Sunday, February 27, 2005

SHOP: Sideshow/Weta's Complete Toy Fair 2005 Line-up - Celeborn @ 12:42 PST
As we mentioned before, Sideshow Weta Collectibles has released a series of new Lord of the Rings collectibles for the 2005 Toy Fair. Here is a complete list of what was released:

Wounded Orc Bust - SOLD OUT
Pippin, Guard of the Citadel Statue - Less than 10 left
The Lady Galadriel Statue
Battle Troll of Mordor Statue
The King of the Dead Statue
Aragorn at the Black Gates Statue
Legolas and Gimli on Arod Statue
War Mask of the Morgul Lord
Orc Muzzle Cage Helm
The Helm of the Mouth of Sauron
Battle Helm of Eowyn
Crown of the King of the Dead
'Flight from Isengard' Plaque

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

DVD Tuesday: Wood's 'Fools' & Holm's 'Glass' - Xoanon @ 13:53 PST
Chain of Fools

Until recently, anyone who wanted to see cult heist comedy "Chain of Fools" would have to go to Australia or the Phillippines to find a copy. Now Americans can also get to experience this hilarious, Tarantinoesque little movie, with its oddball characters and screwball story. Just be glad Americans can get it now.

Barber Kresk (Steve Zahn) is a loser -- he isn't good at his job, he's been tossed out of his home, and his wife just dumped him for the marriage counselor (isn't that a breach of professional ethics?). Now he's depressed, and contemplating suicide. And yes, things get worse: a criminal named Avnet (Jeff Goldblum) has stolen three priceless coins, and decided to blackmail Bollingsworth (Tom Wilkinson), his billionaire partner in crime. After Kresk overhears this, he almost gets shot -- and Avnet ends up impaled on a pair of barbers' scissors.

Now Kresk is in a considerably nastier situation, so he steals the gun and the coins. But things take a sharp turn when he hires a hit man named Mikey (Elijah Wood), and discovers that the hit man is only seventeen and emotionally traumatized by his parents' suicide. And that Kresk is falling for the cop/Playboy model Sgt. Meredith Kolko (Salma Hayek), and that his nephew Scottie (Devin Drewitz) has now swallowed the coins. Now Kresk is in over his head, and has to deal with the strange and sometimes dangerous people around him. [Order 'Chain of Fools' on Amazon.com Today!]

Alice Through the Looking Glass

A delicious combination of live-action, animation, and special effects tells the fantastical adventures of Alice as she returns to Wonderland, in this imaginative adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic story of the same name. Kate Beckinsale plays Alice, a young girl who steps through a magical mirror and is transported from the real world into an enchanted one of talking insects, nonsensical questions, and reversals of logic. Her journey is marked by mostly incomprehensible encounters with quirky characters such as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Red Queen and White Queen, and Humpty Dumpty. Beckinsale's Alice is a believable blend of curiosity, poise, and impertinence whose presence in nearly every scene carries the film. Other strong performances include Desmond Barritt, as Humpty, who recites a chilling rendition of "Beware the Jabberwocky," and Ian Holm (The Lord of the Rings), as White Knight, with a soliloquy as colorful as his hair. If, as Carroll states at the end of his tale, "all life is but a dream," this wacky version is one to remember. [Order 'Alice Through the Looking Glass ' on Amazon.com Today!]

Saturday, February 12, 2005

ORC Report - Lasting Impressions - Xoanon @ 11:25 PST

Tehanu writes:

It’s almost a month since I got off the plane for that fun, crazy weekend that was the One Ring Convention. A bit late to write up anything about it, but my friend Reginald of Ravenswood Leather reminded me that I was going to say something about them, and since Ravenswood is one of the lasting impressions I got from ORC, that’s what I’ll do.

I was at ORC to celebrate Tolkien and his works and as a founder of TORN. But I’m also a director of Red Carpet Tours, and that meant that I spent most of my time at the Red Carpet stall telling people about our Lord of the Rings locations tours. That turned out to be fun - it’s not hard to find a score of reasons why a Lord of the Rings fan should tour NZ with us. Quite a few people reckoned that a 12-day tour wouldn’t be long enough. No problem - I can give immigration advice too. The more Ringers move to New Zealand, the happier I’ll be.

Our stall was set up opposite Ravenswood Leather, and that grabbed my attention from the moment I walked in to set up. For a start, there was the smell - a rich scent of leather, oil and dye that brings back memories of long-forgotten creative projects of my own. After dabbling in something, it’s a pleasure to see people who’ve mastered a craft completely. I have no doubt that the people who were able to attend the propsmaking and costuming tracks at ORC had the same pleasure. I couldn’t attend, so I enjoyed watching Ravenswood instead.

The thing about the smell of Ravenswood’s stall was that it was something you could imagine finding in Hobbiton or Edoras or Minas Tirith, where there would surely be tanners working their trade. At ORC we were in the middle of a whole lot of flourescent lighting and glass and carpet, but Ravenswood brought in a reminder of an older world. They had long ranger’s coats, jerkins and tunics for swordsmen and archers. Lace-up bodices for women, and long supple leather dresses in jewel colours. Some of the outfits had elaborate metal frogs or ties to fasten them, and were further decorated with contrasting trim.

Streetclothes seem inadequate at an event like ORC, where many people are wearing fantastic handmade costumes. At Ravenswood they’d see the proprietors, Reginald’s family, looking stunning in their tunics and jerkins and bodices. They’d wonder if that stuff would look good on them. I watched women walk into the stall and walk out a few minutes later, transformed. They’d give a delighted twirl in front of the mirror. Suddenly they were part of the exotic fantasy world of ORC!

I ended up buying a bodice. I couldn’t resist the look and feel of it. The leather is heavy yet so supple that it felt like a second skin. Flattering? Apparently so. I can’t think of many occasions to wear it outside of the house - but why not bring a bit of exoticism into my day and swan around the house in a flowing skirt and leather top? I haven’t actually GOT home yet, but the bodice is still in my suitcase, giving its otherworldly, un-modern scent to my boring street clothes.

Friday, February 11, 2005

Sabertooth Games’ Mini Dice Set Review - Xoanon @ 13:09 PST

Jeff writes: The battles for Sabertooth Games’ Middle–earth are fought on your tabletop, and the difference between victory and defeat can hang on the roll of the dice! The Lord Of The Rings Tradeable Miniatures Game from Sabertooth Games is played with dice, a lot of dice! These dice, in conjunction with the 40mm, pre-painted figures and full color maps are key for being able to play the game. While individual, themed dice are included in each booster pack, Sabertooth Games has also released “special edition” dice. These “special” dice previously had been packaged with Premium Line (PL) figures, and were only available with the purchase of these Premium Line (PL) figures. Now, Sabertooth Games has released the Dice Set #1, and has made these “special” dice available to gamers and collectors alike, outside the Premium Line (PL) packaging! The Dice Set #1 contains 8 “special” dice which are packaged in an awesome looking collector’s tin. The Dice Set #1 includes:

• 4 jeweled Eye Of Sauron dice (previously only available with the Sauron PL figure)
  
• 3 Cave Troll dice (previously only available with the Cave Troll PL figure)
  
• 1 glow in the dark The Paths Of The Dead die (previously unavailable!)

These dice not only look great, but are a great addition to the collection. With this game based upon rolling dice, the availability of such a nice variety of dice is a great option. They add color, variety, and fun to the game in the heat of battle! For more information, check out the Sabertooth Games website. [sabertoothgames.com]

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

DVD Tuesday: Hill's 'Grid' and Dourif's 'Wood' - Xoanon @ 13:26 PST
'The Grid'

Amazon.com calls 'The Grid' "an ambitious, often-gripping miniseries depicting the battle against terrorism in a post-9/11 world."

When a terrorist cell's sarin attack in London backfires, an unusual and sometimes-uneasy partnership is formed to anticipate and prevent the next strike. The team consists of counterterrorism analysts and agents from the National Security Council (Julianna Margulies), the FBI (Dylan McDermott), the CIA (Peter Marek), and Britain's MI-5 (Bernard Hill) and MI-6 (Jemma Redgrave). Gradually unfolding over six parts and four and a half hours, the BBC-Fox TV coproduction travels across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa following not only the professional and personal lives of the "good guys," but also the terrorists' stories. [Order 'The Grid' on Amazon.com Today!] [Order 'The Grid' on Amazon.co.uk Today!]

'Deadwood: The Complete First Season'

The town of Deadwood, South Dakota in the weeks following the Custer massacre is a lawless sinkhole of crime and corruption. Into this uncivilized outpost ride a disillusioned and bitter ex-lawman, Wild Bill Hickok, and Seth Bullock, a man hoping to find a new start for himself. Both men find themselves quickly on opposite sides of the legal and moral fence from Al Swearengen, saloon owner, hotel operator, and incipient boss of Deadwood. The lives of these three intertwine with many others, the high-minded and the low-lifes who populate Deadwood in 1876.

Brad Dourif plays Doc Cochran in this Emmy award winning series. [Order 'Deadwood: The Complete First Season' on Amazon.com Today!]

Friday, December 17, 2004

The Great Calisuri Challenge! - Xoanon @ 12:52 PST

Do you want to see this man in that dress? Read on!! Amy (Calisuri's fiancee) writes: Recently Cali posted on a Sideshow messageboad that if Sideshow's Minas Morgul sold out by Sunday (Dec 19th) that he would dress as Arwen and run around for a bit at The One Ring Celebration!.

Now, this is very appealing to our boss and myself, and we're trying to sell this out just to see Cali in Elf Drag (I believe this is a once in a lifetime event).

There are not that many left. What would you suggest we do to advertise this scary but very entertaining "publicity" stunt?

We even have a web cam there to broadcast it.

The post in question is right here, just in case he tries to deny it.

Click here to get your Minas Morgul set and get Cali in a DRESS!!

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Frodo & Gandalf Bears for Auction - Xoanon @ 22:19 PST
There's a little Frodo & Gandalf in all of us.

When these bears were donated to the Salvation Army, they knew that they'd had a great life with their previous owners. They also knew that they were ready to take on a more demanding role for the 10th Annual Teddy Bear Tea and Auction, which raises money for the North Central Brevard County Salvation Army Domestic Violence Program in Cocoa, Florida. At 25 inches and 20 inches, they were bigger than the typical bears that had joined the fundraising effort, and they hoped to be offered the right characters that would fit their size.

They got their chance and they signed up for a not so extreme makeover to become two of the most loved characters from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. They agreed to help recreate a scene in the Mines of Moria from The Fellowship of the Ring movie from New Line Cinemas which was so popular that New Line made a poster due to fan demand. Part of the quote featured is "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

These bears will be available on Ebay from December 2 to December 12. If you ’ve got a Lord of the Rings fan to shop for, you can get them a unique gift and at the same time make a tax-deductible donation to the Salvation Army. What an excellent way to prove Professor Tolkien right: “Even the smallest person can make a difference.”

To see pictures of the bears and get more details, please go here.

To see the ebay listing which starts on December 2nd afternoon, please use this link.

Enclosed with the bears will be a receipt from the Salvation Army acknowledging net proceeds of sale as a tax-deductible donation. Please note that the poster is not included.

To find out more about the Salvation Army Brevard County Domestic Violence Program, please contact Cindy Flachmeier at the Brevard County Domestic Violence Program, PO Box 1540, Cocoa FL 32923-1540. Phone # 321-631-9461