The CCD Podcast: Episode #37 - The Definitive Tolkien Film Retrospective Pt. 3 or "Damn This Has Been A Long Ass Retrospective... Are We Done Yet!!!"

So another great CCD Retrospective finally comes to an end (this one was a long, arduous journey just like the ones taken in the films!) and we use this third episode of the series to discuss the existing first two Hobbit films and talk about the anticipation of the third film that will cap off the film series. Jedi Rob, Joe Milazzo and Mike D are back for one more go round, and we discuss the highs and lows that Peter Jackson second trilogy go through. Whether you like the Hobbit films more than LOTR or less than LOTR you will definitely love to listen to what we have to say about everything. A perfect end to a fantastic look back at a great film franchise... check it out after the jump!



Here is Part 1 and here is Part 2 of the Tolkien Film Retrospective.

As a bonus, here is some cool art featuring my favorite character of the Hobbit trilogy: Azog the Defiler! What an awesome name, and an even more awesome character. Take a gander...

Azog, Warcraft style by MoshYong

Azog & His Warg by Bolken

Legolas vs Azog B&W by Samliu

Azog vs Legolas - Colored by CoranKizerStone  

Azog vs. Thorin by Trent Maduro

Azog by Alessia Pelonzi

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The CCD Podcast: Episode #36 - The Definitive Tolkien Film Retrospective Pt. 2 or "Even The Fucking Trees Walked In Those Movies."

So we are marching right along with part 2 of the Definitive Tolkien Film Retrospective and its sure to be a rocking good time. Join Jedi Rob, Joe Milazzo and Mr. CCD himself Mike D as we transverse the Shire all the way to the tops of Mount Doom in order to honor ole J.R.R. and all he has done for us!!!! The perfect Christmas gift one can get... a new episode of the CCD Podcast for all your laugh out loud shenanigans this holiday season. Check out the site after the jump...



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The CCD Podcast: Episode #35 - The Definitive Tolkien Film Retrospective Pt. 1 or "There Was A Basement... And In That Basement There Lived A Podcast!"

It wouldn't be Christmas without another Hobbit movie, and this year we are getting the epic conclussion to the 3 part film series with Battle of the 5 Armies. In honor of J.R.R Tolkien, Peter Jackson and the 6 specatcular movies we know and love so much (and other ones we don't love that much at all) we our doing one of our patented "CCD Retrospectives" with a definitive look at the Tolkien cinematic universe. In part #1 we delve into teh books, our experiences with Tolkien, and the original animated films of the late 70s. We will be following it up with Pt #2 (the three Lord of the Rings films) and Pt #3 (The first two Hobbit films) next week. But lets start this thing off right. Join Jedi Rob, Mike D and Joe "monkey man" Milazzo as we roam the lands of Middle Earth giving our review. It is going to be epic!!!!

We discuss how some of the animation styles may have directly influenced Peter Jackson's character designs. Jackson originally denied this. You tell us....

   Awfully close to me!





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Lego's Abound - A Three-peat !!!

I have been getting so many Lego based stories into my inbox from my gang that I don't know what to do... so I decided to throw together a little 3 peat post. 3 different stories, all amazing in their own right. First up, we got an an Alien themed build. But this one is surprisingly simple and only requires a few pieces (only 20), which is rarely a featured property in Lego build posts. The second story comes from a more familiar place. How about a Hobbit/Lord of the Rings themed mega build that requires a bit of time... oh, and 200,000 pieces! And the final one is a crazy mosaic of one of my favorite characters in movie history... it kinda ties the room together, ya know? Check all three out after the jump..



The Alien Power Lifter Build, done with only 20 pieces:

Next up, an epic 200,000 pieces build of Rivendell from the world of J.R.R. Tolkien:

You can see more over at builder Alice Finch's Flickr page

And finally, here is the last piece. A Lego Mosaic of The Dude himself, The Big Lebowski! Done by Bricktascale, you can check out more of his pieces by clicking here.

'The Lord of the Crumbs' - A Hobbit x Sesame Street Collaboration

Sesame Street has been educating and entertaining children for over 40+ years, and the way they stay relevant is by taking the pulse of what is popular in the world and relating it to the children they are targeting with their programming. They have done so for years, and continue to do so in epic fashion. In honor of the upcoming release of The Hobbit 2: The Desolation of Smaug, Cookie Monster takes a trip to Middle Earth in The Lord of the Crumbs! Check out this awesome collaboration video that features Gandalf, Galadriel, and many other familiar facets of J. R. R. Tolkien's epic adventure. Sesame Street keeps it going once again... enjoy!

'I Found Your Box!!!!' - Legolas

I love me some Lego action videos, and this cool ass video from the Brothehood Workshop is certainly no exception. Thanks to my man Joe Fletch for sending this one to me. In the wake of my recent Hobbit viewing, it is nice to take a trip back to Lord of the Rings and the Battle of Helm's Deep. Gotta love the comedy and cameos that the guys added to this one to make it even geekier. Great stuff all around. Check out the video after the jump...

GRR vs JRR: Who's Characters Would Win In A Fight?

George R.R. Martin was a successful fantasy writer up until HBO made his A Song of Ice and Fire series a household name. Then he became uber famous, probably the most sought after author by new readers in the past few years. JRR Tolkien is the benchmark of all fantasy writers, having composed The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien is legendary, and Martin is well on his way (if he ever finished books 6 & 7!!!) to joining him on top of the pantheon of fantasy writers. So when MTV Geek decided to ask George what he thought about some of his characters facing off with the legends of Tolkien lore, and the results are quite interesting. The video is very funny and any opportunity I get to see Martin wearing that stupid hat and giggling into a camera I eat it up. Jaimie Lannister vs Aragon, Saruman vs Melisandre, Frodo vs Tyrion... the possibilities are endless. Good thing they kept Khal Drogo out of it, cause he would whup every bodies asses! Enjoy the video after the jump ...

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Gandalf Style.... Amazing!

Now that I am fully up on my Gangnam Style dance numbers, I am going to post every one of these videos that I come across. Today's parody video of Korean Pop Sensation PSY comes from the land of Hobbits & Wizards.... Middle Earth represent.... Wizard Gandalf Style!!!!!! Check the video after the jump...

Lego 'Lord of the Rings: Can Anything be Any Cooler Than This Game?'

Wow. Just wow. I have been hearing about the Lego game based on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I must say that after seeing this trailer I am truly blown away. These Lego games keep getting better and better, and I love the humor of this particular ad. Nice touch by having Gandalf narrate the commercial as well... Check out the trailer after the jump!

And I Said To Myself... What A Wonderful World!!!!

People get attached to the settings in every type of entertainment they consume,whether it is movies, books, video games, comics or anything else. The setting is so key to the background story that it often overshadows a majority of characters in the work, save for the most important characters. I mean, think how much more you remember about Hogwarts as opposed to the literally 100s of non main characters in the 7 books by J.K Rowling. Or how about the fact that after 20 years I can still remember how to navigate Hyrule when I downloaded Zelda on my Wii, yet forgot ALL of the 8 final bosses names in the game except for level 9 baddie Ganon? The setting can often make the story what it is and be the driving force in a work of fiction. With that being said, this is the most complete map of fantasy lands that I have ever seen. I have not been able to locate the creator of this map (I hate not creating brilliance) but all the links I am finding around the web seem to go back to the I WASTE SO MUCH TIME blog. So check them out cause their blog is cool and seems to be pretty chill. Tell em CCD sent ya! Check out a larger version of the map after the jump and see if you can figure out oall of the locations and what properties they come from... enjoy your trip!!!

Adam James Takes On The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Saga With Great Success

Lots of artists take the time to re-design movie posters for classic films. This is nothing new, especially on the Internet. But when an artist knocks out a killer minimalistic take on something as epic as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and the throws in a Hobbit poster just for good measure... well, they should be commended. SO that's what I am doing right now. Nice touch on the "O" as a ring!!! Check out Adam James's other work by clicking here, and then click after the jump to see the four LOTR/Hobbit posters...