The trailer is actually out, as of yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm reading your replies right, but just in case, here's the official link:

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/12/20/t ... t-trailer/

And here's the Youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqW_RsugUD0

With Firefox, I've ripped off the highest HD version so I don't have to keep going online. As e xp ected, I'm up to about a dozen views so far in the past 24 hours.

God, I can't wait for this!

cheers,

Guy

I thought it would be clear from our most recent comments that we have viewed the trailer, though yes, there was initial confusion as to whether it would appear on the internet on Tuesday.

Just the same, thanks for the new links, Legion.

[quote=""Olorin""]I was not aware of Dwarvish origins. I was thinking perhaps it had originally been a far-flung outpost of Gondor. I just checked both Robert Foster's "Complete Guide to Middle Earth" and the Encyclopedia of Arda website and neither of them mention anything about its pre-Sauron history, FWIW.![/quote]

I know I read it somewhere, but couldn't find it. All I could find is that Amon Lanc, before the coming of the Shadow, was Oropher's capital for the Woodland Elves before they fled further north into Mirkwood. I believe the dwarves were there prior to the elven settlement; as the seven houses of the dwarves spread out from Khazad-dum, one of them settled there for a time before moving on.

[quote=""Olorin""]They think the person Gandalf is fighting in Dol Guldur is Thrain, and I think they're right. His robe looks Dwarvish, and what you can see of the makeup appears Dwarvish.[/quote]

I too thought it looked like a dwarf, and the only one that could be there is Thrain. However, if he is fighting Gandalf, then that would be the first glaring departure from the texts that I will be very unhappy with.

Looks like PJ and Co. are trying to up the action ante once again by introducing a fight scene for added excitement in a situation where any knowledgeable Tolkien fan knows there was none. In fact, all of Gandalf's sojourns into Dol Guldur were successful precisely because he relied on stealth and secrecy, not going in guns blazing and making a ruckus.

Gandalf finds Thrain wasting away in a cell, read: IMPRISONED and HELPLESS, and moments away from death. Thrain is unable to tell Gandalf who he is or who captured him, but he does give him two vital objects: Thror's map, and the key to Erebor. It is from these two things that Gandalf is able to deduce the dwarf's identity and the importance of what he'd just been given. This becomes the impetus for the later quest involving Bilbo and the dwarves. In case anyone is wondering why Thrain was important enough to Sauron to be captured, it is because he was one of the wearers of the Seven Rings of the dwarves, which Sauron took from him upon his capture.

To have Thrain wandering around, obviously deranged and spoiling for a fight cheapens the dramatic and emotional value of the original scene and doesn't seem logical at all. Why would Thrain be on the loose inside an enemy stronghold? Does he attack Gandalf by mistake? Since he is supposed to die, does that mean Gandalf will kill him, or do orcs show up, drawn to the noise and then kill Thrain?

Whatever the answer to these questions, the whole thing seems forced and out of place already. Here's to hoping we are all incorrect about this very early assumption.

[quote=""Valkrist""]To have Thrain wandering around, obviously deranged and spoiling for a fight cheapens the dramatic and emotional value of the original scene and doesn't seem logical at all. Why would Thrain be on the loose inside an enemy stronghold? Does he attack Gandalf by mistake? Since he is supposed to die, does that mean Gandalf will kill him, or do orcs show up, drawn to the noise and then kill Thrain?

Whatever the answer to these questions, the whole thing seems forced and out of place already. Here's to hoping we are all incorrect about this very early assumption. [/quote]
We're talking split seconds of footage here. I think your guesses may be correct to some degree. I'm going to put my trust in PJ, that he found a way to present the elementary truth of the story, but felt it needed to be a little more exciting. It may be that his reasoning has to do with the pacing of the film.

I do know that when I watch the appendices to LotR I found most of their e xp lanations to story change were indeed understandable, and in most cases they had to keep in mind those who have not read it, while all the through recognizing the die hard fan. It's not an easy road to walk.

I think they'd love to make a film that you would give a thumbs up to Val, but they realize the unread viewer would be clueless.

I truly sympathize with them in these decisions, they are some of the toughest calls in film making history.

[quote=""Olorin""]You know, I thought of exactly the same thing later. The trailer shots definitely look composed for 3D...but then again, so does LOTR. When they do the inevitable post-convert of LOTR, it will look as though it were always meant to be 3D. Like that super-long dive from the top of Orthanc down into the caverns beneath, for example.[/quote]
All day I've thought of numerous "3D shots" from LotR. The one that stood out more than any was Gollum after he bites off Frodo's finger and holds the ring in the air;
Staring down through the ring into Gollum's face and beyond into the bowels of Mount Doom. Now there's a 3D shot.

I'm already prepared for a premium rate hike in price, and I'll be going to IMAX 3D to see it. I don't just want to revisit Middle Earth, I want to feel like I can walk right into it this time. That's what I want burned into my memory.

[quote=""Thranduil""]All day I've thought of numerous "3D shots" from LotR. The one that stood out more than any was Gollum after he bites off Frodo's finger and holds the ring in the air;
Staring down through the ring into Gollum's face and beyond into the bowels of Mount Doom. Now there's a 3D shot.[/quote]

It's very funny that you mention that shot and used the word "bowels" along with it. I believe it's in PJ's commentary track on the disc (or one of the other supplements) where he says that's a digital Ring, so the camera could appear to zoom through it, as normally a camera would be too big. "Unless it was that camera they put up your bum," says PJ. ROTFL!

[quote=""Legion""]
With Firefox, I've ripped off the highest HD version so I don't have to keep going online. As e xp ected, I'm up to about a dozen views so far in the past 24 hours.[/quote]

Pray tell, how did you do that? I want to put it on a micro SD card and put it in the slot in my TV and see it on my big plasma! Do tell!

[quote=""Olorin""]Pray tell, how did you do that? I want to put it on a micro SD card and put it in the slot in my TV and see it on my big plasma! Do tell![/quote]

Another option is to just use cables to plug your computer up to the TV like a monitor. That's I watched it on mine last night.

[quote=""harristotle""]Another option is to just use cables to plug your computer up to the TV like a monitor. That's I watched it on mine last night.[/quote]

Unfortunately, that won't work for me...desktop computer in one room, TV in another. Thanks anyway for suggesting!

[quote=""Olorin""]Pray tell, how did you do that? I want to put it on a micro SD card and put it in the slot in my TV and see it on my big plasma! Do tell![/quote]

Just go here: http://www.thehobbit.com/index.html#

go to viewing options and right click and save link to the one you want (probably the WMV 1080p) and it will auto download.

Wow, I hadn't noticed Thrain at all in my first views of the trailer! I'm still not entirely convinced that it's him, but that person looks dwarven and that's the only logical e xp lanation here. I don't know how this will play out, but it should be interesting either way. I have faith in the trio of writers.

[quote=""N2darkness""]Just go here: http://www.thehobbit.com/index.html#

go to viewing options and right click and save link to the one you want (probably the WMV 1080p) and it will auto download.[/quote]

Cool, thanks. Of course, now that it's in the process of downloading, I'm not sure either my TV or my BD player will play WMV or Quicktime files. I guess I'm going to find out.

Nope, not in a format my equipment can play. Oh well thanks anyway!

There's a lot of video converters that will work, also there is a Youtube video down loader that will work as well and there all free.

[quote=""Olorin""]Pray tell, how did you do that? I want to put it on a micro SD card and put it in the slot in my TV and see it on my big plasma! Do tell![/quote]

My apologies for posting a link that you all knew about. I read the post wrong, and wondered how this group hadn't seen it yet, but nonetheless I posted it just in case. Perhaps it was my exuberance over that movie trailer that I got confused so easily. lol

It's weird, I use Chrome at work on my laptop, but Firefox (and Windows XP ) here at home. I ain't gonna fix what ain't broke. As to your question, go to the Firefox Add-on page, and look for Fast Video Download. With that, you can rip any video off in multiple formats, including the highest quality.

There's also the music that was ripped from the video, and is on its own on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEoAP1sg1cU

You can convert it over to just an audio file, which I'm about to do, then load it onto my Iphone for my ringtone.

Also, does anyone here smoke Churchwarden pipes? I've smoked the occasional Saturday night cigar for about two years, and I was thinking of getting the 14" Hobbit briar pipe from Luna Pipes (middle one).



I think I'm going to spend my Xmas break away from my classroom by re-reading the Hobbit and relaxing while the wife is at work. Hah!

Cheers,

Guy

[quote=""Olorin""]Unfortunately, that won't work for me...desktop computer in one room, TV in another. Thanks anyway for suggesting![/quote]

Haha, yeah that would pose a problem. Sorry!

I posted this on another forum (BSG) but I figure the back half of this is quite particular to this thread. Please excuse me posting this here, and not to derail the topic from the movie.

Okay, instead of splitting this in two, I'm just putting both in one spot. I recorded the audio for the BSG ringtone through the Lightscribe pen I use for my classroom podcasts and I think they came out pretty decently. I was re-watching "Resurrection Ship, Part II" and I really love the scene with Starbuck suiting up, and I thought I'd try to make it a ringtone. I've got Gaeta's Action Stations from the mini-series, which I've used for a couple years through different phones, and I figured it was time for a change. I loaded one of my favorite Pegasus photos as the Wallpaper, and voila!

http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/m ... 002-34.mp4

And I've watched the Hobbit trailer a gazillion times already, and love the song they've taken from the Hobbit and actually are using, which sounds SO much better than I ever read it in my head.

http://s32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/m ... 001-38.mp4

If anyone wants the files, just let me know. Or if you want something else in particular, I'll try to do it.

Cheers,

Guy

[quote=""Legion""]And I've watched the Hobbit trailer a gazillion times already, and love the song they've taken from the Hobbit and actually are using, which sounds SO much better than I ever read it in my head.
Cheers,

Guy[/quote]
Yeah me too @ watching trailer, 7 million views in 2 days, it's like 40 per second (more than half of which are us repeaters no doubt).

And as far as the song is concerned, you hit it Legion, I never heard it in my head that way when reading it, LOVE IT! Makes me think the elves may Tra La La in a way we can find acceptable as well.

Leap year ahead; 358 days to go. Or how bout this; 51 weeks

[quote=""Thranduil""] Makes me think the elves may Tra La La in a way we can find acceptable as well.[/quote]

You are apparently a man of great faith!

[quote=""Thranduil""]Yeah me too @ watching trailer, 7 million views in 2 days, it's like 40 per second (more than half of which are us repeaters no doubt).

And as far as the song is concerned, you hit it Legion, I never heard it in my head that way when reading it, LOVE IT! Makes me think the elves may Tra La La in a way we can find acceptable as well.

Leap year ahead; 358 days to go. Or how bout this; 51 weeks [/quote]

51 weeks sounds much more manageable lol!

PS, did you get my PM?

[quote=""harristotle""]51 weeks sounds much more manageable lol!

PS, did you get my PM?[/quote]
Yes I did get your PM, everytime I reminded myself to send you an email I got side tracked. I'll do it right now.

This must be what PJ mentioned the other day on his facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=101 ... =2&theater

Its the production video #5 ... I don't know if it will work for everyone who doesn't have facebook,I will try and locate the video elsewhere.

Edit: here is a smaller version of the video... the link on this page that says larger HD version, click here, brings you back to the facebook page with the video http://www.thehobbitblog.com/?p=4443

Wow... PJ's been packing the pounds back on. Catering on the set must be hard to turn down.

Here is a version on Youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzPqFhnK ... r_embedded

Well that totally ROCKED!
NZ going to be swamped with tourist again with that permanent Hobbiton, Way to go guys

I too have been noticing PJ packing on the pounds as these blogs have come about Val. I'm sure he plans to burn it off again, he certainly looks (and moves) far more healthy than he did in previous stills a year or two ago.

They're doing a wonderful job of gearing us up for this.

Anyone interested in handling logistics on this project? Phew! I'd hate to the guy who had to say, "I forgot that".

What a great Merry Christmas present they gave us this week.

Next year they can top it off with a happy New Year as well.

Elijah's 30, makes my head spin. Remember in EE appendices Billy Boyd had just turned 30, he's 41 now.
And lets see, Fingolfin was 5 & Elvenguard was 6 and.....

<Happy Camper

[quote=""Valkrist""]Wow... PJ's been packing the pounds back on. Catering on the set must be hard to turn down. [/quote]

I noticed that on one of the earlier Vblogs. He could just about double for Bombur at this point.

[quote=""Thranduil""]
Elijah's 30, makes my head spin. Remember in EE appendices Billy Boyd had just turned 30, he's 41 now.
And lets see, Fingolfin was 5 & Elvenguard was 6 and.....

[/quote]

Its weird to think its been that long, I remember my parents going off to see the fellowship of the ring it and I wanted to go but they thought it could be a bit to much for me at that age so I waited until the video came out and never stopped watching the films since then

and I wasnt aware that I was older than Fin

But the hobbit trailer has never stopped playing. I even have it playing in my head when I go to sleep xD. I am really excited for this

So when LOTR came out I was 19... now I am pushing 30, which I guess makes me around the same age as Elijah Wood.

One thing I remember about that era, was when TTT was about to come out and I was in organic chemistry lab and people were talking about LOTR and I kept thinking to myself "what a bunch of dorky nerds, what is this LOTR crap, must be some dungeons and dragons kinda crap!"

10 years and a few thousand dollars in swords, shields, helms, statues, DVDs BDs, etc later, I am a die-hard LOTR fan.

So here's something cool for those with kids and or nephews/nieces coming next year.
http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/7 ... eID=116245

Hi all, I am about to blow your minds. Take a closer look at Sting in the trailer for the Hobbit, and you will see, as true to what has been suggested about the inscription, that it has in fact NO INSCRIPTION on the crossguard or the blade, but just has one line of the twirls which outline the inscription (added at Rivendell later) So, another version of Sting for some of us to look forward to buying!

[quote=""Jamie Shakespeare""]Hi all, I am about to blow your minds. Take a closer look at Sting in the trailer for the Hobbit, and you will see, as true to what has been suggested about the inscription, that it has in fact NO INSCRIPTION on the crossguard or the blade, but just has one line of the twirls which outline the inscription (added at Rivendell later) So, another version of Sting for some of us to look forward to buying![/quote]

Hey Jamie!

This was discussed a while back, someone here spotted it in the first production blog. Kit Rae confirmed it when he was here talking about the Hobbit replicas. The idea behind it was that Bilbo had the inscription added later after his adventure with Thorin and the Dwarves.

Oh crap and there was me thinking I had discovered it! Ah well, thanks for letting me know! Where is that thread just out of interest, I havent seen it!

[quote=""Jamie Shakespeare""]Oh crap and there was me thinking I had discovered it! Ah well, thanks for letting me know! Where is that thread just out of interest, I havent seen it![/quote]

Get up to speed with ur hobbit info man!

Heheh.

But yeah I must say I am a convert now. Was a little apprehensive about sting without inscriptions but I am glad the art direction guys did what they did.

[quote=""Jamie Shakespeare""]Oh crap and there was me thinking I had discovered it! Ah well, thanks for letting me know! Where is that thread just out of interest, I havent seen it![/quote]

http://www.ucforums.com/showthread.php?t=2879&page=267

Here you go. The discussion contiues over the next pages, its mostly about the hobbit replicas and what we can possibly see and there are mentions of the changes to Sting.

Nice to hear from you again! Hope you had a good christmas, and that everyone else did

[quote=""Thranduil""]Elijah's 30, makes my head spin. Remember in EE appendices Billy Boyd had just turned 30, he's 41 now.
And lets see, Fingolfin was 5 & Elvenguard was 6 and.....

<Happy Camper[/quote]


Hey now, I was seven! By like two weeks, but I was seven!

[quote=""Elvenguard13""]
and I wasnt aware that I was older than Fin
[/quote]

Pretty sure I'm the youngest on here at a whopping 17 years young.

I don't even remember the first movie coming out. I remember first becoming aware of them sometime in Elementary school. It was either around the release of TTT or RotK that my uncle and his nephews from his side of the family showed my cousin and I FotR and of course we thought it was incredible. Show a little kid an adventure like that and he's hooked. Bought my first LotR sword in I think 5th or 6th grade, been steadily collecting ever since on whatever money I can get my hands on. Thank god I didn't have to pay for my car...but a job would be real nice about now.

I think that's part of the reason I'm so excited to be around for the making of The Hobbit. I've watched all three LotR's so many times all the way through the credits, wishing I was in those fan club credits or had been around to follow the production while watching the behind the scenes exra discs. It's great to be a part of it when it's actually happening!

[quote=""Fingolfin""]


Pretty sure I'm the youngest on here at a whopping 17 years young.

[/quote]

As am I. It all depends on when your birthday is of course, so you could still be older than me by a few weeks or months, or maybes just a few days.

I just want the Hobbit to hurry up!

November 23, 1994. Can you beat that, partner?

[quote=""Fingolfin""]November 23, 1994. Can you beat that, partner?

[/quote]

I am older then. So you are perhaps right in thinking you're the youngest member on the forum. I was born in February 1994

[quote=""Fingolfin""]November 23, 1994. Can you beat that, partner?

[/quote]

Dude, you make me feel old. I graduated in 94'

Dudes, you all make me feel old. I was at my current job for 3 years already when you 1994ers were born!

What a bunch of grumpy old dudes.....

Everyone feels old at some point lads, get used to it.

[quote=""Fingolfin""]What a bunch of grumpy old dudes.....

Everyone feels old at some point lads, get used to it.[/quote]

I have to agree with Fin!

Just think how Gandalf feels

[quote=""Elvenguard13""]I have to agree with Fin!

Just think how Gandalf feels[/quote]
I guess Gandalf feels like me, lol.

I kind of figured EG was older, but I thought it was a full year. I wasn't that far off Fin.

[quote=""Fingolfin""]What a bunch of grumpy old dudes.....

Everyone feels old at some point lads, get used to it.[/quote]

Who's grumpy? I was merely making an observation. There was no grumping inherent in it.

[quote=""Olorin""]Who's grumpy? I was merely making an observation. There was no grumping inherent in it.[/quote]
He's just a snot nosed kid Olorin

HEy look at this .
fingolfin ,just got hes first milkthouth , to grow out

whot an anoing pain,this is .

but dont worry it will pass,when you get old and grumby

[quote=""Thranduil""]He's just a snot nosed kid Olorin [/quote]

That was the idea behind the joke. Arrogant little kid and all.

I've been puzzling how to convert the trailer to a format that I can watch on my TV. Currently I have it in WMV format, but neither my TV nor my BD player can read that. Apparently all they can read are MPEG2 or AVCHD...apparently the manufacturers thought that all anybody would want to do would be to stick the memory card from their camcorder into it. Like, who'd think somebody would want to put downloaded trailers onto it, I guess.

Anyway, I don't seem to have anything on my computer that will convert to one of the supported formats. I can convert to AVI, and LOL I can even convert to iPod format (that's right, the trailer is now on my iPod, where I can view it at any time on a glorious 2" screen.

Google returns a couple of sites that have a freeware converter to download, but I've very leery of downloading third party programs onto my computer. I'm not so anxious to see this on my TV that I'm willing to risk a big malware infection.

I have the simplest solution for that, which is, unfortunately, wholly dependent on your home system.

My Samsung tv and BD player come equipped with Internet@TV, a wireless net connection with a ton of apps like Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, etc, but most importantly YouTube, which allows me to simply search for the trailer right on my tv and watch it in full HD and widescreen glory without mucking around with silly file formats, usb drives, etc. I fact, I watched it last night.

[quote=""Valkrist""]I have the simplest solution for that, which is, unfortunately, wholly dependent on your home system.

My Samsung tv and BD player come equipped with Internet@TV, a wireless net connection with a ton of apps like Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, etc, but most importantly YouTube, which allows me to simply search for the trailer right on my tv and watch it in full HD and widescreen glory without mucking around with silly file formats, usb drives, etc. I fact, I watched it last night. [/quote]
Sounds like another reason why I should consider Samsung my best choice when I buy (should that ever happen ).