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December 02, 2002 - December 08, 2002

News for Dec. 08, 2002

SHOP: Holiday Gift Guide 2002

12/08/02, 11:57 pm EST - Calisuri

Every year it seems we are faced with the same question: What gift can I buy for a Tolkien fanatic? We here at TheOneRing.net see it as our duty to not only answer this question, but to also make it as easy and painless as possible. With that in mind, welcome to TheOneRing.net's Holiday Gift Guide 2002. [More]

The FINAL Final TTT Poster! -UPDATE-

12/08/02, 10:24 pm EST - Xoanon

USA Today Weekend gave us a very *very* small look at the final TTT Poster! They will be publishing the full version in next weekends edition! Stay tuned for that! UPDATE Our sources tell us that this poster is only for USA today, and that the latest poster, the one with Saruman looking out over his army, is in fact the last poster for TTT.

Media Watch: USA Weekend

12/08/02, 10:18 pm EST - Xoanon

Ford of Rivendell sends in this article from USA WEEKEND, it's about Orlando Bloom. [More]

Towering expectations

12/08/02, 10:07 pm EST - Xoanon

Peter Jackson looks like a beach bum this morning. His black hair is a tangled rat's nest. His beard is scruffy. He's barefoot -- wearing only a pair of nylon shorts and a coloured cotton T-shirt. He cuts an incongruous figure in the refined surroundings of his Regency Hotel suite. [More]

The One Article

12/08/02, 10:03 pm EST - Xoanon

Adam writes: I'd like to alert you to something that I've written for Lunchip.com. It's an article all about the One Ring, including an in depth profile of Thorkild Hansen, the creator of the One Ring for the trilogy. Also there are articles on the various One Ring replicas, and an article on a guy who was addicted to the One Ring. [More]

From the Stage to the Big Screen

12/08/02, 9:58 pm EST - Xoanon

At a recent performance of his ever-evolving solo show, A Knight Out, Sir Ian McKellen bounded into the theatre waving an umbrella and the British flag. Bristling with energy, the 63-year-old actor was wearing a trenchcoat and a baseball cap which read, “Frodo Lives.” [More]

'Lord' Film Runs Rings Around Rest Because of Words

12/08/02, 9:52 pm EST - Xoanon

Movies have their own special magic, of course, but it helps a lot to have a great book and great words behind them. [More]

The Ladies Of The Ring

12/08/02, 9:44 pm EST - Xoanon

"Have you not read the appendix?" Liv Tyler says, her expressive eyebrows shooting skywards. "Not the appendix, no," I tell her, suddenly feeling that my repeat slog through all three volumes of The Lord Of The Rings has been in vain. Did I miss the full impact of her Elf character Arwen's love for Human hero Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen)? [More]

TTT Toy Pics

12/08/02, 9:38 pm EST - Xoanon

ThGreatBambeeno sends along these scans to us from his collection of TTT Toy goodies! [More]

After 7 Years, 'Rings' Director Looks Like Hobbit

12/08/02, 9:22 pm EST - Xoanon

PARIS (Reuters) - Film director Peter Jackson has lived every minute of "The Lord of the Rings" for seven years and now increasingly resembles one of his hobbit heroes. [More]

Media Watch: Premiere Magazine

12/08/02, 9:12 pm EST - Xoanon

Tigerlily Gamgee sends along these scans from the Premiere Magazine that just came out today featuring Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn). [More]

Cinefex Reveals Gollum

12/08/02, 8:28 pm EST - Xoanon

Gregg Shay writes: Below is information on the upcoming Cinefex, devoted largely to The Two Towers, which we think might be of interest to you and your website readers. [More]

Media Watch: Expose Magazine

12/08/02, 8:15 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy Serai sends along these scans from Expose Magazine. [More]

Media Watch: Arena Magazine

12/08/02, 7:34 pm EST - Xoanon

Trueogre sends along these scans from Arena Magazine, take a look! [More]

TTT Billboard In Cali

12/08/02, 7:08 pm EST - Xoanon

Firnrothiel writes: I thought you might be interested in these photos I took of a TTT billboard I noticed sometime last week. It took quite a few trips up and down the freeway (Highway 101 in Palo Alto, CA). [More]

Media Watch: Brazil's SET Magazine

12/08/02, 6:59 pm EST - Xoanon

Rodrigo writes: I'm sending You the scans of the three covers issue of SET magazine, the most popular movie magazine in Brazil. The Two Towers is the main article with 20 pages long. [More]

Media Watch: Dreamwatch Magazine

12/08/02, 6:51 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy Greylin send along these scans from the latest issue of 'Dreamwatch' Magazine. Take a look! [More]

Media Watch: YM Magazine

12/08/02, 3:47 pm EST - Xoanon

Elijah Wood was a child actor. But he's never been in rehab, and he hates the spotlight. Very weird. [More]

TTT Review

12/08/02, 1:27 pm EST - Xoanon

TTT Review from DM: Let’s hail Peter Jackson for another reason this time around. PJ is an honest dealer. PJ is being faithful to the faithful. The Two Towers film is NOT as faithful to the book…by some considerable measure…as compared to The Fellowship of the Ring. But PJ, In my opinion, clearly is. !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

Yet Another TTT Review

12/08/02, 1:13 pm EST - Xoanon

TTT Review From Albertine: A thrill of delight and a shiver go down my spine as Howard Shore’s music accompanies me straight back to Middle-Earth. I feel like I never left and am being reunited with friends wandering in a far-away land. [More]

TV Watch: Elijah On TRL

12/08/02, 12:56 pm EST - Xoanon

Ashley writes: Elijah Wood (Frodo) will be on MTV's Total Request Live(TRL) on Thursday, December 12.

Bravo Talks Tolkien

12/08/02, 12:52 pm EST - Xoanon

The Bravo channel (in the US only it seems) is showcasing our own Ian McKellen in 'Inside the Actors Studio' tonight at 8PM. Right after that show, there will be a 'Celebrity Profile' with Cate Blanchett (Galadriel). [More]

Happy Birthday Dominic Monaghan!

12/08/02, 12:31 pm EST - Xoanon


Today, December 8th is Dominic Monaghan (Merry) birthday! Dominic was born on 8 December, 1976 in Berlin, Germany. That makes him 26 today! Happy birthday Dominic!

New 'Lord of the Rings' towers above all

12/08/02, 12:22 pm EST - Xoanon

The eagerly awaited premiere of the latest instalment of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy took place in the New York, signalling the start of a titanic box office struggle for the most profitable movie of the Christmas season. [More]

TTT Brazilian Release Date Brought Forward!

12/08/02, 8:26 am EST - Strider

Many Brazilian 'Ringers are mailing us about the change made by Warner, The Lord of the Rings Brazilian distributor, to the release date of The Two Towers. Originally, TTT was scheduled to be released on New Year's day, January 1st; however the film will now be released on December 27th. Good news indeed for Brazilian fans! For more information, visit our Community member Valinor.com.br.

Video Interviews With Andy Serkis

12/08/02, 7:57 am EST - Strider

Recently, FilmFour.com have posted two video interviews with the voice of Gollum and one of New Line's hopefuls for a Best Supporting Actor nomination, Andy Serkis. Watch Part 1 here, where he talks about the process of bringing Gollum to life on set, and Part 2 here, where he talks about Gollum's role in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

Latest International Release Dates

12/08/02, 6:59 am EST - Strider

Thanks to the help of some international 'Ringers, we now have the release dates for The Two Towers in Colombia, Lebanon, Malta and Malaysia and a significant change to the release date in Brazil. [More]

"I am in Fact a Hobbit"

12/08/02, 12:33 am EST - Jincey

Scorpio brought us news of a new book being published by Mercer University Press, entitled, "I Am In Fact A Hobbit" An Introduction to the Life and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien by Perry C. Bramlett; reflective chapter by Joe R. Christopher. You can find more information and a link to order [here].

News for Dec. 07, 2002

Hall of Fire Chats - Dec 7-8

12/07/02, 5:02 pm EST - Demosthenes

Book IV, Ch 10: The Choices of Master Samwise

Gollum has fled, and Sam confronts Shelob in what must be one of the most mismatched battles in the history of Middle Earth. Yet Sam is able to drive Shelob off, showing a beserker-like attitude, and bravery worthy of - or exceeding - heroes such as Hurin and Hurin. [More]

TTT NYC After Party Report With Pictures!

12/07/02, 11:21 am EST - Xoanon

Elbereth writes: The setting was awesome. It was in the exhibit halls of the New York Public Library, which were dimly and intimately lit. They were expecting 1200 people, but because of the snowstorm, I'd say there were only about 400 people there at any given time. [More]

TV Watch: Liv On Letterman

12/07/02, 10:46 am EST - Xoanon

Liv Tyler (Arwen) will be on the David Letterman show on Friday, December 20th. Letterman can be seen on CBS at 11:30PM, check your local listings.

New TTT Details?

12/07/02, 10:40 am EST - Xoanon

Ananova.com gives us a small detail on a signifigant scene in TTT...click if you want to know! !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

Mexican Invite To TTT

12/07/02, 10:32 am EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy JaDW sends along the invite to the Mexican premiere of TTT. Take a look! [More]

Oscarwatch's Brian Duffield LOVES Two Towers

12/07/02, 10:19 am EST - Xoanon

Whether you liked Fellowship or not, it does not matter. The Two Towers is one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time, and it should not be missed. Everything brilliant about Jackson's Fellowship returns here (minus Sean Bean of course), and more is added. [More]

Orlando's career blooms

12/07/02, 10:01 am EST - Xoanon

The first Lord of the Rings movie made an matinee idol of previously unknown English actor Orlando Bloom who plays the warrior-elf Legolas, winning him the MTV film award for best breakthrough performance and the hearts of many a female fan of the film. [More]

'The Two Towers': The Movie You're Not Gonna Miss

12/07/02, 9:56 am EST - Xoanon

NEW YORK — Some 1,200 dazed and excitedly chattering people emerged from the opulent Ziegfeld Theatre late Thursday night, looking as though they'd just wandered out of a world more wondrous by far than the urban snowscape that awaited them. [More]

Brian Sibley Chat Today!

12/07/02, 12:09 am EST - Jincey

Author Brian Sibley will be chatting with us in TORN's #TheHallofFire today, Saturday Dec 7, beginning at 6pm GMT (1pm EST). You've read his books, now meet the man! [More]

To participate, join Barlimans and then type /join #thehalloffire. Further connection help can be found [here]


News for Dec. 06, 2002

TV Watch: Access Hollywood & ET

12/06/02, 7:12 pm EST - Xoanon

Access Hollywood showed a snowed under NYC premiere with small sound bytes from Liv Tyler (Arwen), Sean Astin (Sam) and Elijah Wood (Frodo).

Meanwhile Entertainment Tonight (ET) promises to have something on TTT tonight, set those VCRs!

Fan Report from The New York City Premiere!

12/06/02, 7:12 pm EST - Calisuri

Ringer fan Luthien had a chance of a lifetime to attend the New York City Premiere of The Two Towers. Here is her report! [More]

Two Towers triumphs in Big Apple

12/06/02, 6:58 pm EST - Xoanon

New York was blanketed in the most snow seen for years, but the stars of The Lord of the Rings still managed to twinkle at last night's world premiere. [More]

The Barrie O/Elrond Connection

12/06/02, 6:47 pm EST - Xoanon

Hugo Weaving told SCI FI Wire that it was The Matrix producer Barrie Osborne who brought him on board for the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, in which he plays Elrond. "Barrie had produced The Matrix, and he was producing The Lord of the Rings as well, and so he rang me direct," [More]

World debut for next Rings epic

12/06/02, 6:28 pm EST - Xoanon

Stars and fans of the Lord of The Rings have braced freezing New York temperatures and a snowstorm to attend the world première of The Two Towers - the eagerly awaited second cinematic instalment of JRR Tolkien's epic trilogy. [More]

Media Watch: Toronto Star Talks TTT

12/06/02, 6:21 pm EST - Xoanon

LegosLeafs writes: The Toronto Star newspaper has a special Movies Extra section for The Two Towers. It's an eight page pullout section with some interesting stuff about TTT, including interviews with Miranda Otto, Bernard Hill, Brad Dourif and other TTT cast members.

TTT Reviews Galore!

12/06/02, 4:59 pm EST - leo

I just added two new reviews to our growing list of reviews from The Two Towers, which you can find here (mind the cruel, nassssty ammount of SPOILERS!!), and bookmark the link because we might add new reviews when they come in!

Deagol and Smeagol in?

12/06/02, 3:17 pm EST - Tehanu

Edward writes: Hi! I spotted Philippa Boyens at the NYC premiere last night and asked her what happened with the Gollum origin scene PJ talked about at the Barnes & Noble Union Square Q&A last year. I thought maybe it got cut and would only be on the eventual extended TTT DVD, but she said we actually won't see that till ROTK.

World News: NZ, Brazil, UK

12/06/02, 3:02 pm EST - Tehanu

News of release dates, TV specials, and a display in Auckland honouring Richard Taylor as an 'innovative New Zealander. [More]

Wenham News

12/06/02, 2:28 pm EST - Xoanon

Aleta writes: David Wenham has apparently replaced Paul Hogan in 'Van Helsing' (the Dracula spin-off with Hugh Jackman) in the role of 'Carl'. And a rumor that singer Morrissey has a cameo in TTT as a knight, hmmm take that one with a grain of salt. [More]

Sean Bean's 'Librium' Out Today

12/06/02, 2:19 pm EST - Xoanon

The new Sean Bean (Boromir) futuristic actioner 'Equilibrium' is out in limited release in the USA today, catch it if you can! [More]

Can You Handle 6 Hours Of LOTR?

12/06/02, 2:15 pm EST - Xoanon

Ryan writes: Hoyts are back again with movie marathons, but this time its good for LOTR fans! Come Boxing Day, you have the choice of going to a movie marathon consisting of Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers back to back. Whether or not there will be a break between both movies, I don't know, but it looks to be good. [More]

For Oscar...Please

12/06/02, 2:03 pm EST - Xoanon

Variety Magazine has another ad for LOTR and it's Oscar pitch for 2003. Take a look at Frodo and Gollum! [More]

Peter Jackson's 'Master Class'

12/06/02, 1:53 pm EST - Xoanon

Camille writes: Next Saturday Peter Jackson is going to participate in a 'Master Class' at the FNAC Etoile. The Session should begin around 1800H. Tickets will be available on the same day, limited seats.

Games 4 Music Talks To TTT Gamemakers

12/06/02, 12:41 pm EST - Xoanon

The developers of The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers reveal to Music4Games.Net how they incorporated Howard Shore's original scores from Peter Jackson's The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring and The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers into EA's official game of the movie. [More]

Will It 'Tower' Above?

12/06/02, 12:33 pm EST - Xoanon

Audience reaction to a sneak screening of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in Los Angeles Tuesday night was enthusiastic, published reports said Thursday. "The general consensus seems to be that The Two Towers is a richer, bloodier and more compelling experience than last year's Fellowship of the Ring," [More]

SHOP: TTT Action Figure Pics

12/06/02, 12:28 pm EST - Xoanon

From Americandreamcomics.com: With only weeks away till the theatrical release of "The Two Towers" movie, the second chapter in the Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy, we bring you a detailed look at some of the upcoming figures based on the movie from Toy Biz. [More]

Gollum and special effects get the buzz

12/06/02, 12:10 pm EST - Xoanon

Yoda's reign as moviedom's coolest computerized character may be over. Gollum -- the golden-ring-obsessed hunchback from "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" -- is coming to town. [More]

French & Saunders At It Again

12/06/02, 12:07 pm EST - Xoanon

Just as "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" prepares to dominate movie screens for the next month or so comes "French & Saunders: Lord of the Rings," a modest effort to deflate some of the epic's more pretentious inclinations. [More]

Christopher Lee To Be Given French Medal

12/06/02, 11:49 am EST - Xoanon

Willowmere writes: On Dec. 10, French Culture Minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon will honor Christopher Lee (Saruman) with a medal making him a French officer of Arts and Letters. Many hearty congratulations from the fans of LOTR to Mr. Lee--a gentleman and master actor. [More]

Selling 'Rings' is whole new quest

12/06/02, 11:41 am EST - Xoanon

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- With the astounding success last year of the first installment in its "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, New Line Cinema learned many things about the franchise that helped the studio develop an unconventional marketing plan for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," which opens Dec. 18. [More]

Bean & Bond Extend Macbeth Four Weeks

12/06/02, 11:37 am EST - Xoanon

Though it received somewhat mixed reviews, Edward Hall's hotly anticipated production of Macbeth, starring British film star Sean Bean in the title role and Samantha Bond as Lady Macbeth, has proved a hit with audiences and is now due to add a further four weeks to its season at the West End's Albery Theatre. [More]


GAMING: Chase The Can With Decipher

12/06/02, 11:30 am EST - Xoanon

(Norfolk, VA, December 5, 2002) Players of The Lord of the Rings and Star Trek Trading Card Games have pledged to give back to their community this holiday season by joining Decipher in its1 annual Chase the Can tournament. On the weekend of December 14-15. [More]

Courtside With The Hobbits

12/06/02, 11:21 am EST - Xoanon

Hobbits young and old (including young miss Alexandra Astin who plays Elanor Gamgee in ROTK) were seen at the Knicks/Magic Game in NYC Wednesday. Take a look! [More]

SHOP: LOTR Collectors Beware...The 9 Are Coming!

12/06/02, 11:02 am EST - Xoanon

Xoanon here, Eric sent this along to us yesterday clearing up some internet rumors about gift sets of LOTR action figures coming out (or not coming out) anytime soon, take a look. [More]

NZ Begins It's LOTR Obsession All Over Again

12/06/02, 10:45 am EST - Xoanon

frodo's girl sends in three reports from Wellington that include pictures from the Te Papa bookstore signing...take a look! [More]

Tivo Talks TTT

12/06/02, 8:38 am EST - Xoanon

Suzanne writes: I get a e-mail magazine from Tivo, for Tivo subscribers. This bit was in my e-mail box today. Sneak a behind-the-scenes preview of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," the second installment of director Peter Jackson's much-anticipated cinematic trilogy. [More]

Media Watch: Orlando Goes For A 'Spin'

12/06/02, 8:16 am EST - Xoanon

Aragorn88 writes: The January 2003 edition of SPIN music magazine has an almost full page headshot of good old Orlando Bloom (Legolas), with a short description and an article on what he's working on right now. Regular LOTR movie fans will find a cool mini-article that is labeled as "everything you need to know about The Two Towers in far fewer than 400 pages." [More]

USA Weekend To Feature TTT 'One Sheet'

12/06/02, 8:08 am EST - Xoanon

Daddy Twofoot sends us this text from USA Today's promo for the Weekend Edition. Exclusive USA WEEKEND /Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers poster This one-of-a-kind collectible introduces three new characters and depicts a key scene in the continuing epic... [More]

New Toy Biz Action Figure Collections

12/06/02, 1:52 am EST - Demosthenes

Bobbi writes: Toy Biz has released new images of upcoming action figures from the Two Towers. There are three assortments of figures, due out in February and July. [Collection 1] [Collection 2] [Collection 3]

Win The Limited Edition Soundtrack!

12/06/02, 1:47 am EST - Demosthenes

Warner Brothers, Reprise Records and SoundtrackNet are currently running a contest ... five lucky people will win the Limited Edition of the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack, composed by Academy Award winner Howard Shore. [More]

Official Soundtrack-site Updates!

12/06/02, 12:46 am EST - leo

The official TTT-soundtrack site, LordoftheRings-soundtrack.com, has been updated with lots of cool thingies! Check it out for some online trading cards and AIM buddy icons! [More]

TTT Reviews Galore!

12/06/02, 12:33 am EST - Demosthenes

Wow did you guys also find it hard to keep up with all the The Two Towers-reviews floating in over the past week or so? Well we here at TORn certainly did so we decided to get them all together in one newsstory so you can take your time and browse through them all! But beware: ALL THE SPOILERS YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE!! [More]
Now updated with the Hollywood Reporter review!

News for Dec. 05, 2002

Pics And Video From The NY Premiere

12/05/02, 11:09 pm EST - Demosthenes

Ms Allegro from TheBagEndInn has posted some pictures from the NY world premier of Two Towers. You can see these here. There's also a 12mb Quicktime video file available. This is from E! coverage of the event and is a three-minute interview with Elijah Wood. [More]

Media Watch: Jackson Angry At NZ Papers

12/05/02, 10:53 pm EST - Demosthenes

Peter Jackson has accused the New Zealand's two biggest daily newspapers of endangering his family with grossly inaccurate reports about his personal wealth. [More]

McKellen Talks Gandalf On Official Site

12/05/02, 9:54 pm EST - Demosthenes

The official site has updated with an exclusive video interview from Ian McKellen about the return of Gandalf. It's in Quicktime. [More]

That Norwegian Compilation

12/05/02, 8:59 pm EST - Demosthenes

The other day we posted about a 16-minute compilation of clips on a Norwegian site. You can now (hopefully) grab this clip. The filesize is 30MB though and it only works in Windows Media Player as far as I can tell. I also think you need the latest div-x. Right click, and "save as". [More] Spoilers!!

Update: From Robert: I am on a mac running OSX and after an hour or two of trying to get the video to play, I discovered it plays fine in Media Player 7.0 if you change the extension from .asx to .asf Thought I'd pass this along in case fellow mac-heads are going crazy trying to open the file.

SHOP: Gandalf and Bilbo Bookends

12/05/02, 8:42 pm EST - Calisuri

LOTR BookendsLooking for some bookends to hold up those 15 different versions of The Lord of the Rings in your study? Sideshow/Weta Collectibles has just released their first set of exclusive bookends titled 'No Admittance Except on Party Business.' These pieces are sold as a set and are available now for pre-order. [More]

Marathon Line Party in Portland, Oregon

12/05/02, 7:30 pm EST - Tehanu

Portland, Oregon-based Tolkien fansite BitofEarth.net is teaming up with the leader of all things online in Middle Earth, TheOneRing.net (TORN) and Regal Cinema Lloyd Center 10 to bring you "A Long Expected Party", a 36-hour marathon line party to celebrate the December 18th release of "The Two Towers." [ More] BitofEarth.net are the group who are planning a literary and horticultural tribute to Tolkien and the character Sam.

Review: Is Two Towers Better than Fellowship?

12/05/02, 6:43 pm EST - Demosthenes

TORn staffer MrCere (Our Line Party God) had the opportunity to see the Two Towers yesterday. Here's what he thougt. [More] Minor Spoilers!!

RingCon 2003 is a Go!

12/05/02, 5:33 pm EST - leo

This week it was confirmed that there will be a RingCon 2003! This years RingCon (two weeks ago) was a great event for LOTR-fans and the 2003 edition will, no doubt, be even better! The date has been set for the weekend of November 14th and the location is once again the Maritim Hotel in Bonn! All the other relevant information about RingCon 2003 can be found on their website; [RingCon.de]

See you there!

Elijah Wood To Chat On Access Hollywood

12/05/02, 4:55 pm EST - Demosthenes

Scribble this on your calendar now! Access Hollywood is hosting a chat with Elijah Wood on December 12 at 6PM ET, (also 3PM PT). They also currently have a poll for Most Anticipated Movie. Guess what is leading? Thanks to Aldaron for the heads up. [More]

Video Clips Galore

12/05/02, 12:41 pm EST - Arathorn

Ringer Spy Peter has done a great job of digitising a clip of PJ's appearance on the Today programme - as well as three clips of interest from the WB's "Return To Middle Earth". [More]

Treebeard With Merry & Pippin!

12/05/02, 10:33 am EST - Xoanon

Take a look at this great picture..or poster..or xmas card..not too sure what of Treebeard with Merry and Pippin riding him! Take a look! !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

Elijah/Orlando In Lycos Top 20

12/05/02, 10:24 am EST - Xoanon

Caroline writes: I follow the Lycos 50 quite closely, I thought you might be interested to know that the site is reporting that Orlando Bloom is more popular online than Elvis and is the sixth most searched-for man of 2002.

TTT Turkey News

12/05/02, 10:16 am EST - Xoanon

Yusuf writes: As confirmed, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers will be released on December 20th with 150 copies countrywide. [More]

Return To Middle-earth Online!

12/05/02, 10:05 am EST - Xoanon

Patrick writes: I've loved your site for over two years. Great stuff. Here is a link to a copy of the WB preview of TTT. Quicktime to fast start. [More]

Mortensen Takes Pains In Good Performance

12/05/02, 10:04 am EST - Demosthenes

Peter Jackson says he didn't realise what he thought was a particularly good bit of acting by Viggo Mortensen was actually the actor breaking his toes. Thanks to Truckle for the link. [More]

Jingle Att The Way...To Rivendell

12/05/02, 10:02 am EST - Xoanon

Bill Amend is certainly a strange man...he's forever tainted my childhood view of the 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer' animation! You get coal from me this year Bill! [More]

BBC Focuses on TTT

12/05/02, 8:29 am EST - Demosthenes

I guess you've made it when the BBC makes a special page about your film. Score one for The Two Towers. [More] Phillipe writes that BBC also has a story about the rapidly approaching world premiere. [More]

FoTR Gets Nom For USA People's Choice Awards

12/05/02, 8:23 am EST - Demosthenes

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and My Big Fat Greek Wedding lead the list of nominees for Favourite Movie at the 29th annual People's Choice Awards in America, it was announced today. [More]

Ottawa Premiere Competition

12/05/02, 8:04 am EST - Demosthenes

Ottawa residents might find this snippet from Ringer Spy Berethorn useful: A half-page ad in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper (Wednesday, December 4), in the back of the Arts section offers a chance to win tickets to a December 16 premiere of TTT. It's a Bayshore (a big mall in Ottawa) ad, and the screening will be at the Famous Players Coliseum. Included is a cut-out ballot that you can drop off at the Bayshore mall.

The Middle Earth Countdown

12/05/02, 7:48 am EST - Demosthenes

Totally Wellington (the tourist authority) have a camera trained on Wellington's Embassy Theatre and are counting down to the New Zealand Premiere. The camera itself seems to update almost instantaneously. There's also the obligitory flash page (it amused me to make the Eye of Sauron my mouse around the screen). Thanks to Ringer Spy Taniwha for the link. [More]

Comingsoon.net Posts New (And Old) TTT Images

12/05/02, 4:30 am EST - Demosthenes

Comingsoon.net has posted a mixture of new and old TTT photos. There's 38 in total, including several that I've never seen before. Thanks to Fraggle for the link. [More] Spoilers!

Halloween Contest 2002 Winners!

12/05/02, 3:12 am EST - Calisuri

It seems cliched at this point to say this Halloween Contest 2002 was nearly impossilbe to judge. You would not believe the shear immensity and, more importantly, the quality of the entries we received. So many people spent countless hours preparing some of the most amazing costumes we have ever seen! Please know that we recognized your hard work and it pains us to only have to choose 3! Here they are! [More]

Exclusive TTT Clip On UK's RI:SE

12/05/02, 3:08 am EST - Strider

Any Ringers in the UK and Ireland lucky enough to be watching Channel 4's breakfast show RI:SE at around 7.50 will have had the fortune of watching a clip from The Two Towers featuring the arrival of The Three Hunters and Gandalf the White to the Golden Hall of King Theoden!

Update: Malcolm sent us this lightly more comprehensive report. Beware Spoilers! [More]

News for Dec. 04, 2002

Official Site Talks Ents

12/04/02, 10:31 pm EST - Xoanon

Frodo writes: I went to the official site just now and you can go explore Fanghorn Forest! It's really cool and it has the picture of treebeard which we have seen before, but there are some pretty spooky pictures! !!Spoilers!! [Official Site]

TTT Review From Oslo

12/04/02, 9:36 pm EST - Xoanon

Mouldy sends in yet ANOTHER review for TTT, yet another lucky bugger who has seen the flick before me. [More]

Peter Jackson On 'Today'

12/04/02, 9:21 pm EST - Xoanon

B Rock Longbottom writes: Peter Jackson was interviewed by Matt Lauer this morning which started off with an extended video clip of Saruman giving his speech to the Uruk Hai on the balcony of Orthanc. [More]

The Viggo Flap

12/04/02, 9:11 pm EST - Xoanon

Viggo Mortensen certainly got what he wished for, people talking politics and war as opposed to his role in TTT, this from his visit to the Charlie Rose show last night. TORN fans have certainly been vocal, both pro and con Viggo in regards to his statements last night. [More]


Please Note: All opinions, including those of Viggo Mortensen, may not be the opinions of this website or any of the geeks who work on it

Official Site Updates

12/04/02, 8:35 pm EST - Tehanu

There's new stuff on the official site about Fangorn and Ents [More]

USA Two Towers Programming

12/04/02, 4:07 pm EST - Strider

This post from Xenu's Sister from usenet group rec.arts.books.tolkien may be very useful for people in the USA - it's a near comprehensive listing of all tolkien/lotr-related TV shows for the next two weeks. It may not be complete, but there's a lot of stuff here. [More]

The Hot Button Spoiler-Free TTT Review

12/04/02, 4:01 pm EST - Pippin_Took

Well-known entertainment columnist David Poland chimes in with his (extremely positive) full review of The Two Towers, calling it "a near-perfect piece of filmmaking." [More]

Video For 'Gollum's Song' Aired?

12/04/02, 3:58 pm EST - Xoanon

Eric writes: Yesterday my dad saw the videoclip of "Gollum's Song" (contains scenes of the TTT) performed by Emiliana Torrini in a music channel called Sol Música. Lucky him...lol. If in Portugal the videoclip appeared, stay tunned in channels of others countries. I hope to see for myself too anytime soon.

Norway Reporters Say TTT Rating Too Low?

12/04/02, 3:54 pm EST - Xoanon

Martin writes: Just thought I'd drop you guys a line and state that the two towers is all over the news in Norway now a days. It's been review be many papers and film journalists are shouting that TTT must be rated 15 years. It's now 11 years, and with special laws in Norway, this means that 8 year olds can watch it.

TV Watch: E!, ET & CharliE Rose

12/04/02, 3:45 pm EST - Xoanon

(I tried my best with the title -Xo) Richard writes: There's a short article on The Two Towers at Entertainment Tonight's website. There will also be a look at The Two Towers New York Premiere on Entertainment Tonight on Friday, Dec. 6. This shows airs at around 7:00 or 7:30pm across the US on a local channel. [More]

Warner Brothers: TTT Special TONIGHT!

12/04/02, 3:43 pm EST - Tehanu

For those of you in the States that get WB TV, there's an hour-long special on TTT at 8pm EST. Check your local listings to see if it's showing in your area. [More]

Gollum's Painful Voice

12/04/02, 3:33 pm EST - Xoanon

The actor who voices Gollum in the forthcoming Lord of the Rings sequel The Two Towers was forced to drink honey and lemon so he could carry off the character's painful lines. [More]

Media Watch: The Australian

12/04/02, 3:30 pm EST - Xoanon

Vardia writes: Here's a scan from "The Australian". Its about the set of Hobbiton being opened to the public. [More]

South Africa - FOTR on TV

12/04/02, 2:28 pm EST - Tehanu

Jess and Mike in South Africa wrote to let fans there know that FOTR will be shown on Mnet during December on Sunday 15th at 20.00 (South African Time), Thursday 19th at 23.20, and Saturday 28th at 22.35. The 'Return to Middle Earth' special will be shown on Tuesday the 17th at 19.30.

TTT spoiler-free review

12/04/02, 2:25 pm EST - Tehanu

Nice review, spoiler free, courtesy of Nerdanel, who saw it in LA last night. [More]

Fox News reviews TTT

12/04/02, 2:09 pm EST - Tehanu

Press reviews are pouring in....Here's Roger Friedman's review on Fox News. He thinks it'll be a big hit and an Oscar nominee [we knew already!] [More] NO SPOILERS

Norwegian TV Clips Transcripts

12/04/02, 2:01 pm EST - Tehanu

For those who didn't want to deal with the big download from Norwegian TV2, Dimitariel has written up a transcript of the clips. Worth a read - it's cool to see some scenes sticking very close to Tolkien's actual dialogue, and also to see how some of Tolkien's situations are adapted while retaining their original flavour. [More]

Hugo Weaving on becoming and Elf.

12/04/02, 1:37 pm EST - Tehanu

Willowmere sent us this link to Sci Fi Wire, where Hugo Weaving talks briefly about how he came to play the role of Elrond. [More]

Gandalf Denies Drug Allegations

12/04/02, 1:10 am EST - Xoanon

From IMDB: Sir Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf in The Two Towers, has denied using marijuana in his "weed pipe"! The story of the Two Towers adapted from the second part of Jr Tolkein's trilogy The Lord Of The Rings contains references to Gandalf's enjoyment of smoking "pipe weed." These references have often been associated with marijuana - however McKellen doesn't believe that this holds true. He says, "There are many groups who claim the Rings as their own. Proponents of marijuana, for instance, associate pipe weed with the taste of pot. Tolkein made it very clear that it's nicotine they're smoking. I don't think it was pot in their pipes. At least, there wasn't any in mine." [More]

[NB we're quoting IMDB's spelling of Tolkien's name exactly as they write it!]

Of God and Gollum

12/04/02, 1:07 am EST - Xoanon

It's a question of the Lord and the Rings ... or whether God knows his way around Middle Earth. And it's a question Waikato's Anglican Bishop David Moxon thinks he knows the answer to. [More]

Hail To The King

12/04/02, 1:05 am EST - Xoanon

The Two Towers is almost upon us, which, while inordinately exciting, means that there's another twelve months until the saga is finally concluded with Return of The King. Luckily for us, Peter Jackson has a few choice morsels to share about the final film, and share he did in The Mail on Sunday yesterday. !!!Spoilers!!! [More]

Media Watch: TeanBeat Magazine

12/04/02, 1:00 am EST - Xoanon

Emma sends along these scans from TeenBeat Magazine, take a look! [More]

Media Watch: Starlog Magazine

12/04/02, 12:20 am EST - Xoanon

Emma sends along these scans from Starlog magazine's January issue, take a look! [More]

News for Dec. 03, 2002

Amnesty International Screening in San Francisco

12/03/02, 11:04 pm EST - Tehanu

Bay Area fans can combine their "Two Towers" Premiere with support for Human Rights: Amnesty International will host THE FIRST "Two Towers" screening in the Bay Area (December 17, Metreon Theater, at 7:00pm) as part of its fundraising campaign. It's only $50, too. [More] Thanks to Yarrow for the link.

World news: Brazil, and Singapore.

12/03/02, 10:35 pm EST - Tehanu

Twilight Elf reports from Singapore that advance ticket sales are available online or at the box office. And from Brazil, Shadowfax says that Claquete.com is reporting that New Line 'forced' Warner Brothers to advance the release of TTT to December 27. Go, Brazilian fans!

LOTR Exhibit at Te Papa

12/03/02, 10:30 pm EST - Tehanu

NZ news agency Scoop sends more news about Wellington's Te Papa Museum and their huge exhibition of LOTR film props from December 19 til Feb. 27[More] As a result, Red Carpet Movie Tours are planning a trip in late February to include this, if enough people show interest in going.

Annoyances.

12/03/02, 10:23 pm EST - Tehanu

Two irritating stories turned up recently, so if you're looking for something to dispel that pre-TTT euphoria, read on. Australia's TripleJ website's film reviewer hated FOTR and voted it the second-worst movie of the year. [More] Meanwhile the Guardian stirs up the old controversy about whether Tolkien was racist [More]
Our own Quickbeam wrote an excellent defence of Tolkien on this subject a while back, in his Out on a Limb column [More]

TTT Moves Into IMDB's Coming Soon Section!

12/03/02, 10:16 pm EST - Gamgee

Ok, we knew it was gonna happen sooner or later, but it is still wickedly cool! [More]

Dwarvish Inscriptions Row.

12/03/02, 10:14 pm EST - Tehanu

Baralier sent a link which may shed more light on whether somebody was monkeying around with the Dwarven runes in the Chamber of Mazarbul. [More] This relates to a story that started here

Post Office issues Middle Earth date stamp

12/03/02, 5:30 pm EST - Xoanon

New Zealand Post is offering a special Lord Of The Rings date stamp this month. [More]

GAMING: EW Ranks LOTR Game

12/03/02, 5:24 pm EST - Xoanon

Merchedes writes: Entertainment Weekly has released it's top ten video game releases of 2002. Clocking in at Number 5 is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers! According to the reviewer, it's "hotter than the fires of Mount Doom." [More]

The Travel Channel Talks NZ & TTT

12/03/02, 3:58 pm EST - Xoanon

Tom writes: The Travel Channel is airing a show called New Zealand: The Royal Tour on December 15 at 9:00 pm est. The prime minister will be giving a tour of the country, and the advertisement I saw claimed Karl Urban would also be on the show. They also showed scenes form the movie TTT.

TV Watch: STARZ! Talks TTT

12/03/02, 3:47 pm EST - Xoanon

teth writes: STARZ! channel (USA) will show "On the Set: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" at the following times. [More]

TV Watch: Charlie Rose

12/03/02, 3:38 pm EST - Xoanon

Like last year, Charlie Rose is covering an 'all things Rings' episode, and tonight he will be having Peter Jackson, Viggo Mortensen & Elijah Wood as his guests. [More]

MTV Ruins The Two Towers Experience

12/03/02, 3:26 pm EST - Demosthenes

Some people have been 'lucky' enough to see Two Towers courtesy of MTV's Movie House. I use quotes because MTV apparently decided it would be a very cool thing to walk in on the climax of the film and begin interviewing people while the film was still running. [More]

Andrew Lesnie's Second Round

12/03/02, 3:05 pm EST - Xoanon

Andrew Lesnie insists he was “shocked” to learn he had won the Academy Award for cinematography earlier this year for his work on Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Lesnie, like many prognosticators, fully expected Roger Deakins to win the award for The Man Who Wasn't There. [More]

Two Towers Review from Sarumann!

12/03/02, 2:32 pm EST - Calisuri

Our good friend Sarumann had a chance to see The Two Towers at the, now infamous, MTV screening last night in Los Angeles, CA. He was kind enough to send us two reviews: One spoiler free and one full of spoilers! Check it out! [More]

The Two Towers Is 'Phenomenal'

12/03/02, 1:57 pm EST - Demosthenes

Aya was lucky enough to see the NYC press screening last night. Read on to get your fill of spoilers. [More] Here be spoilers!

TTT Clip from Norway NRK

12/03/02, 10:03 am EST - Arathorn

This is yet another clip from the Two Towers as shown on the Norwegian TV station NRK on Saturday - whilst we've already seen most of this footage before, there's a new sequence of Frodo encountering Faramir at the end! Thanks to Ringer Spy hSnz0r for the tip-off. (This is a non-streaming 3Mb Quicktime, so you'll have to wait for it to download, i'm afraid) [More] Spoilers!

Gaming: New LOTR Gaming Title

12/03/02, 7:56 am EST - Demosthenes

Black Label Games (BLG), maker of FoTR for PS2, XBox, and GameBoy Advance, has announced a new Real Time Strategy game [similiar to in style to WarCraft] in their Lord of the Rings Series! [More]

And you can be among the first to glimpse this game at our official Gaming Event with BLG on December 21st! [More]

Media Watch: A Fellowship For Fanatics

12/03/02, 7:12 am EST - Demosthenes

Why the Eye of Sauron was the bane of Peter Jackson's life, and other knowledge I gleaned from the extended DVD of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." [More]

Live in Sydney ? Want To See The Wellington Premiere?

12/03/02, 6:24 am EST - Demosthenes

Vardia writes: There is a competition on Channel 9, in Sydney (Australia) to win a flight to NZ and tickets to the Australasian premiere of TTT for two people. There are two prizes to be won. [More]

TTT Clip from E! News Online!

12/03/02, 2:18 am EST - Calisuri

Our friend Uruviel from TheArgonath.cc has posted the TTT clip from tonight's E! News. It is the full sequence of Eomer's encounter with Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn. To alleviate some of the bandwidth strain on TheArgonath.cc we are also hosting the file on our server. Beware! SPOILERS ahead! (Windows Media Player Clip) [TheArgonath.cc] [TORn Mirror]

Update: Alissa writes that E! said they were going to have more clips and interviews on tomorrow's show (12/3). So keep your eye out!

News for Dec. 02, 2002

Alliance Atlantis ROTK Contest!

12/02/02, 11:38 pm EST - Xoanon

Maniklavet writes: I just saw an ad on CBC for a contest to win tickets to go see the premiere of ROTK in New Zealand. It's open to residents of Canada except Quebec (d'oh! -Xo). [More]

DRACULA SIGNS FOR HIS FAN(G)S

12/02/02, 11:30 pm EST - Xoanon

An army of film fans queued for up to six hours to meet movie legend Christopher Lee. The master of menace was in Nottingham to meet fans and sign autographs at the city's Cornerhouse complex. [More]

Carleton College to Host 'Lord of the Rings' Premier Screening

12/02/02, 11:27 pm EST - Xoanon

Northfield, Minn.-Barrie Osborne, a 1966 graduate of Carleton College and producer of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, will host pre-release screenings of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" at 6:45 and 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13 at the Block E Crown Theatres complex in Minneapolis. The film opens nationally on Wednesday, Dec. 18. [More]

Media Watch: Mad Movies

12/02/02, 11:19 pm EST - Xoanon

The folks from Mad Movies write: I am glad to announce that french magazine Mad Movies is publishing its second "directors collection" issue, dedicated to the works of Peter Jackson. This issue features long articles, analysis, interviews, biographies and multiple informations about the movies, the productions and long time collaborators of Peter Jackson. 132 pages, very dense texts, hundreds of color photos, printed on quality paper and no advertisement. [More]

TTT World News

12/02/02, 10:26 pm EST - Tehanu

Release dates, charity screenings, sneak previews - from Costa Rica, Singapore and South Africa. [More]

Beowulf and the critics.

12/02/02, 10:00 pm EST - Tehanu

More info on new Tolkien book prepared by Michael Droutt on a previously unpublished manuscript by JRR Tolkien. [More It's published by the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Dept. of AZ State University and will be available from Cornell University Press Services. email: orderbook@cupserv.org.

Live Chat with Author Brian Sibley Scheduled

12/02/02, 8:49 pm EST - Jincey

Have you ever wondered what it was like on the sets of The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand; how the magic of Middle-earth was created? Then we invite you to join us Saturday, December 7 at 6pm GMT (1pm EST) in #TheHallofFire for a live, moderated chat with Brian Sibley, author of "The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy", "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Insiders' Guide", and "The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide" among many other works. [More]

Two Towers - Film of the Year

12/02/02, 7:38 pm EST - Demosthenes

"The Two Towers" is the film of the year. It's an epic battle and some that loved "The Fellowship of the Ring" might be shocked because of the sheer power, violence and volume of impressions "The Two Towers" features. That doesn't mean it is bad. On the contrary: It is cinema to my liking. The sort that makes the screen explode. (I really enjoyed reading this review, best one so far for me. And thanks to Chris for the link - Dem). [More] Here be Spoilers!

TTT Review - What Of The Cast Performances?

12/02/02, 7:22 pm EST - Demosthenes

Tigerlilly Gamgee sent in this Two Towers review that is largely absent of spoilers. Those who want to get a feel of the performances in the film may enjoy this one, though if you're trying to avoid spoilers regarding who may or may not be at Helm's Deep, perhaps you should steer clear. [More] Some minor spoilers

Lightsout Entertainment Posts TTT FAQ

12/02/02, 6:49 pm EST - Demosthenes

Do you want the complete lowdown on Two Towers? Do you want all your movie plot questions answered? If you do, Brian at Lightsout Entertainment has compiled this comprehensive FAQ that covers virtually everything in the movie. So don't say that you haven't been warned! [More] GIANT PLOT SPOILERS!!!

Mail on Sunday - A Few Choice Scans

12/02/02, 4:53 pm EST - Demosthenes

Yesterday we transcribed one of the articles from the Mail on Sunday magazine special. Today, we've put together a few of the more unusual images (rather than the ones we've all seen before) and another article for your reading enjoyment. Thanks to Ringer Spies IC, Aragorn_is_Mine and Arwenelf for sending in these scans. [More] Here be spoilers!

Mail On Sunday Videos

12/02/02, 3:10 pm EST - Strider

Thanks to Ringer Spy Neil, we have transcoded versions of every video that featured on the Mail on Sunday's free CD yesterday. The quality of the video has been reduced to allow easy access for 56k users. These videos have appeared on the Extended Edition DVD and LordoftheRings.net. [Darkness.ram] [DVD.ram] [Hobbits.ram] [Intro.ram] [Outro.ram] [Sound.ram] [Teaser.ram] [Trailer.ram]

Copenhagen Lord of the Rings Fair

12/02/02, 1:41 pm EST - Xoanon

Greeny writes: I am told that this is the largest LOTR fair in Europe this year. Obviously the news spread quickly inside the Tolkien societies and the Danes at barlis got together and arranged to go as a group. Ant, MouthOfSauron and Greeny were the Danes that went and had a peek. [More]

Toy Biz Treebeard Sounds!

12/02/02, 1:38 pm EST - Demosthenes

Want to get a listen to what Treebeard just might sound like? Calisuri has taken the sounds from the Treebeard action figure and made a few MP3s for everyone to enjoy. [Sound 1] [Sound 2] [Sound 3] [Sound 4] [Sound 5] Like what you see and hear? You can order him here.

Lord Of The Fuzz

12/02/02, 1:11 pm EST - Xoanon

Darby Conley and the crazy characters from the 'Get Fuzzy' comic have a LOTR inspired comic today, take a look! [More]

A quick review of TTT!

12/02/02, 12:51 pm EST - Calisuri

Ringer fan Aulë sends us this quick, but SPOILER FILLED review of the Writer's Guild screening last night. As with all the TTT stuff coming down the pipes in the next week or so, if you do not want to know details about the movie, DO NOT READ! [More]

Lightsout Reviews TTT - 'Absolutely Amazing'

12/02/02, 6:43 am EST - Demosthenes

Following hard on the heels of Harry from AICN, comes this review from Brian at Lightsout Entertainment. I haven't read it all yet, but it's far more rounded and answers quite a lot of questions and some of those more persistent rumours. [More] Here be huge spoilers!!

New TV Spot?!

12/02/02, 5:43 am EST - Demosthenes

Lightsout Entertainment may have a new TV spot posted for everyone to enjoy (it's hard to tell with so many video clips floating around). It's called "TV Spot #1". The catch is that you need Real Player, and apparently the quality on this one is a bit dodgy. Thanks to Fraggle for the link. [More] Spoilers!

Making of the Two Towers For Kiwis

12/02/02, 3:40 am EST - Demosthenes

Muki writes: A TV special on the Making Of The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers will be broadcast on Sunday December 8 in New Zealand on TV2. [More]

First Two Towers Review on AICN

12/02/02, 2:27 am EST - Demosthenes

The first large screening took place tonight in Los Angeles as an Academy Screening. It finished a couple of hours ago, and this is the first Two Towers review to emerge. It's low key, and not spoiler-filled, but the reviewer was definitely one happy customer. [More] Spoilers!

One comment the reviewer made (in the comments section) regarding Helm's Deep pretty much confirms what we have been speculating. Highlight below to read: Helm's Deep is intercut with other scenes, which is why people keep saying it is 45 minutes long.

We need more time!

12/02/02, 1:57 am EST - Calisuri

In the last month, we have received over 300 entries for our 2002 Halloween Party Contest! As you can imagine, sifting through all of these great submissions is taking quite some time. (Especially over a Holiday weekend!) Winners will be announced on Wednesday. We apologize for the delay!

Weekend Round Up

12/02/02, 12:07 am EST - Xoanon

Missed all the news this weekend? Well here's your chance to catch up! All the news from Saturday and Sunday, in one place! Take a look! [More]

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