Heavenly Wingnut:

leading the way to a brave new world

of CGI enhanced film art

in the allegorical film art

of Sir Peter Jackson

by Gary W. Wright

        As with most film artists that emerged after 1982, the helicopter crash that killed actor/director/writer Vic Morrow and illegally hired and employed child extras Renee Chen and Myca Le around 2:20 am in the early morning hours of July 23, 1982 on the George Folsey jr. produced John Landis set of the twilit, allegorical, Kathleen Kennedy associate produced, Frank Marshall produced, and Landis and Steven Spielberg executive produced Landis, Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller docufeature film TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE (1983) was a major influence on the life and film art of Sir Peter Robert Jackson.  Unlike most film artists, however, Sir Jackson’s life in film art took place in New Zealand, a country which, to outsiders at least, had little or no history of film art.  Indeed, one of the few Kiwi films that anyone had ever experienced prior to the arrival of Sir Jackson and Jane Campion was the truly fantastic and memorable twilit, allegorical and implicitly George Lucas addressing Geoffrey Murphy indie docufeature film THE QUIET EARTH (1985), a film released on September 8, 1985 that was inspired by the allegorical Craig Harrison indie docufiction novel The Quiet Earth (1981).

“Is anybody out there?”

Curiously, the film began with the implicitly Lucas linked scientist Zac Hobson-played by Bruno Lawrence-waking up one fateful July day and discovering himself all alone in Auckland, a sight and sound that evoked the sight and sound of Mike Ferris-played by Earl Holliman-waking up to find himself all alone in a small town in the allegorical and Rod Serling written Robert Stevens telefilm “Where Is Everybody?” (1959), the pilot of the original TWILIGHT ZONE telefilm series, affirming that New Zealand film artists understood that the dread allegorical Zone Wars had broken out since July of ‘82 and that they were becoming an idiosyncratic and indie part of the brutal battles.  To his shocked, baffled, angry and horrified dismay, Hobson slowly discovered that he was only one of a twilit trio of people that included Joanne and Api-played by Alison Routledge and Pete Smith, respectively-who were still left in New Zealand and perhaps all of planet Earth as a result of a mysterious American project called Operation FLASHLIGHT that Hobson worked on that had created a world wide energy grid that allowed bombers to fly without needing refuelling, perhaps Murphy’s way of worrying that the new post-TZ disaster emphasis on computer generated imagery (CGI) designed in part to prevent further film set disasters that Lucas championed might lead to a similar disappearance of a vital humanity from the film art of this unquiet Earth.  Thus, the explosive and suicidal death of the guilt stricken Hobson and his rebirth on a strange new world, in the end, implied the hope of Murphy that Lucas would also disappear and go off to his brave new world of hi-tech and CGI enhanced film art, allowing a vital humanity to return to film art. 

At any rate, the implicit interest in Lucas in THE QUIET EARTH was affirmed by the films allusions to the allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Spielberg roasting STAR WARS Classic Trilogy and the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical and implicitly Stanley Kubrick roasting Lucas indie docufeature film THX 1138 (1971).  And so Murphy and company strode confidently into the Zone Wars, making it fitting that New Zealand and its unique landscapes and accent and even Lawrence were all linked forever to the fatal and fateful year of 1982 forever via the allegorical Harley Cokeliss indie docufeature film BATTLETRUCK aka WARLORDS OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY (1982), a low budget Roger Corman film released in January of ’82 that saw the American but ironically and implicitly David Cronenberg linked indie hero Hunter-played by Michael Beck-take on and take out the implicitly Universal Studios CEO Lew Wasserman linked American baddie Colonel Straker-played by James Wainwright-his favourite cowering Kiwi quisling Willie-played by Lawrence-the rest of his Evil thugs and their eponymous armoured blockbuster beast of a Battletruck, in the end, an implicit interest in Cronenberg affirmed by the film’s allusions to the allegorical Cronenberg indie docufeature film RABID (1977) and the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical and implicitly Cronenberg toasting Miller indie docufeature film MAD MAX (1979), and an implicit interest in Wasserman affirmed by the film’s allusions to the allegorical Spielberg docufeature telefilm DUEL (1971).

And so BATTLETRUCK and THE QUIET EARTH kicked off New Zealand’s entry into the dread allegorical Zone Wars, inspiring other aspiring Kiwi film artists like Jackson to sigh resignedly and create their own twilit and allegorical films.  Unusually however, and unlike Cokeliss, Murphy and most other film artists, Sir Jackson did not go out of his way to really impress audiences with his first feature film.  Instead, long before he was Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to New Zealand and world film art and was still Jackson, the budding film artist memorably and contrarily kicked off his life in film art with the most tragicomically awful film he could literally create from scratch, starting when he donned the writer/producer/actor/director/co-editor/makeup effects/visual f/x hats and teamed up with Jamie Selkirk-dubbing editor on BATTLETRUCK and now back as co-editor/co-sound editor/post-production supervisor-and the New Zealand Film Commission on the twilit, allegorical and fittingly entitled indie docufeature film BAD TASTE (1987), ironically released on December 25, 1987 as a “gift” for cinema luvers worldwide.

“I’m coming to get you bastards!”

        Significantly, after an opening title that established the mischievous spirit of the film by mockingly proclaiming “Wingnut Films”, the third title proudly proclaimed “…a Peter Jackson film”, implicitly affirming, against the odds, the warped pride that Jackson had in his first feature “film”.  Alas, after that pleased implication, BAD TASTE lived up to its title all too well by featuring the macabre and tragicomic adventures of a twilit trio of New Zealand Astro Investigation and Defence Service (AIDS) commandos, the implicitly Miller linked Ozzy-played by Terry Potter-the implicitly Spielberg linked Frank-played by Mike Minett-and the original TWILIGHT ZONE telefilm series writer Richard Matheson resembling and implicitly linked Barry-played by Pete O’Herne.  Three determined commandos who were called upon one fateful Hallowe’en day to rid the town of Kaihoro of brainless and bumbling alien invaders disguised as humans, including one who resembled James Cameron and another who resembled Sean Penn to implicitly link the invaders to Planet Hollywood.  Indeed, the implicit link of the spaced invaders to Planet Hollywood was implicitly affirmed by the fact that they were led by the implicitly Alfred Hitchcock linked extraterrestrial junk food magnate Lord Crumb-played by Doug Wren and voiced by Peter Vere-Jones, respectively-who got his alien mates to slaughter the town so as to use the body parts of the townsfolk as ingredients for Crumb’s Crunchy Delights, all of which came across as a more horrific version of the alien Lectroid invaders infiltrating Earth also disguised as humans and led by the equally madcap John Bigboote-played by Christopher Lloyd-that the brilliant, eccentric, multi-talented and implicitly Cronenberg linked Buckaroo Banzai-played by Peter Weller-and his equally inconoclastic Hong Kong Cavaliers had to take on and take out in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Cronenberg toasting W.D. Richter indie docufeature film THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8^TH DIMENSION (1984). 

Humourously, the three AIDS commandos were helped along in their quixotic quest by their clean shaven, short haired and implicitly Lucas linked mad scientist colleague Derek-played by Jackson-and by an implicitly Dante linked con artist named Giles-played by Craig Smith-who chose the wrong Hallowe’en day to drop by Kaihoro to pick up donations for the bogus Beneficial Relief of Emergency Aid Division (BREAD) scam he had cooked up.  Luckily for them, after a desperate and determined struggle, the five indomitable liberators won their madcap and gleefully gory battle to free Kaihoro from the alien invaders and, with that, Barry, Frank, Giles, and Ozzy drove off into the sunset and to the nearest pub for a Steinlager, in the end.  Thus, Jackson implied his hope that Dante, Matheson, Miller and Spielberg would defeat their many critics, finally leave behind the TZ disaster and return to successful film artist careers, something that did in fact begin to happen in 1987 as Landis and his four co-defendants were unfortunately found not guilty of manslaughter at the conclusion of the TZ trial earlier that year.

As for Derek, after being killed and coming back to life, he was last seen leaping from above and cutting through Lord Crumb with a chainsaw from top of head and out through asshole, taking over the controls of the UFO disguised as a house that Crumb was sitting at and piloting the houseship back to Planet Hollywood so as to launch a one man genocidal invasion of that Crumb’s Crunchy Delight luvin’ planet, implying the hope of Jackson that Lucas would also return to Forceful film artist life and strike back at his detractors and defeat them with another good film, an implicit new hope affirmed by the fact that BAD TASTE was released in 1987, the tenth anniversary year of the release of the allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Spielberg roasting Lucas indie docufeature film STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE (1977).  In addition, given that Derek was played by Jackson, the Kiwi film artist implied that Derek’s madcap and indomitable determination to implicitly take on and take out Planet Hollywood symbolized Jackson’s own madcap and indomitable determination to take on and take out Planet Hollywood with his film art, madcap hopes and dreams that were clearly influenced not just by Richter but also by Miller, given the film’s allusions to MAD MAX, and by Monty Python, given the film’s allusions to the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical and implicitly New Hollywood roasting Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones indie docufeature film MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975).  As long as Jackson defeated the Dark Side that controlled him and compelled him to create BAD TASTE, given that the fledgling film artist also appeared in the film as Lord Crumb’s favourite brainless alien stooge, the bearded and wild haired Robert, a fittingly named alien stooge, as the name of Robert evoked both the middle name of Jackson to implicitly affirm that Robert was indeed his Dark Side, and also evoked gleefully madcap American underground comix artist Robert Crumb, whose name may have inspired that of Lord Crumb. 

At any rate, a character named Robert and a dedication to righteously furious, macabrely satirical, gleefully gory, Gilliam and Python luvin’ and implicitly Planet Hollywood battling schlock continued when Jackson donned the co-writer/co-producer/director/camera operator/puppet maker hats and teamed up with Selkirk, Vere-Jones and Wren on the twilit and allegorical indie docufeature film MEET THE FEEBLES (1989), ironically released not long before Christmas on December 8, 1989 as another cinematic “gift” for mankind.

“What the hell,

 maybe I can sell it as a snuff movie.”

        Curiously, a single opening title mockingly proclaimed “…WINGNUT FILMS PRESENTS”, preparing audiences for the mischief and mayhem to follow.  Which soon arrived, as MEET THE FEBBLES revolved around “…the most spectacular show in entertainment history”, the Muppets evoking funny animal Fabulous Feebles Variety Hour television show.  A popular tv show that inspired the shy and perhaps Jackson linked young hedgehog Robert-played by Mark Hadlow-to apply for a role, dragging him into all of the tensions, infighting, substance abuse and mishaps that took place behind the scenes during rehearsals between the director, producer, cast and crew of the show, ribald and riotous antics that evoked the equally ribald and riotous funny animal comix of Crumb, particularly FRITZ THE CAT, and perhaps implied the fear of Jackson that the success of BAD TASTE would drag him into all of the twilit tensions, infighting, substance abuse and mishaps that took place behind the scenes of Hollywood film creation.  Indeed, amongst the cast was the drug addicted and implicitly Morrow linked Vietnam vet frog Wynyard-played by Brian Sergent-the always smiling and implicitly Spielberg linked swami Dr. Quack-played by Stuart Devenie-and the gleefully corrupt producer of the show, the lecherous and implicitly Francis Coppola linked Bletch the Walrus-played by Vere-Jones-implicitly linking the Feebles to New Hollywood to affirm that fearful implication. 

Tragicomically, tensions amongst the Feebles built up and finally exploded in the gleefully gory end into a shooting rampage carried out by the huge, buxom, jilted and perhaps Gale A. Hurd linked Heidi the hippo-voiced by Hadlow and played by Danny Mulheron, respectively-that evoked the sight and sound of the implicitly Lucas and Wicked Warlock of the West linked CSM-101 T-800 cyborg Terminator-played by Arnold Schwarzenegger-shooting up a police station in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, Hurd produced and implicitly Lucas roasting Cameron indie docufeature Zonebuster THE TERMINATOR (1984).  A terminating shooting rampage carried out by a beastly blockbuster hippo that killed most of the cast and crew, including Bletch, Dr. Quack and the gleefully salacious, insidious and implicitly Landis linked Trevor the rat-also played by Sergent.  Thus, Jackson implied his new hope that Landis, Morrow and Spielberg at least and perhaps the rest of New Hollywood would die already or at least fade away, allowing a new era of film art to emerge in the Nineties.  A new era of film art that Jackson implicitly hoped would include him, given that Robert and his poodle sweetie Lucille-played by Donna Akersten-survived the massacre and went on to lead successful lives in the world of photography afterwards. 

Surprisingly, the first two dismal “films” of Jackson were implicitly noticed and appreciated, for in the tragicomic sight and sound of the keen young New York based Doctor Benjamin “Ben” Stone-played by Michael J. Fox-abandoning his dream of crafting fake people as a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles and remaining as the sole doctor of the small, quiet, peaceful, rustic, friendly, folksy, honest, and eccentric Southern town of Grady, Michael Caton-Jones implied his hope that Jackson would resist the attractive but deadly lure of making films full of fake people in L.A. and remain in equally small, quiet, peaceful, rustic, friendly, folksy, honest, eccentric and Southern Hemisphere based New Zealand creating his idiosyncratic indie film art at the end of the twilit and allegorical docufeature film DOC HOLLYWOOD [1991], released on July 31, 1991.  At any rate, another nasty rat and another blockbuster beast returned when Jackson donned the co-writer/director/actor hats and teamed up again with Devenie, Selkirk-now back as associate producer as well as editor-Sergent, Vere-Jones and Jim Booth, Peter Dasent, Murray Milne, Stephen Sinclair and Frances Walsh-co-producer of, composer for, director of photography (DOP) of, and co-writers of MEET THE FEEBLES, respectively-and also with the New Zealand Film Commission again and wrapped up the Lord Of The Schlock Trilogy in all too fittingly madcap, macabre, gleefully gory and Gilliam and Python alluding style with the twilit and allegorical indie docufeature film DEAD ALIVE aka BRAINDEAD (1992), released on June 4, 1992.

“The little bugger bit me!”

        Indeed, the film was the most gleefully gory and macabrely madcap of the Lord of the Schlock Trilogy, and it also openly affirmed that Jackson was striking back in mordant fury in his film art at the TZ disaster causing Planet Hollywood by beginning with a tragicomic prologue on Skull Island, west of Sumatra, in 1957.  For Skull Island was the legendary home of the original blockbuster beast, the colossal ape Kong, who first appeared in the allegorical Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack indie docufeature film KING KONG (1933).  However, instead of hunting down, subduing and leaving with Kong, an expedition to the island hunted down, subdued and left with the nasty, dimunitive and perhaps Landis linked Simian Raticus aka the Sumatran Rat Monkey, a tiny fused cousin of Kong and Trevor the rat in MEET THE FEEBLES.  Significantly, this tragicomic prologue evoked the prologues at the beginning of the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical, Ozian themed, Lucas executive produced, Marshall produced and implicitly William Friedkin roasting Spielberg indie docufeature film RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) and the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, Lucas executive produced, and Kennedy and Marshall produced Spielberg indie docufeature film INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984), implying that Lucas, Spielberg or both were being roasted in DEAD ALIVE.

        However, after being transported to the Wellington Zoo, Jackson implied that another American film artist was the principal target of the film.  For soon after its arrival at the zoo, the Sumatran Rat Monkey proved that, despite its dimunitive size, the nasty stop motion pest was filled with beastly and perhaps Landis linked blockbuster disease, indeed.  For Ratty soon bit zoo visitor Vera Cosgrove-played by Elizabeth Moody-possessive mother of the implicitly Dante linked Lionel Cosgrove-played by Sam Dallimore as a boy and by Timothy Balme as a young adult, respectively-and turned her into an undead blockbuster beast-played by Elizabeth Brimilcombe-who wandered around biting and infecting others with her blockbuster disease and turning them into beastly undead.  Forcing Lionel, his faithful and luvstruck girlfriend Paquita-played by Diana Penalver-and his eagerly salacious and implicitly Hitchcock linked Uncle Les-played by Ian Watkin-to take on and take out these hordes of shambling undead in gleefully gory confrontations in order to bring harmony back to Wellington.

        Tragicomically, shortly before the end of the film, Lionel used the whirling blades of a gasoline combustion engine lawnmower to scythe down the undead hordes that had taken over the Cosgrove house, evoking the sight and sound of Derek scything down alien invaders with a chainsaw at the end of BAD TASTE, bringing the Lord Of The Schlock Trilogy full circle.  Shortly after, Lionel triumphed over his mother, who had ballooned up into a truly blockbuster undead beast, indeed, with the help of the magic Christian talisman given him by the equally indomitable Paquita.  And so Lionel and bonita Paquita lived happily ever after, implying not only that Jackson hoped as he had in BAD TASTE that Dante would use his film art to bring health and harmony back to audiences, film art, film artists, and the Temple Theatre but that the obdurate bachelor Dante would also find a soulmate, in the healing and harmonizing eucatastrophic end. 

Indeed, the film’s allusions to the twilit and allegorical Dante docufeature films GREMLINS (1984) and THE ‘BURBS (1989), and the resemblance and implicit link of the Wellington zoo keeper-played by Tony Hiles-to longtime Dante veteran Robert Picardo, and the presence of the Ackermonster at the Wellington Zoo, fittingly reading a copy of FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, affirmed the film’s implicit Dante addressing intent.  In addition, the sight and sound of Mr. and Mrs. Matheson-played by Lewis Rowe and Glenis Levestam, respectively-showing up for supper at the Cosgrove house before Mum went on her undead rampage openly evoked Matheson to reaffirm the film’s implicit interest in Dante, as Matheson wrote Dante’s third twilit and allegorical docufeature segment “It’s A Good Life” for TWILIGHT ZONE: THE MOVIE, inspired by the allegorical and Rod Serling written James Sheldon telefilm “It’s A Good Life” (1961) from season three of the original TWILIGHT ZONE telefilm series, itself inspired by the allegorical Jerome Bixby short story “It’s A Good Life” (1953).  An open link to Matheson that affirmed the implicitly twilit spirit of the indie film art of Jackson and evoked the implicit link of intrepid AIDS commando Barry to Matheson in BAD TASTE to bring the Lord Of The Schlock Trilogy full circle.

And so Jackson wrapped up the Lord Of The Schlock Trilogy, a truly terrible trilogy implicitly noticed by Tim Burton, for he implicitly linked Sir Jackson to the troubled, tormented and mayhem and violence luvin’ manbeast Oswald Cobblepot aka “the Penguin”-created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger for, and implicitly linked to Fritz Lang in, DC, and played by Danny DeVito-and also implicitly linked fellow Kiwi film artist Campion to Selina Kyle aka “Catwoman”-played by Michelle Pfeiffer-and had them both battle the troubled, haunted and implicitly Lucas linked Gotham City “playboy” Bruce Wayne aka “Batman”-played by Michael Keaton-in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced super satirical animaction artbuster BATMAN RETURNS (1992), a film released on June 16, 1992.  A film which, and luckily for audiences, implicitly inspired Jackson to finally leave behind furious, mordant, sniggering, ultraviolent and implicitly Planet Hollywood roasting schlock and embrace CGI enhanced and implicitly Planet Hollywood roasting film art when he donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats and teamed up again with Booth, Dasent, Moody, Selkirk, Walsh, the New Zealand Film Commission and MEET THE FEEBLES creature and gore effects man Richard Taylor to surprise and delight audiences and implicitly roast Burton and BATMAN RETURNS in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film HEAVENLY CREATURES (1994), released on July 8, 1994.

“Paul and I are going to Hollywood…

We’re going to be film stars!”

        Curiously, the film began with a short prologue taken from a sunlit documentary film from the 1950s about peaceful and idyllic Christchurch, “…New Zealand’s city of the plain”, a short and sunlit clip that ended on a dark and discordant note with two screaming teenage girls covered with blood running at the camera like two equally blood and gore splattered undead miscreants in DEAD ALIVE.  We quickly discovered that these blood splattered girls were two madcap, macabre, exuberantly imaginative and art, film, literature and music luving 1950s teenage Christchurch schoolgirls, the poor and New Zealand born and raised Pauline Yvonne “Paul” Parker-Rieper aka “Paulette” and “Charles”-played by Jessica Bradley as a five year old and Melanie Lynskey as a teen, respectively-and the wealthy and English born Juliet Marion Hulme aka “Antoinette” and “Deborah”-played by Alex Shirtcliffe-Scott as a five year old and Juliet Winslet as a teen, respectively-who were implicitly linked to the equally madcap, macabre, exuberantly imaginative and art, film, literature and music luving Burton and his favourite composer Danny Elfman throughout the film.  Real life figures that Jackson implied were killing film art with their quirky collaborations as surely as Rieper and Hulme killed Paul’s mother Honora-played by Sarah Peirse-on a fateful day in June of ’54 when she tried to prevent the two tumultuous teens from seeing each other, in the end. 

Indeed, the film’s allusions to BATMAN RETURNS, the twilit and allegorical Burton animaction film PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE (1985) and the twilit and allegorical Burton animaction film BEETLEJUICE (1988) affirmed the implicit Burton and Elfman roasting intent of HEAVENLY CREATURES.  In addition, Jackson implicitly roasted Lucas, Kathryn Bigelow and William Gibson in the implicit forms of Bill Perry and Juliet’s parents Hilda and Doctor Henry Hulme-played by Peter Elliot, Diana Kent and Clive Merrison, respectively-in the film.  And so, luckily for audiences, HEAVENLY CREATURES was a fine feature film with great and memorable performances from all of the cast members that finally merged a great screenplay with the technical prowess that Jackson and company had shown off in the Lord Of The Schlock Trilogy and impressively and implicitly affirmed that Jackson had successfully vomited out all of his venomous bile with that terrible twilit trilogy and was finally leaving behind his grotesque and gruesome Robert the Dark Side and embracing his Peter the Light Side.  Indeed, HEAVENLY CREATURES was the satisfying sign that one of the greatest transformations in cinematic history of a film artist for the better of himself, his film art and his audiences had begun. 

A stunning transformation aided by Hulme and Parker-Rieper, for their feudal and CGI enhanced Fourth World of the exhilarating imagination-with unicorns!-pointed the way to an equally feudal and CGI enhanced Middle-Earth soon to arrive in the film art of Jackson, making it fitting that one of the visits to the Fourth World led to the discovery of a powerfully alluring ring.  A better and bolder new direction reaffirmed when Jackson donned the actor/co-writer/co-director/co-executive producer hats, teamed up with Selkirk-now as co-executive producer-Taylor, Walsh, the New Zealand Film Commission, HEAVENLY CREATURES DOP Alun Bollinger and Costa Botes-who played various shambling alien invaders in BAD TASTE-and implicitly left behind American film artists to imply that Cameron would fail in his attempt to make an epic twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature Zonebuster about the ill fated first and last voyage of the Titanic like the “forgotten” and implicitly Cameron linked pioneer New Zealand film artist Colin McKenzie-played by Thomas Robins-failed in his attempt to make an epic allegorical silent indie docufeature film about Salome called SALOME (193?) in the spoof twilit and allegorical telefilm documentary FORGOTTEN SILVER (1995), a telefilm released on tv in New Zealand on October 25, 1995 that also implicitly roasted Lucas as it evoked the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Lucas executive produced indie telefilm series THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES (1992-96).

Curiously, the discovery of the huge city of ancient Jerusalem set that McKenzie built for SALOME and a treasure trove of “…finely crafted swords and shields” created for actors and extras in the film pointed the way to Middle-Earth again like the Fourth World of Hulme and Parker-Rieper did in HEAVENLY CREATURES.  A better and bolder new direction also affirmed when Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats and teamed up again with Bollinger, Devenie, Lynskey, Selkirk-now doubling as co-producer-Walsh and HEAVENLY CREATURES production designer Grant Major and, ironically, given the implicit allegorical intent of HEAVENLY CREATURES, Elfman, to implicitly roast Cameron again in his first Hollywood production with Universal, the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced docufeature film THE FRIGHTENERS (1996), released on July 17, 1996.

“Oh, baby,

 you are an artist!”

        Curiously, the film saw the implicitly Ivan Reitman linked ghostbuster Frank Bannister-played by Fox-and the implicitly David Lynch linked FBI Special Agent Milton Dammers-played by Jeffrey Combs-triumph over and exorcise from the town of Fairwater the implicitly Bigelow linked murderess Patricia Bradley-played by Nicola Cliff as a teen and Dee Wallace Stone as an adult, respectively-and the implicitly Cameron linked ghost of her serial killer luver John Charles Bartlett-played by Jake Busey-with the help of the implicitly Gibson and W.P. Kinsella linked ghosts Stuart and the Judge-played by Jim Fyfe and John Astin, respectively-implying that Jackson was not impressed with, and wanted to exorcise from the Temple Theatre, the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed, Cameron co-written/co-executive produced and implicitly Lucas addressing Bigelow indie docufeature artbuster STRANGE DAYS (1995).  Indeed, the film’s allusions to STRANGE DAYS, THE TERMINATOR and the twilit, allegorical and Ozian themed Reitman docufeature film GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) and the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed Reitman docufeature film GHOSTBUSTERS II (1989) affirmed the film’s implicit interest in Bigelow, Cameron and Reitman.  The film’s allusions to the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie telemoving painting series TWIN PEAKS (1990-91) and the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie moving painting TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992) also affirmed that the film was interested in Lynch on another level.  Indeed, the appearance of Troy Evans as Sheriff Perry openly linked the film to Lynch, for he played Twin Peaks High School Principal George Wolchezk in TWIN PEAKS.  And to Bigelow, for Evans played a sympathetic plainclothes police officer in the twilit, allegorical, Ozian themed and implicitly Lucas addressing Bigelow indie docufeature film NEAR DARK (1987).

        And then, and alas for Canada, New Zealand and the United States and the rest of the world, the 911 terrorist attacks took place, changing everything forever.  Making audiences very receptive to a film that would cheer them up and return health and harmony to their lives.  And one that would also truly affirm that Jackson was leaving behind the Lord Of The Schlock Trilogy forever by following in the footsteps of Kubrick and disciples like Bigelow, Burton and Sir Ridley Scott and fusing the art for art’s sake film with the film art for money’s sake blockbuster to create the artbuster when the new and improved Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-executive producer hats and teamed up again with Major, Moody, Selkirk, Sergent, Taylor, Walsh and HEAVENLY CREATURES costume designer Ngila Dickson and Sarah McLeod-who played the sexy and seductive May Belle aka “Salome” in FORGOTTEN SILVER-to stun and delight audiences around the world and implicitly address more Canadian film artists in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature artbuster THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001), released on December 10, 2001 as a true gift at last for audiences and inspired by the allegorical and implicitly Joseph Stalin roasting J.R.R. Tolkien indie docufiction novel The Lord Of The Rings: the fellowship of the ring (1954).

“The world is changed.”

        Stun and delight, indeed, for Jackson and company easily exorcised the Lord Of The Schlock Trilogy and created one of the greatest films ever, and one that used CGI to enhance but not overwhelm the vital humanity of the live action.  A great film that also implicitly left behind the original allegorical intent of Professor Tolkien and continued the dread allegorical Zone Wars.  For, after an opening title stating “New Line Cinema” that was followed by another simply stating “…A WINGNUT FILMS PRODUCTION” rather than “…A PETER JACKSON FILM”, a humble and classy way to kick off the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING saw the old and eccentric Hobbit bachelor Bilbo Baggins-played by Ian Holm-unexpectedly leave his cozy Hobbit hole in Bag End in the Hobbiton farthing of the Shire in unforgettable fashion on the night of his Eleventy-First birthday.  But not before he left a mysterious gold ring with the power to turn its wearer invisible to his favourite nephew Frodo Baggins-played by Elijah Wood. 

Unfortunately for Frodo, this mysterious ring was believed by Bilbo’s friend, the implicitly Cronenberg linked wizard Gandalf the Grey aka “Mithrandir”-played by Ian McKellen-to be the One Ring of Power sought by the Evil and implicitly Lucas linked Dark Lord Sauron of Mordor, who now manifested as an Evil and all CGI red eye that lusted after the world like the equally Evil red eye of communism lusted after the world in the 1950s, affirming the implicit link of Sauron to Stalin in The Lord Of The Rings.  Significantly, this notorious Ring was briefly worn by the implicitly Spielberg linked Isildur-played by Harry Sinclair-who had taken it from Sauron when he still had a physical form-played by Sala Baker-before it came to Bilbo or Frodo, reminding us that Spielberg had been blamed for decades for destroying the higher minded film art for film art’s sake goals of New Hollywood by bringing beastly blockbuster disease to the Temple Theatre with the eerily and presciently twilit and allegorical docufeature film JAWS (1975).

        And so a worried Gandalf convinced Frodo to leave the Shire with three faithful Hobbit friends Samwise “Sam” Gamgee-played by Sean Astin-Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck-played by Dominic Monaghan-and the implicitly Eric Idle linked Peregrin “Pippen” Took-played by Billy Boyd-just in time to evade the nine nasty Ringwraiths who were sent to the Shire to take the Ring from him, hooded and cloaked figures on horseback who evoked the hooded and cloaked spirit of Death that killed with carefree CGI abandon in THE FRIGHTENERS.  Significantly, in the Prancing Pony Inn in Bree on the outskirts of the Shire, the plucky Hobbits met the implicitly Jason Reitman linked Aragorn the Ranger aka “Strider”-played by Viggo Mortensen-who helped them escape the Ringwraiths.  Meanwhile Gandalf was struggling to escape too, in his case from his malevolent mentor, the implicitly Cameron linked wizard Saruman the White-played by Christopher Lee-who turned out during a visit to his tower of Orthanc to be in league with Sauron, implying again the fear of Jackson, as in THE FRIGHTENERS, that Cameron had been taken over by his Dark and beastly blockbuster Side.

        Luckily, with the help of an huge and knowing CGI eagle, Gandalf escaped and met up with Aragorn, Frodo and the others in Rivendell, the home of the implicitly Ivan Reitman linked Elrond Halfelven-played by Hugo Weaving.  Here Frodo was persuaded to take the One Ring to Mordor and destroy it in the fiery depths of Mount Doom, setting off an healing catastrophe that Prof. Tolkien called an “eucatastrophe” that would exorcise the all CGI Sauron and his equally all CGI or CGI enhanced Evil minions and bring health and harmony back to the living dwarves, Elves, hobbits and humans of Middle Earth, thus implicitly destroying Lucas and his all CGI creature filled and CGI enhanced STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy and bringing health, harmony and a vital living humanity back to audiences, film art, film artists and the Temple Theatre in the real Earth.  Indeed, whenever Frodo put on the One Ring before arriving at Rivendell, he not only turned invisible, but found himself in an eerie CGI limbo, implicitly affirming that Jackson believed that embracing CGI was dangerous to a vital humanity. 

Here at Rivendell it was also decided that a Fellowship comprised of Aragorn, Gandalf, Merry, Pippen, Sam, the proud, boorish and implicitly Luc Besson linked man of Gondor, Boromir-played by Sean Bean-the cranky and perhaps Kubrick linked dwarf Gimli-played by John Rhys Davies-and the mystic and implicitly Christoph Lambert linked Mirkwood Elf, Legolas-played by Orlando Bloom-would accompany Frodo to Mordor and help him succeed in his quest.  And so the Ring Quest began, a quest that was often captured from the air in sweeping helicopter shots, evoking similar shots in HEAVENLY CREATURES to truly link the Fourth World to Middle-Earth and which evoked similar shots in the allegorical Robert Wise docufeature film THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965).  And so all went well until a short cut through the Misty Mountains via the mines of Moria led to the Fellowship being attacked by hordes of orcs that evoked the brainless aliens of BAD TASTE and the shambling undead of DEAD ALIVE.   Alas, the orcs were accompanied by two blockbuster all CGI beasts, a rancorous cave troll and a fiery and towering Balrog, who implicitly reaffirmed the Evil and Lucas linked nature of CGI in the film and attacked the Fellowship, leading to what appeared to be the death of Gandalf at the hands of the beastly blockbuster Balrog. 

Escaping with their lives, the rest of the Fellowship made it out of the mines, emerged into the east side of the Misty Mountains and soon found safety, rest and rejuvenation in the woodland elf kingdom of Lothorien presided over by the ambiguously linked Celeborn-played by Marton Csokas-and the implicitly linked Catherine Deneuve linked Galadriel-played by Cate Blanchett.  Heading back out on to the Ring Quest, the Fellowship was soon attacked by Saruman’s Uruk-hai orcs, vile new creations made by crossing man and orc, led by the huge and implicitly Landis linked Lurtz-played by Lawrence Makoare.  In the ensuing battle, Lurtz was fittingly decapitated by Aragorn and then Boromir died, Merry and Pippen were taken by the fleeing survivors of the Uruk-hai and Frodo and Sam fled to continue the quest on their own, leaving Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas to their own devices.

        And so it ended.  And so, luckily for audiences, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING easily exceeded hopes and emerged as one of the greatest films of all time, with all sorts of epic sets, “…finely crafted swords and shields”, great costumes, makeup and performances, a memorable and stirring soundtrack by Howard Shore and just the right amount of CGI to make the story believable while remaining vitally human, just what audiences needed to reassure and inspire them in the dark, depressing, anxious and uncertain months after 911.  The implicitly Lucas roasting film also fittingly restored the faith of audiences in film art and film artists, after the near universal disappointment with the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced, Ozian themed and implicitly Cameron and Spielberg roasting Lucas indie animaction film STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999).  Needles to say, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING abundantly affirmed that Jackson had indeed transformed himself from a Devilish Wingnut into an Heavenly Wingnut. 

Not surprisingly, the august Academy agreed, for they awarded THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING four Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects.  Equally unsurprisingly, audiences were eager for more darkness defying and dispelling magic, Light filled and inspiring magic that Jackson and company amply supplied when Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-executive producer hats and teamed up again with Astin, Blanchett, Bloom, Boyd, Davies, Dickson, Lee, Major, McKellen, Monaghan, Mortensen, Selkirk, Shore, Walsh, Weaving, Wood, New Line Cinema and Andy Serkis and Liv Tyler-who played Gollum/Smeagol and the perhaps Bigelow linked Arwen, respectively, in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING-and co-writer Philippa Boyens and DOP Andrew Lesnie-also from THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING-on the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas roasting indie docufeature artbuster THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002), released on December 5, 2002 and inspired by the allegorical Tolkien indie docufiction novel The Lord Of The Rings: the two towers (1954).

“Even darkness must pass.

!A new day will come!”

        Significantly, and as with the first installment, an opening title stating “New Line Cinema” was again followed by another simply stating “…A WINGNUT FILMS PRODUCTION” rather than “…A PETER JACKSON FILM”, again kicking off the second film on a humble and classy note.  Then, as expected, the narrative of the new film immediately split into two stories.  In one story, Frodo and Sam-played again by Wood and Astin, respectively-soon met the sneaky and pursuing Gollum/Smeagol-played again by Serkis-who they convinced to take them to Mordor.  Significantly, the haunted and tormented Gollum/Smeagol was the most fully realized and believable all CGI character yet created for a film, amazing and mesmerizing audiences with his “real” presence.  Just as significantly, Gollum/Smeagol looked and acted like then Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, implicitly linking him to PM Chretien.  This then implicitly linked Frodo to Justin Trudeau, Sam to Justin’s friend Gerald Butts, Bilbo to Pierre Trudeau and the One Ring of Power to national power in a rare implicit Canadian political allegory.

        Meanwhile, an implicit Canadian cinematic allegory continued in the story intercut with the story of Frodo, Sam and Gollum/Smeagol.  For the implicitly young Reitman linked Aragorn the Ranger-played again by Mortensen-led the perhaps Kubrick linked Gimli and the implicitly Lambert linked Legolas-played again by Davies and Bloom, respectively-on the trail of the Uruk-hai carrying Merry and the implicitly Idle linked Pippen-played again by Monaghan and Boyd, respectively-to ancient and mysterious Fangorn Forest.  Here the twilit trio found the two hobbits missing and the Uruk-hai destroyed by the riders of Rohan led by doughty Eomer-played by Karl Urban.  Meeting up in the forest with the reborn and implicitly Cronenberg linked Gandalf the White aka “Mithrandir”-reminding us that Cronenberg had transformed from monster to hero by this time, and played again by McKellen-Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas teamed up with the new improved Gandalf to heal and rejuvenate the implicitly Sir Scott linked Theoden, King of Rohan-played by Bernard Hill-and break him free from the sinister spells of Grima Wormtongue-played by Brad Dourif-enflaming the king’s implicitly Sarah Polley linked daughter Eowyn-played by Miranda Otto-along the way. 

Retreating to the mountain fortress of Helm’s Deep, King Theoden inspired Aragorn, Eomer, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, the riders of Rohan and a force of Elves from Lothlorien led by Haldir-played by Craig Parker-to withstand and defeat a siege of Uruk-hai, implying the hope of Jackson that Sir Scott would defeat his doubts and critics and return to form in the neo millennium of CGI enhanced film art, an implicit hope that came true.  Meanwhile, Merry and Pippen met up with the patient and thoughtful ent tree herder Treebeard-also played by Davies-in Fangorn Forest, and inspired him to lead an ent assault on Orthanc that destroyed the compound and the remnants of the Uruk-hai and defeated the implicitly Cameron linked Saruman-played again by Lee-implying that Jackson believed that Cameron would not succeed in the neo millennium of CGI enhanced film art.  Last but not least, after being captured by the implicitly Lynch linked Faramir-played by David Wenham-and his fellow Rangers of Gondor, Frodo, Sam and Gollum were eventually released and allowed to continue on their journey towards murderous Mordor and Mount Doom.

        And so THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS was another great film that again raised the spirits of audiences, particularly in Canada, New Zealand and the United States, and won two Oscars for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.  And so audiences eagerly returned to the Temple Theatre the following year when Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-executive producer hats and teamed up again with Astin, Blanchett, Bloom, Boyd, Boyens, Csokas, Davies, Dickson, Hill, Holm, Lee, Lesnie, Major, Makoare, McLeod, McKellen, Monaghan, Mortensen, Otto, Robins, Selkirk, Serkis, Shore, Taylor, Tyler, Urban, Walsh, Weaving, Wenham, Wood and New Line Cinema to bring the Ring saga to a triumphantly healing and harmonizing eucatastrophic conclusion in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature artbuster THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003), fittingly released in Wellington on December 1, 2003 and inspired by the allegorical Tolkien indie docufiction novel The Lord Of The Rings: the return of the king (1955).

“!This day we fight!”

        Fittingly, and as with the first two films, an opening title stating “New Line Cinema” was again followed by another simply stating “…A WINGNUT FILMS PRODUCTION” rather than “…A PETER JACKSON FILM”, kicking off the last installment of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy on another humble and classy note.  Then the film began with a prologue set in the days when Middle Earth was still young that saw the implicitly PM Chretien linked Smeagol-played again by Serkis-murder his brother, the implicitly Brian Mulroney linked Deagol-played by Robins-and take the One Ring of Power from his corpse for a birthday present.  This reminded us that Chretien’s Liberals defeated Mulroney’s Conservatives in the 1993 Canadian election and took the office of Prime Minister from them, implicitly reaffirming that a Canadian political allegory was again taking place on one level in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING.  An implicit political allegory that continued after Smeagol transformed into Gollum deep in the depths of the Misty Mountains, eventually emerging to hunt down the One Ring and lead its new owner, the implicitly young Trudeau linked Frodo Baggins-played again by Wood-and the perhaps Butts linked Samwise “Sam” Gamgee-played again by Astin-to Mordor and the fires of Mount Doom after the prologue.

        Meanwhile, after rejoining Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck-played again by Monaghan-the implicitly Idle linked Peregrin “Pippen” Took-played again by Boyd-and Treebeard-played again by Davies-in the ruins of Orthanc, the implicitly Cronenberg linked Gandalf the White aka Mithrandir-played again by McKellen-rode with Pippen on Shadowfax to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, to parley with its despondent and implicitly Gilliam linked Steward, Denethor-played by John Noble-whose implicit link to Gilliam was affirmed by the implicit link of Pippen to Idle and by the allusions in the film to MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, allusions which were also present in the first two parts of the Lord Of The Trilogy, as well as allusions in the film to such Gilliam films as the presciently twilit and allegorical indie animaction films JABBERWOCKY (1977) and TIME BANDITS (1981), and the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Cameron toasting and Landis and Spielberg roasting indie animaction artbuster THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN (1989).  Eventually, meeting with Denethor led to a flaming signal that spurred the riders of Rohan led by the implicitly Sir Scott linked Theoden-played again by Hill-to ride to the defense of Minas Tirith and to a massive battle with the Dark Forces of Mordor outside the city, a massive battle that led to the suicide of the despondent Denethor and the death of King Theoden at the hands of the dreaded leader of the Ring Wraiths, the implicitly Alvy Ray Smith linked Witch King of Angmar-played by Makoare-implying that Jackson now believed that Gilliam and Sir Scott would not succeed in the neo eon of CGI enhanced film art. 

Significantly, the death of her father, King Theoden, caused the implicitly Polley linked Eowyn-played again by Otto-who had secretly ridden with the Rohirrim to Minas Tirith disguised as a male rider, to rise up and take on and take out the Witch King of Angmar, who melted away like the Wicked Witch of the West, implying the hope of Jackson that Polley would emerge in time as a successful film artist, as she did.  Just as significantly, the implicitly young Reitman linked Aragorn-played again by Mortensen-showed up on the battlefield with the perhaps Kubrick linked Gimli and the implicitly Lambert linked Legolas-played again by Davies and Bloom, respectively-and an army of ghostly soldiers and their Ghost King-played by Paul Norrel-who made remorseless and relentless work of the rest of the Dark Forces to relieve the siege and save Minas Tirith.  Curiously, the green ghosts evoked similar ghosts in GHOSTBUSTERS, GHOSTBUSTERS II and THE FRIGHTENERS, affirming the implicit link of Aragorn to young Reitman and presciently anticipating a ghostbustin’ and implicitly Jackson roasting film to come from Jason. 

        Meanwhile, after killing the all CGI spider creature Shelob in a dark tunnel that led through the Mountains of Mordor, Frodo and Sam passed into Mordor and succeeded in their quest to destroy the One Ring in the fiery depths of Mount Doom with the inadvertent help of Gollum, who died in the process, thus leading to the triumph of Good living beings over Evil all CGI creatures and implying the hope of Jackson that PM Chretien would also die or at least be defeated in the next Canadian election and that young Trudeau would not be tempted by the lure of power to run for Prime Minister of Canada and try to lead and inspire a querulous, quarrelling and quixotic country whose cranky and cantankerous citizens did not understand how good they had it due to the difficulties of living in the Constitutionally protected Federation of Canada (FOC).  The destruction of the One Ring of Power also killed the implicitly Lucas linked Sauron and allowed Aragorn and the Forces of Good to defeat the Forces of Sauron at the gates of Mordor, leading to the crowning of Aragorn as the new King of Gondor and implying the hope of Jackson that Reitman would follow in his father’s fearless footsteps, become a film artist and lead the way in triumphing over the lure of beastly blockbuster loot and making better film art than Lucas.

        And so THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING was another fine film whose eucatastrophic ending brought health, harmony and peace back to Middle Earth and real Earth and easily swept away Lucas and the STAR WARS Tragic Trilogy.  A triumphant trimax that was fully deserving of the 11 Academy Awards-for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Picture, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects-that it won for the whole trilogy.  Thus, Jackson and a very talented company tied the record for most number of Oscars won six years earlier by the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced Cameron indie docufeature Zonebuster TITANIC (1997).  In addition, Jackson also became the first film artist to win both Best Director and Best Picture for a fantasy, sly fi, sly fi/fantasy, horror or sly fi/horror film. 

A success that did not go unnoticed by Kennedy and Spielberg, for they implicitly urged Jackson to fight to retain the vital humanity of his CGI enhanced film art like the implicitly Jackson linked New Jersey battler Ray Ferrier-played by Tom Cruise-fought to defeat an invasion of blockbuster CGI enhanced Martian beasts throughout the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced docufeature film WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005), a film released on June 13, 2005 that was inspired by the allegorical H.G. Wells indie docufiction novel The War Of The Worlds (1898) whose implicit Jackson addressing intent in particular was affirmed by allusions to BAD TASTE, DEAD ALIVE, THE FRIGHTENERS, and the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy and whose implicit interest in New Zealand film artists in general was affirmed by allusions to THE QUIET EARTH.  An ironic implicit message to Jackson from Kennedy and Spielberg, indeed, given that it was implicitly made by two people who gave the world WAR OF THE WORLDS and such additional ahuman and CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts as the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed docufeature films JURASSIC PARK (1993) and THE LOST WORLD (1997).

All of which no doubt inspired Jackson to don the co-writer/director/co-producer hats and team up again with Boyens, Lesnie, Major, Selkirk, Serkis, Shore, Walsh, and Universal on the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced animaction film KING KONG (2005), released on December 5, 2005 and inspired by KING KONG.

“Things never last, Mr. Denham.”

        Fittingly, given the resounding success of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Act One of the film began with the ebullient sound of the allegorical and Ray Henderson, Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young written Al Jolson tune “I’m Sitting On Top Of The World” (1926) playing as daylit shots of different animals in their cages in the Central Park Zoo in New York, fittingly including members of the simian family, appeared on the screen, shots which evoked similar shots in the Wellington Zoo in DEAD ALIVE, also inspired in part by the original KING KONG.  An ironically ebullient sound, for soon these primal shots were replaced with shots of unemployed people in the streets and shacks of a Dirty Thirties CGI enhanced New York, moving shots that were soon intercut with shots of performers in a vaudeville show that evoked similar scenes in the Fabulous Feebles Variety Hour in MEET THE FEEBLES.  Luckily for audiences, however, these nods to the Lord Of The Shlock Trilogy did not imply that Jackson was taking a big step backwards into similar territory in KING KONG.  Instead, the vaudeville shots soon focussed on a beautiful, young, blonde and implicitly Sofia Carmina (SCC) Coppola linked performer named Ann Darrow-played by Naomi Watts.

Forced out on the streets herself after the cancellation of her vaudeville show, Darrow’s unemployed and impoverished plight was soon noticed by the impecunious and implicitly Coppola linked film producer Carl Denham-played by Jack Black-who not only pitied her, but persuaded her to join him and his implicitly Lucas linked assistant Preston-played by Colin Hanks-on the battered tramp steamer SS Venture on an expedition to create a film on mysterious Skull Island, a film whose screenplay was written by the implicitly Landis linked Jack Driscoll-played by Adrien Brody-and featured the implicitly Richard Kelly linked Bruce Baxter-played by Kyle Chandler-as leading man.  Here on Skull Island in Act Two, Denham, Darrow, Driscoll and the crew of the SS Venture-which including the implicitly Cameron linked young seaman Jimmy, played by Jamie Bell-found that the rumours of a blockbuster beast which turned out to be a gigantic, CGI enhanced and implicitly Kubrick linked blockbuster beast of an ape named Kong-a gigantic ape that evoked the apemen of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY to affirm his implicit link to Kubrick, as fully realized and lifelike as Gollum, and fittingly played by Serkis-were true.  Alas for Darrow, the natives of Skull Island seized her and offered her up as a sacrifice to Kong, and the enormous ape fell in luv with Darrow, taking her back to his jungle hideaway.  However, Driscoll eventually and bravely liberated Darrow by himself, allowing Denham to use her as bait to lure Kong out of the jungle, knock him out with chloroform, capture him and sail him back to New York to show off to the paying public as King Kong, the “Eighth Wonder of The World”. 

Surprisingly, back in the Big Apple in Act Three and while being presented to the elite paying public onstage at the Alhambra Theatre, King Kong went beserk when a blonde actress who resembled and was implicitly linked to Burton-perhaps played by Julia Walshaw-was offered up as a sacrifice to Kong in a recreation of the sacrifice ceremony on Skull Island.  King Kong then burst out of the theatre and rampaged through the streets until he met, and was pacified, by the real Darrow.  However, their peace was soon shattered by soldiers who tried to kill them, causing him to flee with Darrow up the side of the Empire State Building to its tippy top.  Here, as per tradition, Kong was eventually shot off the top by a small squadron of bi-planes, albeit in stunningly CGI realized style, falling to his doom on the streets of New York below. 

Thus, Jackson petulantly implied his hope that the incredible artbuster legacy of Kubrick would also be defeated in the new millennium, an implicit interest in Kubrick and in Burton affirmed by allusions to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, the allegorical Kubrick indie docufeature film KILLER’S KISS (1955), the allegorical and implicitly David Lean addressing Kubrick docufeature film SPARTACUS (1960), and the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Kubrick toasting and Lucas roasting Burton animaction artbuster PLANET OF THE APES (2001).  The survival of Darrow, Denham, and Driscoll also implied that Sir Jackson hoped that SCC, Coppola and Landis would defeat blockbuster lusts for fortune and glory and create film art for film art’s sake in the neo eon of CGI enhanced film art, an implicit interest in SCC affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit and allegorical Burton animaction docufeature film FRANKENWEENIE (1984)-in which she played the equally blonde Anne Chambers under the nom d’art of Domino-and Coppola affirmed by the film’s allusions to the eerily and presciently twilit, allegorical, and implicitly Lucas toasting and John Huston roasting Coppola indie docufeature artbuster APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) and the twilit and allegorical Coppola docufeature artbuster THE COTTON CLUB (1984).

        As for Robert Ben Garant, he implicitly roasted and toasted the shorts luving Jackson in the implicit form of the black and white shirts and shorts and Def Leppard luvin’ Randy Daytona-played as a youth by Brett DelBuono and as an adult by Dan Fogler, respectively-an out of shape ping pong star who was persuaded to come out of retirement, return to form and take on and take out the deadly Dragon-played by La Na Shi-the implicitly Cameron linked East German pong champion Karl Wolfschtagg-played by Thomas Lennon-and the fiendish and possibly Cronenberg linked pong Master Feng-played by Christopher Walken-in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and implicitly Ozian themed indie docufeature film BALLS OF FURY (2007), a film released on August 29, 2007 that was clearly inspired in part by the allegorical Robert Clouse indie docufeature film ENTER THE DRAGON (1973) which fittingly featured a New Zealand martial arts star named Parsons-played by Peter Archer-amongst its main characters.  The following year, Lana and Lilly Wachowski had the implicitly Walsh linked Trixie-played by Ariel Winter as a girl and by Christina Ricci as a young adult, respectively-inspire the implicitly Jackson linked and Good, honest, humble and obdurately indie World Racing League (WRL) racer Speed Racer-played by Nicholas Elia as a boy and by Emile Hirsch as a young adult, respectively-to drive his white Mach 6 racer to decisive triumphs over the implicitly Kelly and Roland Emmerich linked Evil WRL racers Snake Oiler and Jack “Cannonball” Taylor-played by Christian Oliver and Ralph Herforth, respectively-and their exuberantly Evil employer, the implicitly Coppola linked Royalton Industries CEO E.P. Arnold Royalton-played by Roger Allam-and his implicitly SCC linked assistant Gennie-played by Cosma S. Hagen-in the final two races at the end of the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed animaction film SPEED RACER (2008), a rainbow coloured film released on April 28, 2008 inspired by the anime teleseries SPEED RACER (1967-68) whose implicit Jackson and Walsh addressing intent on one level was affirmed by allusions to FORGOTTEN SILVER, HEAVENLY CREATURES and KING KONG.

        Curiously, Jackson then headed off in a new direction when he donned the executive producer hat and teamed up with Neill Blomkamp to implicitly roast the new CGI embracing direction of Disney in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film DISTRICT 9 (2009), released on August 13, 2009.  That implicit point made, Jackson took a break from epic films and New Zealand when he travelled to Pennsylvania, donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats, teamed up again with Boyens, Lesnie and Walsh and, curiously, given that Spielberg was implicitly linked to the blockbuster power lusting Isildur in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, with executive producer Spielberg to implicitly roast Polley in the daylit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film THE LOVELY BONES (2009), released on November 24, 2009 and inspired by the twilit and allegorical Alice Sebold indie docufiction novel The Lovely Bones (2002).

“I was here for a moment,

 and then I was gone.”

        Alas, the film began with the ominously twilit intro for Spielberg’s new film studio Dreamworks SKG, the one that saw a boy fishing from the lower horn of a waxing moon, the same waxing moon that hung in the sky the early morning of the TZ disaster, throwing a twilit shroud over the production.  Then THE LOVELY BONES began with the implicitly Polley linked teen Susan “Susie” Salmon-played by Saoirse Ronan-being murdered by her creepy bachelor next door neighbour, the implicitly Lynch linked George Harvey-played by Stanley Tucci-implying that Jackson felt that Polley, who had showed up not long before with the daylit, allegorical, slightly CGI enhanced and implicitly Lucas addressing indie docufeature film AWAY FROM HER (2006), would not last long as a film artist, a surprising implication indeed given the implicit link of Polley to the indomitable Eowyn in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy.  Curiously, after her murder, Salmon haunted Harvey and her implicitly Gilliam and Maggie Weston linked parents Jack and Abigail Salmon-played by Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz, respectively-and her implicitly Bigelow linked Grandma Lynn-played by Susan Sarandon-helping them out Harvey as the murderer, and even bringing about the fall that led to his death, in the end, another deadly and eucatastrophic fall that evoked the sight and sound of Gollum falling into the fiery depths of Mount Doom at the end of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING and the bullet riddled body of King Kong tumbling to his doom off the top of the Empire State Building at the end of KING KONG, implying the hope of Sir Jackson that Lynch would be just as decisively triumphed over and exorcised from the Temple Theatre, as well, an implicit allegorical intent affirmed by the film’s allusions to the twilit and allegorical Lynch indie moving paintings BLUE VELVET (1986) and INLAND EMPIRE (2006). 

Significantly, the following year Jackson was awarded a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for services to humanity, film art and the vital humanity of film art, becoming brave Sir Jackson.  The same year, Marilyn Agrelo implicitly addressed and gently roasted him in the form of elementary school science teacher Ben Smith-played by Chris Messina-and SCC in the implicit form of Smith’s luv interest, struggling and “weird” math teacher Mona Gray-played as a girl by Bailee Madison, and as a young adult by Jessica Alba, respectively-and slowly released Gray’s mentally troubled and implicitly Burton linked mathematician Dad-played by John Shea-and went on to become a quirky and indie couple, implying the hope of Agrelo that SCC and Sir Jackson would also stick to their indomitably indie paths and avoid becoming obsessed with blockbuster numbers and link themselves to a major studio like Burton with his then recent return to Disney in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film AN INVISIBLE SIGN (2010), a film released on October 7, 2010 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by allusions to HEAVENLY CREATURES, THE FRIGHTENERS and THE LOVELY BONES.  Then Coppola implicitly replied to Sir Jackson with the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film TWIXT (2011), a film released on the equally haunted and fateful tenth anniversary day of September 11, 2011 which saw the implicitly Sir Jackson linked young rebel biker Flamingo-played by Alden Ehrenreich-help the implicitly Gilliam linked struggling horror novelist Hall Baltimore-played by Val Kilmer-and the implicitly Walt Disney liked Edgar A. Poe-played by Ben Chaplin-free the implicitly SCC linked Virginia aka “V”-played by Elle Fanning-from the gruesome grips of the murderous and implicitly Disney CEO Bob Iger linked ghost of Pastor Allan Floyd-played by Anthony Fusco-and the implicitly Stan “the Man” Lee linked Sheriff Bobby LaGrange-played by Bruce Dern-an implicit interest in Sir Jackson on one level affirmed by the film’s allusions to KING KONG, MEET THE FEEBLES, THE FRIGHTENERS, the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy and THE LOVELY BONES. 

As for Sir Jackson, he implied that working with Spielberg on THE LOVELY BONES was an experience that he enjoyed, for he then donned the co-producer hat and teamed up with co-producers Kennedy and Spielberg and with Bell and Serkis to implicitly roast John Lasseter in the implicit form of the irrepressible and indomitable Tintin-played by Bell-and perhaps Landis in the form of the sinister Sakharine-played by Daniel Craig-in the twilit, allegorical and all CGI Spielberg animation film THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (2011), released on October 23, 2011 and inspired by the narrative art of Herge.  An experience that implicitly revved up Sir Jackson’s artbuster engines again, for he then donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats and teamed up again with Blanchett, Boyens, Holm, Lee, Lesnie, McKellen, Serkis, Shore, Walsh, Weaving, Wood and New Line Cinema to implicitly address young Reitman again and his emergence as a shrewd, knowing, brash, confident, creative, talented, montage luvin’ and successful indie docufeature film artist and to take on another deadly dragon in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced animaction artbuster THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY (2012), released on November 28, 2012 to a world now recovering from American madness in Afghanistan and Iraq rather than 911 and inspired by the allegorical and implicitly Canadian Prime Minister William King and the imperial loot lusting European nations roasting Tolkien children of all ages indie docufiction novel The Hobbit: or there and back again (December 1937).

“Slowly the days turned sour…

A sickness had begun to grow…

It was a sickness of the mind.

And where sickness thrives,

bad things will follow.”

        Indeed, the implicitly Cronenberg linked Gandalf the Grey aka Mithrandir-played again by McKellen-joined the implicitly young Pierre Trudeau linked Bilbo Baggins-played by Holm again as an old Hobbit and as a young Hobbit by Martin Freeman, respectively-a group of madcap and implicitly film artist linked dwarves led by the implicitly young Reitman linked Thorin Oakenshield-played by Richard Armitage-seconded by the implicitly J.K. Simmons linked Balin-played by Ken Stott-and including the implicitly Penn and Jian Ghomeshi linked Fili and Kili-played by Dean O’Gorman and Aidan Turner, respectively-on another quest from Bag End in the Hobbiton farthing of the Shire this time to the lonely mountain of Erebor to take on and take out a blockbuster CGI enhanced beast of a dragon called Smaug that had taken their mountain kingdom from them, implying the hope of Sir Jackson that Cronenberg and Reitman would unite to take on and take out blockbuster CGI enhanced beasts with their indie docufeature film art.  Along the way to Erebor, Bilbo, Gandalf, Thorin and the dwarves took on and took out a twilit trio of trolls named Bert, Tom and William-played by Mark Hadlow, William Kircher and Peter Hambleton, respectively, who also played the dwarves Dori, Bifur and Gloin, respectively.  While it was uncertain who the trolls were implicitly linked to in the film, Tolkien implicitly linked the dimwitted trio to Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo in The Hobbit: or there and back again, affirming the implication that the eastern Necromancer who suddenly appeared in that novel and grew in power to become Sauron in  The Lord Of The Rings was implicitly linked to Stalin, unlike in this film, where he was implicitly linked to the Dark and beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster loot Side of Disney.  Indeed, the presence of Balin and Dwalin-played by Graham McTavish in the film-amongst the dwarves affirmed the implicit interest in Stalin on one level in The Hobbit: or there and back again, a novel which also implicitly likened the madcap, morally stunted and imperial blockbuster loot lusting nations of Europe to the madcap and blockbuster dragon loot lusting dwarves.

After defeating the trio of terrible trolls, the determined heroes stopped at Rivendell and met up with the implicitly elder Reitman linked Elrond-played again by Weaving-whose presence affirmed the implicit link of Thorin to Jason like his presence had affirmed the implicit link of Aragorn to Jason in the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy.  Leaving Rivendell, they then passed through the Misty Mountains, leading to another attack by orcs now called goblins and another triumph over them and their implicitly Lucas linked King-played by Barry Humphries-a fitting defeat of the latter given that he sold Lucasfilm and ILM to Disney and faded away into retirement that year.  Significantly, while this battle with the Goblin King and his mates raged, deep in the dismal depths of the Misty Mountains, Bilbo found the One Ring of Power and then met and out riddled the implicitly Chretien linked Gollum-played again by Serkis.  Curiously, through the magic of CGI, Gollum actually looked younger, given that the film took place sixty years before the epic events of the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, unlike the returning real cast members, who, ironically, all looked older. 

Just as significantly, once on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains, this time with canny Gandalf, the intrepid questers had to deal with attacks by CGI warg riding orcs led by the nefarious, one handed and implicitly Disney CEO Iger linked Azog the Defiler-his name evoking the all CGI Balrog in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, and played by Manu Bennett.  Implications that continued when Sir Jackson donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats and teamed up again with Armitage, Bennett, Blanchett, Bloom, Boyens, Freeman, Lesnie, McKellen, O’Gorman, Peirse, Sergent, Serkis, Shore, Stott, Turner, Vere-Jones, Walsh, New Line Cinema, MGM and Sylvester McCoy and Lee Pace-who played the implicitly Sir Jackson linked Radagast the Brown and the implicitly Bigelow linked elven King Thranduil, respectively, in THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY-and co-writer Guillermo Del Toro, production designer Dan Hennan and editor Jabez Olssen-all from THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY-on the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced animaction artbuster THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (2013), released on December 2, 2013 and inspired by The Hobbit: or there and back again.

“A sickness lies upon that treasure hoard.”

        Significantly, the film began with a flashback set in perhaps the Prancing Pony inn in Bree a year before the beginning of the quest that saw the implicitly Cronenberg linked Gandalf aka Mithrandir and the implicitly young Reitman linked Thorin Oakenshield-played again by McKellen and Armitage, respectively-meet up to discuss the mission.  Unexpectedly, Thorin made clear in this talk that he was more interested in getting his hands on the legendary Arkenstone than he was in defeating Smaug, now implying the fear of Sir Jackson that the success of young Reitman would go to his head and that he would lose interest in creating small, smart and satirical indie docufeature film art and instead create banal and brainless CGI enhanced blockbuster beasts in order to satisfy his insensate lusts for fortune and glory.  And on that tragicomic note, the flashback prologue ended and Gandalf and Thorin rejoined the irrepressible and implicitly Trudeau sr. linked Hobbit Bilbo Baggins-played again by Freeman-and the implicitly Simmons linked Balin-played again by Stott-and the rest of the dwarves on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains and headed off to Erebor. 

After surviving another CGI orc and warg attack by taking sanctuary with the shapeshifting, intimidating and bearish Beorn-played by Mikael Persbrandt-the company set out again.  Soon Gandalf left to investigate rumours of the growing power of the all CGI Necromancer, implicitly linked again to the Dark and beastly CGI enhanced blockbuster side of Disney as in THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, leaving Bilbo, Thorin, Balin and the dwarves to pass through the creepy forest of Mirkwood the Great.  Here the dwarves, with the help of Bilbo, barely managed to survive an attack by massive blockbuster CGI enhanced spider beasts that evoked a blockbuster puppet spider beast met in MEET THE FEEBLES and the equally all CGI Shelob in THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING.  Alas, no sooner did the dwarves escape the spiders then they were captured by elves led by the implicitly Bigelow linked King Thranduil-played again by Pace-and taken back to their Mirkwood lair, only to be freed and rescued by Bilbo again.

        Continuing their journey, they soon arrived at the possibly Toronto linked Laketown with the smuggling help of the implicitly Bruce McDonald linked Bard the archer-played by Luke Evans-not far from Erebor where, after initial hostility, they were eventually befriended by its citizens, including the perhaps Robert Altman linked Master of Laketown-played by Stephen Fry.  Heading out to Erebor, Bilbo soon used a secret door and passage to make his way inside its treasure filled interior and confront and parley with the blockbuster CGI enhanced dragon beast Smaug-played by Benedict Cumberbatch.  Soon Bilbo infuriated Smaug by stealing and fleeing with the legendary Arkenstone that was so coveted by Thorin and, alas, also coveted by Smaug.  However, instead of exploding furiously out of its lair and attacking Laketown as in the novel, Smaug instead confronted Bilbo and the dwarves inside its lair and was successfully tricked by Thorin into restarting the foundries of Erebor with its fiery breath. 

Alas, then a furious Smaug did explode out of its lonely mountain lair and fly through the nighttime sky with its mighty wings to attack Laketown, setting audiences up for the trimax of the Hobbit Trilogy.  Curiously, however, before that titanic trimax arrived, Wes Anderson and a fine cast and crew implicitly toasted Burton in the forms of lobby boy, concierge and then hotel owner Zero Moustafa-played as a teen by Tony Revolori and as an old man by F. Murray Abraham, respectively-Disney in the form of Moustafa’s mentor, hotel concierge Monsieur Gustave H.-played by Ralph Fiennes-Kubrick in the form of the fearful lawyer Kovacs-played by Jeff Goldblum-and Polley in the form of sweet pastry chef Agatha Mendl-played by Ronan-and implicitly roasted and triumphed over Cronenberg in the form of the remorselessly violent and motorcycle luvin’ family servant Jopling-played by Willem Dafoe-and Sir Jackson in the form of the painting lustin’ and diabolical Dmitri-played by Brody-in the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced indie docufeature film THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014), a film released on February 6, 2014 that was inspired by the writings of Stefan Zweig and whose implicit allegorical intent was reaffirmed by an Elfman evoking soundtrack by Alexandre Desplat.  Then Sir Jackson delivered that titanic trimax of the Hobbit Trilogy when he donned the co-writer/director/co-producer hats and teamed up again with Armitage, Bennett, Blanchett, Bloom, Cumberbatch, Del Toro, Evans, Freeman, Fry, Hennan, Lee, Lesnie, McCoy, McKellen, O’Gorman, Olssen, Pace, Peirse, Persbrandt, Shore, Stott, Turner, Walsh, New Line Cinema, MGM and Ryan Gage and Evangeline Lilly-who played the perhaps Burton linked Alfrid Lickspittle and the perhaps Elliot Page linked Elf warrioress Tauriel, respectively, in THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG-on the twilit, allegorical and CGI enhanced animaction artbuster THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES (2014), released on December 1, 2014 and inspired by The Hobbit: or there and back again.

“Is this treasure truly worth

 all that you honour?”

        Fittingly, the film began with a bang with Smaug-played again by Cumberbatch-arriving at Laketown and drenching it with fire during repeated flying strafing attacks, fiery flying attacks that evoked similar fiery flying attacks by Vermithrax the dragon at the end of the allegorical and implicitly Gilliam toasting Disney and Matthew Robbins docufeature film DRAGONSLAYER (1981) to affirm the implicit interest in Disney in the Hobbit Trilogy.  Significantly, the searing serpent was eventually killed by a lucky arrow shot by the implicitly McDonald linked Bard-played again by Evans-that found its one weak spot on its scaly skin unprotected by jewels.  And so Smaug died, falling out of the sky to its doom into the lake like Smeagol fell to his doom at the end of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, like King Kong fell to his doom off the Empire State Building at the end of KING KONG, and like Harvey fell to his doom at the end of THE LOVELY BONES, returning eucatastrophic peace and harmony to the burning city. 

Unfortunately, the death of Smaug did not relieve Middle-Earth of beastly blockbuster lusts for fortune and glory, for the implicitly young Reitman linked Thorin-played again by Armitage-went mad with his obsessive lust to find the Arkenstone in the piles of treasure in Erebor.  So mad that he ignored the danger of an impending attack by a warg riding orc army led again by the nefarious and implicitly Disney CEO Iger linked Azog the Defiler-played again by Bennett-an army that evoked the shambling aliens of BAD TASTE and the equally shambling undead of DEAD ALIVE again that tragicomically included amongst its rank ranks a troll who resembled and was implicitly linked to Pablo Picasso.  Luckily for Thorin, however, a delegation of men and Mirkwood Elves led by Bard and by the implicitly Bigelow linked King Thranduil-played again by Pace-arrived at Erebor to parley shortly before the attack, allowing them to team up to fend off the attack.  A sight so moving that it eventually persuaded Thorin to come to his senses and ally the dwarves with the Elves and men to defeat the orcs, wargs and the dread Azog in the epic and eponymous Battle of the Five Armies that ended the film and the Hobbit Trilogy. 

Significantly, this epic and climatic battle led to an equally epic and eucatastrophic triumph for the dwarves, Elves, men and for the implicitly Cronenberg linked Gandalf the Grey aka Mithrandir-back just in time from a battle with the all CGI Necromancer, and played again by McKellen-and the implicitly Trudeau linked Bilbo Baggins-played again by Freeman.  Alas, the epic battle also led, and as at the end of the novel, to the death of Thorin, in this case while fighting and killing Azog the Defiler with the Elven sword of the implicitly Lambert linked Legolas-played again by Bloom-implying the hope of Sir Jackson that young Reitman would not only continue to defeat beastly blockbuster lusts but also defeat Iger, Disney, Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Pixar, even if he died doing so, in the end, an implication that led Reitman to gently roast Sir Jackson in the form of the ghost haunted summer school science teacher Gary Grooberson-played by Paul Rudd-and Blanchett in the form of lonely, equally ghost haunted, and divorced mother of two Callie Spengler-played by Carrie Coon-in the twilit, allegorical, CGI enhanced and Ozian themed docufeature film GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (2021), a film released on October 8, 2021 whose implicit allegorical intent was affirmed by allusions to THE FRIGHTENERS.  Curiously, the implicitly Penn and Ghomeshi linked Fili and Kili-played again by O’Gorman and Turner, respectively-were also killed by Azog and his Bolg-played by John Tui-respectively, in the end-a eerily fitting death for the latter, given that his reputation would soon be killed by a sexual assault trial.

And so Sir Jackson brought his imaginative and expanded take on The Hobbit: or there and back again to a classic healing and harmonizing eucatastrophic conclusion.  And so the Hobbit Trilogy joined the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy as another memorable cinematic milestone for the world to cherish for as long as film art was luved.  For of all people, it was a funny looking and eccentric little Hobbit of a New Zealander who had the courage to lead audiences into a brave new world of CGI enhanced film art that never lost its vital humanity or its Good grounded Hobbit and Kiwi sense.  An indomitable indie film artist who defeated his twisted and Evil Dark Side, Robert he had indeed, and revealed as an inspiring Lord of the Artbuster he stood, and one best described as an…Heavenly Wingnut.

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Tolkien, J.R.R.  The Hobbit: or there and back again.  London:

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