Legenda 57: Stuff worth reading

[Legenda offers a brief, non-inclusive index of stuff I noticed and enjoyed since the last episode. It doesn’t usually include materials presented on the major fansites, which I love dearly, but which are linked in the sidebar. Because I always forget or just miss stuff, please add additional pieces of interest via link in the comments.]

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If you would like to help the families of the murdered adults and students at Sandy Hook Elementary School, here is some information about organizations that are helping and how they can be supported, especially United Way of Western Connecticut, which has a support fund that will help pay for counseling to the bereaved.

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The last week, whew.

[Left: last shot of my screen I took before leaving to see the film]

Premiere in London, and then premiere of the film for general audiences. I immediately buried my own review but it’s here.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey sets December box office sales record. (I linked that last night, so the information is probably dated.) FedoraLady posted some information on it today.

Meanwhile, what were they doing before the London premiere?

Now we know!

Everybody has an opinion!

• [No spoilers] ItsJSforMe can’t wait — till next year!
• [No spoilers] KathrynD — in love with Middle Earth and 48 fps.
• [No spoilers] CC: not convinced by 48 fps.
• [No spoilersGB had a wonderful time!
• [No spoilers]: JasRangoon is split on 48 fps.
• [No spoilers]: Cdoart loved every second.
• [No spoilers]: Faboamanto is not quite that positive, but close.
• [No spoilers]: And IngeD3 has her socks blown off.
• [No spoilers]: Ruth: “happiness is a dwarf named Thorin …”
• [Spoilers]: Herba (in German) frustrated that the Misty Mountains song doesn’t sound good in German dubbing.
• [Spoilers]: hotdwarflovin’ has a lot to say about the CGI elements — obviously someone who’s more in the target audience for this film than I was.
• [Spoilers]: ricRAr saw it with her family.
• [Spoilers]: Traxy: uncertain how to judge Armitage’s performance objectively.
• [Spoilers]: Saraleee: loved it — but did she see too many spoilers?
• [Spoilers]: Charlotte Hawkins gives it her detailed attention — was very happy with it. Except Radagast?

And if you haven’t posted your opinion, Armitage bloggers, where are you? (grins). We want to know.

Giving to others, I like it:

We’ve ended the “giftbomb” campaign as of the London premiere. Thanks to everyone who donated in whatever way! But it’s not too late to congratulate Richard Armitage and do something nice. Just trot on over to JustGiving!

Richard Armitage Archive:

• Janine and @bff222 are organizing a Thank You project for Mr. Armitage and asking for participation.
• Cdoart reports one of those moments that have been happening for me regularly since following Armitage: the coincidence of themes and discoveries in a way that feels anything but coincidental.
• Regarding Anderson Cooper: The operative moment seems to have been deleted from the show (I don’t know, I didn’t see it myself), but regarding whether Richard Armitage blushed, at least we now know the question asked and the answer!
• At Fly High! Reading the Hobbit in Search of Thorin, part IV.
• Ania asks the all important question: which bike was Armitage riding on the set of The Hobbit? [Polish — page down for English translation]
• [Spoilers]: Darkjackal met the cast at the U.S. premiere.
• Another report on the New York premiere by someone who went with Faboamanto.
• Phylly shares another account from a fan who met Armitage in Toronto. My heart is yet again warmed. And another. (I think these both appeared on C19 originally and are reproduced by Phylly.)
• Royal energy in Armitage? Part One and Part Two.
• The best place to look for de-watermarked photos is usually Jonia’s Cut — she’s a wiz and she’s fast. She adds some pics from Anderson Cooper today.
• Several bloggers felt inspired to write to or make reference to Mrs. Armitage: Grati and Herba (German).
• pi hates the new look.
• FedoraLady is still looking for contributors to her “rear view” project.
• GB ponders the Lego question and contributes a graphic! Also, GB’s Hobbit premiere cartoon.
• AgzyM makes her key into a brooch.
• Jas marks Richard Armitage’s number on imdB, and also notes praise for him from Larry Curtis.
• Buzzfeed only has Thorin at #4 among the dwarves, however.
• Armitage fans always said people should come over to the dark side because we have cake, and GB proves it’s true. That cake looks fabulous.
• More proof that GB takes his pastry-making very seriously.
• Guy of Gisborne is still stressing out over possible displacement within the pantheon. It’s true, I saw very little Guyday Friday this week — but I am sure it will be back.
• Other artists cover the Misty Mountains song.
• Here’s a FB group for fans supporting Richard Armitage as a candidate to play Matthew Clairmont. I put this here only as news, not as an endorsement (you already know how I feel). The reason I’ve been behind the Richard III group is because Armitage has said repeatedly it’s a project that interests him.
• Re: Armitage’s remarks about Tolkien, dwarves, and Jews (something I may eventually have something to say about, or maybe not), here’s the letter Armitage has been referencing. It’s widely known among Jews, but maybe not among others, and is very touching.
• This was cute: the Hobbit cast in and out of makeup for side-by-side comparison. Interesting: you can roll over the photos to find out where to “get the look,” but only on the photos of the actors, not of the characters. Odd, isn’t it.

Fanfic:

I confess I read basically nothing again this week. I’m hoping to get back to it soon …

• Fantasia: What if Armitage were writing?

Tumblr:

• Beautiful Armitage GIFset.
• Gorgeous GIFset that includes Thorin at the forge. Swoons.

OT, collateral attractions, and things I think about:

• A fellow Armitage lover comes out on the other side of two years of tribulation.
• A new blog about creativity / finding onself by a fellow Armitage lover.
• And another blog by a fellow Armitage fan!
• Are you a near-horizon or a far-horizon girl?
• Is grieving a sickness?
• For Indiana Jones fans: Someone sent Abner Ravenwood’s journal to the University of Chicago. I am not kidding you.

~ by Servetus on December 16, 2012.