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December 14, 2001 - December 21, 2001

Friday, December 21, 2001
Sydney LOTR:FOTR Premiere Report - Xoanon @ 22:32 PST
From: Niki B

I was at the Australian premier yesterday (Sydney) I arrived at George street at 5:30 with two friends and parents, expecting the actors to arrive at 6:30, but they came along, late, at about 7:45.

Hugo Weaving and Barrie Osborne came first and i got both their autographs!!

However, >:( , SOMEONE made the hobbits and Orlando run! GRRR... They went past us as a flash and blur of faces. In Orlando's case it was a flash and blur of red and white stripes from his great shirt. (I love his shirts) They went by so fast I don't even think I took any proper photos!! It was so fast I didn't even have time to process in my head what I was seeing!!

Dominic was muttering something like 'I don't believe I have to do this'. He stopped to sign something for someone who was yelling his name like crazy, but that's all.

Oh well. I suppose I should be thankful. after all, I don't think many people have seen them run, and at least I got two signatures!

If Orlando or Elijah or Billy or Dominic's reading this, please, please come back next year!!

Sydney LOTR:FOTR Premiere - Xoanon @ 13:22 PST
From: Kane

I was just at the LOTR premiere in Sydney - no I didn't have tickets, but I was there to see the films' stars..So here's my story:

We were told the stars would arrive at the George St. cinemas around 6:30-7:00 so we got there at 5:15pm. The red carpet was rolled out and we secured a position within the cinema towards the end of the line.

Already there were quite a large number of people lined up. Without dragging this story on too far, the stars were very late. They started arriving at about 7:40ish. First to arrive was Hugo Weaving, then came the films producer Barrie Osborne, Orlando Bloom and finally three of the hobbits (Elijah, Dominic and Billy).

It took some time for Hugo to get to the end of the line. He was quite friendly and signed a lot of autographs, but not mine...... burn...
Along came Osborne who was very friendly. He greeted the crowd on both sides signing autographs and chatting with everyone...Thankyou very much Mr Osborne!!

Anyway this is when the real burn occurred.. The time was 8:15 and I guess whoever was organising the whole thing decided that this was late enough so they rushed the stars through the line telling them not to sign autographs.. They were shoved through so quickly I didn't even have time to take photos. Dominic halted towards the end of the line to sign one autograph. Both he and Billy looked a little sorry/guilty for not stopping to sign autographs.. but they weren't to blame. Whoever is should be shot.

Anyway to sum it up, the atmosphere was good, it would've been nice to see more of the cast and it would've been great if we could see more than half a second of them. So it was quite disappointing, maybe I expected too much.

Athens GA LOTR Premiere Party Report - Xoanon @ 00:20 PST
Chris Knight Writes:

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa (my fiancee) thought this was kind of crazy to go to a *midnight* showing of a movie. But she couldn't tear her eyes off the screen. And NO ONE went to the bathroom: that's what the theater employees said later, that no one left at any time during the first showing of FOTR.

The theater was packed! Some came in costume. Both Lisa and me wore the TheOneRing.net shirts you guys gave us at Dragon*Con :-) I also made a sign (see photos) I waved around before the place went dark.

Seeing this was like watching the very first showing of "The Wizard Of Oz" or "Gone With The Wind". Nothing... and I mean *nothing*... in our lifetimes has come close, in this guy's opinion. Not "Schindler's List", not "Titanic", not even "Star Wars". We all laughed together. At times, we cried together. Darnnit someone shoulda told us to bring Kleenex! We came to care for these characters: I've never felt like crying when Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon was struck down... but I darn sure as heck cried with Frodo and Sam after they fled Moria.

Lisa had thought it was crazy. Now she wouldn't take anything for the experience of seeing FOTR at the first midnight showing. And that's only added to what I've come to believe the past 36 hours: this is the greatest movie ever made. Now on to "The Two Towers"!! :-)

Take care guys, and keep up the good work!! :-)

Chris Knight
TheForce.net Your Daily Dose Of Star Wars

Thursday, December 20, 2001
More Wellington Pics - Xoanon @ 21:49 PST
Ringer Spy DiTcH sends in these pics from the Wellington Premiere party.

Boston Premiere Party Pictures - Xoanon @ 16:57 PST
Ringer Spy Math sends along these pictures from the LOTR Line Party in Boston last night.


Montreal Premiere Party Report - Xoanon @ 15:57 PST
Last night in Montreal, like many other towns and cities around the world, we had our LOTR 'line' Party.

I was joined by the newset TORN Staffer Darthcleo she did an AMAZING job keeping things co-ordinated. I really must thank her for keeping everything in line.

We had about 60 meet us at the pool hall 'Le Skratch', we had some free food and pizza. The big pull was, however, the raffles we held for all sorts of LOTR goodies.

We later all went to the LOTR Premiere at the Kirkland Colisee amd had a great time!

Here are a few pics thanks to Darthcleo, if I find my camera I'll have some more for you soon!

Wellington LOTR:FOTR Premiere Reports - Xoanon @ 11:17 PST
From: Jenny

Hi - I've just come back from red carpet parade for the LotR premiere in Wellington. There was a great crowd of thousands. I got there at 4.30pm and got a "third row back" spot. By 6pm there were 20 or so rows deep of people in places.

Wellington turned on a very typical day: heaps of rain in the morning and lots of rain threatened for the afternoon. Around 5.30pm the wind got up to about the level that Wellington's mayor described as a "gentle zephyr" (i.e. bloody windy). Fortunately it did not rain which allowed the stars to spend plenty of time shaking hands, signing autographs and chatting with the crowd.

I've included photos of Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, and a group of Gondorian soldiers being followed by four hobbit children.

Elijah stopped immediately in front of me and was handed a mobile phone by one of the girls in the second row back. He spent about 2 minutes talking to the girl's mother before passing the phone back to the thrilled fan. His blue eyes were absolutely stunning (I thought the film makers might have slightly emphasised their blueness in the film but I can vouch for them being completely genuine) and he came across as a very nice guy.

The biggest cheers in the crowd were saved for Peter Jackson who was received rapturously by everyone. Wellington feels, quite rightly, that he has made us all extremely proud. Though it was great to see the actors, I suspect that most people were there in order to acknowledge and applaud Peter's fantastic efforts (and patriotic contribution to New Zealand's economy).

Now I can't wait until I see the film tomorrow!!

Emelan writes:

I've been reading theonering.net since you started in 1999, but have never had the guts up to write to any of you. Its a fab site.

Anyhow, I'm from Wellington and I just wanted to give you my lowdown on what went on in Courtney Place. IT ROCKED!

There were at least 10,000 people lining the barriers leading up to the Embassy. The carpet was said to be about 200 metres long, and people were lined at least 5 deep along its whole length. Down by the embassy there were just masses of people.

Gondorian guards were staged on the roof with the Cave Troll. They had the Ringwraiths on horses looking very scary by the entrance, then a whole group of Gondorian guards marched down the carpet with hobbits behind them.

The celebrity entrances were kick started with a powhiri (Maori greeting) by a local Kapa Haka group (Maori cultural group). If you've ever seen the Adidas advert of the NZ rugby team, the All Blacks, doing the haka you'll have an idea of what I mean. Pretty stirring stuff. Then the stars came out to play and I mean literally.

They looked stunned at the reception. A big screen had been erected so we the fans could see close-ups of all these fab celebrities. The best thing was watching them stop to sign autographs and chat to people. You could see they were buzzing over the atmosphere and I definitely saw Orlando spot someone he must have known in the crowd because he stopped to hi-five them and chat and they were at least 3 people back from the barrier.

The very best part of the premiere though was Peter Jackson, the movie showing ended up being at least half an hour late because he just would not stop signing autographs and talking to people along the length of the carpet. It is just another reason why we kiwis love him because he definitely showed he had time for us. But because he took longer than expected doing this, we could see the antics of Dominic, Billy, Orlando and Elijah. They were jumping around and tapping the camera lenses and just acting very laddish, very fun to watch.

I think Elijah summed their experience of this premiere up when he said that he was just felt stunned and humble at the reception they got and that out of all the premieres that they attended they wanted to come to this one. Now as your typical kiwi who generally doesn't like to brag, it made my heart go really warm.

Oh I just can't wait to see it, only nine hours to go before I see it at 6am.

Anyhow I'm sure Tehanu will give a bigger and better review of the lowdown, I'm off to watch the news to see if its on telly. I hope you find this gushing (yeah I couldn't help myself) report on our premiere of some use.

From: Soathus

Attended the Australasian premier in Wellington tonight, here are a few photos if you are interested.

It was amazing the number of people that came out; the energy was incredible. The cast in attendance were Billy Boyd, Dominic, Orlando, Elijah, Hugo plus some others (not of the fellowship); and of course Peter Jackson and Fran.

It was a magic experience. They gave our souvenir cards for the occasion and a couple of the cast signed my (Billy, Dominic plus Peter Jackson).

From: Democritus

I was there at the Premiere of the FOTR in Wellington, New Zealand, and I can tell you right now it was a joyous affair.

Fate has seemed to play an important part in the making of these movies, and it continued today at the premiere when all the weather forecasts predicted a continuation of the loathsome weather that Wellington has been experiencing recently, were proven wrong with an afternoon/evening that wasn't wet or windy.

I was there in the crowd that started big and just kept getting larger, absolutely cramming out the downtown centre of Wellington. Honestly I have not seen Wellington like this since NZ won the america's cup the first time round. And what a happy, buzzing, raptuous crowd it was too.

Highlights of the Premiere

There were so many, but here is just a few:

The hobbits: Elijah, Dominic and Billy: turned up laughing and giggling, and absolutely hammed it up for the cameras and the crowd, they were charm personified. Aided and abetted by an infectious Orlando Bloom who had a few girls gasping next to me let me assure you.

Hugo Weaving: A class act with a great voice and real presence, I can see why he made such a great Agent Smith (and will make a great Elrond).

Peter Jackson: while the crowd had great fun with the cast, and really enjoyed them, the real emotion was saved for Peter Jackson who got an absolutely raptuous reception when he arrived at the end of the procession, I think he was genuinely taken back by the hometown reception and looked absolutely proud and happy. In fact a new side of PJ was revelaed tonight, a PJ that was happy to hold up the start of the movie by almost half an hour as he interacted with the crowd, signing autographs, taking photos of himself with happy punters, and talking to anyone and everyone. It was a sight to behold.

The Gondorian warriors: earlier on a decent sized company of fully armoured gondorian warriors strode down the red carpet and went inside the embassy before reappearing on the Embassy roof behind the cave troll, where they stood at attention for the rest of the night, it was an awesome sight, and I hope that someone has pictures which they can post.

At one point some models of creatures that will be appearing in the second and third movies wandered their way down the carpet and interacted with the crowd (not Treebeard or Gollum obviously), I think I recognised a miniture oliphant at some point.

The Maori warriors, they brought in the procession and were a fearsome sight (and sound) in their face paint and exhibition.

One really cool thing was that before the LOTR crew was taken into the embassy, they were all called onto stage one by one for a few words by the evenings compere Jay Laigia. Dominic and Billy in particular were fantastic, as was LURTZ himself (or the guy that plays him at least), in fact one real treat of the evening was seeing him standing next to the tiny Elijah Wood. Lurtz could have taken Frodo in one gulp that's for sure. The actors seemed genuinely taken back by the crowd and the reception, and they all claimed that it was a bigger night than the London Premiere

Another nice touch just before the end was video recordings shown on the big screen of the actors and actresses that couldn't make it tonight including Viggo, Ian and liv. All said lovely things, as did the hobbits before they went in, including Dominic who said that they were all thinking of buying houses in Wellington, and raising children here etc.

The night ended with a surprise burst of streamers from out of every shop roof, and a happy cast and crew (and guests) going into the embassy.

A wonderful evening all round I would say.

Tuesday, December 18, 2001
AFI LOTR Screening Pics - Xoanon @ 01:03 PST
Ringer Spy Garfeimao sends us these pics from te AFI Screeing in Hollywood last Sunday. Take a look!


NYC LOTR Premiere Report - Xoanon @ 00:01 PST
From: Andrew V

I was clean shaven, my shoes were shined, and I felt like a million bucks walking down the red carpet to the 'Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring' Premier in New York City at Ziegfeld Theater.

After a few glasses of wine at a plush hotel pre-party I had no problem approaching all of the stars, who were kind enough to show up, such as actors Elijah Wood, Liv Tyler, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, as well as filmmakers Peter Jackson, Barrie Osbourne, and Philippa Boyens. And of course, New York Governer George Pataki arrived with his family and enjoyed the festivities as well. After the initial bombardment of press and people most of them actually had time to spend a few minutes talking one on one; there was even moment where Frodo and Sam jokingly slipped back into character when Elijah said, "Come on, Sam. Jump on my back!" And he did.

Around 7:30 the lights flashed and so we all made our way back down the red carpet to the theater, a truly breathtaking venue. After a few short speeches by Peter, Barrie, Gov. Pataki and others the lights dimmed down, the audience roared with anticipation, and the film began with no delays (or previews!)

The film opened with a dark prologue narrated by Arwen, and while the preciceness of exactly how the ring passed from one hand to another is not completely true to the books, the sequence and the effects are visually stunning, and you know right away that you are in for something special.

The beginning rightfully took its time with an incredible performance by Ian Holm as Biblo, but the story soon hurried along as Gandalf insisted that Frodo, and Sam, the eaves-dropper, leave instantly. Soon enough they come upon Merry and Pippin in Farmer Maggot's crops, who steal the show with their undeniably appropriate comic relief, and are then forced to join the company, which has come under the immediate threat of the Black Riders.

This excitement lasts for only a short while, as the hobbits soon reach the Buckleberry ferry and make it safely to Bree. From here, the film flies, as is only possible when adapting a Tolkien novel to film. Unfortunately, though, the film spends far too little time developing the subsidary characters, such as Elrond and Galadriel, yet it does do a great job of exploring the characters of the Fellowship. My only surprise was that the film portrayed Borimir as almost a bad guy from the beginning, perhaps helping to soften the blow of his death to an ignorant public.

At Bree, before the Hobbits even get settled in at The Prancing Pony, Frodo becomes panicked when his cousin starts shouting out his real name, rateher thatn Underhill, and Frodo suddenly falls over, releasing the ring into the air which then accidentally falls back down on to his finger. When Frodo reappears Strider grabs him and takes him away, sadly before we can even see the reactions of the locals. It is not until that they are on the road the next day that Sam begins to complain about the mystery of Strider, but this soon passes as they swiftly move through Weathertop and then, with the aid of Arwen, Frodo crosses the Ford. And YES, the White Horses in the roaring river water look awesome; better than that 'Mummy Returns' bull crap.

In Rivendell, Aragorn and Arwen share their first kiss, but this scene passes quickly, as most of the scenes seem to, in order to move the story along. At the Council the Fellowhip is soon formed after an argument breaks out and a reluctant Frodo finally anounces that he shall bear the burden. In this scene in particular, similarly with many others, the film fortunately remains closely true to Tolkien's dialogue, more often than not one is even able to guess the next line!

Also, the blue screen floor becomes very evident in this scene as well as a few others; however, the special effects never do overpower or draw anyting away from the film. In fact, the film creates an interesting interpretation of the world when the ring is on, a sort of windy/sandy, unbearable reality.

After failing to pass Carandrass due to the evil powers of Saruman, who actually plays a large role in the film, the Fellowship embarks on the most riveting scene of the film as they delve into the Mines of Moria. It is entirely edge-of-the-seat thrills from the Watcher in the Water to Gandalf's final showdown with the Balrog.

The journey swiftly moves to the Lady of the Wood in Lothlorien where the company enjoys a short rest, and Frodo, drawn by Galadriel, encounters the Mirror. This scene moves beautifully slow, in speech and action, after a dream-like manner.

With the Felllowship broken, and Men, Elves and Dwarves at odds, Frodo finally encounters Borimir in the wood. Unexpectedly though, Borimir becomes instantly confrontational with Frodo and even tackles him for the ring. Frodo soon escapes, and later, to the advisement of Aragorn, leaves and continues his quest once Sam leaps for his boat in a heartfelt moment of bondage.

After Borimir's death, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli finally form an alliance, deciding to let Frodo and Samwise be while they hunt for Merry and Pippin, who had been kidnapped by the Saruman's Orthanc bread Uruk Hai. At this point it is shocking to realize that the film has reached its final scenes; two hours and forty-five minutes really seems as though it passes in an hour, which should alone imply the brilliance of the experience.

After the show I grabbed my gift bag and got a chance to thank a few of the actors and Peter Jackson as the crowds poured out on to the streets and into the Limo's. It was an experience of a lifetime and worth every penny of it; the World Trade Ceneter Relief Fund received over $314,000 from the event. And I can not wait until the next installment! In the words of Elijah, "Loosen your belts because you are going to shit your pants!"

Monday, December 17, 2001
Hollywood LOTR:FOTR Premiere Report! - Xoanon @ 19:09 PST
From: Garfeimao

We drove to the Egyptian theater and got there with about 15 minutes to spare. We could see film crews and loads of people standing out in front of the theater as we drove into the parking lot. We had a choice between entering the theater from the backside, where the parking lot is, or of going around the building and coming in through the crowd. Well, that was a no-brainer, we decided to take the Red Carpet walk, and walked right by Liv Tyler as she was being interviewed by the press. Inside the theater was a bit of a madhouse, as they were giving out free popcorn and soda, but you had to stand in line, or should I say mob, to get to it. I decided to make a stop in the restroom before the film started, since it was going to be a long haul. We got to our seats with about 5 minutes before they started the introductions.

The head of the AFI (American Film Institute) Associated committe made a nice speech about how she thought we would all look back on this evening as being an historic event. She seemed confident that this film is destined to be marked as a classic, and I couldn't agree more. Then Bob Shaye from New Line got up and said some quick words then introduced Peter Jackson. Peter basically thanked New Line and his producers and writers, and crew, then he introduced the attending cast members. In attendance was Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Sean Bean, John Rhys-Davies, and Orlando Bloom. Once everyone took thier seats, the film began.

I won't bore you all with yet another review of the movie. I have not read any of the reviews written, because I wanted a fresh experience going into the film. I just want to say that I loved it, but will need to see it a few more times to get all the dialogue. I'm not sure if it's that I was sitting near a speaker, or if they just had it cranked up loud, but there were times when I could not hear what was being said. I'm a Line Party leader, so I already know that I'm going to the Tuesday, Midnight show and one of the afternoon shows on Wednesday, that should allow me to catch some of the missing dialogue. Also, I love Pippin and Merry, these two hobbits will have you in stitches. Sure, there are some changes from the book, we all knew going in what some of them were, and there are others, and it will be interesting to see how they develop the next two films around some of these changes. But enough about the film, let's get on to the post-party.

We arrived at the Sunset Room and discovered that most of the seating was either reserved, or already taken. Well, not a problem, we got ourselves some excellent food (including purple potatoes, no kidding) and stood next to a low wall and set the plates there. I got to eat next to Rick Baker, effects makeup maestro (not on this film), and we discussed the film as one fan to another. I watched John Rhys-Davies and Dominic Monaghan walk back and forth through the dining area, and then go into the dance room.

As soon as we finished eating, we went to the room where the music and dance floor were and the first person I ran into was Liv Tyler. Now, the theater manager where I am holding my Line Party had wanted me to invite Liv to our party, so I did. Of course, she said she was leaving town the next morning, and I told her that I figured that was the case, but that I wanted to be able to tell the theater manager that I had asked her. I also had her sign my ALA READ bookmark. She had not seen it before and was quite delighted with it and showed it to all her friends, which included Kate Hudson (Almost Famous). Standing nearby was Heath Ledger (hubba hubba), I got a picture taken with him, he's just too darn cute not to have gotten that. I had a small calendar with the movie pictures in it, and got that signed by several cast members. Dominic Monaghan was first, then Billy Boyd. When I told Billy that I thought he made a perfect hobbit and that I especially loved the jumping on the cave troll's head, his comment was "That was me", to which I said I knew that alreaady. He was quite adorable about it though, so I just had to mention it. Orlando Bloom was next, and was quite sweet to several kids before I got to talk to him. He was wearing the most ourtrageous outfit, which you will see in a picture I post, as soon as I get a chance to get them developed this afternoon. Sean Astin was there, with his father, John Astin. I had Sean sign the book, and while I was standing there, Robert Stack walked by and said something to me, but I have no idea what. Finally, after discovering some delicous desserts, I got the chance to talk with Peter Jackson.

I got a picture with Peter Jackson and had him sign my calendar, with everyone else. I then took a moment to talk to him, because I felt he needed to hear a fans perspective. I told him I loved the film, and that I had been worried it wasn't going to be what I had hoped for, but in the end, it was wonderful. I asked him if he was stressing out over the Tolkien fan's reactions to the film, and he was, but I assured him that most fans should be more than happy with the film. I then told him that I thought I saw him onscreen, and he confirmed that he is for a split second as the hobbits enter Bree. He was very nice, as was just about everyone else from the cast, so I was just floating on cloud nine most of the evening.

Most of the cast started heading out so they could sleep a bit before the long flight to New Zealand, so we decided to make out exit as well. Near the entrance, there is this small waterfall, and they were projecting "The Lord of the Rings" in yellow light through the water. I tried to take a picture of it, so we will see if that comes out. They handed us all free CD's of the soundtrack as we left, and I asked for the Aragorn cover. On the wall outside, in the parking lot, they had another projection, this time of the Ring, don't know how I missed that when we first came in. We waited for our car to be brought out, and I was asked by a fan for my CD, which I declined. I suppose I could have given it away, as I have one, but I actually want to use it as a giveaway at my line party. I only took about 8 pictures, as it just didn't seem the type of place to act too fannish. Although, I do think I came off a bit star struck, but then again, I got to talk to elves and hobbits and Heath Ledger (sigh), so I just don't care if I looked like a fan-geek. I suppose I was expecting that a benefit for the AFI might just be a movie screening, and not the big Hollywood premiere event it was, so I was just so happy to be there. As soon as I get these pictures developed (next few hours) I send them to you to put up. That's about all I have to say, except for a big thank you to all the cast, crew and Peter Jackson for making such a wonderful film version of a beloved book.

NYC LOTR:FOTR Premiere! - Xoanon @ 18:53 PST
From: Zorina

New York Premier of Lord of the Rings was a marvelous experience and a huge success! A very well organized team of New Liner's worked diligently to help people make it through ticket and security checkpoint, pass representatives of every major media outlet and into the beautifully appointed Rhiga Royal Hotel. The reception room filled quickly as the pre-show cocktail party to benefit the World Trade Center Relief Fund began. Fine wine and appetizers were served in abundance. Having been to enough charity events to recognize the same dull small talk and see that it was the usual group that was forming I decided to return to the red carpet to watch the stars arrive and handle the press.

First down the line was Ian McKellan. This man is the definition of the word gentleman. His courtly bearing defines style; his speech was soft yet powerful in its message. One after the other he responded to questions, never once breaking a sweat, always with a gentle smile.

Next was John Rhys-Davies in an elegant tuxedo. Nothing prepared me for JRD. It was as if lightheartedness entered the arena to chase away the hohum. How can you look at this man and not want to smile? He has a knack for bringing out the warmth in people, yes even reporters! He has a very reassuring presence and was very amiable to all, even the most annoying reporter.

Out of nowhere Orlando Bloom seemed to have emerged and while I liked him in his Mohawk haircut from last summer, it was pleasing to see he had let his hair grow back. A very kind and considerate man, he is fully able to melt women's hearts with a mere glance. Standing near him you get the feeling he is assured of himself and the direction he wishes his life to take.

Once Elijah Wood stepped onto the carpet all the cameras started flashing. This young man is a vibrant bundle of energy. It was amazing to watch him bounce from one reporter and TV crew to another. His smile was wide as he allowed the New Line PR person to drag him from spot to spot along the line. Warm hearted, caring, gentle and very kind, he impressed me. For a young man of some twenty years he acted far wiser then his years would dictate reasonable.

Suddenly I saw Sean Austin hugging Elijah as they gabbed with one of the TV crew. Where he came from I do not know, but seeing him you saw optimism. You look into Sean Austin's eyes and see depth of spirit. He is the kind of person you would wish to have the honor to call friend for friendship, in its truest sense is what he evokes.

Billy Boyd and Dominick Monaghan seemed to arrive together and remain inseparable. These two have a bond of friendship that is rare and delightful to witness. Watching them, you can envision them in ten, or twenty years down the road still being friends. Dominick Monaghan has bright eyes that sparkle with playfulness. His countenance expresses joy and just plain happiness. Billy Boyd arrived wearing a kilt and ladies this man has wonderful legs! But it was Billy's effervescent smile that captured my attention as well as his brilliant wit. Where Dominick defines brightness, Billy defines charming.

Sean Bean strolled down the lane of reporters and spoke in a very soft voice. A quiet sort, I got the impression that if he knew you better, you would be privileged to see the deeper, more compassionate side. The key word here is refinement.

Liv Tyler is the epitome of grace. She arrived fresh from the Letterman show and walked down the now familiar path talking in a rather breathless kind of voice. She was by far the most glamorous of all those present.

Peter Jackson was the last to arrive and the most impressive. He does look like a hobbit in real life, or at least he reminds you of one. I had the briefest of moments to speak to him and found him very warm-hearted, kind and gentle. He has a soft voice yet his choice of words are poignant, the mark of a true writer.

Everyone enjoyed the cocktail party and just as soon as it began, we were being summoned to go to the theater a few yards down the block. In front of the theater another pack of paparazzi where eagerly awaiting the arrival of the stars. Inside everyone received free popcorn and soda to enjoy during the movie. A few speeches were made during which it was noted that this event raised $315,000 for the World Trade Center Relief Fund. The Governor thanked the producers for arranging the benefit for the fund, and thanked all the members of the NYC fire and Police departments for their outstanding work.

Mr. Peter Jackson took pride in introducing the cast of his film to the audience and with each introduction a large round of applause was let loose. He mentioned briefly all those who were involved in the film but couldn't be present were duly noted in the 11 minutes of credits at the end of the film which brought a chuckle. As the lights darkened, the cast spread throughout the theater to find their seats.

The film began and with the introduction of each character on screen, the audience applauded once again, something I never saw happen before. The film is absolutely amazing. I will not post any analysis or spoilers here but let me tell you this is one film you must see and plan on seeing not just once or twice but at least 3 or more times.

As a writer who has done a screenplay or two, when I sit down in a movie theater to watch a film, inevitably I get caught up in spotting errors, or spend the movie immerse in analysis of how the characters are being played, story structure etc.

During the viewing of Lord of the Rings; The Fellowship of the Rings something astounding occurred. I forgot work and became entrenched in the world of Peter Jackson. Yes, this hardened cynic stopped to be amazed, dazzled and awed by the tremendous achievement of Mr. Jackson. As a die hard fan and purist at heart, I support this film for its breathtaking achievement. The changes from the book kept in line with the characters nature and do not detract from the story.

When I walked out of the theater I was sad that I would have to wait 5 more days before I would be able to see it again. Run! Don't walk, to your nearest theater and enjoy the show!

Sunday, December 16, 2001
NYC LOTR Premiere Pics! - Xoanon @ 20:03 PST
Hobbit Ranger Anne writes: While I was sitting too far away at the NYC premiere to get really good pictures of the cast as they came to the front of the Ziegfeld, here are the images I was able to get. They're rather grainy and dark (the flash didn't carry well), but hopefully they'll be good enough to post! The very tall man standing behind PJ in the photos is Governor Pataki!


One Man's Travels In The Land Of Mordor - Strider @ 14:53 PST
PuLse writes:

I created a page describing the area of New Zealand where Peter Jackson filmed the scenes for the Land of Mordor. It informs you of the geography, geology and vulcanology of the area. You will learn about Mt. Ngauruhoe, the volcano Peter chose as Orodruin ("Mount Doom") for the trilogy (and for good reason, it's a near perfect match!). It also includes a great review of the Tongariro Crossing or "Gorgoroth Crossing" in Tolkien's world. You are welcome to post on your website. It is possible some of your readers will be intrigued by the magnificance of this area used to depict the climatic scenes; and may someday want to venture through there if they ever get a chance to visit New Zealand. Here is the url: www.madhack.com/~pulse/lotr/orodruin.html

Jude Fisher & Brian Sibley in Glasgow - Xoanon @ 12:14 PST
From: Oscar

Last night I went to Waterstone's Event here in Glasgow, Scotland with Jude Fisher & Brian Sibley recollecting their stories about their trips to New Zealand and what got them involved in Tolkien in the first place.

I was certainly impressed by Jude Fisher, when she revealed that she in fact was the publisher of HarperCollins if I am not mistaken. They both have got this amazing storytelling feeling about Lord Of the Rings that is breathtaking.

What I found most interesting was how the Tolkien estate is at odds with the rest of Hollywood as described in various media reports. What I didn't really know was that The Tolkien estate thinks that the books are unfilmable yet they tried to see if it was possible and in 1957 were right when Tolkien was miffed at the sights of the results.

During the Q & A, it was revealed that the DVD will be two discs with on the 2nd with at least 40 minutes of deleted scenes as the supposed Director's Cut is 4 hours long. Also that they want to hold a 10 hour screening once all three movies are completed and released.

Waterstone Glasgow Fellowship of the Ring Event - Strider @ 09:43 PST
Oscar sent in this report on how he faired at a Waterstone special Lord of the Rings in Glasgow.

Last night I went to Waterstone's Event here in Glasgow, Scotland with Jude Fisher & Brian Sibley recollecting their stories about their trips to New Zealand and what got them involved in Tolkien in the first place.

I was certainly impressed by Jude Fisher, when she revealed that she in fact was the publisher of HarperCollins if I am not mistaken. They both have got this amazing storytelling feeling about Lord Of the Rings that is breathtaking.

What I found most interesting was how the Tolkien estate is at odds with the rest of Hollywood as described in various media reports. What I didn't really know was that The Tolkien estate thinks that the books are unfilmable yet they tried to see if it was possible and in 1957 were right when Tolkien was miffed at the sights of the results.

During the Q & A, it was revealed that the DVD will be two discs with on the 2nd with at least 40 minutes of deleted scenes as the supposed Director's Cut is 4 hours long. Also that they want to hold a 10 hour screening once all three movies are completed and released.

Norwegian Screening Report - Strider @ 06:48 PST
Ringer Spies Kerb and Th0rny write: Ok, we just got home from seeing the most epic movie ever produced. I am still blinded by its absolute beauty that if you would please bear with me while I praise this glorious piece of cinematic presentation. At 4.45 pm we arrived at the Colosseum cinema in Oslo, the capital of Norway. This, of course, was a pre-screening, which my friend luckily won tickets for through a competition in one of Norways biggest newspapers, Dagbladet. A red carpet greeted us, and we entered. A lot of people was hanging around, most in suits. I was extremely excited to see this movie, having read the books (ofcourse) and seen the trailers and followed the news every day. When we entered the cinema auditrium we saw a huge ring spinning on the screen, with sponsors logos in the middle.. It kind of gave me a nice mood =D We found our seats, and waited.. and waited..

It turned out that Princess Märtha Lousie of Norway, and her new fiancee Ari Behn was late for the screening, so we waited a little longer. When they showed up (finally) Ingeborg Moræus Hansen, chief of cinemas in Oslo, held a speech for the couple, and talked a little bit about the ingeniousity of the film.. Then, it started. Seeing the foggy New Line Cinema logo gave me the chills, it was finally starting, what we had waited 3 years for, and slept two nights in the cold streets in Oslo for "mere" premiere tickets, and here we were, at the screening..

Now, in short terms, I will just tell you what we thought about the movie, without telling much about it. Shivering through the entire start, with Isildur claiming the ring and such, and later, the cozy and farm looking Hobbiton, which I was utterly amazed by.. This entire movie is a masterpiece, litteratic brilliance brought to the big screen. Such things as Tom Bombadil being left out of the movie, did not even concern me while watching it, nor after. They have truly given flesh to the words describing Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, and all the others. Sometimes you were frightened, some times almost at the brink of weeping, and oh, all the dramatics, ABSOLULUTELY AMAZING! I truly do not even know what I am typing right now, because the amazement is still deep in me. It has been woven, to almost perfection, everything seems, as it is supposed to be, even though they are not 100% accurate to the books.

Well, I am off now, and I guarantee for those of you who have not seen this brilliant piece of art, you will be amazed, you will be frightened, you will shiver.. ONE MOVIE TO RULE THEM ALL, ONE MOVIE TO DEFEAT THEM, ONE MOVIE TO OUTSHINE THEM ALL, AND IN THE DARKNESS GRIND THEM! My god, this is really it.

Saturday, December 15, 2001
Canadian LOTR Premiere Report - Xoanon @ 13:34 PST
Phyoras writes: I was lucky enough (very lucky) to get tickets, which were being auctioned for $8000 Canadian (I got mine for free!), to the Canadian primier of FOTR! I got these amazing ticket cards which said "PJ and JRD invite you to the Canadian primier of LOTR", and also a little replica ring with elvish markings on it, which was the ticket to get into an exclusive after party. When I arrived at the theater there were many media and *personalities* around, and I was forced to give up my admitance card, which I really liked!

When I got inside the theater, there was a String quartet playing classical music and an opera singer, which preformed for about one hour. After the quartet finished playing, the FOTR soundtrack was played over the sound system in preperation for the fim. Next a spot light appeared on stage and PJ and JRD came down the isle and made an introduction (and some jokes about Canadian weather). After the introduction the theater went completely dark and PJ and JRD came up the isle (which I had positioned myself perfectly in)! Just as PJ came by I stuck out my hand and said, "Mr. Jackson... Mr. Jackson...." He turned around in the dark and I said, "I just wanted to thank you so much for making this film." He seemed very pleased and shook my hand, and said *delightedly* (since I was the only one who stopped him), "Thank you very much". And then just before they left JRD whispered, "Watch out for the dwarf!" And that made everyone around me laugh.

There was also an after-screening party, but for some other important reasons I wasn't able to go to it. But thats ok with me! I have been very lucky and this was truly one of the best experiences of my life!

Oh, and about the film......... It was amazing! Best acting! Best special Effects! Best Story ;)! It felt a bit rushed to me.... but thats just because I'm used to the pace of the books! Truly an amazing film!

London Premiere of Fellowship of the Ring - Xoanon @ 13:24 PST
A Night To Remember

Hullo all my dear hobbitlings! I have as yet another tale with which to enrich your imaginations and lighten your hearts. This is of course a detailed account of my time at the Premiere of all Premieres…the Premiere to rule them all! To start off I feel it necessary to explain exactly HOW a hobbit like myself (however adventurous and daring) got into an event like this! Well I shall tell you……

The reason I have been in England this year is because I have been taking care of my mother who has been dealing with M.S. (Multiple Sclerosis), and has been taking advantage of some wonderful Alternative medicine which has done her ever so much good. It has been a very tough time for me and my family, and one of my only solaces (other than God and my family)has been the joy I have had from Tolkien and the films to be released. I want to thank TheOneRing.net for being such a wonderful and fun site with magnificent people running it.

My dad perhaps more than anyone else understands my love for JRR Tolkien and was the person who first introduced me to the Hobbit when I was 8 years old. He became aware of the tickets to the London Premiere being auctioned on ebay and out of sensitivity and love he took it upon himself to bid on it. He won it just barely, sacrificing a LOT to get it for me. It was VERY difficult for him….and indeed the dollars that marked the winning bid was a wound of love on a father trying to keep us going financially. It was such a miracle….and I know deep in my heart that it was not riches or pride or any other earthly thing that made it possible for me to go to the most special event I have ever been to in my life……it was my father’s love, and I am forever grateful.

So what was this MARVELOUS event like? Well exactly that….MARVELOUS!

Papa, Mama and Pippin Skywalker arrived by cab into Leicester Square at about 5:40pm….that being before the doors to the theater were supposed to be opened!
We all got out of the cab and walked up to Security so they could check our tickets. After that I took perhaps the most EXHILIRATING walk of my life toward the magnificent marquee where the Premiere was to be held. There was a HUGE billboard over it of the Fellowship Poster and standing on pedestals were several rings all lit on fire! (Very neat effect!) We now walked down the major walkway leading to the theater…..there were HUNDREDS of mad hobbit fans waiting behind barriers…..and we were some of the first to walk down where the cast and director were soon to walk! Upon entering the place we found ourselves in a large white walled room where tons of press people were waiting. We walked through them and came to the doors of the auditorium where Middle Earth was to come alive! We were the first ones seated….and none of the cast and crew had come yet….THAT is how early we were! The grand heart pounding soundtrack was singing forth with full voice, and later on they played the most recent theatrical trailer to make the audience drool just a little more before the film. Finally the screen switched to the outside walkway where the stars were now coming in. They also showed them being interviewed in the foyer….before they all walked RIGHT behind our seats (which were in the back) to pile on stage with Peter The Great (You KNOW of whom I speak) to be introduced to the crowd.

Everything started much later than was meant, and the film did not START until 8:00 p.m. It ended at about 11:00, after which everyone jostled into coaches and cabs to go to the Premiere Party. We three Skywalkers found ourselves a transport and headed on what seemed a long ride (in traffic) to this lovely place on the river. We arrived at around 11:30, and walked past these fellows in costume who were tending roast piggies on spits….roast chickens too….and who gave out chestnuts (how sweet!) to the passersby. As I came to the door of the place I could see a hint of the GRANDEUR that was this Party. We all walked in and WHAT a SIGHT it was! There was a long red carpet on the left on which was a wall made up of LOTR wallpaper (YEAH BABY!) and on the right was a large number of press. After coming to the end of this we came into a STUNNINGLY decorated place. Sets had been flown in from New Zealand, there were Christmas lights, people in costume….and most of all….PLENTY of dining rooms STUFFED with enough food to feed half the Shire. Each eating room had a different design and feel. There was a room which had a Rivendell theme, A Barliman’s theme, and there was Hobbiton eating room! We were led to the latter and sat down at a round table with cloth of blue and white checks that was decked with a BIG bowl of bread, a lovely plate of cheese and crackers….BOY did I feel at home! There were 8’ x 11’ pictures depicting scenes from the movie ALL over the place. The hobbit room where we were had a long buffet table where you could get hobbit sized portions of potato salad,chicken pastry pies, regular salad with a creamy dressing….I mean…this was what it must have felt like to eat at Bilbo’s birthday party! I was in complete bliss….here I was I had JUST seen the film for the FIRST time….and now I was sitting in this WORLD class party with all these AWESOME sets, paintings, torchlike lamps…not to mention all the stars, and I had my family with me! It was GREAT! We were sitting at our table when we were joined by a hobbit sized fellow with a friend of his.

APPARENTLY,this turned out to be THE man who had done ALL the stunts for Frodo, Merry, Pippin and Sam!!!! What an honor! Later Merry himself came over and had some pictures taken with us…..that is right…Dominic Monagan himself! He turned out to be a very nice down to middle earth fellow indeed! I am happy to say that this film’s cast was not only talented but friendly. We finished supper and then decided to look around a bit. So Daddy Hobbit and myself got up and went into the next room where they had actual props from the film itself….. (Note to People Who Decorated and did the exhibits: You ROCK) they had THE ONE RING on display….a ringwraith sword…Galadriel’s vial…and much more! The place was just RUNNING over with beautiful sets, food stalls and baskets with apples and pears. Another AMAZING thing of note was the dance floor. Now this ladies and gents was NOT your ordinary dance floor…..on it there was a HUGE stone statue of a ringwraith on horseback and special effects lights that made red elvish letters in circles (like a ring) swing around on the wooden floor. MAN that was WAY COOL!!!! Calling all elves and hobbits to party like it was the Third Age…LOL!

We walked about a bit and who would I see but Billy Boyd who plays my namesake Pippin in the films! He is such a funny and nice little Scotsman….and he is a masterpiece in the film. I asked him to sign my book and address it To Pippin Skywalker…..lol….I got a real kick out of that! Later on we got my mom and pushed her in her chair all around the place. We met some REALLY interesting people….they just seemed to pop up out of nowhere! We were waiting to talk to John Rhys Davies (who I had met the night before when we picked up the tickets) when along came Ian “Gandalf” Mckellan!!! He was kind enough to take a picture with us and to autograph my Visual Companion on his character page! WOW! We talked to John, (who has grown very fond of us) and were later joined by Richard Taylor….the Effects Master for the film!!! He was extremely nice and sensitive to my mom and was so tender hearted he took the pin he was wearing shaped like the eye of Sauron (the LAST one!) and pinned it on for her. What a sweet man! Papa hobbit had meanwhile successfully fished out Bilbo Baggins and brought him over to us! We got some pictures taken with him and Richard….what a joy! We went on to meet Barrie Osborne, Sean Astin and Peter the Great himself!!! We had a wonderful, WONDERFUL time. Elijah Wood was just finishing talking to some folk and was about to leave (he was REALLY tired and done talking for the night) but his assistant was moved and asked if he would speak to my mom and us. He did…..and my mom told him how much his films had meant to her. He was really touched by that and gave her a big hug.

Later on we decided to have dessert in the Rivendell room. My dad found some nice salmon there…and because of that he said the Elven food was better. It was a truly glorious and magnificent night….the best I have had…..I will always remember it. I had my visual movie companion signed by many of the cast: Elijah Wood, Dominic Monagan, Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson, Ian Holm, Ian Mckellan, Barrie Osborne, John Rhys Davies and Andy Serkis who did the voice of Gollum. Many thanks to all the wonderful people at New Line who made this all possible for us and tried their very best to make us comfortable and at home. Special thanks go to Carrie Williams, Paul and Renee (the latter of which said he would look for this report here on TORN). I really appreciate you all! Thanks for the autograph Renee! LOL

We walked out of that magnificent palace of dreams in the wee hours when the party was over and everyone was streaming out. As we left we got some favors in a bag which included a Frodo Baggins hologram mousepad (I’m guessing it was a mousepad…lol) some fine silver figures of Gandalf and Frodo, the soundtrack to the film and a hand cream from New Zealand. It was truly a night which will be forever housed in the fair halls of memory, and shall eternally dwell as a fair elven spirit returned to Mandos.

Now I am sure many of you fine folk would like to know how the film was. Well I shall tell you. It was WONDERFUL, different than I expected, but WONDERFUL…. the acting was EXCELLENT, and there were some scenes that just HIT home. Ian Mckellan brings a BRILLIANT amount of tenderness to the role of Gandalf which was beyond all belief and expectation. Elijah Wood was wonderfully cast as Frodo and John Rhys Davies gave to Gimli’s role Shakespearian level acting. Viggo Mortenson and Sean Bean brought depth to their roles and gave Boromir’s death such poignancy in the end that perhaps no fantasy film has ever had. Cate Blanchette’s melancholy and relieved manner when she said she would diminish and remain Galadriel was so touching to the heart you could not help but love her for that instant of humanity. And did I mention that Billy Boyd brought an amazing amount of genius and sweetness to the role of Pippin? If you previously were not a fan of that character you will be now, and will come to love the adorable Oliver Twist innocence and humor of the role. GOOD choice!

It is the greatest fantasy film ever made….well put together….a work of genius by Peter Jackson. There are MORE things than Tom Bombadil missing I’ll tell you that but you will love the movie all the same. I do agree though with one reviewer who said that the film leaves you hungry for the next installment; this is true.

Well that is the tale my children….and I hope that as you sleep you will have sweet dreams of the joy that is to come in the shape of a great film.

Special Thanks To: Renee (New Line), Paul (New Line), Carrie Williams (New Line), Hannah (Isle of Sky Productions), Joseph, Daddy and Mommy Skywalker, Boudi, Strider (who told me there even was a ticket!), Grandpa & Grandma Skywalker, Dorian, and Sir Gimli, the greatest dwarf in all of Middle Earth!

News From The Philippines - Strider @ 11:28 PST
Aileen from the Philippines sends in this information on the release date, competitions and everything else 'Rings related.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring will be released in the Philippines on January 4, 2002 - Pioneer Films (distributor).

Advance screening will be held on December 21, 2001. Contests through SMS (mobile textmessaging) are being conducted to give out premiere screening tickets. Advance screening for LOTR:FOTR here is on December 21, 2001. (And I won two premiere tickets, YES!)(I literally jumped for joy after I won)

The contest procedure is simple, Globe subscribers (cellphone company) must forward "LOTR" to a number on cue when a DJ in 99.5 RT (local radio station) annouces contest and wait for a reply about LOTR Trivia. Once received, one must call the radio station and read the trivia on the air. Here are samples of the LOTR trivias being given out through SMS:
(1) LOTR has inspired many of the greatest moviemakers, for example George Lucas has cited it as a major influence for his Star Wars trilogy.
(2) In a story forecating next years Oscar contenders, the Los Angeles Times posted LOTR with 18-1 odds of walking off with Best Picture.

LOTR merchandise have already arrived here, some of which are:
(1) The Trilogy Books: The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowhip of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. These are paper backs from Del Ray
with movie tie-in covers. It arrived last November 2001. It has been in our top 10 bestsellers for that month.
(2) Action Toy Figures from Toy Biz have limited distribution already in some department stores.

But I am still waiting for other merchandise to arrive like:
(1) LOTR OST
(2) The Official Movie Guide
(3) Visual Companion

LOTR:FOTR posters have been on display in some of our bigger theaters since October 2001.

That's it from the Philippines.

Tolkien's Readings Of Books Available Streamed - Strider @ 11:10 PST
Al writes: I'm sure that you've heard of a record that was made a long time ago that has recordings of Tolkien reading some exerpts from his books. Well, I have that record. It is pretty cool. I have recorded it and encoded it into mp3 format and put it on my streaming server for anyone who wants a listen. [More]

Friday, December 14, 2001
London Premiere Pictures! - Xoanon @ 18:52 PST
Ringer Spy Fergus sends us his pics from the December 10th premiere of LOTR:FOTR! Take a look:


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