Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ was a long awaited movie for ‘Lord of the Rings’ fans and new fans alike. The first movie in the expected ‘Hobbit’ Trilogy, based on the book of the same name by J.R.R. Tolkien, may present vivid action, but the audience can get lost in the dragged-out scenes.

‘The Hobbit’ begins with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) who is a hobbit from the Shire, meeting with Gandalf (Ian McKellen), a wizard from his childhood. Gandalf tricks Bilbo into helping him with a mysterious quest; when thirteen dwarves show up at the door, Bilbo has no option but to help. Thorin (Richard Armitage), descendant of the great Dwarven King, is on a quest to defeat the Dragon Smaug and take back the gold that is rightfully his. Gandalf has discovered a secret entrance into the hall of his ancestors, which has been sealed since Smaug attacked, but needs help reaching his destination. On the journey he encounters various enemies, while Bilbo struggles with his conflict between wanting an adventure and wanting to return home. The enemies aren’t even the dragon, they are the orcs Thorin once battled with for his homeland, led by the one-handed pale orc Azog. This starts a series of heart-pounding moments as the characters struggle to reach their goal.

‘The Hobbit’ truly lives up to its name of being a prequel. Beginning with the returning faces of Ian Holm as young Bilbo and Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, fans of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ are instantly drawn into the new plot. Hints are dropped throughout the movie to foreshadow ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ from Gandalf’s hatred of the wizard Saruman, to Gollum’s hatred of the Baggins family. It also adds background information that the previous movies lacked, like the history of the dwarven hall of Moria or the feud between the elves and the dwarves. There is so much background information, in fact, viewers can be sure they will have a nearly complete understanding of many unexplained things in ‘The Lord of the Rings.’

The actors portray their roles wonderfully- the dwarves embody the gruff, untrusting characters fantasy fans are accustomed to, and has Freeman the comfortable, sheltered life of a hobbit. Shining in particular was Sylvester McCoy, who played Radagast the Brown, another wizard. However small his role, the scenes are delightful to watch because of the crazy character he artfully represents.

The scene of a game of riddles between Gollum and Bilbo is is one of the most fantastic foreshadowing scenes in the movie. It is the first moment Bilbo acquires the ring, the plot of the later trilogy. It also shows insight into both of their characters, emphasizing Bilbo’s wit and Gollum’s dual nature. The creature shows signs of his Smeagol/Gollum split that fans instantly recognize and know not to trust. Jackson may have dragged out the scene a bit too long- when fans already know Bilbo lives, why do the riddles keep going?

A notorious inconsistency in the movie is the way the characters never die. Or for that matter, never get hurt. They make bold, brave decisions and manage to slay a hundred orcs at a time. It would kill anyone else, but this company doesn’t even suffer injuries. For characters that begin not as warriors, but as loyal artisans gathered under Thorin, this is an amazing and unbelievable feat. The same goes for Bilbo, who protests wholeheartedly at beginning of the movie about going on the journey, and then becomes one of the most daring characters in the group. For the amount of time Bilbo rejected the idea, he changes his mind and fighting abilities quickly.

That being said, there is a lot of walking, talking and not much else happening. Azog and another unexplained character, the Necromancer, are not in the book but do add more interest to the story of what could potentially be ‘The Lord of the Rings’ with different characters. The movie itself was enjoyable, so long as the audience doesn’t get tired of watching the company almost die, to be saved at the last moment by someone finding the courage to act.

3.5/5 stars – for a movie that helped explain ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ but tried to pack too much into a plot without much ever happening.

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Pittsburgh, U.S.A. — Two of Pittsburgh’s largest cinemas, Chartiers Valley Stadium 18 in Bridgeville and North Versailles Stadium 18 are now fully digital. The theatres underwent a number of upgrades in the past several months including a conversion from 35mm projection to state-of-the-art digital projection, digital surround sound and Digital Real D 3D.

“Digital projection is the way the movie industry is moving. Converting to high-quality digital systems allows Chartiers Valley and North Versailles theatres to present the best possible cinema experience available,” said Phil Zacheretti, president of Phoenix Big Cinemas which manages the two mega-plexes. “The theatre upgrades and renovations reinforce the owner’s commitment to offer a state-of-the-art entertainment destination.”

In honor of the cinema updates, both sites have several special offers and events scheduled. During the opening weekend of Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit,’ each guest will receive a free popcorn with every admission to film. Guests can also become fans of the cinemas’ Facebook pages for a chance to win a year of free movies and a $500 concession gift card. Finally, for the highly anticipated release of the Pittsburgh film starring Tom Cruise, both sites are offering special advance showings of ‘Jack Reacher’ on Thursday, December 20 at 9:00 PM and Midnight. In addition, all guests attending the ‘Jack Reacher’ shows on Thursday will receive a Free Popcorn and free Jack Reacher Poster.

Opening on Friday, December 21, Chartiers Valley Stadium 18 and North Versailles Stadium 18 will play new releases including ‘Jack Reacher,’ ‘This Is 40,’ ‘Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away,’ as well as, recent releases such as ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,’ ‘Monsters Inc. 3D’ and ‘Guilt Trip.’

Chartiers Valley Stadium 18 and North Versailles Stadium 18 offer Gift Cards and online and advance ticketing through MovieTickets.com. Guests can join the free “Motion Picture Points” rewards club to earn points for free popcorn, soft drinks and movie tickets at both locations. Both cinemas offer plentiful parking and their convenient locations provide easy access for the surrounding communities. Knoxville-based Phoenix Big Cinemas Management manages the cinemas for the Pittsburgh based ownership group.

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Bushmills Village, Northern Ireland - Bushmills Irish Whiskey has announced that globally-renowned actor Elijah Wood will perform a DJ set at ‘Bushmills Live’ – the festival of handcrafted whiskey and music taking place at the Old Bushmills Distillery on the 20th and 21st June.

He joins a bill that already features multi-platinum selling band Snow Patrol – whose fee for the festival is being donated in full to the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast – and award winning artists Iain Archer and Foy Vance.

Wood, along with his friend Zach Cowie, will take to the stage under the name Wooden Wisdom. The duo has DJ’d at Bushmills launch events in the past, but this will be the first time that they will have performed at an event together outside of the United States.

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation, Wood has recently completed production for Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit,” where he will be reprising his role as Frodo Baggins. Wood made an indelible mark in the trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” in the lead role of the hobbit, Frodo.

Directed by Jackson, the films; “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers,” and “Return of the King” were all critically lauded as well as being box office record setters. In addition, “Return of the King” won the Academy Award* for Best Picture as well as 11 Academy Awards in all, tying “Titanic” for the record. Wood is also the founder of record label Simian Records.

Fans of Bushmills Irish Whiskey can win the chance to attend the festival by entering a competition on the Bushmills Facebook page – facebook.com/bushmills1608.

To stand a chance of winning they will have to submit a photo of themselves and a friend and explain why they and their friend should be in the audience for Bushmills Live.

As well as listening to great music, those fortunate to win a ticket to the festival will also have the opportunity to make their own blend of Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

Colum Egan, Master Distiller at the Old Bushmills Distillery said: “I am really looking forward to welcoming Elijah to the Old Bushmills Distillery. He is a great actor and DJ and I have already seen him perform at a fantastic Bushmills party in Los Angeles. The line up for Bushmills Live just keeps getting better and I now can’t wait for 20th June!”

To win tickets to Bushmills Live or to find out more, visit facebook.com/bushmills1608. Entry closes at 23:59 GMT on 27th April 2012. Terms and conditions apply.

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In September, one of the most beloved fantasy tales celebrates 75 years. ‘The Hobbit,’ by J.R.R. Tolkien, was published in September 1937. This first publishing run sold out by the same December. The book was subject to wide critical acclaim and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction.

Tolkien studied English language and literature at Oxford University, and eventually accepted a teaching position there as well. It was while grading students’ essays that he was inspired with the idea for The Hobbit. There was a blank page at the end of one essay and on this blank page he wrote the first line: “In a hole in the ground, there lived a Hobbit.”

Tolkien worked on The Hobbit periodically, drawing inspiration from the stories he told his children. The first polished, finished draft of The Hobbit was reviewed by 10-year-old Rayner Unwin. Rayner was the son of Stanley Unwin of the publishing house Allen and Unwin. Rayner was asked to review The Hobbit since it was considered to be for his age group. He was even paid a standard reviewing fee.

The Hobbit follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is a hobbit who is perfectly content to stay home, smoke his pipe, and eat his quiet meals. The wizard Gandalf disrupts Bilbo’s peaceful life and manipulates him into setting out on an adventure after which he is never the same again. Popular with readers of all ages, The Hobbit helped launch the fantasy genre.

In October 2011, to kick off the 75th anniversary celebrations, artwork from The Hobbit was published in its own collection. When the publisher began preparations for the 75th anniversary edition of the book many illustrations were discovered. Over 100 in fact. These illustrations were buried in an archive at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Now all the illustrations are available to Tolkien fans everywhere in the collection The Art of the Hobbit. A pocket-sized hardcover of The Hobbit was also published in October 2011.

Also coming out in perfect timing for the 75^th anniversary of the book is the much anticipated film by Peter Jackson. Jackson helmed the hugely successful film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and is now giving The Hobbit the same attention. Jackson is splitting The Hobbit into two films; the first of which will be released December 14, 2012. The second half will follow a year later on December 13, 2013.

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