Production has begun on Peter Jackson's two film epic adaptation of The Hobbit and what better way to keep geeks (like me) in the know than to keep a Hobbit blog replete with photos and boss video updates:

My favorite famous people are already like living legends in my mind, so whenever they make the Queen of England's annual knighthood list it's almost not a big deal. I mean, if it were up to me to decide who receives the shining armor Patrick Stewart and Peter Jackson would have been knighted fifteen years ago. I remember falling hard for the dashing Stewart during his Star Trek: The Next Generation years and I recall early hints of my understanding Jackson's genius with my first viewings of his masterworks Dead-Alive and Heavenly Creatures (one of my forever top ten favorite films). From those first impressions all the way 'til today both men have become more dear to me as living artists, as pop culture icons and as all around purveyors of delightful diversions. Besides, there is really nothing that can be done to make a major-hot veteran of stage and screen dream like Patrick Stewart more amazing than having to refer to him from now on as "Sir Patrick." And to honor filmmaker Peter Jackson as well? That deserves as hearty a "good on ya" as do his seventeen Oscars and timeless film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings!

To both "Sirs" with love, I can't wait to see what your respective next moves will be. Sir Peter: if only your lovely bones were taking the helm of the Hobbit film adapatation; Sir Patrick: I'm pretty sure you already know what I wish your next move would be...Captain, my captain!

At the end of every year the urge to take in several hours of epic cinema storytelling never fails at filling my darkest mid-winter nights with adventure. What better way is there to spend all that spare "holiday season" time than enjoying a bit of movie magic? Ever since my childhood I've been romanced by the otherworldly wiles of fantasy films, being always at my most vulnerable around Christmas with an easy schedule and a heightened desire to escape into the imagination I possessed as a little girl where I could be as Grace Jones-crazy (Conan the Destroyer), Tanya Roberts-sexy (Sheena), Nigel Terry-valiant, Nicol Willamson-wise (King Arthur and Merlin, respectively, in John Boorman's Excalibur) and Brigitte Neilsen fierce (Red Sonja.) Surely I needn't mention how easily I took to playing Dungeons and Dragons in my teens or how largely Led Zeppelin figured into my lifelong playlist -- anyone who can claim the feeling of being partially raised by fantasy and sci fi flicks takes to rock 'n' role-play like a good sword to a well-oiled sheath. However, I would like to point out how deeply one Englishman, who was recently voted the 92nd "greatest Briton," John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, has irreversibly influenced contemporary popular culture forever by writing faerie stories to entertain his children. Being a big Tolkien nerd myself, I count him in the topmost of my top ten "greatest Britons," after a handful of musicians, writers and and that Arturus Rex guy.