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December 11, 2014 7:30 AM Subscribe
Stephen Colbert, dressed as Legolas. (note: animated GIFs)
And here are the EW covers, by the way.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:47 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:47 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Oh god, oh god, the look on his face as he twirls!
It's so sad that I take so much more delight in this than in realizing that the third (!!) Hobbit movie is coming out and I guess I have to see it...
posted by Naberius at 7:56 AM on December 11, 2014 [6 favorites]
It's so sad that I take so much more delight in this than in realizing that the third (!!) Hobbit movie is coming out and I guess I have to see it...
posted by Naberius at 7:56 AM on December 11, 2014 [6 favorites]
The more I think about it, there really IS something funny about that guy.
posted by bitslayer at 8:03 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by bitslayer at 8:03 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Oh, lord, that's the Best. Thing. Ever.
posted by suelac at 8:13 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by suelac at 8:13 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
But that's only one of the sets that were flying around Tumblr yesterday. You can't forget Bilbo or Gandalf.
posted by rewil at 8:21 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by rewil at 8:21 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Apparently Colbert is an enormous Tolkien geek. I learned this on Reddit. Here he is dropping his knowledge of the Valar. Also him out of character talking about the films.
It's fun hearing pre-Colbert Report Colbert. He's on an old recording of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and every time that track comes on I do a doubletake. I'm very happy for him with his success on the Colbert Report, but I'm kind of looking forward to him doing something new.
posted by Nelson at 8:25 AM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
It's fun hearing pre-Colbert Report Colbert. He's on an old recording of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and every time that track comes on I do a doubletake. I'm very happy for him with his success on the Colbert Report, but I'm kind of looking forward to him doing something new.
posted by Nelson at 8:25 AM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
I love that Valar clip. You come into my house?!?
posted by craven_morhead at 8:45 AM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by craven_morhead at 8:45 AM on December 11, 2014 [3 favorites]
Anything about The Hobbit now just makes me sad, since Peter Jackson eviscerated it. :(
posted by fairmettle at 8:47 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 8:47 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I clicked the link thinking it would have something to do with LEGOs. Minor disappoint.
posted by slogger at 8:58 AM on December 11, 2014
posted by slogger at 8:58 AM on December 11, 2014
13-year-old me is so conflicted right now.
posted by ChuraChura at 9:29 AM on December 11, 2014
posted by ChuraChura at 9:29 AM on December 11, 2014
That man is a fucking treasure. What do his elf-eyes see, I wonder?
posted by bibliowench at 9:38 AM on December 11, 2014
posted by bibliowench at 9:38 AM on December 11, 2014
fairmettle-- it seems to me the story at that link stands as strong evidence in favor of copyright being a limited time arrangement, particularly post death-of-author.
I really disagree with Christopher on several accounts; when you produce a literary work and send it out into the world, only that original work, and that only for some time, should remain under your control. The Tolkien stories are part of our collective mental furniture, indeed-- and I think this public furniture belongs to the public, now. Not to some "upper-class" Brit who happened to be born to the right man.
Besides, whinging about the addition of (female) characters- dude, it's not 1945 anymore. The stories we tell as a society ought to change. Good that they are (too slowly).
Of course Christopher should profit from the work he's done himself. That is, if Christopher makes money by his own efforts to correlated and publish his father's notes, great. And as co-producer of those works, he should control what happens to them, for a time.
That said, I also think the Hobbit movies (so far) have missed part of what I like about the original stories-- I've viewed the Hobbit as "collection of adventurous tales for kids", and the movie is more "raucous adventure that's too scary and focuses too much on dark backstory" to fit my own imagination.
But as for these gifs-- I think I'd enjoy them more if I didnt' read this as Colbert dressing up as Orlando Bloom as Legolas.
In sum, my views on Tolkein's lands and their current use are.. a land of contrasts.
posted by nat at 10:00 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
I really disagree with Christopher on several accounts; when you produce a literary work and send it out into the world, only that original work, and that only for some time, should remain under your control. The Tolkien stories are part of our collective mental furniture, indeed-- and I think this public furniture belongs to the public, now. Not to some "upper-class" Brit who happened to be born to the right man.
Besides, whinging about the addition of (female) characters- dude, it's not 1945 anymore. The stories we tell as a society ought to change. Good that they are (too slowly).
Of course Christopher should profit from the work he's done himself. That is, if Christopher makes money by his own efforts to correlated and publish his father's notes, great. And as co-producer of those works, he should control what happens to them, for a time.
That said, I also think the Hobbit movies (so far) have missed part of what I like about the original stories-- I've viewed the Hobbit as "collection of adventurous tales for kids", and the movie is more "raucous adventure that's too scary and focuses too much on dark backstory" to fit my own imagination.
But as for these gifs-- I think I'd enjoy them more if I didnt' read this as Colbert dressing up as Orlando Bloom as Legolas.
In sum, my views on Tolkein's lands and their current use are.. a land of contrasts.
posted by nat at 10:00 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Colbert is awesome and these pictures are hilarious.
Jackson nuked and paved all the goodwill I had for him after LOTR within about the first hour of the first Hobbit movie. Somebody needed to tell him "NO Peter stick to the source material."
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:17 AM on December 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
Jackson nuked and paved all the goodwill I had for him after LOTR within about the first hour of the first Hobbit movie. Somebody needed to tell him "NO Peter stick to the source material."
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:17 AM on December 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
Colbert is a genius and a human gem.
posted by Narrative Priorities at 10:17 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Narrative Priorities at 10:17 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
The Hobbit movies don't fit my imagination either and though I consider myself a Tolkien geek, I don't get too twisted about it. I can keep the books and the movies separate and neither diminishes from the other.
As far as Colbert goes, we've been following him since his days on Strangers with Candy and appearances on the pre-Stewart Daily Show. I remember an early interview with Viggo Mortensen on the Daily Show, Jon said there was a member of the news team that was a bit of a LOTR fanatic and well, just go to the 4:33 mark.
I'm seriously jonesing for him to take over Letterman and wish it could be months sooner. Fallon must be destroyed.
posted by Ber at 10:58 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
As far as Colbert goes, we've been following him since his days on Strangers with Candy and appearances on the pre-Stewart Daily Show. I remember an early interview with Viggo Mortensen on the Daily Show, Jon said there was a member of the news team that was a bit of a LOTR fanatic and well, just go to the 4:33 mark.
I'm seriously jonesing for him to take over Letterman and wish it could be months sooner. Fallon must be destroyed.
posted by Ber at 10:58 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
Here's a link to the full feature on EW.com, including a conversation between Peter Jackson and Colbert.
And Jackson said something interesting - he said that The Hobbit, to him, just plain sounded like pretty much what it was - Tolkein telling his kids a serialized bedtime story. Yeah, it got polished up before publication, but it got its start with Tolkein basically pulling stuff out of his ass when his kids asked "and then what happened?"
It kind of crystalized something I'd sensed about The Hobbit but not been able to put into words.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:59 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
And Jackson said something interesting - he said that The Hobbit, to him, just plain sounded like pretty much what it was - Tolkein telling his kids a serialized bedtime story. Yeah, it got polished up before publication, but it got its start with Tolkein basically pulling stuff out of his ass when his kids asked "and then what happened?"
It kind of crystalized something I'd sensed about The Hobbit but not been able to put into words.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:59 AM on December 11, 2014 [2 favorites]
well, just go to the 4:33 mark
oh wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
which led to
"Last time you were here we were having a Tolkien showdown and I smoked you like a ham"
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:04 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
oh wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
which led to
"Last time you were here we were having a Tolkien showdown and I smoked you like a ham"
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:04 AM on December 11, 2014 [4 favorites]
And Jackson said something interesting - he said that The Hobbit, to him, just plain sounded like pretty much what it was - Tolkein telling his kids a serialized bedtime story. Yeah, it got polished up before publication, but it got its start with Tolkein basically pulling stuff out of his ass when his kids asked "and then what happened?"
on the one hand, turning a fairly short, completely straightforward adventure story with some mild digressions into a 3 movie, billion dollar franchise is obviously a difficult artistic problem.
on the other hand I take this as confirming (based on the first two movies) that Jackson doesn't care enough to pay attention to a fairly simple story. I mean, The Hobbit isn't high literature but only some of the digressions don't come together at the end. It's better than 90% of the fantasy novels it inspired in terms of coherent story telling.
posted by ennui.bz at 12:20 PM on December 11, 2014
on the one hand, turning a fairly short, completely straightforward adventure story with some mild digressions into a 3 movie, billion dollar franchise is obviously a difficult artistic problem.
on the other hand I take this as confirming (based on the first two movies) that Jackson doesn't care enough to pay attention to a fairly simple story. I mean, The Hobbit isn't high literature but only some of the digressions don't come together at the end. It's better than 90% of the fantasy novels it inspired in terms of coherent story telling.
posted by ennui.bz at 12:20 PM on December 11, 2014
Oh, yeah, Jackson's handling of The Hobbit is a whole Winchester-Mystery-House baroque layer on top of what Tolkein did. I was speaking more of a tone I was getting from the text itself.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:54 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:54 PM on December 11, 2014
Looking at the EW covers earlier I thought he made quite a good Bilbo, and well anyone can just about do Gandalf with a big hat and beard.... but his Legolas is utterly terrifying.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:00 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 1:00 PM on December 11, 2014
This helps to remind all of us that there is a lot more to Stephen Colbert than his Bad Pundit charactter. And it makes me semi-sad that we will have to go at least 7 months without nightly Colbert in ANY character. (Letterman's last Late Show is May 20th, and they're allowing several weeks to redecorate the Ed Sullivan Theater after)
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:57 PM on December 11, 2014
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:57 PM on December 11, 2014
And here's a rundown of 5 Times Stephen Colbert Was Declared the Ultimate Fanboy (2 LotW, 1 Star Wars, 1 WoW and 1 Captain America)
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:10 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:10 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Colbert apparently defeated Philippa Boyens, who cowrote the LOTR/Hobbit movies with Peter Jackson, in a Tolkien trivia quiz. I wonder if it was filmed, because I would KILL to watch that.
posted by peripathetic at 6:43 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by peripathetic at 6:43 PM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
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posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:46 AM on December 11, 2014 [1 favorite]