Go back to Special Reports Archives


November 30, 2001 - December 07, 2001

12-07-01 Latest News

SFX Review Of Fellowship Of The Ring
Strider @ 3:13 pm EST

From Sarakin:

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Well, here it is. The most eagerly anticipated.. OK, the second most eagerly anticipated film of the year, an adaptation of the most popular. OK, second most popular fantasy story of the 20th century. New Line cinema are probably still scowling into their coffee and complaining about how THE movie event of the decade could somehow have been usurped by a small boy in John Lennon glasses and no nose. But their panic is my gain. So confident are the film makers that (in almost complete disregard of recent movie lore which suggests that the critics should be the last people to see any 'blockbuster' film, in case word of the quality of the product should inadvertently reach the consumer!), they have dragged forward the critics screening of this magnum opus in a game attempt to generate some non-Potter excitement. So I've seen it - ya boo sucks to you.

Whatdya mean, does it have Quidditch in it? No!

There hardly seems to be any point relating the story, which would be like recounting the story of Moses when reviewing "Prince of Egypt", but a bit of education for the Potterites might not go amiss. Our hero is Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a small person with hairy feet and only slightly more of a nose than Harry Potter, who inherits what might appear to some to be a really cool present - a magic ring that makes the wearer invisible. Unfortunately, it turns out that this cool present is cursed, and will corrupt and deform any that posses it, while at the same time holding the power to subjugate all the free peoples of the world to whoever has the strength to use it. Because of this, Frodo suffers the twin inconvenience of a) not being able to use it without turning into a evil ghost thing and b) being hunted by bigger evil host things who want to take said hugely powerful talisman back to its original owner, The Dark Lord, so that he can indulge in aforementioned subjugation of the free peoples of the world etc.

Not good.

Fortunately, Frodo has some good friends and advisors. Foremost is the white-haired wizard (no, not Dumbledore!) named Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellan) who firsts suspects the ring's true nature. Also on hand is working class pal Sam Gamgee (Sean Astin) and rather more posh, but equally silly friends Merry (Dom Monaghan of "Hetty Wainthrop Investigates"!) and Pippin Took (Billy Boyd). After Gandalf advises Frodo to escape with the ring, with the eventual aim of destroying it in the only fire hot enough to melt it (unfortunately in the Dark Lord's own backyard of Mordor), the four companions set off. Needless to say, it doesn't go entirely to plan.

But you knew that. So onto the bits you didn't know.

Peter Jackson has created, if not a classic, then a film which comfortable wins the genre race of fantasy films. This is no Willow. No ridiculously muscled Arnie's in oiled leather roam around with humorous accents in a Conan stylee. The story makes sense, the characters are believable. And somehow, Jackson has condensed 350 pages of action in just under three hours without butchering the story.

Special mention must go to Sir Ian McKellan, who portrays his Gandalf with a genuine sense of humanity blended with divinity in a far more absorbing way than Willem Dafoe managed in "The Last Temptation of Christ", and the film develops a poignant listlessness after his (for reasons I won't explain) departure from the action towards the end. McKellen's Gandalf is an itinerant conjuror and firework manufacturer who has been waiting for his true purpose on earth to arrive, and to his credit Sir Ian displays fully the dichotomy of the terror and excitement he faces when he realises the true nature of his Hobbit-friend's trinket. His dismay and loneliness when faced with the treachery of his fellow wizard Saruman (or Saroom'n as they seem to insist on calling him) is also a truly involving moment in the film, which lifts this effort way about previous efforts at this kind of filmmaking.

Not all the characters achieve quite the same perfection. Frodo is better when looking cute and distressed, though to be fair Wood may get a better chance to extend his range in later films. Legolas (Orlando Bloom) looks the part, but unfortunately squeaks his way through the film like a weasel having its tail squashed by a very fat cod-liver-oil salesman. And Sean Bean, so crucial to the effectiveness of the tale as Boromir (B'row'mir?! - what are they playing at?), plays the whole thing like a pantomime villain, leaving his final conversion to the Dark Side as nothing short of boringly predictable.

But the Hobbits are delightful as a group, and Strider (Viggo Mortenson - no, that is an actor, not a character) commands the screen quite convincingly as the mysterious friend of Gandalf who shepherds the halflings to temporary sanctuary at the castle of Rivendell. And it is his personal crisis after the departure of Gandalf that gives the end of the film it's engaging aimlessness - at least up until the as-surprising-as-cheese ending.

I will gush a little more later, so I will deal with
some of the problems - and they're not huge.

Firstly, chilling as the Nazgul are, why (given that five of them cannot overcome four hobbits and a man who hasn't washed his hair for twenty years) are the company so scared of them after they've been joined by two powerful Elves (Glorfindel and Arwen) at the Fords of Rivendell? Glorfindel drives them into the water easily enough to drown them - why doesn't he just drive them away and say "leave us alone"? Strange.

Secondly, how does the love of Aragorn's life, Arwen Evenstar (a very Elvish Liv Tyler) get from Rivendell to Lothlorien when the same journey nearly kills the Fellowship itself? It reminded me of those Droopy cartoons where the cartoon dog would be buried under fifty feet of rock, only to appear outside the villain's house with a sardonic expression. I half expected her to drawl "You know what, I'm the love interest".

My last complaint is the disappointment of the Balrog. It is as if Peter Jackson was so scared on coming down on any one side of the famous fan-debate about Balrog's appearance that he chickened out altogether! You don't see the blessed thing! A flaming foot here, a shadowy hand there, a main of fire, nasty looking eyes. To his credit, Jackson disguises his cowardice by presenting it as a problem with scale. The Balrog is seemingly so huge that the cameras cannot fit it all in. But it also conveniently avoids proving or disproving whether or not the demonic creature had wings or not. Shocking.

That said, the Moria sequence is one of the highlights, and its format shocks you when you realise that Tolkien, for all his fame as a fantasist, was almost the father of modern horror cinema! A group of people take a spooky, but apparently safe, journey. Creepy things start happening, culminating in the realisation that the previous occupants of the place they're in have been horribly slaughtered - and then the same things described by their deceased predecessors in a conveniently discovered diary start happening again. If Tolkien had the guts to kill off more than one of the company, it could have been any of a vast number of horror films of the last fifty years. Jackson exploits this to the full, and the denouement of the sequence is genuinely shocking, for all the shadowy protagonist, and the fact that I knew perfectly well what was about to happen.

And that perhaps is Jackson's greatest triumph. His core audience has already read the book (perhaps fifty times!), but he keeps them on their toes with little changes. Bilbo (Sir Ian Holm)'s attempt to hide the ring from Gandalf by turning invisible and playing a short but amusing game of hide and seek in Bag End was a nice touch. A black rider eviscerating the likeable Farmer Maggot (John Rye) helps emphasise the danger felt by the halflings in their escape. Arwen herself is allowed to become a visible and understandable figure of devotion for Aragorn, though having her ride to the rescue twice - once at Rivendell, then again on the borders of Lorien after the escape from Moria - is a bit much. And the story of S'room'n, shown here when absent from the book, allows a whole sub-world to be explored, while also allowing Christopher Lee, who plays him, to be deliciously evil.

Less successful are the rendering of Bill Ferny as comic relief, a Nazgul running around in panic when it's cloak gets set on fire, the Dwarves' rendering as the Klingons of Middle Earth ("Sauron has no honour!"
- no kidding guys!) and the way the Fellowship escape from Caradhras (did you know Gandalf invented snow-boarding? Now you do).

But these are piffling complaints. The actors, by and large, manage to create fantasy figures as real people. The scenery is, as expected, absolutely stunning, as Jackson manages to merge the real beauty of his homeland with some pretty seamless effects work. The "forced perspective" effect to shrink the Hobbits and Dwarves is also largely successful (though from time to time you can tell one of the hobbits is just kneeling down!), and testimony to the patience with which the crew build two sets of everything (one big, one small) to lend it verisimilitude. The score is beautiful, if unobtrusive, and the script keeps the feeling of Tolkien's words, even though it often changes them to the modern vernacular (Sam even refers to Arwen as "that Elvish bird" at one point!).

A remarkably risky project appears to have emerged as well as could reasonably expected - and I mean that in an overwhelming positive way! It might not win traditional Academy Awards, but I fully expect my fellow critics to endorse my view of this film as a damn good blast.

Harry who?

Simon Regalman, SFX Online.

One tale to rule them all...
Xoanon @ 12:26 am EST

From: 'The Adelaidean' (Adelaide University)

One tale to rule them all and in the darkness bind them

AFTER the events of September 11, it’s not hard to imagine a world in which those who represent freedom and democracy are threatened by a source of great power and evil.

It’s a feeling that was shared, no doubt, by those who lived through or were born during World War Two, the people who were the first in history to read a book that many now regard as one of the greatest stories ever written.

Since its publication in 1954-55, The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien has endured as a tale of heroism in a world of increasing darkness. Although a “fantasy”, its themes of good versus evil, the changing nature of the world and heroism are still just as applicable to Western society today as they were half a century ago.

This month The Lord of the Rings, considered the grandfather of modern fantasy literature, comes to life on the silver screen. One fan lining up at the box office to buy a ticket will be PhD student Kerrie Le Lievre, from the Department of English at Adelaide University, Australia.

Tolkien’s novel plays a major role in Ms Le Lievre’s PhD thesis, which examines a number of “high fantasy” novels and the themes common to them all. Her thesis is titled Worlds and Mirrors of Worlds, and explores how fantasy writers use the secondary worlds they create to critique and challenge the dominant paradigms of modern Western society, and to provide alternative models. The other novels dealt with are the Earthsea trilogy by Ursula K Le Guin and The Riddle-masters’ Game by Patricia A McKillip.

“I’m working on a close reading of the three high fantasy texts,” Ms Le Lievre said. “Because they’re all high fantasies, they’re all closely related in terms of their structure and the issues that they deal with, and there’s also a sense in which both Le Guin and McKillip can be seen as writing back to Tolkien; they both took inspiration from The Lord of the Rings and started thinking about it in different ways.”
For the uninitiated, The Lord of the Rings is divided into three books: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return Of The King. The first of these will be seen on cinema screens around Australia from December 26, with the others to follow in 2002 and 2003.

Fellowship tells the tale of Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit (about half the size of a normal man) who discovers he possesses a ring of great power. This ring is being sought after by the evil Sauron, a dark lord who hopes to rule over all of Middle-Earth (the fictional “secondary world” created by Tolkien). With his friends and with the help of the wizard Gandalf, Frodo leaves his home and seeks to rid himself of the ring. He is then entrusted with the mission of destroying the ring, and to do so he must enter the very heart of darkness itself: the land of Mordor where Sauron lives.

In its most basic form, The Lord of the Rings is a grand adventure, a tale of against-the-odds heroism. But Tolkien has created a world with such depth that scholars like Kerrie Le Lievre continue to search its text for theme and meaning. So strong was the influence of Tolkien’s novel that it can be seen again and again in other works of fantasy, even in the Harry Potter novels by JK Rowling. Like those novels, in its time The Lord of the Rings was also a huge commercial success.

“I guess you could say it’s been a mixed blessing,” said Ms Le Lievre.

"The first effect The Lord of the Rings had on the general field of fantasy literature is that it separated it from the body of mainstream fiction. The precursors of Tolkien’s work, authors such as Lewis Carroll, William Morris, Robert Louis Stevenson, wrote something that was generally called “romance”, but it was also part of the mainstream. There was no sense in which Stevenson’s romance writings were considered different from his more mainstream or gothic writings.

“The Lord of the Rings was a massive commercial success, and that meant that it started having imitators very quickly. The imitators were published because people wanted to read more things like The Lord of the Rings, and they started being bracketed away to this strand of publishing, or marketing, which got labelled “fantasy”. People started thinking of fantasy as only things that were roughly like The Lord of the Rings, and that went on until it started becoming only things that were like The Lord of the Rings.

“The problem is that a lot of the imitations weren’t the best; they tended to understand the rough shape of Tolkien’s creation but missed the subtleties and complexities that Tolkien built into it. The Lord of the Rings does have a very replicable form, but it combines that with a unique and extraordinary content that nobody has been able to surpass,” she said.
While Tolkien claimed that his work was not specifically a retelling of World War One or, even more likely, World War Two, he is on record as saying the issues and themes dealt with in his works were applicable to the modern world.


Caption: Kerrie Le Lievre with some of the fantasy novels she’s examining for her thesis. Photo: David Ellis.

“Many of the issues that were current in Tolkien’s day remain current today,” Ms Le Lievre said.

“Things like industrialisation—that was definitely a big one. Mordor as a culture or as an image is very much to do with industrialisation. There are also issues to do with the environment, damage to the environment and how the world is changing because of the industrialisation process; with the changing nature of evil and how that’s perceived in the world; with the need for a different model of heroism, one that doesn’t focus on a central hero but becomes a shared sense of heroism; and related to that are the issues about our sense of community and a shared responsibility for the world.

“Tolkien’s rethinking of the nature of heroism in the modern world is one of the most important strands of The Lord of the Rings,” she said.

“A lot of his heroes look like old-fashioned epic heroes striding off into battle with swords and so forth, but really they’re not. Tolkien’s heroes are always collective, so the journey into Mordor isn’t just about Frodo, it’s about Frodo, Sam and Gollum working together as a unit. At the same time, the other strand of the story isn’t just about Aragorn; although Aragorn is the hero he wouldn’t be able to function without Legolas and Gimli backing him up. And there are many other characters added into the mix, each from different races of elves and men, dwarves and hobbits. So it’s not just an individual who sets things right, it’s a group of people who stand against an incoming enemy or a moral wrong. They all play an important role in the scheme of things, and without their collective effort the heroes, plural, would not win through to the end.”
While the upcoming film of The Fellowship of the Ring will not have any bearing on Ms Le Lievre’s thesis, like many Tolkien fans and scholars she is both enthusiastic and reserved about her feelings on the film.

“I’m approaching it as though I’m going to see a particular production of a play. When you go to see a performance of Hamlet it’s always going to be somebody else’s Hamlet, not the one I have in my head. So if you see the movie of The Lord of the Rings you’re seeing one interpretation of it.

“A lot of the changes that I’ve heard of [from book to screen] seem to make sense according to the logic of film. I’m comfortable with what I know about the film so far, but I’m suspending judgement until I see the results,” she said.

—David Ellis

12-06-01 Latest News

National Library of Australia Talks Tolkien
Xoanon @ 11:50 pm EST

From: Skimitar

Just to let you know that the National Library of Australia in Canberra is having an exhibition called "Treasures from the World's Great Libraries". Among these treasures is Tolkiens original cover design for the Hobbit, painted by the master himself (complete with handwritten notes). I for one will be going on a pilgrimage! [More]

Turkish LOTR News
Xoanon @ 11:41 pm EST

From: Emreeken

Fans who live in Ankara can buy the tickets from Odeon Cineplex. Second, there will be Turkey premiere on 12nd December in Istanbul. But I don't know the details for now. Third, tomorrow at 6 PM, there will be something about LOTR on Cine5 TV. And the last one, there will be a panel discussion about LOTR at 6 PM on 10 December at Bogazici University.

Media Watch: Spin Magazine
Xoanon @ 11:20 pm EST

Ringer Spy olorin sends us some scans from the latest 'Spin Magazine'. Take a look!

Media Watch: Elle Magazine
Xoanon @ 11:04 pm EST

Milya sends us these scans from 'Elle Magazine' featuring Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn).


Congrats Cate!
Xoanon @ 7:15 pm EST

Cate Blanchett Plays Mommy

Cate Blanchett got a special delivery this week--and we're not talking about that National Board of Review (news - web sites) Award she just received.


The 32-year-old Australian-born actress has given birth to her first child in London, her publicist, Lisa Kasteler, announced Thursday.

The only thing we know about the infant is his name: Dashiell John. Kasteler didn't reveal any other detalils--including his birthdate, weight or length--except to say that the baby, Blanchett and hubby Andrew Upton are all doing fine.

The baby isn't the only thing the busy Blanchett has pumped out this year: She's one of Hollywood's hardest-working actresses, completing a half-dozen projects in the past year.

On Wednesday, she got a jumpstart in the Oscar race by being cited by the National Board of Review as the year's Best Supporting Actress for her work in three of her 2001 films: The Man Who Cried and the upcoming The Lord of the Rings (due December 19) and The Shipping News (which opens Christmas Day).

She's also generating some Oscar buzz for her starring role in the Warner Bros. World War II espionage drama Charlotte Gray, which hits theaters in limited release on December 28. Her other recent flicks include the heist caper Bandits with Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Tykwer's Heaven, which will premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in February.

In fact, Blanchett says her jammed schedule is precisely the reason she wound up preggers in the first place. "It's a happy byproduct of a happy marriage. We had a lot of very romantic reunions," she said after announcing her pregnancy. "I guess it was those romantic liaisons in hotel rooms that got me where I am today."

The two will get a chance for another reunion soon enough--Blanchett's already booked to begin work in February on the Joel Schumacher-helmed biopic Chasing the Dragon: The Veronica Guerin Story, in which she stars as a crusading Irish journalist.

Blanchett shot to prominence with 1998's Elizabeth--a role that earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination--and followed that up with such films as The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Gift, Pushing Tin, Oscar and Lucinda and An Ideal Husband.

She's been married to her ideal husband Upton, a fellow Aussie, in 1997. He got his start editing indie films Down Under and is currently writing an adaptation of Foucault's Pendulum for Fine Line Pictures.

More On BBC Radio Tolkien Revival
Strider @ 3:35 pm EST

The following links take you to the BBC Radio 5 Live website. First of all a list of the top 10 Tolkien websites (guess who's Number One) and second a link to the programme this afternoon (Thursday) between 3 and 4pm GMT (10 to 11am EST) they will be discussing Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings. This can be listened to live on Realplayer. Just follow the appropriate link.

www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/mayo/reviews.shtml

www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/mayo/traffic.shtml

Alamo Drafthouse Goes PJ Crazy
Strider @ 2:30 pm EST

The Alamo Drafthouse in Texas seems to be going Peter Jackson crazy, showing all of his work through December! Below is a list of when and where all PJ fans can see his work.

December 6th - Thursday - The Frighteners - 11.59 pm
December 7th - Friday - The Frighteners - 11.59 pm
December 13th - Thursday - Dead Alive (Brain Dead) - 11.59 pm
December 14th - Fridayday - Dead Alive (Brain Dead) - 11.59 pm
December 15th - Saturday - Dead Alive (Brain Dead) - 11.59 pm
December 16th - Sunday - The Making Of The Frighteners - 2.00 pm
December 20th - Thursday - Meet The Feebles - 11.59 pm
December 21st - Friday - Meet The Feebles - 11.59 pm
December 22nd - Saturday - Meet The Feebles - 11.59 pm
December 27th - Thursday - Heavenly Creatures - 12.00 Midnight
December 28th - Friday - Heavenly Creatures - 12.00 Midnight
December 29th - Saturday - Heavenly Creatures - 12.00 Midnight

More Information: www.drafthouse.com/downtown/downtown.html

NYC Press Screening Review!
Xoanon @ 12:26 pm EST

Peter Orphanos, the producer of TORN Digital, gives us his first report on the recent events at the LOTR Press Junket in New York City. Check this out!

"This will most likely be one of the greatest film epic adventures of all time", if I may steal a quote from the great dwarf himself, John Rhys-Davies... "You know, Mr. Rhys-Davies, you weren't exaggerating about that declaration.", I will tell him one day, I hope.

Please bear in mind, I will try and avoid any true spoilers...

I never thought I would be seeing this movie so soon, let alone meeting some of the cast and crew, but when the lights dimmed in the theater my wish's came true. Peter Jackson, some say,"has never had a hit". Well, I say now, to all those naysayers and disbelievers, "Never Say Never" again. This is, without a doubt, the greatest adaptation of a book to the big screen we have ever seen. And not only does the film look great, but the story itself does true justice to the book. I would also like to add that Mr. Jackson has skillfully translated all the characters from print to motion without a single hitch.

As for the movie, it is well paced and for a feature that is this long (2:45+), you will not only feel comfortable as a fan, but you will become immersed in the world of Middle-earth. It starts out with a great visual history of the ring up until The Hobbit and then the journey begins in Hobbiton. It is here that we meet Gandalf The Grey, Frodo, Bilbo and Sam Gamgee, on a bright sunny day in the Shire. The story flows along from here in a nice trot that seems to cover the essentials of the book, while pleasantly surprising the audience with its unique interpretations of scenes and chapters.

Throughout the film, Peter Jackson consistently builds a solid base for the main characters to grow and he does it the best with dear Frodo. He has also enhanced other characters such as Saruman, Boromir and Arwen with just the right amount of screen time (no more, no less) to fulfill their purpose in the story and keep it moving. And, of course, Gollum is the real treat (I won't say more than that) and fans will be looking forward to him in the next two films.

One of the coolest characters that had a great presence/aura all the time was Orlando Bloom as Legolas, from his first appearance at the Council Of Elrond to Amon Hen, there is this confidence in him as a tried and true person, and it clearly shows in all of his scenes and is most effective in the Battles.

Liv Tyler also delivered in her role as the beautiful Arwen and at times I thought I was watching someone else on the screen. She was that good! There were many great performances by the entire cast and to write that out would be redundant, but I will say that "Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, you've created a new ring for yourselves."

A few scenes will be stuck in my mind for a long time, the first is the battle at Amon Hen, which is one of the best action scenes so far in this trilogy (I can't wait for Helm's Deep, which according to Orlando Bloom, took 9 weeks to shoot). Mines Of Moria, of course, blew me away and seeing the tomb of Balin and the Great Halls built by the Dwarves was unbelievable.

Peter Jackson doesn't just use the visual effects to impress the audience, but uses it to enhance the story and it is evidenced by some of his motion shots, especially with the Pillars Of The Kings and a diving camera shot from the top of Orthanc into the mines of Isengard. Isengard, Orthanc, Mordor, Lorien, Rivendell and Bag End will also be among those remembered too, but there are many favorites to be had by all fans.

So what was it like? The best way to describe it is that I left the theater feeling like I had, not only, read the book, but lived through and witnessed the journey of Frodo and company first hand. And please keep in mind I have read the original trilogy several times including an October read just to prepare for the movies. It Was Worth The Time! And worth the HYPE!

Thanks to Peter Jackson & Company plus New Line for making this epic adventure come to life and for giving TORN Digital the thrill of a lifetime. New Line has not only brought back a great feeling of TRUE Entertainment on the big screen to the motion picture industry, but they will be making film history in doing so. With the trilogy, What many of us have imagined about for many years will finally be seen and experienced by all! Enjoy It!

I'll return next week with some of the press junket interviews we did with PJ, Sir Ian, Elijah, Sam, Viggo and others, and let you know what they were like.

Teaser:

I walked into the Waldorf Astoria with Brian and who do we run into while waiting for the elevator, but none other than Viggo Mortenson himself. What a guy! I congratulated him on his performance and he was surprised I had seen the film. We then continued to speak a little bit about his great scene at Amon Hen.

I was sitting right next to Peter Jackson the day after my first viewing of FOTR...

Film 2001 (UK) To Talk LOTR
Xoanon @ 10:21 am EST

From: A BBC Insider

I'm from the BBC programme "Film 2001 with Jonathan Ross" to let all LOTR fans know we've got a BIG, FAT EXCLUSIVE on tonight's show... The very first clips broadcast on UK television!!!

Tune in to BBC1 at 11:35pm to salivate further...

Also, next week's show will be coming direct from the LOTR Premiere party in London, including exclusive interviews with the director and cast.

Media Watch: CineMania Magazine
Xoanon @ 10:07 am EST

From: RosaNegra

I got CineMania December's issue with Frodo in the cover. There are another 2 different covers : Gandalf and an Orc, but the magazine content is the same. This issue has a report about the films, as well as exclusive interviews with Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood.

Also, there is a CineMania LoTR special edition with Gandalf in the cover, and some studio photos I have not seen, (I was breathless when I saw Sean Bean he looks soooo handsome!!). It is an extraordinary issue, with actual and complete information about JRR Tolkien, the books, and the movies. They did a serious research, so far I have not found any mistake.

I think the most important information for LoTR mexican fans is that VideoCine (the one that will distribute LoTR in Mexico) will have a premiere in SixFlags Mexico this December 10th. The release in Mexico is in December 21th, probably at midnight in major cities.

Here is the link

Here is a spanish PJ interview

12-05-01 Latest News

Weekly Cast Watch
Xoanon @ 11:55 pm EST

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)

28 Days (2000) UK
Crimson Tide (1995)
Prophecy, The (1995)
American Yakuza (1994)
Crew, The (1994)
Boiling Point (1993)
Ruby Cairo (1993)
Young Americans, The (1993)
Young Guns II (1990)
Witness (1985)

Liv Tyler (Arwen)

One Night at McCool's (2001)
Onegin (1999) UK
Plunkett & Macleane (1999) UK
Can't Hardly Wait (1998) UK
U Turn (1997) UK
Stealing Beauty (1996)

Ian Holm (Bilbo)

Joe Gould's Secret (2000)
Alice Through the Looking Glass (1998) (TV)
Night Falls on Manhattan (1997) UK
King Lear (1997) (TV) UK
Big Night (1996)
Madness of King George, The (1994) UK
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)
S.O.S. Titanic (1979) (TV)
Mary, Queen of Scots (1971) UK
Fixer, The (1968) UK

Sean Bean (Boromir)

Essex Boys (2000)
Anna Karenina (1997)
Black Beauty (1994) UK
Stormy Monday (1988)

Martyn Sanderson (Bree Gatekeeper)

Angel at My Table, An (1990) UK
Ned Kelly (1970)

John Noble (Denethor)

Airtight (1999) (TV) UK

Peter Mackenzie (Elendil)

Lorenzo's Oil (1992) UK
Off Limits (1988)

Hugo Weaving (Elrond)

Matrix, The (1999) UK
Interview, The (1998)
Babe (1995) UK

Miranda Otto (Eowyn)

What Lies Beneath (2000) UK

Ian Mune (unknown)

Once Were Warriors (1994)

Elijah Wood (Frodo)

Faculty, The (1998) UK
Good Son, The (1993)
Radio Flyer (1992)
Forever Young (1992)
Paradise (1991)
Internal Affairs (1990)

Cate Blanchett (Galadriel)

Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1999) UK
Ideal Husband, An (1999)
Elizabeth (1998)
Oscar and Lucinda (1997) UK

Ian McKellen (Gandalf)

X-Men (2000)
Bent (1997)
Restoration (1995)
Shadow, The (1994)
Scandal (1989)
Keep, The (1983) UK
Alfred the Great (1969) UK

John Rhys-Davies (Gimli)

Secret of the Andes (1998) UK
Marquis de Sade (1996)
Great White Hype, The (1996)
Cyborg Cop (1994)
Unnamable II: The Statement of Randolph Carter, The (1993)
Tusks (1990)
Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam (1987) (TV)
Firewalker (1986)
King Solomon's Mines (1985)
Nairobi Affair (1984) (TV) UK
Victor/Victoria (1982)

Andy Serkis (Gollum)

Topsy-Turvy (1999) UK
Stella Does Tricks (1997)

Bruce Spence (Mouth of Sauron)

Sweet Talker (1991)
Rikky and Pete (1988)
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) UK
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) UK
Cars That Ate Paris, The (1974) UK

Sean Astin (Sam)

Deterrence (1999) UK
Kimberly (1999)
Icebreaker (1999)
Dish Dogs (1998)
Encino Man (1992) UK
Toy Soldiers (1991) UK
War of the Roses, The (1989) UK
Staying Together (1989)

Christopher Lee (Saruman)

Sleepy Hollow (1999) UK
Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994) UK
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Safari 3000 (1982)
Serial (1980)
1941 (1979) UK
Arabian Adventure (1979) UK
Three Musketeers, The (1973) UK
Death Line (1972) UK
One More Time (1970)
Gorgon, The (1964) UK
City of the Dead, The (1960)
Hound of the Baskervilles, The (1959) UK
Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951)

Brian Sergent (Ted Sandyman)

Meet the Feebles (1989)

Bernard Hill (Theoden)

True Crime (1999) UK
Midsummer Night's Dream, A (1999) UK
Loss of Sexual Innocence, The (1999) UK
Titanic (1997)
Gandhi (1982) UK

Brad Dourif (Wormtongue)

Shadow Hours (2000)
Storytellers, The (1999) UK
Bride of Chucky (1998) UK
Nightwatch (1998)
Death Machine (1995)
Escape from Terror: The Teresa Stamper Story (1994) (TV)
Color of Night (1994)
Amos & Andrew (1993)
Body Parts (1991) UK
Jungle Fever (1991) UK
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Fatal Beauty (1987)
Blue Velvet (1986) UK
Wise Blood (1979) UK

Jim Rygiel (SFX)

Anna and the King (1999)
Batman Returns (1992)
Alien³ (1992)
Ghost (1990)
Solar Crisis (1990)
Last Starfighter, The (1984)
2010 (1984)

Howard Shore (Composer)

Cell, The (2000)
High Fidelity (2000)
Dogma (1999)
Moonlight and Valentino (1995)
White Man's Burden (1995)
Guilty as Sin (1993)
Philadelphia (1993)
M. Butterfly (1993)
Prelude to a Kiss (1992)
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
Moving (1988)
Fly, The (1986)
After Hours (1985)
Places in the Heart (1984)
Silkwood (1983)
Brood, The (1979)

Peter Jackson (Director)

Meet the Feebles (1989)

To get more information, use the sites I use like:

mydigiguide.com, tv-now.com and IMDB.com

Media Watch: Spin Magazine
Xoanon @ 10:58 pm EST

From: Rosie

There's a picture of Elijah Wood on the contents page, and another one on the front page of the article (wearing a Cheap Trick shirt, no less!) On the second page of the article there is a picture of Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, and Elijah Wood (out of costume, of course) under a tree or something.

Very devastating looks on their faces ^_^ On the third page of the article, there's a section entitled "Tolkien Name Check" with lots of shots from the movie we've seen before. This section gives examples of how LOTR has affected society over the years, for instance, some of the Led Zeppelin albums, some lyrics from other songs, and, of course, Leonard Nimoy's "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins".

Here's the article:

EXPOSURE

Hobbit Forming. Airborne Toilets, Knee Pants, Elf Tattoos: It's Lord of the Rings

"It just isn't a normal movie," says Sean Astin, stating the obvious. Astin is one of the stars of the übergeek epic that comes to theaters, at last, this month: "The Fellowship of the Ring", the first part of the $270-million, three-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. For the uninitiated, the first installment tells the story of hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), his fellowship, and their efforts to destroy a powerful ring that - if co-opted by evil forces - could enslave the resident of Middle-earth. Directed by indie stalwart Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures), the film also stars Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortenson, and a cast of literally thousands. In a season of go-nowhere would-be blockbusters, "The Fellowship of the Ring" is more than a likely sure thing: It's the first film in recent memory that has a chance to have an impact on pop culture the way "Star Wars" did almost 25 years ago.

Of course, iconic films don't come easily: Principal photography on all three , message boards and much more.

Based on J.R.R. Tolkein's epic novel, ``The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy will collectively re-tell the story of Frodo Baggins, who battles against the Dark Lord Sauron to save Middle-earth from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embark on a desperate journey to rid the earth of the source of Sauron's greatest strength, the One Ring, a ring of such power that it cannot be destroyed. His extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth reveal how the power of friendship and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.

About AOL Moviefone

AOL Moviefone, a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL Inc., is the leader in providing online, telephone and wireless movie listings, information, and ticketing to consumers anytime, anywhere. Through its online service Moviefone.com, its 777-FILM telephone service, and numerous wireless devices, including Sprint PCS phones, AT&T PocketNet, and Palm handheld computers, the company serves one in every five U.S. moviegoers each week with a complete, free directory of movies, showtimes, theater locations, the ability to purchase tickets, and other content of interest to moviegoers. AOL Moviefone is a part of the AOL Web Properties Group, an online network of leading web brands that also includes Netscape, CompuServe, AOL (R) Instant Messenger (SM) service, ICQ and MapQuest.

12-03-01 Latest News

Origin Of The Ring: Not Worth It?
Xoanon @ 8:43 am EST

Fingolfin I work at a Blockbuster Video and we just received the 'Origin of the Ring' documentary. It hits stores on Tuesday 12/4. I don't consider myself a critic or anything but I just wanted to pass on that this documentary is honestly not worth your time. The main reason I wanted to watch it was because on the back of the box it claims to have interviews with the family of Tolkien. Well, I was very disappointed when the film finally concluded and there were never any interviews shown with Tolkien's family. Just wanted to let you guys know! Keep it up guys.

SNL LOTR Commercial Stills
Calisuri @ 3:38 am EST

This weekend, a new Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring commercial premiered with Saturday Night Live. Well, for those of you who don't have a year and a half to download the movie version, or can't find it because the server is down, we have some interesting stills for your viewing pleasure. You might be surprised at what we see in those few quick seconds.

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

Weekend Round-Up
Xoanon @ 12:42 am EST

What?! You missed all the action this weekend? Well have no fear! Here's your weekend round-up:

December E! Online Update

Tickets For Sale On Moviefone

Burger King Crown With Elvish Twist

Media Watch: Playboy Magazine

GAMING: InQuest and Scrye Scans

Wanna see the Moria Sequence?

Regal Cinema Conspiracy Theory

FOTR Stars Appear On UK Saturday Morning TV

Behind The Scenes On Swede TV4

Free CD-Rom With UK's Mail On Sunday

Tolkien Touches Us All In Different Ways

Empire Magazine's Collector's Edition Scans

LOTR Supplement From Quebec Newspaper

Why Settle For 2 Minutes....Download The Whole Show!

Don't Want To Download?

Irish Benefit Premiere

The Battle of the Books

And The Winner Is....

More On The National Geographic Special

LOTR Specials Info

NEWSWEEK Reviews Fellowship of the Ring

Before Otto There Was...

LOTR:FOTR Commercial During SNL

Lure of the Rings

UK Mail Cdrom

South African LOTR Update

Tolkien, Faith and Friendship

Finland rates FOTR R-15

Access Hollywood To Talk LOTR

Liv Tyler's fear spurs double take

Making 'Lord of the Rings'

The land of the 'Rings'

More On UK Mail CD

SHOP: LOTR Playing Cards

LOTR Oz Contest

Elijah In The Dog House

Media Watch: UK's Newcastle Journal

NZ Tourism Ad

Media Watch: Singapore Papers Talk LOTR

PBS Talks Tolkien

Media Watch: Metro Magazine

Journey In The Dark: The Final Chapter

Media Watch: Hyper Magazine

kropserkel.com Nabs Cool Orc Helms!

Queries about hobbits? Wood is a wizard

Ian McKellen Talks Gandalf

LOTR And AIM

Lord of the special effects

Steal This Look

Newsweek heaps praise on Jackson

An orc talks

LOTR Talk Show Rounds
Xoanon @ 12:09 am EST

It seems that Liv Tyler and Elijah Wood will be making the rounds on most of the major talk shows in the coming weeks. soundscene sends us the list:

Elijah Wood
- December 11th
David Letterman, CBS

- December 12th
Conan O’Brien, NBC

- December 13th
Today Show, NBC

Liv Tyler
- December 12th
Today Show, NBC

- December 13th
Rosie O’Donnell
David Letterman, CBS

12-02-01 Latest News

kropserkel.com Nabs Cool Orc Helms!
Xoanon @ 11:24 pm EST

www.kropserkel.com got their hands on some very cool Orc helm pics! Take a look at these!


Media Watch: Hyper Magazine
Xoanon @ 10:56 pm EST

Chuck writes: Here is an article published in the January 2002 Australian gaming magazine Hyper! You can find them here. (I have since added them to TORN -Xo) It's a great article that explains a little about the programs and methods WETA uses in house when creating SFX.

Media Watch: Metro Magazine
Xoanon @ 10:06 pm EST

Check out these scan from 'Metro' with an exclusive look at Stephen Sinclair.

LA LOTR Event: Storyopolis Bookstore
Calisuri @ 10:03 pm EST

Quickbeam and I had a chance to attend the Storyoplis/Sean Astin event in Los Angeles yesterday.

The event began with a presentation of the 15 minutes of behind the scene footage from the JVC LOTR DVD. Heard of it before? Yep, it is the same DVD available with the purchase of the JVC "Lord of the Rings" DVD Player. The crowd of approximately 100 or so raving Tolkien fans loved it.

Claire Cooper then introduced the star of the show, Sean Astin. (Sam Gamgee in the film, if you have been hiding under a rock for the last few years) Sean answered fan questions for a good 45 minutes and then signed posters and books. The highlight of Sean's talk was something that seemed to surprise even him! Claire brought out a clothing rack of his Lord of the Rings costumes as well as his sword used for the films. Both the full sized and scale model versions of his outfit and weaponry were there for fans to see. (Some even got to try them on! See the gallery below)

Claire than introduced Jude Fisher, the author of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion." She spoke a bit about her experience writing the book and how excited she was with the final product from Peter Jackson and company. Jude also sat down with fans to sign copies of the book.

After both Jude and Sean had finished speaking, and while fans were lining up to get autographs, the folks at New Line allowed fans to touch and feel the props. And boy they did that! Some got to try on the costumes while others just marvelled at the craft and quality of props like Boromir's Horn!!!

We'd like to thank New Line and Storyopolis for this great event, and hopefully they can do more events like this across the country for fans everywhere.

We met a lot of great people at the event and we'd like to mention them real quickly now. You will see many of them in the pictures below.

•Derek LeLash (the one that informed us of the event!)
•David Baxter (pictured below, he is the VERY tall gentleman getting something signed by Sean Astin)
•William ( Pictured below, Will inspired a group of people to read Tolkien, and in the process created one of the best group of fans in the area. The next five fans listed here are just a few of the people he has influenced. )
•Ivan (Pictured below, he's the one with the Radiohead ticket signed by Elijah Wood)
•Diana (Pictured below, she tried on the hobbit outfit )
•Dennise (Pictured below tried to skewer Ivan with Sam's sword and also readily admits to having the Lord of the Rings cliff notes!)
•David (Pictured below, he was lucky enough to wear the hobbit outfit AND wield Boromir's Horn!)

If we missed your name, we apologize! Especially those of you who won prizes in the raffle.

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

\[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

\[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]


[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]


[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]


[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]


[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]


[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]


[ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ][ Click for Larger Version ]

PBS Talks Tolkien
Xoanon @ 7:43 pm EST

From: Faramir

We just got our December issue of our PBS magazine - for the TV station WHYY (out of Philadelphia, PA). They will be showing a special on Tolkien which will contain archival radio and film recordings of Tolkien himself. This will take place on Sunday, December 23 at 9PM Eastern Time. It has been my experience that with things like this that they tend to run them on most of the stations across the nation. If you go to www.pbs.org and click on Station Finder, you can find a local station to tape it off of.

Media Watch: UK's Newcastle Journal
Xoanon @ 7:22 pm EST

Noggin the Nog writes: Thought you might be interested in this interview with Billy Boyd from todaysNewcastle Journal (UK). There is an amusing account of how he first met Orlando Bloom at Heathrow Airport as he flew out to New Zealand for the first time.


More On UK Mail CD
Xoanon @ 6:44 pm EST

From: Rebus

Just to talk more about the Cd you get free with the Mail On Sunday, it really is full of lotr stuff and very good, if you can get your hands on it, it would be a great thing to have (until the real thing comes out of course).

Here's what the Cd has:

-Behind the Scenes footage with cast interviews and mini-documentaries on the origins of the filming, with comments by the director.

-All three trailers

-You can listen to 'Concerning Hobbits' by Howard Shore (if you haven't got the soundtrack already)

-You can listen to a version of 'Council Of Elrond'

-There are two screensavers

-There are two wallpapers

-A Prize draw to win 12 days in NZ

THE BEHIND THE SCENES FOOTAGE:

There are two documentaries and one film of just clips from the movie, rather like an more extensive 2nd teaser trailer.

-Finding Hobbiton

The first documentary is called 'Finding Hobbiton' where it shows the crew looking and finding where they will film these scenes, which they did in Hamilton. They talk to PJ about the location and the scenary artists who you see sitting and drawing how they will change this marshy farming land into the home of the hobbits, including the mill, and the green dragon. The farmer who owns the land is even interviewed! We even hear of some of the crew saying how everything there is real, they planted vegetables and hedges etc. there a year before filming so that it would all look genuine.

-Hobbiton Comes Alive

Here we see Hobbiton when it's finished, there are lots of little clips that aren't in any trailers like Sam and Frodo walking through a field talking and a large Horse-drawn cart ridden by Gandalf walking past a gate in a hedge and then Frodo jumping off it into the field and saying something like "see you later Gandalf!" We also see Frodo pushing Sam into a girl during Bilbo's birthday bash and the girl grabbing the embarressed Sam and dragging him off to dance, it's pretty obvious who she is, is it not?

There are also interviews with Billy Boyd, Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, and Sean Austin talking about what they thought of Hobbition, Sean saying how it looked exactly how he pictured it. We also hear Ian McKellen saying how it was a magical place to be in and really felt as though you were living inside a myth.

-Unique Clip Montage (very much like the 2nd teaser trailer)

This basically has loads of clips of the movie with clips of the stars (them being Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, John Rhys-davies, and Pj of course).
You see the clips of sauron wearing the ring, the ring lying at the bottom of water before Deagol found it, the balrog fighting Gandalf as he says "you shall not pass!" and the fire ripping through Bree(?), Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli all declaring their weapons to the fellowship, the gate opening to Moria, and Pippin dropping first thehead then the rest of the skeleton into the well in Moria.

-TRAILERS (3)

The General release Trailer

The 1st teaser Trailer

The 2nd teaser Trailer

-THE SCREENSAVERS

'Beyond the Shire' Screensaver
'Hobbiton' Screensaver

-WALLPAPERS

-Big picture of the black riders riding across river ( you all know the one) with a small 'lotr' logo

-A very misty picture showing the men of Roah surrounded by mist with a very large 'lotr' in the centre

And that's your lot, as you can see a very packed Cd and as Strider said well worth a buy.

But that's not all, there is a 16 PAGE SEGMENT!!! on lotr, it's scenes, makeup, and the origins of Tolkien and his life in the TV guide to the mail on sunday, with pictures of all the locations, BREE, EDORAS, KHAZAD-DUM, LOTHLORIEN, WEATHERTOP, RIVENDELL, MORDOR, THE MISTY MOUNTAINS, and the RIVER ANDUIN (with a big map of middle-earth as a centre piece to the double page of pictures (it's the map that's on the soundtrack under-cd cover)).

By the time I'll have got through it all it'll be time to go to the cinema.

Rev. Curles on Tolkien, Christianity, Friendship.
Tehanu @ 2:14 pm EST

A popular British magazine recently surveyed its readers to get their votes for the best book of all time. Thousands responded. The landslide winner for the top spot in history: The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien. The literary elites were incensed and amazed. How could a fantasy writer win? They re-polled the country, and again Tolkien’s work blew away the competition. Again they asked the public, and for a third straight time the public was very clear, Tolkien was their favorite. I, for one, couldn’t agree more with this assessment.
J. R. R. Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His father died shortly after his younger brother was born so his mother was forced to raise the both of them alone. To complicate matters Tolkien’s mother converted to the Catholic Church and was thereupon banished from much of her family and their support. A few years later his mother also died leaving the boys to be raised by her parish priest.
Tolkien proceeded through school in a fairly unremarkable way except for his unusual giftedness in languages - not just in speaking them, but understanding how they worked. Some children make up their own words - Tolkien made up his own languages. He pursued this love of words through studies at Oxford and later returned to teach philology there. He remains one of Oxford’s most celebrated professors. Through his study of languages he became exposed to the mythologies of the world. He wrote The Lord of the Rings, he later said, to give England her own myth.
The setting for this myth is Middle Earth, a land Tolkien first described to the world in The Hobbit, a work he first wrote for his children. The story is about Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming hobbit that gets swept into an adventure (much to his chagrin) with thirteen dwarves and a wizard. (Hobbits are man-like creatures about half the size of a normal human. They live in holes, usually; they love to eat, garden, and give gifts. Most of all, they love to stay home.) Along the way Bilbo becomes the owner of a magic ring that became the center of Tolkien’s masterpiece. The Lord of the Rings is an epic tale about the ring and how it fits into history.
Tolkien’s work has impacted me like no other author. Though many people recognize the quality and contributions of Tolkien’s work to the world, there are a few things, in particular, about his life and work that have import for me.
One is Tolkien’s view of myth. Though most people see a myth as a story of something untrue, Tolkien saw myth as the exact opposite. His great friend C. S. Lewis once objected to Tolkien that, "...myths are lies, though lies breathed through silver." "No," said Tolkien, "they are not." There are truths, Tolkien said, that are beyond us, transcendendant truths, about beauty, truth, honor, etc. There are truths that man knows exist, but they cannot be seen - they are immaterial, but no less real, to us. It is only through the language of myth that we can speak of these truths. We have come from God, Tolkien said, and only through myth, through story telling, can we aspire to the life we were made for with God. To write and/or read myth, Tolkien believed, was to meditate on the most important truths of life.
Tolkien believed that what he wrote in The Lord of the Rings was true, not in the sense that the events really happened, but in the sense that they portrayed truth to us in a way that everyday events could not. After reading a bit of his work a friend asked him how the story would end. Tolkien responded, "I don’t know. I shall try to find out." He felt that he was uncovering the truth already there, only hidden.
It was Tolkien’s view of myth that that most aided C. S. Lewis in his pilgrimage to accept Christianity. All the other myths of the world, Tolkien said, are a mixture of truth and error - truth because they are written by those made by and for God - error because written by those alienated by God. But the Bible is the one true myth. It is a true accounting of truth, while everything else we do is mimicking. This perspective was decisive in Lewis’ conversion to Christianity.
The second notable thing for me is Tolkien’s value of friendship. It is a notable characteristic of his work and his life. In the LOTR, this is seen most notably in the friendships of Frodo and Sam and Frodo and Aragorn. In his life, this is seen in his friendship with C. S. Lewis. Friendships are gifts, not so much made, but given to us. Friendship occurs when two people meet who share a common perspective, experience, insight, treasure, or burden. There is a bond that occurs that brings them beyond mere acquaintances to friends. And that friendship should be cherished.
Tolkien and Lewis certainly did cherish theirs. They were together at least three times per week: on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings with the other "Inklings" (a literary circle of friends), and at least one other day for lunch. Tolkien wrote, "Friendship with Lewis compensates for much, and besides giving constant pleasure and comfort has done me much good from the contact with a man at once honest, brave, intellectual - a scholar, a poet, and a philosopher - and a lover, at least after a long pilgrimage, of Our Lord." Tolkien saw that the value of friends was not just that they stand with you, but that they stand with you and see the same things as you.
Third, Tolkien’s values, again in life and in work, encourage me. Tolkien saw himself as a hobbit in every way but in stature. He loved to eat (hobbits prefer six meals a day). He loved gardening, trees and long walks in the country. He loved pipes, stories and friends. He loved his family and preferred being at home to travel. He was jovial, kindhearted and generous. He was a devout Catholic. He didn’t set out to change the world, he set out to live the life he had been given in obedience to God. Like Lewis, Tolkien believed that home, family, and our labors were the heart of our lives. And for him labor included all his work, not just that he was paid for. He normally ate all three meals and had tea at home with his family. He rarely traveled, but ate and smoked a lot. For him, home, family, and labor were godly things that pleased God more than any "good work" could.
The LOTR ends in a hobbit’s home. Some have thought ending anticlimactic given the grand scope of the epic. But this merely highlights that, for Tolkien, all the wars, heroism, and great acts of bravery are not nearly so valuable and praiseworthy as what goes on in the simple day-to-day events of our lives. We fight exciting wars so that we can lead boring lives.
Lastly, Tolkien’s life was dominated by his vision of the future - not a vision of what he would do for God, but what God would do for him. His mind was occupied with, what Calvin called, a "meditation on the afterlife." He was fully aware and confident that "this slight, momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Like Lewis, he felt that the fact that we long for something more is proof to us that there is something more for us. He wrote to a friend: "We were born in a dark age out of due time for us. But there is this comfort: otherwise we should not know, or so much love, what we do love. I imagine the fish out of water is the only fish to have an inkling of water." Christians are fish out of water, living outside their environment. We are pilgrims, aliens, exiles, who soon will go home.
In December the first of three Lord of the Rings movies will be released. The other two will be released the next two Decembers. Why mention this now? Well, if you haven’t read it, now you have ten months to do so before the movie is released. As for me, I’ll be standing in line in August.


South African LOTR Update
Xoanon @ 12:09 pm EST

Mike sends us the latest happenings all the way from South Africa, check it out!

I didn't win this week's 'Quest for the Ring' competition in the Sunday Times Newspaper, someone else (who's probably never heard of 'The Lord of the Rings' won). Oh well, I guess I'll have to enter again this week. Speaking of which, this week you can win five tickets to the South African premiere for the film which is also on December 10th. The press will be invited to this screening and, since South Africa is ahead of London, I think our premiere will actually be before their's. Don't know if any celebrities will be here, but I know Ian McKellen loves coming to South Africa (nah, he'll probably go to the London one - so would I). I think the screening will be followed by champaigne and interviews for TV (i.e. what did you think?), so I don't know if you can buy tickets or not, but if you can, they'll probably set one back a bit.

South African advance ticket sales for the film go on sale this Friday I think. Also, a new cinema called 'The Labia on Kloof' (Kloof Street) is opening on December 19th with - yeah, 'The Fellowship of the Ring' as there first film. They're getting huge banners and cardboard standups and guess who's been promised one? (he he he).

There's also a new LOTR competition for DSTV subscribers this month, where people can win books, rings, soundtracks etc.

Also tonight on 'Carte Blanche' on M-NET at 19.00 they're having a special on LOTR and tracing back its South African origins (Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein - if I was born there I'd also move).

That's it for all the LOTR stuff happening in South Africa. Something tells me the hype's begun.

Iben Hjejle Would Have Been Eowyn?
Xoanon @ 2:08 am EST

Lars writes: The Danish newspaper 'B.T.' is running a theme on The Lord of The Rings, and qoutes Danish actress Iben Hjejle (eee -- bin yie (like tie) -- lee) as saying she was offered a part in the third movie as "warrior princess" - presumably she means Eowyn. Iben has played together with Ian Holm in the movie Napoleon. She declined the offer, though, as she did not fancy going to New Zealand for seven months. Maybe she will live to regret that!

12-01-01 Latest News

LOTR Specials Info
Xoanon @ 9:14 pm EST

RoboGeek from AICN writes: Robogeek from Ain't It Cool News here. Just thought I'd take a break from
killing orcs with my new Sting replica, as I have a few tidbits to pass along to your most excellent site...

According to my trusty TiVo, here are three forthcoming LORD OF THE RINGS specials airing over the next couple of weeks. (Make sure to double-check your local listings.)

LORD OF THE RINGS PREVIEW
TNT (:10)
The making of the upcoming movie "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" Fri. 12/7, Sat. 12/8 and Sun. 12/9 @ 10:50 pm / 9:50pm CST (*Airs immediately following THE MATRIX.)


PASSAGE TO MIDDLE-EARTH
SCIFI (1:00)
Interviews with cast and crew spotlight the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings"
Sun. 12/9 @ 8pm / 7pm CST
Mon. 12/10 @ 1am / 12am CST
Mon. 12/10 @ 10pm / 9pm CST
Mon. 12/10 @ Midnight / 11 pm CST


MAKING THE MOVIE: LORD OF THE RINGS
MTV (:30)
Elijah Wood stars in the film
Mon. 12/10 @ 10pm / 9pm CST
Tue. 12/11 @ 5pm / 4pm CST

Also, our good buddy Elijah Wood will apparently be interviewed on Monday's "E! News Daily" @ 6:30pm / 5:30pm CST. He is also tentatively scheduled to appear on "Late Night With David Letterman" on CBS Tue., 12/11.

LOTR Supplement From Quebec Newspaper
Strider @ 4:37 pm EST

Quebec Newspaper had a Lord of the Rings supplement with it today, using art from favourite Tolkien artists to help summarise the story of Lord of the Rings, from a chart showing the 9 members of the Fellowship of a list of Frodo's friends and enemies. Thanks to Frederic we have the supplement scanned, and is a great read even if you aren't a French-speaking ringer!


Empire Magazine's Collector's Edition Scans
Strider @ 3:57 pm EST

Thanks to Neil, we have scans from the Empire Magazine special Collector's Edition for the Fellowship of the Ring. Some nice pics, along with some great interviews with the cast and a new advertising poster!


Behind The Scenes On Swede TV4
Strider @ 2:00 pm EST

From Maya:

Since parts of the nordic countries get to se the swedish tv channel TV4 I thought it would make a few ringers happy to know that they are sending a Behind the sceens program on thuesday 4th at 20.00 (8.00 pm and a second one the 19th (obviusly) at 16.30. Here's what the program descrition from their site say in swedish:

Världen har väntat på filmerna som bygger på JRR Tolkiens böcker Sagan om ringen och snart är det världspremiär för den första filmen. För första gången i filmhistorien har tre filmer spelats in samtidigt. Peter Jackson, som står för regi, manus och som även är medproducent, har ägnat sju år åt planering inför den två år långa inspelningen som ägde rum på Nya Zeeland.

I två program handlar det om Sagan om ringen-filmerna. I det första, som sänds i kväll, tittar vi in bakom kulisserna där filmskaparna och deras produktionsgrupp delar med sig av alla erfarenheter de fått under de mest omfattande filminspelningarna någonsin. Vi träffar regissören Peter Jackson och några av skådespelarna: Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett med flera. De berättar om hur de flera månader före inspelningen, började öva på de udda dialekter de skulle tala med, och om hur de sedan kändes att nästan leva i Tolkiens mystiska värld under den långa inspelningsperioden. Vi får även en exklusiv förhandstitt på delar ur den första filmen och tittar närmare på några av de spektakulära specialeffekter som använts.

Det andra programmet som handlar mer om själva filmen visar vi den 19 December kl. 16.30.

Regal Cinema Conspiracy Theory
Strider @ 1:17 pm EST

From LOTRCastaway:

Just thought to pass on that some Regal theaters here are already offering FOTR tickets. Since I am going to the AMC theater, I called them and they said they had no idea how Regal could do it as New Line dictates when they can start selling tickets. AMC said they hope to know something early next week. Is Regal pulling a fast one, I know they and New Line were having some disagreements? Just thought I would pass this on.

11-30-01 Latest News

New Line's Fellowship Oscar Campaign
Strider @ 8:45 pm EST

In the beginning of a very different advertising campaign, New Line Cinema show us how exactly they would like the Oscar nominations for Fellowship of the Ring to play out when it's time next year. Thanks to davey for the scans!

Click for larger image Click for larger image

Best Picture
Barrie M. Osborne
Peter Jackson
Fran Walsh

Best Director
Peter Jackson

Best Cinematography
Andrew Lesnie, A.C.S

Best Actor
Ian McKellen

Best Adapted Screenplay
Fran Walsh &
Philippa Boyens
& Peter Jackson

Best Original Score
Howard Shore

Best Supporting Actor
Elijah Wood
Ian Holm
Viggo Mortensen
Sean Bean

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett
Liv Tyler

Best Film Editing
John Gilbert

Best Original Song
Enya

Best Art Direction
Grant Major
Dan Hennah

Best Make-Up
Peter Owen
Richard Taylor

Best Sound
Gethin Creagh
Christopher Boyes
Michael Semanick
Hammond Peek

Best Sound Editing
Mike Hopkins
Ethan Van Der Ryn

Best Costume Design
Ngila Dickson
Richard Taylor

Best Visual Effects
Jim Rygiel
Richard Taylor
Alex Funke
Randall William Cook

Blanchett Welcomes Pregnant Pause From Films
Strider @ 7:01 pm EST

Workaholic Cate Welcomes Pregnant Pause From Films

Cate Blanchett, looking radiant at the Evening Standard's Leicester Square premiere of Bandits - one of the five new films in which she stars - says her pregnancy has been a godsend. "I have about six weeks to go until the baby is due. These last weeks have proved fantastic for me,a welcome break from work," she said last night. A whirlwind year has seen her film not only Bandits but also the Lord of the Rings, The Shipping News, Charlotte Gray and Krzysztof Kieslowski's Heaven. The 32 year old, married to screenwriter Andrew Upton, said: "It has been exhausting. Andrew and I tried to travel together as much as possible, but we knew it was going to be a problem. Going into it, we said, 'This will be month on, month off'."

Special LOTR Coverage In Quebec Newspapers
Strider @ 5:51 pm EST

From Lord G

There will be special LOTR coverage in the following newspapers on December 1, 8 and 15:

(Quebec newspapers)

La Presse
Le Soleil
Le Droit
Le Nouvelliste
La Tribune
Le Quotidien
La Voix de l'Est

They will also give 340x2 tickets and other prizes.

More details available here (in french):
www.cyberpresse.ca/concours/seigneur/popup.html


Go back to Special Reports Archives