While the second installment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy has brought the J.R.R. Tolkien universe back into the pop culture spotlight, this treasure I just discovered is a crazy/beautiful Arkenstone of its own.

Made with no license from the Tolkien estate, this 1985, Soviet era, Russian language film of The Hobbit is as bizarre as it is beautiful. There are no subtitles here, but anyone interested in a Tolkien post must know the story well enough to follow along. This is a condensed telling of the tale that omits key characters like Beorn and beloved sequences like the dwarf company’s encounter with the trolls.

In the Peter Jackson films, his ability to bring the creatures and atmosphere of Middle Earth to life are part of the draw. Ironically, this film’s terrible effects and makeup are just as endearing for all the opposite reasons — they pulse with handmade charm and DIY resourcefulness, expressing an unfettered love for Tolkien’s great adventure book.

You may not be up to following this for over an hour, but hit play and skip around — the spider sequence is mind blowing and Smaug the dragon has to be seen to be believed.

Here is The Fairytale Journey of Mr. Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit.

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