Okay, that title says it all! Bret McKenzie won the Oscar for Best Song! I knew my bet was good. :D
This isn’t the winning song, but I like it anyway ’cause Bret is so loveable:
New Meaning to ‘Unexpected Journey’
The One Ring is hosting an Oscar party in 2013 for ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,’ and I think we might be invited. Check it out here.
My Money’s on Bret
If you don’t know Bret McKenzie, hang around a bit. I’ve already talked about him here and here and obviously am doing it again. I have to since he’s nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song!
Some interesting insight into New Zealand and the LOTR franchise, but I initially watched it because Bret’s a piece of work, which in my part of the world, means he’s interesting and funny. Yeah, piece o’ work definitely fits. And he’s a scream too. I mean I usually scream with laughter when I see him. Sadly, I probably would not have paid attention to him if Richard Armitage had not been cast in ‘The Hobbit’. Mostly I’ve gotten to know him as half of the duo known as ‘Flight of the Conchords’. And his partner Jemaine is also a scream. I’ve got a piece written just on him. He demanded it. :D
Some of their work for your viewing pleasure, but a warning to put away any drinks and go to the bathroom first as you may wet your pants laughing, and if you do not ever like anything crude, don’t watch!
Yes, this is a piece on Bret, but I couldn’t help myself. Had to throw in more Jemaine.
For more on them, check out What the Folk.
Oh, I almost forgot the nominated song. This is for those who haven’t seen the movie (I haven’t):
Bret,
If you don’t win, I still love ya, and really, you can mine more out of this if you don’t win. But never mind that I said that. You’re gonna win, baby! :D
Signed,
I’m not telling
My Trip to New Zealand
No, I’m not going, but I dream about it. The next few months might be a good time to go since Peter Jackson and company will be back shooting in the next few days:
Peter Jackson Cuts Sundance Short; Returns to New Zealand for ‘Hobbit’
Details here
Wonder if SO would feel funny about me being gone for several weeks to get that bottle of wine.
edit: I got this piece of news via a Tweet from Violet at The Framework Blog. If you have not read that blog, do it. She always makes me laugh, and that’s dear in this ferocious world.
The Hobbit Trailer Gets Sweded
Someone give these people a job! :D
If being Sweded is somehow offensive, my apologies to any Swedes (thinking especially of Traxy :D ); however, one of my closest friends is of very strong Swedish descent. She grew up in North Dakota near the Minnesota border and is a Richard Armitage fanatic in training. She thought this was hilarious, so I took that as a blessing to run with it. LOL!
On a serious note, I’m thinking you haven’t arrived until you’ve been Sweded. ;-)
Is There an Elephant in the Room?
January 13, 2012
Friggatriskaidekaphobia or “Fear of Friday the 13th” is with us again. This year will be especially bad. Occurrences of Friday the 13th from year to year vary from one to three, but in 2012 there will be five at 13 week intervals. Even if nothing happens, the possibilities must be terrific for those who are superstitious. Personally, I’ve only thought about the number 13 with fondness, and more especially when it’s on Friday as my father was born on Friday the 13th. He was a happy man most of his life and encouraged me to laugh at things like superstition, but unfortunately, he also encouraged me to avoid disappointment, which I often manifested as superstition. For too many years of my life I did everything I could to keep from being disappointed to the degree I didn’t talk about anything that really excited me. People had to pay close attention to figure out what I was passionate about. I believed that if I expressed my excitement overtly, it would be a jinx. So I kept my mouth shut about anything I really loved except for my children. They were too overwhelming for me to remain silent and withdrawn. In every other area I was on guard about ever feeling a tinge of let down and yet was continually let down. The thing I was trying to avoid I was wallowing in daily.
So what does all of this have to do with Richard Armitage? Well, he will be one of thirteen “dwarves” and the second Hobbit movie will come out on December 13, 2013 which is a Friday. Horrors! ;=) That aside, this fear of disappointment does factor into the dynamic his current fans are experiencing with his coming performance in ‘The Hobbit’. Some are afraid to let themselves get pumped up. The Frenz of old would have certainly been too cool to ever get caught up in the excitement and would have expressed caution to others. Thank God the old Frenz is on the wane, and the new one is having a blast feeling the thrill. And of course the question is out there, oh yeah, it’s still out there: couldn’t RA disappoint the public and me as well? Yes, he could, but I’m not going to dwell on that especially since it may not even happen. If it does, I’ll deal with it. And superstition can take its fat, capricious self back to the corner and stay there.
Once again I’ve mixed metaphors or bordered on it. I’m glad I haven’t let my fear of doing that, of not getting things perfect or darn near (how arrogant to think I could), stop me from writing this blog.
Housekeeping and Profanity
Those two can certainly go together, and when you blog about a celebrity who is potentially making his way to the ‘A’ list, there’s going to be some profanity. Oh, not from me most of the time, and not about the housekeeping on this blog. I’ve loved that, and long said Richard Armitage should bottle his ability to make housekeeping fun. What I’m talking about are the search terms from people trying to figure out ‘who the hell is Richard Armitage,’ or more so lately ‘who the fuck is Richard Armitage.’ The latter one I hadn’t seen until after ‘The Hobbit’ trailer making me conclude that the incidence of that phrase is directly proportional to his rise in fame. The MTV interview definitely escalated the occurrences.
It had crossed my mind to change the title of my page about him because I do laugh when I read the question, but I can’t do that to him. I’ll leave that to the Tumblrs. :D For those who frequently access the ‘Tumblr’ page, I’ve consolidated it with the ‘Addict List’. ‘Admin Notice’ has also been added to the left sidebar, so if something seems wonked up, check there to see what may have been done. If there’s no notice of a major change, then the site might have a problem, so please send me a note to let me know as I might be the one who’s wonked.
I’m also debating about getting rid of some categories. I’m not sure they’re used much, but tags are limited on the home page. So maybe I’ll start a tags page? It’s amazing how I get on this blog to escape mundane tasks, and I still can’t get away from them.
I was going to embed a picture, but my header is sufficient. It sums up the mood.
Going Mainstream
There is a new interview with Richard Armitage at MTV. Wow! I never thought to use those two names in the same sentence.
Jan 11 2012 5:00 PM EST
Richard Armitage’s Journey To ‘The Hobbit’ Best ‘By Far’
The U.K. actor is Middle-earth’s most badass dwarf and One to Watch in 2012.By Kevin P. Sullivan
This winter, director Peter Jackson will deliver the long-awaited return to Middle-earth. “The Hobbit,” which will unfold across two films, begins with “An Unexpected Journey,” as Bilbo Baggins leaves to win back gold stolen from his companions. But these are not just any friends. Bilbo is accompanied by 13 dwarves, each with a larger-than-life personality.
The leader of these adventurers, Thorin, will be played by Richard Armitage, who made a brief appearance in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” but will get his biggest Stateside break in “The Hobbit.” The British actor played a key role in last month’s trailer and will soon join the illustrious ranks of Tolkien alumni, alongside Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean and Orlando Bloom.
We spoke with Armitage about traveling to Middle-earth, the difficulty of working under pounds of makeup and leading a band of treasure-seeking dwarves.
MTV: Congratulations on being named to MTV’s Ones to Watch!
Richard Armitage: Thank you very much!
MTV: Where are you currently in the filming schedule?
Armitage: We just finished up our second block, so we start again at the end of January, and then we go — we think it’s the end of July. Then there’s a bit more in 2013, we reckon.
Read the rest here.
Wonder how all of this is going to look when we get the full court press.
In Case You Were Wondering
There has been a lot of talk in RA universe about the significance of Richard Armitage’s character to the Hobbit movies. Would he be as major a character as many hoped? I’ve witnessed countless discussions and yes, debates about this subject, and now it seems that someone a bit on the inside has given an answer:
‘The Hobbit’ Countdown, Character Guide: Who Is Thorin Oakenshield? (And We Don’t Just Mean Richard Armitage)
By Larry D. Curtis Jan 10, 2012Larry D. Curtis, as part of the team at TheOneRing.net, has been comprehensively covering the works and adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien for more than a decade, making the not-for-profit site the leading source about The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings for fans and film makers world wide. Curtis is one of the lead content producers for the site and represents it at conventions and press functions. You can read his The Hobbit Countdown here at Movies.com every other week. You can reach him at MrCere@TheOneRing.net.
One crazy thing about the two Hobbit movies coming out the next two Decembers: it has one giant cast. Sure Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films had a Fellowship of nine to deal with, but they were different races (elves, dwarves, men, wizards and hobbits), and there were fewer of them while these new films are stuffed with mostly dwarves! And, the Fellowship splintered near the end of the first film, allowing us to cut from one group to another. (And to be honest, some viewers confessed to being occasionally confused between Merry and Pippin.)
snip….
So when we see Thorin in Bilbo’s house, he carries with him the physical remnant of his family’s legacy: a map showing the secret entrance back into The Lonely Mountain. He also carries with him the failure of his fathers and the hope of his people. Like his father before him, he is taking his kinsmen and heading back — with a burglar and a wizard — to reclaim his kingdom. He will drive the dwarves, and the film, with this desire that may at times boarder on obsession. But hey, if a dragon burned and ate your family, lived in your underground castle (not the one that a balrog lives in during The Lord of the Rings) and slept on your pile of gold and jewels, you might obsess a little as well.
Audiences for the newest Middle-earth films will have 13 of these bearded dwarven fellows to keep track of and they will nearly always be together. Making each a distinct character is a big challenge for Jackson and company and the images released so far make it clear that the design team went to great lengths to help the audience tell at a glance which of the revenge-minded adventurers is which.That doesn’t mean readers will need to wait for the films though because Movies.com has you, and the collection of characters, completely covered. We know the difference between Bifur and Bofur and Fili and Kili and if you stick with us, so will you. But the dwarf who is most likely to become a household name is the more fully titled Thorin Oakenshield and we think not only will we have an unforgettable character on the first Hobbit day (Dec. 14, 2012, the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) but also the actor Richard Armitage will become a household name. While there are many who know and love the English actor, that day and the films, will change his career forever.
Read all of it here.
emphasis mine
Thoughts?
A Few Items of Note From Down Under
[Note: It’s come to my attention that I have misapplied the description of Oz to NZ and neither parties like it! So this post is now titled “A Few Items of Note From Down Under and Slightly to One Side.” Thank you for the suggestion, Maegwen. :D]
I was awaiting the return of Joanna Scarratt and her report from New Zealand. In my head the report had taken on a life of its own. For those not familiar, Joanna is part of the Brand Partnership Department at United Agents, and my snark gene wants to go off on what it means to develop Richard Armitage as a brand. Tough work but someone has to do it. And the report? Wonderfully brief. You can read here. It confirms the idea that the first rule of branding is to leave the public wanting more. :D Maybe a shirt color would have been welcomed. It’s amazing what my mind can do with that little.
The bidding on Peter Jackson’s offer to host two people on ‘The Hobbit’ set is final, and the amount was a bit surprising to me. I made the assumption it would end with a much higher figure. Surely someone will take issue with my expectations, but I can’t help my gut reaction: c’mon, people! it’s Peter Jackson! Then again Peter Jackson is more low key and under the radar at times than I first imagined, and I suspect this unassuming demeanor is part of his charming heritage as a Kiwi. Net: if I had known the bidding was within my capabilities, I might have bid. SO has always wanted to go to New Zealand.
If I ever do go to New Zealand, I have to visit Lake Wanaka. The area is very familiar since friends and some acquaintances have visited, and it’s also the home of Jossi Wells, who spends a lot of time in my neck of the woods and is very well known here:
New Zealand has been on my bucket list for years. It’s obviously a beautiful place, but frankly, so is the area where I live. So the attraction to the country is not just its beauty, and no, this has nothing to do with Richard Armitage. Of all the people I’ve met from New Zealand (both face to face and online), to a person they have been down-to-earth. That is quite a statement about the country. I may have said this before, but it doesn’t matter. It’s significant enough that it bears repeating.
RAFrenzy 