Emma Watson is not Hermione Granger

Kelly: And Martin Freeman is not Bilbo Baggins.
Benedict Cumberbatch is not Sherlock Holmes.
Also...Benedict Cumberbatch is off the market and happily married....LADIES.

Get over it!

It had to be said. It just had to. One of my biggest pet peeves is the way some people post things about actors/actresses and they don't even use their real names. Case and point the above of this post. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but in a way it seems disrespectful to me when people do that. Today in church our pastor was talking about the fact that our self-worth is not measured up by how useful we are. So what would happen if Emma Watson never took on the role of Hermione Granger? Would people even recognize her or pass her a second thought? It's uncertain of me to say, but I hope it makes you think. Jesus loves us all so much and thinks that we are priceless; so priceless that He died for us! It doesn't matter if we're famous or just the other every day Average Joe. God doesn't see me as the psych nurse, or Holly as the non-profit worker, or Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug the Dragon. No! He sees each and every one of us as His precious children whom He loves very much and created in His own image.

And I've been guilty of it too; following what the fans say when things pop up on the Internet. But lately I've been known to bite my tongue and remember "ok, they're regular people like us before they're actors." But even above THAT they're children of Christ. We all are. So how about we start showing some respect for everyone in who we really are in Him and not who we are or were in the past. I'm not going to be a psych nurse forever. Holly isn't going to be a VISTA forever. The Harry Potter movie franchise is done, but not forgotten. Try to take the time to see each other as God sees us.

Holly: It's no surprise that Kelly and I are die-hard fans of for KING & COUNTRY (If you've been following us for a while and you haven't managed to listen to them yet, please do yourselves a favor!).  One of the many reasons we're fans of them is because of what they stand up for.  They have a "campaign", if you will; Respect & Honor.  Today during church I was reminded of why I wear my Respect & Honor wristband every day, and the sermon and above thoughts from both Kelly and I really drove the point home for me.  In fact, I held it in my hands during the invitation as a reminder.  And it goes something like this: I love God.  God loves me, and everyone else.  Therefore we ought to remember our worth the way God sees it, and that is that we are PRICELESS to Him!  We were all created in His image, made to be like Him.  Think about that for a second.  If we all adopted that mindset, every single person in the world viewing every other person in the world through God's eyes, it could literally change the world!  

Kelly and I are also regular Pinteresters, and we have a board for Sherlock, and naturally, since it's a popular show we've drawn a lot of followers.  But some of the comments I see with accompanying pictures are, quite frankly, disgusting sometimes.  I'll admit that I find both Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman attractive.  But when we look at them through God's eyes...they are so much more than pretty faces.    So let me add a finale to this:

Emma Watson is not Hermione Granger.
Martin Freeman is not Bilbo Baggins.
Benedict Cumberbatch is not Sherlock Holmes.
They are ALL children of God.  And so are we!

One Last Time

Holly and Kelly: Dear readers, we apologize for not updating in a while. It has been a very crazy month of going here there and everywhere. But we are fine, all is well and now we are back. Thanks for hanging tough and bearing with us.

Yesterday was the final hurrah. The big finale. The movie to end all movies. The Battle of the Five Armies. And it was glorious.  It was also a time of gathering. As you all know, in September we attended ALEP (see our post on ALEP weekend here!) and met some pretty awesome people during that time. It was discussed at that time that there was a group who usually met up in December to see the current Hobbit movie in Nicholasville (about an hour from Berea). This group met up at Shaker Village the night before for a merry gathering, since it's almost Christmas. So needless to say we jumped all over that! We stayed at the village Friday night and got to meet up with some of the folks we met in September for snacks, conversation, laughing, a long slideshow and a little bit of tasty wine. Come Saturday we rolled out to Brannon's Crossing in Nickyville and gathered at the theater for pictures and a bit of singing, such as Misty Mountains and I See Fire- which was pretty incredible. Before we knew it there were other people taking pictures and videos of all of us, as the majority of the group were in costumes. It was awesome. Truly awesome. We kept saying "I love us." This group, these movies, as Kelly said, it was a celebration of the Christmas season, the love of Tolkien and Peter Jackson's work, how the books/movies have impacted us and our lives, and celebrating each other.

Now for our movie opinion; we LOVED it!!! We don't want to give too much away, because that's just not nice and we went into this movie having read no reviews, not viewed any clips, or seen anything else other than just the trailer.  We expected a few things, naturally, just because we're fairly familiar with the book, but it far surpassed our expectations!  There were quite a few moments that really surprised us, and of course, there were things that we weren't too thrilled with (but that's the case with the previous 2 Hobbit movies, and even LOTR too).  But what really made this movie special, aside from it being the last Middle Earth hurrah, was the company that was able to witness this cinematic adventure with us.  Many we met from AL3P, but we didn't get to have as many in-depth conversations and fellowship as we had wished (though there was still plenty!!), so it was really memorable to share life with these people.  We all come from such different walks of life, such different parts of the world, and when we all come together united by this love for Tolkien, wonderful things happen.  Now every time we see Five Armies, we'll think of this group, this family that we've been so fortunate to be welcomed into.  Plus...Billy Boyd's closing song is complete perfection to the end of an incredible movie series...and to our parting.  We will see each other soon, though.  There is no such thing as goodbye!

So ends this day
The road is now calling
And I must away
Over hill and under tree
Through lands where light has never shone
By silver streams that run down to the Sea
Under cloud, beneath the stars
Over snow one winter's morn
I turn at last to paths that lead home
And though where the road then takes me, I cannot tell
We came all this way
But now comes the day to bid you farewell

One Last Time! (Photo c/o Kelly Gable) 

Smaug, as seen by H and K: A hasty review

DISCLAIMER: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN "THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG" YET, PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER.  MAJOR SPOILERS LIE WITHIN.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

Holly: I'll be totally honest, going into this I had absolutely no idea what to expect.  Ok, that's not entirely true: I knew that we were going to see Smaug (I mean...duh).  I knew that we were going to see Laketown.  I knew there was going to be more stuff about The Ring.  Aside from that, that's basically all I had to go on. There hadn't been much in terms of advertising: we watched two production blogs from Peter Jackson, one live streaming of the premiere in LA, and a couple TV spots here and there.  Compared to AUJ, there was a LOT less media hype.

I'm glad there was a lot less hype.  The Desolation of Smaug was leaps and bounds better than what I expected.  Leaps.  And.  Bounds.

I'm not going to delve into all my favorite bits, because, quite frankly, that'd be a whole other post in it of itself (Yes, I really did enjoy it that much).  I will share a few things I liked though:

1. SMAUG.  Oh. my. gosh.  Oh my gosh!  Guys, I'm 23 and I was scared, ok?  Benedict Cumberbatch was PERFECT.  Just perfect.  I looooooooooooovvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddddddddd his voice.  And I think a lot of people forget that he literally WAS Smaug: he wasn't just the voice, he did the movements too.  So it was Benedict Cumberbatch playing, living, breathing, moving Smaug...asldkfjlakjsdf!!! To those of you who want a brilliant and scary beast, you will not be disappointed.

2. The barrels scene.  It's fast-paced, it's wet, it's action-packed, it's like riding a roller coaster.  A wet one, with orcs and elves and such.  There's even a funny Bombur bit that had Kelly and I rolling! Honestly, that was one of the parts I was most looking forward to and, again, it did not disappoint.

3. Tauriel, the new elf character.  I was VERY skeptical at first., but I liked her a lot more than I thought I did.  She's fierce, she's a fighter, she kicks serious butt.  But she also has a heart to her.  There's a scene in Laketown where she heals Kili, and it was such a beautiful scene it brought tears to my eyes.  I'm curious to see where the next movie will take her.

I could go on and on.  Martin Freeman continues to shine as Bilbo; he just keeps getting better and better.   What I loved the most was how he portrays the Ring already starting to take its hold on him.  I won't give anything away on that, but it's enough to send a chill down your spine.

My verdict: Go see it, as soon as you are physically able to do so!  There's more action, more humor, more heart, and of course, Smaug,...I don't think that you will be disappointed.

Kelly: I thought this movie was 10x better than An Unexpected Journey. I feel like that There And Back Again will be a little bit better than this one. I could be wrong. I will share one more tidbit that I really enjoyed, but also some things that didn't roll too well with me. Gosh, I know!

Holly told me about this review of the movie that said the characters lacked "development" and "heart." I have yet to find this review, but I am now offering my rebuttal. Sis touched on this briefly but I'm going to expand on it. What really hit the most with me in the movie was none of the above, but something TOTALLY unexpected. There is a scene between Kili, Oin, Fili, Bofur and Tauriel. I won't give too much away, but there is a moment between Kili and Tauriel that is NOT romantic but rather a series of beautiful encounters that just stick with me. It is by far probably one of the most beautiful pieces of a movie or TV show that I have ever seen. Ever. Like "oh my gosh my eyes were watering of the beauty" kind of beautiful.

Having said that, there was one thing I didn't really care for, which was in the beginning with Beorn. In the book, the dwarves come in in pairs every 5 minutes in an attempt to plea Beorn into letting them stay in his house. Gandalf all the while is telling their story, and the constant interruptions keep Beorn in suspense and wanting to hear the story. But in the movie, the company literally runs into the house, since Beorn is chasing them, and slams the door in his face. I understand that by sticking with the original story in the book it would have taken time, but still. Nothing similar? But overall it did not hinder from my experience of enjoying the movie, which I did.

I feel like all the actors's performances were above and beyond the first movie. I can see growth in each and every one of them, and my goodness! The roles of their lifetime! But yes, I will repeat what sis said; it is definitely worth a watch! Peter Jackson and the rest of the crew have put out yet another spectacular piece of film. You will thoroughly enjoy it!

The Hobbit: what the book and movies mean to us

Holly and Kelly: We are now 10 days away from the second movie of the Hobbit Trilogy; The Desolation of Smaug. Now I am sure that most of you are sick of seeing the stuff we keep posting on our social media sites. Here's just a few reasons why we are so excited for the upcoming flick:

*Lord of the Rings: Yep, we totally missed out on that movie trilogy. We were 11, 12 and 13 when the movies hit the big screen. I remember seeing previews for those movies and thinking how stupid they looked. Someone should have gone Sam with a frying pan to our heads.

*A story of hope, courage and inspiration: When you get past the scary Wargs, Orcs, trolls and goblins, that's exactly what this story is all about. Bilbo is basically an average Joe Hobbit who is so preoccupied with his space and things. But out of the blue, Gandalf takes all that away from him, stating in the movie "it will be very good for you." In my life, God has been the Gandalf in my life; taking away my comforts and putting me on this roller coaster that's called being in a relationship with Him. It's crazy, but worth it!

*The actors and crew: I cannot stress this enough, they really do care about their fans! Peter Jackson was quoted saying "I don't make these movies for the Oscars. I make them for the fans." He also does video blogs and hosts fan events. How many movie makers do you see doing that? Not too many. We were watching the World Premiere last night that took place in Hollywood. The actors spent a LOT of time with the fans signing things, talking to them and taking pictures with them. I will post a video at the end that brings this point home. You'll see what I mean.

*Tolkien; He was a Christian! Need I say more?! If you read the book you will see hidden Christian themes, or at least I do. My favorite is at the end when Gandalf tells Bilbo " you really don't suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?" (and yes this is straight out of the book). Bilbo then states "Thank goodness!"

*Our faith: We can honestly believe that these stories have strengthened our faith and relationship with Christ. When you read about Bilbo and his struggles, Frodo and his struggles and the other characters and their struggles, you know they're real, even though the characters are not. Let's face it; we've all dealt with fear, pride, worry and doubt, and we've all had a Sam or a Gandalf in our lives to help us fight the good fight. Accountability partners? Exactly. I read about these struggles, reflect upon mine, am inspired and I thank God for what He has brought me through and for blessing us with an author and movie director that has inspired many, ourselves included. So there. Now you have it.

Prepare to grab some tissues for this one.

30 Days of Sherlock: Your favorite thing about the show

Holly: It's taken me a few days to think about this, and I'm glad that it's the last part of this writing challenge, because there are many, many things that I like about the show, so to go as far as to pick just one is a bit ludicrous.

For starters, the writing is practically flawless: witty, sharp, thought-provoking.  Sherlock's deductions are delivered at almost break-neck speed (Ok, I suppose that's more of the acting, and less of the writing, but still...).  There are so many great lines.  Second, the characters are so believable, especially John.  He's that one friend you'd want to have on your side, the one friend that everyone wants and the one friend that everyone aspires to be.

Finally, the entire premise of the show is what keeps me watching, and Kelly has mentioned it already, but it bears repeating:  You start out with a lonely, down-on-his-luck Afghanistan veteran, and add in a brilliant, almost mechanic and robotic, almost too-brilliant-for-his-own-good "consulting detective", and bring them together.  It's almost slapstick, if you're on the outside looking in.  But what happens throughout the duration of the series (so far) is almost magic; they start out merely as roommates, flatmates, but at the end of the second series, they've transformed into friends.  Friends?? Really?  Even Sherlock says it himself, "I don't have friends."  Something I have learned through this six-episode arc is that friendship, at its very essence, is more powerful than any mind and is able to break through any barriers.  It can surprise you, it can hurt you, but at the end of the day, it's necessary.  It's vital for life.  It keeps our very human side in check.  Even Sherlock realizes this at his last moments: that we're all humans on this road called life, and we all need someone.  Friends protect people.  And that, my friends, is how TV should be.

Kelly: I suppose I'll get a crack on this. It's 7:23AM and I'm awake. I'll be heading out for more job orientating here in a bit. But anywho, there's too many things I like about the show. If I had to pick one universal thing I like, it would be the dynamic of Sherlock and John. I must give credit to the writers of the show, because they do such an excellent job of writing this transformation that occurs between the two. A lonely, invalided Afghan war Army vet meets this cold, collected blunt consulting detective and then they become friends. That's the beauty of any friendship really, is that often it occurs between the two unlikeliest of people. These two people go from hardly knowing one another to John being the one Sherlock calls as he about to face his demise. And should I mention that this all occurs within 18 months. Also, it's realistic. Now what do I mean by that? The two meeting of people, getting to know each other, etc. I feel like that in a lot of shows it seems rushed or a bit fake, especially in romantic relationships. It seems it's like two people meet, make out then sleep together. Uh....?

So how does that happen? How does any friendship happen? Love. No...not THAT kind of love. Like sis said, it's believable. It's real. You watch it and you say "that's what friends do for each other." Somewhere on the way side, friends come and go but the good ones, the really good ones, will stick with you. And whether you know each other for 18 months or 18 years, that's just how it goes. And that's what happens with Sherlock and John; they go from being strangers to being each other's wing men, without actually saying "Hey, I'm your wing man." Plus, Martin and Benedict have EXCELLENT chemistry! I think if it were any other two actors, it wouldn't quite be the same.

This concludes our 30 day Sherlock challenge.  We hope you have enjoyed journeying with us.  We have lots of ideas bubbling around, so stay tuned!

30 Days of Sherlock: Favorite Sherlock actor

Note: Today, we would like to dedicate this post to our dear friend Brian.  Eight years ago today he was killed in a car accident.  He was supposed to graduate high school with our brother.  He was a truly remarkable and wonderful friend who gave the best hugs and knew how to make anyone laugh.  We miss you, Brian.

Kelly: All I can say is thank God that I am not the same person that I was when I was that unsure, angry and upset 15 year old. Anyway, thanks to the website Sherlockstuff, I've been able to track my favorite Sherlock actor (and one of my favorite favorite actors anyway) and see some of his other work. He's been involved in a variety of other roles, in rom coms, historical flicks and of course, Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming Hobbit film trilogy.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am tipping my hat off this morning to Martin Freeman. I've only known the name for about a year, but did recognize him in Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Love Actually before I knew who he was. It was right around this time last year that we got into Sherlock as well; if I'm not mistaken we viewed Reichenbach on this day last year. When I saw Martin's performance in that episode, and seeing the real hurt and numbness that comes upon finding out your worst fear, that's when I fell in love with him not only as an actor but as John Watson. If you have never experienced loss before, you don't know what that feels like. I don't know if Martin has, but I have. And I remember watching the episode and thinking "that is EXACTLY how I felt when I heard about Brian." And just like that, I was 15 years old again.

So if you haven't seen some of Martin's other work, I would highly recommend it. I would recommend The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, The Good Night, and Nativity! (those are my favorites that he's in). 

Holly: I too also love Martin Freeman.  And not just because he's John Watson (Seriously, you crazy Sherlock fans.....seriously.  Watch his other stuff.  He's so much more than that.  I seriously doubt he went through the training and schooling he did just to be known by "Jawn"...he's Martin Freeman! Ok, ending rant now).  I love him for his versatility.  I've seen the majority of his work, and every performance of his is completely seamless.  I especially love him in Nativity; he portrays the crochety Scroogy primary school teacher so well.  He's so believable! Like Kelly, I also recommend her recommendations, but I also recommend a comedy show called Bruiser.  He's quite funny!

Another good scene of his is from "Swinging with the Finkels."  Unfortunately, I gave the movie a half hour before I quit watching it, so I skipped to the end and ohhhhh....it's so sweet.  That last scene!!!! I'm not even going to post it here; you can find it on YouTube.

My recommendation for any actor you really like: watch their other works.  Branch out of your box a little.  I guarantee that your respect for him/her will increase exponentially.  And then you can daydream about meeting them and having an intellectual conversation with them, instead of something like "OHMYGLOB I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN AND I LOVE SHERLOCK AND YOU'RE SO GOOD AS DR WATSON AND akljdgflkajdsgbkand.bkn.adjf...gkajewoituaoweut."  Catch my drift?

Bruiser: Touchy

Bruiser: Overanalyzing  (do apologize, there is a bit of language)

30 Days of Sherlock: Free-for-all #2

Holly and Kelly: This just in fresh from Peter Jackson's Facebook page this morning.  Needless to say, we could not resist sharing.  Have a happy Friday and weekend to all! :)

30 Days of Sherlock: A photo of your favorite character.

Kelly: Listening to a bit of Beecake this morning as I write this post. If you've never heard of them, they're definitely worth a listen or two! Since Holly and I have the same favorite character, I figured I'd post a pic or two to vouch for the two of us. Enjoy!

This is what happens when  Sherlock kept him awake for a case. He slept through work!

Hey! That's what I'm doing too! 

30 Days of Sherlock: A picture that makes you go :D

Kelly: This entirely sums up Sherlock. In a nutshell. Plus, this scene sequence in Belgravia is my favorite dialogue in the entire series! It's silly, ridiculous and hilarious. It just goes to show you that even though Sherlock is indeed brilliant, he has his Honey Badger moments. You also get to see a bit more of the brotherly relationship between Sherlock and Mycroft. When I first saw this I was like that is SO me and Holly!!!

Holly: Yes, that's really what it says in the description.  I like this picture.

From what I remember about it (I found it on Pinterest), this was taken from the Sherlock set.  I like this picture because they look so chill.  They look like more than just co-actors on a show; they look like friends.  Plus, Martin Freeman has coffee and I like that too.

30 Days of Sherlock: Favorite Main character

Kelly: My favorite character is John Watson, for a lot of reasons. His back story is the first one you see right in the beginning of the series. Army veteran, invalided from home, clearly showing physical (mostly psychosomatic but they appear that way) and emotional scars from his time in Afghanistan. He is introduced to Sherlock by a mutual friend of theirs when the question is asked "who would want me for a flat mate?" (Well...I would for starters!) It is at this first meeting that Sherlock is able to deduce John's time in the service, along with the fact he has an estranged sister, she's in a failed relationship and has poor drinking habits. The day after they meet, John is taken hostage by Mycroft and is offered a large sum of money to keep tabs on Sherlock.
"No."
"You're very loyal."
"No, I'm just not interested."

But he IS very loyal, even after knowing Sherlock for less than a day. It was said in the beginning of the first episode that John had "trust issues." But as the series progresses, you see the transformation of not only John as a person but their relationship changes. The relationship between Sherlock and John begins as merely colleagues and flat mates to friends. Best friends. Let's face it; John had nowhere to go after his time in Afghanistan. But he put his trust in Sherlock, even after warnings of him being a "freak" and being told to stay away from him. And another reason why I love John? He's a medical man, like me...except I'm not a man. Haha. Plus he's played by Martin Freeman who is without a shred of doubt one of my favorite actors! John is the type of person you would want on your side, trust me.

Holly: My favorite character is also John Watson, and I was going to add something, but Kelly has summed him up perfectly.  We all have that one person in our lives who we know has our back no matter what.  For Sherlock, that person is John: when it's all said and done, John is the only one who stays by Sherlock, even when his world is threatening to be destroyed bit by bit.  Sherlock is even annoyed with him by how much he is concerned about what others think of him, but the truth is that he cares so much about what others think of him because he cares so much about him!  John's fierce loyalty and trust for his friend is what makes him a great character to watch, and a great character to relate to.  I honestly cannot wait to see where, after the end of Reichenbach, their relationship will go from here.

30 Days of Writing: Five Guys You Find Attractive

Holly: Man, we JUST had a sermon about lust yesterday, too! lol.  Rest assured, my thoughts are entirely tame.  These are in no specific order, by the way.

1. Martin Freeman.  Not only because he's the perfect Bilbo (I'm sorry, he is.  Your opinion is not valid), but he's really funny, even though he does swear a lot.  Plus he loves his family and he loves what he does.  And he's good at it.  Seriously...check out some of his stuff.

2. Benedict Cumberbatch.  Because his name is awesomer than you ever will be.  And he has a pretty voice.

3. Wiley.  I mean, come on.  He's pretty much a stud on four legs and he knows it too.

4. Elijah Wood.  Or, more specifically, Elijah Wood's eyes.  And he's vertically challenged, like me! :D

5. All the Big Bang Theory guys.  ALL of them.  They're nerdy and cute and have the best lines.  I would like to personally give them all high fives at some point in my life.

Kelly: 

I'm not going to waste precious blog space, because mine all are pretty much the same. I'm going to add Adam Brown to this list too. Because Ori is every body's baby and he's adorable!

And of course, here's Wiley. We love him dearly.

Come on, how could you not love THIS face?! 

Newly beloved Ringers review The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Holly: DISCLAIMER: IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE YET, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS.  WE DO NOT WANT TO RUIN THE MOVIE FOR YOU! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Sorry...typing this in between segments and commercials of Return of the King.  Bear with me.

Like Kelly mentioned, we viewed The Hobbit for the second time today.  The old cliche really is true: stuff is better the second time around.  In its second week I was still surprised to see a decent amount of people in the theater.  Then again, perhaps not.  In an earlier post of ours we mentioned that we completely missed the LoTR theater fandemonium, so we didn't really know what to expect.  I will say that I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, moreso the second time.  So...

WHAT I LIKED/LOVED:

*The pace/overall feel.  Yes, it is long (almost 3 hours), but for me it goes quickly but doesn't feel rushed.  It's much lighter than LoTR; I laughed so much in this movie!  I'm still exhilarated and excited, thrilled, given chills, the entire time.  It's absolutely beautiful.  The scenery/imagery is breathtaking as well; literally there are moments where I hold my breath.  It's just beautifully shot.  I don't know how they do it.

*The "Princess Bride"-esque bookend of older Bilbo and Frodo telling the story in the beginning.  I LOVE that.  LOVE it.  I think I loved it more than the average person.  When I read that Elijah Wood and Ian Holm were reprising their roles for the movie I was hoping they would be woven in like that.

*The casting of Martin Freeman as Bilbo.  OH MY GOD.  OH. MY. GOD.  Seriously!!!!  You know how everyone fell in love with Elijah Wood as Frodo?! Yeah...I foresee these movies going a lot like that.  Now, perhaps I am a bit biased because I have seen the majority of his works and find him a really good actor, but I think that he makes the PERFECT Bilbo!  I mean, Peter Jackson halted production for HIM just so he could have him as Bilbo; that's how bad he wanted him.  I honestly think it's one of the best decisions Peter Jackson made for this movie. Martin's performance is spectacular; it delights me to no end.  It's wonderful...truly wonderful.  I hope to meet him someday and tell him myself.

*The individuality of the dwarves.  MAJOR, MAJOR kudos to the production team.  I've seen a lot of behind-the-scenes footage and they did not have an easy task: creating 13 individual, unique dwarves.  But each one is portrayed perfectly.  Bofur and Balin are my favorites.  :)

MEH/DIDN'T FLY WITH ME TOO WELL (but still not enough to ruin the movie for me):

*The introduction is a bit long-winded.  But I do love the story.

*The storyline of Azog the pale orc versus Thorin thing.  I don't think Azog needs to be in the film; I think he's in it just so there's a "bad guy".  But oh well.  Bilbo does kick some serious tail in the end there.

*There was mention of Beorn/the barrel scene in the trailers but not in the movie.  That kind of frustrated me!  Guess we'll just have to wait until Smaug, I reckon.

Bottom line: If you are a die-hard Tolkiener that takes the books as gospel, proceed with caution.  Otherwise, it really does live up to the hype.  I simply cannot recommend it enough.  Fans of the LoTR movies and Peter Jackson will not be disappointed.  Go see it.  As soon as possible! :)

Kelly: Hey, Return of the King is on! Pippin is about to sing his beloved song.

This afternoon, Holly and I watched the first installment of The Hobbit movies for a second time. We first laid our eyes on it last week in Lexington for the midnight premiere. We were seated in front of our theater for over an hour waiting for it to open, but not before enjoying some Denny's and feasting on some milkshakes from The Hobbit menu. The theater was PACKED!!! Such a wonderful experience though and one I will surely not forget anytime soon. Today's experience was much different. We were in a smaller theater and it was just the two of us who went and saw it; post-coffee and chatting came afterwards as we met up with a good friend we have known since high school. Twas a lovely afternoon. I will now get onto the good and the bad, in my opinion:

THE GOOD:

* Martin Freeman's breakthrough role. Seriously. I have seen a lot of his work and his role as Bilbo Baggins is on the top of my list! These performances in the next three installments are going to make his career HUGE!!!!

* The Christian themes that are intertwined into the film. Love, grace, discipleship and compassion are a few that I observed many times. Especially loving your enemies; Bilbo spares Gollum's life as he is over run with compassion for the pitiful creature. It is a lovely reminder of how we should treat those who wrong us, and again, Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis both perform so well!

* Unlikely friends joining together for a common theme. A rag-tag of 13 dwarves, a wizard and a hobbit, all on a quest to seek the lost kingdom of Erebor. Not a likely company by any means, but it works well. Quite well actually; though there is doubt and uncertainty in the beginning, it disappears as many of the characters deem themselves worthy companions for the company.

* The humor. Though it is a very action-filled movie for the most part, the humor that is involved really lightens the rather gruesome fights that are involved in different parts of the movie. In the Lord of the Rings franchise, the humor comes from Merry and Pippin. In The Hobbit, it's a bit of everyone.

*There are many more good qualities that I enjoy and I overall enjoyed the movie quite well. I cannot wait to see it again!

THE BAD:

* The beginning sequence seemed a bit dragged on to me. Part of me enjoyed it, but part of me was wondering "ok....just get on with it." Ian Holm's soliloquy explaining it though was good, just a bit long in my opinion.

* I hate to play annoying Tolkien lover, but man I really wish the elements in the movie were somewhat linear with the book. Riddles in the Dark is the 5th chapter in the book but doesn't appear till near the end of the movie. Hey, I'm not a director by any means but it works out. I just wonder what it would have been like if it was like that. More linear with the book. Ok I'm done now. There you have it; my novice review of the movie. My opinion now? Go see it!!!

Why we are so excited about The Hobbit (AKA Tomorrow night!!)

Kelly: As you all know, Holly and I entered the Tolkien fandom rather late in life...as in this summer to be exact. This time tomorrow, we will be in Lexington awaiting to see The Hobbit movie at midnight!!! We are SO EXCITED! Now, here's a bit of news as to why we are excited.

*I am in love with the story line. If you haven't yet, PLEASE read the book! I've read it twice! P.S. If you want to borrow it from us let us know as we have a copy. It is such a terrific tail of an unlikely hero who gathers with unlikely friends and goes on an unlikely journey in his life. He doesn't know it at the time, but this journey is pivotal in the life of Bilbo Baggins. I cannot wait to see this pivotal journey on the bigscreen.

* Martin Freeman!!!!!!! Need I say more? I have really enjoyed learning about him more as an actor and from reading interviews he got into the storyline late too, just like us. I encourage you, all of you, to see some of his other work. We particularly like his work in Sherlock, but there are others of his we like too :]  (Um...that's a lie.  We pretty much like everything he's in.  Hi Martin, we're not psycho, we swear.  Let's have tea sometime.  ~Holly)

* Since we started into the Middle Earth journey so late, we missed out on seeing LOTR on the big screens. In fact, we saw the extended edition DVD's before we even read the books! Never saw them in theaters; we were 13 when Return of the King came out into the theaters. So yeah. This is our first Tolkien trilogy we are seeing on the big screen! And yes we are going to go all out!!! Better late than never, eh?

* If you really pay attention to some common themes, there are some Christian themes. I know!! It's not just about kicking butt, killing orcs and being invaded by dwarves. There's love, friendship, compassion and grace intertwined into the souls of the pages and the lives of the characters! To me it reflects Tolkien's character as well. So yes. This is why I'm excited about it. I hope you all get to enjoy it as much as we will! :]

Holly: FAR OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVER, THE MISTY MOUNTAINS COOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLDDDD!!!!!

Sorry.  I'm a bit slap-happy.  I'm sure you can figure out why.  :D

And I completely agree with all of what Kelly said.  Mostly I'm excited because of the experience of Middle Earth in the form of theatrical premieres.  We entered this fandom recently and later in life.  We weren't the fans who grew up with the books and movies, or had parents who did the same.  We didn't even watch the movies and read the books until a few months ago.   And we completely missed the Lord of the Rings trilogy and all the hype surrounding it.  Now we're going to be getting a little taste of what that's about, and it's pretty exciting.  And we get to enjoy it with two of our rockin' awesome friends.  And Martin Freeman, of course.  He's lovely.

We watched the live stream of the London premiere this afternoon, and during an interview the guy asked Martin Freeman to give a message to all the fans who were watching from all over the world.  He said "I dare you to be disappointed."  I know I won't be.  So many people have waited months, even years, heck, some probably even their whole lives, to see Bilbo Baggins on his grand adventure with the baker's dozen of dwarves come to life on the big screen.  For me, the anticipation has been unreal.  I'm looking forward to a return trip to Middle Earth.  The anticipation is insane, the fandom is going crazy.  I'm so ready!

Below are a few pictures I've collected over the last few months.  Enjoy.

AND...in the spirit of all things Christmas, our favorite Christmas flick is...............

Holly: This one!

So the IMDB is a little weak in terms of a plot, description, what have you, but the basic gist of it is a Scroogy failed-actor-turned-primary-school-teacher, Mr. Maddens, who gets suckered in to directing the school's nativity play.  In the midst of all of that he gets bombarded by his childish, highly immature (but hilarious) teaching assistant, Mr. Poppy.  It's basically doomed to fail on all accounts, especially when Mr. Maddens begins this intricate web of lies (in order to impress his fellow teacher rival, Gordon Shakespeare, who's absurdly full of himself) circling around his ex-girlfriend Hollywood producer flying herself and her crew out to watch their nativity play. The blowing up of the lies begetting lies and lies growing and growing and Mr. Maddens getting himself into deeper and deeper hot water is what makes most of the humor.

So you're reading this and probably thinking, Gee, Holly, well that sounds all fine and dandy, but why is it your FAVORITE Christmas movie? I mean, there's so many other good ones out there!!!!

Yes.  That is true.  But I....well, we....have a couple reasons.  The main one for me is because in the beginning of the movie, Mr. Maddens has absolutely no hope: in Christmas, in his students, in himself for doing a good job of directing, in Mr. Poppy.  As the movie progresses we learn he's still in love with his ex-girlfriend, even traveling great lengths to put his heart and the hearts of his students on the line.  As the movie progresses the students go from not believing in themselves, not thinking they can do anything, to "sparkling and shining" and redeeming the lost cause that their school once was.  And wishing the absolute BEST for their teacher that they love so dearly and admire.  My recommendation is this: watch the movie.  It will make you cry.  And it will definitely make you laugh and warm your heart.

Kelly: On top of what was already said, I have nothing really to add. What I get from this movie is quite simple. There's one part where Mr. Maddens has just spoken to an unsure student about wanting to participate in the play because she didn't want to wear "a stupid costume." After he sends her off to lunch, he stumbles upon "Christmas post" in which the students write letters to Santa asking what they want for Christmas. A few of them are traditional things like this and that. As he continues to read them, more and more of them say along the lines of "I just want Mr. Maddens to be happy." He gets quite emotional by the end and once he walks back into the auditorium the passion just lights up. These same students that he called "useless" in the beginning of the movie still want nothing but the absolute best for him.  And that's just awesome. I feel we should always feel that same way towards all people, even those who have wronged us any way or have said we're useless. Even if that person is ourselves.

Then there's Mr. Poppy. Despite receiving constant criticism for his over-the-top behavior and enthusiasm, he continues to do that and then some. I consider myself to be like Mr. Poppy at times. Here's what I mean; today I received a comment from one of my clinical instructors that said "I wish that everyone was as cheerful and enthusiastic as you are." It just goes to show you that when you carry that sort of attitude, like me, like Mr. Poppy, though it doesn't seem like it at times people do notice. And they appreciate it. Lastly, what else I get from this movie is of course the fact that Martin Freeman is in it! He has easily become one of my favorite actors and to me is more than just Tim from the Office or soon-to-be none other than Bilbo Baggins himself. I think we so often forget that actors, despite their various roles, are regular people too and live regular lives just like you and I. Since Martin has become one of my faves, I've brought it upon myself to see him in more of his work. I really do appreciate him more as an actor and as a person! So yes, I will close by saying, definitely watch this movie. It really is gold as far as Christmas movies go!

***Holly adds her actor/actress worship pet peeve/rant: Because I've read interviews, etc, and they don't like that.  For example, Kelly and I like Martin Freeman, and we've seen a lot of his work, and I've read interviews with him and he said at one point he got really tired of hearing "Tim!!" being shouted in the streets. While I love the character Tim from The Office, that's not who they are.  Actors and actresses aren't defined by their characters; they're defined by THEIR character.  They're ordinary people, just like you and me, who just happen to be spectacularly good at their jobs and also...they love what they do. I challenge you: if you have a favorite actor/actress, watch their other works (besides the one work that made you fall in love with him/her).  Your opinion will change.  //end rant***

"From the smallest beginnings come the greatest legends..."

Holly: If you are a Hobbit/Tolkien fan, watch it.  If you aren't....watch it anyway because it's just that AWESOME!

NEW Hobbit Trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and P.S: To Martin Freeman, I've always liked you, but now I just freaking LOVE you.  You are the perfect Bilbo Baggins and I can't wait to see it for myself.  :)