---

"Эта похвала его стратегическим способностям была особенно приятна Николаю, потому что, хотя он и гордился своими стратегическими способностями, в глубине души он сознавал, что их не было. И теперь он хотел слышать более подробные похвалы себе...

...Постоянная, явная, противная очевидности лесть окружающих его людей довела его до того, что он не видел уже своих противоречий, не сообразовал уже свои поступки и слова с действительностью, с логикой или даже с простым здравым смыслом, а вполне был уверен, что все его распоряжения, как бы они ни были бессмысленны, несправедливы и несогласны между собою, становились и осмысленны, и справедливы, и согласны между собой только потому, что он их делал".

Лев Толстой, "Хаджи-Мурат", глава 15

@темы: книги

---

@темы: видео

---

INT. SMAUG’S LAIR, LONELY MOUNTAIN - DUSK
ANGLE ON: BILBO pauses to control his BREATHING, which is getting LOUD. SWEAT runs down his FACE - it’s clearly getting HOT down there.
ANGLE ON: a FAINT GLOW emanates from the CAVERNS ahead – not from fire, but a DULL GOLD COLOUR.
MOONLIGHT is seeping into the CAVERNS, but not enough to show their true SIZE ... the SPACES open up and fade into DARKNESS.

BILBO marvels at the VAST CAVERN DWARF-HALLS rising above his head.
BILBO’s voice echoes faintly through the VAST CAVERN.

BILBO
(relieved whisper)
Not at home ... good, good, good.

CLOSE ON: BILBO’S FEET step onto GOLD COINS, and he attempts to avoid them ... but very soon that is IMPOSSIBLE. The FLOOR is covered in HILLS of GOLD ... not just COINS, but CUPS, TRINKETS, and TREASURE of all KINDS.
WIDE ON: The TINY FIGURE of BILBO quietly scrambles across a SEA of GOLD. BILBO moves SLOWLY, barely allowing his WEIGHT to move the GOLD MOUNTAIN.

BILBO (CONT’D)
(muttering to himself)
The Arkenstone ... the Arkenstone ...
(reciting under his breath)
A large, white jewel ... very helpful!

ANGLE ON: BILBO reaching out he pulls out a SMALL GOLD CUP unwittingly setting off a SMALL LANDSLIDE of GOLDEN COINS.
CLOSE ON: the last few PIECES OF GOLD fall away, to reveal:
THE BULBOUS LIDDED EYE of a HUGE SLEEPING DRAGON! BILBO FREEZES IN HORROR!
SMAUG is lying ASLEEP, burrowed under a mountain of GOLD ... A VAPOUR of STEAM gently RISES through a mound of SHIMMERING TREASURE. BILBO can now hear the SOFT SOUND OF THE DRAGON’S BREATH. The SLEEPING BEAST, almost entirely hidden, is just a few FEET away.
BILBO stares up at the GOLDEN MOUNTAIN towering above him and comes to realize that SMAUG is indeed a MASSIVE size!
SMAUG exhales and SHIFTS in his sleep; BILBO watches as MOUNTAINS of GOLD subtly heave and resettle throughout the huge GALLERY.
CLOSE ON: SMAUG’S BULBOUS EYELID flickers and TWITCHES!
BILBO, still clutching the small GOLDEN CUP, is in SHOCK.
Keeping his eyes trained on the DRAGON, BILBO moves towards the NARROW TUNNEL ENTRANCE, clutching the CUP in his hand.
ANGLE ON: A THIN, PIERCING RAY of RED, which emanates from beneath the DROOPING LID of SMAUG’S LEFT EYE.
CLOSE ON: BILBO reaches into his POCKET and pulls out THE RING as ... the EVIL LIGHT of SMAUG’S RED EYE sweeps across him.
BILBO stands poised with THE RING, too scared to move, as the LIGHT of SMAUG’S EYE suddenly returns ... it fixes on the little HOBBIT just as: BILBO jams THE RING on his FINGER and instantly DISAPPEARS!
SMAUG’S SLY, SONOROUS VOICE fills the chamber.

SMAUG
(musing to himself)
Well, thief ...

SMAUG’S GREAT HEAD swings just above BILBO, his reptilian EYES sliding from SIDE TO SIDE.

SMAUG (CONT’D)
I smell you - I hear your breath - I feel your air ...

CLOSE ON: BILBO frozen in FEAR as SMAUG’s ENORMOUS HEAD looms over him.
SMAUG (CONT’D)
(to himself)
Where are you? Where are you? ...
SUDDENLY BILBO turns and RUNS, skidding & sliding down the MOUNDS of GOLD, the GIANT DRAGON following the MOVEMENT of the precious COINS. BILBO flattens himself against the TUNNEL ENTRANCE. The great EYE of SMAUG scans the ROOM.

SMAUG (CONT’D)
Come now, don’t be shy ... step into the light....

SMAUG (CONT’D)
There is something about you ... something you carry? Something made of gold, but far more ... precious.

ANGLE ON: BILBO stares into the eyes of the GREAT BEAST as if hypnotised...
FLASH IMAGE: THE EYE OF SAURON! BILBO rips off the RING and hides behind another PILLAR.

SMAUG (CONT’D)
(snide laugh)
There you are, thief in the Shadows!

BILBO is frozen on the spot, finding himself eye to eye with the HUGE DRAGON.


BILBO
(quaking with fear)
I did not come here to steal from you, O Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy, I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence ... to see if you were as great as the old tales say. I did not believe them.

ANGLE ON: The GREAT DRAGON rises up ... his massive chest, encrusted in jewels, glints in the LIGHT ...

SMAUG
And do you now?

BILBO
Truly the tales and songs fall utterly short of your enormity, O Smaug, the Stupendous!

SMAUG
Do you think flattery will keep you alive?

BILBO
No ...?

SMAUG
No, indeed. You seem familiar with my name, but I don’t remember smelling your kind before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?

CLOSE ON: BILBO as he backs toward the safety of a pillar, something catches his eye.
ANGLE ON: a RADIANT light emanates from within a mound of TREASURE.

BILBO
(scrambling to answer)
I ... I ... I ...

BILBO edges towards the GLIMMERING LIGHT. Finally he can see it clearly ... a beautiful jewel, it is the most MAGNIFICENT thing he has ever seen. The ARKENSTONE!

BILBO (CONT’D)
(playing for time)
Well ... I come from Under the Hill.

SMAUG
Underhill ...

BILBO
And under hills and over hills my path has led.
(growing confidence)
And through the air ... I am he who walks unseen ...

SMAUG
Impressive ... what else do you claim to be?

BILBO
I am Luck-wearer; Riddle-maker.

SMAUG
Lovely titles ... go on.

BILBO
Barrel-rider ...

SMAUG
Barrels ... Now, that is interesting.


CLOSE ON: BILBO starts backing away down the steep hill of gold as SMAUG’S movements get more and more agitated creating landslides of TREASURE.

SMAUG (CONT’D)
And what about your little Dwarf friends. Where are they hiding?

BILBO
(panicked)
Dwarves?! There’s no Dwarves here. You’ve got it all wrong!

SMAUG
Oh, I don’t think so, Barrel-rider. They sent you in here to do their dirty work while they skulk about outside.

SUDDENLY the ARKENSTONE slides away as SMAUG’S huge body slides under the cloisters.

BILBO
(panicked)
Truly, you are mistaken, O Smaug, Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities.

SMAUG
You have nice manners for a thief and liar!

BILBO edges along the MOUND of GOLD trying to reach THE ARKENSTONE - SMAUG casts around wildly ... the ARKENSTONE slides further away.

SMAUG (CONT’D)
I know the smell and taste of Dwarf - noone better ... It’s the gold - they are drawn to treasure, like flies to dead flesh.

ANGLE ON: SMAUG is starting to get enraged!

SMAUG (CONT’D)
(roaring with fury)
Did you think I did not know this day would come ... that a pack of canting Dwarves would come crawling back to the Mountain?

Thin REDDISH FLAMES escape from SMAUG’S mouth and nostrils as he LAUGHS ... a devastating sound which shakes the very foundations of the MOUNTAIN. He smashes COLUMNS.

SMAUG
The King Under the Mountain is dead! I took his throne! I ate his people like a wolf among sheep. I kill where I wish, when I wish! My armour is iron. No blade can pierce me.

SMAUG suddenly whirls back around, his TAIL lashes furiously.
SMASHING into columns bringing them crashing down!

ANGLE ON: SMAUG moves stealthily through the CHAMBER ... his voice low and full of menace.

SMAUG (ADR PICK-UP)
It’s Oakensheild - that filthy, Dwarvish usurper! He sent you in here for the Arkenstone, didn’t he?

BILBO
No, no - I came of my own accord.

SMAUG
Don’t bother denying it - I guessed his foul purpose some time ago. But it matters not ... Oakenshield’s quest will fail ...

ANGLE ON: BILBO, hiding behind a pillar, as he listens to the sly voice of SMAUG.

SMAUG
You are being used, Thief in the Shadows... you were only ever a means to an end. The coward Oakensheild has weighed the value of your life and found it worth nothing.

ANGLE ON: BILBO as he tries to shake of the thought.

BILBO
No ... no ... you’re lying.

SMAUG
What did he promised you? A share of the treasure - as if it was his to give! I will not part with a single coin, not one piece of it.

ANGLE ON: BILBO races towards THE ARKENSTONE as SMAUG flicks his tail ... his massive body moves like lighting ... TREASURE erupts in all directions, sending THE ARKENSTONE flying away from BILBO.

SMAUG (CONT’D)
My teeth are swords! My claws are spears! My wings are a hurricane!

SMAUG flexes his WINGS, rising up on his haunches, in an awesome DISPLAY of POWER ...
BILBO stares in awe, then looks again ...
CLOSE ON: There, under one wing, is a bare patch of DRAGON SKIN.

BILBO
(under his breath)
So it is true. The black arrow found it’s mark.

SMAUG (ADR PICK-UP)
What did you say?

BILBO
(to SMAUG)
I was just saying your reputation precedes you, O Smaug the Tyrannical, truly you have no equal on this earth!

SMAUG‘s eyes fall to the FLOOR ... to something that lies near.
BILBO. The HOBBIT follows the DRAGON’s gaze ... it is the ARKENSTONE.

SMAUG
(soft laugh)
I am almost tempted to let you take it, if only to see Oakenshield suffer - watch
it destroy him, watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad.

CLOSE ON: BILBO listening intently to SMAUG’s words ...

SMAUG (CONT’D)
But I think not ... I think our little game ends here ... so tell me, Thief, how do you choose to die?

BILBO jams on the RING and disappears!
SMAUG roars and swats the spot where BILBO was just standing.
Enraged, he blasts the HALL with withering FLAMES!

@темы: видео, английский, фильмы

---

@темы: рисунки

---

Игорь Олейников, иллюстратор, прекрасен, как и всегда.

Как показать весь зоопарк разом?

Через систему видеонаблюдения.

Причем кто-то в камеру непременно состроит рожу,

а больших животных там транслируют на нескольких экранах, соблюдая масштаб.

@темы: рисунки

---

@темы: рисунки

---

искусство горящих следов

@темы: видео, музыка

---

@темы: музыка

---

Иногда мне больше по душе упражнения собаки.
Отсюда

@темы: видео

---

@темы: музыка

---

Что увидели, впервые открыв гробницу Тутанхамона?

@темы: видео

---

Игорь Северянин
Юг на севере

Я остановила у эскимосской юрты
Пегого оленя, — он поглядел умно.
А я достала фрукты
И стала пить вино.

И в тундре — вы понимаете? — стало южно…
В щелчках мороза — дробь кастаньет…
И захохотала я жемчужно,
Наведя на эскимоса свой лорнет.

@темы: стихи

---

Роберт Чеземан, главный сокольничий Генриха VIII, 1533 год. Нарисовал сокола Ганс Гольбейн. Такой замечательный портрет.

Отсюда

@темы: рисунки

---

В обратном словаре слова тоже располагаются по алфавиту, но с учетом не первых, а последних букв.

@темы: ремесло перевода

---

подбрось свои руны повыше

Английский оригинал:

@темы: фильмы

---

Мужик перебегает дорогу.
Перед ним тормозит машина.
- Для вас, козлов, переходы построили!
- Тю, надо же - на "вы" и по фамилии...

@темы: время дебильных шуток

---

Робот-шпион каракатица умеет менять цвет кожи - как самая настоящая каракатица.

Каракатицы общаются, переливаясь разными цветами, чуть ли не неоном.

И, видимо, робот светится и сияет на совесть, потому рыбы охотно идут с ним на контакт.

@темы: видео

---

Игорь Северянин
На реке форелевой

На реке форелевой, в северной губернии,
В лодке сизым вечером, уток не расстреливай:
Благостны осенние отблески вечерние
В северной губернии, на реке форелевой.

На реке форелевой в трепетной осиновке
Хорошо мечтается над крутыми веслами.
Вечереет, холодно. Зябко спят малиновки.
Скачет лодка скользкая камышами рослыми.

На отложье берега лен расцвел мимозами,
А форели шустрятся в речке грациозами.

@темы: стихи

---

Из лепестков цветущих розово-белых яблонь
Чай подала на подносе девочка весен восьми.
Шли на посев крестьяне. Бегало солнце по граблям.
Псу указав на галку, баба сказала: возьми!

Игорь Северянин, "День на ферме"

@темы: стихи