Tom Smith

You may have been aware that there's a new take on Alice this Sunday night on SyFy. You may not have been aware that there's The Hero of Time, a new fan movie based on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, that will be available for online viewing or free download on Dec. 14.

There's also a very cool teaser making the rounds for Buck Rogers.

There's a silent film of The Call of Cthulhu (trailer here).

And leave us not forget the other two recent fan film opi, Horrible Turn and The Hunt For Gollum.

Any cool fan vid we should know about? Really good AMVs (anime music videos) count.

ETA: And, not too long after I posted this we got RtRNRi30S(aR-EbB).

ETA2: Re: release of The Hero of Time -- I cannot brain, I have the dumb. It's Dec. 14. Fixed.

The Tolkien Estate has settled with New Line Cinema regarding unpaid royalties. Beyond insane is this quote from the statement of Alan Horn, Warner Bros. president and CEO:

We deeply value the contributions of the Tolkien novels to the success of our films....

Gee, good to know that you deeply value the contributions of the fucking novels you adapted, without which your movies wouldn't exist.

Which fantasy epics would you like to see properly adapted? I'm for The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Stepsister Scheme by jimhines, Temeraire by naominovik, and Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King.

Thanks to eleri for linking up to the official page for what could be a fan-film phenomenon. The trailers look fantastic, and the official HD premiere online is next Sunday.

Any other good fan films we need to know about? New ones, or classics we haven't discussed in awhile (such as my two favorites, Grayson and World's Finest).

On this date in 1892.

What are your favorite stories, movies, and games of quests? Obviously, for me, The Lord of the Rings (both book and film) and The Hobbit top the list. I also love Elizabeth Moon's The Deed of Paksennarion, Lois McMaster Bujold's The Curse of Chalion, Ultima IV, Final Fantasy VII, the Elder Scrolls games, King Kong (1933 and 2005 versions), and Kill Bill.

So sorry for not posting the past few days, but I've been busy. Very very busy.

Physical therapy is going well -- as far as Adlai is concerned, I've met all the goals. Heck, I was just supposed to be walking. I'm taking stairs, doing car transfers.... I'm still very damn tired after lugging myself around... but that was the case before the injury, and I'm going a bit further now (albeit with the walker). (As an aside, I have to rejoin Bally. I adore the NuStep recumbent walker, and they're too damn expensive. [Although the company that makes them is actually in Ann Arbor. Maybe I can just go look at 'em for an hour three times a week.])

I will find out later this morning if I have a new place. Frickin' credit check to see if I'll pay their lot rent on time. I think I'm fine and dandy. But I don't know what my credit score is, and these things can come back and bite you.

All praise and thanks and designer chocolate to huskiebear for shlepping me around three counties. Stuff is getting done, and I hope I'll be out of here next week. (Can't be too soon. Got a new roomie last night. All I'll say: "Frito sighed. It was going to be a long epic.")

How's your week going? And, what's your favorite quote from Harvard Lampoon's Bored Of The Rings?

ETA: Fixed from National Lampoon to Harvard Lampoon. I've been making that mistake since I was a li'l boggie.

Finally confirmed: Guillermo del Toro will direct.

We've played this casting game before, but it's a good time to play again. Chances are superb that we'll have Ian McKellen back as Gandalf, Ian Holm as Bilbo, Hugo Weaving as Elrond (possibly a cameo by Liv Tyler), and Andy Serkis as Gollum. Very possibly John Rhys-Davies as Gloin (father of Gimli). Who else would you cast?

As everybody and their left aunt has reported, Peter Jackson is once more involved in the filming of The Hobbit. No decision yet as to who will direct, but obviously I'm holding out for PJ his own bad self.

Now then. Sir Ian Holm as Bilbo; Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf; Andy Serkis as Gollum; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; most likely John Rhys-Davies as Gloin (as in Gimli Son Of). Who else would you cast? We've got a bunch of dwarves, three trolls, Beorn, the Elven King, Bard, the Master of Laketown, and probably Dain. Most specifically, who for Thorin and the voice of Smaug?

At Dragon*Con, some young guy from the Carolina Otaku Uprising handed me a DVD-R, saying he hoped I liked it. I did. It was this:

( Nothing actually crude, at least not in my text, but why take chances? )

On this date in 1892.

So, what are your favorite characters, lines, and/or scenes from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings? Book or movie.

And it's a doozy: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Theatrical edition (i.e., the extended edition won't synch with the RiffTrax). Due Nov. 22, just in time for Turkey Day.

Riffing on a good movie can be almost as much fun as riffing on a bad one. Les and I have done Casablanca, and all the Lemurs (me, Les, Anne, Tom, & Karen, and sometimes Mark and Sharon) do How The Grinch Stole Christmas! every year. One of our best lines ever was from The Dark Crystal -- one of the Mystics burst into flame, and Tom said, "... Who lit Fred?"

So. Any LotR: TFotR riffs that leap to mind? When we first see the huge statues on the riverbanks, I'm thinkin', "Heyyyyy, Macarena!" (Or else, "STOP! In the naaaame of love....") If I think of any more, I'll add 'em in comments. Okay, I've thought of bunches, but I'll try to pace 'em.

On this day in 1937, The Hobbit was published. (A couple of other good sites are here and here)

It's also the birthdays of Stephen King and H. G. Wells.

Do you have a favorite line or a favorite scene from The Hobbit? I have an almost impossible time narrowing it down, but I dearly love when Thorin confronts Bilbo and casts him out, just before the Battle of Five Armies.

As to King, my favorite is, without doubt, Eyes of the Dragon, with The Stand and It right behind. Wells? The War of the Worlds.

So, TBS is showing The Lord of the Rings next weekend. And they're having a little fun with it. Check out here, here, and here. (Thanks to ladymalchav for the links.)