Hunt For Gollum seen by 4 million people
November 25, 2009
Millions of Lord of the Rings fans has shocked Hollywood studios by hailing unofficial movie The Hunt for Gollum as the next big thing in the Tolkien film franchise, with many viewers proclaiming its beats even Peter Jackson’s trilogy…
“Gollum spearheads the Hollywood fan film revolution” – The Times
“Del Toro should see The Hunt for Gollum” – Total Film
“… quite simply the best amateur film I have ever seen. …” – Eye For Film
“…amazing reproduction…” – Wired.com
Since release in May The Hunt for Gollum has been seen by over 4 million people all over the world. Made on a tiny budget of £3000 and distributed via the Internet, the film is an astonishingly high quality 40 minute movie made in England by unknown director Chris Bouchard. The response from zealous fans was so great that in the first 24 hours of release the website hosting the film couldn’t cope with the overwhelming traffic and was unavailable for some time as people all the world logged on. Over a million saw it in the first week, making it the 4th most watched film in America according to a K-State web expert, beaten only by blockbusters Star Trek & X-Men Origins. The film, which depicts events leading up to the official trilogy tries to remain true to the style of the books & offers an extension to the existing films, giving fans a “Middle-earth fix” while they wait for The Hobbit movies.
Total Film magazine said “Del Toro should watch The Hunt for Gollum”, while Rotten Tomatoes place it in their top 5 fan films. Other press includes The Times article “Gollum spearheads the Hollywood fan film revolution”, plus coverage on BBC, ITV, NPR & blogs across the net. Viewers have said the high quality visual effects, solid acting, camera and spectacular choreographed fight sequences make for a film that pleases fans of books and films alike. Having been marketed purely through word of mouth, it became one of the most viral videos on the net. It has also won several awards, and been selected for festivals all over the world, winning “Best Fiction produced for the web” at Festival Cinema Tous Ecrans in Geneva.
Although not officially approved by Tolkien Enterprises or Peter Jackson, the filmmakers reached an agreement which allowed them to release it free to the Internet in a non-commercial manner.
To achieve a film that looks high-budget on the budget of £3000, producers used digital cameras and “broke every rule in the book” to faithfully recreate Middle-earth in England & Wales with more than 100 filmmakers working unpaid. “It was just for the love of it, we are passionate about film making even if it takes us years” Bouchard says. It took 2 years to complete. As opposed to most fan films, this one really seems to have satisfied its target audience. With a score of 7.2/10 on IMDB and favorable reviews on social networking sites, the filmmakers appear to have crafted a very unusual amateur film that has satisfied the hardest to please fans, including several Tolkien societies. While the unknown filmmakers from the UK haven’t made a penny off the production, “it’s a non-profit film, as it’s something we’ve made because of our love of Tolkien’s work, and as homage to Peter Jackson”. Several of the crew has now been picked up by professional films and BBC productions. And yet others are working on another Rings prequel due this December called Born of Hope. Director Chris Bouchard has since had offers of funding for his next project. He says “Gollum has presented the opportunity for unknown filmmakers to tap into a huge audience, and gain credibility in a tough industry. Plus we think it’s time to shake things up a little, the film industry needs new blood.”
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 2,140 votes. Achieved #21 in worldwide moviemeter
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1323925/
Reviews:
“…It is quite simply the best amateur film I have ever seen…”
- Eye For Film
“Del Toro should see The Hunt For Gollum”
- Total Film
“…It’s a must-see for anyone who has seen and enjoyed Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy…”
- Fantasy Fan
“This isn’t merely a good film for its budget; it’s a good film, period.”
- Armchair Critic
“Gollum spearheads the Hollywood fan film revolution”
- The Times
Festivals & Awards:
Since release at SCI-FI-LONDON THFG has been requested by festivals in Brazil, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, Italy, USA, Canada, Wales, Germany, France, Israel and several others. It also won three awards, Best Live Action at Balticon, the Audience Choice award at the Tri-city fan film festival & won a Reflet d’Or for the Best Fiction made for the web at Cinema Tous Ecrans, Geneva.
3000+ comments from viewers on IMDB here and on the official site:
The full movie can be seen for free in HD quality on YouTube, Dailymotion and www.thehuntforgollum.com.
The Hunt for Gollum is a non-profit film for private use and is not intended for sales of any sort. It is in no way affiliated with, or sponsored or approved, by Tolkien Enterprises, the heirs or estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. or any of their respective affiliates or licensees. We make no claim to any characters, storylines, prop designs, names, logos or situations that are trademarked, copyrighted or otherwise protected by federal, state, international or other intellectual property law. This work is produced solely for the personal, uncompensated enjoyment of the producers and other Tolkien fans.
Star Trek: Outpost
November 23, 2009
In the darkest reaches of the United Federation of Planets, an isolated station stands sentinel over a neglected frontier. Commissioned long ago with high hopes, its promise is now all but forgotten; a lonely outpost serving as the gateway to the vast expanse beyond, where discovery and adventure await.
WEBSITE: http://www.giantgnome.com
Episode 60
November 21, 2009
Fanboy Will attended the 2009 Big Apple Comic Convention most specifically a panel that was supposed to include The Dukes of Hazzard stars Catherine Bach, Tom Wopat, and John Schneider. It turned out the only one able to attend due to various reasons was John Schneider. He did not disappoint as he talked very candidly about both Hazzard and his other SUPER acting gig on Smallville.
Visit the official Fan Film Podcast website.
Power Records
November 21, 2009
Power Records are a pleasant remembrance from a childhood lived long ago. Not fan produced of course, but a great staple to a medium that grows in the age of the internet. If you’re not familiar with this collection of audio dramas two fantastic sites to get you up to speed would be powerrecord.blogspot.com and http://powerrecordsplaza.blogspot.com where you can download the original albums and check out the original cover art.
Provided here is a comprehensive as well an easy way to relive or newly discover these classic stories.
Superman: The Last Son of Krypton
November 21, 2009
An ongoing monthly serial adventure based on the modern incarnation of the character in DC Comics.
WEBSITE: http://www.pendantaudio.com
Episode 59
November 7, 2009
This week we’ve got two – two shows in one. The first half of this week’s show we speak to Kellen Gibbs and George Norman Lippert about the Harry Potter themed fan film production “James Potter and the Hall of Elders’ Crossing”. There’s an interesting spin on how this film came about. George wrote a full length fan fiction novel continuing the series originally created by J. K. Rowling. Kellen, in turn, found the story online visualizing George’s writing into a short film. On Saturday, November 21st that film will be put online for the world to see.
The second half of this week’s show we’ll talk to Fanboy Will about his experiences at this year’s Big Apple Comic Convention that was held October 16th through the 18th. He was able to briefly speak with Supergirl’s Helen Slater and Smallville’s John Schneider.
Visit the official Fan Film Podcast website.
