# The Hunt for Gollum **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 30, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882 "2009-04-30T20:15:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/21 "2009-05-01T16:39:42Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > 1. Wow, it owes a LOT to Jackson’s vision. Which itself owes a great deal to [Ralph Bakshi’s vision](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077869/). I was stunned when I saw Jackson’s _Fellowship_ at how closely the visuals mirrored the animated film (which was really _Fellowship_ and _The Two Towers_ rolled into one movie). ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/22 "2009-05-01T18:15:13Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Which itself owes a great deal to [Ralph Bakshi’s vision](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077869/). I was stunned when I saw Jackson’s _Fellowship_ at how closely the visuals mirrored the animated film (which was really _Fellowship_ and _The Two Towers_ rolled into one movie). [The Balrog in particular.](http://captions.50g.com/pix/bakshilord0310.jpg) Those clown shoes were even MORE terrifying in CGI, if that is possible. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/23 "2009-05-01T18:20:52Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > [The Balrog in particular.](http://captions.50g.com/pix/bakshilord0310.jpg) > > Those clown shoes were even MORE terrifying in CGI, if that is possible. Clown shoes? Clown Shoes?! Those were fuzzy slippers. Everyone knows she was woken from her nap. Clown Shoes indeed! Hmmpf! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/24 "2009-05-01T19:36:29Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > The hunt for Gollum by Aragorn starts in 3001 FA the same year as the Party. > The hunt is renewed in 3009. > Gollum is captured by Sauron in 3017 > February 1, 3018: [Aragorn](http://www.tuckborough.net/aragorn.html) captures [Gollum](http://www.tuckborough.net/gollum.html) in the [Dead Marshes](http://www.tuckborough.net/marshes.html#Dead). > > All from here: [Tuckborough - The Thain's Book](http://www.tuckborough.net/chronology.html#3018) Thanks ---
**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:** [May 1, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/25 "2009-05-01T20:41:35Z")
The Jackson movies compressed the timeline quite a bit from the books, didn’t they? This fan film (which looks pretty cool, I think) could even be set before Bilbo’s eleventy-first birthday party and departure from the Shire. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/26 "2009-05-01T21:04:36Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > [The Balrog in particular.](http://captions.50g.com/pix/bakshilord0310.jpg) > > Those clown shoes were even MORE terrifying in CGI, if that is possible. The Balrog, and especially the Watcher in the Water outside Moria. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/27 "2009-05-01T23:37:04Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > I’m pretty sure that you didn’t read any of that anywhere reliable because Jackson’s production company did not purchase the rights to any books, and no entity called “The Tolkien Estates” (sounds like a low-income British housing development) has anything to do with it. The film rights to “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” (which would include the appendices) belong to the [Saul Zaentz Company](http://www.tolkien-ent.com/index.html), which has licensed them to New Line. “The Hunt for Gollum” is clearly based on material contained in “The Lord of the Rings.” The disclaimer on the promotional Web site reads in part: “The Hunt For Gollum is a non-profit film being made for private use, and is not intended for sales of any sort. No money is being made from this film, and no one was paid to make it. It is in no way affiliated with, or sponsored or approved, by Tolkien Enterprises, the heirs or estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. or any of their repective affiliates or licensees.” Yes, I mistyped Estates when I should have said Enterprises. Glad we got that straight. > **[LoTR fan film set for net premiere](https://www.theregister.com/2009/04/30/hunt_for_gollum/)** > > The Hunt for Gollum - three grand and a cast of thousands ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/28 "2009-05-02T01:17:01Z")
NPR’s [article on the film](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103673352). ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/29 "2009-05-02T02:04:23Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > NPR’s [article on the film](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103673352). From the article: > [@](#): > > [The director] made up the plot Umm, no he didn’t. At least, if he did, it isn’t very original. I’ve read about Aragorn’s hunt for Gollum before somewhere. _Unfinished Tales_, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/30 "2009-05-02T02:36:20Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > From the article: > > Umm, no he didn’t. At least, if he did, it isn’t very original. I’ve read about Aragorn’s hunt for Gollum before somewhere. _Unfinished Tales_, maybe. Well, the original version had fewer car chases. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2009, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/31 "2009-05-02T04:13:31Z")
If Gollum shoots first, I’ll slit my wrists. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/32 "2009-05-02T04:33:30Z")
‘I know what you’re thinking: “Can he kill me with just the hilt-shard of a broken sword?” Well, to tell you the truth I’m a little fuzzy on that myself. But seeing as how this is Elendil’s sword Narsil, the most famous blade in Middle-Earth, that cut Sauron’s Ring-finger clean off… You’ve got to ask yourself one question: “Do I feel lucky?” Well, do you… punk?’ ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/33 "2009-05-02T12:04:18Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Next up: the Scouring! That’s EXACTLY what I thought as I watched the trailer! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/34 "2009-05-02T12:58:53Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > From the article: > > Umm, no he didn’t. At least, if he did, it isn’t very original. I’ve read about Aragorn’s hunt for Gollum before somewhere. _Unfinished Tales_, maybe. I thought there was this “story” in the apendix to Lord of the rings, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/35 "2009-05-03T16:56:19Z")
OK, it’s up now. Did anyone watch it? I thought it was good. The only part that I didn’t like was Arwen. The makeup was bad and she was just… not Arwen-y enough for me. The rest of it was pretty entertaining. I’d love it if they did The Scouring. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/36 "2009-05-04T16:11:50Z")
I watched it yesterday. Very, very well done. It’s clearly not even a shoestring budget, but for all that, it is gorgeous! The long-distance scenery (the Misty Mountains, Mordor) are all CGI, but it looks very plausible, much like the Jackson vision. The close-ups were done in Epping Forest in England, and look not unlike the part of the Two Towers where Gollum is leading Frodo and Sam through Ithillian. The sub-poverty row budget shows mostly in the extremely limited cast. Much of the movie consists of Aragorn (excellently played, by the way) wandering alone through the wilderness. He meets another Ranger and they talk for a bit, and then he’s back on his own. Gollum appears only in long shots. Aragorn eventually catches him in a trap which conveniently bags him in a burlap sack - where he spends virtually all of the rest of the movie. Gandalf (also excellently cast) interrogates Gollum off-screen, and reports back to Aragorn in a two-shot. We are treated to one close-up of Gollum’s face, and that’s it. There is an on-screen battle between Aragorn and a troop of Orcs. The Orc makeup and costumes are limited, but passable. Despite these limitations, the movie absolutely looks and sounds fantastic. This is the second fan-made movie I have seen recently (the other was _The Call of Cthuhlu_). Both, while clearly limited by their tiny budgets, show just what is possible given today’s technology. The major studios have to be asking themselves why they are spending tens or hundreds of millions when people can get these results out of mere thousands. ---
**Author:** ![bobthebuilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobthebuilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobthebuilder)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882/37 "2009-05-04T16:34:12Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > This is the second fan-made movie I have seen recently (the other was _The Call of Cthuhlu_). Both, while clearly limited by their tiny budgets, show just what is possible given today’s technology. The major studios have to be asking themselves why they are spending tens or hundreds of millions when people can get these results out of mere thousands. Yeah Ive watched about a quarter of the hunt for Gollum. The acting is much better than any other fanmade thing I have ever seen. The only things comes close is the three part fan made star trek movie entitled of Gods and Men. (Most other star trek fanmade things have horrible acting, though they might have nice special effects like Star Trek: New Voyages / Phase II) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hunt-for-gollum/494882.md?page=1)