Del Toro Hates Heroic Fantasy... Just Saying

I don’t want to rub it in, nor do I want to be rabid about it, so I’ll shut up from now until we see a trailer. But this at least deserves mentioning:

First of all, hasn’t anybody noticed that del Toro has repeatedly said he doesn’t like Tolkien, and that he never finished reading “The Lord of the Rings”? Here’s what he told me in Cannes in 2006, when I asked him about the influence of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis on his own work: “I was never into heroic fantasy. At all. I don’t like little guys and dragons, hairy feet, hobbits — I’ve never been into that at all. I don’t like sword and sorcery, I hate all that stuff.” # (via)

Oh, and Hellboy sucked. Just saying…

Oh No. Del Toro for The Hobbit

In a major step forward on “The Hobbit,” Guillermo del Toro has signed on to direct the New Line-MGM tentpole and its sequel. #

Some might call it a ‘step forward’, others, me, might call it a catastrophic choice of biblical proportions.

I know; I’m a testy little fanboy, alright? But I’m the overbearing kind; the kind that doesn’t mind the elves coming to Helm’s Deep, or even such ‘minor’ book-to-film discrepancies as Frodo’s age.

But Guillermo Del Toro directing The Hobbit? I can’t think of anyone I’d want less to do that. As I’ve said before.

Now Jackson is going to be there and he’s working with Weta, but considering how absolute shit Hellboy II looks, I have very little confidence in him.

...

Oh no, I just realized… Ron Perlman is going to be in it. He’s probably going to play Bilbo.

Dammit. I’ve lost.

This had better not be Return of the Jedi/Prequel trilogy all over again…

I hope he proves me wrong.

Update:

And if I could just editorialize for a quick second: Guillermo del Toro has never made a bad movie. And don’t say Mimic because that’s a really underrated horror flick. #

O RLY

The King Returns

I would have been disappointed, had I walked away from this epic conclusion to the greatest story ever told, not feeling both breath- and speechless.

Luckily, and not surprisingly, the only disappointment I can raise, is that of it being over and done with. The Saga of the Ring concluded. That is indeed sad; though we are if nothing else left with memories from these past years.

I can’t gather my thoughts just now, I am much too eager to peruse the rest of this magnificent tale. And I would venture the guess, that so are you.

Let us reconvene later and discuss to our hearts content.

It Draws Near

Saruman and his Palantir

Rikke and I gnawed our way through the first two installments of the Rings trilogy this weekend, in preparation for the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition)later this week. Hard to believe that it is drawing to a close; but timely perhaps. I suspect you will see very little of me around next weekend for the same reason.

Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red dawn!

Return of the King Extended Preview

Viggo Mortensen

I would normally seperate something like this onto the sidebar, however since I am very very much looking forward to this DVD set, I figured it could do with some primetime.

There is a new 6 minute preview of the Return of the King Extended Edition up.

I don’t think it had really hit home with me, just how much I really am looking forward to this, the final reunion and goodbye with the greatest trilogy of all time. As I was watching the preview, I could feel it welling up in me once again.

My fingers will be numb for a week when I am done penning my homage…

PS: I have finally flickrized the best of the photos from the Return of the King Premiere, here in Copenhagen last christmas.