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Sunflower
Valinor
Jun 19 2010, 10:38am
Views: 1418
Shortcut
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Okay, if some of you laughed at my posts before, you're really going to laugh now, becauseI'll either come off looking like a total naieve jerk or way off the mark, out of touch, take your pick, but I hope what I say has some merit. I've been trying to put this into words longer than I can say.Beneath all the anger, all the bitterness and the outrage, lies a deppand still-abiding sadness, a sadness that I think may never fully fade...not as long as I enter a theater or open up a magazine, let alone pop in a DVD. I discivered Guillermo Del Toro's work almost 5 yrs ago when I entered a theater ans saw "Pan's Labyrinth." (an experience I am forever grateful to God I was able to do in a theater and not just on TV...it makes all the difference.)Sincethen, I've followed him on his website, Del Toro Films, http://www.deltorofilms.com . I lurkedf ro 2 yrs, then began posting about 3 yrs ago. I went to GDT School and followed the beginning of what I saw as his natural progression upwards in Western film, chronichling his three-prongedshutting between Mainstream Hollywood, the Spanish-Americsan cinema hybridshe created, and the lstly the beaurgeoning Mexican-Spanish Axis of blossoming artists that the Oscar success of PL has enabled to bring forth. I got to know, and will continue to know, a great bunch of people, a msall close-knit family of 45 people or so, and have been eld down strange paths, including meeting a couple of the great man;s artistic entourage. All the while I read his once in a while posts, full of the curious enthusiasm of a little kid, and then when he was announced as director of TH I gleefully followed him over here, seeking to get more people from both sites posting on the other one ( an experiment that had had only modest success.) I was convinced I had something more than special..something you don't see very often. The trhing that has fascinated me about G is the battle he has spent the past 15 or so yrs fighting between the 2 halves of himself, as expressed in the 2 poleshe currently operstes within: the mainstream cdommercial side and the Spanish-language side as expressed in Chronos and the Spanisj Civil War Dualogy. (one of his "wish list" projects with Universal is the third inststallment of this supposed trilogy, but it does not excite me as much as the other two...for reasons I will explain later.) Disgusted with Hollywood after the experienceof Mimic, he went back and began making his own iconoclastic pieces, indulging in the subtelty, depth and lyricims he felthe was denied in Hollywood. Most directors would have stropped there, bur G felt there was an antrinsic need to operate in both spheres, that one needed the other...and not just to pay the bills or have one be leverage for the other, Except for PL, none of these felt to me fully complete. In PL he found a premis--that the adult mind needed fantasy more than the child and fantasy is a treasure that is needed and must be preserved at all costs, and the way for an adult is to begin by opening your mind to wonder. (thus I interpret it.) His last work before TH would have been was Hellboy 3, which far from being as good as many thought, was for me in retrospect an outpouring of frustrsation at the confines he was caged in, a yearning for a larger canvas to paint in. Thus the over-boiling cauldrom of creatures in the Troll Market. He was rattling the bars of the Hollywood cage and yearned for someting more. No matter the fun, seeing it now, you can tell his soul was not invested in it... And then like a ripe plum from the sky, "The Hobbit" fell from the Movie Heaven. I don;t think for him it was just a career move...all comments at fim festivals to the contrary. He did not fake that pic with PJ. One of the things that most excited me over these many months was not only the impending opportunity to witness how Del Toro planned to merge his 2 warring selves possibly into something new, in cinematic terms, but how he was going to finally have not omly a large enough canvas to stretch out upon and bring his formidable intellect to bear, but how the high-profile natureof TH was going to open up whole new worlds, potentially, for so many. We who not know him from DTF and were introduced to him through hos osts here, got to know the incredible depth of his knowledge. Many people may be abkle to drop the names of obscure poets, painters, authors and even gamers and musicians at the drop of a hat, but I doubt many of the current crop of directors in Hollywood, let alone their clients, browese old bookstands and can sucessfully connect a gamer with a poet, or an author with a..well, another osbscure author, and find artistic ferment and unity in such ideas. And it was not just online. Many's the time I've opened sa magazine over the past 3 yrs and found that G had an endearing habit of "relapsing" and letting slip the most oscure names and titles into interviews with mainstream publications.) How many times I've found myself thinking, "I can't WAIT to see the cover story in TIME magazie or Entertainment Weekly where he talks about Dos Passos or some unkmown German writer from 1902, and their novella about vampires." (etc etc.) And say, if LOTr was anything to go by, the "twilight" fangirls all fall in love with whoever plays Bard and want to read every article his picture is in, and are inspired to Google this German guy and read his poetry!" A silly idea, biut never underestimate the powers of peer influence on a teen..I speal from some experience. You'd never find me today with a heavy tome of Joyce under my arm (but yes, on my bookcase:), but I can always remember the distinct thrill of discovering "Ulysses" at the age of 12, simply b/c I went on an Irish binge b/c my new (and still favorite) musicians were U2.And I wanted to knoe every name any band member said in an interview. To this day, omly Harold Bloom's musings about "the snot-green sea" on the Matello Tower remain embedded in my brain (O alas!) Silly? You betcha. What were the chances of this happeninfg with gneral audiences for TH? Maybe in America, slim...but you never know. However, the chances of some 10 yr old Russian child being led to it were great, if they didn;t know them already. How many kids in Thailand or Brazil will flock to Drood? We shall see...IF it gets made. And that is the real revolution we hall sadly never get now. Del Toro is that rarest of breeds operating anywhere near the commercial mantream today: the one whose foundation continues tio be the Written Word. He is a truem Renaissance Man, a true intellectual, a throwback to an earlier time beofre the last 2 generations of film-mkaers when immersion in their parents; libraries was the norm and visual media were a new and yet still distant phenomenon. Listening to a GDT DVD Commenatary was fior me often like what a DVD comeatary would be if DVDs were around when Bergman or SanijatRay or Jean Coctueau were in their artistic prime. (that's what I felt Del Toro had a chance at being: the next Jean Cocteau...or bigger...PL was his "Beauty And The Beast." Beautiful haunting score and all.) Except that with TH, he;d be splashing his Old World intelect upon the biggest of global broadcasters and influcenicng countless millions at the most jhigh-profuiler level as a result. Many times I;ve caught myself thinking, "WHAT is this guy stilldoing making horror films and ghiost stories? He should be making stuff likr Dr. Zhivago, instead." But alas....that Hollywood he had a chance of rasing from the dead. Not so now. Commerical clout is all, and omnly by rising to the highest commerical level can you be affodedthat scope and freedom. Gone now.) The last 2 generations of Hollywood giants came of age and were the most heavily influenced not by the wriotten word, but by its 2nd generation anticideents--radio, TV, fiolms of all sorts. Pulp novels. And now, video. Blomkamp, PJ, Cameron, Spielberg--they all drop the names of film directors and TV shows more readily then authors and painters and poets for the most part. OH, there's the occaisonal Milius who seems to have that Old Worldism, but they are few and far between. This and G'd book illustrator past, the Notebook, his Brothers Grimm mentality that did not seek (unlike Spielberg with ET, for example) to candy-coat life by suggesting that there could be any easy subsitute for the loss of loved ones, who was afriad to show the lonely place the world reallywas and our honest attempts to deal with it--well...That mentality is different too. At least otdayit is. He is behind his times. Could this have made a differnece? This big global canvas to splash his PL sensibilities on (for I am convincedhe was reaching for new ground with TH scripts--tobring a PL sensibilty to ME at the same time he was going to attemopt a sweeter, sadder and wiser tale that was a step higher than anything we;d ever seen--he was going to reach for nww ground and none of the projects he;d been offered come cloee. Let'ssee what Universal has on trhe table for him, as per his sugggestion and theirs. First up: 2 remakes: one of Frankenstein, the other of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hide. Reamkes of film that have bave been done to death. Oh, he;d do a great job, but they're REAMKES. Nuff said. Hellboy 3: reportedly, that's not goong to end happy. And you can;t help thinking, that the oroject doesn;t sound so fun anymore after TH that never was, but a big coming down. Drood: the most OScar potential of the bunch, but the least likely to be greenlit, now that Gi sno longer :the director of TH." It;s a murder mystery set in the catacoms of London and follows a fantasy interpretation of the last 5 yrs of Charles Dickens's life. Anyone who's read Drood will think it has some potential but then again, it;s still ofmurder mystery about CHARLES DICKENS. (I've read it , but will spare the full plot.) And finaly, the project closest ot G';s heart, and for wh9hc hw is REALLY waiting for, his lifelong dream: HP Lovecraft's story ":At The Mountians Of Madness" (ATMOM). An uncanny King Kong-like tale set in deepest Antarctica in the early 1930's that bears an uncanny plot resemblance to Tolkien's 2 Moria chapters--with much the same result. I love readng it over and over, savoring the Tolkien-like richness of cartograpjhy, richness of diescrptivedetail, and the slowe unfloding of the taler like an onion peeling, as well as the claustrophobia as I follow the 2 main characters through the Dead City and the horrors within. Del Toro;s dream is fim parts of this in Antarctica. IMO, any studio woulod jump to do this for the director of TH", but not, now, sadly, GDT, who to his dying day will bear the title of "the gut who was going to direct TH>' If directors were plants, then I propose the follwing: that Camkeron is a tough, hardy coral; Spielberg is a solisd evergreen or a seasoned oak treee growing at the edge of his ET Cali subrub. DelToro is the delicately blossoming flower on the tree branch at the end of PL< saying gently in the enchanted forest. Blomkamp is a new weed glistening with the morning dew, pushing up defiantly through the rubble of one of his myriad waste heaps in the steaming pike of rubbish that comnprises the New Hollywood. )sory I pull no piunches.:). The blossom is fragile, opening subtely; it is a fleeting thing, itspetals falling yet being born again in the same spot, it is at peace with iself in the duality and chagefulness of the forest, for all its apparent stillness. Knowing death as well as life and passing of the seaons, in dignity and maturity, it is there, dappled with the gentle sunlight of the opasclent woods; heairng the cries of the animals, the hnt and the catching of prey, it remaims. It has ;earnede to accept sadness and stillness, and yet is niot at peace with them; but at times it is at peace with the enchanted forest. The young weed ihas itsown flaring wisdom, its own keen authority-- but--BUT-- We inhabit all the more a noisy world of slums, of cities, of suburbs and the weeds and trees that dwell there. Hollywood is full of fungus-covered scrub oak. The forests of the world, with their gentle sad blossoms, are being lost; paved over, their stillness and subtelty drowned in a sea of idle chatter, electronic garble, and the cruch-crunch of booted feet. So the people; so the driectors--and their crews. We need to reconnect with the lost enchanted forest sagain, with their whispered words, their ancient ghosts--invoked by such as Del Tor with his old musty tomes and their forgotten mysteries. For me, the cinematiccities and suburbs of the New World hold no further mysteries. TH and Middle -earth is the forest and the blossom that are being lost. One dayit may be ready for the brash breath of the current world--but not yet. Not at BEST anyway. We hada happy chance at that--and that richness, we have forever lost.
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Subject
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User
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Time
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Is Neill Blomkamp the next 'Hobbit' director? Maybe
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News from Bree
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Jun 18 2010, 3:32pm
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This would be a very good choice.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 18 2010, 10:09pm
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I agree 100%
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Compa_Mighty
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Jun 19 2010, 4:34am
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If it is to be:
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 11:35am
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My sentiments exactly, Kangi...
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Patty
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Jun 19 2010, 3:33pm
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Genre director
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Gandalf'sMother
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Jun 20 2010, 1:46am
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Everyone: For your enjoyment...
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Sunflower
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Jun 20 2010, 5:51am
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Wow... Its exactly what I imagine when I read GDT`s breaking news!
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Oscarilbo
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Jun 18 2010, 10:11pm
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Once again, mmmmmm-MONEY will triumph.
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Sunflower
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Jun 18 2010, 11:31pm
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Woah woah woah
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MrCere
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Jun 19 2010, 12:51am
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WARNING: Long and Rambling post ahead.
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Sunflower
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Jun 19 2010, 4:15am
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Yes!
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jedihillis
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Jun 19 2010, 9:09am
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First i want to thank
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Vangalad
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Jun 19 2010, 11:25am
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It is obvious that you have put thought into what you are posting...
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Owain
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Jun 19 2010, 4:32pm
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See Voronwe's post
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Sunflower
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Jun 20 2010, 5:33am
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some thoughts...
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Gildor
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Jun 20 2010, 8:04am
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Why so serious?
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 8:18am
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I don't want the hobbit to be made anymore
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Alassė
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Jun 19 2010, 1:08am
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So much drama
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R11
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Jun 19 2010, 1:23am
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Boy I want the Hobbit made and quick
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 1:41am
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Shark Jumping
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Voorhas
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Jun 19 2010, 8:40am
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Shadows and Dreamscapes
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Sunflower
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Jun 19 2010, 10:38am
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You know, same thing was said after PJ said he wouldn't direct
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Ainu Laire
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Jun 19 2010, 3:15pm
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Yes, I could get behind Blomkamp
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Oiotįri
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Jun 19 2010, 4:58pm
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Mmmmmmmoney is what get's a film made.
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Owain
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Jun 19 2010, 6:07am
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I think yoiur overemphsizing some potential problems....
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moreorless
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Jun 19 2010, 1:49pm
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Re: Once again, mmmmmm-MONEY will triumph.
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Runk Snusgrop
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Jun 20 2010, 6:24am
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Once again...
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Sunflower
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Jun 20 2010, 6:42am
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Maybe 540 degrees? //
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 7:25am
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This whole thing feels like death by degrees! (GDT leaving; the suspense . . .)
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Ethel Duath
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Jun 21 2010, 3:33am
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Some people may call D9
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R11
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Jun 18 2010, 10:44pm
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Somehow it seem appropriate that R11 likes D9 ;) //
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 18 2010, 11:53pm
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Brother Kangi
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R11
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Jun 19 2010, 1:03am
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Well
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 1:34am
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My brain too.
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Ethel Duath
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Jun 19 2010, 1:47am
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A,E,I,O,U, and sometimes Y?
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Pipe Dream
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Jun 19 2010, 11:48am
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OK You wany to hear about the feaver I have had for the past 5 days.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 1:30pm
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I couldn't resist...
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Pipe Dream
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Jun 19 2010, 2:00pm
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Thanx am slowly mending.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 2:08pm
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Well then...
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Sunflower
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Jun 20 2010, 4:03am
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Indeed I am on the mend and at work monitoring security all night long.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 4:13am
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Uh, Kangi...
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Sunflower
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Jun 20 2010, 4:40am
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I think that people are uncertain how to respond to what you write.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 5:48am
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That was my chief lament
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Sunflower
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Jun 20 2010, 6:39am
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I like Knagi's comment of...
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Huan71
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Jun 20 2010, 10:49am
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A statement from Guillermo
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Sunflower
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Jun 21 2010, 12:37am
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Posts, the Director and the vision..
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Huan71
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Jun 21 2010, 9:16am
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Lets call the whole thing off? NOT
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 21 2010, 9:55am
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"Let us all hope for the best. It will save a lot of stomach linings."
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Patty
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Jun 21 2010, 3:54pm
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Actually I have reponded several times to your posts....
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Owain
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Jun 20 2010, 8:30pm
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Ahhh, I see
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R11
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Jun 21 2010, 6:43pm
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I had serious troubles liking District 9 -
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macfalk
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Jun 18 2010, 10:52pm
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It's not like we have a choice right?
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Pipe Dream
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Jun 18 2010, 11:26pm
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Basically...
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Malveth The Eternal
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Jun 18 2010, 11:30pm
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Any clues from Neill himself?
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Nerwen
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Jun 18 2010, 11:43pm
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my initial reaction was discomfort
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Oiotįri
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Jun 19 2010, 12:05am
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Link for those like me who don't know much about him...
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weaver
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Jun 19 2010, 12:27am
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Hmmm... I might like this choice.
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entmaiden
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Jun 19 2010, 1:26am
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Its an interesting idea ...
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Elven
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Jun 19 2010, 1:49am
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Here's something I found
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Oiotįri
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Jun 19 2010, 2:12am
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PJ has an uncanny nose for talent.
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Ataahua
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Jun 19 2010, 3:07am
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Yes, indeed (and do we have any word yet on other departments heads -- DP, Production Design, Costume Design et al)
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CINE
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Jun 20 2010, 1:53am
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No word that I know of
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Arwen's daughter
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Jun 20 2010, 3:49pm
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Costumes
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CINE
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Jun 21 2010, 2:04am
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Hmm...
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Arwen's daughter
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Jun 21 2010, 3:58am
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i don't want the hobbit to be made like a harry potter movie!
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Silmaril
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Jun 21 2010, 7:20am
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Great List (Canonero = Legend)!
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CINE
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Jun 21 2010, 8:30am
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I have never seen a single movie he has made.
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Woodyend
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Jun 19 2010, 3:16am
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That's my fear too :(
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Alassė
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Jun 19 2010, 5:28am
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Don't despair before you've even watched District 9
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Kyriel
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Jun 19 2010, 10:55am
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I am glad you wrote this
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 1:51pm
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Me too, Kangi. Nicely said, Kyriel
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Altaira
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Jun 19 2010, 3:32pm
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It is a wise guess he would do it especially when...
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ringer5150
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Jun 19 2010, 6:51am
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Brilliant...
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Huan71
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Jun 20 2010, 10:52am
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Heavy sigh
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Doriath
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Jun 19 2010, 8:03am
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Amen...
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Sunflower
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Jun 19 2010, 11:06am
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We do not know Neill Blomkamp's knowledge of Tolkien.//
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 1:56pm
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Well...
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dormouse
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Jun 19 2010, 12:50pm
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There is only the one.
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Pipe Dream
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Jun 19 2010, 1:17pm
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I've always liked the idea of Blomkamp
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Eldy
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Jun 19 2010, 2:27pm
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What can I say?
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Marionette
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Jun 19 2010, 2:37pm
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Neill Blomkamp on the Forums
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chrismortega
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Jun 19 2010, 3:10pm
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D9: A story of redemption
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 19 2010, 3:39pm
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well...
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chrismortega
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Jun 20 2010, 12:17am
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Just an Idea...
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Bound
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Jun 19 2010, 3:37pm
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Lucas said that?
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Patty
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Jun 19 2010, 3:52pm
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yeah
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Bound
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Jun 19 2010, 7:07pm
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It's worth noting that TLB also received a lot of praise.
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Ataahua
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Jun 19 2010, 9:30pm
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I think it will be considered a failure by anyone if it doesnt equal LOTR.
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Woodyend
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Jun 19 2010, 9:43pm
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I've just realised
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Ataahua
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Jun 19 2010, 10:13pm
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I did enjoy it...
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Buchanicus
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Jun 20 2010, 12:42am
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Choice of material.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 12:55am
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Same. /
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Ataahua
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Jun 20 2010, 1:05am
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which is why he doens't want to do The Hobbit
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Oiotįri
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Jun 20 2010, 12:54am
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...
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Bound
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Jun 20 2010, 9:22am
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What do critics know?
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R11
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Jun 21 2010, 8:32pm
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I agree...
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Bound
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Jun 21 2010, 9:09pm
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Director strong enough to keep PJ out of it
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Gandalf'sMother
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Jun 22 2010, 3:37am
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Couldn't agree with you more...
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Bound
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Jun 22 2010, 6:25am
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A rumour, though I still think
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xy
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Jun 19 2010, 5:41pm
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I think just the opisit would be true.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 12:11am
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hmm
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xy
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Jun 20 2010, 7:53am
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I dont think SPJ would do that ... just yet anyway ...
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Elven
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Jun 21 2010, 10:54am
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i really hope so!
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marlonbrando76
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Jun 19 2010, 7:39pm
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Not sold on this guy.
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Uruk-Hai
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Jun 19 2010, 7:40pm
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I'm open to whatever PJ thinks is best
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Garfeimao
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Jun 19 2010, 8:10pm
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Well said!
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Buchanicus
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Jun 19 2010, 8:57pm
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That's a very good point
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dormouse
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Jun 19 2010, 10:00pm
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Perhaps something else occurred that caused a crisis.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 12:28am
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I'm inclined to agree with you
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Voronwė_the_Faithful
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Jun 20 2010, 1:28am
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Curious
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Sunflower
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Jun 20 2010, 5:15am
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Nothing so arcane:
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 6:09am
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That's true
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dormouse
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Jun 20 2010, 7:45am
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Probably because the announcement had not been made.
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entmaiden
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Jun 20 2010, 12:29pm
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Exactly. This is standard practice.
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Silverlode
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Jun 20 2010, 8:19pm
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Agreed
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Owain
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Jun 20 2010, 8:23pm
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You're both missing my point
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Voronwė_the_Faithful
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Jun 20 2010, 8:27pm
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I am with you on this.
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 8:46pm
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I disagree.
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Silverlode
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Jun 20 2010, 8:47pm
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I respect your opinion
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Voronwė_the_Faithful
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Jun 20 2010, 8:53pm
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Can you help me
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pasi
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Jun 20 2010, 10:48pm
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pasi
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macfalk
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Jun 20 2010, 11:00pm
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People are interested in what GdT does
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Voronwė_the_Faithful
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Jun 20 2010, 11:19pm
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Maybe, maybe not
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SirDennisC
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Jun 20 2010, 9:49pm
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I agree with Silverlode
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entmaiden
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Jun 20 2010, 11:30pm
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so Comic-Con is a month away
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Oiotįri
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Jun 20 2010, 2:45pm
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comic con annoucment would be great, but on the other hand...
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ringer5150
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Jun 20 2010, 6:30pm
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Comic-con Announcement
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Kangi Ska
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Jun 20 2010, 8:54pm
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Another big (yet disappointing) announcement? ...like the Blu-Ray fiasco?
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SteveDJ
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Jun 21 2010, 5:55pm
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About Experience
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rings7
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Jun 20 2010, 3:55pm
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New hobbit director
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pasi
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Jun 20 2010, 5:01pm
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which new words? //
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Oiotįri
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Jun 20 2010, 5:05pm
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the words from Ian
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pasi
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Jun 20 2010, 5:29pm
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oh, yeah, I read that
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Oiotįri
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Jun 20 2010, 5:39pm
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Honestly
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duats
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Jun 21 2010, 12:07am
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not happy...
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merklynn
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Jun 21 2010, 1:49pm
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Sorry, merklynn
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dormouse
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Jun 21 2010, 2:19pm
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I'm not losing hope...
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merklynn
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Jun 21 2010, 2:37pm
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