Barliman's regular Will sends along this link to a site that has had our staff ROTFL. Subtitled "Superglued Myself to a Flaming Bowling Ball", this hilarious spoof from Jerry the Frog Productions should make you laugh out loud. (Warning; SPOILERS, sorta ; ) ) [more]

The January 18th edition of 'Heart of the City' features this little goof on geeking out on the TTT DVD. [More]

The votes are in, every ballot has been counted, and PREMIERE's inaugural Movie Awards Jury has bestowed honors upon the finest performances and highest achievements in 2003. Indie upstarts battled it out with studio giants; a veteran funnyman's midlife crisis gave a grieving father a run for his money; a beauty became a beast to edge out a precocious ingenue. In the end, there was one ring to rule them all and it was a very good year to have gills. [More]

ROTK has won: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography & Best Visual Effects

LOS ANGELES - The Producers Guild of America gave the makers of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" the top award at the 15th Annual Producers Guild of America Awards. Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne and Fran Walsh produced "Return of the King," the last installment of "The Lord of the Rings" fantasy trilogy. "Return of the King" is widely considered the franchise's best shot to take top honors at the Academy Awards. [More]

Ringer Spy Suzanne sends along these images from a photo exhibit which was opened and hosted by Viggo Mortensen in California. Take a look! [More]

Ringer Spy Nazz attended the MANY press confrences during the ROTK media blitz last month. In this article he chats with Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom. Special thanks to Rip It Up Magazine in South Australia for this transcript. [More]

The Producers Guild of America honored New Line's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" with the Darryl Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in theatrical motion pictures during its awards ceremony Saturday night. Producers Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh won for "King." Read all about it via the wonders of Google news. [More]

Ashley, Katrelya, Merry Hatebear & Kailin were some of the lucky people who met Andy Serkis last night in Pasadena California for the last stop in his cross-country tour to promote the book 'Gollum: How we made movie magic'. [More]

Altaira writes: National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition Sunday" will have an interview with Andy Serkis as part of its Sunday morning programming. So, tune in!

blanche_niphredil Entertainment Weekly reported a new sci fi movie coming out staring John Rys-Davies called "Dragon Storm". It will premiere Sat, Jan 24 at 9/8C. The Sci-fi movie is about "two feuding kings... who join forces to combat a posse of dragons..." EW reports, and they gave it a B-. [More]

NEW YORK — The view from Middle Earth must look pretty good to Sean Astin. At 32, Astin's back on a roll, one that began with a cult hit in 1993 called "Rudy." His once hot career had fallen to the back burner — until "Lord of The Rings." Now, he's the biggest sidekick since Ed McMahon. [More]

Although Sean Astin insists he does not consider himself a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, plenty of other people do. Thus, the "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" actor has found himself making like Dorothy's "Wizard of Oz" farm house, spinning in a whirlwind toward the outer reaches of the rainbow. [More]

Gil-Estel writes: I had the pleasure of attending the Tolkien Lecture at the University of South Carolina on Thursday evening (thanks to the spy reports from TORN). It was a very interesting, and delightful experience to listen to the U.S.A.'s leading authority on Tolkien discuss the Modern and Medievel aspects of Tolkein's literature. [More]

Now that ``The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' is out - and a huge success - and everyone is happy, allow me to open a question for discussion: Did director-writer Peter Jackson really get it right in adapting J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece? [More]

Nazz writes: If there was one interview or person I was looking forward to meet above all others it was this one. In the flesh, Viggo Mortensen is an unassuming, softly spoken and attentive interview subject, looking quite different in the flesh to his rugged Aragorn character; barefoot, seemingly five-foot 10-inches with closely shorn blond hair with grey tinges. [More]

A BIG thank you to AELFWINE for sending us this transcript of Andy Serkis' appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last night. [More]

Nicola writes: ROTK will be released in 1000 screens in Italy on January 22nd. It is a record, the first time in Italian cinema history that a movie is released so big. Thanks to Medusa and to thousands and thousands italian Tolkien fans.

The latest newsletter is ready to go! Do you want to receive our free weekly newsletter? Packed with tons of info to keep you up to date on the latest? Plus filled with exclusives from time to time! Join the crowd of over 18 000 mailing list members! Sign up now! [More]

Oh, 'tis the season of awards and a man must go a'lobbying, which means, if you are a member of Bafta or its US equivalent, the portentously entitled "academy", that you can't avoid the cascade of lavishly packaged DVDs, videos, CDs, gilded brochures and illustrated calendars accompanied by the earnest and unctuous invocation: For Your Consideration. [More]

It's time for the Great annual Whine and Cheese Party. Each year after people have had some time to digest the new offering from Peter Jackson, we gather in #thehalloffire and talk about the scenes we loved the most, what irked us, what actors played their parts best etc. Or perhaps you want to talk about the score or the special effects or just why you think this is the best movie ever made? [More]

Warner Bros India have postponed the release the final part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, to February 6, 2004. [More]

J.R.R. Tolkien scholar and foremost speaker on Tolkien himself, Peter Kreeft, will speak about "Tolkien's World View: How the Greatest Book of the Century is a Religious Book." [More]

Cate Blanchett is dressed up as the ultimate screen siren to talk life, love and superstardom with Daisy Garnett, while the new issue of Vogue sets established fashion figures against rising stars and lays out the strongest looks for next season. [More]

Tigerlily Gamgee writes: Show Biz Starz presents an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit'. [More]

The Discovery Institute presents an evening with Lord of the Rings' star John Rhys-Davies tonight. [More]

The folks from Houghton Mifflin write: We will be sending Andy Serkis on a U.S. tour this week to promote his new book, GOLLUM, available in bookstores now!

Tonight Andy will be at Vroman's (695 E. Colorado Blvd.) in Pasadena, CA 91101 626-449-5320

Evil Homer, Sûlien, Elven Alias were some of the lucky folks who attended the Andy Serkis book signing event in Seattle. Here are thier reports! [More]

Loryces writes: The Philippine Tolkien Society will be spearheading this year's New Worlds convention. Aptly titled A Long Expected Party: The 2nd Philippine Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, the said event will be held in The Power Plant Mall Parking Quad, Rockwell on January 17 and 18, 2004. They will feature a showcase of exhibits, seminars, contests, performances, booths and film screenings by different fan groups in the country. [More]

Sean Astin will be on the great new daytime talk-show 'Ellen' this Monday January 19th. Check your local listings for the time.

Ian McKellen is taking a break from the demands of Strindberg drama to chew the fat with Bille Brown, onstage at the Theatre Royal on Monday 19 January at 6pm. [More]

If you've been to an AMC theater recently, you may have seen the pre-show featurette produced by AMC MovieWatcher about 'Trilogy Tuesday' showings around the U.S. Even though I didn't get to go to the event itself, I couldn't help but bursting out in big smiles, wondering how many of the people shown were TORn readers! The film is now online, you can check it out here!

As games on mobile phones get closer in style to those on consoles and PCs, publishers are paying for the rights to popular films to attract customers. Mobile phone customers in France and Spain are now able to download games based on The Lord of The Rings film, "The Return of The King," and other European markets will have access to the game soon. [More]

On January 15th the Visual Effects Society named their nominees for the 2003 VES Awards. Both LOTR:ROTK and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl' received eight nominations each. [More]

Charlie Rose's January 9th televised chat with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Andy Serkis has been archived for your listening pleasure. Real Player is required. [More] Thanks to Gwynevere for sending in the link!

Ringer Spy Lady Ashagorn sends along this scan from the February 2004 InStyle Magazine, featuring LOTR's Liv Tyler! [More]

As fan-favorite Andy Serkis continues to conquer America on his book tour, the American Booksellers Association on their site 'Bookselling This Week' also features a Q&A with the man who brings Gollum to life. [More] Thanks to Ellen for sending in the link.

MSN Entertainment has a piece on which celebrities will dominate the gossip columns and tabloids in 2004. No, it's not Elijah. In fact, it is LOTR's Viggo Mortensen and (you guessed it) Orlando Bloom. [More]

We've reported on this before, but the NY Post has a photo in this story of the recent *trend* of Hobbitish fashions on the Milan runways. [More]

From CNN: Three movies in three years is not composer Howard Shore's typical pace for writing a film's score. [More]

Eowyn and Frodo writes: Here is our fan report from our meeting with Sean Astin. We hope you enjoy it and we definitely hope you post it so that all of the fans get to know what he said at the Q & A. [More]

Natalie writes: Here is an invitation to the special screening of RotK in Moscow. It's tomorrow. Official premiere date is January 22. In Moldova the same premierre date. [More]

Rebecca sends along this article written by Sean himself oddly called "I'm a Selfish Jerk!" [More]

Ianthe writes: LoTR is popping up everywhere! Here's someone who knit up a commercial sweater pattern, adapting it by adding a nice dwarven hood and a customized rune trim (this site includes a set graphed runes for knitters, stitchers, mosaic-makers or other crafters). [More]

A BIG Thank you to SamsKimmie for getting this transcript to us! Harry Smith begins: In less than a month the final installment of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy The Return of the King has already taken in over three quarters of a BILLION dollars worldwide. [More]

Ringer Spy Nazz attended the MANY press confrences during the ROTK media blitz last month. In this article he chats with Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson's adaptation of JRR Tolkien's beloved three-part novel The Lord Of The Rings has rightly been acknowledged by the public as one of the great cinematic achievements of our time. All the filmmakers' respect for the author's work, coupled with the care and massive attention to detail put into making them seem the most 'possible version of the books'. [More]

LOS ANGELES - The Screen Actors Guild flashed some independence with its annual awards nominations Thursday, citing performers from outside-the-mainstream movies such as "The Station Agent," "Whale Rider" and "In America." Besides best ensemble — the guild's equivalent to a best picture category — "Mystic River" was recognized for Tim Robbins' supporting turn as the survivor of childhood sexual abuse who finds himself the suspect of murder and Sean Penn received a lead actor nomination for playing an ex-con. Other ensemble contenders: "In America," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and "Seabiscuit." [More]

The Academy Awards aren’t always cut-and-dried. On several occasions, they’ve ended in a tie, most famously in the early 1930s, when Fredric March and Wallace Beery shared the best-actor prize, and in 1969, when Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand were both named best actress. [More]

Actor Andy Serkis plays a key role in "The Lord of the Rings," a movie franchise seen by millions of people around the world, and yet he can walk the streets largely unmolested by the saga's fans. "I do get recognized, surprisingly more than I thought," Serkis said. [More]

Peter writes: Andy Serkis will be interviewed on KUOW (Seattle, WA) at 2:35PM local time today (Jan 15). KUOW streams their broadcasts live if you wish to catch the interview. [KUOW]

Túrinar writes: Quick! There's fewer than 100 pieces left of the King Elessar Statue from Sideshow Weta! They only have a prototype picture posted, but it's a very, very cool image. Go get yours before it's too late! [More]

Italian fashion label Etro unveiled its own little and large show in Milan yesterday as two hirsute models hit the catwalk to show off its latest collection. [More]

Felicia & Macilmé send in thier reports from the Andy Serkis book signing in Salt Lake City yesterday. Take a look! [More]

Switz writes: The National Endowment for the Humanities is offering a series of seminars and institutes for teachers. From Beowulf to Post-Modernism: J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is being offered from July 5 to August 6 (5 weeks) at Texas A&M University--Commerce. Contact Robin Anne Reid robin_reid@tamu-commerce.edu to request an application. Application deadline is a postmark of March 1, 2004.

A host of big name stars have been lined up for the first 'London Film and Comic Con' in March. Among those in the lineup are Lord of the Rings actors Andy Serkis, Thomas Robins, John Rhys Davies and Sala Baker, Star Trek stars Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton and Cirroc Lofton. [More]

Perhaps the most amazing character in the blockbuster trilogy "Lord of the Rings" is the computer animated Gollum. State of the art graphics are combined seamlessly with the enormous acting skills of Andy Serkis to create a ghoulish character of flesh and blood. Andy Serkis joins us to talk about the challenge of bringing a completely imagined character to life. [More]

Actor Sean Astin expected to greet the news of a possible best-supporting-actor nomination for the latest "Lord of the Rings" film like the old pro he is — with a nonchalant shrug. [More]

The folks from Houghton Mifflin write: We will be sending Andy Serkis on a U.S. tour this week to promote his new book, GOLLUM, available in bookstores now!

Tonight Andy will be at the University of Washington (Kane Hall, Room 110) in Seattle, WA 98105. Sponsored by the University Bookstore 206-633-6443

The FilmMaven writes: The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre will be running the Trilogy on Fri. 2/6-Sun 2/8. FOTR featuring a Q&A with Peter Jackson. TTT with an introduction by Elijah Wood and Sean Astin. ROTK with Peter Jackson, Robert Shaye, Mark Ordesky & Fran Walsh, I believe they are introducing it. Tickets are $10, $7 members. General Trilogy passes are $25. The Cinematheque sells out fast so get your info at egyptiantheatre.com

BERLIN (Hollywood Reporter) - German director Tom Tykwer (news) ("Run Lola Run") is sniffing around "Perfume -- The Story of a Murderer," a thriller based on the best seller by Patrick Sueskind. [More]

A BIG thank you to Kelinmiriel for getting this down for us! Orlando Bloom was on "Real Access: Hot 24 in 2004" (same channel). He was #12 of their "young stars to watch in the upcoming year". I doubt many of your readers saw this one, so here is a transcript. [More]

Heh... that was fun... Here we go again:

TheOneRing's MrCere interviewed Andy Serkis Monday as part of his tour promoting his new book. Here is a transcript of the conversation that includes a bit on the Hobbit and the Academy Awards! [Read The Full Interview Here!]

I'm slow to post this one: John Garth's comment on Tolkien, published in the Scotsman a while back. [More] Garth is worth reading - I'm currently reading his book, Tolkien and the Great War, which has some things in it I've never read anywhere else.

Jennie heard a few stories from Bernard Hill [Theoden] on radio. [More]

I mentioned in my review of ROTK that some of the shots seemed inspired by great paintings of the past. Isabel writes, "...the images of the Grey Havens are inspired by two paintings hanging side by side in the National Gallery in London. One is by Claude (also known as Claude Lorraine), a French painter of the 17th century: Seaport with the embarkation of the Queen of Sheeba The other is by Turner: Dido building Carthage and was inspired by Claude's painting. They hang together by request of Turner himself. They are two of my favourite paintings and I was amazed when I "saw" them in ROTK."

Good and bad news from Japan. The release date seems confirmed as Feb 24. The premiere is proving frustrating, with news that implies that fans will not have an opportunity to line the red carpet and cheer for their heros. [More]

Anonymous Ringer Spy wrote in: "Thought you'd like to know: I just got my preliminary Nebula ballot and Two Towers will be up for a script Nebula in this go round." The Nebulas are among the top awards that one can achieve in the fields of science fiction or fantasy.

The Dark Lord himself, aka Sala Baker, will be hosting the invite-only private event taking place at The Sundance Film Festival. TORn will have friends in attendence to send back a report next week.

Nate writes: Barrie Osborne is on KQED radio San Francisco right now (the show is called Forum). In the Bay Area it's on 88.5 (streamed live at kqed.org). It might repeat tonight at 10, and it should be available at online in a day or two once they've archived the show. [More]

Don't bank on Peter Jackson's epic taking all the Oscars back to Middle Earth, writes Glenn Whipp. To hear some people talk, this year's Academy Awards might as well be cancelled because The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a shoe-in for best picture, best director and a passel of other Oscars. [More]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - According to their cameraman peers, the top feature film cinematography this year was seen in epics of both historical and fantastical nature. The five ASC Awards contenders, announced Tuesday by the American Society of Cinematographers, are: Russell Boyd for "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," Andrew Lesnie for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," John Schwartzman for "Seabiscuit," John Seale for "Cold Mountain" and John Toll for "The Last Samurai." [More]

An apparent Brit glitch is making a ballot brouhaha for Oscar. Even though Academy Awards ballots are due Saturday, many voters in Europe still have not received their forms in the mail. So on Monday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences resent 330 ballots to European voters -- 241 of them in the U.K. [More]

Belladonna writes: As part of his book promotion tour, Andy Serkis will be on Radio West in Salt Lake City on FM 90.1. You can also listen to it streaming at kuer.org. The one hour show starts at 11am MST and then repeats without live calls at 7pm tonight. [kuer.org]

Also ABC 4 TV (local Salt Lake station) will have an exclusive interview with Andy tonight on ABC 4 News at 10. (That’s 10 PM Mountain time.) Ringers that have friends that live in Utah, call them and tell them to program the Tivo...

UNION SQUARE, NYC — The room is hot and overcrowded. The chairs have all been claimed long ago, and now it's standing room only — though precious little remains even of that. An excited chatter arises from the throng: "I wonder what he's like?", "Oh, I saw the entire cast at the Lincoln Center event on Saturday — he's awesome." [More]

Jazzy writes: On Thursday, Jan 15th the University of South Carolina's English Dept. is sponsoring a Tolkien lecture by Professor Drout. The lecture will be on the man and his influence I'm assuming, and will be followed by a Q & A. The fun starts at 7:30, in Gambrell Hall Room 153. [www.sc.edu]

Sean Astin will be on 'The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn' tonight on CBS at 12:35 AM. Be sure to set those VCR's! [more]

Shoes. That's what Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy who famously shares a hobbit's preference for being unshod, would toss into Mount Doom instead of that terrible ring. As this historic three-year odyssey comes to an end — the final chapter, The Return of the King, has reigned at the box office four weeks in a row — USA TODAY talks to a dozen of the lead players as they look back at the final chapter and ahead to post-Rings projects. [More]

The folks from Houghton Mifflin write: We will be sending Andy Serkis on a U.S. tour this week to promote his new book, GOLLUM, available in bookstores now!

Tonight Andy will be at 'Borders' (50 S. Main Street) in Salt Lake City, UT 84144 801-355-6899.

Garfeimao writes: I was hoping you would put up this quick note about a Golden Globes viewing party I'll be hosting on January 25. For anyone in Southern California, this will be a fun way for people to just hang out, watch the awards, play some board games, eat good food at the Hard Rock Cafe, and just meet up with old friends as well as new. [More]

Sean Astin takes the hood off surprising secrets. Actors have many ways to branch out: singing, the restaurant business, a recreational drug habit. A few years ago, after almost twenty years working as a professional actor, Sean Astin decided that he didn't want any of these options -- what he wanted was to go to graduate school. [More]

A BIG thank you to Diamond_T & Mediadoc the Magnificent for sending along this transcript from Ian McKellen's appearance on 'The View'. [More]

Alberta Hot Rods, a Canadian-based operator which registered jrrtolkien.com and linked it to its commercial celebrity Web site, was found to have no legitimate rights, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said in a ruling. [More]

Billy Boyd accepts at People's Choice Award

Billy Boyd was a busy man in early January 2004. He was the lone LOTR-alum at the Critics Choice Awards and the Viewers Choice Awards in the same week. Here are various images from both award shows. [More]

A BIG thank you to Diamond_T and Ringer Spy Meriadoc for this transcript of Astin on 'The View'. [More]

Sheila writes: Viggo Mortensen will be hosting an event in Santa Monica California for the Los Angeles Photographic Art exposition this upcoming Thursday Jan 15th. It is open to the public , tickets are $50 with a chance to see and meet Viggo. [More]

"Friends" star Matthew Perry committed the ultimate celebrity sin at a film premiere recently -- asking bouncers if they knew who he was. The actor and seven pals were running late for a screening of "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" in Los Angeles and weren't amused when security turned them away. [More]

PirateTwin writes: Howard Shore LOTR Symphony Concert dates have been posted on howardshore.com. Montreal, Columbus, London, Atlanta, and Seattle have been announced! [More]

Dennis Michael writes: I just returned from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where I was working as a consultant to DTS, the Cinema and Consumer Surround Audio company. I gave 15 presentations a day about DTS, complete with film clips and music videos, and to no one's surprize, the lead-off clip in our presentation was a 6.1 DTS-ES Discrete Surround clip from The Two Towers. [More]

Ringer Lisalas writes this great review from National Geographic's 'Beyond the Movie' special DVD. (the DVD) is narrated by John Rhys-Davies (Gimli). There are interview clips with most of the cast (Wood, Weaving, Rhys-Davies, Astin, Boyd, McKellan, Bloom, Lee, Wenham), as well as clips of Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens. [More]

Ringer Spy Nazz attended the MANY press confrences during the ROTK media blitz last month. In this article he chats with Bernard Hill. Special thanks to Rip It Up Magazine in South Australia for this transcript. [More]

Our good friend Brandon Gray from BoxOfficeMojo.com sends us this news today: ROTK's hit $767.3 million worldwide this weekend, eclipsing 'The Matrix Reloaded's $738 million to become the 14th highest grossing movie of all time. [More]

Rodnik Vodka, Nimbus Pictures and TheOneRing.net are set to host a private party at the Sundance Film Festival saluting the efforts of all those involved in bringing LOTR to the big screen. If there are any cast or crew member going up to sundance please contact TORN asap for details. Check back next week for a report on the highlights (including Rodnik's special "Mordor Martini") and pictures from the event!

Andy Serkis Book Tour: NYC

Diana W writes: I went to the event. I arrived at Barnes & Noble at 2:30pm and I waited until 7:00. At first, there were not that many people except for more enthusiastic LOTR fans. When he came, the crowd was whooping and cheering. [More]

Movie critic Roger Ebert addesses Serkis' Oscar chances in his "Movie Answer Man" article at suntimes.com [More]

The Lord of the Rings trilogy has reached its climax by setting a new record for having the longest closing credits in Hollywood history.
The Return of the King wraps up with an impressive nine and a half minutes of credits, listing hundreds of names. [More]

Most casual moviegoers, particularly outside of the UK, were probably only vaguely aware of Ian McKellen before he scored a pop cult one-two punch second only to Hugo Weaving's (Agent Smith in The Matrix and Elrond the prognosticating Elf in LOTR). Before his roles as Magneto in X-Men and X2, and of course, as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, they might have heard of his singular 1995 Richard III, which he adapted, executive produced and starred in; and probably of his Oscar-nominated performance as James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998). [More]

Andy Serkis will be on 'Late Night with Conan O'Brien' tonight at 12:25AM. Get those VCR's humming! [NBC.com]

The current issue of Time has an article on great performances of 2003, and Sean Astin is one of the 7 ones featured! [More]

Beverly Hills, CA - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the seven films being considered for Achievement in Makeup for the 76th Academy Awards(R). The films in consideration are listed below in alphabetical order. [More]

Movie studios are cranking up the spending, as well as behind-the-scenes politicking and primping in an Oscar race that appears more competitive and intense than ever. [More]

Thea writes: So, Friday afternoon I was in a hotel room with Sean Astin and Andy Serkis. Now get your minds out of the gutter people! I’m a hobbit fiend, not a hobbit slut! That’s right, I participated in one of those wild and crazy press days in New York City. Unfortunately, I was a bastard child from the start. First the New Line folks gave me the wrong time, so I arrived late, then there wasn’t even a chair for me at the cozy little press table, and then after it was over I discovered my recorder wasn’t working. Such is my life. [More]

Today is Orlando Bloom's birthday! Orlando was born on January 13th, 1977 in Canterbury, Kent, UK. That makes him 27 years old today! Happy Birthday Orlando!

Erendira writes in: It goes without saying that Peter Jackson's attention to details sets all three installments of "The Lord of the Rings" towering above any other movie I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. [More]

Pantaear writes from Tokyo: As was the case of TTT, three leading members of the LOTR Japanese subtitle reform activities were invited to a private preview of RotK with Japanese subtitle. They say that there were no terrible mistranslations such as in FotR, and much effort seemed to have been spent on the translation. They also discussed over some controversial subtitles and posed alternatives. They say that the people at the movie distributor, Nippon Herald, was very sincere and their opinions on translation will be considered over, as was the case of TTT.

For the past two years, one magazine in New Zealand has done an in-depth issue devoted to LOTR which is hard to match by any magazine anywhere. Some great exclusive photos and some of the best interviews I've seen anywhere came out of Pavement's FOTR and TTT issues. Now they're offering their ROTK issue to readers around the world. [More]

Elizabeth & Celebrial send along these great reports from the Lincoln Center event this past weekend. Fans also sent along some amazing images from the event! Take a look! link fixed! [More]

In a possible precursor to Oscar night next month, the final instalment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy has won four prizes at the ninth annual Critics' Choice Awards, an event whose picks are often echoed at the Academy Awards. [More]

The quest is not over till it's over, and it's never over, reports Judy Adamson. Adam Kalajzich can translate English into Elvish, owns five different versions of The Lord of the Rings - plus other Tolkien works - and writes the odd Middle Earth-inspired poem. But the 30-year-old-engineer insists he's not a Lord of the Rings (or LOTR) nerd. Really. [More]

Good news. Frodo and Legolas love their fans. Even the weird ones. Elijah Wood was only 18 years old when he went to New Zealand to film Lord of the Rings. Orlando Bloom was 23. The acting gig of a lifetime opened their eyes to an amazing, fairy tale world. With Return of the King, the last installment in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic, in theaters, it's not just the magic of elves and wizards that blows them away. [More]

Shelob writes: Brazilian Tolkien Societies united in the "Hobbitcon 2004". Celebrating J.R.R.Tolkien's 112th. birthday, and the 50th anniversary of "The Lord of the Rings", brazilian Tolkien Societies' members will be together in a great Hobbit Convention, supported by the São Paulo Government and several commercial companies. [More]

Contrary to early estimates over the weekend, 'Big Fish' was NOT the number one film at the box office this weekend. The Return of the King reigns supreme for the 4th weekend in a row with a domestic take of $14.2 million giving it a total of $312. Check out BoxOfficeMojo.com for all the details. [More]

Michael Medved writes: "If you want to send a message, call Western Union," said Hollywood pioneer Samuel Goldwyn to filmmakers and stars who sought to use their movie projects to advance some political agenda. Although the telegraph is a largely irrelevant alternative in this Internet age, the thinking behind Goldwyn's advice remains sane and solid: Political preachments, on or off camera, only interfere with the entertainment value of creative work by major Hollywood stars. [More]

Beverly Hills, CA - Two Oscar(R) statuettes and a Gordon E. Sawyer Award, also an Oscar statuette, will be among the awards to be presented for scientific and technical achievement on February 14 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Digidesign, a leading manufacturer of computer-based digital audio production systems, will receive an Oscar for the creation and development of the Pro Tools(R) digital audio workstation. [More]

New Line Co-CEOs Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne

New Line Co-CEOs Robert Shaye (r) and Michael Lynne (l)

With Peter Jackson's L.A. Film Critics best director award for New Line Cinema's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" coming on the heels of his DGA nomination and the film's PGA best picture nod, "King" is generating the sort of front runner Oscar buzz that can't be ignored. [More]

HOLLYWOOD - NBC has tapped the sniveling, hissing, decrepit Gollum to play the role of "Niles Crane," replacing David Hyde Pierce on "Frasier" in an effort to boost ratings on the aging sitcom. But the former Hobbit is already causing problems on the set, attacking colleagues and locking himself in a creative differences battle with himself. (this is of course, impossible - Xo) [More]

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The past seven days were good to Peter Jackson, the writer/director/producer of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. [more]

The frolks from Houghton Mifflin write: We will be sending Andy Serkis on a U.S. tour this week to promote his new book, GOLLUM, available in bookstores now!

Tonight Andy will be at the Barnes & Noble Union Square (33 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003 212-253-0810)

teacoldwine writes: As part of the Sydney Arts Festival Sir Ian McKellen will be interviewed live onstage. He is currently performing to sell out audiences in Dance of Death & this interview is certainly a cheaper way to see McKellen treading the boards in Sydney. It is to be held on Monday the 19th of January. [More]