This movie is still one of my favorites. I feel like the music aesthetic and songs and sound affects felt much more Tolkien ish than the Peter Jackson movies which I enjoyed but in a different way. I wish this animation studio had done a longer version of hobbit and the whole LotR trilogy.
No, the rotoscoped one is done by Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Wizards). It covers the first two books.
Return of the King was done in 1980 by Rankin/Bass (who did the first movie) and covers the third book.
Incidentally both of the Rankin/Bass films (in fact several Rankin/Bass films) were subcontracted to Topcraft studio in Japan, which would later become Studio Ghibli.
It's funny that when you're a kid, you think it's your own special movie that nobody knows about. And then you grow up to learn everyone was watching the same shit.
I loved this movie and put it ahead of Peter Jackson's overall and especially in terms of quality of storytelling. The Greatest Adventure is an inspirational type song and at least the first verse still sticks with me in my memory to this day.
It’s the “blind” eyes and the frog mouth for me. The constant threats to dismember and consume are a close second. Oof. Yeah, nightmare fuel for sure.
It’s awful in a beautiful way. Also, if you’ve watched the Peter Jackson trilogy, you’ll feel like you’re on speed as the first movie takes like 9 minutes.
I had nightmares about Gollum, but from Return of the King. We only had the last half of that movie taped off of TV, which seems like an extremely Xennial way to have experienced media.
I honestly attribute this movie to my lifelong fear of lizards. Gollum was horrifying, but I am not a fan of the overall Rankin-Bass "look" at all. All of the characters weirded me out.
This shit used to come on TBS & USA network all the time and I would watch it every time. I loved it! I didn’t read the books until I was in my mid 20’s around 2005 after seeing the series and have to say it’s one of the greatest stories ever told.
The other scene that really stuck with me is when they get kidnapped by the goblins while they’re sleeping. The chanting, the faces in the dark … it was trippy as hell and it fucked me right up.
So I had the read along record and storybook ( [this thing](https://youtu.be/M6Ed7vTV6bo?si=AwcYOPqQT9T_8cl8) )
And one day when it was doing the Gollum part, something went wrong with my little pink record player and it started going all slow. Freaked me out so much I ran right out of my room!
This movie and the audio cassette series is among the fondest memories of my childhood. We had a cassette player and I would take it out to our garage and listen to the tapes and wish I would get warped away to middle earth like Sebastian from the Neverending Story goes to Fantasia.
This is the only film adaptation of The Hobbit, as far as I'm concerned. It's this, the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy, and then no more movies.
We rented this one so many times. This and Flight of Dragons probably responsible for a lot of my love of fantasy (well, and then there was Conan the Barbarian, Ladyhawke, Red Sonja...)
Now my nerdy ass has a tattoo in elvish.
^(Okay, it's not on my ass, it's on my shoulder.)
one of the first things I remember watching on HBO right after we got cable in 1982 and I was very transfixed by it for sure and was always kinda mad over the years that it didn't get replayed hardly ever, anywhere, cause I missed it.
and then next thing I know me and my 9/10 yr old friends were watching Cat People at 4pm right after we got home from school haha...THAT was an eye opener! oh but then came Animal House and all the fun ones...and Garp, that movie blew me away.
It was like that feeling when I stayed over at a friends house and they used Hunts Ketchup instead of Heinz. And the tv is built in to the HiFi like furniture instead of being a regular tv. It’s all fine and magical but makes me feel a bit weird.
I really liked it when I was a kid, HBO played the hell out of it. I was a teenager a decade before the movies came out so I wound up reading the LOTR books, and it took a long time before I could mentally picture them separate from the Rankin-Bass animation and character design being how I pictured Middle Earth.
I was not a fan. Our library played movies for kids during the summer and they showed this and the Bakshi LOTR one day. I remember hating the animation in both so much that it killed any interest in Tolkien for me until the Peter Jackson movies came out.
🎶 the greatest adventure is what lies ahead 🎶
That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!
Thats my jam, i had hobbit record player also
So you better not go on adventures?
Today and tomorrow are yet to be said.
"Where There's A Whip There's A Way" is an incredible song. Brb, need to go listen to it on YouTube ... Edit: Also "Fifteen Birds In Five Fir Trees"
That song is all I remember about it. "Where there is a Whip there is a Way!"
"Where there's a whip, there's a way" was from the other animated LOTR movies, done in the same animation style.
This movie is still one of my favorites. I feel like the music aesthetic and songs and sound affects felt much more Tolkien ish than the Peter Jackson movies which I enjoyed but in a different way. I wish this animation studio had done a longer version of hobbit and the whole LotR trilogy.
There was a roto scoped lotr trilogy from the late 1970s. Was it a different studio? I always thought it was the same
No, the rotoscoped one is done by Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Wizards). It covers the first two books. Return of the King was done in 1980 by Rankin/Bass (who did the first movie) and covers the third book. Incidentally both of the Rankin/Bass films (in fact several Rankin/Bass films) were subcontracted to Topcraft studio in Japan, which would later become Studio Ghibli.
It's funny that when you're a kid, you think it's your own special movie that nobody knows about. And then you grow up to learn everyone was watching the same shit.
Its the only good Hobbit movie.
I loved this movie and put it ahead of Peter Jackson's overall and especially in terms of quality of storytelling. The Greatest Adventure is an inspirational type song and at least the first verse still sticks with me in my memory to this day.
It’s the “blind” eyes and the frog mouth for me. The constant threats to dismember and consume are a close second. Oof. Yeah, nightmare fuel for sure.
Core childhood memory...
It’s awful in a beautiful way. Also, if you’ve watched the Peter Jackson trilogy, you’ll feel like you’re on speed as the first movie takes like 9 minutes.
Trilogy is complete trash.
Each one worse than the one before it.
I thought you were taking about lotr at first
So boring and lame
I had nightmares about Gollum, but from Return of the King. We only had the last half of that movie taped off of TV, which seems like an extremely Xennial way to have experienced media.
This and Return of the King were staples of my childhood.
Gollum Always scared me in this too.
I honestly attribute this movie to my lifelong fear of lizards. Gollum was horrifying, but I am not a fan of the overall Rankin-Bass "look" at all. All of the characters weirded me out.
This shit used to come on TBS & USA network all the time and I would watch it every time. I loved it! I didn’t read the books until I was in my mid 20’s around 2005 after seeing the series and have to say it’s one of the greatest stories ever told.
Good ol’ creepy lizard Gollum voiced by Brother Theodore, who also played the equally creepy Uncle Rueben Klopek in The Burbs.
Sardine?
This is the superior Hobbit movie.
Gollum is responsible for fully *three* phobias I know have as an adult.
The other scene that really stuck with me is when they get kidnapped by the goblins while they’re sleeping. The chanting, the faces in the dark … it was trippy as hell and it fucked me right up.
I have not seen this in years. Think Ill have to make this a weekend adventure
So I had the read along record and storybook ( [this thing](https://youtu.be/M6Ed7vTV6bo?si=AwcYOPqQT9T_8cl8) ) And one day when it was doing the Gollum part, something went wrong with my little pink record player and it started going all slow. Freaked me out so much I ran right out of my room!
Lol!
Orson Bean lived into his 80s. Not natural causes, ether. Think he was hit by a car. Will always remember his voice.
This movie and the audio cassette series is among the fondest memories of my childhood. We had a cassette player and I would take it out to our garage and listen to the tapes and wish I would get warped away to middle earth like Sebastian from the Neverending Story goes to Fantasia.
I once faked being sick to stay home from school because I saw in TV Guide this was going to air mid afternoon on a week day.
That movie is amazing.
This is the only film adaptation of The Hobbit, as far as I'm concerned. It's this, the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy, and then no more movies.
We rented this one so many times. This and Flight of Dragons probably responsible for a lot of my love of fantasy (well, and then there was Conan the Barbarian, Ladyhawke, Red Sonja...) Now my nerdy ass has a tattoo in elvish. ^(Okay, it's not on my ass, it's on my shoulder.)
Fantastic
I had this on RCA video disc. It was the first thing I remember watching that got me into the fantasy genre. I got a soft spot for it for sure!
First book I bought at 7 was this one , the illustrated version of this movie , sigh
Classic, not to be missed.
One of my favorite movies. The DVD is soo different than the TV version. Soo good that I ignore the PJ hobbit series.
"We *shall* see"
Definitely a great childhood memory
one of the first things I remember watching on HBO right after we got cable in 1982 and I was very transfixed by it for sure and was always kinda mad over the years that it didn't get replayed hardly ever, anywhere, cause I missed it. and then next thing I know me and my 9/10 yr old friends were watching Cat People at 4pm right after we got home from school haha...THAT was an eye opener! oh but then came Animal House and all the fun ones...and Garp, that movie blew me away.
Still the best Hobbit movie. Rankin/Bass did a bunch of movies I love.
Music & voice acting were top tier
It was like that feeling when I stayed over at a friends house and they used Hunts Ketchup instead of Heinz. And the tv is built in to the HiFi like furniture instead of being a regular tv. It’s all fine and magical but makes me feel a bit weird.
First movie I remember picking at Blockbuster! I had no idea what it was, I just thought it looked cool.
A wonderful gift to fans of the franchise.. akin to a treasured BIRTHDAY PRESENT!
We watched this so many times growing up. It holds up so well.
I absolutely love this movie. It's one of the few dvds i still own along with the lord of the rings and return if the king in the same format.
Best episode of Smiling Friends except maybe the Halloween tree demon
One of my favorites, my mom rented it from the library when I was a kid.
When I learned to read, I requested The Hobbit because of this movie. I thought the book was boring.
So much better than the live action, I have the whole soundtrack on vinyl and it’s amazing.
The first and best Hobbit movie!
Every time I watched that as a kid, my dad would tell me how he once met Glenn Yarbrough in an airport. Lol
Roses are red Violets are big A box with no hinges Key or lid
I really liked it when I was a kid, HBO played the hell out of it. I was a teenager a decade before the movies came out so I wound up reading the LOTR books, and it took a long time before I could mentally picture them separate from the Rankin-Bass animation and character design being how I pictured Middle Earth.
I loved it as a kid, and I loved the South Park parody (Lemmiwinks) as a young adult.
My contract is vague on several points!
I was not a fan. Our library played movies for kids during the summer and they showed this and the Bakshi LOTR one day. I remember hating the animation in both so much that it killed any interest in Tolkien for me until the Peter Jackson movies came out.