1-10-03 Latest News

Tom Shippey Talks Two Towers
Demosthenes @ 9:52 pm EST

Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey wrote a piece for The Daily Telegraph on the Two Towers. We can't post it all for copyright reasons, but here's a few interesting snippets and a link to the full article. You need to register to read in full (pesky), but it is free.

Take courage - things may not be as bad as they seem

By Tom Shippey

None of the characters, as Tolkien wrote the story, really understands the whole of what is going on.

Not even Gandalf. In fact, the only thing they do know is that their fate will not, in the end, be determined by visible events but by a mostly invisible one: the stealthy crawl of three insignificant-looking characters into the lion's mouth of Mordor. The great ones and the heroes are continually trying to see what is happening elsewhere, through the palantirs and the Mirror of Galadriel and the Eye of Sauron. The attempt is repeatedly disastrous. Denethor commits suicide because of what he sees in his palantir, but he has read it wrong. As Gandalf says, "Even the wise cannot see all ends," and the really wise remember that.

The moral is the motto of the British redcoat: "Look to your front." Don't think about what other people are doing: you'll get it wrong and it's disheartening. Or, to quote Gandalf again - and Jackson picked out just these words to repeat in the first movie, varying the pronouns cunningly - "That [the future] is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

Tolkien surely did not mean these words just for Frodo. They were a major part of his own conviction and a part of his own cure for the defeatism, the appeasement, the lack of will and the weary calculation of odds that he saw dogging the Western democracies as he was writing The Lord of the Rings and still after he had finished it. Tolkien's achievement, it may be, was to reintroduce a heroic world view, drawn from the ancient texts he taught as a professor, to a world gone ironic.

And this world view was put across not only by the obviously heroic figures such as Aragorn and Faramir and King Theoden, but by the hobbits - and, most of all, by the very structure of the story. In this story, all the characters find themselves, literally as well as figuratively, bewildered: their bearings lost, not sure what's for the best, but slogging on regardless. The most important ones, moreover, the hobbits Frodo and Sam, think they're on their own. All the time, their friends are risking everything to distract the Eye of Sauron from them, but they don't know that. They go on anyway.

The film version, adapted to the limited attention span of the modern viewer, can't handle all of this, but it handles a surprising amount. Tolkien himself, commenting on the first of several attempted film scripts back in 1957, remarked that he had no objection to people cutting things out, but he disliked compression, trying to jam everything into three hours. It loses the uncertainty, the false trails and the fog of war that link The Lord of the Rings and the battle of the Somme, where Tolkien fought with the Lancashire Fusiliers.

You can read the entire article here.

We also received an excerpt from an anonymous spy of a review of Two Towers that Shippey wrote for the Times Literary Supplement.

"An Arwen sequence has to be introduced to keep her in the action, but Tolkien himself might have approved of this. Not only does it draw her and Aragorn's story out of the Appendix to which it was consigned in the book, it also emphasizes Arwen's choice between her lover and immortality, and does so with Elrond speaking to his daughter very much in the mode of Hrothgar warning Beowulf.

"Aragorn will go in the end, he says, by 'the sword or by the slow decay of time,' and Arwen will 'linger on in darkness and in doubt'; he urges her to abandon Middle-earth for the Undying Lands. Serious stuff for an action movie."

Great stuff.

Elves, hobbits and -- wake me when it's over
Xoanon @ 10:41 am EST

What's all this excitement about `Rings'?

By Patrick T. Reardon
Tribune staff reporter

Here's my problem: Everyone in the universe, particularly every movie reviewer from the loftiest to the most humble, seems to think the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is the greatest thing since sliced bread. And I just don't get it.

Critics have praised its storytelling, its landscapes, its imagery. In fact, they've had little criticism to say about either the first or second movie. But I sit watching dumbfounded, or perhaps just dumb.

How much don't I get it? Well, I came away from the first movie in such bad humor that I couldn't believe it was as bad as I remembered (especially after hearing at every turn how great the film was). So, when "The Fellowship of the Ring" came out on video, I rented it, and, halfway through the tape, I discovered part of my problem.

Smack dab in the middle of watching the movie the first time, I'd fallen asleep. There were battles and characters and plot turns that I'd never seen before.

Familiar story line

Not that the extra hour added anything to my cinematic enjoyment. For me, the movie was still dreadfully dull. All I could get of the plot was that the Elijah Wood character had a ring that he needed to take somewhere or the world as we know it would end. Basically, the story line of umpteen hundred other movies.

The dialogue often consisted of a lot of dirty, unshaven, disheveled soldier-types huffing and puffing about something. (I could never quite figure out anyone's name or even whether Sauron, for instance, was a person or a place.) Or it involved one or another pretty lady (Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett) talking airily about I don't know what. Or there were a bunch of short people and tall people pledging to take some action to keep bad stuff from happening.

It was basically the same story for me when I went recently to watch the second installment in the series, "The Two Towers."

This time, I did pick up the name of one of the major characters, Aragon, like the place in Spain. (It was only later, while reading a story in the Tribune, that I realized the name is spelled Aragorn.)

But this film, like the earlier one, seemed to be oppressively dark or (in the Tyler flashbacks or flash-forwards or whatever they were) oppressively sweet. Wood's character was still a mystery to me. He comes across as this big zero around which all the action happens. (And I like Wood as an actor.) The range of emotion he's permitted runs from breathing heavily to express great unrest or breathing very heavily.

The Gollum character is cool, I acknowledge. For me, he was the saving grace that made the second movie slightly more watchable than the first. He struck me as a first cousin to Dobby in the second installment of the Harry Potter opus. He also struck me as more human -- in the sense of having a variety of emotions -- than anyone else in the movie.

And, I have to admit, midway through the second movie, I started to doze off. I never dropped off completely into sleep. That was progress. But my eyes grew heavy and my attention wandered.

The fault I'm sure is in me. I didn't read the books, for one thing. So it's as if I'm walking into the middle of someone's party.

It's not prejudice

But I've never read the Brian Aldiss short story that was the basis for Steven Spielberg's "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence." Nor have I read Winston Groom's novel "Forrest Gump," the basis of the Robert Zemeckis film. Yet, I enjoyed both of those movies.

And it's not that I have a prejudice against the-battle-of-good-versus-evil sorts of films. I thoroughly enjoyed John Boorman's nitty-gritty take on the King Arthur legend, "Excalibur," and was delighted with George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode I -- the Phantom Menace," particularly with the way the movie used special effects to create other worlds.

I don't have a prejudice either against Peter Jackson and his "Lord of the Rings" films because he's from Down Under and filmed in New Zealand. One of my favorite movies is "Moulin Rouge" by Australian Baz Luhrmann.

My point is: I'm confused. I like movies. I like epics. I like films that challenge the viewer. But I fall asleep during "Lord of the Rings."

Everyone, it seems, believes these films to be cinematic masterpieces. But, for me -- I don't know. I can't see it.

Maybe this is a medical condition. Or a psychological syndrome. It can't be that the movies actually are turgid, overblown, overhyped Gargantuas -- cultural curiosities that will look silly 10, 20 years down the road and lead future generations to ask, "What were they thinking?"

No, it couldn't be that.

Maybe for the third one, I'll bring along No-Doz

Media Watch: Empire Magazine
Xoanon @ 10:29 am EST

via_hobbit writes: This is from the January edition of Empire magazine (UK) and it features a little bit about RotK:

"This is it. The grand finale, the showdown, the big finish to one of the most adored movie trilogies since the original series of Star Wars films. While Jackson and co. are trying to hold back their suprises (and any book deviance)- despite the ravenous attention of the web site geeks- Professor Tolkien can give us some guidance as to what awaits us when Frodo's quest reaches its dramatic conclusion.

The full weight of Weta's technical achievements will come to bear on a storyline infused with battle scenes, hordes of the creatures and potentially stunning new locales. The next big CGI question mark hangs over the arrival of Shelob, a giant spider who will attack the Ringbearer, contained within a labyrinth of dark tunnels that should feel far more claustrophoibic than the Moria sequences of film one. While for the rest of the fellowship it's the toil of battle- the siege of Minas Tirith looks set to be the series' crowning glory.

There are two new minor characters to finally enter the fray: Denethor II, Boromir's father and Steward Of Minas Tirith (John Noble), obstensibly the current ruler of the land of Gondor who has gone mad, and The Mouth Of Sauron (Mad Max's Bruce Spence). This deformed human being is basically the bad guy's PR who has grim news for the army of good. And, it seems likely, we'll get also a glimpse of the head kahuna himself, Sauron. "You cant reduce him to being a big guy striding around in black armous, but he can't be limited to a flaming eye (as in the book) either", says Jackson. "Imagine not seeing Darth Vader for all three Star Wars films. You can't do it."

With Oscar attention inevitable and a legion of fans ready to weep and wail at the end of it all, more of the same is exactly what is required. No doubt the final Matrix will cast a long shadow, but New Line's risky investment will go down as the best bet since MGM first decided to gamble on some guy called James Bond."

Entertainment Weekly: Serkis' Work Is Oscar Calibre
Demosthenes @ 9:26 pm EST

Jason Averett at Entertainment Weekly dropped us a line with the inside scoop on the forthcoming Oscar race edition of EW.

Thought you might be interested in next week's issue of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, the magazine's annual "Oscar Race Begins." The editors forecast the five most likely finalists for the top Academy Award categories, and "The Two Towers" is predicted to be among the nominees for Best Picture, Best Director (Peter Jackson), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

For each category, the magazine also offers a "For Your Consideration" nominee. This is someone the editors don't believe will make the final cut, but really should. In the Best Supporting Actor category, Andy Serkis is Entertainment Weekly's "For Your Consideration" choice:

"We admit it: Even we're not sure what to do with Andy Serkis, the British actor whose every tic, twitch, and hiss brings Gollum to such brilliant life in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.' There's no precedent for the way his work straddles the border that separates performance from visual effect. But about this we're certain: The Academy had better start thinking about the issues that Serkis' performance raises, because his work -- however it's categorized -- is Oscar-caliber."

The issue will be on news-stands everywhere Monday, January 13 ... the Oscar prediction package will also be on EW.com Friday, January 10 by 6 PM ET.

SMEAGOL! Limited Edition Collectible Trading Card Coming Soon!
Lao_of_Gondor @ 1:54 pm EST

BIG NEWS for all LOTR TCG Fans and fans of LOTR Collectibles alike. Here is some very exciting news fresh from the desk of Kevin Reitzel - who reports in from the Decipher, Inc. Marketing Department:

From Kevin:

Sméagol Retail Sales Incentive Program

This program is much like the Éowyn retail program that we [Decipher] did last year. For every $10 (or US equivalent) that a consumer spends at a participating retail location worldwide, they will receive a Sméagol, Old Noser alternate image (AI) preview card from Battle of Helm's Deep (the next expansion in the Two Towers TCG series)!

This program starts in retail stores on Feb. 15 and lasts until March 31 (while supplies last). Every Retail Fellowship store will receive 50 of these preview cards and a 'counter card' (a small standee that informs customers of the program that sits next to the register) to start with, but will be able to re-order more if they need them. All these details will be announced in full through a web story that will be posted next week on www.decipher.com (with the image of Sméagol!).

There will also be several translations of these cards, including:

German
French
Portuguese
Polish
Swedish
Spanish
Italian
Hungarian
English

Thanks. (End of Report)

Please begin planning your stampede now! Don't forget to put away that preciousssss 10 bucksssessss.

Later -

Lao of Gondor

First Oscar Noms Come In!
Xoanon @ 12:53 pm EST

Todd writes: The Academy announced the seven finalists in the Visual effects and Sound Editing categories today. The Two Towers made the cut in both cases. Academy branch members will review the seven nominees and whittle them down to a final three nominees, which will be announced along with the regular nominations on February 11th. Biggest surprise is the lack of a sound editing nomination for Attack of the Clones.

Special Visual Effects:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Men in Black II, Minority Report, Spider-Man, Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones, XXX

Sound editing:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Minority Report, Road to Perdition, Spider-Man, We Were Soldiers,
XXX

LOTR In UK Magazines
leo @ 6:22 am EST

PippinRules emailed us about two English teen magazines that feature cast from The Lord of the Rings, something that might interest the photo-collectors amongst us...

"Sneak" magazine (7-13 January) has a two page spread of photos of the hobbits buying computer equipment in New York and Dom's birthday party in Paris, which also includes Andy Serkis, Bernard Hill and Liv Tyler.

January 2003 "J17" magazine has a lovely full page photo of Elijah who appears to be trying to shake off his boyish look and appear like Aragorn by narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips...

Fandango powers 'Towers' tix
Xoanon @ 1:15 pm EST

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" has sold more tickets through online vendor Fandango than any film in the service's three-year history. Fandango, which is partnered with six big exhibition chains, sold nearly $6 million worth of tickets to "The Two Towers" screenings in the movie's first five days, roughly 6% of the overall opening take. The film has continued to be a hot seller for the online vendor even through this past weekend, more than two weeks after its release, when it accounted for more than a third of Fandango ticket sales.

No. 2 on the company's 2002 hit list was "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones," which sold more than $5.5 million worth of tickets. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was third with $4.5 million in tickets sold through the service.

2 Grammy Nominations For FOTR!
Xoanon @ 1:07 pm EST

LOTR:FOTR is up for 2 Grammy's this year:

Field 21 - Film/TV/Visual Media

Category 79 - Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

(A Songwriter(s) award. For a song (melody & lyrics) written specifically for a motion picture, television or other visual media, and released for the first time during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parenthesis.) Singles or Tracks only.)

May It Be

Enya & Roma Ryan, songwriters (Enya)
[Reprise/New Line Cinema Records; Publisher: EMI Music Pub.]

Field 21 - Film/TV/Visual Media

Category 78 - Best Score Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media
(Award to Composer(s) for an original score created specifically for, or as a companion to, a current legitimate motion picture, television show or series or other visual media.)

The Lord Of The Rings - The Fellowship Of The Ring
Howard Shore, composer (Howard Shore)
[Reprise Records]

Oscar Predictions With Some Cred!
Xoanon @ 12:57 pm EST

From: oscarwatch.com: The Dallas Fort-Worth Critics have correctly predicted Best Director (Academy Award, Oscar) since 1999 -- this year they chose Peter Jackson for Two Towers!"

Top 10 Pictures of 2002

*Chicago
2 through 10
Far from Heaven
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Pianist
About Schmidt
Gangs of New York
Adaptation
Road to Perdition
Catch Me If You Can
The Hours

Director

Peter Jackson - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Runner-Up
Rob Marshall - Chicago

Actor
Jack Nicholson - About Schmidt

Actress
Julianne Moore - Far from Heaven

Cinematography
Far from Heaven

Best Foreign Film
Y Tu Mama Tambien

Best Documentary
Bowling for Columbine

Best Animated Film
Spirited Away

Worst Picture
Feardotcom

Russell Smith Award
My Big Fat Greek Wedding

More Maori In TTT Credits
Xoanon @ 12:51 pm EST

Fraser writes: An overseas friend has suggested I share with TORN readers the meaning of the Maori phrase that appears in the credits that roll at the end of LOTR: TTT. The phrase in Maori is:

"He maungarongo ki te whenua He whakaaro pai ki nga tangata katoa".

The phrase is commonly translated into English as:

"Peace on earth, Goodwill to all mankind".

A great and fitting sentiment to crown a great film!

CEEFAX Goes For FOTR
Xoanon @ 11:38 pm EST

Narya writes: Readers of TheOneRing.Net may be interested to know that Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, has been voted the top DVD of 2002 by readers of the BBC’s teletext service, CEEFAX.

The victory was all the more remarkable as the Editor of the CEEFAX page had made it plain that he did not like the film. Despite this, The Fellowship of the Ring won by a resounding margin.

"I know you hate it," wrote Rachael Savage to the Editor, while Andy Foster muttered "IR17;m voting it my favourite DVD of the year, which is probably pointless as if one of your faves doesn’t win I imagine everyone will somehow agree with you."

Fully 27% of the voters chose FOTR, 24% of these opting for the four disc version. Attack of the Clones came second with 7% of the vote.

Melanie Burns echoed many when she said: "The extra thirty minutes add so much to the cohesiveness of the film, and the documentaries are fascinating."

Dave Corsar reported that he has "seen the cinema version several times, but found this extended DVD had a slower pace more in keeping with the book.

"Sorry to pick a mainstream DVD" he continued, "but I really feel this one is something special. I would ne surprised if this edition would be shown in cinemas in future years."

Weekly Cast Watch
Xoanon @ 9:41 pm EST

To get more information, use the sites I use like the ones below. Simply find a movie or actor you want to see, go to one of the sites below and see if the film is playing in your area. mydigiguide.com, tv-now.com and IMDB.com

Note: These are films that are listed as being on TV THIS WEEK ONLY, this is NOT a list of all the films the cast has done

Media Watch: NZ In-Flight Magazine
Xoanon @ 7:55 pm EST

Ringer Spy Glaurung sends along these scans from the latest issue of the NZ In-Fligh Magazine (perhaps from the Sam and Frodo plane we posted about a while ago?). Take a look!

GAMING: Entertainment Weekly Talks LOTR Games
Xoanon @ 6:41 pm EST

Designing Games has its perks. As The Two Towers - the second feature in The Lord of the Rings trilogy - hits the theaters, the game makers at Electronic Arts are already reviewing footage from The Return of the King. "We just saw a flyby of Minas Tirith," boast exec producer Neil Young, referring to the seven-tiered citadel from King and its video game counterpart, due late in 2003. This time, you'll play not only as Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas (as in The Two Towers) but also as hobbit heroes Frodo and Sam. In 2004, plans call for an epic game spanning the entire trilogy. "Imagine a Lord of the Rings game that's everything you want it to be," teases Young. Um, may we suggest an interactive Liv Tyler? - Geoff Keighley (Entertainment Weekly)

Old Man Willow
Flinch @ 3:28 am EST

Greg writes us asking for help with Old Man Willow in the Fellowship of the Ring.

I am completely lost and don't have a clue as to how and save Merry and Pippin. I am not the best gamer around but really do need your help. I am trying to get the guide as to the rest, but, I figure if I can't even get past this, then good god, I am defeinately getting my moneys worth! Please help!

Got a question? Ask away! Drop us an e-mail to Havens@TheOneRing.net and we may feature your question here!

TTT Nominated For 9 Golden Satellite Awards
Strider @ 3:18 pm EST

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers has received eight nominations for the International Press Academy Awards, better known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The nominations, which include Best Motion Picture (Drama), Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Drama) come one short of the nine nominations received by The Fellowship of the Ring last year, however this year The Two Towers has already received a special award for Oustanding Motion Picture Ensemble Cast - meaning the possibility of coming away from the awards with nine Golden Satellites is still a possibility.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama
Alfred Molina (Frida)
Paul Newman (Road to Perdition)
Dennis Quaid (Far From Heaven)
Dennis Haysbert (Far From Heaven)
Viggo Mortensen (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
Jeremy Davies (Solaris)

Best Motion Picture, Drama
Road To Perdition
Antwone Fisher
Far From Heaven
The Hours
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Quiet American

Best Director
Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven)
Pedro Almodovar (Talk To Her)
Denzel Washington (Antwone Fisher)
Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
Phillip Noyce (The Quiet American)
Stephen Daldry (The Hours)

Best Screenplay, Adapted
Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Stephen Sinclair, Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)
Bill Condon (Chicago)
Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman (Adaptation)
Ronald Harwood (The Pianist)

Best Cinematography
Conrad L. Hall (Road to Perdition)
Janusz Kaminski (Minority Report)
Andrew Lesnie (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
Michael Ballhaus (Gangs of New York)
Edward Lachman (Far From Heaven)

Best Visual Effects
Michael J. McAlister (Road to Perdition)
Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randal William Cook, Alex Funke (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
John Dykstra (Spiderman)
Scott Farrar (Minority Report)
Bruce Steinheimer, Michael Owens, Edward Hirsh, Jon Alexander (Gangs of New York)

Best Film Editing
Eric Zumbrunnen (Spiderman)
Jeffrey Ford II (One Hour Photo)
Michael Horton (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
Dody Dom (Insomnia)
Thelma Schoonmaker (Gangs of New York)

Best Sound
Richard King I (Signs)
Philip Stockton (Gangs of New York)
Larry Blake (Solaris)
Richard Hymns, Gary Rydstrom (Minority Report)
Hammond Peek, C.A.S, Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick, Michael Hedges (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

Outstanding Achievement Award For Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The International Press Academy Awards Website

FOTR DVD Nominated For 2 Golden Satellites
Strider @ 2:33 pm EST

The Fellowship of the Ring DVD (no distinction made between Extended or Theatrical edition - though I assume the former) has been nominated for 2 awards at the International Press Academy's Golden Satellite Awards. FotR has been nominated for Best Extra for a DVD and Best Overall DVD, two of this year's new Interactive Media awards, and comes up against stiff opposition from Minority Report in both categories.

Best Extra for a DVD
The Band / Last Waltz
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Minority Report
Producers
Singing in the Rain

Best Overall DVD
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Season Two
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Y Tu Mama Tambien
-
A Hard Day's Night
Austin Powers: Goldmember
Minority Report
Monterey Pop

Entertainment Weekly Talks ROTK
Flinch @ 5:32 am EST

HavensSpy TheBlueKat [and one of my favorite fans] sends us this tidbit from the January 10th issue of Entertainment Weekly.

Designing Games has its perks. As The Two Towers - the second feature in The Lord of the Rings trilogy - hits the theaters, the game makers at Electronic Arts are already reviewing footage from The Return of the King. "We just saw a flyby of Minas Tirith," boast exec producer Neil Young, referring to the seven-tiered citadel from King and its video game counterpart, due late in 2003. This time, you'll play not only as Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas (as in The Two Towers) but also as hobbit heroes Frodo and Sam. In 2004, plans call for an epic game spanning the entire trilogy. "Imagine a Lord of the Rings game that's everything you want it to be," teases Young. Um, may we suggest an interactive Liv Tyler? - Geoff Keighley (Entertainment Weekly)

More of that darn Balrog
Flinch @ 5:23 am EST

Here's another e-mail from our friend Joe, who continues to have trouble with the Balrog in the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for PC.

    Thanks for your suggestions.  Unfortunately, after at least two hours of trying ever possible pattern I could think of, I am still unable to come up with a combination that works consistently.  The Balrog has very quick responses, and Gandalf's are just not fast enough.  And there are too many combinations--use a spell to heal yourself, and the Balrog hits you ALWAYS in the middle of the spell--making it not fully effective.  Even when he is supposedly knocked out, he has somehow managed to take Gandalf's health down to zero, so that he (Gandalf) dies after striking anyway.  In every other part of the game, there is a "sweet spot" where the character is safe--but after trying every inch of that bridge, I think I can say there is no sweet spot for part of this game. 
    I do not know what your connection with Black Label Games is, if any.  But I would like to know if there is somewhere to write them and tell them that I will not purchase another of their games, and that I will recommend to my many nieces and nephews that they not do so either.  More pertinently, can I ask for a refund?  (Ha, ha, ha!  That should slay them with laughter!)  I purchased the game to have fun--and that has certainly not been the case at the end.  If they are trying to sell purchasers on their products, they seem not to know how to go about it.   
    Thanks,
        Joe

Now how will it turn out? We don't know, I haven't played the new games yet, but we'll have the first look for you as soon as it's available. Don't give up on the book based Franchise my friend, it's just getting started!

The Actors Who Could Have Been In LOTR
Strider @ 7:51 pm EST

Once Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings project was announced in 1999, any fan with a keyboard and the energy could chip in their two cents on who they thought should be cast in the movies. Soon the Internet became host to a frenzy of casting rumours, as every day a new actor was linked to one of the most exciting film projects in production. Three years on, it's clear now what stories were lies and what were truth, but as we enter the home stretch and less than 12 months until the release of The Return of the King, it seems appropriate to reflect on what could have been...

The Bizzarre...

Keanu Reeves as an elf
When Aint-it-cool-News posted an image of a computer-generated Elf from the offices of WETA on their website, someone pointed out that the creation bore an uncanny similarity to Keanu Reeves. Quicker than you could say 'dude', the incredulous story of Keanu's apparent involvement in LotR spread like wildfire and was subsequently shot down in the space of a couple of days. And then Agent Smith was cast as Elrond...

The Long-Shots...

Sean Connery as Gandalf
For many fans it was only a matter of time until Sean Connery was cast as the wizard Gandalf, a perfect big-name for New Line to attach to the project. When Connery flew to New Zealand it seemed like it was a lock; and then Ian McKellen was cast in his place. All eyes subsequently went towards the vacant space yet to be filled for the character of Denethor... but that never materialised either. Hence, Billy Boyd secured his place as the only cast member with a Scottish accent on set.

Vin Diesel as Aragorn
Riding on the wave of success following his roles in Pitch Black and Saving Private Ryan, Vin Diesel tried his darndest to audition for the role of Aragorn, the future King of Men. However the world's beefiest Dungeons and Dragons player and fan of all things geeky was unsuccesful, and instead took a very different path to super-stardom.

The Could Have Beens...

Kevin Conway as Theoden
For many months it appeared certain that Kevin Conway would play the King of Rohan, until the man known to many as the captain of the Titanic Bernard Hill was reportedly cast in the role also. For a few weeks it seemed that the project had two actors cast in the same role, until Kevin Conway himself revealed that he turned down the role, believing the amount of time his character would be on screen wouldn't merit the weeks spent shooting in New Zealand. Time will tell if he chose wisely or not.

Ethan Hawke as Faramir
An actor on the up, Ethan Hawke seemed like a perfect match for the character of Faramir. From an early point Hawke was consired a lock for the part and while he never publically confirmed the role was his, New Line executive Mike DeLuca hinted that Hawke was destined to play Sean Bean's onscreen brother if he so wished it. However Hawke soon pulled out of the role completely to the disappointment of many fans, and subequently unknown Australian actor David Wenham slipped un-noticed into the role.

Paul Sutera as Lotho Sackville-Baggins
It began with an innocent e-mail to TheOneRing.net from a cousin of Paul Sutera, an actor recently seen in two Brady Bunch movies, who claimed that his relative had been cast in the role of Lotho, son of the troublesome Lobelia who made a brief appearance in The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition. Soon Paul Sutera himself was telling family and friends he would be in The Lord of the Rings and his future in the project seemed assured - until the character was cut from the screenplay entirely, and the young actor's hopes came crashing down to Middle-earth.

Donald Sutherland as Denethor
While The Lord of the Rings Trilogy had two actors attached for the role of Theoden at one point, the chair of the Steward of Gondor seemingly lay empty for many months. At one point the veteran actor Donald Sutherland was attached to the role, but as time went on it became apparent that this was just another example of the Internet community plucking at straws.

Uma Thurman as Eowyn
After their work together on the film Gattaca, it at one point looked likely that the Hawke/Thurman husband and wife partnership would feature in The Lord of the Rings with the actors playing Faramir and Eowyn respectively. However the stunningly beautiful actress gave birth in the latter part of 1999, and when it appeared that Hawke had decided not to take part in the project it seemed unlikely that the new mother would be able to care for her child and do a gruelling shoot in New Zealand. She wasn't.

And Finally, The Departure Of The King..

Stuart Townsend as Aragorn
An event which now seems like a distant memory but could have crippled a movie project which had barely gotten started, Stuart Townsend was cast in the role of Aragorn ahead of Viggo Mortensen and had already shot a couple week's worth of scenes in New Zealand when Peter Jackson decided that he was too young for one of the most pivotal roles in the film. While many would acknowledge that this was an almost crushing blow to his acting career, the Irish actor soldiered on and with starring roles in the Sean Connery comic blockbuster The Extraordinary League of Gentleman and Gabriel Byrne's Shade on the horizon, thankfully Townsend seems to have overcome the troubles he left behind him in New Zealand.

TORN Flashback - Inside Edoras
Xoanon @ 5:16 pm EST

With movie 1 on our shelves and movie 2 out in theatres we certainly do have an amazing amount of LOTR goodies to ponder. And TheOneRing.net was with you all the way.

Many folks don't remember the early days back in 99-2000 when the production was in full tilt, sets were popping up all over New Zealand and we had Ringer Spies everwhere.

Take a look at this first in what will most likely be a weekly look back at TORN. Ringer spy Glaurung trekked all over NZ to bring us images from LOTR. Take a look at these Exclusive pictures from inside the Edoras set, with the Golden Hall, and surrounding houses!

TheOneRing.net was the only website to bring you these exclusive pics from late July in 2001. [More]

The Oscar Party 2003: Two Towers - One Party
Xoanon @ 2:35 pm EST

One of TORn's helpers, Josh Rubinstein, talked about TheOneRing.net Oscar Party in a recent CNN and Variety article on Tolkien's 111th Birthday. [Toast Event] Since then all morning we've been getting emails and phone calls from interested folks about the party. As of right now all the details are being kept under wraps.

As of right now all the details are being kept under wraps. I can tell you a few details however:

The official name is "Two Towers - One Party"
IT IS A THEONERING.NET EVENT
It WILL be held on Oscar Night (Sunday March 23rd, 2003)
It WILL be in Hollywood, California
It WILL be held at the Hollywood Athletic Club

As for the rest...more details to follow! For now, check out the links from last years event.

TORN Oscar Party Report

TORN Party Pics

TORN's TheOneParty To Rule Them All Rocks L.A.

'One Party To Rule Them All' Pics

The One Party

Radio Watch: Sean Astin On KROQ-FM
Xoanon @ 2:12 pm EST

Melissa writes:

Thank you so much for your constant news and entertainment offerings re LOTR. I check in every morning to see what's new.

You may already have heard, but Sean Astin was interviewed on LA radio this morning (Friday, January 3). He talked via phone with the Kevin & Bean morning program on KROQ-FM.

Sean was very entertaining and bantered quite well for 7:30 AM. He talked, obviously, about filming the movies at the same time and the scope of the picture. He also talked about how the cast would be getting rewrites and new scenes on the day they were to film them. The hosts (who can be rather acerbic) also teased him about "geeks" that go to the theatre dressed up in costume. Kevin & Bean were basically gushing about the movie, however, and Sean was quite appreciative.

Hopefully one of your staff will be able to get ahold of a transcript or audio copy.

Thanks again for all your great work. Just wanted to give you a report of things going on in the West Coast, in case you hadn't heard.

BE A PART OF THE LOTR TCG LEAGUE!
Lao_of_Gondor @ 1:35 pm EST

JOIN THE RACE TO MOUNT DOOM AS THE LOTR TCG LEAGUE IS IN FULL FORCE FOR 2003!!!

The Lord of the Rings TCG LEAGUE is absolutely one of the best card playing communities dedicated for players of all skill levels who are looking for a happy medium between "casual" and "tournament" level play.

Each League concentrates on offering new and veteran players alike, the opportunity to play against each other in an environment which promotes the spirit of the Lord of the Rings in contrast to the spirit of competition. In fact, many times throughout the course of a League session, beginners will always have a chance to learn from and play against highly skilled tournament players who, outside the normal parameters of "Tournament Play", actually enjoy sharing their skills and techniques with those who are willing to learn. If you would like to read more about what the League is all about, click here for the Official League Press Release.

The League offers a "more casual" level of organized play as seen in THE RACE TO MOUNT DOOM League Kit. There are two different types of this kit: One for Retail Store Use and one for Home Use. Both kits offer the exact same exciting style of play and offer the winners of each "race" wonderful and collectible prizes, such as exclusive foil cards and collectible culture pins. The Retail Kit, which can only be purchased by your specific retailer or by your local Rider of Rohan (your Decipher Product Champion), is the only kit that contains the pins, the exclusive Faramir and Eowyn Foil Card Prizes and weekly random foil card prizes. The Home Kit only contains the exclusive Faramir and Eowyn Foil Card Prizes. However, if you would like to create you own league at home or as an after school activity, you can purchase the League Home Kit at the Decipher Store.

The League is also a great place for LOTR Gamers, fans and enthusiasts to come together and share their LOTR experiences. Many times the LOTR TCG League expands its gaming interests beyond sanctioned League play to offer members the opportunity to broaden their gaming experiences towards all LOTR gaming titles; especially the ever growing Decipher LOTR RPG and the LOTR Board game by Reiner/Knizia.

Most importantly, the League promotes community! I have personally made, and still continue to make, many close and wonderful friendships with people who have entered my life through being part of the League; sharing with me their wealth of LOTR experiences. Players initially come to the League with the sole interest of learning the game based upon their enthusiasm as fans. However, many of them don't realize that in the course of several weeks, they will have made friendships that will last a lifetime!

So if you play the LOTR TCG, or are interested in being part of a very unique gaming community, please always check back here at Gaming Havens for updates on when and where your League may be. Ask your local retailer who their RIDER OF ROHAN is and if that store is promoting the LOTR TCG League. And of course, always visit DECIPHER.COM for updates on the League, what it has to offer and what's in store for the future!

Be a part of a great gaming community and share your experiences with us!

Let us here at Gaming havens know when and where your LOTR League Community is held.

Since these venues are in my own backyard, here are a few LEAGUE Schedules for SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA:

WIZARDS OF THE COAST
Westminster Mall
Westminster, CA
Rider of Rohan: Norman Lao
Contact Info: lao_of_gondor@theonering.net
League Time: 2-6 pm on Sundays.

THE BULLPEN
13356 Washington Bl.
Los Angeles CA 90066
Rider of Rohan: Lisa Diana Gansky
Contact Info: lisa@lordofrivendell.com
League Time: 6:30-9:30 pm on Thursdays.

SQUEEZE PLAY
735 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780
Rider of Rohan: John Patchell
Contact info: GHPatch@aol.com
League Time: Starting at 6 pm on Wednesdays

More venues to come...stay tuned!

Lao of Gondor