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August 29, 2001 - October 10, 2001

Wednesday, October 10, 2001
Barlimans News

Hall of Fire Chats for October 13th and 14th
-
Strider @ 18:10 PST

Throughout the months of shooting the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, at times Peter Jackson has had to make decisions to tinker with the way the books have been written so that they can be adapted onto the cinema screen, and of course fit within a nine hour timeframe. One of these decisions involved changing a theme that is a strong thread woven through J.R.R's literature, and bears with it some moral questions. Originally Tolkien wrote in the Silmarillion that orcs were created by the evil and perverse corruption of Elves, but instead when we go to see the Fellowship of the Ring, we will see a story about orc pods, genetically engineered armies of evil. This weekend, the Hall of Fire discusses Orc Breeding - The Interpratations of J.R.R Tolkien and Peter Jackson.

For some people, the way Peter Jackson is approaching the concept of Orc Breeding is a smart one. Time constraints, certification, editing out scenes, all these thing Peter Jackson had to take into account when writing the screenplay, and it seems the sum of these parts has created the story we will see over the next three years. The idea of a genetically created army of evil, hatched in cacoons and pods in the deep dungeons underneath Orthanc does have it's own moral weight, and is in it's own way appropriate in the 21st Century, where cloning is such a hotly discussed issue.

But is that an excuse to change another fundamental part of Tolkien's Middle-Earth creation? What would J.R.R say if he knew his vision of elves corrupted horribly by some dark lord is now reduced to some typically-Hollywood plotline involving some make-up and special effects. Must we suffer another needless, pointless story change which is a pale reflection on the original text? Do the advantages of adding this idea into the plot really outweight the disadvantages?

You might share the first view, you might share the latter, you may have a mild interest in the topic and no opinion, or have more important things to worry about. Whatever category you fall into, we want to see you visit us this weekend, as we host what promises to be another great debate!

Recommended Reading:
FAQ Movie Changes Page >
FOTR Trailer II Frame-by-Frame Analysis >
Lurtz Character Page>
LOTR Student Planner: Orc Birth >
Numenoreen Images: Various Cocoons 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8


Upcoming Discussions:
Oct 13 & 14: FotR Chapter Discussion - The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
Oct 20 & 21: FotR Movie Discussion - The Cast
Oct 27 & 28: FotR Chapter Discussion - Lothlórien

Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .

Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]

Sunday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 08:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]

Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]

ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour
AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast

Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.

Wednesday, October 03, 2001
Barlimans News

Hall of Fire Chats for October 6th and 7th
-
Strider @ 16:57 PST

Thirty-ninth heir of Isildur; Ranger of Middle-Earth; King of the reunited realms of Arnor and Gondor. As a child, he was brought into the home of Elrond as the son of Arathorn but both his identity and lineage were kept secret, and he was known as Estel; Hope. Most like Isildur amongst all his heirs he was, and it was at Rivendell that he first saw his future wife, Arwen Undómiel, daughter of Elrond. This weekend, the Hall of Fire discusses one of the greatest men in the history of Middle-Earth, a leader who shaped the future of men and the first king under the Reign of Men in Middle-Earth.

Aragorn son of Arathorn, Estel, Elessar, Strider

Despite only having a section of the Lord of the Ring's Appendices and a couple of pages in the Silmarillion dedicated to him, the story of Aragorn son of Arathorn could take up pages and pages in detail. An ambiguous and mysterious character throughout most of the books, only in the Return of the King did we see begin to see the true Aragorn, casting his Strider guise off like a coat.

But the War of the Ring is just a chapter in the book of Elessar Elfstone, his past and future a tale in itself. An heir of Isildur, the son of a slain father, the bearer of the forged sword of Narsil and the love of Arwen Undómiel. A man who walked the lands of Middle-Earth for years under the guise of Strider the Ranger, and a man who would become the first King of Middle-Earth.

This weekend, we expect a great discussion on the back of last week's higest ever-attended Hall of Fire. Tolkien scholar or day-old fan, we want you to join us at one of our three discussions and find out just what it is that's so great about the Hall of Fire!

Recommended Reading:
Aragorn Character Page >
The Lord of the Rings >
The Silmarillion >

Upcoming Discussions:
Oct 6 & 7: FotR Movie Discussion - Orc Breeding
Oct 13 & 14: FotR Chapter Discussion - The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
Oct 20 & 21: FotR Movie Discussion - The Cast
Oct 27 & 28: FotR Chapter Discussion - Lothlórien

Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .

Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]

Sunday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 08:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]

Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]

ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour
AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast

Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.

Wednesday, September 26, 2001
Barlimans News

Hall of Fire Chats for September 29th and 30th
-
Strider @ 18:06 PST

Words cannot describe the beauty of the Fellowship of the Ring Trailer II that was shown this Monday. If there were any doubts about Peter Jackson's adaption of the films, at least we know visually he has gotten it right. But what do you think? Did Monday's new trailer have you welling up inside? Did it fill you with a sense of pride as a Tolkien fan? Or was it the complete opposite, and do you think it's all gone horribly, horribly wrong? This weekend, we're going to be talking about the Fellowship of the Ring : Trailer II.

This weekend's discussion will be much more than just people's likes or hate, we'll also be discussing the scenes we saw in the trailer themselves, how they are connected to the books, how true they are to the novels and what we can deduce from the scenes themselves. Can a scene be improved on in the films by making additions on what it is based on in the book?

What about the score? What about the increasingly farmilir music that seems to have been tinkered with and given some more depth. Do you like it? And what about those quotes? "Come and claim him" and the passionate and heart-felt "You...shall...not...pass!". I don't know about you guys, but that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end! And that's what we want this weekend....your opinions, because that's what counts. So drop by this weekend on one of our three different discussion times and join another hugely-popular Trailer discussion. They've been a hit in the past, and this time should be no different!

Recommended Viewing:
Frame by Frame Analysis >

Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .

Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]

Saturday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 08:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]

Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]

ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour
AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast

Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.

Wednesday, September 19, 2001
Barlimans News

Hall of Fire Chats for September 22th and 23rd
-
Strider @ 17:16 PST

Unable to defeat the harsh and violent conditions of Caradhras, the Fellowship are forced to take another path which leads into a once proud place now consumed by evil. An eventful part of the movies, an important twist in the faith of the Fellowship and an incredible adventure, this weekend the Hall of Fire staff invite you to join us as we discuss the chapter that leads up to arguably the most important chapter in Book Two of Fellowship of the Ring:

Book II, Chapter IV: A Journey In The Dark

Wargs chasing them, the Fellowship find themselves in a race against the time as they are forced to find an alternative route to the unforging of the One Ring. With Legolas and Gimli bickering, and Sam fearful for the well-being of Bill the Pony, Gandalf attempts to quell the mixture of emotions experienced by the Nine Walkers as they walk into a place that even Gandalf the Istari fears.

But even entering the Mines itself prove difficult. A riddle in Elven-tongue of old manages to confound the Fellowship, who have to contend with a many-armed Watcher attempting to thwarth their quest. Once they finally gain access to the Mines themselves, they find that perhaps the darkness surrounding them can be an enemy itself.

This weekend, we have three discussions for you to share your thoughts on this chapter that explores the relationships of the Fellowship members in trying times if anything else. And this weekend sees the new time for Australian ringers, as our Hall of Fire chats move back three hours to 5pm AEST!

Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .

Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]

Sunday Chat: 5:00 pm (17:00) AET [also 8:00 am (08:00) BST and 3:00 am (03:00) ET]

Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]

ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour
AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast

Upcoming Discussions:
Sep 29 & 30: LotR Character Discussion - Aragorn

Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.

Wednesday, September 12, 2001
Barlimans News

Hall of Fire Chats for September 15th and 16th
-
Strider @ 17:48 PST

On September 11th, 2001 a tragedy occured that both shocked and appalled the world. At 8:58 am ET, the world stood still as an American Airlines airplane crashed into one of the famous World Trade Center towers. Originally believed to be an accident, only minutes later did the horrible truth become evident. Four planes hijacked, four crashed, thousands killed. A nation not only in chaos, but in confusion as a worst-case scenario became a scenario no longer. TheOneRing.net realise that this week reality, as horrible as it may seem, takes precendence over all else, and thus have postponed this week's Hall of Fire discussion.

Instead, we offer a forum for people to talk about possibly the key event of the 21st Century. This weekend, the Hall of Fire staff invite you to discuss this amazing and tragic story with not just Tolkien fans, but real people with real emotions who have seen the same images as each one of us. This weekend is not about Hobbits, or Orcs, or things of fiction. This weekend is about real people, thousands of people who died pointlessly, and it is for that reason that we cannot forget what happened in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on Tuesday September 11th, 2001.

Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .

Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]

Sunday Chat: 8:00 pm (20:00) AET [also 11:00 am (11:00) BST and 6:00 am (06:00) ET]

Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]

ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour
AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast

Upcoming Discussions:
Sep 22 & 23: FotR Chapter Discussion - A Journey in the Dark
Sep 29 & 30: LotR Character Discussion - Aragorn

Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.

Wednesday, September 05, 2001
Barlimans News

Hall of Fire Chats for September 8th and 9th
-
Strider @ 16:38 PST

As the clock ticks down and the number of days until the Fellowship of the Ring dwindle more and more (two years really flew by), solid information on the ins and outs of the Fellowship is hitting the Internet thic and fast. If you blink, you'll easily miss a fantastic image or tantalising piece of info. This weekend, the Hall of Fire takes a break from our Chapter discussions to discuss the Latest News and Rumours from the Fellowship of the Ring.

!Warning: Spoiler Discussion!

A Cannes Footage review. A beautifully detailed image of Legolas. A rumour of a new trailer in September. Fantastic picture after fantastic picture and some great quotes both sent to us by the same Ringer Spy. A redesign of the Decipher website, and some great info about our staff visiting DragonCon.

All that happened this week, and it's only a Wednesday.

See what I mean? Even I didn't even notice some of that news until now! And when you look at the bigger picture over the last couple months, and we've seen the TORn exlusive Witchking Armour, leaked scripts, Gimli trying to break the ring and Aragorn receiving the sword Narsil from a statue in Rivendell. Some of what we've heard over the last two months could be false, some could be mis-inteprated and some of what we've read might rear it's head in three and half months time as we're watching, and cast our minds back to this very moment when we think, "Hey, looks like they were right after all."

Whether you like the changes you've heard and or all for them, or think that every day Peter Jackson's trilogy strays another step from the books, we want to see you! Whether you've been checking each and every news article this Summer and knows more about this subject that most, or you're searching TORn archives for some of the tidbits I've just mentioned, we want to see you! This weekend is going to be a chance to talk with your fellow ringers about the number one picture in your life at the moment, so come visit us once, twice or three times this weekend!

Recomended Reading:
MTV VMAs Commercial >
Movie FAQ >
4 Lord of the Rings Trailers >
Detailed Look At Council Of Elrond Changes >
Witchking Armour >
New Lord of the Rings Poster >
Ringer Spy Morgoth1970 Stills 1 2 3

Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .

Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]

Sunday Chat: 8:00 pm (20:00) AET [also 11:00 am (11:00) BST and 6:00 am (06:00) ET]

Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]

ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour
AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast

Upcoming Discussions:
Sep 15 & 16: FotR Chapter Discussion - A Journey in the Dark
Sep 22 & 23: LotR Character Discussion - Aragorn
Sep 29 & 30: FotR Chapter Discussion - The Bridge of Khazad-Dum.

Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.

Wednesday, August 29, 2001
Barlimans News

Hall of Fire Chats for September 1st and 2nd
-
Strider @ 17:38 PST

Out rolls August, in rolls September and with it a new set of Hall of Fire topics! With 3 months plus to go until the films, it's fitting that the beginning of this month coincides with the theme of this weekend's discussion: the beginning of the Fellowship's journey. The Hall of Fire staff invite you to join us for three great discussions on:

Book II, Chapter III: The Ring Goes South

"Now the tale of Nine is filled. In seven days the company must depart." The words of Elrond after Pippin's plea for himself and Merry to be part of the Fellowship. The four Hobbits, Gandalf, Strider, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli face the most important journey of their lives. And as Frodo receives Sting and mithril chain mail from his Uncle Bilbo, we witness the end of Frodo the Hobbits and the beginning of Frodo the Ringbearer.

The first leg of the journey is to the Redhorn Gate, a pass under the peak of Caradhras. But as brave and valiant the Fellowship are, they are no match for the cruel and harsh conditions of the lofty peak. With freezing temperatures, piercing blizzards and an impassable terrain, the group of Nine are forced to turn away, defeated not by the armies of Sauron but by Nature itself.

We've seen various images from this sequence in the films, from Boromir looking at the ring as he holds it in the snow to Bilbo and Frodo talking in their room for one last time. This is the chapter that deals the first blow to the morale of the Fellowship, and also leads them to a different and more fatal path. We'd love you to join us this weekend and join in on what should be a fantastic discussion on the story.

Place:
#thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman's and then type /join #thehalloffire .

Saturday Chat: 7:00 pm ET (19:00) [also 12:00 am Sunday (0:00) BST and 9:00 am Sunday (09:00) AET]

Sunday Chat: 8:00 pm (20:00) AET [also 11:00 am (11:00) BST and 6:00 am (06:00) ET]

Sunday Chat: 6:00 pm (18:00) BST [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 3:00 am (03:00) Monday morning AET]

ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast
BST = British Summer Time, GMT +1 hour
AET = Australian Eastern Time, Australia’s East Coast

Upcoming Discussions:
Sep 8 & 9: The Latest Movie News & Rumours
Sep 15 & 16: FotR Chapter Discussion - A Journey in the Dark
Sep 22 & 23: LotR Character Discussion - Aragorn
Sep 29 & 30: FotR Chapter Discussion - The Bridge of Khazad-Dum.

Questions? Topics? Send ‘em here.


Go back to Barliman News Archives