Desolation of Smaug reviews
- Smaug's voice
- Nibonto Aagun
- Posts: 1085
- Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2013 9:21 am
-
- Posts: 3154
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:31 pm
-
- Posts: 3154
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:31 pm
You are in St. Petersburg? Not Florida, I am guessing. It's the most beautiful city of all I've seen, and I've been lucky with travel, but man is it COLD in winter!
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
-
- Posts: 3154
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:31 pm
-
- Posts: 3154
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:31 pm
That's because there is definitely a Tibetan influence to the design, as explained in the Weta Chronicles III
"Much of the influence in our Lake-town's architecture comes from the East. There's a Tibetan influence, but that said, there's also a hint of Scandinavia." ~ Dan Hennah
"I drew upon all kinds of references from our world: Tibet, India, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Russia, Inuit, the Balkans and many more." ~ Ann Maskrey
"Much of the influence in our Lake-town's architecture comes from the East. There's a Tibetan influence, but that said, there's also a hint of Scandinavia." ~ Dan Hennah
"I drew upon all kinds of references from our world: Tibet, India, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Russia, Inuit, the Balkans and many more." ~ Ann Maskrey
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
~Diana Cortes
~Diana Cortes
- sauronsfinger
- Posts: 3508
- Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2005 2:25 am
After reading the CHRONICLES ,the last time we saw it I was very interested in seeing those Tibetan influences and was struck by how the entire place looked the ghetto in Shangri-La. At least what one might imagine such thing would look like.Elentári wrote:That's because there is definitely a Tibetan influence to the design, as explained in the Weta Chronicles III
"Much of the influence in our Lake-town's architecture comes from the East. There's a Tibetan influence, but that said, there's also a hint of Scandinavia." ~ Dan Hennah
"I drew upon all kinds of references from our world: Tibet, India, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Russia, Inuit, the Balkans and many more." ~ Ann Maskrey
When you think of how Dale appeared at the start of the first film and you consider that Laketown was rather close geographically - it is a bit jarring that two places would be so different.
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.... John Rogers
I wonder if the perhaps the idea is that the original Esgaroth was more similar to Dale - at least the ruins that the company pass through on Bard's barge looked to be stone ruins rising up out of the waters.
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
~Diana Cortes
~Diana Cortes
-
- Posts: 3154
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Watching FOTR also made me appreciate the DOS soundtrack a lot more. Though the score for LOTR is good, there seems to be a serious overabundance of very intrusive and relentless choral work. The soundtrack during the Arwen/ Nazgûl chase scene, for example, is incredibly overwrought and full of an incessant pounding of loud chorus. IMO, Howard Shore (and PJ, who helps guide the process) have definitely improved over the years. They've moved in a more subtle direction, to be sure.
- axordil
- Pleasantly Twisted
- Posts: 8999
- Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:35 pm
- Location: Black Creek Bottoms
- Contact:
I assumed exactly that: Laketown was but a wooden shadow of its predecessor.Elentári wrote:I wonder if the perhaps the idea is that the original Esgaroth was more similar to Dale - at least the ruins that the company pass through on Bard's barge looked to be stone ruins rising up out of the waters.
-
- Posts: 3154
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Yes, which I like a lot. Reminds me of the Anglo-Saxons building wooden towns in the shadow of Roman towns and ruins made of stone (which, some theorize, the Anglo-Saxons deemed haunted and uninhabitable).axordil wrote:I assumed exactly that: Laketown was but a wooden shadow of its predecessor.Elentári wrote:I wonder if the perhaps the idea is that the original Esgaroth was more similar to Dale - at least the ruins that the company pass through on Bard's barge looked to be stone ruins rising up out of the waters.
- axordil
- Pleasantly Twisted
- Posts: 8999
- Joined: Tue Apr 18, 2006 7:35 pm
- Location: Black Creek Bottoms
- Contact:
Or built by giants:Passdagas the Brown wrote:Yes, which I like a lot. Reminds me of the Anglo-Saxons building wooden towns in the shadow of Roman towns and ruins made of stone (which, some theorize, the Anglo-Saxons deemed haunted and uninhabitable).axordil wrote:I assumed exactly that: Laketown was but a wooden shadow of its predecessor.Elentári wrote:I wonder if the perhaps the idea is that the original Esgaroth was more similar to Dale - at least the ruins that the company pass through on Bard's barge looked to be stone ruins rising up out of the waters.
Wrætlic is þes wealstan, wyrde gebræcon;
burgstede burston, brosnað enta geweorc.
Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge torras,
hrungeat berofen, hrim on lime
These walls are wonders, that fate has broken;
The fort-town has failed, giants' work wastes away.
Roofs are caved in, towers toppled,
Rime mars the mortar of ravaged ruins
-
- Posts: 3154
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:31 pm
Osgiliath was the ancient capital of Gondor, with Minas Anor, as it was then, being more of a summer residence!
Osgiliath was hit hard by the catastrophic civil war of the Kin-strife. In TA 1437, the city, then held by Eldacar, was besieged by Castamir's forces. During the fighting, fire broke out, and large parts of the city were destroyed, including the Dome of Stars. The Palantír housed in the Dome was lost in the river. The decline of the city was accelerated by the Great Plague of TA 1636. Many of its people died from the disease, while others fled to remote parts of the country. The severe depopulation caused Osgiliath to begin to fall into ruin. In 1640, Tarondor, whose predecessor Telemnar had died from the plague, moved the capital permanently to Minas Anor.
Osgiliath was hit hard by the catastrophic civil war of the Kin-strife. In TA 1437, the city, then held by Eldacar, was besieged by Castamir's forces. During the fighting, fire broke out, and large parts of the city were destroyed, including the Dome of Stars. The Palantír housed in the Dome was lost in the river. The decline of the city was accelerated by the Great Plague of TA 1636. Many of its people died from the disease, while others fled to remote parts of the country. The severe depopulation caused Osgiliath to begin to fall into ruin. In 1640, Tarondor, whose predecessor Telemnar had died from the plague, moved the capital permanently to Minas Anor.
There is magic in long-distance friendships. They let you relate to other human beings in a way that goes beyond being physically together and is often more profound.
~Diana Cortes
~Diana Cortes