A favorite Armitage image. When you can’t sleep, Richard.

Minor crisis involving a dog, this time Seabee, who apparently got herself stuck somehow in the crawl space beneath the house. I heard what sounded like distress barks from dog and puppy and some sort of metallic thumping around 2:45 a.m.  I went in search of a flashlight and a T-shirt and roused spouse just in case the bogeyman was out there, too.

Whilst I tried to calm the other dogs, Benny finally flushed out Seabee. He checked her over for injuries and found none. But the poor dog must have exerted herself mightily, as she was hassling heavily and drinking water as if she’d discovered an oasis in the scorching desert. We’d stayed with them until everyone seemed on an even keel.

It’s not hot, but it is very humid. I can feel the rain in the air and in my knee and now I’m fully awake again. *sigh*

Time for a little Richarding.

This screencapped image of Richard taken, I believe, from a video promoting The Hobbit prior to its theatrical release, has been on my mind.

There are a lot of things that appeal to me here. There’s that thoughtful downward look we all seem to like, combined with the beard (not universally liked, but looking very sharp to my eyes here) and the close-cropped hair showing off that nicely shaped noggin of his. I’m thinking his hair here is very close to its natural color, which appears to be brown with a reddish tint to it.

Love the thick fringe of fairish lashes and the glimpse of rosy pink lower lip, and the faint furrowing of the brow as if he’s musing over some pleasant subject. And, minus airbrushing, I can see the old chicken pox(?) scar on his forehead. For some reason I find that comforting. Perfect in his imperfections.

And now, I am going to return to my massive Bronte bio and then try to get some sleep. If only all will remain quiet on the (Southern) front . . .

Thorin Thursday arrives early!: oh, those inappropriate dwarfy thoughts . . .

Last night I watched “Snow White and the Huntsman.” What can I say, I liked the villain of the piece best of all–Charlize Theron as the mad evil Queen lusting after the heart of her stepdaughter to provide her with the immortal beauty and youth she craves. Snow White was OK, but I certainly am glad Bilbo beat her out for Best Hero. She just didn’t–inspire me.  I wasn’t particularly rooting for her.

As for Snow’s dwarves, well, they were a rather crotchety, crafty bunch, played by a cast of familiar Brit character actors given human dwarf bodies through the magic of CGI. Good performances, but they just weren’t Bilbo’s dwarves.  And not a Thorin amongst them to put inappropriate thoughts in a girl’s head.  They didn’t have his romantic mane of hair, his noble profile, his soulful, beautiful eyes, his deafening roar, his majesty. *sigh*

So, as more and more folks get their TH DVDs, the continued thudding, squeeing, drooling and sighing over  a certain vertically-challenged hottie takes place around the world. Wonder how many DVDs/Blu-rays have almost been paused and rewound and slo-moed to death already?

Did we ever think we’d feel this way about a sweaty, hairy, almost 200-year-old dwarf?  No, we didn’t. But we DO.

I found a few GIFs on Twitter I thought I would also share with you.  Oh, the joys of Thorin smiling!!

Someone suggested RA was doing his John the Baptist imitation here with his attire. Whoa–a bit wobbly, are we?? From PJ’s sneak peek of the second film.

Bilbo, that’s just what so many of us want to do–leap into Thorin’s strong arms! 😉

Guy Friday: Beautiful in Black & White

After last night’s storms, a quiet, cooler day with humidity below 50 percent. This is a good thing. Doing knee strengthening exercises as I put this entry together.  They aren’t all that much fun, but looking at Sir Guy is.  The lashes, the stubble, the delicately-shaped lips that curve into such delicious smirks, the intensity of his gazes, the curls at the nape of his neck, the tousled mane . . . yup, those knees are hurting just a little less now. *sigh* Happy Guyday Friday, dear ones.

‘First Impressions’ of the Leader of the Company: More from ‘Chronicles II’

More fascinating tidbits from the latest Weta Workshop book, this time from Peter King, makeup and hair designer:

First impressions are often lasting . . . when you are designing a character for the screen it is vital you get their look absolutely right for the first shots in which they appear . . . so that we impart a message about the character we want them to understand instantly when he walks on screen. Consequently, we put a lot of thought into Thorin, and his arrival in the movie is built up by the other Dwarves as they await his arrival at Bag End.

Thorin, as he appears at Bilbo’s door. Our first glimpse of the majestic dwarf in present day.

There is an awe and a reverence that surrounds him. He is very strong and slightly scary, but also hypnotic and charismatic. Thorin is the leader, a king among his people and the Dwarf upon whose shoulders the future and hopes of his people rests.

I have to say that I was “wowed” by the first impression of Thorin when Gandalf opened that door to him.  Charismatic? Absolutely. Hypnotic? Hmmmmm–was I saying . . . oh, yes. Definitely.

I was truly awed.  (Not that I expected anything less than awesome with Mr. A involved.)

King discusses how Thorin’s look evolved:

We went through a number of iterations before we settled upon his final makeup, which consisted of a thin forehead and nose, wig and ear. Thorin’s nose was Romanesque, which imparted a sense of nobility. His wig was also composed entirely of human hair, without any yak, which was used to add body to some of the other dwarves. That allowed it to flow and move more romantically.

*sigh* Works for me, Mr. King. Works for me.

As for Thorin’s beard, King has this to say:

For the same reason, Thorin’s beard ended up clipped quite close to preserve his more refined appearance and to not hide the actor under a full face of hair. It was important for people to understand and relate to Thorin so we didn’t want to build a wall of hair in front of him that would impede that in any way.

Very wise decision, sir. That face is much too expressive to hide it all under heavy prosthetics and excess facial hair.

And here are some thoughts from Mr. Armitage himself:

Early on in the shaping of Thorin’s look, we had some quite extreme prosthetics and elaborate beard designs. I was very pleased with the effort, which was such a transformation.  I looked like another being–older, and very much like a Dwarf.  As the design began to change, with resculpting, reshaping and stripping back, I realized that is was a process we were going through, to find a point at which Thorin and the actor inside him were both visible.  Of course, that feels like a great compliment, although Richard Taylor did tell me fairly near to the end of filming that they straightened my nose, which is apparently off-center . . . I didn’t know that!

Gosh, I thought his real nose was darned near perfect. Perfect in its imperfection. And truly noble.

And I do love that romantic hair . . .  I think it’s time for my “Thorin: King Under the Hair” fanvid!

A ‘handy’ post: RA talks dealing with prosthetic digits in ‘Chronicles’

My job was to try and make the character of Thorin feel very real, despite the heavy makeup, working my facial muscles, making sure the wig moved like hair, without too much appearance of vanity, which Thorin has very little of. The biggest challenge was the prosthetic hands.

I think hands reveal so much about a character.  They are sensitive little beings all of their own, and the enlargement with the silicone hands could quite restrictive. I wasn’t able to put my hands through my hair, or pick up anything with ease.  Touching my face, or touching another character’s face in a tender moment, was always going to be difficult. Hands are also connected to the emotions. The clenched fist and the relaxed shaking fingers–these are things we had to learn to live without.

~~Richard Armitage, actor, Thorin  From the Weta Workshop book Chronicles II, “Dwarf Prosthetics”

I found this fascinating in terms of our fascination with Richard Armitage’s own beautiful, expressive hands and how he has used them in past roles (as well as his endearing penchant for talking with his hands in interviews).

I can only imagine he did find it frustrating to be restricted in the use of those hands whilst playing Thorin. Richard strikes me as an actor who uses all the “weapons” in his acting arsenal, facial expressions, voice modulation, hair, body language and those amazingly expressive hands, to bring a character to life. The restrictions placed on him by the makeup and prosthetics proved just one more challenge for our gifted performer to take on–and triumph over!

When he speaks of “touching another character’s face in a tender moment” my stomach does flip-flops. Once again I envision the object of Thorin’s affection being gently, tenderly caressed, face cupped in his hands before a soft, beardy kiss. Sort of a Thornton moment for Thorin . . .

(I know, I know, Thorin doesn’t have a romantic interest in the book, it’s not canon, yadda yadda yadda–but a girl can dream, right?)

Something that I have wondered about is how the actors were able to wield their weapons as dwarfs so believably and effectively with those unwieldy prosthetic hands.  And I found the answer within the pages of this book, too: dwarf mitts!

According to Jason Docherty, the special makeup and prosthetics supervisor for Weta, the use of fighting mitts was the answer:

“The silicone covered only the top, leaving the fingers, palm and bottom completely open, and thereby not inhibiting the grip of weapons at all–great for fight sequences but not for a close-up. For close-ups, we always used a full arm or full hand.”

Docherty also mentions how much time Thorin spent with his forearms exposed and so he often wore the full arm prosthetic. That included battle scenes, so there were “fighting forearms” lacking palms, too, for just such occasions. Hmmmmm, battling Thorin with bare forearms. Roaring, hair flying, eyes flashing. Works for me . . .  *whimper* Can’t wait for some sneak peeks of him in full Bared Forearm Alpha Fighting Mode.

That being said, I really would like to see those hands on the big screen free of any silicone, being beautifully expressive. Oh, Black Sky, where art thou?

Big Bad Black-Clad Man: Yep, more Guyday Friday!

Such masculine beauty in the midst of all your angst, my beloved dark knight.

 

As if. They will never learn. Of course, Sir Guy, you DO look very “come-hither” in your medieval go-go cage. Just sayin’ . . .

Menacing can be really sexy with the right equipment. And he’s got *it.*

Yes, I do believe the CReAtor read for the roles of both Sir Guy and Vasey. No offense, Keith, but I believe Mr. A would have had us even more enthralled with the Dark Side. But then–we’d have missed out on the six feet two inches of black leather-clad bodaciosity known as Sir Guy.

Says it all. Happy Guyday Friday!

Nimue’s HobbitCon Memories: ‘Waves of Affection and Goosebump Moments’

Nimue kindly shared some of her HobbitCon experiences with us in the comment section of a previous post, and I enjoyed them so much, I felt they deserved a post of their own here on Thorin Thursday.  It certainly sounds like it was a fabulous event for fans of the film and has whetted my appetite even more to see the next installment in December! Thanks again, Nimue, for sharing highlights of this fab experience with us here at TAE. I have used some of DarkJackal’s screencaps from the film and from the Best Buy doc to add some more Hobbit-y dwarfy goodness. 😀

I was at the HobbitCon -it really was such an amazing and unforgettable experience! I’m still over the moon! The actors were so nice and approachable-they mixed with the normal people, often sat amongst us in the audience during each other’s panels, listening and sometimes intervening ,-). It could happen that you found yourself next to one of them in the lift or at the breakfast buffet, which I found kind of surreal sometimes, but great nevertheless!

They even were at the parties and told us beforehand that we could ask them questions. Really and truly very fine guys- each and every one of them! In their behaviour to each other you could see and feel, that they are not only colleagues but have become close friends.

Most of the time they needn’t to be asked about Richard, but mentioned him on their own. And their great admiration, respect and friendship for him was so sincere and really palpable I sometimes was nearly moved to tears. You could virtually feel the waves of affection all over the place! Goosebumps moments! My impression was that Richard was especially close with Graham (who mentioned that he auditioned for the role of Thorin as well) – a true gentleman like Richard himself.

 

 

 

 

BTW- as to one of your quotes above, concerning the mail exchange between RA and Adam ( so funny and cute- the poor guy was kind of shaky at the opening ceremony)- Richard wrote that he couldn’t answer him right now, as he was “on top of a mountain” . Mount Everest/Machu Picchu – mountaineering or skiing  ?

Anyway, we got such a great amount of information, I’m still processing! According to their behaviour and their tweets, all of the actors enjoyed the experience as well ( the Gameshow they did- ” Tossing the dwarves”- was a hoot, I think for them and the audience, we nearly died with laughter). They said they’d like to come back- maybe persuading Richard as well 

I really grew very fond of (the actors). Liked them all before, but having met them in person is something completely different. The word “fellowship” comes to mind when you see them in each other’s company. It was e.g. really cute seeing Dean and Adam walking around the lobby, Dean having his arm over Adam’s shoulders. Sylvester McCoy also is one of a kind- very charming and extremely hilarious- I was in stitches. A bundle of energy like Jedi (Jed Brophy)- always on the go. He also is a very good-smelling wizard. I know now the eau de parfum he uses- and it is not ” Eau de dwarf”  .

Graham said that Richard took great care that they all were very well looked after on set (enough time in the cooling tents etc.) like a good leader would. He told us about the rings they all had made- each one has a special, individual engraving and a picture on the inside to remind them of the bond they formed. At one point I even saw him wearing the ring. He said that in a way their role in the movie corresponded to their real-life position in the group- Adam being the “baby/youngster”, Richard the leader who inspired utter loyalty. etc.

There really were a lot of highlights. The boys seemingly all like dancing- I remember Adam doing some Beyonce dance moves and allegedly some (funny) dancing was sometimes going on behind the scenes on set as well   Jed and Mark did some dancing on stage. For PJ’s birthday calendar, Aidan and Dean did the Tango together, with Aidan dipping Dean, who had a rose in his mouth. Sir Peter is said to keep the “naughty calendar” in his bathroom. The guys are all starting or ramping up their training again. Jed in particular is very athletic, always doing cartwheels, splits etc. Mark was full of praise for Richard’s fighting and riding skills.

When asked what was especially funny, they mentioned the barrel scene. They weren’t allowed to talk about it yet, but we are in for a treat when we can watch the behind-the-scenes special on one of the next DVDs. I wonder if it has got something to do with Richard’s fish throwing  .
Probably we will also see more of the dwarven underwear in the next two films  . “The Adam Thing” is also one of the mysteries that only will be solved when we’ll get to see the material for the next movie.

It was my first Con experience and I was surprised how lovely and kind of intimate the atmosphere was. I’ve been told by more experienced RingCon visitors, that the HobbitCon really was very special in that regard.

Related articles

• Dwarf love for the Leader of the Company: Comments from HobbitCon (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• Thorin, Thorin, Thorin: Dwarf on the Brain (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• Peter Jackson Offers a Glimpse at ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ (screencrave.com)

Dwarf love for the Leader of the Company: Comments from HobbitCon

I never grow tired of reading or hearing Richard Armitage’s co-workers discussing what a good guy he is. I think it would be easy to be jealous of and snarky about someone like RA– so blo0dy tall and handsome, so charismatic and talented–and yet he seems to be universally well-liked because he is also truly kind, generous, modest and sweet, with no particular airs and graces. You’d pretty much have to be a troll–or an orc or goblin, methinks–NOT to like him.

(screencaps courtesy of Heirs of Durin unless otherwise noted; photo edits are my own)

Here’s what some of the actors who made up the dwarves in his Company in The Hobbit had to say about RA at HobbitCon in Bonn recently. Thank you, Herba and also Ali at Richard Armitage Net who shared additional quotes supplied to her via tweets. I confess shedding some tears as I read these words of praise for RA from the guys who spent two years training, rehearsing, filming and living alongside him.

I think under such circumstances you are bound to get to know something of the “real” person, and the “real” person named Richard Armitage is pretty special, indeed. *sigh* I have that sudden urge to hug his mother again, you know?

RA manfully (dwarfully?) striding forth as the leader of the Company during Dwarf Boot Camp prior to filming of TH.

“When we were done shooting & Richard left the set we’d just follow because he’s such the perfect leader” Jed Brophy 

“How you imagine him to be is exactly how he is, wonderful, kind, and natural leader to our group” Graham

MacTavish

“Yes he was . The nicest human I have met” Jed Brophy

“Richard was one of my neighbours in New Zealand and we had often breakfast together. He is a generous person and we had to follow him. He totally nailed Thorin.” Jed Brophy

The lovely, caring, boyish Mr. Armitage peeks out of Thorin’s eyes and smile as he studies his mini-Lego doppelganger. Don’t think I will ever stop loving this photo.

“Richard is a sincere guy, really lovely and caring and the leader of the actors,like Thorin is the leader of the dwarves.” Graham MacTavish

Richard Armitage is a lovely guy. SOme weeks ago I mailed him a question and two minutes later he mailed back and said: ‘Sorry, I can’t answer at the moment but I’ll come back to you as fast as I can.” Adam Brown

“Richard is real and honourable and I was totally in awe when Richard did his first speech in Bag End, I think we were all moved in a really truthful way.” (Graham McTavish nodded) Mark Hadlow

“The amount of energy that Richard put in that role was amazing!” John Callen

Richard using some of that amazing energy in preparing for the role.

“Richard was really good at the fight training.” Mark Hadlow

“He sat in his fatsuit the wrong way round on a chair, one hand on the back of the chair, the other hand held on Orcrist like a walking stick and his head with Thorin’s long hair leant back. And you also see Dwalin’s hand with a blow-dryer.” Graham MacTavish  (I love visualizing this description, frankly)

“Richard did a lot of homework (Tolkien related).” Adam Brown

This image is courtesy of the lovely Bechep at “Such is Life.” Thank you, my dear!

Related articles

• Oakenshield: The Warrior Who Would Be King (NEW fanvid in HD!) (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• (Guest Post) How I Fell for a Hot, Hairy Dwarf & Never Looked Back: Part 1 (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• It’s Thorin Thursday! Part 2 of “How I Fell for a Hot, Hairy Dwarf . . .” (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

More SND goodness–no foolin’, guys!

Lucas, More Light than Dark

I have to joke about Series 9, otherwise I tend to cry. Oh, well. Lucas was, is, and will always be a hero to me, a complex one, damaged by those years of torture and deprivation, plaintively longing for a relationship that was long since over with his ex-wife, struggling to find his place in the world and to regain the trust of his colleagues–flawed, damaged, but a HERO, nonetheless. Loyal to his country, concerned about colleagues, kind to young folks in trouble like Dean. Cerebral, resourceful, a deep thinker with the soul of a poet.

And what a handsome and stylish fellow he is. So attractive in his Belstaff jackets and snug-fitting jeans, in the Pete pinstripes with the power red tie, the dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes, deepened by the cool-toned sets and lighting on the show, giving him an otherworldly beauty.

Oh, and he’s also quite fetching when he’s not wearing a lot of clothes . . . just sayin.’

More Sweet Blue Eyes: RA Style

In the last post, I focused on some of Richard’s ChaRActers and their expressive azure peepers. This time around, we’ll gaze upon the beauty of RA’s blue eyes in candids and photo shoots, both older and more recent (and longish hair, shortish hair, beard, no beard, stubble. Something for, hopefully, everyone).

Sweet Tuesday Blue Eyes: Artwork & Fanvid

“He’s got eyes like the bluest skies . . .”

Pale blue eyes with a distinct limbus ringing the irises, which are very changeable in color. Incandescent blue at times, stormy grey-blue at others, fringed in those plentiful lashes, framed by expressive masculine brows. Blue eyes that turn nearly black, a crystalline green and even tan at times; tender, sweet, sad, angry, sorrowful, amused, vengeful, bleak. . . . beautiful.

Monday SmoRgAsbord: Some Legendary ChaRActers We Love

The majestic warrior prince who guided his people to a new home after a devastating attack; now seeking to reclaim his homeland. We’d follow Thorin Oakenshield anywhere.  And provide him with plenty of TLC.

Savvy, smart, rescourceful sergeant who kicks arse and takes the time to be tender. We’d want John Porter to come and rescue us if we ended up in a terrible jam.  Or let us give a nice soothing massage . . .  to all those big, buff knotted muscles.

Sir Guy, the beautiful, complex henchman who smoulders like nobody’s business and puts his own life on the line to protect and save the woman he loves . . . too bad she never appreciated him properly (not even after he returned to Nottingham to fight and die by her side if necessary).  We would have done better!

Lucas, cool, enigmatic and sexy spy, haunted by the torture and deprivation of years in Russian prison but still loyal to his country (don’t believe everything certain writers dish out).  We’d love to help him move past the pain.

Another engimatic character, black leather-clad rebel 6os biker, Geordie Ricky Deeming, who knows how to make our motors race. We’d like to hop on the back of his bike for a spin . . .

The handsome, hard working Victorian mill owner who seeks to improve himself and discovers a foolish passion for a certain demure young lady. We’d have made up our minds about you much sooner, John Thornton. What a catch!

John Strandring, shy Yorkshire farmer with a heart of gold, a gentle giant. No wonder we call him Sweetie John. Beautiful inside and out, our John is faithful and steadfast. We long to make him feel loved and appreciated . . .

Finally! Guyday Friday: There’s CAKE! (& art & vids)

“Whot . . . no–vertically challenged hirsute would-be king appearing today?” The dark knight drawled, a glint of amusement in his kohl-rimmed blue eyes as he lounged against the door frame.

“It’s Guyday Friday, so I’d say it’s pretty much all about the six feet, two inches of smouldering testosterone-laden medieval gorgeousness,” Ladywriter replied insouciantly, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Sir Guy rubbed his aquiline nose and gave a small yet manly sniff. “I wasn’t certain–after all, it seems it’s been Thorin Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday AND Thursday here at the blog, my lady.”  There was a note of accusation beneath the sarcasm in the rumbling voice. Did she detect a hint of sadness in those mesmerizing eyes?

Ladywriter wriggled just a little uncomfortably. She had rather wallowed in all things Hobbity and Thorin-y.  But with the big DVD release and new featurettes with so much Thorin goodness, wasn’t it only to be expected? Still, Sir Guy could be a little–sensitive at times.

“I promise–lots of Guy art, Guy vids, Guy goodness on the schedule for today.” She smiled and tilted her head. “Along with—strawberry rum cake. Moist and flavorful–with a kick.”

Both eyebrows raised, Sir Guy’s mouth curled into a delighted smirk. “Just for me?”

“You betcha.”

Sir Guy swiftly came to her side and pressed a hearty kiss to her forehead. Ladywriter released an inner “squee.”

“I’ll wager HE didn’t get a cake . . .” And with a triumphant grin, Sir Guy strutted out, ready to enjoy a large slice of cake with a milk chaser.

Ladywriter smiled to herself. “Only for you, Sir Guy, only for you . . . my first Armitage hero.” She sighed. “And you’ll always be my first ChaRActer love.”

Related articles

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• The Lighter Side: Guyday Friday (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
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Last Call for Thorin Thursday: The Softer Side

He’s proud and sometimes haughty, but he can also show humility. His temper is sharp, but there is a soft spot in his heart for those close to him. Often stern and forbidding, when he is able to let his guard down a little, a gentler side shows. And the smiles, rare though they may be, are just incredible. Perhaps all the more incredible because of that rarity.

And then there is Richard himself. Modest, gentle, with that sweet humility. Pretty hard not to love.