# The Hobbit movie(s) anticipation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969 "2010-10-22T02:44:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/501 "2012-12-08T22:50:13Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > So what happened to Sauron between the off-stage events in The Hobbit and LOTR such that he became the great eye thingie? > > Sauron rebuilds the Barad-dûr! : [http://www.henneth-annun.net/resources/events\_view.cfm?EVID=830](http://www.henneth-annun.net/resources/events_view.cfm?EVID=830) So he regarded the change as an improvement? Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/502 "2012-12-08T23:20:59Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > So he regarded the change as an improvement? > Roddy Absolutely. Sauron was spanked out of his Necromancer digs and went right to Mordor. Possibly the re-emergence of the One Ring had something to do with his ability. As long as it still existed - Sauron was good to go. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/503 "2012-12-09T01:01:39Z")
In _The Really Unfinished Tales_, Tolkien revealed that Sauron won a drawing at Home Depot and was able to finish the Barad-Dur rebuild even sooner than he’d hoped. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/504 "2012-12-09T01:12:19Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > In _The Really Unfinished Tales_, Tolkien revealed that Sauron won a drawing at Home Depot and was able to finish the Barad-Dur rebuild even sooner than he’d hoped. Ty Pennington called that episode his hardest yet… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/505 "2012-12-09T02:28:29Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > In _The Really Unfinished Tales_, Tolkien revealed that Sauron won a drawing at Home Depot and was able to finish the Barad-Dur rebuild even sooner than he’d hoped. You’re just saying that because Tolkien wrote those words for your character. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/506 "2012-12-09T02:41:51Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > You’re just saying that because Tolkien wrote those words for your character. 😉 You’re a brave man. Go and break through the lines. And remember, while you’re out there risking your life and limb through shot and shell, we’ll be in be in here thinking what a sucker you are. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/507 "2012-12-09T16:54:44Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > Honestly, who would you rather have working on the films, the Hildebrandts or Howe and Lee? Honestly, the Hildebrandts, and based on the preview footage compiled upthread it looks like Jackson may have moved in that direction. A lot of the scenes are drenched in color, which looks more like the Brothers than Howe or Lee. I only know Howe and Lee from the links you provided, but neither seems to have a consistent vision of Middle Earth. The art in the links was largely monochrome and was generally moody details rather than scenes. Really I don’t see the art in those links as being closely related to the LOTR films. I won’t defend the Hildebrandts’ accuracy as Tolkien translators, but they built a visually striking Middle Earth. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/508 "2012-12-10T15:25:03Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Honestly, the Hildebrandts, and based on the preview footage compiled upthread it looks like Jackson may have moved in that direction. A lot of the scenes are drenched in color, which looks more like the Brothers than Howe or Lee. You can’t take the previews as the final word. The digital Red cameras, for some reason, do not produce usable color directly. Every single shot has to be color corrected. One of the Production Diaries linked in this thread has a lot of information about the Red Digital cameras, the correction process and how shockingly garish the actual sets were. Any regular video or stills shot on one of those sets would have to have the same correction applied to look the same as the finished production. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/509 "2012-12-10T15:36:20Z")
I found The Brothers’ visions of Tolkien garish & saccharine; _never_ liked any of their work. Very glad that Lee & Howe were chosen as the lead artists for the films. Yes, their book illustrations sometimes did just “suggest”–but their continuing involvement with Jackson, _et al.,_ has been a great benefit. (I recently watched the _LOTR_ “extras” again; both artists produced conceptual work but also did hands-on work. And I get a bit of an “odd couple” vibe–gentle, hippie Alan Lee sharing space with John Howe, who does military enactment in his “spare” time.) Now–surely The Hobbit will have lots of “special” stuff, too! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/510 "2012-12-10T19:10:26Z")
I’m seeing the film later this week. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/511 "2012-12-10T20:52:28Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > You can’t take the previews as the final word. The digital Red cameras, for some reason, do not produce usable color directly. Every single shot has to be color corrected. One of the Production Diaries linked in this thread has a lot of information about the Red Digital cameras, the correction process and how shockingly garish the actual sets were. Any regular video or stills shot on one of those sets would have to have the same correction applied to look the same as the finished production. IIRC from those clips, it’s the 3D process that robs the color saturation, not specifically the cameras. But I don’t recall them going into further detail then that, so perhaps I didn’t see the right clip. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/512 "2012-12-10T22:11:40Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’m seeing the film later this week. You and about a gazillion other folks - we have our tickets in hand for Saturday night - it’s going to be hell avoiding the threads here until then. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/513 "2012-12-10T22:37:08Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > IIRC from those clips, it’s the 3D process that robs the color saturation, not specifically the cameras. But I don’t recall them going into further detail then that, so perhaps I didn’t see the right clip. Maybe the cameras have some filter or have to bounce off half-silvered mirrors. But I thought they were physically small enough that they could get a pair human eye distance apart with no special tricks. Doubtless this first film will be the subject of a cover article of _American Cinematographer_ magazine. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/514 "2012-12-11T05:16:52Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Maybe the cameras have some filter or have to bounce off half-silvered mirrors. But I thought they were physically small enough that they could get a pair human eye distance apart with no special tricks. Doubtless this first film will be the subject of a cover article of _American Cinematographer_ magazine. Actually I recall the camera rig they showed in the clips, which showed that they couldn’t get two cameras looking straight-on in a stereoscopic pair and they had to bounce the image through a mirror to at least one of the REDs to get the proper separation. It was quite clever. But I don’t think that has anything to do with the saturation problem; mirrors shouldn’t be a big deal. My recollection is that the 3D “compositing” (is there a more correct term?) of the two cameras robbed color saturation, but I should go back and view the clips; it’s been a bit and I don’t recall what detail they went into about that specific issue. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/515 "2012-12-11T21:28:10Z")
I just checked Friday’s schedule at our local 21-screen cinema. Twenty one screens, you have your choice of four different movies playing: - The Hobbit (IMAX 3D) - The Hobbit (HFR 3D) - The Hobbit (3D) - The Hobbit They should give the guy who sets up the marquee the night off. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/516 "2012-12-11T21:43:24Z")
The film is very long. Is there a natural bladder break? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/517 "2012-12-11T21:45:59Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The film is very long. Is there a natural bladder break? I’ll not drink during the movie, a bladder break sounds painful. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/518 "2012-12-11T21:54:29Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The film is very long. Is there a natural bladder break? Obviously, I don’t know what Jackson put into the Rivendell scene, but if he follows the book, that’s a good place. It should be roughly halfway through the first film, and absolutely nothing happens there except a bunch of silly elves singing and dancing and piling provisions on the party. Once they leave Rivendell, it’s pretty much all action or important plot (I think the first film ends with just after the Riddle contest. I don’t know if the Eagles are in this one, though. So I’m going to guesstimate it’ll end anywhere from Bilbo’s escape from the mountain to Beorn’s provisioning of the party and them entering Mirkwood. I’d guess Eagles, because the whole rescue comes pretty close after the escape and the trek from the Carrock to Beorn’s is a natural bridge for the first and second movie. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/519 "2012-12-11T22:47:30Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Obviously, I don’t know what Jackson put into the Rivendell scene, but if he follows the book, that’s a good place. It should be roughly halfway through the first film, and absolutely nothing happens there except a bunch of silly elves singing and dancing and piling provisions on the party. Once they leave Rivendell, it’s pretty much all action or important plot (I think the first film ends with just after the Riddle contest. I don’t know if the Eagles are in this one, though. So I’m going to guesstimate it’ll end anywhere from Bilbo’s escape from the mountain to Beorn’s provisioning of the party and them entering Mirkwood. I’d guess Eagles, because the whole rescue comes pretty close after the escape and the trek from the Carrock to Beorn’s is a natural bridge for the first and second movie. I think you’re forgettingthe secret message on the mapwhich is quite important later. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969/520 "2012-12-11T23:04:31Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I think you’re forgettingthe secret message on the mapwhich is quite important later. Yes, I am. I thought that came much earlier (as in, the dwarves knew about it from the beginning). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hobbit-movie-s-anticipation-thread/557969.md?page=27)