I guess the end credits are 3 seconds longer...

New song credits:

"FLAMING RED HAIR"

Music Composed and Performed by David Donaldson, David Long, Stephen Roche, Janet Roddick with Peter Daly, Chris O'Connor, Ruairidh Morrison, Grant Shearer

Courtesy of Mana Music

"BAG END"

Music Composed and Produced by Howard Shore

"MAN IN THE MOON"

Music Composed by James Nesbitt

Performed by James Nesbitt

"GOBLIN-TOWN"

Lyrics by Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh

Music Composed by Stephen Gallagher

Produced by Stephen Gallagher

Performed by Barry Humphries

(These last credits are identical to "Torture Song" BTW)

[Incanus 5,714]

Thank you very much for that run down of the EE Jason!

And as PJ said this film would not have a lot of additions (it was a long one to begin with) and he really meant it. Good to know not all of the extensins revolve around dwarven humour and shenanigans. Shame about the music tracking. Sadly the Hobbit films veer again a bit toward generic Hollywood blockbuster where music is just another easily cuttable raw material for the sound and music editors to work with.

I am not sure how I like Smaug being changed (the rumors of him having only 2 legs instead of 4 was disappointing when Tolkien himself depicted him with 4). If he is going to get more like John Howe's designs then I am happy but if PJ is doing one of his excess and "let's do something completely off the wall" stunts I will probably be enormously hurt and miffed. It is amazing that they changed Smaug so late in the game, between the first two movies. I wonder what prompted the design change.

[Jay 37,364]

Smaug really looked the same to me honestly... he certainly was at the end of the film. Let me compare the prologue Smaug again now.

[Incanus 5,714]

Shouldn't that last performer be Barry Humphries?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,364]

Typo fixed.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

I want Fred Willard as Huan in a Silmarillion adaptation.

[Jay 37,364]

Nah BB, the EE was overall better than the TC. All the extra scenes were either good background stuff or funny stuff.... the only bad scene was the Goblin-Town song. Yuck!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,364]

Those are all VERY short bits.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,364]

Kinda strange they credited the tracked FOTR cue as "Bag End" and not "Concerning Hobbits", the more poetic not to mention recognizable name.

OK, I just compared the prologues.

They did change ONE shot of Smaug for sure (the times he is shown are so quick it's hard to tell). It's the shot at 6:58 of the TC where you see Smaug's feet stamping down a hallway. In the EE, they've been replaced with thinner legs that have longer nails.

[Incanus 5,714]

Kinda strange they credited the tracked FOTR cue as "Bag End" and not "Concerning Hobbits", the more poetic not to mention recognizable name.

OK, I just compared the prologues.

They did change ONE shot of Smaug for sure (the times he is shown are so quick it's hard to tell). It's the shot at 6:58 of the TC where you see Smaug's feet stamping down a hallway. In the EE, they've been replaced with thinner legs that have longer nails.

And the legs? 2 or 4?!!!!