Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested

Listen to the Buck Sexton Show Live on TheBlaze Radio

Entertainment

Brush Up on These 6 Fascinating Hobbit-Facts and Impress Your Friends in Line at the Theater

Dec. 13, 2012 3:28pm Liz Klimas

The highly anticipated, first installment of the feature film trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” hits theaters in the U.S. midnight Friday.

If you plan on waiting in lines or getting your seat well ahead of time, we’ve pulled together a few talking points about “The Hobbit” that you can whip out to keep those around you entertained until the show starts:

48-frames per second: We’ve reported on the high frame rate filmography used in “An Unexpected Journey” before, but it might help going into the flick keeping this new format in mind. Some critics have said the image is so crisp that some of the artifice of moviemaking becomes apparent. Others say it’s so real, it’s almost like watching live theater.

Hobbit Fun Facts: Gollum Physics, Bag End Real Estate Value, Hobbit Pub and More

(Image: TheHobbit.com)

Fantasy based on faith: TheBlaze has also recently reported about the Christian themes in Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” series. You might only notice though if you go into the film looking for it. Check out Billy Hallowell’s full post about the connection between Christianity and Tolkien here.

TheBlaze reported on Devin Brown’s new analysis of Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” from a Christian perspective. (Image: Amazon)

Gollum physics: You’re probably wondering how Gollum, a creepy, brooding character with a voice that sounds as if he’s choking on his own throat, and physics go together. But as Wired’s Rhett Allain has showed us in his recent posts, it takes some interesting adaptations for the once human Smeagol to turn into the creature Gollum. For example, how did he adapt to see in the pitch black Misty Mountains where he and Bilbo have their first encounter? There are various adaptations (like the telescopic eyes of owls) that Allain discusses, but as for Tolkien’s vision, Allain wrote based on textual evidence that Gollum’s eyes might have given off some light themselves. If this isn’t the case, Allain wrote that eyes with infrared capabilities or maybe even neutrino interactions in the lake where Gollum lives could have helped him see. Allain has also come up with a fascinating calculation to show, based on several assumptions, Gollum would need to 4.7 fish per day to sustain himself, if that was his only source of food.

Gollum (Photo: AP/Warner Bros.)

Real-life hobbits?: Although some would say — and most hobbits themselves would agree — you won’t find their kind outside of Middle Earth, a recent reconstruction of a Homo species shows a hobbit-like creature that might have lived 17,000 years ago. According to Scientific American, Homo floresiensis was about a meter in height and had a brain a third the size of modern humans.

Reconstruction of Homo floresiensis, dubbed the hobbit species. (Image: Susan Hayes via Scientific American)

Real-life hobbit pub?: Although the debate over about a “hobbit” species has been going on since 2004, a real-life pub where such hobbits like those in Tolkien’s adventure novels might have clinked glasses does exist in present day. According to Noosa News, the Green Dragon opened this week in “Hobbiton,” a theme park area in New Zealand that is expected to bring in 100,000 guests in the next year. Second breakfast anyone?

Prime Minister John Key and some members of The Hobbit case cheers in the new pub. (Photo: Seanna Cronin/Noosa News)

Bag End real estate value: If Bilbo Baggins was to put Bag End up for sale in today’s real estate market, how much could it fetch? The folks at Movoto put together an infographic that shows, based on the Shire home’s various amenities (including a variety of pantries and cellars), it would cost more than $1.3 million.

If you haven’t seen the trailer yet — maybe you’ve been living in Mordor — check it out now:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Benghazi, IRS, AP...What's next? Only TheBlaze TV offers the truth from Glenn Beck, Andrew Wilkow, and Real News from TheBlaze. Get instant access and a free trial here.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (31)

jeduhi
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 9:00am
I love TheBlaze, but please start proofreading the articles before they are posted on the website.

Although the debate over about a “hobbit” species…
Gollum would need to 4.7 fish per day to sustain himself…

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
bdup2191
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 5:47am
Tolkien did not base any of the LOTR or The Hobbit off of Christianity. The whole reason for the creation of his masterpiece was to create a mythology that Britian could call their own. The only myths they had were of kingArthur and many of that was even borrowed from the French. Plus the stories of King Arthur had Christianity in them so he didn’t even consider them mythology. He created an entire history, mythology, and world with its own religion with the Creator known as Iluvitar and the gods and goddesses known as The Valar. And It says in The Hobbit that Gollum would kill and eat goblins when he was tired of fish.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Independent Tess
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 10:56am
  JRR Tolkien was a committed Christian (Roman Catholic) and a good friend of CS Lewis who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia. In fact, CS Lewis credits Tolkien with being instrumental in his (Lewis’) conversion to Christianity. It would be foolish to think that Tolkien’s work would not reflect his Christian value system and beliefs. All you have to do is look at the major themes and see NT ideas; the suffering servant who takes on the burdens of the world (ring/sin) and offers up his own life to destroy it is only one of them. The story can be happily enjoyed without thinking about the Christian undercurrent if you want to, but I think that to recognize where he gets some of his ideas adds extra depth.
  
  Report this comment
- bdup2191
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 2:35pm
  Tolkien himself even admitted any similarities to Christianity were by pure coincidence
  
  Report this comment
brigott
Posted on December 14, 2012 at 1:02am
Smeagol was NOT a human before becoming Gollum – he was a Hobbit (or pert near, anyway).

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- DarkJello
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 1:44am
  Correct. Well done.
  
  Report this comment
- Matt
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 2:02am
  Also, Tolkein actually said that any similarities between his story and Christ’s were purely coincidental and that he in no way intended the story as a Christian allegory. I mean, don’t get me wrong, The Chronicles of Narnia is one of my favorite series, I just don’t think we should spread rumors about allegories where their respective authors openly denied their existence.
  
  Report this comment
- Independent Tess
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 11:18am
  @Matt, it is certainly NOT an allegory, but the themes that run through the story reflect basic Christian themes.
  
  Report this comment
mcmeador
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 11:28pm
“Some critics have said the image is so crisp that some of the artifice of moviemaking becomes apparent. Others say it’s so real, it’s almost like watching live theater.”

Both of those things sound absolutely terrible. I will not see this movie in 48 FPS.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Le Sellers
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 12:34pm
  We watched it last night and it was amazing!
  
  It may be that, for some people, the enhanced video fidelity could be unsettling, but none of the nine people in our party had any problem.
  
  Mr. O’bama, will there ever BE any Jobs?
  
  Report this comment
nzkiwi
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 4:41pm
Here’s about an hour of “behind the scenes” if you haven’t already seen it. It’s pretty interesting – I think, anyway…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zfX1PYv1FEY#!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
JQuentinEvermann
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 4:21pm
Meanwhile, in the U.S., we have our real life Sauron destroying the world…and nobody seems to be buying the tickets for that.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- thetrimsmith
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 9:05pm
  …’cause we all have front row seats, also as of late: free admission to the theater.
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:21pm
  W. out of office, the King has Returned. The troll and orcs of Mordor have retreated to Fox News and the Blaze to stew in their hate filled bile.
  
  Report this comment
- bdup2191
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 5:49am
  Sauron isn’t the enemy in The Hobbit, Smaug the dragon is, along with trolls, goblins, and even elves at times
  
  Report this comment
- Dunedainn
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 11:33am
  @Encinom
  
  I don’t know. Sure looks like you’re the one spilling the hate-filled bile there, mate.
  
  Report this comment
SREGN
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 4:18pm
Nothing wrong with knocking off a strange piece once in a while, as long as you don’t make it a hobbit.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Ruckus_Tom
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 8:16pm
  Oh man. That was outstanding.
  
  Report this comment
- brickmoon
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 9:09pm
  Yep, the editors must be Tolkien a strange brand of Halflings’ Leaf.
  
  Jk, Liz. Good work.
  
  Report this comment
tj1961
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 3:45pm
There is a bar in Manilla, Philippines called the “Hobbit House” Been around since 1973. The servers are all “little people”. Today it is quite the tourist attraction.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Todd P
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 4:31pm
  Thanks for the tip! I’ll check it out when I’m back home again (probably 2013).
  
  Report this comment
grayling646
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 3:45pm
Just not into Hobbits, middle earth and such.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- JQuentinEvermann
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 4:20pm
  You should really give it a try…it is the god-father of all that is fantasy. Nothing in these books should be taken as camp or a spin on anything before it (well, maybe on the Bible and such), but it created an entirely new genre. Hobbit is a bit of a kid’s book, but LOTR is a class work of fiction to rival any other story every written.
  
  Report this comment
- Balthazor
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 4:53pm
  @JQuentinEvermann
  
  I think you’re overstating the case. Lord of the Rings did not create an entirely new genre, unless you consider the plethora of awful rip-off books (I’m looking at you, Shanarra Trilogy) to constitute a genre. But the genre within which Tolkien wrote was more accurately created by such works as The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris and Phantasies by George MacDonald. In fact, I believe it’s more accurate to say that Lord of the Rings KILLED the genre of fantasy fiction. Before it came along, there were a slew of wonderful fantasy books being written by the likes of such authors as Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and the aforementioned Morris and MacDonald. These were brilliant and creative works. But so successful was Lord of the Rings that I think it forever tainted the genre of fantasy fiction in the sense that we’ve now had decades worth of crappy book series involving peaceful little people attempting to defeat all-powerful enemies. So much of what’s come post-Tolkien has tried so hard to BE Tolkien that it’s really sucked the creativity out of fantasy fiction. It’s essentially created a template that very few fantasy authors have dared to stray too far from. Or in many cases have virtually plagiarized (see: Terry Brooks). If there was a golden age of fantasy fiction, it didn’t start with Tolkien, it ended with Tolkien.
  
  Report this comment
- himynameisliberty
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 6:17pm
  @Balthazor:So in a way you are in agreement with JQuentin in that those books did create a new genre of fantasy fiction- that of campy copies ;)
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 8:56pm
  Balthazor
  
  Interesting. I’ll keep that in mind
  
  Report this comment
- encinom
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:24pm
  If you want a good understand of the Hobbit and LOTR, read Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces . Whileit predates the LOTR, it describes the archtypical characters and themes of the hero’s quest.
  
  Report this comment
- PaxInVeritate
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 11:59pm
  BALTHAZOR…
  Had to look it up, but it seems there are around 18 Shannara books now. Only ready the Sword series when they first came out.
  http://www.listal.com/list/the-shannara-series
  
  Report this comment
- circleDwagons
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 1:05am
  Wheel of Time,
  
  Report this comment
- grayling646
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 1:50am
  JQ,
  Had a friend in the Navy who was as enthusiastic as you seem to be. He loaned me LOTR which I read but couldn’t really get into it. Hope you enjoy the movie.
  
  Report this comment
- Independent Tess
  Posted on December 14, 2012 at 11:12am
  Balthazor knows whereof he speaks!
  
  Report this comment

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.