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August 05, 2002 - August 11, 2002

News for Aug. 11, 2002

I Bought My Salmon At Music Circle

8/11/02, 10:11 pm EST - Xoanon

Take a look at theis great comic from 'Force Monkeys' [More]

Gen-Com Pics

8/11/02, 10:05 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy JW Braun sends along these pics from Gen Con in Milwaukee, WI [More]

Hollywood Bowl Report

8/11/02, 9:58 pm EST - Xoanon

Meg sends in her report from the Hollywood Bowl concert featuring our very own Howard Shore! [More]

LA Times Talk Comic-Con

8/11/02, 9:50 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy Suzanne sends along these scans from the LA Times, take a look! [More]

LA Tolkien Weekend Report from Sauron's Truss

8/11/02, 5:18 pm EST - Calisuri

Our good friend Bill (aka Sauron's Truss) sends in this report from a marvellous weekend in Los Angeles. [More]

Congratulations Sean & Christine Astin!

8/11/02, 9:13 am EST - Strider

TheOneRing.net and its staff would like to offer our congratulations and best wishes to Sean Astin and his wife Christine after the healthy birth of their second daughter, Elizabeth Louise Astin, on August 6th, 2002. May you have many happy years together!

Take The Tolkien Tour!

8/11/02, 8:53 am EST - Strider

Earendil writes: About ten days ago, a site has been put up as a part of the Oxford Virtual Tour. It's called TolkienTour and it offers loads of information about The Professor, and about his life in Oxford. But the coolest part are the 360 panoramic views of the most important places in Tolkien's life! They are amazing - if you ever wanted to see where he was buried, now you can, but you can see much more, for these interactive pieces are astonishingly detailed. There are also views of all the places Tolkien lived at, or frequented. [More]

Howard Shore Hollywood Bowl Concert Report #2

8/11/02, 8:51 am EST - Strider

L.S-B, BtW and Orcress send in another report from Howard Shore's concert in Los Angeles last night. [More]

Free TTT Trading Card In Previews Catalogue

8/11/02, 8:40 am EST - Strider

virtue1st writes: I just wanted to let you know that a free trading card from the upcoming The Two Towers trading card set from Topps is included in the August issue of the PREVIEWS comic book catalogue. The free card features an image of Saruman and Grima Wormtongue together, and is titled "The Legend Returns!".

Howard Shore Hollywood Bowl Concert Report

8/11/02, 8:36 am EST - Strider

Jeff sent in one of the first reports from Howard Shore's concert at the Hollywood Bowl last night. [More]

EW Give Wood's Tom Thumb C+

8/11/02, 8:29 am EST - Strider

Orangeblossom Brambleburr writes: Entertainment Weekly (August 16 edition #667) has a review of Elijah Wood's Tom Thumb and Thumbelina on page 53, in which they gave the film a C+.

FOTR Track In New Shoe Commercial

8/11/02, 8:18 am EST - Strider

I recently was flipping through the channels and caught a shoe commercial playing one of The Fellowship of the Ring scores! I couldn't believe it. I wish I could remember what brand of shoe it was. It might of been a local company, but I'm certain that the music was actually 'Concerning Hobbits' from The Fellowship of the Ring.

LOTR In New KIA Commercial

8/11/02, 8:15 am EST - Strider

Shelton writes: While watching TV, a KIA commercial came on advertising their " Test drive a KIA and get a free Fellowship DVD " offer. It started out with an SUV in the woods, and then a horde of Ringwraiths on their steeds came galloping up (it was very reminiscent of Arwen's flight to the Ford scene with Frodo) Then suddenly one of the wraiths pulls off his hood and low and behold it is "Bob" from the KIA dealership who tells them about their great new offer.

Bruce Spence In Farscape

8/11/02, 8:12 am EST - Strider

Zach and Sleezy both wrote in to say that two days ago on the television show "Farscape", Bruce Spence (Mouth of Sauron) was a prominent guest star in the episode 'A Prefect Murder'.

250,000 New Zealanders Buy FOTR On DVD/VHS

8/11/02, 7:59 am EST - Strider

'Middle Earth inhabitants have bought more than 250,000 copies of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring since video and DVD versions of the movie went on sale around New Zealand on Monday. The film's distributor is staggered by the success, especially the demand for the DVD version.' [More]

Thanks to Jasen and Math for the link!

The One Ring Bookmarks

8/11/02, 7:51 am EST - Strider

Robert writes: Just thought you guys might like to know that the Coles up here (in Kingston, Ont.) is selling bookmarks that have a replica of the One Ring attached. The price is around $3.00 CDN, and I imagine that these are available in all Coles stores. The ring is just under an inch in diameter, and has Mordor script on both the inside and outside.

Doing Justice To The Hobbit

8/11/02, 7:50 am EST - Strider

jbum writes: A friend of mine (who happens to bear a strong-resemblence to Bilbo Baggins)
sent me the enclosed press release today. He is producing the play of 'The Hobbit' in Topanga. Performances start September 28th. Topanga is a beautiful rustic suburb of Los Angeles, and is a wonderful setting for the play. He is currently being coy about how the Smaug effects will be achieved onstage. [More]

Party Time in LA

8/11/02, 3:18 am EST - Calisuri

Before all of the reports start flooding in, I want to take a moment and thank the great folks who put together an amazing weekend in LA for Tolkien fans. Through the efforts of fan club members and some TORn regulars, a great time was had by all. Whether it was the Friday night PubMoot or the BowlMoot/Howard Shore Concert tonight, when Tolkien fans get together they sure do know how to have fun! A hearty thanks from all of us here at TheOneRing.net. Cheers!

News for Aug. 10, 2002

Sideshow Toy Comic Con 2002 Report

8/10/02, 1:28 pm EST - Calisuri

Moria OrcSideshow Toy, half of Sideshow/Weta Collectibles, has posted their Comic Con 2002 report. See pictures of Sideshow employee Heath Hammond being transformed into a Moria Orc, as well as other pictures of Richard Taylor, Lawrence Makoare (Lurtz and Witchking), and Sala Baker(Sauron). There are also pictures of the Cave Troll LOTR exhibitor display and the many fans that visited their booth. [More]

ISENGARD - The Winds of Change PART 2

8/10/02, 11:44 am EST - Tehanu

Lao of Gondor brings us part two of his culture study of Isengard for the Lord of the Rings Trading Card game! [More]

LA Fellowship Pub Moot

8/10/02, 11:42 am EST - Tehanu

The first report from the moot in LA which is of course revving up for big picnic and concert of Howard Shore and the LOTR soundtrack at the Hollywood Bowl tonight [More] Thanks to Baron for that.

News for Aug. 09, 2002

Hall Of Fire Chats For August 10th & 11th

8/09/02, 8:46 pm EST - Strider

Throughout the first half of The Two Towers, Tolkien shifts narratives constantly from Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas plight to save their friends and to assist the Riders of Rohan to Merry and Pippin's escape from their Uruk-hai captors and their new friends the Ents. However, there finally comes a chapter after the events of Helm's Deep where the two groups are finally reunited and by recounting their own adventures, fill in any gaps in the story that the reader may have missed along the way: Book III, Chapter IX: Flotsam and Jetsam. [More]

3 DVDs Should Create Fellowship Between Fans

8/09/02, 6:30 pm EST - Strider

Often confused as to what DVD is the best to get, when each one is coming out and what are they called? Well Undomiel sends in this story from the Kansas City Star which nicely summarises everything you need to know about what DVD to buy. [More]

Lesnie To Talk Career In Melbourne

8/09/02, 6:10 pm EST - Strider

Platty writes: Melbourne readers might like to know that LOTR cinematographer Andrew Lesnie will be talking about his career next week: POPCORN TAXI Catch up with cinematographer Andrew Lesnie ACS, who won an Oscar for his work on Lord of the Rings. Having worked with Dr. George Miller, Clara Law and Bill Bennett over the years, he’s bound to have a few interesting stories. [More]

The Wonderful World of Tolkien Obsessives

8/09/02, 5:47 pm EST - Strider

'Forget the classic saga and the blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" movie -- welcome instead to the wonderful world of a small-town Tolkien admiration society. Here you can master the intricacies of the ancient Elvish language, marvel at the mighty clash of wizards and sing along to the surprise hit "We Are the Champions of Middle Earth."' [More]

More Free Keychains

8/09/02, 5:42 pm EST - Strider

Ray writes: The store 'fye' gave out free Lord of the Rings one ring keychains to those who pre-ordered the dvd or vhs in advance. The ring is about 1 and a half inches in diameter. Around the outside is elvish text and the inside reads "Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring." I believe this is exclusive to fye stores. I have posted pictures of the ring here and here.

Video And Audio From Breakfast With Dominic

8/09/02, 5:30 pm EST - Strider

Shawna writes: Finally got the video clips from the Fan Club Breakfast with Dom wrestled into submission. Not the best quality and I'm not the best camera person, but they're up! If nothing else, there's also a link to an audio file of the whole event. [More]

BAFTAs & SAGs Take Place On Same Day In 2004

8/09/02, 5:15 pm EST - Strider

'When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided to move the date for the 2004 Oscars, all hell broke loose in the film world, with the numerous satellite awards ceremonies all doing their best to rearrange dates around the big one. Unfortunately, news this week that the Screen Actors Guild had chosen 8 February as their new date came as a bit of a shock to BAFTA who had also picked the 8th for their jamboree.' [More]

Interview with WETA Workshop Sculptor

8/09/02, 3:41 pm EST - Calisuri

Sideshow/Weta Collectibles updated their sculptor interviews today with Sacha Lees, the artist behind the Meriadoc Brandybuck polystone bust. [More]

Brentano's Book Signing Event Video!

8/09/02, 1:30 pm EST - Xoanon

In what we plan to become a regular event, we bring you another great fan event. Our first is from LA, where TORn staffers Asfaloth and Quickbeam attended the Brentano's Book Signing from a few months ago! Featuring Sean Astin, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh! [More]

Viggo Apperance Rescheduled

8/09/02, 12:56 pm EST - Xoanon

Due to a change in Viggo Mortensen's (Aragorn) shooting schedule, the poetry reading at the Midnight Special Bookstore in Santa Monica (CA) which was to take place at 7:30p on Thursday August 29th, has been rescheduled to Sunday, September 1st.

Lord of the Rings DVD is a bestseller

8/09/02, 12:54 pm EST - Xoanon

'Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring' has made it into the record books with the highest one-day sale figures for its release on DVD in the UK and Ireland. [More]

Media Watch: Star Tribune Talks LOTR

8/09/02, 12:52 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy ~Celeste sends along these scans from the variety section of the 'Star Tribune', check out 'Geek Mythology' and stories on our Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Ian Holm (Bilbo). [More]

Brazil Extended DVD release - yes or no?

8/09/02, 12:48 pm EST - Tehanu

There's some strong responses to the report that Brazil might not get the extended DVD in November (or ever.) We still can't confirm that news. [More]

Csokas' 'XXX' Out Today

8/09/02, 8:45 am EST - Xoanon

Be sure to check out Marton Csokas' latest film 'XXX', Csokas plays the main heavy in Vin Diesel's crosshairs. [Showtimes]

Serkis' 'Party People' Out Today

8/09/02, 8:42 am EST - Xoanon

The latest Andy Serkis (Gollum) film '24 Hour Party People' is out in limited release today. [Showtimes]

News for Aug. 08, 2002

Fan Artists, get ready!

8/08/02, 9:55 pm EST - Calisuri

Tolkien artists unite! It is almost time for our annual Fan Art Contest, where fans worldwide can win great prizes. This year, we plan on having different entry categories from the amateur to the professional. The contest will be announced this coming Tuesday, so get those papers, pens, paints and computer programs ready. Please do not send your art until we announce the contest. And remember only 'new' art (Art that is not currently in our fan art gallery) will be eligible. So start brainstorming ideas as we gear up for what will be a great contest.

The Sideshow/Weta Weapon Collectible Sets

8/08/02, 3:15 pm EST - Strider

Miniature Weapon Collectibles are the newest additions to Sideshow Weta's constantly expanding Lord of the Rings range. Each individually-numbered weapon set features a group of replicas from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring that fall under a common theme; The Arms of the Fellowship set features the weaponry of Frodo, Gandalf the Grey and Aragorn, The Arms of the Nazgul features the weaponry of the Ringwraiths and The Arms of the Hobbits the Dunedain daggers of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.

Each polystone weapon is hand-brushed to caputre the textures from the original weapons used in the films, and is mounted on a black, oval display plaque with the map of Middle-earth etched into its surface. The back of the plaque carries the film's logo, weapon names and the weapon sculptors' signatures.

Each set also comes with an antiqued display stand as well as a printed certificate highlighting the weapon names. Sideshow Weta have issued a limit of only 2,500 hand numbered pieces worldwide for each set, so don't delay in pre-ordering your own set before their October release. [More]

TTT trailer and DVD news around the world

8/08/02, 2:18 pm EST - Tehanu

News from Brazil, Finland, and Australia. For Melbourne fans, there's the chance to see LOTR cinematographer Andrew Lesnie. [More]

Top DVD Sales Of 2002

8/08/02, 2:02 pm EST - Strider

Brandon Gray
Boxofficemojo.com

While we're waiting to find out how many copies were sold in the US in LOTR's undoubtedly record-breaking first week, here's a couple of charts that might be of interest, that could add perspective. They rank the top sellers of the year so far, how many they sold and how much revenue they generated: DVD - VHS

Sean Astin article in Costco Connection

8/08/02, 2:01 pm EST - Tehanu

If you're picking up your DVD cheap at Costco, it might be worth checking out their magazine for the Sean Astin article, according to Miriel.

"The Men Behind the Swords"

8/08/02, 1:59 pm EST - Tehanu

A great interview with Peter Lyon and John Howe, two of the men who designed and created the swords we see in LOTR. [More]
Thanks to Bjorn for that!

News for Aug. 07, 2002

LOTR References in "Spy Kids 2"

8/07/02, 11:40 pm EST - Pippin_Took

Frodo Baggins writes: Just wanted to let you know, there are a couple of references to LOTR in Spy Kids II, released today. The boy Juni makes a couple of comments, "one necklace to rule them all," and a bit later, "my precioussssssss." I think I was the only person who knew what it was, though!

Got DVD? -Update-

8/07/02, 10:17 pm EST - Xoanon

Picked up your copy of the FOTR DVD? PROVE IT!! Send along a picture of you with Peter Jackson's Oscar winning epic and we'll add it to our fan scrapbook! (or do something silly with it, I'm sure!) Send all your pics to xoanon@theonering.net today!

I've gotten a zillion pics so far, keep sending them in!

2 FOTR DVD Articles

8/07/02, 10:09 pm EST - Xoanon

Ringer Spy Luinfalathiel sends along these articles from beautiful British Columbia. [More]

LOTR Chocolate Bars?

8/07/02, 9:58 pm EST - Xoanon

True Confections is proud to present The Lord of the Rings chocolate bars. It is one of the biggest films of the year, so we snatched up all three movie licenses. Here is the first installment of this epically collectable line. [More]

Creatures of a Feather

8/07/02, 7:33 pm EST - leo

John Feather was a little nervous when he sat down in a Monterey movie theater last December to watch the first installment of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. He wanted it to be good. Preferably great. After all, he'd just signed on to work on the second film, "The Two Towers." [More]

Thanks to Malbec for that!

Two Disc Set or Four Disc Set?

8/07/02, 5:14 pm EST - leo

Still deciding wether to buy the DVD now or to wait for November? Well, wait no longer because Narwen writes that: Best Buy is having a pre-sale for the collector's series (the November DVD). The cost is $54.99, and shipping is FREE. Plus for those who have already purchased the DVD or VHS there is a $10 mail in rebate included in the movie. So the cost breaks down to about $46, excluding sales tax if that has to be paid. So if people are interested, check it out!

One DVD to rule them all

8/07/02, 5:05 pm EST - leo

Anamorphic widescreen letterboxed pixellation Easter-eggs ... why would you want to struggle with words that long when all you'd planned to do was kick back on the couch and watch a movie on Saturday night? [More]

Thanks to Jasen for that!

Tolkien DVD Beats Harry Potter

8/07/02, 4:01 pm EST - leo

Frodo Baggins and friends have pipped fantasy film rival Harry Potter for a DVD sales record. The first instalment of the Lord Of The Rings series has conjured up the biggest one-day sale for a DVD in the UK. [More]

Wanna See Viggo?

8/07/02, 3:06 pm EST - leo

TORn Staffer Arwen sends in word on two upcoming events featuring Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)! [More]

Special KIA Offering

8/07/02, 2:42 pm EST - leo

Quite a lot of people have emailed us saying that if you testdrive a KIA vehicle before 30 september you get a free copy of LOTR:FOTR on VHS or DVD! Look for the details and other information on their website. [More]

LOTR:TTT on Access Hollywood Today

8/07/02, 2:35 pm EST - leo

I don't know if you've been told this, but Access Hollywood will be showing a piece on the special effects used in the upcoming Two Towers. The show is airing today, August 7th. For those of you that can watch the show, it could prove interesting.

Thanks to Danny for that!

The Wonderful World of Tolkien Obsessives

8/07/02, 2:28 pm EST - leo

Forget the classic saga and the blockbuster "Lord of the Rings" movie -- welcome instead to the wonderful world of a small-town Tolkien admiration society. [More]

The Sideshow/Weta Cave Troll Bust

8/07/02, 1:08 pm EST - Calisuri

Cave Troll BustFan of the Cave Troll? Sideshow/Weta has just started taking pre-orders for one of the most memorable characters in Fellowship of the Ring. The Bust is approximately 11" high and 11" wide. (yeah, pretty darn big!) [More]

Urban's 'Ghost Ship' Trailer Online

8/07/02, 9:31 am EST - Xoanon

The latest Karl Urban (Eomer) film, 'Ghost Ship' now has a teaser online. Check out the fright fest.[More]

DVD Born For The Rings

8/07/02, 9:28 am EST - Xoanon

The best thing about Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on DVD is that you can get up, pause it and pop to the toilet. This is of great importance in a movie that is nearly three hours long and demands fairly constant attention, lest you miss a plot-sensitive disembowelling or narrow escape. [More]

Dork Tower Plays The DVD Waiting Game

8/07/02, 9:25 am EST - Xoanon

Take a look at the latest DorkTower Comic, seems all fanboys are playing the waiting game these days! [More]

Live In Oz? Wanna Meet Andrew Lesnie?

8/07/02, 9:05 am EST - Xoanon

From AICN: Melbournians are in for a treat with the opportunity for a "chat" with Academy Award cinematographer for FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, Aussie Andrew Lesnie ACS at Popcorn Taxi. [More]

Singapore and Australia DVD Prices

8/07/02, 7:16 am EST - Demosthenes

For those in Australia (like me) and Singapore, this DVD price update might be of help. [More]

To Buy Or Not To Buy ...

8/07/02, 6:41 am EST - Demosthenes

This is a question currently plaguing the minds - and wallets - of more than a few LoTR fans. The LA Times explores this vexing issue and whether it's better to wait till November. [More]

FoTR DVD/Video Destroys Danish Sales Records

8/07/02, 6:30 am EST - Demosthenes

Oscar writes in to tell us that MetroXpress in Denmark is reporting that the LOTR:FOTR DVD and VHS have proved enormously popular in Denmark. [More]

BBC Reports on Chris Lee Signing

8/07/02, 6:16 am EST - Demosthenes

BBC has a small interview with Christopher Lee from his DVD signing in London yesterday. You can also win signed DVD and video of FoTR (although the offer is only open to UK residents). Thanks to Villordsutch for this link. [More]

News for Aug. 06, 2002

Christopher Lee Booksigning Report

8/06/02, 4:33 pm EST - leo

Ringer Spy jayjay got back from the Christopher Lee booksigningevent in London and share's her report with us! [More]

Price War winners in the US and NZ

8/06/02, 3:36 pm EST - Tehanu

For those of you looking for the best deal on the LOTR DVD, here's what we heard from KaiaRose and Turbo. Meanwhile also in NZ, we've heard reports that Whitcoull's sold out in 7 hours. More]

Video, DVD Boost Rings Gold

8/06/02, 3:29 pm EST - Strider

'Director Peter Jackson is expected to make another pot of gold from The Fellowship of the Ring when it is released on video and DVD in New Zealand from midnight. Distributor Roadshow Entertainment is shipping 150,000 copies to stores and expects it to become New Zealand's biggest-selling video and DVD. It is also being released around the world.' [More]

Detailed DVD Review

8/06/02, 3:19 pm EST - Tehanu

This review by Dean MacIntosh over at MichaelDVD.com.au is extremely detailed. [More] Thanks to Keith for the link.

Fighting over DVD supplies in Ireland

8/06/02, 3:14 pm EST - Tehanu

Tensions mounted as various shops in Ireland 'jumped the gun' with the LOTR DVD release. [More] Thanks to Jon for the report.

X-Men 2 Teaser At Comic-Con

8/06/02, 3:05 pm EST - Strider

Comics Continuum have posted an account of what was in the X-Men 2 teaser shown by Bryan Singer at Comic-Con 2002 - featuring Sir Ian McKellen's Magneto. [More]

Two Fun Sites

8/06/02, 3:04 pm EST - Tehanu


The first is 'Lord of the Boxing Rings, the result of Ringstar's search for a Nokia LOTR ringtone...with the help of some less-than-stellar translation software.
The next is the infamous Leonard Nimoy Ballad of Bilbo Baggins which is worth a re-run, though some of you may have come across it before. Thanks to BOMBAD1L for that.

London Loves Lee

8/06/02, 1:53 pm EST - Xoanon

The world and his wife were queuing along New Oxford Street this afternoon as they waited patiently for an audience with Saruman The White himself, on site signing autographs at Forbidden Planet. [More] [Photos]

TORn Exclusive: Lawrence Makoare Chat Transcript!

8/06/02, 1:32 pm EST - leo

During Comic-con 2002 this past weekend the all around nice guy Lawrence Makoare (Lurtz) dropped into Barlimans chatroom and talked with the people present for a while! The transcript of his visit is online now and can be found here!

Christopher Lee Book Signing!

8/06/02, 12:03 pm EST - leo

Today is the day that Christopher Lee will be signing books in London's Forbidden Planet bookstore, and Staffer Arathorn, who is there, just told me there's a line of close to 550 people waiting for an autograph! Those are a lot of autographs to sign in two hours. If anyone else has a report or pictures: please send them in!

Got DVD?

8/06/02, 9:10 am EST - Xoanon

Picked up your copy of the FOTR DVD? PROVE IT!! Send along a picture of you with Peter Jackson's Oscar winning epic and we'll add it to our fan scrapbook! (or do something silly with it, I'm sure!) Send all your pics to xoanon@theonering.net today!

'Lord' of the extras: Elfin charmer nets fans

8/06/02, 8:34 am EST - Xoanon

Box office and awards alone cannot hope to measure the true cultural impact of a cinematic epic as grand as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of three movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic that bows on video and DVD today. [More]

Free Screening In Mississauga, On Report

8/06/02, 8:33 am EST - Xoanon

Eirien sends in her report from the Future Shop screening of the FOTR DVD! Darn Future Shop..I told you to bring it to Montreal!! [More]

GAMING: Two Towers Cancelled?

8/06/02, 8:27 am EST - Xoanon

Rumor has it that the PC version of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers has most likely been cancelled and that Ritual is no longer working on the project. IGN learned that the PC version wouldn't be done within an acceptable window near the release of the movie, so publisher Electronic Arts scrapped the game for the PC. [More [Gaming Havens]

NYC LOTR Event Report

8/06/02, 8:22 am EST - Xoanon

elanor sends in her report from the NYC Central Park LOTR event! Take a look! [More]

FoTR DVD Release Set to Smash UK Records

8/06/02, 7:29 am EST - Demosthenes

Record sales are predicted after the UK DVD and video release of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. [More]

Rivendell Lithograph & Filmstrip Collectible!

8/06/02, 1:43 am EST - Pippin_Took

Alan Lee Lithograph

TheOneRing.net is excited to bring you an amazing new Limited Edition item from Sideshow Weta: the Rivendell Lithograph & Film Strip Collectible. This gorgeous piece of art features a beautiful reproduction of Alan Lee's original watercolor conceptual art of Rivendell, as well as a piece of the actual film strip from Rivendell scenes in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, donated by Peter Jackson out of his personal collection. A special lighting mechanism lets you illuminate the film strip at the touch of a button, and a specially engraved brass plaque identifies the authenticity of the piece to all your jealous friends!

This unique lithograph and film strip set is displayed with a finely woven linen matte and finished with a museum quality antiqued frame. The finished piece measures an impressive 29" W x 29" H and will make a handsome addition to anyone's collection.

But best of all, this set is personally hand-signed by artist Alan Lee, Academy Award-winning Weta head Richard Taylor, and director Peter Jackson! Each set is individually numbered by Alan Lee, and only 1,000 pieces are being produced, so get one today before they disappear! [Purchase]

Happy Birthday Amethyst!

8/06/02, 12:03 am EST - Tookish

On behalf of TheOneRing.net we'd like to wish a very special Happy Birthday to Ringer Amethyst, who also goes by the nic Loressar Erchamion. Many happy returns on the day!

News for Aug. 05, 2002

DVD launch in Taiwan

8/05/02, 11:18 pm EST - Tehanu

Lucifer has made another great fan-initiated event, this time around the DVD launch in Taiwan. [More Looks like LOTR is gathering more and more fans outside of the West.

UK and Italy: Tolkien talk, art show, and quiz.

8/05/02, 11:14 pm EST - Tehanu

Pippin Skywalker sends in news of a Tolkien art show in Rimini, a panel discussion, and a quiz, thanks to the UK Tolkien Society. [More]


The DVD in NZ

8/05/02, 11:06 pm EST - Tehanu

Crissie wrote: "The FOTR DVD and VHS is available at Supermarkets Countdown and Foodtown in Auckland...not sure about the rest of NZ. VHS is $24 and DVD $32. Whitcoulls in Auckland Ctiy will be having a midnight gathering/party the night before the release......and if you pre-order the video from a Whitcoulls store you get a free poster...again not so sure about all the Whitcoulls stores, only saw this at the St Lukes Mall store

Hobbit Verse Contest

8/05/02, 11:02 pm EST - Tehanu

Noelle sends us the details of what sounds like a fun event over at LOTRonline.com. [More]

Aussie news: DVD+book offer and an SFX artist seminar

8/05/02, 10:51 pm EST - Tehanu

Good news for Ringers in Canberra. [More]

Directing via Broadband

8/05/02, 10:42 pm EST - Tehanu

Thanks to Mr. Tadpole and others for this story from Melbourne's The Age about how PJ and the LOTR crew utilize globe-spanning technology as they make their films [More]

Highway to 'hello, broadband'

8/05/02, 10:30 pm EST - Xoanon

When New Zealand film director Peter Jackson listens to the London Symphony Orchestra recording the score to his latest movie opus in an English church hall this week, he will have more on his mind than music. [More]

GAMING: LOTR "RISK"

8/05/02, 8:23 pm EST - DarthCaeser

TheOneRing.net Staffer Ostadan sends in word of "Lord of the Rings RISK" from Hasbro. Lord of the Rings RISK will be released in the US in November. It is for 2 to 4 players and encompasses, geographically and thematically, the first two movies/book in the series. [More]

Hobbits Defeat All In Video Sales War

8/05/02, 6:30 pm EST - Strider

Irish Independent - Monday, 5 August 2002: 'Fantasy epic "Lord of the Rings" could outstrip the success of Harry Potter when it is released on video and DVD this week. Tens of thousands of peole have already ordered copies of the film which goes on sale tomorrow.' [More]

FOTR DVD Breaks Records For Advance Sales

8/05/02, 5:45 pm EST - Strider

'Lord Of The Rings is being tipped to beat Harry Potter when it is released on video and DVD. Tens of thousands of people have already ordered copies of the film which goes on sale on Tuesday. An HMV spokesman says pre-orders have already broken records in its stores. "This is the biggest number of pre-orders we have ever had for any film," he said. More than 34,000 fans have ordered the film from online retailer Amazon.co.uk - twice as many as it had for recent hits Gladiator and Moulin Rouge combined.' [More]

Another Ringer's Quest For The FOTR DVD

8/05/02, 4:28 pm EST - Strider

Private Ryan sends in his own little tale on how he finally found the FotR DVD, after an exhaustive search - with a happy ending. [More]

Comic-Con 2002 Report 2

8/05/02, 4:19 pm EST - Strider

Chuck writes: I have a complete report of my experience at Comic-Con, complete with pictures of Dom, Richard, and some of the most impressive items at WETA. [More]

FOTR DVD Available In São Paulo

8/05/02, 4:14 pm EST - Strider

Gannoum writes: Today (August 5), I called to a Blockbuster store in São Paulo, Brazil next to my house and they already have the DVD and VHS! I've made a "pre-order", so I am with the DVD in my hands! Yeah!

DVDConcept Shipping FOTR DVD

8/05/02, 4:11 pm EST - Strider

Helen writes: Just writing to let you know that the DVDConcept.com shipped their LOTR FOTR and I received mine last Tuesday 30 July 02. Friends really jealous, but it is region 1 and you do need a multi region player. Don't know if any region 2 have shipped in UK.

Sean turned down Gandalf

8/05/02, 3:53 pm EST - Xoanon

Xoanon here, seems our reports about Sean Connery being Gandalf all those years ago were NOT far from the truth!

It has emerged that Sir Ian McKellan was not the first choice to play pointy-hatted wizard Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings film. Bizarrely, the film's makers first offered the role to Sean Connery, of all people, who turned it down as soon as he had read the script. 'I had never read Tolkien, and I didn't understand the script when they sent it to me. Bobbits? Hobbits?' [More]

Midnight Party In Houston

8/05/02, 2:34 pm EST - Strider

lilcritter writes: There is a store in Houston, but I'm not sure if it's Circuit City or Best Buy, that is having a midnight release party, too. In addition, our little Blockbuster is now open til 1 a.m. so that we can go get our DVDs at 12:01 tonight instead of waiting til tomorrow morning at 10:00.

Report From Breakfast With Dominic At Comic-Con

8/05/02, 2:31 pm EST - Strider

Shawna writes: I was one of the lucky folks who managed to make it to the breakfast [with Dominic Monaghan]. I videotaped the majority of it and here's my report from that. Might need a strong language warning, as I directly quoted him in a few places. With any luck at all, perhaps I'll get my video up and online at some point. [More]

EzyDVD Shipping FOTR DVD

8/05/02, 2:28 pm EST - Strider

Raz writes: Just to let you know, I received a confirmation email that EzyDVD (the biggest DVD online shop in Australia) has sent out my copy of the widescreen Fellowship DVD on the 5th. So I’m assuming they already have a hold of the DVDs and are sending them out for the people who preordered.

Midnight Party In GA / FotR Showing In Atlanta

8/05/02, 2:24 pm EST - Strider

Durin_the_Dwarf writes: I have two things to report: first, Bestbuy in Alpharetta,GA is having a LotR: FotR DVD release Celebration. Second, I have heard that FotR is Playing in the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

FOTR DVD Midnight Party In Framingham, MA

8/05/02, 2:21 pm EST - Strider

Yoohoo Baggins writes: Best Buy in Framingham/Natick, Massachusetts to have Midnight party as well. They also have the lowest price for the DVD $16.99.

One Ringer's Quest For The FOTR DVD

8/05/02, 2:03 pm EST - Strider

David sent in an account depicting his struggle to find a copy of the Fellowship of the Ring DVD before it's official release date of August 6th. [More]

Massive Hall of Fire Update!

8/05/02, 3:53 am EST - Demosthenes

The HoF transcripts page is one of the more popular sections of TORn; we receive many e-mails from people who say they enjoy reading the transcripts. Of late, those e-mails have been wondering when recent chats would be posted.

Finally, I can announce that TORn staffer Arathorn (who deserves more thanks than I can adequately express) has brought the chats up to date. There are more than a dozen new chat transcripts for you all to pore over! [More]

Widescreen vs. Fullscreen

8/05/02, 1:37 am EST - Pippin_Took

Still debating over whether to buy the widescreen or fullscreen version of the DVD/video Tuesday morning? Just ask Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli which version they prefer. This comparison image is a good illustration of the cropping that takes place on fullscreen video releases. The widescreen version is on the left, and the fullscreen is on the right. The image says it all. Thanks to Richard/darqleo. [More]

Update: several people have written in to let us know that the image above is actually not a correct representation of this particular shot's appearance in the fullscreen version. However, for more examples of widescreen's superiority to fullscreen, check out this series of images from the FOTR DVD. Thanks to Guitardedboy. [More]


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