Hobbits Hobbits

For everyone outside of New Zealand events down here have been dominated by political machinations and maneuverings over the Hobbit. Its quite incredible the reactions and opinions that have been offered. Events have now reached possibly the point of no return. Actors have been vilified and technicians have come out to support the makers and to stand up for their jobs and principles while certain individuals have been criticised and demonised. Maybe justified and in some cases unjustified.
As an ex union rep from the Uk now living here I have found some of the Actors Unions actions inept and poorly informed. When watching various responses from spokesman I am surprised at the lack of substance to their gripes. Now don't get me wrong, there are legitimate concerns that have been highlighted in this whole debacle  but the communication of these concerns in a form that could engender some support and sympathy has been wasted by the ineptness of their communications through various media outlets.
     Peter Jackson has been dignified in his silence, but this week things came to an obvious head and if you watch the interviews released on Thursday of this week the strain is beginning to tell.
The fact is this began with one simple action four weeks ago, well documented and the content of which was freely available on the web. Simon Whipp instituted an embargo against the production. We could argue the validity of his actions but I would argue that The Hobbit was not greenli\t by the Studios. That his argument was industry wide, and not production specific and therefore in my eyes unjustified.
If you want to target an industry to to just that, not an individual production whose history was already trouble through the fact that two studios are involved in this production Warner's and MGM and MGM was in a very perilous state due to ongoing bankruptcy issues and restructuring. This led to the departure of Gullermo DeL Toro due to the constant delays disrupting his other productions.

Warners concerns are understandable considering Justice League of America another Warner's brothers movie which would have been directed by Mad Max's George Miller, in 2008 this was cancelled and Simon Whipp was part it had been reported in that process.
The sad thing in all this, is the absence of facts, proper discourse through media and the lines that have been drawn and the drift of public opinion. Lets hope for a positive outcome next week, some common sense and the beginning of repairs between all parties.

Weekend blues

Weekends dependant on weather can either be productive or boring. This weekend falls in the later catergory, jobs I had assigned myself have been left well alone. However we did get to entertain , so nice meals were prepared, wine was consumed and all felt good for a short period of time.
      But my evenings were spent on a cinematic film 101. I chose a nostalgic rag bag of guilty pleasures on DVD and decided to view their extras . Thursday was taken up with the original King Kong and the extras included on the disk were out of this world covering not only the films creation, but also a little background history of its producer. My cinematic youth was not dominated by 3D , CGI , or visually torrettes school of film making.
I had always been a fan of fantasy and high adventure. My cinematic education beginning with the Golden Voyage of Sinbad and progressing to the wonders of At the Earths Core and Land that Time forgot. This was a world pre Star Wars. Where the most exciting movie posters inevitably belonged to films that a six to seven year old could not see. The likes of Hammer Horror films.
      Kong was the grandfather to these cinematic adventures, more to the point Willis O"Brian whose special effects work, whose creations paved the way for later advances of modern cinema. Where would the many voyages of Sinbad be without the exploits of Kong.  Or my particular stop motion animated favourite Jason and the Argonauts.

The big leap into the Blog o sphere

Well being a virgin at all this so begins my leap of faith into the blog wilderness. For me a grand adventure as I have a rough idea of the what I would like to blog about. But do my ambitions exceed my skill.

 I guess a given is that my blogs will cover my wide interests from art to film and the collecting of making of and art of books. No doubt I will also populate this blog with capsule film reviews and rambling thoughts which I hope in some small way might l entertain or arouse interest.  I'm a Welshman who has been living in Wellington New Zealand for four years after meeting my wife on the Internet. I'm a happy father who is trying to balance responsibility with being a big kid.
     Wellington, home of Weta, the Wot Wots, a  thriving art scene, a coffee addicts dream or nightmare. A foodies hell with every creed supports being it serious food, light food, or hell junk food.

  So bare with me, hopefully you will find my posts entertaining and not too boring.