11-24-04 Latest News

New ORD News!
Xoanon @ 2:19 pm EST

One Ring Celebration Ticket Update!

Thanks to your support we are now virtually sold out of WIZARD CIRCLE Weekend Package Tickets for The ONE RING CELEBRATION, *January 14-16,2005 in Pasadena, California.

We will be cutting off sales of this package within a few days so we wanted to give everyone a final notice. Grab the remaining WIZARD'S CIRCLE PACKAGES by visiting us online.

Of course, all other ticket options will remain available and there is PLENTY of room at the Pasadena Center for everyone to come and enjoy the weekend!

And, by the way, we still have lots more speakers and events to announce: keep reading our e-mails and visiting oneringcelebration.com for ongoing details. There have been some recent new additions to the guest list and program.

SPECIAL RINGERS EVENT AT ORC!

We're happy to have a big scoop on RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS, the new full-length documentary, at THE ONE RING CELEBRATION that is coming to Pasadena on *January 14-16, 2005.*

Here's the details: "RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS is a feature-length documentary that explores how "The Lord of the Rings" has influenced Western popular culture for the past 50 years. Come and meet the filmmaking team behind RINGERS for an exciting panel where they will share their own remarkable, personal stories of how they made the most dynamic Tolkien documentary ever attempted. Be the first to see EXCLUSIVE preview clips and behind-the-scenes mischief not shown anywhere before.

We hope you are making plans to be with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, John Rhys-Davies, Royd Tolkien and so many more grand guests as we make convention history together and start 2005 off right!

And, if you know us, you know we still have some surprises to come!

Visit oneringcelebration.com today to grab your tickets and hotel reservations and join the non-stop party that you'll never forget!

Sean Astin Book Tour Reports
Xoanon @ 10:03 am EST

Ringbearer SuperScott

Hey guys and girls, your friendly neighberhood Ringbearer SuperScott here. I heard about Sean Astin's book signing in Philadelphia and figured it was too good of a chance to pass up. I drove over from New Jersey and made good time, despite the pre-Thanksgiving rush. The location was listed as a school, although you never would have known it- the school is built like a tower. Quite a sight.

Anyway, sat down in the end of the aisle about halfway down the theater. My thinking was this- I can run down to the stage and take pictures without jumping over people AND there was a second mic set up. My bet was that they were going to have a Q and A after his speech.

We waited for a while. Then finally out of nowhere, during his intro, he walks down the aisle on the other side of the room and the place goes crazy. I didn't expect him to be traveling with his family- his wife Chris and his two daughters were also along for the ride! We were given a long introduction by a lady from the Philadelphia Film Commission and she told a story about how Sean has a history with Philly- he shot part of Kimberly there. One infamous scene even included Sean having to run, in the winter cold, down a dock...naked. Poor guy. He said the only that it was "Cold........veeeeerrrrrrry coooolllld. The only thing that was steady was the steady cam."

One of the first things I realized about him was the fact that he is EXACTLY like he is in all of the interviews I've seen- he's very funny, very laid back and in general, just an engaging personality. His speech primarily revolved around his writing of the book and why it was a sort of spiritual need. All of the emotions he had pent up during the course of the past decade and a half were relieved after this. As a writer, I can understand this sort of fulfillment.

He did tell a very funny story about the patriot behind the phrase "I have but one regret and that is that I have but one life to give for my country." He was reading this book to his daughter, who was enthralled with it apparently, and they found out he had been a school teacher who was asked by Washington to be a spy. He confided in his brother and his brother said, "No. Absolutely not. You'd be a terrible spy." Sure enough, he was caught and hung. Sean said he was quiet and he looked at his daughter and asked, "What did you think of that?" She replied, "He should have listened to his brother, he was a really bad spy!" (The place cracked up).

The funny thing is that during the speech, both of his daughters made their way to the stage and started drawing in coloring books while their dad talked. Even a tough guy like me will admit that it was pretty cute.

Sean took questions after about a half an hour and I bolted to the front. I was like 8th in line, beaten only by the front row people. He gave a thesis statement on Tolkien and the enviornment to one girl and said his favorite people to act with were (aside from himself) Ian and Elijah.

I'm not one to get nervous around celebrities, but when I got to the microphone, I have to admit, (since he had moved to the steps to sit) being five feet away, I had to keep myself calm. As a radio person who has been interviewing famous people since freshman year of high school. This was Rudy before me, Samwise the Brave- the man who brought to life two of the characters that have motivated me to make more of myself.

So first thing I said was, "Sean, I've been a big fan of yours since Rudy..."- and the place went nuts, chanting (he hadn't mentioned it). I told him how happy I was for him when I saw he was going to be playing Sam for Lord of the Rings. I also told him that there was a quote in his book that also gave me a kick in the butt when needed (a quote about how he was told by a famous cinematographer that aspiring filmmakers only use 16 mm while real directors use 35). He thanked me for sharing that, because it meant it had hit home the right way. He also encouraged me and other filmmakers to use digital rather than film because it was cheaper and more conducive.

The rest of the questions went smoothly. One lady asked his older daughter which scene she didn't like with her dad in it. I thought it an odd question. But the response made sense. "There was one scene...with Rosie...and Daddy kissed her...I didn't like that..."

The best moment though of the interviews (aside from the one I asked) was one of those fans who makes well-adjusted geeks nervous. He said he had been to Middle Earth. It took a while for him to explain that he had visited New Zealand. He propped his boot up on stage and said it had walked over Mordor and he suggested to everyone to to go there.

In classic William-Shatner-at-the-convention form, Astin pauses, kind of looks around, and replies, "Well...are you back from Middle Earth yet?"

I about died.

The line for him for signing was huge. There were probably around 600 people in this very spacious school, and I was closer to the end. People were patient, despite the warm temperature. When I approached, he looked up, smiled, shook my hand and said "We meet again!". He signed my books with the quote "Dear Scott-There's good in this world, and it's worth fighting for!"

I then got my picture taken, shook his hand, told him that I get to work with him one day and he smiled and said, "I'll see you on the road."

You know...I think I may just. He added as an afterthought to my autograph- "Good luck in your film career".

I wouldn't have traded my experience for all the Samwise speeches in the world. For once, I met an actor who not only lived up to expectations- he surpassed them. He seemed like a generally good guy and a family man. I waved to his wife on the way out and said to her "Thank you. You have the patience of a saint." She smiled.

A good night was had by all.

I have a few pictures that I'll hopefully have developed next week. You can use this report if you'd like. Hopefully I'll have a report from the Shore concert at NJPAC in a few weeks. Happy Thanksgiving!

----------

Ryan P

I attended Sean Astin's book signing today in Bloomington, MN. Before the signing Sean gave a pretty interesting talk about his work on LOTR. He even talked about one of his other films - Rudy.

Sean mentioned that he bought his first LOTR book at a Barnes and Noble bookstore. He also said that among his favorite scenes filming from the LOTR trilogy were the scenes in the Mines of Moria, and on Mount Doom from the end of the third film.

Sean also elaborated more on the tale of when he cut his foot during the scene where he runs after Frodo at the end of FOTR. He said it healed up pretty quickly, just a day.

During the filming of Rudy, Sean said he took some pretty good hits making the films strenuous football game scenes.

At the end of the talk, I was lucky enough to catch him as he went off into the crowd. I told him I thought he was "awesome", and he said "Thanks," and we shook hands. Defiantly a memorable moment for me.

Howard Shore Symphony in Moscow
Xoanon @ 10:11 pm EST

Lord of the Rings Symphony – A Long-Expected Party
A report from the concert in Moscow, 17th November 2004

By Alina Tsyganova
Photos: Alina Tsyganova, Yulia Zakharova
With quotes from forum members of Henneth-Annun.ru
English translation by Peter “TheHutt” Klassen

Original article in Russian

“When the concert finished yesterday, I could hardly talk for half an hour” (Aliks)

“My overall impression of this event as a whole was great. Yet another piece of wonder, which I haven’t witnessed for quite a while” (Amor)

The journey has come to an end. The “Symphony” reached Moscow and turned the State Kremlin Palace into a place full of music magic for two days. Maestro Howard Shore brought us back into the world of Middle-Earth, which has become so homely during the last three years.

I think many will agree when I say that the music from the LotR movies plays one of the main roles in creating the books’ atmosphere. The chanting of flute gets us to the peaceful and careless Shire; the music theme of Rohan is enchanting; and elvish singing creates images of magical Lothlórien in the viewer’s imagination. The whole symphony lasts for two hours; and all this time the audience is under the spell of Howard Shore. He commands over the emotions, and just by the means of music he lets the audience squeeze tightly in their chairs, relax, or wipe the tears away. The drums sound heavily, the violins cry out in distress, the audience is frozen with tension, waiting for the moment when the maestro has mercy with them – and just with a wave of the conductor’s stick Shore will bring piece and happiness back to the music.

“Speaking frankly, I even had a feeling that it happened to me not in real world, but in a dream, or in another life – a piece of which I had a chance to live” (Alexus)

The Symphony is divided into 6 movements – as many, as there are books in Tolkien’s novel. The first and the second books, “The Fellowship of the Ring”, have a good hour of the complete time – underlining the slow flowing of the story within. The easy theme “Concerning Hobbits” is replaced by the grim and foreboding “Shadow of the Past”. Themes follow one after another, and lead the spectator along the story.

After the entr’acte, there are the two other parts – “The Two Towers” and “Return of the King”. If the first movements contain the story introduction, then the others contain the building-up and the resolution. They last another hour and show the dynamic character of the storyline. Rohan, Fangorn, Helm’s Deep, the Paths of the Dead, Mordor, Pelennor, the Crack of Doom, and finally, the Grey Havens – which are the final chord of the Symphony. The concert ends with the Oscar-awarded song “Into the West”, sung by Sissel.

“The music is beautiful. The visuals are magic. And the impressions are indescribable. All these melodies – and each one is touching a certain string of the human soul. Shore did a great job writing it just like this.” (Oduvanchik)

The music was accompanied by some kind of a slide show, composed from paintings of famous Tolkien illustrators – Alan Lee and John Howe. Sketches and drafts correspond wonderfully with the Symphony compositions, leaving the audience enough room to use own imagination.

“I think it was just the choir of Khazad-Dûm that was rather not all too good. But our [Russian] singers just cannot match with the exotic Maori choir. Also, the acoustics were horrible. But there is nothing you can do – the Kremlin Palace is just like that.” (Rika)

“The Symphony was amazing, no matter, if the singers had Russian accents, or not” (Devlin)

On the press conference the Monday before, Howard Shore pointed out that in each country vocalists and musicians bring in their own character. It was also true for the Moscow Symphony concerts. The interpretation sounded somewhat different from what we are used to hear on the soundtrack CDs. Of course, there is a great difference between a live performance and a studio recording. There is no way to re-record, fix or add anything artificial during an onstage performance. Also, the acoustics of the rather uncomfortable Kremlin Palace does not allow the audience to hear everything just like at home with headphones. Also, Russian musicians added somewhat of academic profoundness to the Symphony. Whether it is good or bad – is for the audience to decide. In my opinion, the main advantage of such a concert is achieved by the honesty of the performance, and not by fancy solos.

In any case, the Russian musicians and vocalists succeeded to deliver the complicated program very well. Of course you can nitpick on flaws which of cause took place. But better leave it to the music critics. The impression, which remained, was very positive.

“Arranged in a half-circle there were different percussions – kettle drums, tam-tams, cymbals, a gong… when the dull beats sounded from different directions, you got the shivers.” (Oduvanchik)

“One word of advice – forget about the sound of the original discs for a while – because the performance of Sissel is completely different. Not bad – just DIFFERENT.” (Oness2)

Sissel is amazing. Such a clean, bright, flying, silver voice fits perfectly into the world of Middle-Earth. From the first syllables it goes through the bone, and the final song “Into the West” made many cry. Great was Howard Shore himself, who conducted the orchestra. He surrendered himself to the music completely, and it seemed to whirl around his hands. Everything he did on stage was with passion. And, obedient to his conducting stick, the music was flowing freely, supported by the choir – and getting us inside the screen, where paintings of Howe and Lee slowly passed by.

“The slow change of the sketchy images dug into my brain. At one moment I looked into the yellow frame like in a window to another world. Like a Palantir. Read it again and watch it again!” (Fidel)

To point out the negative aspects – the audience of the Kremlin Palace was not nearly able to fill it completely. It might result from rather expensive ticket prices. Or maybe it had to do with the specific type of audience this Symphony is targeted at – the movie fans. Or maybe both. Surely, some more popular concert might have sold out completely. I think, however, the main thing is not the quantity, but the quality. And those who came to hear the Symphony were not disappointed. Undoubtedly, the concert was a success.

In conclusion – I would like to thank Howard Shore for this magic tale he gave all of us. And to sympathize with the people who didn’t hear it.

Alan Lee Book Tour Schedule
Xoanon @ 3:23 pm EST

Celebrate 50 years of The Lord of the Rings with Alan Lee! World-renowned artist Alan Lee, acclaimed LOTR illustrator and Academy Award-winning conceptual designer for the film trilogy, will discuss his long involvement in creating the visual world that accompanies the books and films based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Lee's visual presentation will include a slide show and a display of a dozen original illustrations. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A with fans and a booksigning.

Tour Schedule:

12/4/2004 12:00 (noon) Books of Wonder (18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011)
12/5/2004 2:00PM Philadelphia Free Library (1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)
12/6/2004 7:00PM Olsson's Arlington-Courthouse (2111 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201)
12/7/2004 7:00PM Borders (830 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611)
12/8/2004 6:00PM Borders (50 S. Main Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84144)
12/9/2004 7:00PM University Bookstore (4326 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105)
12/10/2004 7:00PM Booksmith (1644 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117)
12/11/2004 2:00PM Book Soup (8818 Sunset Blvd., W. Hollywood, CA 90069)

Best of Both Worlds Convention Report
Xoanon @ 2:44 pm EST

Merry in Oz writes: I attended the Saturday, 20th November, session of the LOTR Best of Both Worlds convention in Canberra, Australia.

It was great to meet and greet the guests--Brett Beatie (Gimli's size double), Andrew Stehlin (stuntman), Stephen Ure (orcs), Paul Norell (King of the Dead), Thomas Robins (Deagal), Daniel Falconer and Mike Grealish from WETA. All of them were pleasant and friendly and gave amazing talks.

There were workshops as well but alas I am too poor to miss work and attend them!! Mike did give everyone a little leather keychain with LOTR stamped on it--a lovely souvenier.

I was disappointed by the 'no photos' rule. I can understand sparing the guests having photos taken all weekend, but I thought it a bit excessive not allowing a few snaps at the start of their talks. They are on stage, after all, and the 'official' photos are just so expensive.

Hall of Fire Chats This Weekend
Demosthenes @ 11:23 pm EST

Whose life would you most want to live in Tolkien's Middle Earth? Now, we don't mean who is your favorite character, but whose life, both the good and bad, do you long to experience for yourself?

Is it the character you most admire and look up to? Is it a character you feel you relate to the most? Or is it someone you just think seems to have a lot of fun?

Do you crave a life of weapons and warfare, or are wooded valleys or tilled fields more your speed? Are you a skin-changing loner, a nameless wanderer, a horse lord or an elvish queen? Are some characters too good to have interesting lives? Would you give up some nobility or goodness for a life with a little bit more spice? Or would you rather just pass the time as the fox that notices three hobbits camping out in the wild?

Whichever your preference, this is bound to be serve up an interesting discussion. Join us in #thehalloffire as we consider "If I lived in Middle-earth; Which of Tolkien s characters would I like to be?"

===
Upcoming topics:

11/27 and 11/28: The Hobbit: Chapter 18: The Return Journey and Chapter 19: The Last Stage

12/4 and 12/5: Concerning Hobbits: Everything you ever wanted to know about those little guys.

===
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net IRC server.
Need instructions? Go here: http://www.theonering.net/barlimans/instructions.html

===
Chat Times:

Saturday Chat:

5:30pm EST (17:30)
[also 11:30pm (23:30) CET and 7:30am Sunday morning AEST]

Sunday Chat:
8:00 pm (20:00) CET
[also 2:00pm (14:00) EST and 4:00am Monday morning AEST]

EST = Eastern Time, USA's East Coast
CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
AEST = Australian East Coast

PJ & 'X-Men' Producer Join 'Ringers'
Xoanon @ 6:17 pm EST

OSCAR(R) WINNER PETER JACKSON — LEADING CAST OF “LORD OF THE RINGS” TRILOGY — AND “X-MEN” PRODUCER TOM DeSANTO — COMBINE FORCES FOR DOCUMENTARY “RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS”

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA --TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2004 -- The “Ring” has now come full circle for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien. The director, co-writer, producer, and the stellar leading cast of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy will appear in RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS, executive produced by Tom DeSanto (Apt Pupil, X-Men, Transformers), and directed by first-time writer/director Carlene Cordova. RINGERS is a feature-length documentary that explores how "The Lord of the Rings" has influenced Western popular culture for the past 50 years. The film reveals many layers of history and artistic inspiration behind Tolkien’s books, while reveling in the pop frenzy carried forward by the Hippie movement, the rockers, the fantasists, the activists, and legions of screaming fans.

Three-time Academy Award(R) winner Peter Jackson, now synonymous with the global phenomenon spurred by his “LOTR” trilogy, has granted an exclusive interview. Mr. Jackson is joined by his creative team and ensemble cast -- including Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Andy Serkis, John Rhys-Davies, and Academy Award(R) winners Barrie M. Osborne (Producer) and Philippa Boyens (Co-screenwriter) -- all of whom provide remarkable insight into the enduring fandom that is the heart of RINGERS.
The four leading hobbits from the cinematic Fellowship appear in RINGERS: Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Sam), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), and Billy Boyd (Pippin) -- offering their personal perspectives on how Tolkien’s masterpiece has stood the test of time, and in many ways changed their own lives. Veteran actor John Rhys-Davies (Gimli, the voice of Treebeard) is equal parts gregarious and wise -- his interview shows the same affection for Tolkien as seen among his legions of fans. Philippa Boyens, a hardcore Ringer fan herself, explained the unique challenges she faced while adapting the epic novel for the silver screen -- while Barrie Osborne (The Matrix) confessed the power of mythology is just under the surface of the Rings Trilogy’s exceptional popularity. Viggo Mortensen gave a most revealing interview, wherein the audience can see deep considerations of Tolkien’s complicated themes would become the bedrock of Mr. Mortensen’s interpretation of Aragorn.

Tom DeSanto has come aboard as Executive Producer. Lauded by genre fans for his energetic support and passion for comic book, fantasy, and sci-fi projects, Mr. DeSanto was a perfect fit for RINGERS. He co-wrote the story and executive produced X-Men, a movie he wanted to make since he was twelve. Mr. DeSanto’s love for genre projects continued into restarting Battlestar Galactica and returning to the mutants that he loved for X2: X-Men United. The X-Men franchise has grossed over $700 million worldwide. Currently Mr. DeSanto is producing a live-action version of Transformers for DreamWorks and Paramount, which Steven Spielberg is executive producing. RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS is repped by the William Morris Agency. The film has been submitted for several major film festivals; with an expected debut in the Winter of 2005.

RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS serves as a remarkable dénouement to the past 50 years of the worldwide following of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”

About the documentary:

RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS shows how, after 50 years, “The Lord of the Rings” continues to spark the minds and hearts of millions. RINGERS explores the real foundations of Middle-earth; a community of true fans who share a common bond. Moving beyond “cult classic” and over several different generations, the film unearths countless people gathered under the banner of ‘Ringer’ -- academics, musicians, movie stars, authors, filmmakers, and a plethora of pop junkies. Celebrity interviewees include Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Clive Barker, and David Carradine.

RINGERS features a dynamic rock-driven score with musicians who were influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien. Several indie recording artists have provided new covers of songs from previous “Rings” adaptations. Produced in association with the popular fan-site TheOneRing.net, RINGERS stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing fandom of “The Lord of the Rings.”

From the hippie counter-culture to the electronic age; from the Bakshi animated film to Jackson’s epic trilogy; this documentary brings together extensive footage collected over 21 months -- across three continents. Our cameras have captured the most energetic “Lord of the Rings” events.

What began as the private amusement of a tweedy Oxford professor has now become a new mythology for the 21st century. RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS shows how an adventure story published in 1954 has had dynamic ripple-effects through Western pop-culture. RINGERS carefully pulls away the veil between Tolkien’s book and the creations of art, music, and community that have been inspired by it.

RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS spent 21 months shooting on three continents. Produced in association with the popular Tolkien fan-site TheOneRing.net, Ringers stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing fandom of "The Lord of the Rings."

Current “Ringers” Interviewees include:

Actor - Dominic Monaghan, Writer/Director/Producer - Peter Jackson, Actor - Elijah Wood, Actor - Sir Ian McKellen, Actor - Viggo Mortensen, Actor - Sean Astin, Actor - Billy Boyd, Actor - Andy Serkis, Actor - John Rhys-Davies, Actor - John Noble, Screenwriter - Philippa Boyens, Producer - Barrie Osborne, Author/Interviewer - Cliff Broadway, Author/Filmmaker - Clive Barker, Writer/Director/Producer - Cameron Crowe, Actor - David Carradine, Author - Terry Pratchett, Author - Peter S. Beagle, Author - Terry Brooks, Musician - Lemmy Kilmister, Musician - Geddy Lee, Tolkien Scholar - Dr. Jane Chance, Chairperson of the Tolkien Society - Christine Crawshaw, Author - Colin Duriez, Filmmaker/Critic - Chris Gore, Writer/Publisher - Forrest J. Ackerman, Actor - Sala Baker, Actor - Bill Mumy, Author/Broadcaster - Brian Sibley, Illustrator/Author - Colleen Doran, Illustrator/Author - Jill Thompson, Film Critic - Elvis Mitchell, and hundreds of Tolkien fans!

Sean Astin/Alan Lee Book Tours Rescheduling
Xoanon @ 12:17 pm EST

Eileen writes: Just thought I'd let you know that the Sean Astin Book Signing that was supposed to take place this Friday, November 19th at 'A Clean Well Lighted Place For Books' has been rescheduled to Friday, December 10th at 7pm. Follow this link for a complete list of Sean's appearances. [More]

The store is deciding at this time if they will be handing out tickets so that they don't get overwhelmed with a large line outside their store.

Sean will be in Corte Madera (about 10 miles north of SF, actually) December 11th. This is a new date and location added to his schedule - maybe because he had cancelled his Nov. 19th?

Also, and unfortunately, that is the same day that Alan Lee will be signing books at Booksmith on Haight Street. Actually, the store is too small so it will take place at the library on Page Street (right around the corner). More information will be coming.

Fan Review of Third Age
Luthien @ 9:30 am EST

The Lord of the Rings the Third Age is definitely one of the better RPG's of our time. It is probably the first of its kind for EA games, but hopefully not the last. There is a deep storyline into the game, one much different than the movies themselves. By the halfway point in the game, you will have gotten all 6 of the playable characters, each with unique abilities and traits. Berethor is the main character, the citadel guard from gondor, and the main story revolves around his life. You will also come across other races such as the elf Idrial, who is sent to protect Berethor, and begins to form a bond with him. There is a stubborn dwarf, Hadhod, somewhat like Gimli, but able to cast magic, Eaoden, a rider of rohan with energy powers, Elegost, a Dunedain ranger with bowcraft, and Morwen, a mistress who once served Denethor. As you progress through the game, each character has a story to reveal, and you gain new powers and weapons to use. This RPG follows the same combat style as Final Fantasy, a turn-based one. It may be slow at times, but you get used to it after a while. The gameplay is definitely a 10 rating, there are many missions to complete in each realm, and you can go back in evil mode to gain new weapons by killing your people with the evil guys, like the Balrog. There is a co-op mode to the game also that has its benefits when playing with friends, and over 100 scenes from the movie, each telling a story, which is extremely awesome, and hopefully there may be some scenes from the extended RotK, but i have yet to get there. Once you get through at least fifty percent of the game, the true story unfolds, Berethor's past is revealed, and Idrial's job to save him is beginning. It all forms a deep, true, one-of-a-kind RPG with extrememly detailed graphics of the worlds, deep gameplay, and overall few, if any, problems. This is definitely ONE RPG TO RULE THEM ALL.

Howard Shore Concert New Jersey
Xoanon @ 10:30 am EST

Michael Scasserra, Web and Publications Editor for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center writes: We have some exciting LORD OF THE RINGS news to share with you and your readers. On Dec. 3 and 4, the NY-Metropolitan area premiere of Howard Shore's THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY (a symphonic adaptation of his score for all three RINGS films) is taking place at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. This spectacular event will be performed by over 200 performers, including full symphony orchestra and chorus (which will sing in "Elvish"), and will also include projections of storyboard art from the films and illustrations from recent editions of Tolkien's books. Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore will be in attendance at the Dec. 3 performance, in part for a Q and A with the audience prior to the performance. Questions for the evening will be selected from suggestions submitted via email to ringquestions@njpac.org. We're hoping you will be able to post this information on your site for LORD OF THE RINGS fans.

Here's a link to our home page, which includes information on this event.

Here's a link directly to the LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY page on our site, with all the details on the performances.

Here's a link to our exclusive interview with Mr. Shore, in which he discusses his work on the trilogy and his adaptation of the score to symphonic format.

ROTK Screening & LOTR:BFME News
Xoanon @ 4:39 pm EST

SGD writes: Starz is premiering ROTK Thanksgiving weekend on the 27th. They will be showing back to back viewings of TTT and ROTK non-extended edition. [More]

In other news Electronic Arts has posted inside the battle volume 8 for LOTR: Battle for Middle-earth video game. [More]

IGN has also posted another update highlighting the Mordor aspect of the game over at their website. [More]

Howard Shore concert in Seville, Spain
Xoanon @ 12:50 pm EST

Wing-ap-o writes: I write on behalf of a group of fans of Lord of the Rings from Spain which met at first through the internet in a movie forum called Cinelandia. We're known as the ringers there ('anilleros' in Spanish) and our nicks are Miss Blanchett, Rondador, BudWhite, Dandreemex, SombraGris and J.R.R.T.

As you surely know, last weekend the city of Seville (Spain) had the honor to be part of the Lord of the Rings Symphony tour. The Maestranza Theater brought together people from all the country for two consecutive nights, and joined them in a tremendously emotional experience. Howard Shore conducted the Seville Royal Symphony Orchestra accompanied by the Cajasur Opera Choir, the 'El Mesias' voice Choir and the Choirboys of 'Los Palacios'. Sissel also attended the concert and amazed the audience with her beautiful voice and performance.

It was a very special night for us. We were lucky enough to attend the show on saturday after plenty of trouble getting tickets (they literally ran out in a snap). It was a wonderful surprise to find how humble and kind Mr. Shore is. He signed and had a few words with hundreds of fans after the concert for more than one and a half hour. And after that he had a photograph taken with those who were waiting outside the theater.

I'm sending you some photos from that evening, in case you want to include them in your "scrapbook" section.

Thank you very much and keep up the good work! Greetings from Spain.