Summer Is Ending

by kjnics;

"Anyway, here's to old times."

Definitely.


"And this board is quieter than I've seen it in the 11+ years I've known it. Perhaps a Yahoo or Google group would have been a good idea (I know the FB group exists), but it's not the same as having posted here back in the day,"

Even the facebook page comments have slowed down similar to this Board.
For the Ringnuts on the LOTR boards at least the positive memories of the past remain.

"The reasons for this board's demise have already been discussed at length, but it's still rather regrettable and/or nostalgia-inducing."

Yes, why this Board's participation has faded (and that applies to the FB page as well) has been gone over in detail.
- There being no broad enthusiasm for The Hobbit movies sums it up.

* And personally, my discontent with the The Hobbit films is getting more intense.
- The Romeo and Juliet style love affair between Tauriel and Kili, as the story's emotional climax, is like a slow poison which has lowered my ratings for The Hobbit trilogy. (I wasn't happy with Radagast's poop hair in the first movie either.)

I read that The Hobbit movies will be rereleased in theaters in October. I won't be buying tickets to see them or even view them on my Blu-ray copies for at least a year.

* We have fewer threads on the Board but almost all are interesting.
A few are about Tolkien's writings (from Maddy and Bertram for instance) which have started some nice discussions.

BB ;-)

it is just in my opinion - imo - 🌈

There being no broad enthusiasm for The Hobbit movies sums it up.

Agreed, Ptero's enthusiasm notwithstanding (here's to his old threads too). 

There are other reasons; the decline was well underway since 2006 or so, but the lackluster reaction to The Hobbit is one of them, of course.

(I personally enjoyed the last one in its own way, but can understand your dislike on the focus on Fili and Tauriel, though it didn't particularly bother me. By then, and since before, I had no great expectations for The Hobbit and was simply fine with tepidly enjoying it).

I read that The Hobbit movies will be rereleased in theaters in October. I won't be buying tickets to see them or even view them on my Blu-ray copies for at least a year.

I wish they'd re-release the Lord of the Rings, to be honest. I sometimes think Jackson, the producers and perhaps even some of the cast and crew forget how much of an impact those films had when they were released or underestimate what potential they could still have long-term (if given more public exposure).

It's 2015; I hadn't seen the films in several years until I watched a segment of The Two Towers recently. I reflected on how they are not only artistically but culturally potent, deserving more than a long-term underground or niche following. To me, those films have always had the potential to go beyond being average entertainment (the Academy Awards they won demonstrated that), or a temporary 2001-2004 zeitgeist. Being classics, they can continue to influence present and future generations.

We have fewer threads on the Board but almost all are interesting. A few are about Tolkien's writings (from Maddy and Bertram for instance) which have started some nice discussions.

Yes, I saw Maddy's one on Arwen, which was quite good. Kudos to them; I hope they keep posting here!



by kjnics;

"Agreed, Ptero's enthusiasm notwithstanding (here's to his old threads too)."

There are other reasons; the decline was well underway since 2006 or so, but the lackluster reaction to The Hobbit is one of them, of course."

The other main cause for the decline in comments is due to the censorship of certain off topic threads on this Board.
I don't want to go into detail because that might get this thread deleted.

Ptero was a prolific OT thread starter but that no longer could be. ;-(

"(I personally enjoyed the last one in its own way, but can understand your dislike on the focus on Fili and Tauriel, though it didn't particularly bother me.)."

I'm in the middle on the Tauriel/Kili topic and with the Hobbit films in general.
On one end Ptero loved all the Hobbit movies. But some had doubts with AUJ and many dropped out after seeing Tauriel in DOS. It surprised me how many Ringnuts didn't even go to the theater to see the last two Hobbit movies.
I was a big supporter of DOS but lost enthusiasm after seeing BOTFA.

"By then, and since before, I had no great expectations for The Hobbit and was simply fine with tepidly enjoying it."

I wanted to enjoy the Hobbit movies at least as just action films.
I saw them in a theater and I own copies of all of them on Blu-ray.
But lots of action is not enough for me to be entertained by a movie. For instance critics raved about "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Jurassic World" got huge box office. But I disliked those films even more than the Hobbit movies.

"I wish they'd re-release the Lord of the Rings, to be honest. I sometimes think Jackson, the producers and perhaps even some of the cast and crew forget how much of an impact those films had when they were released or underestimate what potential they could still have long-term (if given more public exposure)."

It's a business and the studio wants to wring out as much money from the Hobbit movies as possible.

"It's 2015; I hadn't seen the films in several years until I watched a segment of The Two Towers recently. I reflected on how they are not only artistically but culturally potent, deserving more than a long-term underground or niche following. To me, those films have always had the potential to go beyond being average entertainment (the Academy Awards they won demonstrated that), or a temporary 2001-2004 zeitgeist. Being classics, they can continue to influence present and future generations."

I recently had a similar reaction when watching bits of the LOTR movies while testing out some stereo/home theater equipment.
It was a visual jolt to see again how well made those movies were and that many of the added CGI design choices (and shots) in the newer Jackson movies were not nearly as good.
For instance comparing Orcs / Trolls between trilogies, the ones in LOTR are much better designed while those in the Hobbit films look cartoonish by comparison.

BB ;-)

it is just in my opinion - imo - 🌈

Well, I'm still a fan of The Hobbit films, but they of course in no way lived up to the grandiose story told in LotR.

I've already ordered tickets to the premiere of "Battle," since I was pretty impressed with the extended "Desolation."

BB, I don't even bother with summer blockbusters like "Mad Max" any more. They're all too loud and vapid and formulaic. I figure my best bet is finding old or forgotten classics on Netflix. I AM interested to see if Abrams can rescue Star Wars, as he did with Star Trek.

Mostly my life revolves around putting up hay in the summer. My wife convinced me last winter to hang out in Kauai, which I really liked. So, from now on, every winter in Hanalei, living in the Grey Havens as an aging hippie beach comber ... 





Never laugh at live dragons.

Hey PV; good to hear from you.

"Mostly my life revolves around putting up hay in the summer."

Simplifying life. That works for me.

"My wife convinced me last winter to hang out in Kauai, which I really liked. So, from now on, every winter in Hanalei,"

Our chat about Kauai got me interested again in visiting Hawaii. Any island. I don't care. Just get me there (with my wife of course ).

"...living in the Grey Havens as an aging hippie beach comber ..."

Aging hippie. Being a former hippie, I'd like to try that.

"Well, I'm still a fan of The Hobbit films...

'I've already ordered tickets to the premiere of "Battle,"

Have fun.

"BB, I don't even bother with summer blockbusters like "Mad Max" any more. They're all too loud and vapid and formulaic."

I see action movies with my 20 something son. And the critics raved about "Fury Road". What a dud. (Imo of course.)

"I figure my best bet is finding old or forgotten classics on Netflix.'

I like lots of old films.
But my wife likes things more recent. She and I have been watching indie films, and foreign films on Netflix. And we find enjoyable stories about real human beings.
Last night we saw "A Summer's Tale" (1996) in French.
It reminded me a bit of myself when I was a young musician traveling with my guitar, meeting interesting people.

"I AM interested to see if Abrams can rescue Star Wars, as he did with Star Trek."

I continue to have hope for Star Wars. I will see the new one in a theater.

Have a good one, BB ;-)

it is just in my opinion - imo - 🌈

I'm a little worried that quiet little Hanalei will become overrun with aging hippies with big trusts funds, as well as aging rock stars, Mark Zuckerberg, Julia Roberts and Chinese Syndicates looking for a place to park their hot money.

Probably the real hippies will be relegated to Hilo trying to avoid vog and lava flows ... 

The best thing about Netflix to me are the television shows, products of the current golden age. Some have great cinematic style and the comedies are pretty topnotch.

No commercials!




Never laugh at live dragons.

Well, at least you aren't worried about hordes of survivalists coming around...

Look- it's trying to think!

Hi PV;

"I'm a little worried that quiet little Hanalei will become overrun with aging hippies with big trusts funds, as well as aging rock stars, Mark Zuckerberg, Julia Roberts and Chinese Syndicates looking for a place to park their hot money.

Probably the real hippies will be relegated to Hilo trying to avoid vog and lava flows ... "

Ha ha.

This reminds me of the saying; 'build it and they will come'.
There's an older film John Huston made around 1965 called "Night of the Iguana". He, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton had discovered the sleepy town of Puerto Vallarta Mexico. Women washing clothes in the river. Deserted beaches like Mismaloya.
- I visited Puerto Vallarta twice around 1990 and the place was booming with new resorts popping up every few hundred yards.
I think the sleepy town now has over 2 hundred thousand people.

The best thing about Netflix to me are the television shows, products of the current golden age. Some have great cinematic style and the comedies are pretty topnotch.

No commercials!

Yes. Some great TV on Netflix and Amazon Prime if you don't mind two subs.

Take it easy, BB ;-)

it is just in my opinion - imo - 🌈