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ImmortalThree
Registered User
Feb 11 2011, 4:29pm
Post #76 of 120
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After watching the video of the press conference yesterday I was trying to remember who Armitage reminded me of and it hit me this morning. He reminded me of Bernard Hill's Theoden. He has a kingly presence about him just like Theoden. It seemed to me that he knew he was important and he certainly sounded like it with his deep voice. Good job on casting im sure he is going to do great!
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Oiotári
Dor-Lomin
Feb 11 2011, 4:39pm
Post #77 of 120
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(which is the same as the general vibe I'm getting from other people who were complaining)
We were expecting PJ to be there (along with other production people possibly) and so the questions we were hoping for could not be answered (such as about GdT's designs, etc). Then the Dominion Post report was dry and made it sound like all of the questions were pointless (eg: are you prepared to be an instant heartthrob?). However, since Tehanu's report and the video postings, for the most part it seems everyone has realized the spirit of the conference: it wasn't dry and it was a wonderful way to meet the main cast.
..The land of long-forgotten name:
......no man may ever anchor near;
..No steering star his hope may aim,
......for nether Night its marches drear,
..And waters wide no sail may tame,
......with shores encircled dark and sheer.
..O! Haven where my heart would be!
......the waves beat upon thy bar
..For ever echo endlessly,
......when longing leads thy thought afar
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Oiotári
Dor-Lomin
Feb 11 2011, 4:41pm
Post #78 of 120
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what a wonderful way to meet the cast
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Before I only had a knowledge of the names and a vague idea of what they looked like (not that I could ever remember all of the dwarves' actors). Now I'm getting a feel for the personalities behind the actors, which makes it so much more real.
..The land of long-forgotten name:
......no man may ever anchor near;
..No steering star his hope may aim,
......for nether Night its marches drear,
..And waters wide no sail may tame,
......with shores encircled dark and sheer.
..O! Haven where my heart would be!
......the waves beat upon thy bar
..For ever echo endlessly,
......when longing leads thy thought afar
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rings7
Nargothrond
Feb 11 2011, 4:52pm
Post #80 of 120
(3390 views)
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i'm in cloud nine with this PC what an amazing cast, fabulous guys all of them!
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Flagg
Dor-Lomin
Feb 11 2011, 5:38pm
Post #81 of 120
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It's great to finally see the cast together
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The entire project has suddenly become more tangible. Now we're starting to get a real sense of how the actors and their characters will interact and behave around each other. The chemistry is reassuring indeed. It's a slightly eerie feeling – looking at a group of people, most of whom I've never seen before, and knowing that I will soon be just as familiar with them as I am with the nine actors who portrayed the Fellowship.
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
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Feb 11 2011, 5:42pm
Post #82 of 120
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Is this akin to Darth Vadar playing happily with puppies and kittens?
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded b*****d with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
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Ainu Laire
Dor-Lomin
Feb 11 2011, 5:42pm
Post #83 of 120
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He did quite a bit of talking and it was clear that he was very excited to be cast. Good for him.
My LiveJournal ~ My artwork and photography
NARF since age 8, when I refused to read the Hobbit because the cover looked boring and icky.
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macfalk
Doriath
Feb 11 2011, 6:06pm
Post #85 of 120
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You seem to have great knowledge of these matters! I enjoyed reading your post.
What do you think about the other actor's accents that will be used (Drogo,Primula,Itaril,Beorn etc) And of course Thranduil and Bard but those are not yet cast.
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
(This post was edited by macfalk on Feb 11 2011, 6:06pm)
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mulubinba
Ossiriand
Feb 11 2011, 9:48pm
Post #86 of 120
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I hope this isn't too off topic but after reading about Durin's folk, I don't picture Thorin as being "old" - more late middle aged.
My reasoning is that in the Appendices of Return of the King, (Appendix A: III) it states that the average life expectancy of a dwarf is 250 years. Marriageable age is 100 years and they don't become "battle ready" until their early 30's. From this, I would place Thorin at 195, more in "late middle age"; still fit to fight. lead his people, work the hammer and anvil and travel under rough conditions on the quest for Erebor. An "old" dwarf wouldn't have it in him, imo.
Armitage needs to be aged a few years, greyed a bit. He certainly might be viewed as "old for his years" as he has seen tragedy from his years of exile and has had a tough life. Proud, aloof, even arrogant. ("Regal" to quote SiirDennisC above).
It all depends on what a person's perception of "old" is and what that means in dwarf years. I would think 250 is old (a bit like our 3 score years and 10) 
Interesting press conference - it was clear a lot of the actors were already starting to inhabit their characters including Armitage. I wonder if he has Orcrist yet?
(This post was edited by mulubinba on Feb 11 2011, 9:54pm)
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RosieLass
Doriath
Feb 11 2011, 10:19pm
Post #87 of 120
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I just finished reading "The Annals of the Kings and Rulers" from the Appendix, and that was exactly my thought.
Thorin was just a "kid" when Smaug attacked the Lonely Mountain, barely in his 20s, which is young even for races with lifespans of less than a century. He was 95 when became king at the time of Thrain's disappearance, and he was 195 when he died.
Dain Ironfoot lived to 252.
It is always those with the fewest sensible things to say who make the loudest noise in saying them. --Precious Ramotswe (Alexander McCall Smith)
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silneldor
Gondolin
Feb 11 2011, 11:12pm
Post #88 of 120
(3292 views)
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Ahhhh, input!
''Sam put his ragged orc-cloak under his master's head, and covered them both with the grey robe of Lorien; and as he did so his thoughts went out to that fair land, and to the Elves, and he hoped that the cloth woven by their hands might have some virtue to keep them hidden beyond all hope in this wilderness of fear...But their luck held, and for the rest of that day they met no living or moving thing; and when night fell they vanished into the darkess of Mordor.'' - - -rotk, chapter III
May the grace of Manwë let us soar with eagle's wings!
In the air, among the clouds in the sky
Here is where the birds of Manwe fly
Looking at the land, and the water that flows
The true beauty of earth shows
With the stars of Varda lighting my way
In all the realms this is where I stay
In the realm of Manwë Súlimo
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silneldor
Gondolin
Feb 11 2011, 11:38pm
Post #89 of 120
(3217 views)
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Very much fun. Thank you Altaira\\
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''Sam put his ragged orc-cloak under his master's head, and covered them both with the grey robe of Lorien; and as he did so his thoughts went out to that fair land, and to the Elves, and he hoped that the cloth woven by their hands might have some virtue to keep them hidden beyond all hope in this wilderness of fear...But their luck held, and for the rest of that day they met no living or moving thing; and when night fell they vanished into the darkess of Mordor.'' - - -rotk, chapter III
May the grace of Manwë let us soar with eagle's wings!
In the air, among the clouds in the sky
Here is where the birds of Manwe fly
Looking at the land, and the water that flows
The true beauty of earth shows
With the stars of Varda lighting my way
In all the realms this is where I stay
In the realm of Manwë Súlimo
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titanium_hobbit
Nargothrond
Feb 12 2011, 1:07am
Post #90 of 120
(3305 views)
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That I'm thinking of them as their dwarven alter-egos already
" I like Thorin's voice... erm I mean RA"
"Ori is young but should be a great addition. He's tall, as is Nori which will be useful for carrying Bilbo etc. I mean Adam Brown, Jed Brophy and Martin Freeman."
Hobbit firster, Book firster.
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Ælfwine Samylfin
Nevrast
Feb 12 2011, 7:55am
Post #91 of 120
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Thorin is the oldest dwarf in the company.
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He was, by his own account, a "young dwarf" when Smaug descended on Erebor. Thirty-one years later he fought in the Battle of Azanulbizar, where he earned the name Oakenshield, alongside his cousin Dáin, who was thirty-two at the time. He then lived in exile for another 140 years until the quest for Erebor, making him at least 171 plus however old he was at the time of the dragon's attack.
That said, provided he has the capacity to ramble on in a self-important manner, Armitage has a perfect air for Thorin, and I don't care how young he looks. Bring on the make-up department; just leave alone those eyes and nose!
"The job of the English Linguistics Department at Oxford University is to fight the English Literature Department!"
-T. A. Shippey, PhD., "Rediscovering Middle-Earth: The Roots of Tolkien's Myth"
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Silverlode
Forum Admin
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Feb 12 2011, 10:02am
Post #92 of 120
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You know, that makes me wonder....
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if by any chance we'll get to see a flashback or prologue of Smaug's arrival at the Lonely Mountain, complete with a young Thorin....a Thorin who might look rather like RA does now.....
Silverlode
"Of all faces those of our familiares are the ones both most difficult to play fantastic tricks with, and most difficult really to see with fresh attention. They have become like the things which once attracted us by their glitter, or their colour, or their shape, and we laid hands on them, and then locked them in our hoard, acquired them, and acquiring ceased to look at them.
Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else [make something new], may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds. The gems all turn into flowers or flames, and you will be warned that all you had (or knew) was dangerous and potent, not really effectively chained, free and wild; no more yours than they were you." -On Fairy Stories
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Kangi Ska
Gondolin
Feb 12 2011, 10:06am
Post #93 of 120
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It would justify the youthful casting wouldn't it? //
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Kangi Ska Resident Trickster & Wicked White Crebain
Life is an adventure, not a contest.
At night you can not tell if crows are black or white.
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Silverlode
Forum Admin
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Feb 12 2011, 10:24am
Post #94 of 120
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It might help to explain it...
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Whether it justifies it is a subjective conclusion and the proof will be in the movie which we won't see for a couple of years yet. But it's an interesting possibility. It's certainly easier to age someone than to make them appear convincingly younger.
Silverlode
"Of all faces those of our familiares are the ones both most difficult to play fantastic tricks with, and most difficult really to see with fresh attention. They have become like the things which once attracted us by their glitter, or their colour, or their shape, and we laid hands on them, and then locked them in our hoard, acquired them, and acquiring ceased to look at them.
Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else [make something new], may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds. The gems all turn into flowers or flames, and you will be warned that all you had (or knew) was dangerous and potent, not really effectively chained, free and wild; no more yours than they were you." -On Fairy Stories
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DrDeath153
Menegroth
Feb 12 2011, 1:28pm
Post #95 of 120
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But then i only started posting on here in reaction to Richard Armitage being cast and so it may seem like i'm a bit of a 'one policy party', but yes, I am actually hugely hugely excited about this- i'm just trying to make sure the film is as good as it can be.
On matters of Thorin's age- late middle-age is a good analogy. The thing about Thorin, is that much like Bilbo, he's reached an age where he must either fulfill his 'pipe dreams' or live out the rest of his days without achieving them. While Bilbo is on the cusp of going to seed and spending the rest of his days as an eccentric but respectable bachelor and country squire, Thorin is on the cusp of becoming too old to mete out any kind of vengeance on Smaug and reclaim the Lonely Mountain. There's a tragic futility to the character of Thorin. While we see Aragorn say to the kid at Helm's Deep 'There is always hope', Thorin is specifically identified as an heir without hope and so i'm hoping to see a rather melancholic and sympathetic vision of Thorin, resigned to at best a heroic and honourable death, but fearful (and suspicious) that Gandalf has just set him up for a humiliating and ignominious one- there's a great deal of pathos to be drawn from the character, and just as much as his dourness can make him defensive and aggressive, it should also show him as capable of sincere displays of wonderment and happiness- the moment where he recovers the Arkenstone should almost have the same effect on him as when Bilbo sees the ship at the grey havens at the end of LotR- the same wide-eyed wonderment and blissful happiness. It's a kind of scope that i fear someone as young, fit and virile as Richard Armitage won't be able to capture, where someone a bit more world-weary and 'past it' would (my first choice for Thorin was actually Anthony Hopkins) but if he can then he really will have proven himself.
a flashback or prologue of Smaug's arrival at the Lonely Mountain, complete with a young Thorin....a Thorin who might look rather like RA does now.....
A cold shower for Ms Silverlode please! And will the horny aunties of the boards please stop elevating their hormones to the level of poetry?...... Thank you
Dr Death
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duats
Hithlum
Feb 12 2011, 4:53pm
Post #96 of 120
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Thorin is 195 during the events of The Hobbit. As you said, this makes him the oldest dwarf in the company (followed by Balin).
Having just skimmed the first chapter again, Balin was described as "an old-looking dwarf." So I would assume that Thorin too would look old.
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Feb 12 2011, 6:59pm
Post #97 of 120
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I fear that may be impossible.
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A cold shower for Ms Silverlode please! And will the horny aunties of the boards please stop elevating their hormones to the level of poetry?
The, ah, appreciation of certain males is a, shall we say, "time-honored tradition" on these Boards: here's the link to the TORn dictionary, scroll down to "Estrogen Island".
But I do like the way you phrased your protest: "level of poetry", indeed 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
"It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?"
-Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915
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Magpie
Elvenhome
Feb 12 2011, 7:31pm
Post #98 of 120
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nice try. But I am so far beyond the age where I worry about stuff like that. f..a..r... beyond. I have entered the Ruth Gordon as Maude stage of my life. I celebrate joy when it comes to me. :-P
I'm afraid TORn is stuck with the giddy aunts.
But I think I missed Silverlode joining the club. Does she need a cold shower? I can't even find where she's commented on him other than to say she would have picked him for Bard instead of Thorin.
LOTR soundtrack website
magpie avatar gallery ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
(This post was edited by Magpie on Feb 12 2011, 7:36pm)
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Silverlode
Forum Admin
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Feb 12 2011, 7:44pm
Post #99 of 120
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The funny thing is that my comment actually wasn't meant that way as I am not generally prone to drooling (though I do not attempt to deny the appeal of Mr. Armitage and I will keep a bucket of ice water handy over the next few months just in case ). Rather, it was posted in a "Hmmm" sort of way. I can think of a number of reasons that they might have wanted to cast Thorin young, but that was one that had not previously occurred to me. It's a way in which the relatively youthful casting might be made to serve the story.
Until recently, I had never considered it possible that dwarves might be heartthrobs, much less be played by them. As much as the purist in me would deplore it, I have a sneaking admiration for PJ that he might actually pull it off and make a crowd of guys playing short, stocky, hairy men into the most eligible bachelors in Hollywood.
A cold shower for Ms Silverlode please!
Silverlode
"Of all faces those of our familiares are the ones both most difficult to play fantastic tricks with, and most difficult really to see with fresh attention. They have become like the things which once attracted us by their glitter, or their colour, or their shape, and we laid hands on them, and then locked them in our hoard, acquired them, and acquiring ceased to look at them.
Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else [make something new], may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds. The gems all turn into flowers or flames, and you will be warned that all you had (or knew) was dangerous and potent, not really effectively chained, free and wild; no more yours than they were you." -On Fairy Stories
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debo
Nargothrond
Feb 12 2011, 7:49pm
Post #100 of 120
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"fanciable" dwarves had never occurred to me!!!! But of course this is the movies
Frodo; "What I chiefly need now is courage . . ."
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