Guyday Friday! Ladywriter talks–Politics??–with Sir Guy.

“I hate politics.”

Sir Guy stretched out his long, long denim-clad legs (he was slumming it. Casual Friday, you know.) and lazily crossed one boot-clad ankle over the other. Folding his arms across his snug-fitting black cashmere sweater (its V-neck giving a tantalizing glimpse of that sculpted chest), Ladywriter’s favorite dark knight threw a smirk her way as he tossed back that lustrous inky black mane of his.

 

“Did you decide this suddenly, my dear LW, or has your loathing been long standing?” Guy drawled.
She sighed and raked her fingers through her already disheveled hair.

“Oh, it’s been growing. My disillusionment really kicked in when I was working for the newspaper full-time and saw a lot of local and state politicians up close. Reporting tends to breed a certain–cynicism–methinks.”

Guy nodded in commiseration as LW continued.

“And I am already thoroughly sick of all the yadayadayada going on between Democrats and Republicans in social media, the canned political endorsements being dialed to my phone, the ridiculous knee-jerk reactionary posts on Facebook and—”

LW shot Guy her own lop-sided smile, a rather wicked gleam in her eyes behind the spectacles. “If I never saw or heard from Donald Trump again, it would be too soon, my dear Guy!”

He raised a quizzical black brow as he tilted his head.

“You are not an ardent fan of The Donald?” His lips twitched as he spoke.

(Having surfed the net to keep up with current events, Sir Guy was already well aware of Mr. Trump and LadyWriter’s likely opinion of the presidential hopeful. Still, it was great fun to tease her . . .)

LW gave a large and distinctly unladylike snort.

“I’d rather have the sheriff teach me the poetry of pain before I voted that man—-dogcatcher, much less president. As far as I am concerned, he’s a narcissistic blowhard jerkwad who, in the end, is only interested in blatant self-promotion, not what is best for our country.”

“So . . . if he gets this nomination, you will vote for Hilary?”

Ladywriter gave a weary shrug of her shoulders. “I confess I have certain reservations about Hilary, none of which having to do with her being a woman, by the way, but–it may be a case of the lesser of the two evils.” She pressed her hands to her head and shook it. “To think we have months and months of this to go.”

Guy’s kohl-rimmed eyes narrowed in thought. “Perhaps . . . the Ultimate RA Force should reassemble, my lady. And stage an–intervention of sorts with Mr. Trump?”

LW’s eyes widened as she leaned forward. “Oh, could you? WOULD you?”

Guy dipped his head. “For you, my lady, our band of ChaRActer brothers will happily reunite to take on this cursed blight.” As he raised his head, a calculating smile formed on his lips. The gleam in HIS eyes was downright wicked now.

“I think I would rather enjoy, as you would say nowadays, kicking this fellow’s arse from here to next year,” he said in those dark chocolate tones she so loved.

YESSSS!

(To Be Continued)

After eight years, Richard Armitage, you still move me.

I don’t have the extended edition of the BOTFA yet (maybe for Christmas if I am a very good girl). However, I have certainly appreciated getting to see the clip of   the preparation for Thorin’s final scene and the numerous screen caps from various bonus videos people have posted.

 

Seeing these various images–some solemn, others light-hearted–touched off a wellspring of emotions inside me.  How could I not fail to be moved seeing Richard’s preparation for Thorin’s death scene? Seeing how he lay there so quiet, so still and deep in thought, as the crew members moved around him, shifting snow, adjusting his costume, saying very little themselves as if recognizing the solemnity of the occasion.

And then watching Martin and Richard acting that scene–absolutely heartbreaking. I remembered my husband reaching over and squeezing my hand to comfort me as the tears flowed freely down my face watching that scene in the theater. And I cried once again as I watched it unfold on the screen of my laptop.

Richard Armitage, I am not sure there is anybody who can die more–beautifully, poetically–than you onscreen.  I might be prejudiced, of course–but you do have a tremendous capacity to move me with your artistry.

I was also very touched seeing the little shrine the crew created on the spot where the death scene took place.

It was a fitting way to honor this larger-than-life character and the rather extraordinary man who brought him so vividly, unforgettably to life.  Here’s to Thorza!

Seeing the smile on your face as you talk about it makes me believe you were also touched by the tribute, both proud and humbled by this gesture.

Seeing you in full concentration mode–the dedicated, focused actor who is always on task–and in those lighter moments when Richard breaks through the Thorin guise and we see the grins and laughter, the humor, sweetness and genuineness reflected in those eyes–well, I am once again impressed by that dedication and drawn to the man I perceive you to be. Unpretentious, good-humored, attentive, discerning.

 

 

 

 

And huggable. Huggable is very important.

 

Oh, those eyes. That smile. I won’t even get into how impossibly sexy you also are here (ah, there goes that head bob as you murmur a self-deprecating remark). Beyond the obvious attractions of grey-tinged beard (growing older ever so gracefully, you are), glimpsed chest hair, lovely crinkles and that plaid shirt with its tempting snaps, there’s that aura you exhude. Yes, even in a screen cap of a candid moment.  Especially in such a moment.

Richard Armitage, after more than eight years as a fan, you still move me. Move me to tears, to smiles, to giggles, to that funny little flutter in my heart and in my stomach.

Porter & North: Soldier & Spy Saturday (NEW edits/old vids)

Two men, intelligent, resourceful and quite ruthless when necessary. Both willing to put their lives on the line to save others. Both knowing the last bullet may be the one they have to use on themselves, their mission fully deniable by the government they serve. Men who have endured deprivation, torture and humiliation, haunted by their pasts, determined to reclaim their honor, to do their duty. Two men, tough and yet capable of great tenderness, too. Although flawed and damaged, they are still good, decent men. True heroes we can respect and admire. Thank you, Lucas North and John Porter, and thank you, Richard Armitage, for so beautifully and memorably bringing these two complex characters to life for us.

Sir Guy is gonna melt ole Leon–’cause he’s HAWT. (NEW edits! old vids!)

Well, it’s been quite a week in Lower Alabama. A cold, icy, snowy, slick, downright dangerous week. Yes, much of our state was more or less shut down by Winter Storm Leon, and no, it’s not because we are a bunch of pantywaists who don’t know how to handle a couple of inches of snow.  It’s the ice, ice, baby, underneath that snow.

Try navigating around in sub-zero temps on hilly terrain coated with a solid inch or more of the frozen stuff, with few resources and limited manpower in place to remove said ice, and see how you like it.  Thank goodness it’s continuing to warm up and most of what’s still out there should be gone later today. We have temps of near 70 degrees forecast for the weekend. Yes, in Alabama you CAN wear snow boots and flip-flops in the same week. ‘Cause that’s how we roll . . .

So here comes the magnificent Hot Velvet Henchman, the Sultan of Snake-Hipped Swagger, the Leather-Clad Man with the World’s Sexiest Smoulder, to really get that warm-up underway.   ‘Cause he’s hawt like a sauna!!

Thorin Therapy: All Hail the HAIR!

With the recent photos of RA’s growing Mullet of Magnificence, thoughts turn to Thorin’s long and flowing tresses, the sort of hair many a female would envy (and many long to run their dainty little fingers through, to braid and unbraid . . . *sigh*) Yes, ’tis a wig, but RA works that marvelous mane, baby and makes it, like the character, his own.

There’s nothing like Thorin and his . . . HAIR. Hallelujah, I adore it!

(all photo edits are by fedoralady. Please credit if posting elsewhere. Thank you!)

Richard and I, wondering what’s next?

Production on The Hobbit trilogy, in terms of filming, is steadily winding down; in recent days, many of the actors have tweeted and posted messages announcing they have wrapped on the project. Peter Jackson posted these photos and message today.

Tonight Martin Freeman finished his last shot as Bilbo Baggins. The end of an incredible two and a half years. I cannot imagine anyone else in this role – a character that Martin has nurtured and crafted with love and great skill.
We have… said goodbye to our elves, humans, wizards and now the hobbit. We now enter our final 2 weeks of pick-ups, and it’s wall to wall dwarves. These pick-ups have been gruelling and intense, but I’m so happy with what we’ve been shooting. These next two movies are going to be pretty great!

Benedict “Smaug” Cumberbatch checking out Martin’s Bilbo feet.

I look ahead to the day when the dwarves wrap and Richard, perhaps, makes a little speech on their behalf, and I feel myself getting all choked up. What an amazing journey it has been for these folks, cast and crew alike, and I can only imagine what an emotional moment that will be.

Richard in Thorin gear, posing with his favorite makeup artist, the talented Tami Lane. I think those two have established a firm friendship.

There’s got to be euphoric feelings; that sense of accomplishment, great pride in what you’ve created together, many wonderful memories of experiences shared. Mixed with those must be a certain sadness that it’s  largely over for the actors. (Plenty of post-production work to come, I am sure, by those busy beavers at the studio . . )

Yes, there will be the publicity juggernauts before the remaining films’ premieres and prior to the release of the DVDs, gatherings at Comic-Con and various fan events; still, it won’t be the same. It never is. Life moves on. Richard Armitage moves on.

What’s next? We know from Tweets today by Todd Garner and other involved with Black Sky, the film RA shot last summer in Michigan, that the film was screened last night. No release date yet, but it’s surely looking a lot more promising now.  Don’t know about you, but it can’t happen fast enough for me.

I am in a state of flux myself; still working to get the video production company established, trying to do my best to raise the profile and raise funds for our humane society and all the good it does in our county, maintaining my presence in Armitage World and attending to my pets and husband(who still hasn’t gone to the doctor, and the fever is BACK) and occasionally to this house, which looks like it was hit by the Black Sky tornado.  I now maintain/assist with four FB pages, a business website and blog, personal blog, have Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest accounts, and am about to start rehabbing the Humane Society website.  If I kept up with all this properly, it would be a full-time job, I do believe. But (most of it) doesn’t pay too well. 😉

Now I have been invited to return on a part-time basis to my old newspaper to write a bi-monthly column and do some stringer reporting along the way as I am out and about. They want my name and face and words to be a presence there again; I don’t mind admitting I have missed it. And readers have told me I have been missed. And I will get paid.

I have also been trying to take better care of myself.

And this is true. I am done with diets. Been there, done there, lost lots of weight, gained it all back and a lot more. The extra pounds I am carrying are detrimental to my general health and wellbeing and they exacerbate my FMS, not to mention issues with blood pressure and my heart. I don’t need a quick fix or to follow some crash diet I cannot possibly maintain. I need to make sensible, permanent changes.

I’ve been following the DASH plan, which is designed to help lower blood pressure. I eat a lot less processed stuff, more fresh fruits and veggies, whole wheat breads, low-fat dairy, lean meats, watch the sugar, salt and fat consumption . . . nothing complicated. DASH isn’t a diet as such, yet I have already lost several pounds. I’ve been walking when the weather would allow it and doing some isometric exercises indoors. Overall, I feel better. I am in it for the long haul.

I don’t know exactly what is around the corner for me; good things, I hope. Better days ahead, I like to think.

I certainly don’t know what is to come for Richard Armitage. Another role in a blockbuster film, work in a smaller, more intimate indie, a return to television, to the stage, more voice-over work . . . only he knows. And he’s not telling.  But I don’t expect him to rest on his laurels for too long, that beautiful and talented workaholic.

Whatever paths he chooses on his journey, I wish him well. God bless you, RA. looking forward to seeing you in Black Sky whenever it does happen and to your return as the majestic Thorin in December.  Live your dreams and continue going from strength to strength, my dear fellow. Can’t wait to see what’s next for you!

Related articles

• Martin Freeman Finishes Last Scene as Bilbo Baggins in ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy (aceshowbiz.com)
• Richard Armitage-The Contender (armitageagonistes.wordpress.com)
• New Stills And Character Images From THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (comicbookmovie.com)
• Somewhere over the rainbow . . . you’ll find RA and the gang (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

Fedoralady’s Monday Meanderings: Thorin et al

I am sharing a variety of things I found on FB and some of my own stuff today. I hope you enjoy! I just love this piece of artwork. It could be Richard on set or a younger, more carefree Thorin. Great job, Evank7!

If you aren’t familiar with Grumpy Cat, he’s (she’s?) something of an internet phenom. That face! But even GC is being won over by the delicious Thorin–well, sort of.

I find Smaug Cat both beautiful and fearsome!!

Someone found these two images on fanpop. I then enlarged them and did a bit of tweaking. Me like–hope you do, too.

Nothing like  Thorin when he’s truly p—ed off and not gonna take it anymore. Forbidding and still beautiful.

Now, must do some video critiquing for spouse and then on to playing in photo editing with more scanned images. Such fun!

Happy Father’s Day: Tough Portah as Lexie’s Tender Daddy

A real man can be strong and tough and still be gentle, providing consoling hugs, kisses to heal boo-boos and  offering comforting, tender words for those he loves.

Richard Armitage does a brilliant job of making John Porter believable as not just a tough, kick-ass SAS hunk, but as a loving dad, desperate to maintain a relationship with his little girl after his world falls apart. A dad who thinks of her when it looks like he may not get out of the latest adventure alive. A dad who cries with her even though they are thousands of miles apart . . .

Look at how he so fully embraces her, at the contented smile on his face. How can you not believe? And love him just a little bit more.

Guyday Friday: Sir Guy returns to tease & take care of LW

“Oh, good grief, Sir Guy, I think my insides have been turned out,” Ladywriter groaned as she fell back against the pillows, gingerly stroking her tummy.

“Ahhhh, and not in a good way, I fear,” the Dark Knight murmured. He raised one quizzical brow and proceeded to prop his glossy black boots on the bed railing as he leaned back in the chair, arms characteristically folded across his broad chest.

“When is it ever?” LW groaned.  She’d woken up in the wee hours hungry after missing a couple of meals the day before, and now had paid the price for that peanut butter and banana sandwich, followed by a fun size Twix bar. So much for fun.

It had tasted good at the time . . . cursed Irritable Bowel Syndrome!

“Well . . . I have been known to do unusual things to ladies’ insides,” Sir Guy drawled, that devilish gleam in his kohl-rimmed blue eyes teasing her.

A gimlet-eyed Ladywriter snorted and threw a pillow at him, which he nimbly caught and then tossed aside. His eyes softened and, setting his boots on the carpet, he leaned forward to take LW’s hand and give it a gentle squeeze.

“Forgive me, dearest LW. I cannot resist being playful with my favorite queen of her own alternate universe . . . truly, shall I bring you something to give you comfort?”

“A Coke on ice–lots of ice. And–we could just sit and talk for a while . . . it’s been a difficult week, Sir Guy.” LW gave a little sigh and smiled up into those beautiful azure eyes. “I’ve missed you, my favorite hot velveteen henchman.”

He returned her smile, and she did feel a curious sensation–butterflies in her stomach?–that was a definite improvement on her earlier condition. 

Oh, the effect you do have on us, my beautiful Gisborne.

“Of course you’ve missed me, and I, you.” Sir Guy pressed a kiss to the palm and then the back of her hand. “I am forever yours.”

And forever, Friday will be—Guyday in the kingdom of Lady Writer.

It’s Guyday Friday!!

 

 

Just had to share these for Thorin Thursday.

More charming and saucy Thorin/RA inspired fanart from Facebook via Tumblr.  Oh, Cbeebies Thorin and the lads!  Please note the careful addition of Orcrist to the portrait of Naked Calendar Thorin. *ahem*

  And from Tanni Tani’s Hobbit Cats project–these handsome pair of alluring felines. 😉

And this gorgeous piece of fanart by Kimberly from Facebook of Thorin and his grandfather.

And my own Thorin photo edit. Happy Thorin Thursday, y’all!

Look for the good in the bad, the happy in the sad . . .

It’s been a rather tough day, after an unpleasant night. I am well behind on social media and keeping up with other’s blog entries. A lot on my plate at present, a lot on my mind.

Someone very dear to me, a relative by marriage and a person with a great heart for animals and their welfare in our county, has been hurt by someone else with an equal passion for animals but very little tact and diplomacy. My sister-in-heart has actually been having bad dreams, worrying this may negatively impact our organization’s efforts to help find homes for as many animals as possible.

Yesterday at our humane society board meeting I saw my dear friend cry as she spoke of this. I had to get up and give her a hug. I also gave her the advice above, and I think it may have helped, at least at little. And maybe it will help some of you. I think we also need to remember the words below:

I have struggled at times with my self-image; I suspect many of us have done or do so, including our own dear Mr. Armitage.  He grew up doubtful of his looks, uncomfortable with his height, never as certain of his talent as he might have wished to be. One of the things I appreciate most about him is the honesty with which he shares his own struggles.

It hasn’t been easy for him by any stretch of the imagination, nothing was ever handed to him on the proverbial silver platter; he’s earned the successes he’s now achieving. It’s said that good things come to those who wait, but in Richard’s case, I would say good things come to those who are patient and still plug away, keep working, keep perfecting their craft, keep behaving like the class act they are. Our awkward duckling has blossomed into this elegant, beautiful swan, while the boyishly cute fellows who relied on their cheeky charm and dimpled smiles are left in the dust.

I’ve said I think he makes a great role model for other actors and people in general– after all, he’s a true, old-fashioned gentleman and a real professional with a strong work ethic and willingness to be a good team player.

I think this is what RA strives for in his work and life. I’d like to be the same. I don’t have his good health and natural athleticism, and I am afraid I’d never be able to endure all he does physically; still, when I look at him and his example, I know I’d like to be a better, stronger person in every way.

And so, even though it’s not been a “good” day, there are lessons to be learned, things to be gleaned and tomorrow to look forward to. I leave you with these words of wisdom . . .

And this adorable image (oh, Uncle Thorin had a few bad days, too, and more than just facing Azog and dragons!)

Somewhere over the rainbow . . . you’ll find RA and the gang

The lovely Graham McTavish shared this photo on Twitter tonight, saying, “This is a view from our base camp on one of our locations for The Hobbit. This is really what NZ looks like!”

A beautiful country. A gigantic film trilogy that feels like the world’s “biggest home movie,” the first film a worldwide success with fans counting down the days until the next installment. A small city of people putting their skills and talents to work in what appears to be a labor of love.

I am certain there are squabbles and flares of temper and days when people are so tired they can hardly see straight.  In spite of the varied creatures they play, they are, after all, only human.

Still, to do something you really love, something that captivates you and motivates you–that is a joyous experience.

And to do it all in a place that looks like that. Your brain would have to be feeling pretty joyous!

And the friendships they’ve developed must be so special. Not surprised to hear Graham say he was worn out from all the hugging they did upon their reunion in New Zealand.  I’ve become incredibly fond of the gang, as I think of them; the feeling amongst them seems to be the same.

Richard Armitage in his Thorin guise giving makeup and prosthetic artist Tami Lane a hug. Of course, we are NOT envious.

Have a wonderful time, Richard, in that glorious land called New Zealand.  Goodness knows, you deserve every minute of it.

Related articles

• ‘It’s like we never left . . .’: McTavish Tweets & I Look Back (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• RA needs a camping partner: New interview on CNet Aus. (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• It’s all about the journey, isn’t it? Lead on RA, lead on. (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

Happy Freakin’ Gorgeous Guyday Friday, Y’all!

 

 

 

The Power of a Character: Thorin conquers the world

Richard smouldering into the camera during the shooting of the scene where he confronts the very-much-not-dead Pale Orc.

I’ve been reading the comments left over at DJ’s blog, Heirs of Durin, on a guest post by Anjy Roemelt celebrating the brotherhood and spirit of Thorin and his company of dwarves. I admit I especially enjoy the comments that pay homage to Thorin and to his Creator, Richard Armitage (yes, I know you are totally surprised at that).

I continue to be delighted over the impact this ChaRActer, and ultimately, the Creator, is having on people of all ages around the world.  Richard’s majestic presence, his use of body language and those mesmerizing eyes through which he is able to express so much about his character, not to mention that amazing, deep, rich voice–which simply cannot be replicated by dubbing actors, sorry.

Here’s what a German-speaking fan and mother of young children had to say. These comments are as written; I have italicized some passages.

(Melian commenting at Heirs of Durin on post “What’s So Special About These Dwarves?)

“I was in fear about the changing of Thorins character in part 3 when I started to deal with his character deeper but now I am not. To come closer to Thorins character made my understanding of his deeds and the reasons for as big that I cant imagine now to turn away from him because of his acts in the last part. I will feel with him and will be sorry and sad but I will not judge him, I am very sure of it

. What you told about perfection is the same I also think. Aragorn is perfect to adore him but too perfect to identify with him, he is a hero almost without faults and thats impossible to be. Another character in another movie told once a quote fitting well to that fact: “There are no perfect human beeings…only perfect intensions” (Azeem out of “Robin Hood, King of Thieves” Thats why we love Thorin: He is not as perfect, he has the same fault like we have, he does the same mistakes we do, he makes the same wrong decisions we make sometimes…and thats why he is our hero , a character so close to ours that we can see us in him…

I had to smile reading about your sons obsession….I have a son of now 8 and a daughter of 5…and both are infected with her mothers Hobbit-obsession, to the eyerolling amusement of my husband too. My son get read the book when he was 5 and he felt the end is sad and unfair…now he is reading the Hobbit himself…as the first book he will read ever….other children learn to reads with a fairy-tale maybe…..my son with Tolkien….lol….and he never forgot about the end!

After more than 2 years he remembered and brought up that subject again….and so his little sister realized about too…she was also crying then and telling thats terrible sad and unfair. I have to say both saw the movie (except the war-scenes I wiped out of course) and both loved it…they know most of the english scenes and the whole movie in German…although they cant speak english they understand all scenes and can speak in German what is happen in english…every evening they want to see some scenes…and want to speak about it.

Both of them love Thorin…my daughter likes another figure every week but Thorin stays on the top…..and often she ask me about that end…WHY??? Knowing nothing about psychology, seeing a grumpy and harsh Thorin in the movie they even understand his essence…only by feeling… ..I found your part about the translation very good…they may use the right words but it is not the same!

First is that no German speaker is able to copy the deepth and expression of Richards voice…its not his fault because its simply impossible to reach….but some scenes have a totally changed atmosphere in German compared with the original, as Thorin and the Goblinking, the scene with the map and Elrond in Rivendell or even the Carrock-scene.

Since I saw it first time in english I adore Richard even more…his voice for acting is extraordinary like Freddy Mercury`s was for singing…nearly nobody could reach that score…It makes the beautiful parts even more beautiful …but the sad parts more sad too…”

A portion of Misty’s comment:

 ” . . . This is not the little story I expected, but something stunning, mesmerizing,
amazing, awesome.

Except that at the beginning, when Thorin entered at Bag End,
I thought, my goodness, this is a KING, with capital letters and with all what
it means, but then the way he talked to Bilbo looking down on him, disappointed
me for a few minutes and I thought that the much he looks awesome the arrogant
he is and if I have to be watching this guy for almost three hours I would go
mad.

And then came the scene when he says “I would take each and every one of
these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills” and that he had no choice, only
to make me realize that I have never been so wrong in all my life, and to be
angry with myself for judging by first impression.

And of course by the end of the film I was obsessed. And still I am.

As much as I have never been with any
character in all my life and as much as I myself would have never expected. And
as you say, no sign of cooling down.

And this obsession is not only due to a handsome face (though it would of course

be foolish to deny that it adds a good deal). It is more due to Thorin’s character.

We do not fall in love with Aragorn
(or at least I never did – though of course liked him). Because he is so
‘perfect’, judging by human standards.

We fall in love with Thorin. Because he is not so ‘perfect’ by Aragorn’s standards.

But he is perfect for us. Because he is more HUMAN.

With all the nobility and flaws going with it. And HUMAN also
means having flaws, making mistakes sometimes, reacting to situations not always
in the best manner or as others would expect us… That is why he is so close to
us. And I think he can be loved even more for those.

He can be loved because he proved himself to deserve and be worth to be loved.

So let me put it this way: I
would risk to take it even this far (and I have made a similar comment elsewhere
on the site): ‘king’ is a title, in the sense of ranks.

But primarily he is a person, just like you or me.

And are there any persons who never make mistakes?
And if your answer is no (I guess it is), then why criticize Thorin for making
mistakes?
I would not dare to quote what my husband says about all this,
especially now that my six-year-old (OK, almost seven) son has also become a
massive fan.

He himself has seen the film at least three times (and me… I do not
even know now, how many times) and is still begging me to see it even more. And
he also asked me to read out the book for him. And he often comes up to me
saying: ‘Mom, let us talk about The Hobbit.’ And I try my best to explain him
things and he remembers them the next day, in three days time, in a week’s
time….

Of course after the film I could not wait to purchase the book and read
it both in the original and on my mother tongue. Imagine me, I did not know
before the film made me dig deep into the issue what the end of the story would
be, and I was totally shocked when I found out.

And imagine my son, when he
found out that they would die, he cried for like twenty minutes. And sometimes
he still asks me whether I was sure that it has to be this way, whether the film
could end differently…
After having seen the film in my mother tongue (of
course it was in Hungarian in the cinema) I could not wait either to watch in
the original, to hear the original voices (Richard’s is just mesmerizing), and
also to find out about the original words used, as sometimes they are not
properly translated or even if they are, I mean the words used in the
translation are correct, still they cannot reflect the same feeling (and I did
detect some).

My son, who does not speak English (yet – only a few words),
watched the film in Hungarian, but then he also watched it with me in English as
well, just to be part of the original.”

There are many more interesting comments at the blog, which is linked here:http://thorinoakenshield.net/2013/05/13/whats-so-special-about-these-dwarves/

I look at the growth in the fan base, seen through comments such as these, along with new FB pages, blogs and other social media devoted to Thorin Oakenshield, and I know that Richard’s dream of bringing this character to life on screen has been resoundingly successful.  I hope the newly obsessed will also go on to discover his work in earlier roles, to study Porter and North, Thornton and Gisborne, and outstanding turns in supporting roles such as John Standring in Sparkhouse, Ricky Deeming in George Gently and Percy Courtney in Marie Lloyd. Oh, such wealth there is to discover, my friends!

Related articles

• More Thorin Thursday: The CReAtor beneath the dwarven exterior (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• ‘I would definitely go to the mountain.’ RA answers fan questions for WB (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• A ‘handy’ post: RA talks dealing with prosthetic digits in ‘Chronicles’ (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• Where do you sign up to be Thorin’s hair wrangler? (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• A Fan’s First-Hand Experience at RA’s Sydney Q&A: A Must-Read! (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

Sexy, Heroic Soldiers & Spies–Oh, My!

The enigmatic Lucas North–dedicated, determined, trying to make his way in an ordinary world after eight years of torture and deprivation in a Russian prison. Haunted by the past.  NOT John Bateman (that was the lie).  A hero–and sexy as hell. Watching Lucas run in those tight jeans–*guh* Pure poetry in motion.

Sgt. John Porter: tough-as-nails but with a tender side. A man who needs to find the truth, restore his tarnished reputation and fight his way back to a normal life. The very sort of bloke you’d want to come to your rescue. Heroic, clever and when necessary, ruthless. Trust him.