The Fireside

"End? No, the journey doesn't end here" It is now less than a month to go before myself (and my eight companions) see The Hobbit (Part 3) , the last Peter Jackson Middle-earth film in cinemas. Online, when it comes to the comments users have posted for posters, trailers, etc. they mention 'the end' and they oft refer to Gandalf and Pippin talking about death.  Like Gandalf, I am here to tell you that this is not, indeed, the end.  So once you see the final Hobbit  film, there are some things you could do: - see it again! If anybody could not make it out to see it with you, offer to take them, or join their group.  - watch previous Middle-earth films - look forward to The Hobbit (Part 3)  Extended Edition (or, in my case, the 2D blu-ray trilogy box set; both of which should arrive next November)  - read some Tolkien ( The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion  and  Unfinished Tales  to understand and appr...

Well, this could very well be it - the final soundtrack for a Middle-earth movie. As of now, there are no plans for any future Middle-earth films [due to rights, copyrights with the Tolkien Estate mostly]. Unless we see The Hobbit  Complete Recordings emerging in the coming years, this is the last Howard Shore music for a Peter Jackson Middle-earth movie. The Special Edition will be released on December 16, 2014  on both CD (2 discs) and itunes. There will also be a cheaper, less elaborate (and less music) standard edition. Here are the tracks:  Disc 1: 1. Fire and Water 2. Shores of the Long Lake 3. Beyond Sorrow and Grief 4. Guardians of the Three 5. The Ruins of Dale 6. The Gathering of the Clouds 7. Mithril 8. Bred for War 9. A Thief in the Night 10. The Clouds Burst 11. Battle for the Mountain Disc 2: 1. The Darkest Hour 2. Sons of Durin 3. The Fallen 4. Ravenhill 5. To the Death 6. Courage and Wisdom 7. The Return Jo...

Here is the cover artwork for  The Hobbit (Part 3)  Special Edition soundtrack. I am pleased that Water Tower music has provided us with Special Editions of the soundtracks throughout the entire trilogy, in a matching format / cover style.  The Special Edition soundtrack will be released on December 16, 2014, and will be 2 discs on CD, and will be available on itunes as well. There will also be a standard edition, featuring less music.  Since there is a cover art reveal (as well as release date) but no track list released yet, here are some possibilities for track names: Confirmed:  - "The Last Goodbye" (performed by Billy Boyd)  Chapter Titles from the Book: - "Not at Home"  - "Fire and Water"   - "The Gathering of the Clouds" - "A Thief in the Night" - "The Clouds Burst" - "The Return Journey" - "The Last Stage" Guesswork On My Part:  - "The Worm of Dread" - "Gold a...

Peter Jackson officially made the announcement today: Our journey to make The Hobbit Trilogy has been in some ways like Bilbo's own, with hidden paths revealing their secrets to us as we've gone along. “There and Back Again” felt like the right name for the second of a two film telling of the quest to reclaim Erebor, when Bilbo’s arrival there, and departure, were both contained within the second film. But with three movies, i t suddenly felt misplaced—after all, Bilbo has already arrived “there” in the "Desolation of Smaug". When we did the premiere trip late last year, I had a quiet conversation with the studio about the idea of revisiting the title. We decided to keep an open mind until a cut of the film was ready to look at. We reached that point last week, and after viewing the movie, we all agreed there is now one title that feels completely appropriate. And so: "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" it is. As Professor T...