HOBITIT - Finnish LOTR TV miniseries (1993) - ON YOUTUBE!

Post by **Anduril** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:46 pm

First of all,

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441925/

And it's on Youtube!!!!! Starting here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InLfFZQyeKQ

To see a list of all the videos, go to http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Kal ... iew=videos and search for "hobitit"; or click on http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... playnext=1 to view as a playlist. I think this is complete.

First impressions after viewing video 1 (minimal spoilers):

No English subtitles, but the visuals carry the story for audiences familiar with LOTR.

Don't expect PJ-standard production values.

It's narrated by an elderly Sam to young hobbit children (his?), Red Book prop included.

The principal cast is shown in the opening credits. Aragorn and Gollum are portrayed by the same actor. He seems too pudgy for both but his look as Gollum, at least his face, feels oddly right. Boromir looks like Madmartigan from Willow. The imdb review said he looked like a samurai - and it does look like he's holding a katana!

Nice opening tune.

Sun Jan 04, 2009 5:59 pm

I wonder if they licenced the rights from Zaentz, or if they made it illegally?

Boromir is truly bizarre.

Post by **Anduril** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 6:21 pm

No idea. It's on the Finnish Wikipedia, and its article, Google-translated, doesn't help.

First video: Sméagol and Déagol.
Second: Bilbo and Gollum. Finnish Bilbo has a moustache.

Finnish Gollum has the voice nailed.

Post by **BrianIsSmilingAtYou** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:34 pm

I haven't seen this, but it appears that Toni Edelmann did the screenplay according to IMDB.

Toni is responsible for some fantastic LOTR music that used to be freely downloadable from Svenska Teatern (Swedish Theatre of Helsinki), years ago, but it is no longer up on there, although there are various places where it is still available.

I have MP3s of versions of the namárië (Tolkien's original Elvish), Lórien (an original song, I believe), and The Song of Beren and Lúthien that Strider does at Weathertop. (Lórien and The Beren and Lúthien Song are in Swedish--so I was told--I though it was Finnish originally, but the tunes was from the Swedish Theatre--maybe one of our Finnish or Swedish speaking members are familiar with these tunes).

It's some of the most beautiful music I've heard.

Toni also had a great version of a song that Legolas sings (To the Sea...) in English, that I no longer have a copy of as the hard drive it was on died. I've looked for it since to no success.

I wonder if this music is from the series.

BrianIs

AtYou

Post by **Anduril** » Thu Jan 08, 2009 3:22 pm

Some more curious things about this version:

The journey from Rivendell to Moria is severely rushed. We see little of Moria except the fight with orcs, where Frodo's voice becomes a hoarse croak after the spear to the gut. Bizarrely, this is permanent; perhaps the director wanted to create a parallel between Frodo and Gollum. (For his part, didn't PJ shoot footage of a Gollumish-looking Frodo?) Following the fight, Gandalf goes off to confront an unseen Balrog, though we do see him fallling.

Post by **Anduril** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:16 pm

Stills of opening title and credits:

Post by **BrianIsSmilingAtYou** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:32 pm

It's fascinating to me that the color palette in those pictures made me think at first that they were from Peter Jackson's LOTR.

Thanks for the info.

BrianIs

AtYou

Post by **Alatar** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:37 pm

I think we should get Rowanberry to translate for us and then we can record a HoF soundtrack!

Post by **Anduril** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:04 pm

"Motion capture? What is motion capture, precious?"

Even so, he looks (and sounds) pretty good, even if he's not scrawny enough - and the same actor played Aragorn, see above

Though this project was probably groundbreaking for Tolkien adaptations in 1993, the lack of a Jackson-sized budget really shows:

"Help me get these twigs off."

Samurai Boromir is is about as unexpected as Viking Boromir:

"Gondor has no gaijin. Gondor needs no gaijin."

Post by **Rowanberry** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:54 pm

My, is it that long since they made it? And now, someone's put it on YouTube?

I watched it back then, and it was probably the best that could be done with the budget and time restrictions. A lot had to be dropped and concentrated.

Here's what the Wikipedia article says in a nutshell:

Hobitit was written and directed by Timo Torikka and produced by the Finnish Broadcasting Company; it was based on the LOTR by Tolkien. The series concentrates on the hobbits' point of view on the story, the emphasis toward the end being on Frodo's and Sam's journey to Mount Doom. Most of the actors, as well as the music by Toni Edelmann, were the same as in the LOTR stage play performed by Ryhmäteatteri in the Suomenlinna Fortress in the summers of 1988 and 1989.

The series was completely filmed in studio; the landscapes were added with a new technique that had never been used in Finland before.

The story is presented as told by Sam. Unlike in any other adaptations, Tom Bombadil is also included.

The series was broadcast twice, in 1993 and 1997. There have been inquiries about getting it on DVD, but that's unlikely, because the producer only had rights for a TV broadcast, and even those rights expired in 1998.

Post by **Alatar** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:26 pm

Rowan, if I got you a copy of the full series on DVD do you thing you could translate it? I have software that allows me to create and add subtitles to movies. I understand it would be a lot of work, but this is the sort of thing the Internet does best, when like minded people make something available to each other in a "labour of love" approach. PM me if you prefer.

I understand fully if you feel you don't have the time or interest!

Post by **Dave_LF** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:33 pm

BrianIsSmilingAtYou wrote:It's fascinating to me that the color palette in those pictures made me think at first that they were from Peter Jackson's LOTR.

Yes, and the actors/hairstyles/costumes also resemble it. I assumed they were trying to imitate Jackson's work until I realized theirs was made first...

Post by **Rowanberry** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:44 pm

Alatar wrote:Rowan, if I got you a copy of the full series on DVD do you thing you could translate it? I have software that allows me to create and add subtitles to movies. I understand it would be a lot of work, but this is the sort of thing the Internet does best, when like minded people make something available to each other in a "labour of love" approach. PM me if you prefer.

I understand fully if you feel you don't have the time or interest!

It would probably be a long time project. But, if you can get it to me on DVD, and don't expect results too quickly, I could give it a try.

Post by **kams** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 3:43 am

Whoa, Rowenberry, Alatar, that would be cool!

Post by **Alatar** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:50 am

well, I have "acquired" a copy on DVD. Perhaps we can have a viewing at the Ireland moot! (Or would you like me to send it on and we can try to get an ep or two subtitled before then?)

Post by **Rowanberry** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:15 pm

Maybe it's better to leave it until after the moot, my life will be rather crazy until then. But, if I've got a suitable moment every now and then, I can check bits of it on Youtube and see if I can get anything done a bit earlier. In that case, I'll PM the translation to you, so you can add it on the DVD.

Post by **Alatar** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:43 pm

Cool!

Post by **Inanna** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:30 pm

I just saw this thread!!

If he had the rights why is it Hobitit?

Post by **Pearly Di** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 9:40 pm

LOL, this is fun! Not as good or as polished as the BBC radio adaptation but its heart is in the right place. And I'd rather watch this than Bakshi.

I like its dark mood.

Comments after viewing Video 1:

-- Goodness, everybody's hair!

And Gandalf looks like he's wearing a really bad wig.

Boromir, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

-- Erm, Sam's going to be giving his kids nightmares.

They look very freaked out!

-- Did PJ ever see this? The Sméagol/Déagol scene is really quite like his version.

Video 2
-- Finnish Gollum's voice is excellent.

Episode 3, Black Riders, Old Forest, Old Man Willow -- Bombadil!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HvxOtY1dF ... re=related
-- The scenery is very Barrow Downs

-- Now, this is the way to do Bombadil! No yellow boots and no rhyming. Yes!

Hey, this is the Mount Doom and Cormallen ep

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=t3ozUvtq8 ... re=related

-- Gollum is good.
-- Gandalf's hair, makeup and moustache, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
-- Sam is sporting an 80s mullet
-- Sheesh, Merry and Pippin could cheer up a bit, they've just been reunited with Frodo and Sam!

Final ep here. Yay Scouring!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6SAbyZnH7 ... re=related

Re: the music and Brian's comments ... Brian, are you familiar with the Tolkien Ensemble, from Denmark? Because their CD An Evening in Rivendell is gorgeous.

Post by **BrianIsSmilingAtYou** » Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:51 am

I've heard some of the Tolkien Ensemble's work, and while I like some of it, I have mixed feelings on others.

I found some links for some of the music that I was referring to.

It is in a very different style from most Tolkien-influenced music, a kind of lavish folk sound, with an upbeat feel on the surface, with a deeper feeling of sorrow, with strings and harp, and hints of Euro-pop or something for Lórien. The namárië is a simpler arrangement.

In Quenya (although I have heard some quibble that "y" is pronounced with a Sindarin pronunciation):

namárië

In Swedish (so I have been told) though I have read that the Swedish is done with a Finnish accent, as it was the Swedish Theater of Finland that did it):

Tinúviel
Lórien

BrianIs

AtYou