It seems like it’s been forever since Peter Jackson gifted us with yet another in a series of video blogs that go behind the scenes of production of the eagerly anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. We love Peter Jackson. He still gets as excited as any fanboy, not only about all things Tolkein, but particularly for the technology behind bringing these stories to life.  Where would the cinematic world be at this point, without his WETA Studios?

Looking particularly Hobbit-y, Jackson introduces this video that talks about the 3D process. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is his first 3D film (unless you count The Adventures of Tintin, but he “only” produced that one.) He talks about the 16 different cameras that capture the stereoscopic 3D and while that should make my eyes glaze over, his enthusiasm is contagious.

Synopsis: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins , who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey , Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum who holds the simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

The cast includes Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan , Cate Blanchett , Orlando Bloom , Ian Holm , Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving , Elijah Wood , Andy Serkis , Richard Armitage, Stephen Fry , James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, and Barry Humphries .

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on December 14th, 2012, and The Hobbit: There and Back Again will follow a year later.

A very pregnant Evangeline Lily

What on earth is in the water in Hollywood? Everyone is pregnant. Add to that growing list, Lost’s Evangeline Lily.

The Canadian actress, 31,  is reportedly pregnant with her first child with boyfriend Norman Kali US Magazine is reporting. I guess Dominic Monaghan’s sperm wasn’t good enough for her. Meh. Her rep had no comment and Norman worked on the set of the former hit show with her. As did Dominic. Awkward.

From the looks of it I don’t think she has far to go. US describes it as a ‘visible baby bump’. Do you think? She’s either expecting twins or she’s due real soon. What do you think?

Either way congratulations to Evangeline and Norman.

Photo: Us Magazine

NSFW

The video of Eminem‘s Love The Way You Lie featuring Rihanna premiered last night on MTV.  The video stars Megan Fox and Lost’s Dominic Monaghan and it shows them beating the crap out of each other and then making out passionately to the point they look like they are trying to ingest one another.

The part featuring Megan and Dominic starts out where she wakes up to see another woman’s phone number on his hand and the hell breaks loose after that. That’s reminiscent of Rihanna‘s own assault by Chris Brown that allegedly started with her seeing a text by another woman. But I guess that’s part of the point, isn’t it?

Do you think the video glamorizes domestic violence?

In case you missed it, last night the American Music Awards were on and were opened by Janet Jackson with performances by Rihanna, Keith Urban, Kelly Clarkson, Green Day, Alicia Keys with Jay-Z, Eminem & 50 Cent, Whitney Houston, The Black Eyed Peas and Adam Lambert.  Of them all my favourite performance was by the Black Eyed Peas.  My least favourite? Unfortunately Rihanna.

Michael Jackson posthumously won 4 awards:  Favorite Soul/R‘n’B Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Vocalist Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R‘n’B Album. Taylor Swift beat out Michael and others in the Artist of the Year award.  She, herself looked shocked (via satellite) when she won and said:

“To even be mentioned in a category with Michael Jackson is an unimaginable honour. I’m sending my love to the Jackson family.”

Tons of stars (obviously) at this event:

• Melody Thornton
• Ne-Yo
• Paula Abdul
• Peter Wentz
• Shakira
• Selena Gomez
• Carrie Underwood
• Demi Lovato
• Nicole Kidman,
• Sofia Vergara
• Leona Lewis
• Kristen Bell
• Dominic Monaghan
• Chris Daughtry
• Julie Bowen
• Keri Hilson

and lots others.

More pictures and a complete list of winners after the break.

(more…)

Lost’s Evangeline Lilly is perfectly happy to be on her own, thank you very much:

“I have been a loner since I was 12 years old, so I’ve never been social. My social life is very limited, but that’s how I want it. My personal life has never been very exciting or interesting.”

Is it a curse, or a blessing?

“I’m fine with being solitary. On an average work day, I get up in the morning, I go to work, I come home, I make myself dinner, I sit down and go through my bills, and then I go to bed. And if I have a day off, I spend all day running errands and checking emails. I’m never hanging out with people.  “It’s a real struggle for me. I’m very independent and I do well on my own. I’m always on my own and I don’t get lonely. I love it.” 

There is less drama when you are a loner that’s for sure.  But she is open to change:

“It’s been my goal to socialise more this year, because I’m the ultimate geek when it comes to socialising!”

I can totally relate to this.  I’m much better one on one or alone and I’m perfectly happy.  In my basement. 

So will being a loner be a problem should she settle down with on-again, off-again co-star and boyfriend Dominic Monaghan or does she have bigger issues:

“I have such a huge capacity for love. I have always had a really hard time not loving people. I can meet a complete stranger and feel love for them. So for me, I can imagine loving two different people – but I don’t think I have the capacity for that because it would require so much of me. Everyone else seems to believe it is possible, so who am I to question this? If everyone says you can love two people, then you can love two people.”

She even tested her ‘loving two people’ theory on her Lost castmates:

“I actually went around the set and interviewed people saying things like, ‘Do you think it’s possible to truly, genuinely love two different people or does that deny the reality of what love is supposed to be? Is that negating what true love is all about?’ And unanimously I’ve had people say, No, I do believe you can genuinely be in love with two different people at the same time.”

Do you think it’s possible to love or be in love with two people at the same time?

Photo:  WENN.com