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December 23, 2001 - December 29, 2001

12-29-01 Latest News

LOTR Box Office Update: Friday 28th
Calisuri @ 8:04 pm EST

Brandon Gray
http://www.boxofficemojo.com

The Lord of the Rings pulled in an estimated $12.109 million on Friday, down a scant 14.9% from the $14.233 million it earned last Friday.

Rings' 10-day total stands at $129.276 million to rank #13 for the year so far. On the all time highest grosses list, it stands at #131.

The Friday gross suggests a five-day weekend of around $55 million, a record for the New Year's frame. That would raise its two-week tally to a whopping $170 million plus. [More]

Orlando In Bloom
Xoanon @ 1:47 pm EST

Ringer Spy milaya sends us these two Orlando Bloom articles, proving the man certainly does have some adoring fans!

LOTR News In The Philippines
Xoanon @ 1:38 pm EST

Aileen from the Philippines writes:

INVITATIONAL ADVANCE SCREENING FOR LOTR FOTR HELD DECEMBER 21, 2001

PROMOTIONS FOR FOTR IN THE PHILIPPINES

LOTR: FOTR will be released in the Philippines on January 4, 2002. Many local tie-ups were made with mobile subscriber, bookstore, theatre/mall owners, and of course with JVC. For this reason, we have more or less got good promotions/marketing for FOTR.

As I have mentioned Globe Telecoms, a cellphone company was one of the marketing tie-ups. They have been sending SMS message about LOTR trivia, and its release date to its subscribers. This is being done in connection with their “Mobile Fantasy” for FOTR. Subscribers are being courted to download icons, text cards, and join group or individual games related to LOTR.

Also, one of the biggest bookstores in our country-- National Bookstore and JVC Philippines are also promoting the movie. Posters were displayed over all the branches of said bookstore. Also just this week trailers for LOTR (theatrical trailers and character trailers) are being played over and over on JVC screens. On the side, of course are the LOTR trilogy books with the movie tie-in covers from Del Rey, including The Hobbit. It is a pretty amazing partnership. Most people looking at the trailers from JVC TV screens are browsing and buying the books right after. These are some of the reasons why the LOTR trilogy books and The Hobbit are on the top 10 fiction books of these bookstores. In some of our specialty bookstores it ranks within top 3 under fiction. And of course, the one, which sells best, is “The Fellowship of the Ring”.

The biggest mall in our city, Glorietta (which has three movie theatres) have been promoting LOTR FOTR through countdowns starting off from “10 days to go”. I noticed that every day different posters of the characters from the movie, as well as the official movie poster are being displayed on almost every corner of our said mall. All of these account for good FOTR promotion.

The one marketing tie up that I have been looking out for is the one with Burger King. It seems that until now they have not yet launched any promotion related to LOTR FOTR here in the Philippines.

LOTR SOUNDTRACK PERFORMANCE IN ASIA

MTV Screen, a program from the MTV Asia division ranked the LOTR OST in the top five soundtracks in Asia, based on sales. It debuted number 3 during the December 17 to 21 week and Number 1 during the Decmber 24 to 28 week. Contests related to LOTR are being conducted to give out the OST.

Why Tolkien Matters
Xoanon @ 1:18 pm EST

From the folks at Ballantine

The Lord of the Rings is all the buzz these days. . . and since Tolkien is not around to comment on this renewed interested in his work we've asked the Ballantine/Del Rey authors to send us their thoughts for a special Tolkien issue of the DRIN (Del Rey Internet Newsletter).

Most of the responses we received were positive, but we got a few surprises too. One author told us he can't "stomach the stuff." (Read on to find out who.)

And Arthur C. Clarke says that Tolkien personally showed him the man who may have inspired it all.

We received responses back from thirteen authors including Terry Brooks, Arthur C. Clark, Dan Chaon, Anne McCaffery and Anne Perry. To read their comments on Tolkien and his place in literary history, go to: www.randomhouse.com

FOTR Box Office Update
Calisuri @ 1:52 am EST

Brandon Gray
http://www.boxofficemojo.com

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring took in $11.115 million on Thursday, up 14.5% from the $9.704 million it earned last Thursday. Though mid-week business during the holidays is always far greater than it is during the rest of the year, the bump-up is still impressive considering that the higher the gross the more difficult it is for a movie to maintain its altitude.

Rings' 9-day total stands at $119.112 million to rank #13 for the year so far. On the all time list, it stands at #161.

At this scorching pace, The Lord of the Rings should reach at least $165 million by Jan. 1.More]

TV Watch: Elijah Wood on Leno
Xoanon @ 12:55 am EST

Elijah Wood was on 'The Tonight Show With Jay Leno' tonight. Elijah spoke about his role as Frodo, and how fans are calling him that on the street. He also mentioned his mom is still doing his laundry for him :)

Jay asked Elijah about the Elvish language. Elijah replied that it was a readable writable language created by Tolkien. Jay then asked Elijah if he had learned any of it and he replied that he had. He then uttered "Elen sila lumenn omentilmo." A star shines on the hour of our meeting. He then proceeded to say that he had only a few lines in Elvish in the movies but they had all been cut. (thanks Ed!)

Here are a few pics for you:

12-28-01 Latest News

SEFCA Film Awards
Xoanon @ 11:52 pm EST

From: Sarakin

Here are the Southeastern Film Critics Association's
picks for the best of 2001. This year, 43 members representing nine states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia -- voted on the awards.

SEFCA TOP 10
1. "Memento"
2. "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"
3. "Amelie"
4. "Moulin Rouge"
5. "In the Bedroom"
6. "Shrek"
7. (tie) "A Beautiful Mind" "Mulholland Drive"
9. "Ghost World"
10. "Monster's Ball"

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Peter Jackson, "The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring"
Runner-up: Baz Luhrmann, "Moulin Rouge"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson,
"The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring"
Runner-up: Daniel Clowes & Terry Zwigoff, "Ghost
World"

Complete Score Breakdown of FOTR
Strider @ 5:04 pm EST

Harry from AICN managed to get a compete list of the music cues used during the movie's 174 minute screenplay for Fellowship of the Ring. If you have a tune from the movie in your head and don't know the name, it's probably here.

**THE WORLD HAS CHANGED -- 29 seconds

MUCH THAT ONCE WAS -- 54 seconds

**FREEDOM OF MIDDLE EARTH -- 28 seconds

VICTORY WAS NEAR -- 16 seconds

**THE POWER OF THE RING -- 13 seconds

ALL HOPE HAD FADED -- 2 minutes

**MY PRECIOUS -- 15 seconds

A LONG LIFE -- 1 minute 50 seconds

****THE ROAD GOES ON -- 34 seconds

BAG END -- 3 minutes 8 seconds

ALMOST AS OLD -- 1 minute 40 seconds

OLD FRIENDS -- 1 minute 27 seconds

***FLAMING RED HAIR -- 1 minute 38 seconds

BILBO -- 48 seconds

SHADOW OF THE PAST -- 1 minute 3 seconds

IN MY POCKET -- 1 minute 48 seconds

GOODBYE GANDALF -- 1 minute 14 seconds

THE ROAD GOES ON -- 10 seconds

IT'S MINE -- 2 minutes 26 seconds

SHIRE, BAGGINS -- 8 seconds

GANDALF RIDES -- 52 seconds

THE RING OF POWER -- 30 seconds

ONLY FIRE CAN TELL -- 42 seconds

CONSPIRACY UNMASKED -- 42 seconds

IN THE DARKNESS -- 30 seconds

SAMWISE GAMGEE -- 4 minutes 16 seconds

THREE IS COMPANY -- 2 minutes 27 seconds

SARUMAN -- 2 minutes 26 seconds

THE WAY OF PAIN -- 47 seconds

SHORTCUT TO MUSHROOMS -- 51 seconds

THE OLD FOREST -- 30 seconds

RUN THROUGH FOREST -- 21 seconds

**WRAITH APPROACHES -- 12 seconds

BLACK RIDERS -- 1 minute 16 seconds

**BUCKLEBURY FERRY -- 24 seconds

EASTFARTHING -- 28 seconds

SIGN OF THE PRANCING PONY -- 30 seconds

MR. UNDERHILL -- 25 seconds

STRIDER -- 42 seconds

BUTTERBUR -- 26 seconds

LONGSHANKS -- 56 seconds

**THEY'RE COMING -- 22 seconds

ONCE MEN -- 2 minutes 21 seconds

RIP THEM DOWN -- 40 seconds

A KNIFE IN THE DARK -- 33 seconds

**WRAITHS CLOSE IN -- 40 seconds

WEATHERTOP -- 31 seconds

AMON SUL -- 1 minute 57 seconds

**MOTH AT ISENGARD -- 41 seconds

ISENGARD -- 2 minutes 5 seconds

ARWEN -- 41 seconds

ASFALOTH -- 2 minutes 8 seconds

**FLIGHT TO THE FORD -- 40 seconds

GIVE UP THE HALFLING -- 47 seconds

**WHAT GRACE IS GIVEN ME -- 49 seconds

ORTHANC -- 14 seconds

**EMBRACE THE POWER -- 17 seconds

HE DOES NOT SHARE POWER -- 32 seconds

MANY MEETINGS -- 22 seconds

WELCOME TO RIVENDELL -- 41 seconds

FRODO MY LAD -- 1 minute 24 seconds

ELBERETH -- 14 seconds

OFF SOON, OFF HOME -- 41 seconds

MOUNT DOOM -- 2 minutes 27 seconds

COUNCIL OF ELROND -- 38 seconds

*****ANIRON -- 1 minute 33 seconds

COUNCIL ASSEMBLES -- 39 seconds

FOES OF GONDOR -- 2 minutes 13 seconds

THE GREAT EYE -- 3 minutes 16 seconds

THE RING GOES SOUTH -- 2 minutes 32 seconds

CARADHRAS -- 1 minute 44 seconds

BOROMIR'S TEMPTATION -- 14 seconds

A DANGEROUS ROAD -- 2 minutes 28 seconds

THE RING-BEARER -- 40 seconds

SIRANNON -- 35 seconds

**THE DOORS OF DURIN -- 27 seconds

SPEAK FRIEND AND ENTER -- 30 seconds

THE WATCHER -- 3 minutes and 2 seconds

**MORIA -- 1 minute and 4 seconds

GOLLUM -- 2 minutes 9 seconds

**DWARROWDELF -- 1 minute 14 seconds

BALIN'S TOMB -- 1 minute 46 seconds

ORC ATTACK -- 1 minute 8 seconds

CAVE TROLL -- 1 minute 14 seconds

MITHRIL VEST -- 2 minutes

THE SECOND HALL -- 1 minute 4 seconds

**KHAZAD-DUM -- 3 minutes 32 seconds

**BALROG -- 1 minute 49 seconds

FLY YOU FOOLS -- 2 minutes 32 seconds

**LOTHLORIEN -- 59 seconds

EYES OF A HAWK -- 45 seconds

**SHE IS WAITING -- 1 minute 3 seconds

FALLEN INTO SHADOW -- 1 minute 14 seconds

**GANDALF'S LAMENT -- 1 minute 10 seconds

BOROMIR -- 1 minute 6 seconds

**THE MIRROR OF GALADRIEL -- 1 minute 12 seconds

NOT YET COME TO PASS -- 1 minute 22 seconds

EVIL GALADRIEL -- 2 minute 24 seconds

FAREWELL TO ISENGARD -- 1 minute

THE RIVER ANDUIN -- 49 seconds

URUK-HAI -- 1 minute 26 seconds

KINGS OF OLD -- 13 seconds

ARGONATH -- 27 seconds

SAM GEBIR -- 1 minute 1 second

AMON HEN -- 2 minutes 45 seconds

WHERE IS THE RING? -- 19 seconds

PROTECT ME FROM YOUR SELF -- 32 seconds

THE GREAT RIVER -- 2 minutes 29 seconds

**RUN FRODO -- 15 seconds

BATTLE RAGES -- 17 seconds

LURTZ -- 46 seconds

**DEPARTURE OF BOROMIR -- 46 seconds

BOROMIR FALLS -- 1 minute 59 seconds

*BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP (featuring IN DREAMS) -- 1 minute 45 seconds

MY CAPTAIN, MY KING -- 22 seconds

SON OF GONDOR -- 42 seconds

THE ONE RING -- 5 minutes 56 seconds

*****MAY IT BE -- 3 minutes 23 seconds

THE CORNFIELD -- 32 seconds

*IN DREAMS -- 1 minute 45 seconds

GOODBYE RIVENDELL -- 42 seconds

THE FELLOWSHIP -- 42 seconds

* - words and music by Fran Walsh and Howard Shore

** - words by Phillipa Boyens (sometimes from the original Tolkien)

*** - Janet Roddick, David Donaldson, Stephen Roche and David Long

**** - music and words by Fran Walsh and J.R.R. Tolkien

***** - Music by Nicky Ryan & Enya. Lyrics by Roma Ryan

Everything else Howard Shore unless stated.

LOTR Laughs On Conan O'Brien
Xoanon @ 12:50 pm EST

Davey Bar writes:

I was watching Conan O'Brien and they had Kevin Pollock on and he asked Conan

"So did u see the LOTR movie? It was great. I didnt know what to expect. Because a couple years ago I saw Lord of the Dance and that just sucked"

Conan: "As we all know Lord of the Dance is the prequel to LOTR"

Pollock:"I also didnt know how to react to the crowd[in the theatre] I thought I must have left my Dungeons & Dragons cards at home. I heard 'I'll trade you 3 wizards for 2 hobbits and some other card I will throw in later'"

From: Barbarshop

Last night on Conan O'Brien on NBC In a segment called "Conan on the Aisle" Conan did a little spoof on FOTR. He said that he liked the movie but thought that director Peter Jackson could have done a better job portraying the evil of the ring. "It just didn't seem scarry to me..." He showed the clip where Gandalf throws the ring in the fire. The clip runs normally until you see Frodo holding the ring. At the moment when the Mordor script is supposed to appear Conan inserted "Inspected by 15." It was a pretty funny gag.

LOTR Mobile In Ireland
DarthCaeser @ 2:00 am EST

EIRCELL VODAFONE AND RIOT-E BRING "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" DIRECT TO YOUR MOBILE PHONE

Middle-Earth Goes Wireless With Multi-Player Text Messaging and WAP Games

From December 18th, 2001, Eircell Vodafone customers and "Lord of the Rings" fans can experience Wireless Middle-earth through a series of SMS and WAP games. Eircell Vodafone is the only network in Ireland to offer the mobile services provided by Riot Entertainment, (RIOT-E, www.riot-e.com), the global leader in wireless entertainment.

The Battle of Middle-earth - a multi player text messaging game - allows players to command an entire army. One player leads the Orc army while the rest of the players work to defeat the evil Orc army. Played in consecutive rounds of spying and attacking the ‘good guys’ must work together to defeat the Orc army.

Eircell Vodafone's "The Lord of the Rings" also includes the "Rune Creator" a service that allows names and logos to be translated into the Middle-earth alphabets of elven script or dwarven rune.

"The Lord of the Rings" games will allow fans of New Line Cinema’s movie trilogy an opportunity to participate in a "Middle-earth" of their own.

"Through 'The Lord of the Rings' SMS and WAP games we are offering our customers the very best in wireless entertainment," said Martin Wells, Product Marketing Manager, Eircell Vodafone. "It's all about interactivity and with this service, Eircell Vodafone customers have a tool that will make the Middle-earth experience come alive through their mobile phones."

“The Lord of the Rings content includes something for everyone, from logos to single and multi-player games. As the provider and publisher for The Lord of the Rings mobile services to over a 150 million person global mobile community, RIOT-E is pleased to cooperate with Eircell Vodafone and provide this unique content to its customers,” said Gisa Heckmann, Senior Vice President, RIOT-E.

"The Lord of the Rings" games are played through a series of commands sent to mobile phones as text messages. Each text message sent will cost 0.13euro/10p incl. VAT and are free to receive.

Eircell Vodafone

Eircell Vodafone is Ireland's leading mobile phone operator with a base of over 1.6 million customers and a total of 1,500 employees. Eircell Vodafone holds 60% of the market share in Ireland. On May 11, 2001 Eircell officially became a subsidiary of the Vodafone Group plc, the largest mobile telecommunications company in the world. It has interests in mobile networks in 28 countries across five continents. In June 2001, Vodafone had approximately 95 million proportionate customers worldwide.

Riot Entertainment Ltd.

Founded in February 2000, Riot Entertainment immediately established itself as the most innovative publisher, creator and distributor of entertainment in the wireless sector. RIOT-E provides wireless entertainment, communication and commerce to mobile users worldwide. Games created by RIOT-E are promoted and co-branded in parallel with highly visible international media releases, such as movies, TV shows and sports events. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, RIOT-E employs 70 people worldwide.

(You can find Eircell Vodafone's very cool LOTR site here. -DC)

LOTR Mobile In Ireland
DarthCaeser @ 1:58 am EST

EIRCELL VODAFONE AND RIOT-E BRING "THE LORD OF THE RINGS" DIRECT TO YOUR MOBILE PHONE

Middle-Earth Goes Wireless With Multi-Player Text Messaging and WAP Games

From December 18th, 2001, Eircell Vodafone customers and "Lord of the Rings" fans can experience Wireless Middle-earth through a series of SMS and WAP games. Eircell Vodafone is the only network in Ireland to offer the mobile services provided by Riot Entertainment, (RIOT-E, www.riot-e.com), the global leader in wireless entertainment.

The Battle of Middle-earth - a multi player text messaging game - allows players to command an entire army. One player leads the Orc army while the rest of the players work to defeat the evil Orc army. Played in consecutive rounds of spying and attacking the ‘good guys’ must work together to defeat the Orc army.

Eircell Vodafone's "The Lord of the Rings" also includes the "Rune Creator" a service that allows names and logos to be translated into the Middle-earth alphabets of elven script or dwarven rune.

"The Lord of the Rings" games will allow fans of New Line Cinema’s movie trilogy an opportunity to participate in a "Middle-earth" of their own.

"Through 'The Lord of the Rings' SMS and WAP games we are offering our customers the very best in wireless entertainment," said Martin Wells, Product Marketing Manager, Eircell Vodafone. "It's all about interactivity and with this service, Eircell Vodafone customers have a tool that will make the Middle-earth experience come alive through their mobile phones."

“The Lord of the Rings content includes something for everyone, from logos to single and multi-player games. As the provider and publisher for The Lord of the Rings mobile services to over a 150 million person global mobile community, RIOT-E is pleased to cooperate with Eircell Vodafone and provide this unique content to its customers,” said Gisa Heckmann, Senior Vice President, RIOT-E.

"The Lord of the Rings" games are played through a series of commands sent to mobile phones as text messages. Each text message sent will cost 0.13euro/10p incl. VAT and are free to receive.

Eircell Vodafone

Eircell Vodafone is Ireland's leading mobile phone operator with a base of over 1.6 million customers and a total of 1,500 employees. Eircell Vodafone holds 60% of the market share in Ireland. On May 11, 2001 Eircell officially became a subsidiary of the Vodafone Group plc, the largest mobile telecommunications company in the world. It has interests in mobile networks in 28 countries across five continents. In June 2001, Vodafone had approximately 95 million proportionate customers worldwide.

Riot Entertainment Ltd.

Founded in February 2000, Riot Entertainment immediately established itself as the most innovative publisher, creator and distributor of entertainment in the wireless sector. RIOT-E provides wireless entertainment, communication and commerce to mobile users worldwide. Games created by RIOT-E are promoted and co-branded in parallel with highly visible international media releases, such as movies, TV shows and sports events. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, RIOT-E employs 70 people worldwide.

(You can find Eircell Vodafone's very cool LOTR site here. -DC)

12-27-01 Latest News

Media Watch: Smithsonian Magazine
Xoanon @ 8:26 am EST

Ringer Spy Ed sends along these scans from 'The Smithsonain Magazine'. [More]

'Ali' delivers 1st-round K.O.
Xoanon @ 8:12 am EST

'Rings' tops record Yule B.O.

"Ali" stung like a bee on Christmas, recording a $10.2 million perf on its first day in the ring, smashing a record for pics opening on Dec. 25.
But Sony's boxing biopic failed to dethrone "Lord of the Rings," whose $11.6 million X-mas gross for New Line capped a five-day total of $66.1 million.

That led a rush of Friday openers whose five-day gross set a Christmas weekend record of $199 million. Last year, the holiday fell on a Monday, generating $155.2 over a four-day frame. That coincidence of the calendar gives an additional shot in the arm to an annual box office that now stands at a record $7.78 billion -- up 8.9% from the same period last year.

"I think (a Tuesday Christmas) is set up well for the business," said Dan Marks, an exec veep of the box-office tracking service EDI. "The thing that tends to be the fly in the ointment is Christmas Eve. It's usually a shutdown day. Falling on a Monday is the least harmful situation you could have."

That didn't help Miramax's "Kate & Leopold," the other wide-release opener on X-mas, which managed just a $2.5 million perf on 2442 screens.

But it gave continued momentum to Warner Bros' "Ocean's Eleven," which grossed $21.4 over five days to hit $102 million on X-mas, after just three weeks, and Par's "Vanilla Sky," which grossed $16.5 in the five-day sesh. Also going strong were Par's "Jimmy Neutron," which grossed $18.55 in its first five days, and the still-humming "Harry Potter" from Warner and "Monsters Inc." from Disney, which took in $10.7 mil and $5.7 mil respectively.

And Universal's "A Beautiful Mind" struck a chord with auds, grossing $2.5 million in the five-day frame after expanding from 11 to 524 screens Dec. 25.

The opening of "Ali" represented a payoff for Sony's gamble in bumping the Michael Mann pic, which was originally set to debut Dec. 7.

"We had a big-event movie, and Christmas was the big-event date," said Sony distrib and marketing topper Jeff Blake. "We thought we could make a big impact."

Moving a release date late in the game, said EDI's Marks, "no longer raises a red flag that says, 'Uh oh.' There are good marketing reasons to do it."

Despite the comparatively meager debut of "Kate & Leopold," Miramax marketing co-topper David Brooks said the mini-major stood by its decision to bump the release date twice, first from early 2002, then back several days to give "Rings" more breathing space.

"At the end of the day, this was the right release date for it," says Brooks, who hopes that aud surveys showing broad demographic support for the pic will lead to growing numbers in the week ahead.

"Ali" also benefited from kudos buzz for Will Smith, who picked up a Golden Globe nom last week. "The strongest thing about the film, and what made it appeal to a large audience was Will Smith as Ali. That was our winning combination," said Blake.

Before "Ali," the highest grossing Christmas opener was "Patch Adams," with $8 million.

Still lagging behind the pack were Fox's "Joe Somebody," whose five-day opening gross was $5.4 million and Warner's "The Majestic," which grossed $7.4 mil in its first five days.

TV Watch: David Letterman
Xoanon @ 12:50 am EST

Ian McKellen (Gandalf) was on David Letterman tonight.

Ian spoke about being mistaken for Richard Harris from Harry Potter. He also mentioned getting locked out of his theatre during intermission from 'Dace of Death', and having to climb a roof and go all around the cinema to get in. And that his boyfiriend and others abused his Gandalf action figure...heresey!

Here are a few pics.


12-26-01 Latest News

TV Watch: Rosie O'Donnell
Xoanon @ 8:06 pm EST

Sean Bean (Boromir) (AKA Bad A$$ Actor of all time) was on Rosie O'Donnell today.

Sean talked about his role as Boromir and how it is a more 'in depth' bad guy than any other role he has played.

Sean aslo spoke about his now infamous scar above his left eye, and how Harrison Ford gave it to him on the set of 'Patriot Games'.

Rosie also showed him his Boromir action figure, and gave it to him, as well as a Lurtz.

Here are a few pics.

12-25-01 Latest News

Singapore Papers Talk LOTR
Xoanon @ 12:10 pm EST

From: Milaya

These appeared in a local tabloid, The New Paper in Singapore and The Straits Times. Thanks!

The Dermatology of LOTR
Calisuri @ 11:52 am EST

Vail Reese, MD sends us this Dermatological report on LOTR!

Now that the "Fellowship" is in theaters, you're invited to see the movie in a new way. The dermatology in the cinema site (http://www.skinema.com) now features a spotlight on the skin, hair, and nails of the actors and characters of LOTR. Why does Sauron wear the ring on an armored hand? Do Elves get acne? What might an Orc have in common with Michael Jackson? Is Frodo a nail-biter? All these answers and more.


White Haired Gandalf, Wrinkled with Wisdom


Check out some amazing professional insights into the good and evil characters of LOTR and their skin. !!!MAJOR SPOILERS!!![More]

Hobbit hustle fuels yule
Xoanon @ 11:43 am EST

'Lord' rings up $73 million in 5-day bow

New Line grabbed the box office brass ring with "Rings" this weekend, as the action fantasy marked a December-record $45.3 million in estimated three-day grosses.

First Friday-Sunday sesh for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" followed an $18.2 million Wednesday bow and $9.7 million Thursday gross for a five-day cume of $73.1 million -- best ever for the period if not a all-time five-day record.

The $90 million-plus production -- first of three planned "Rings" book adapations -- also launched this week in many foreign territories, where grosses have been similarly at the far high end of expectations.

"We're very excited," said Rolf Mittweg, prexy and chief operating officer for worldwide marketing and distribution. "All the evening shows have been sellouts and word-of mouth is amazing."

Though he declined to project a domestic total for pic, Mittweg said a big opening assures "it will be in theaters for at least a couple of months." Anticipated kudos should build momentum as well, he added. [More]

12-24-01 Latest News

Weekend Round-Up
Xoanon @ 1:23 am EST

Media Watch: Cinefex Magazine

'The Lord of the Rings' rules!

Now That's A Hot Film

Enya's music makes 'Fellowship' sing

Sean Bean opens United's Hall of Fame

More Info From The Sydney Premiere Party

Orlando Bloom Talks LOTR

Media Watch: VFXPro

Billy Boyd Talks LOTR

Early Show Praises LOTR

Media Watch: Cosmopolitan Magazine

LA TIMES' Kenneth Turan: LOTR #1

Tolkien Documentary On BBC's Omnibus

Viggo Mortensen Interview On Virgin

IMAX LOTR:FOTR - Boo!

Montreal Premiere Party Report #2

A Trip Into The Australian Premiere

Salt Lake City LOTR Premiere Party

Quest For The Ring On UK & I Television Tomorrow

LOTR:FOTR Box Office - Day 3

Ringer Reviews Overwhelm TORn staff

Ian McKellen Talks LOTR

Mesa, AZ LOTR Premiere Party Pics

St. Charles LOTR Premiere Party

And the Server Survives...barely

FotR: The Lost Scenes

Shore Up Against the (other) Greats

Sindarin Quotes Translated!

Official Site Moria Goodies

The Online Campaign to Knight Peter Jackson

Lord Of The Rings Gets 'R' Rating In Australia

'Townsend Bitter Over Lost Aragorn Role'

Some Stats From IMDB

Brief Info On The Fellowship Of The Ring DVD

Movie Mistakes In Fellowship Of The Ring Noted

Media Watch: Who Weekly

National Geographic Special TONIGHT!

TV Watch: TNT LOTR Special

Message At End Of FOTR Credits For New Zealanders

Elvish 'Nine' Tattoo Appears In NZ Sunday News

Flick Director's Mop To Cutting Room Floor - Stylists

LOTR: FOTR Box Office - updated

SGI Technology Powers WETA's Lord Of The Rings

SHOP: Cave Troll Toy Pics

A passionate vision rules `Ring'

Orlando Bloom Talks LOTR

The 'Secret' Tattoo Is Revealed

Hollywood Wants Jackson

Fix That Hair!

Fran Walsh: The Enigma

Orlando Bloom: Hot Up-and-Comer

Livin' It Up

Missoula, MT Line Party Report

Karlstad, Sweden Line Party Report

New Cast Projects
Xoanon @ 12:47 am EST

Ian Holm (Bilbo) has joined the impressive cast of Dougray Scott, Tim Roth, Emily Watson, and Rupert Everett in director Mike Barker's (Best Laid Plans) 'Cromwell & Fairfax', set for a 2002 release.

John Noble (Denethor) will be playing 'Paul Baylis' in the TV series 'Superfire'. The project also stars D.B. Sweeney of 'Spawn' and 'Harsh Realm' fame.

John Rhys-Davies (
Bride of Chucky (1998) UK
De/th Machine (1995)
Color of Night (1994)
Amos & Andrew (1993)
Body Parts (1991) UK
Jungle Fever (1991)
Hidden Agenda (1990)
Mississippi Burning (1988) UK
Ragtime (1981)

Jim Rygiel (SFX)

Anna and the King (1999)
Cliffhanger (1993)
Batman Returns (1992)
Ghost (1990)
Solar Crisis (1990)
Last Starfighter, The (1984)

Howard Shore (Composer)

High Fidelity (2000)
Cell, The (2000)
Analyze This (1999)
Dogma (1999)
Game, The (1997)
Cop Land (1997)
Striptease (1996)
White Man's Burden (1995)
Se7en (1995)
Moonlight and Valentino (1995)
M. Butterfly (1993)
Guilty as Sin (1993)
Prelude to a Kiss (1992)
Naked Lunch (1991)
Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
She-Devil (1989)
Moving (1988)
Big (1988)
Fly, The (1986)
After Hours (1985)
Places in the Heart (1984)
Brood, The (1979)

Peter Jackson (Director)

Braindead (1992)
Meet the Feebles (1989)

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

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

12-23-01 Latest News

Livin' It Up
Xoanon @ 11:31 pm EST

Liv Tyler's just one of the guys in Lord of the Rings.

by Lauren Weedon of Seventeen

Liv Tyler has the role of a lifetime in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. She plays Arwen, the elvish princess who's in love with Aragorn, a human. As one of the few female characters, Liv had a ball making the flick with her cute co-stars, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean and Viggo Mortensen.

The epic fantasy was a big switch from Tyler's previous movies -- Empire Records, Stealing Beauty, That Thing You Do!, Inventing the Abbotts, Armageddon and One Night at McCool's, among others. But Liv totally held her own and delivered a stellar performance.

On the boys club: "I brought my girlfriend with me, to be my assistant. So, I spent a lot of time hanging out with her at home when I couldn't take the boys anymore!"

On being an elf: "They were the first creatures placed in Middle Earth, by the gods, so they're very powerful and very knowledgeable."

Fran Walsh: The Enigma
Xoanon @ 11:14 pm EST

Far from the madding crowds


Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson’s partner in life and work, is happy to remain an enigma, writes Sarah Catherall.

When film maker Peter Jackson walked down the red carpet to the roar of adoring fans, his partner in work and life, Fran Walsh, was absent.

Those who have worked closely with the softly-spoken 42-year-old are not surprised The Lord of the rings scriptwriter missed the public walk along Wellington’s Courtenay Place. Walsh attended the premiere at the Embassy Theatre but was not at Jackson’s side when he faced clicking cameras about 100 metres from where she lived about a decade ago in a noisy flat above a Chinese restaurant.

Walsh also missed the red carpet walks at LOTR premiers in London, New York and Los Angeles.
Since 1991, when she and Jackson won the rights to turn The Lord of the Rings into three films, her partner has been the protagonist, giving the interviews, while the photogenic Walsh has chosen a behind-the-scenes role in their amazing life and work story.

But Walsh played a vital role in getting the JRR Tolkien epic from the page to the giant screen. With Jackson and Auckland writer Philippa Boyens, Walsh transformed 1100 pages into three movies. She also directed part of the film and was a producer.
The dark-haired music lover, who plays the piano and sings in their rambling fort-like house perched on the edge of Wellington’s craggy Karaka Bay, also worked closely with Canadian composer Howard Shore on the nine-hour musical score.

Boyens says aside from the script, Walsh’s mark on The Fellowship of the Ring can be most felt in the music. “She’s very musical and she has a beautiful voice. She was very concerned about the shape, form and flavour of the music. Also the emotional feeling of the film – we both worked hard to make sure that happened.”

New Zealand’s most successful film couple has been bound in work and life since meeting in 1987, during post-production of Jackson’s first splatter movie, Bad Taste – a NZ$250,000 film featuring exploding sheep, green vomit and leaking brains.

Described as “a natural storyteller” by those who have worked with her, Walsh has co-written with Jackson every script that’s bounded on to the screen since their first low-budget splatter movie collaboration, Meet the Feebles in 1989, including the acclaimed and award-winning Heavenly Creatures in 1994. While Jackson has stood in the spotlight, Boyens says Walsh is respected in her own right as “an incredible film maker and writer”, particularly in the international film industry.

Ken Kamins, the couple’s Hollywood-based world-wide agent, says Walsh has been a talking point in Hollywood since she was nominated with Jackson for best screenplay at the 1994 Academy Awards with Heavenly Creatures. Last week, he was besieged with phone calls from Hollywood studios inquiring about her availability.

When it comes to the story of a couple who think almost the same, whose work and lives are so closely bound, they have chosen to leave Walsh out as much as possible. They have two children – Billy, 6 and Katie, 5 – whose privacy they want to protect and they have chosen to keep one half of their lives as tightly guarded as the high fence enclosing their Wellington home.

“She regards her personal life as her personal life, especially as she is not someone who has sought publicity. She hasn’t courted fame and she is very down to earth,” Boyens says.

Walsh didn’t grow up wanting to write films, according to a 1992 profile – the only one written. Attending Wellington Girls’ High School, she most wanted to be a dress designer but when she sewed her first pair of trousers, they turned into “shredded floppy things” and she turned instead to music.

Walsh spent five years at Victoria University studying English literature, graduating in 1981, as she dropped out from time to time to “pursue the destruction of my eardrums” as a member of punk Band, The Wallsockets.
After graduating from university, Walsh began writing episodes for TV’s Shark in the Park and Worsel Gummidge Down Under.

According to Costa Botes, an independent Wellington film producer, Walsh was dating Auckland writer Stephen Sinclair when Botes urged the couple to watch a rough cut of Jackson’s film, Bad Taste. The trio began working together – in 1989, they produced Meet the Feebles, an adult puppet show described as the Muppets on acid. Braindead, another cult classic that won fantasy film awards, followed three years later. The ideas behind Branded were spun in Walsh’s Courtenay Place flat.

When talking about her scriptwriting on Braindead, Jackson said at the time: “She has an intuitive sense of scriptwriting for film. When she looks at other people’s scripts, she can immediately identify the problems and the way to fix them.”

Since the early ’90s, Walsh has also played a crucial role in helping emerging and established writers with scripts – often without taking any credit. When Botes worked with Walsh and Jackson on Forgotten Silver, a fictitious tale of a New Zealand film pioneer released in 1995, Walsh refused credit, even though she helped rewrite the script and participated in long meetings.

“She is modest to a fault,” says Botes.

“She has collaborated on plays and screenplays but says things like, ‘I shouldn’t be given credit for that’.” Walsh has been an “incredible help” to Harry Sinclair, an Auckland filmmaker, who says he consulted Walsh on the two feature film scripts he wrote – Topless Women Talk About Their Lives and The Price of Milk.

“She has been very helpful as a person to run ideas through. She has such fantastic ideas. She is very perceptive about scripts and a fantastic writer,” says Sinclair, who plays Isildur on LOTR.

But Walsh’s name is there in the LOTR credits, on which she worked long hours, starting around 6.30am and watching rushes of the day’s filming until 11pm. During 453 days of filming, scripts had to be written, often for seven units filming at once, as actors waited for their lines.

Boyens recalls Walsh starting the day with he phone in her hand, as she dressed and discussed the day’s agenda.

Walsh, one of four producers, would attend all the “rushes” (viewing the day’s filming) and spend time with the actors. She would often direct a second unit that was shooting while Jackson was doing the main filming.

Walsh was easy to spend many working hours with – Boyens lives on the same road – and they became close friends. “She is very even-tempered and she has the most fantastic sense of humour. She is so funny and she is one of the quickest people I know, she is so bright. She has a slightly wicked sense of humour.”
Boyens said the work achievements of Jackson and Walsh were inextricably bound. “There was an implicit trust between Peter and Fran and the level of understanding between the two – I’ve never seen that before. They were just incredible. They meshed brilliantly and in terms of their professional relationship, they were so in sync. Fran could answer something on Peter’s behalf and vice-versa. They trust each other and listen to each other.”

“As a writer, she has a wonderful sense of structure and character,” says Kamins. “Not only is the task of writing these films (huge) ... she had to oversee the writing of the script and understand the implications when writing film one of films two and three. She couldn’t make a decision that would impact negatively on the others.”

Kamins says Walsh tends to view her storytelling from an “emotional prism”, imagining what it would be like to watch the LOTR as someone in the audience. “I think she feels that the emotional part of a story, portrayed through either a male or female character, will make the story last longer for an audience.”
Jackson has said that after years of working together, the couple has “a shorthand. And it is good working with somebody you live with because film making is such a high-stress occupation and it’s nice when your partner understands. They know what’s involved and what you are going through and can help share the burden”.

Fix That Hair!
Xoanon @ 10:34 pm EST

From: Ataahua


It appears that a number of New Zealand hair stylists are just itching to cut and tame PJ's, er, rather 'relaxed' hair style. I say leave the genius alone! Any man who can bring Tolkien's epic to the silver screen in such a masterly fashion has earned the right to wear his hair any way that he jolly well pleases!

Hollywood Wants Jackson
Xoanon @ 10:06 pm EST

Ataahua sends along this story from yesterday's Sunday Star Times.


LOTR: FOTR Box Office
Calisuri @ 4:35 pm EST

Brandon Gray
Boxofficemojo.com

12/23 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ruled them all at the weekend box office, drawing an estimated $45.3 million over the Friday-Sunday period and lifting its five-day total to $73.1 million. In the process, it handily broke the December weekend record set by Ocean's Eleven's $38.1 million bow two weekends ago.

Breaking the weekend down, Rings grabbed about $14.3 million on Friday, $17 million on Saturday and projected to do about $13.9 million on Sunday. Its on track to do over $60 million for the five-day Christmas weekend (Friday-Tuesday), likely propelling its first week gross into the $90 million range and setting a course for around $150 million by the end of the year.

Overseas, Rings also pulled in an estimated $60 million in its first five days in 15 countries (13 in Europe plus New Zealand and South Africa). Leading the pack were the United Kingdom with $16 million, Germany with $13.5 million, France with $8.4 million and Spain with $4.8 million.

Add the two tallies together and Rings has around $133 million worldwide, which would make the 27th highest grossing picture of the year so far.

Actual three-day weekend numbers will be issued on Wednesday, 12/26 due to Hollywood taking the 24th and 25th off. (Normally, actual numbers are issued on Monday afternoons.) But the Wednesday figures will also include the five-day weekend actuals (Friday-Tuesday). [More]

Message At End Of FOTR Credits For New Zealanders
Strider @ 3:33 pm EST

Wondering what the heck that message is that is at the end of the Fellowship of the Ring? Well Ataahua wrote in to reveal that it's not an elvish or sindarin tongue, but in fact a real language: Maori.

At the end of the credits of The Fellowship of the Ring, there's a line in te reo Maori (the Maori language) that reads: "He mihi nui hoki ki nga tangata whenua o Aotearoa. Ma rangi raua ko papa tatou e manaaki, e tiaki hei nga tau e tu mai nei."

I thought you might like to know the translation (this isn't word-for-word; it's the gist of what was written, translated by a friend who was brought up speaking Maori as his first language): "We would like
to acknowledge the people of New Zealand. May God from above care for you in the New Year."

National Georgrapic Special TONIGHT!
Xoanon @ 1:39 pm EST

From: Cezanne Huq of National Geographic

Uncover the reality behind one of the year's biggest adventures. The National Geographic Beyond The Movie: Lord of the Rings Web site launches today and explores the historical world of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure. The site takes viewers through an online journey that reveals the history, folklore, and cultural forces that inspired the much-anticipated movie.

* Nationalgeographic.com helps visitors move from the imagined world of Tolkien to the real world by exploring the myths, legends, and history evoked in the story - such as the Kalevala, Beowulf, and other works from the early Middle Ages.

* Nationalgeographic.com explores the modern day relevance of Lord of the Rings and the idea of real-life quests through the journeys made by explorers Mike Fay and Wade Davis.

Below you will find the media advisory for the announcement of Nationalgeographic.com's Lord of the Rings site. This is a Nationalgeographic.com site not to be missed!

To coincide with the release of the movie, don't miss National Geographic Beyond the Movie: The Lord of the Rings, which will air on MSNBC Explorer on Sunday, December 23 at 8 p.m. ET.

Media Advisory

THE "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEYOND THE MOVIE: THE LORD OF THE RINGS" WEB SITE EXTENDS J.R.R. TOLKIEN'S ADVENTURE ONLINE

Explore the history, folklore, and cultural forces that inspired New Line's epic motion picture. Join the online forum: Who are the real-life Frodos today?

With moviegoers flocking to theaters for the much-anticipated release of the blockbuster film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Nationalgeographic.com explores the fascinating real-life myths, cultures, and languages that influenced Tolkien's masterpiece and how the story parallels life today.

Through the power of Nationalgeographic.com visitors will be able to:

* Explore a time line of Tolkien's life that reveals how real history and events inspired his mythical creations.

* Check out photographs of the movie and historic photos that reflect Tolkien's real life experiences.

* Explore how Tolkien's experience with two World wars affected the imagery created in Lord of the Rings. Learn more about Beowulf's connection to Lord of the Rings, and the Finnish language and the Kalavla inspired Tolkien's Elvish language.

* Read insights from anthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis, who journeyed deep into Finland to study the Kalevala, an epic series of poems that traces the history of the Finns, in order to better understand the influences behind Tolkien's work.

* Join the Discussion Forum and share your thoughts about the nature and possibility of quests today. Are you a modern day Frodo? Who is the ring barer today?

* Link to an AOL chat with Wade Davis and Dr. Jane Chance, a Tolkien scholar from Rice University. The chat will be held on Thursday, December 20 at 9 p.m. ET on AOL's Research and Learning Channel in the Adventure Community.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngbeyond

The Online Campaing to Knight Peter Jackson
Tookish @ 5:06 am EST

From LY

Hi,

I have started an online campaign to have Peter Jackson awarded The Order of New Zealand 2002 for his contribution to the people of New Zealand with the film Lord of the Rings. New Zealand dumped the title of "Sir" and "Dame" last year and replaced it with the Order of New Zealand, our highest honour.

Lord of the Rings has benefited New Zealand in varied and unbelievable ways - tourism, our film industry and so on. And with the recent death of yachting legend Sir Peter Blake, we are very short on heroes and role models.

I had the good fortune to meet Peter at the Australasian premiere in Wellington, and told him that he had changed cinema forever. In a TVNZ Holmes interview at the New York premiere, John Rhys-Davies also called for Peter to be knighted.

I've started a campaign to collect names from visitors which I will forward to the Prime Minister of New Zealand in time for the 1st February 2002 Royal Honours Nomination deadline (I'll submit an entry on the 20th). The site has just gone live and will be updated regularly.

Many thanks!

To check it out link here: [More]

FotR Untranslated Sindarin Transcripts!
Tookish @ 4:44 am EST

Thanks to JD in Sweden we have a litte more to savor from FotR:

Ok, here are the translation of two of the movies none subtiteld Sindarin in the movie. Found them in "the Cedeco Daliy 2002 Calendar"

Elrond: Frodo, lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad. (Translation: Frodo, hear my voice, come back to the light.)

Gandalf: Losto Caradharas, sedho, hodo, nuitho i ruith! (Translation: Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)

The calendar is full of qutes from the movie, and the most interesting that I found was these: "The skill of the elves can reforge the sword of Elendil - but only you can wield it." Elrond, to Aragon. Galadriel: "And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves? Gimli: Nothing, but to look upon the Lady Galadhrim (?) one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth."

There is more and I will send this along, and now I can´t wait to see the DVD with these outtakes incorporated into the movie. They MUST do that for the DVD at least as an option.

Howard Shore Contends with the 'Three Kings of Composing'
Tookish @ 4:35 am EST

The effervescent Ringer PippinSkywalker sends in another great report, this one on Howard Shore and his Golden Globe Award competition:

That's right... our wonderful musical prince Howard Shore is up against the Three Kings of Composing. John Williams (For AI),James Horner (A Beautiful Mind) and Hans Zimmer (Pearl Harbor) have ALL been nominated.

I'm not sure about this one... Zimmer's score for PH was not overly impressive. I have not heard James Horner's score for Beautiful Mind but I will tell you this: He has QUITE a track record... look at Titanic and Braveheart. He is definitely one to watch. I must say I did like parts of John Williams score for AI.

It is difficult to tell at this point... also in the running is Craig Armstrong the composer of the acclaimed tragic musical Moulin Rouge. It is going to be a hard and tough race... but it is in times like this that even the small rise to shake the counsels of
the great.

An interesting side note... recently Skywalker also wrote in to point out that LotR:FotR was released four calendar years to the day of Titanic. Thanks for the news Cousin!

FotR: The Lost Scenes
Tookish @ 4:21 am EST

Hi guys,

Is it just me (and my friends here in the UK) or has anyone else noticed the bits cut from the film showing up in visual companions and the like?

Let me explain.... my friends and I thought it would be fun to get the LOTR sticker album from Merlin. Now I need 32 more stickers to complete it and have stared to notice I have stickers of scenes not in the film And worse, there (are) whole excerpts of dialouge in the sticker book not in the film... in fact there is one whole page dedicated to a scene in Lothlorien that's not in the film!!

The ones most noticable are:

After meeting Strider there is a sticker of Pippin and Sam stuck in a swamp... Pippin is up to his neck in mud and Sam is trying to free him. The caption reads, "Strider takes the group through Chetwood Forest and across Midgewater Moors.'Where is he leading us?' askes Sam. 'To Rivendell Master Gamgee - to the house of Elrond,' replies Strider. 'We're going to see Elves!!' says Sam excitedly. They stop at Weathertop 'No fire tonight!' orders Strider."

There are a number of photos of Elrond and Arwen talking and embracing in the middle of the Lothlorien scene...

Again in Lothlorien there is a scene of elves lining the river bank as the fellowship set sail....

and again a scene of elves lining a bridge as the fellowship travel underneath them....

also Galadriel is standing at the shore on her own watching as they sail away (2 photos of her as the camera slowly pulls back)

There is a also a shot of Galadriel handing things to the Fellowship... presumably the elven cloaks the whole cast are wearing after meeting the elves (notice the Lothlorien emblem on the clasps).

There is a portion of dialouge from when the Fellowship first leave Rivendell, where Gandalf is leaning on his staff saying, "Why did the Valar send me here in this old man's body? To teach me humility no doubt. It is not the strength of the body that matters but the strength of the spirit."

There is a number of photos of when Lutrz is "born" but also some shots of the Orcs pulling hundreds of things from the walls. The caption tells us the orcs pull hundreds of squirming maggots from the walls of Isengard.

I will try to scan in the photos of these shots and send them in to you soon. I just hope all these and more are included in the DVD version (as part of the film, not as "press to see deleted scenes")!

Cheers

Palleon -=XPd=-

Tookish here... To add to this list I have a couple things from the Decipher LotR: FotR Trading Card Game. There is a picture where Strider and the four hobbits are tromping through marshland up to their knees, and another in which Legolas is holding a quiver or batch of what I think are Lorien arrows.
I also noticed in that Cedco box calendar a shot of Weathertop without the ruins... pre-effects no doubt.

Got more inconsistancies or evidence of lost scenes? Let us know!


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