Another week has come and gone

without a single post from yours truly. Sorry about that. There has not really been much activity from my end at all for the past few weeks. I'll try to work up something interesting soon, but for now, you will have to content yourself with an overview of this past week's events. 

Happy New Year!

As always, lots of stuff has happened this past week, including the beginning of a new year! 2014 has tons of new prospects and things to wait for - such as The Hobbit: There and Back Again, scheduled to be released on December 17. There should be a trailer sometime in the next few months! Back to the present, there are interviews, essays, and much more Tolkien related stuff to post about!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has taken in over 600 million worldwide in less than a month!

It has also remained top of the box office, despite the release of several other blockbusters, such as Frozen, Anchorman 2, and several others. You can learn more at BoxOffice.com. Something else you might like to know is this: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the most pirated film of 2013, with 8.4 million illegal downloads. I'm not sure what to think of that. 

Information on all the versions and when you can get your very own copy of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition

There have been a few issues concerning the extended edition lately: short supply, more versions than you can count and certainly more than you can keep track of, and a very un-simultaneous release in stores across the US and other countries. Hopefully all that has been fixed. As you already know, the extended edition was scheduled for release in the US on November 5, and tomorrow for the UK. There is one anomaly: Target will not have the extended edition until December 1. Very kindly, TheOneRing.net has published a definitive buyer's guide for the extended edition, and believe me, it is very helpful. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to comment!

If you are waiting for a hard copy of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition

Here are a few videos that will tide you over. Among them are two scenes featuring Bilbo and Elrond, plus a new behind-the-scenes clip. However, if you are too impatient to wait for the release of the Extended Edition on DVD or BluRay, it is available on iTunes. 

New scenes revealed in a German Trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition!

As you are no doubt going to watch the video, which is posted beyond the break, be warned, this video is dubbed in German and there are not subtitles, and I doubt very many of you are fluent in German, unless, of course, you are German. Anyway, you can catch a few glimpses of what was cut out of the theatrical version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which more than makes up for not being able to understand a word of what was said. 

Statues, calendars, bookmarks, knives, magnets...

There's so much! Sorry about the title, but it was the only one I could think of that tied everything in this post together. So let's get down to business. What are these new Hobbit things? Well, first there are the Daggers of Tauriel and a statue of Thranduil from the Weta Workshop. Next, there are some pretty sweet bookmarks from That Company Called If. (I'm serious, that's what it's called!) Third, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 2014 Calendar can now be ordered from Amazon, and as a bonus it comes with a magnet! Finally, and perhaps most important of all, we have at last learned the release date for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition: November 5th for the US and November 11th for residents of the UK. However, it will be available for download worldwide on October 22nd. 

Here is the latest hobbit hole created by the Weta Workshop

This piece is especially interesting because I had never heard of it before. Apparently, this hobbit hole is called 'Gandalf's Cutting' because it is nearest to where the wizard enters Hobbiton. It also appeared in the movie (An Unexpected Journey) with Everard Proudfoot sweeping the doorstep. 

Has Peter Jackson given us a clue about Smaug?

This is just one of those touches that separates a great director from a mediocre one. The opening Warner Bros. logo in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has some interesting cloud formations behind it. It looks very much like the outline of a dragon. I have posted an image beyond the break, so you can see for yourself. 

The inside artwork of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has just been revealed on Amazon

Those concept drawings are pretty sweet. I personally can't decide which looks better, the inside or the outside of the set. You can see a high-res image beyond the break. If you want to find out what exactly is contained by those five awesome-looking discs, go here. To pre-order this on Amazon, go here. 

Just in at United Cutlery - and the prize of free-to-enter contest!

Here is the replica of object Radagast gave to Gandalf in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Made of stainless steel, the Morgul Blade measures 25 1/8in (64cm) long. Be sure to enter the contest for this fine blade, as it very well could be you who win! 

Cover images, gift sets, and more!

A few days ago Amazon.com added an exclusive Gift Set for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition. The set comes with 3D Blu-Ray, 2D, and appendices discs, and also with a special statue of Gollum and Bilbo from the Riddles in the Dark scene crafted by the folks at the Weta Workshop. You can see an image of the set beyond the break, along with three cover images and pricing details.  

Release dates, content, and pricing have all been announced. 

Disappointingly, there will only be 13 minutes of extra footage added to the extended edition, but there is over 9 hours of new bonus content. Instead of giving you all the details one by one, I will instead direct you to the official press release, which I have copied and pasted beyond the break, along with a short clip of Bilbo and Elrond talking in Rivendell. 

Peter Jackson tells us what to expect in the Extended Edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

In an interview with Empire Magazine, Peter Jackson lets on as to which deleted scenes make it to the extended cut. One involves the dwarves and the elves, where the dwarves are very rude to the elves. (I wonder if this is that scene.) We will also get to see more of Barry Humphries, a.k.a. the Great Goblin. 

The Motion Picture Association of America has given a rating for the extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Not surprisingly, the extended edition received the same rating as theatrical version: PG-13. However, there is a slight difference. The theatrical version received a rating of PG-13 for 'intense fantasy action violence and frightening images.' The extended edition is rated PG-13 for 'extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, frightening images and fleeting nudity.' Frankly, I found this quite surprising. Peter Jackson usually does not include this sort of content in his movies. Perhaps the theatrical version held back on the rudeness and vulgarity of the dwarves more than I thought. 

Finally, trading cards for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!

Cryptozoic Entertainment will release the first batch of The Hobbit Trilogy trading cards early next year, with cards for The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again coming soon after that. The cards will contain characters, locations, and scenes from the movies. Be sure to get yourself a set! 

Have you ever wanted to explore Middle-earth?

Here's your chance! Google has teamed up with Warner Bros. to launch a Chrome experiment this fall. You will be able to take an interactive journey through Middle-earth, which appears to be a collection of mini-games, such as taking on the three trolls. There is a short preview on YouTube and the official website, http://www.thehobbit.com/middle-earth, but you can also watch it beyond the break. 

An interview with Joe Letteri, who reveals the secrets behind the visual effects of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 

Stuff recently posted on their website an interview with Joe Letteri, the VFX supervisor of Middle-earth. He tells us about the benefits of the new technology that has developed since The Lord of the Rings, and the challenges of filming in 3D and 48fps. We also get some interesting info on Smaug. To read the full article, go here. 

A mile ahead on both charts!

According to the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is easily dominating Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty in both DVD and Blu-ray sales. 

Best SciFi/Fantasy and Best Actor!

Last night, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey pulled in two awards at the Jameson Empire Awards! The Hobbit won Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Film, and Martin Freeman won Best Actor. These awards were decided by a public vote - thank you for voting for The Hobbit!