The Blog Devoted to All Things Medieval; Weapons, Armor, Knights, Castles, Books and More ———–Never Give a Sword to a Man who can’t Dance - Old Celtic Saying
You may not know it but there is a hobbit movie in the works. It isn’t supposed to be like the hobbit movies of old, of which I am very fond of. It is supposed to be a big budget blockbuster cut from the same cloth, and with the same production values, as the LOTR trilogy. But….
As sometimes happens when the big boys play, things get sticky over the money. Last I knew, there was a big lawsuit going on over the LOTR money and it appears to be a big mess. Maybe this has been resolved but I’m not sure.
Here is the point I want to make:
Have any of these people even watched Lord of the Rings? Don’t they get it? Can’t they see what Tolkien was trying to say? It’s ironic.
The Lord of the Rings has turned into a pretty golden ring and all these people are just huddling up in corners of their big mansions and petting their brokerage accounts muttering “My Precious”
I wonder how JRR would feel about this?
Read more about the controversy here at wikipedia: The Hobbit 2009
Here’s a trailer for the Hobbit. It isn’t a real trailer but it is pretty good.
Pathfinder is starting to gain a little momentum and it seems like it might be a decent movie although I doubt it will have the impact that 300 has had.
It hits movie theatres this friday (April 13th) Hey friday the 13th is probably not a good day to release a new movie but then again maybe I am just being superstitious.
Here is a link to the official movie site: Pathfinder
AN Interesting little observation about this film.
I have posted a lot of stuff about the Dark Ages in this blog and if you are a bit up on the Dark Ages you know that a good portion of the turmoil came from the Vikings and the Visigoths during this period. It’s interesting to note that this film also takes place within the same period and if there is any historical accuracy to this film it would seem that the Vikings didn’t just terrorize Europe but they also ran amuck in the americas too.
One of the tag lines for this movie is “600 years before Columbus discovered America the Vikings came here.” That’s what has made me think of this little aside.
Here’s a little bit I have dug up about this: based on the Viking landing of Olaf Tomssen at Iorvik, where he moved as far inland as modern day Vermont.
The movie 300 has sparked a lot of interest in the Spartans and in the whole genre of the Roman era including Gladiators. Eidos has put out a video game for the PSP called 300: March to Glory and there are some other games for the PS2 and XBox in this same genre. Here is an overview of some of these games.
300: March To Glory In 300: March to Glory you’ll live the adventure of the hit film “300.” Players take on the role of King Leonidas, who led 300 Spartans against Xerxes and the Persian army. As you control him, Leonidas will uses their sword, spear and shield in individual combat. He’ll also use the power of the soldiers in a battle to determine the very fate of western civilization. 300: March to Glory will be a visceral experience focused on action and combat, allowing the player to fight both solo and in a phalanx alongside his fellow Spartans.
Develop your warrior skills and pick a weapon to master, as you prepare for the deadliest hand-to-hand combat
Choose your battles wisely - Team battles where one group of gladiators must wipe out another group, battle royals, hunting games, survival bouts, duels and more
Tactical thinking is key here - Figure out which weapons to use, which opponents to face first and which to face last
Avoid fearsome arena death traps - spinning blades, spike-covered poles and more
Thrill the crowd by showing off your killing skills — face down opponents and gain victory to earn admiration and extra silver
It is 106 AD and Emperor Arruntius has bled the people of Rome, leaving its people in poverty while he & his elites enjoy untold excesses. He creates the bloodiest gladiator battle ever staged — which you will use against him as a revolutionary leader.
In this epic cinematic adventure, you’ll fight your way through the streets of Rome using an advanced ‘in-context’ fighting system
Battle against single or multiple opponents, and watch as your Blood Meter fills — when it’s full you’ll produce powers granted by the Olympian Gods
Specialized authentic weaponry is available — use it to create spectacular combos that produce bloody deaths. The gorier the kill, the more popular you get
Play to the crowd while fighting guardsmen and monsters, to become the people’s hero!
Following a great war, combat is relegated to the gladiator arenas. Schools from around the world compete for the title of Imperial Champions. Guide two young warriors, Ursula and Valens, as they gather warriors to earn that title in the arena!
This amazing combination of combat and role-playing will allow you to choose from 16 character types and 100 different classes — then put them to the test as they battle for glory & survival
Battle with hundreds of unique weapons taken straight from the gladiator arenas of old — and draw from the powers of magic to enhance your prowess on the field of honor
Learn vital combat tactics and apply them on the battlefield — and manage your pupils as they improve their skills
Prepare to face the deadliest foe you can imagine as you prove yourself worthy of being Imperial Champion!
There really is a nice selection of gladiator and Spartan type video games but if you are more a hands-on kind of person you may be the type to actually have some of this stuff. Itnerested in seeing some real swords that are replicas of the swords in video games? Check out the page I have written about this. It includes pictures and links. Video Game Swords
