It’s All About Richard Armitage, Baby!

What?! FanstRAvaganza! Starts March 12th. Wait. You’ve never heard of Richard Armitage? He’s the guy on the header, and the sidebar, and here:

here:

here:

and also here:

Click on any of the pictures for more, and if that’s not enough, join me for Fanstra. Yep, it had to be abbreviated since I kept misspelling it, which I’ve finally figured out is due to almost every letter being typed with the left hand.

Okay, some of the posts this week will be about his fans, but it all leads back to him. :D

Screencaps and still from RichardArmitagetNet.com

March 10, 2012
Categories: Fandom . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 4 Comments

Richard Armitage on Twitter

In recent days, I’ve been pushing Twitter and some of you have jumped in with both feet. Alright!! I love it, and we are going to have some fun, and no, it’s not going to be all related to Richard Armitage. There is so much to see and do on Twitter, it’s stunning. It is THE forum/chatroom for the world. Unreal. Yes, I’m really this gushy about it because its power to transfer intel of various kinds is unlike anything I’ve seen. It is the giant segue in the sky, as it were. I could get philosophical and perhaps even a tad theological, but I will spare you that today.

For those who are hungrily scanning this post for the information of where Richard Armitage can be found on Twitter, you can stop. He’s not there — at least that he’s publicized it. He’s also made it plain that he doesn’t desire to be there — at least not right now:

Excerpt from his message of May 29, 2011:

With regards for requests for social media, blogs tweets etc. I have always worried that I will reveal something about the project I am working on that I am not allowed to, added to the fact that I am just about up to e mailing and little more, I may have to abstain for now.

But that is not going to stop some who really, really want to see him tweeting:

https://twitter.com/#!/PeerPressureRA/status/175237951926702080

When I saw this, my gut screamed a response:

Dear Richard,

I love Twitter, but what a headache it would be for you, and I heartily concur with your instincts about giving spoilers! The expectation level from fans once you started tweeting would be enormous. My eyes are rolling back in my head just imagining what that would be like. I don’t think you’re ready for that kind of co-dependency. Is anyone? LOL!

The PeerPressureRA id is new, but if it goes the way I think it will go, it could take on the proportions of a coup. If it does, I hope you do not cave into the pressure.

Take care, and in the meantime, could you put a fire under Sir Peter to get that vid out?! We’re all about to have a meltdown from the mere mention of it. :D

Signed,
One of your crazy fans, who would never put pressure on you (bats eye lashes)

Before you ask, yes, a little APM is at work in me today. ;D

An edit I really didn’t think I would make:

That’s Richard’s first tweet in case it’s not clear. :D

March 1, 2012
Categories: Fandom, Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 17 Comments

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.

February 26, 2012
Categories: Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 7 Comments

Do I Dare?

I said I was recapturing my childhood, and now November Bride has come with a post about Barbies, and the recent talk of Lord of the Rings Lego set has me in a dither. Purchasing Little Guy action figures should have been enough, and it’s true the Thorin Lego isn’t out yet, but…. look at those eyes:

I’m really thinking about ordering a set. I could skip this and wait until “The Hobbit” version is out, but my OCD tendencies demand I have LOTR as well. And how can I pass up being conned into availing myself of this fun?

Just please someone stop me if I start talking about buying the Pez set.

In the meantime, there are some sets by Lego fans. Like this one (three guesses which is Thorin):


This is a set by a kid named Michael Kringe. Michael has been busy, and the kid in me who had an erector set could very easily be sucked down into this. In fact, I do have a set of K’NEX in my possession. My son left them when he went to college, and my 11 year old and I have been playing with them. Maybe we can make a home for Thorin. I’ll keep you posted on my progress unless I decide blogging is too grown up and never return. Off to spend time with my sweet girl.

February 10, 2012
Categories: The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 18 Comments

Can’t Get Off of This

I have a serious (no, it’s a semi-serious, oh heck, it’s a snark) piece about Lucas North. But I’m saving it for later after I’ve gorged my imagination on Richard Armitage and food. I’m also wondering if all of you have a favorite food you like to eat while watching him — animated or stills. Or perhaps you have a food for him animated and one for him in stills. Bring it on, and yeah, I’m going to tell you mine. :D

Actually, I have a food for each of his characters.

Harry — blackberry cobbler, which is sweet with a zing, and topped with some ice cream.

Monet — some sort of white wine, and does it matter what I eat with it?

Guy — a big chunk of devil’s food cake with lots of hot fudge slathered on top or a steak.

Lucas — blackened red snapper. Fish and chips don’t quite fit him.

John Standring — cheese (any kind) before the transformation and some pudding after.

John Porter — Masgouf and falafel on the side, which I can pop in my mouth as I watch all the episodes in one sitting.

John Thornton — beef stew and later some sort of cream pie (I’m not particular) at the finale.

Ricky — definitely fish and chips, and the greasier the better.

Alex — what else but orangesicles.

John Mulligan — dry toast with nothing on it. Maybe a little butter. And some black coffee.

Heinz — Not sure about this one. No German foods seem to really fit him. I’m at a loss. I did eat nachos and popcorn on my first viewing. Perhaps some German chocolate cake (it’s my favorite cake), or is that too lame?

Yes, I’ve left out a few. Have to think about them some more, but for now I’m thinking about the future:

Thorin — carne asada tacos al carbon. Oh yeah! And something later that’s topped with a chocolate mole. Or I could eat a 1/2 pound cheeseburger in honor of Peter Jackson.

edit: I meant to list one more! Paul — pistachio nuts ’cause they’re salty and a little sweet, and I can’t stop eating them even when I know I should.

Graphic courtesy of Teena via RichardArmitageNet.com

February 5, 2012
Categories: Uncategorized . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 20 Comments

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.

January 24, 2012
Categories: Movies, SO, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 17 Comments

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.

January 13, 2012
Categories: Fandom, Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 25 Comments

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.

January 11, 2012
Categories: Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 24 Comments

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, 2012

Larry 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?

January 11, 2012
Categories: Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 18 Comments

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.

January 9, 2012
Categories: Movies, The Hobbit . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , . Author: RAFrenzy . Comments: 13 Comments

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