It was eagerly awaited and finally, the hunt ensued last Sunday. That's right, I am talking about The Hunt for Gollum. It is a British fan film that premiered on May 3rd at the SciFi London Film Festival. And, surprise surprise, it is available to view for free at their official site.

What's the story about? Apparently the good folks behind this movie based the movie on the tidbits and extra information sprinkled amongst the appendix pages of the Lord of the Rings books. Basically, the timeline of the story is just prior to beginning of LoTR. So the story sees Strider aka Aragon embarking on an all-important quest, a quest to find little Smeagal. If you read The Hobbit, you'll remember how Bilbo outsmarts Smeagal and nabs his magic ring. Yes, well Mr. Smegal is mad and he wants his precious back. So he leaves his little cave and scurries off to find Bilbo/Frodo/ring. Which is pretty scary when you remember the nasty guys looking for ring as well.

What's to like in this movie, you ask? Plenty. This fan film provides a good medley of a) creative skills, b) talented movie making abilities and of course, c) covering a subject dear to your heart. It is certainly a 70s idealistic moment where a bit of time and love for a subject can result in a superb work of art. On the other hand, maybe the modern million dollar movie debacles have made me too cynical about how and why movies are made at all. Well, The Hunt for Gollum certainly paves the way forward for future ventures.

Everything looks so good. When you watch the movie, keep in mind that the folks spent only 3000 pounds on this flick! That is not excusing quality; rather that is a commendation of what can be done with in the right hands. The costumes are good, the acting is fantastic, the special effects are well done and Smeagal is just mind blowing.

It moves with the times. This flick premiered on the internet and was viewable worldwide. That is more than I can say for renowned web series which are supposed to be openly accessible to all (hello, internet etiquette?). Someone should point this out to big movie producers (you know, those eager for a big break in the 'interwebs') that internet success means open access to everyone all over world. By the way, the official website for HFG is down; apparently there was a surge of traffic, crashing the site.

Non Commercial For The Win. Before anyone asks, yes, it looks like the guys did speak to the main folks handling the Tolkein Enterprises . And, yes, it seems like the creators did get go ahead. In fact, since the guys behind the venture released it as a tribute and are not making any mega millions or pennies from it, it is good to go.

Go forth and enjoy! And, before I log off, here are links to their site, the movie and interviews!

Official Website of The Hunt for Gollum
Site to View movie online
Interview with Chris Buchard (writer and director of film) on BBC