Click for more images
| 5-04-05 Latest News |
Fun at Park!
Xoanon @ 9:16 pm EST
Our friends from The Tolkien Society send this along. Fun at Park! This year’s Tolkien Weekend at Sarehole Mill is not only going to be even bigger than last year but it’s also the first event in the recently founded Shire Country Park. Fun at Park is the sixth Tolkien Weekend event, and is now an annual item in the Birmingham calendar. Sarehole Mill itself was the "original" for the Mill at Bywater in the Shire in The Lord of the Rings and is a central point in the Shire Country Park (see below for details) that covers the River Cole, Chinn Brook, as well as Moseley Bog, the Dell and the Dingles where JRR Tolkien played as a child. Fun At Park will include: Displays from The Tolkien Society and Birmingham Libraries about Tolkien’s life and works within the mill itself. A miller demonstrating his craft with the mill running, and Sarehole Mill will be open for extra hours. Dramatised scenes from The Lord of the Rings by Shire Productions on walks within Moseley Bog. A "Tolkien Tent" featuring, Elvish lessons, displays from Isengard (the local Tolkien group), calligraphy, storytelling, Games Workshop will be running demonstration games, henna art and Waterstones bokshop. A "Poetry Pavilion" featuring local poets, readings from The Lord of the Rings, and folk-songs. Guided walks taking in Tolkien’s childhood haunts, the local ecology, and history of the Cole Valley. Discover the Birmingham’s Two Towers, Perrott’s Folly and the Water Board Chimney and visit them on a vintage bus. On the green and around the mill there will also be: A Farmers’ Market, Birmingham City History Bus, Rangers Caravan, Moseley Bog Group & Hall Green Historical Society displays Environmental displays and information from the local groups that made up the Tolkien Partnership. Woodland craft demonstrations Morris dancing on Sunday from the Moseley Morris Dancers Pony rides, Face-painting, miniature railway, wand workshops and archery practice for kids young and old with the Bowmen of Swanshurst Refreshments, naturally enough for hungry hobbits. Wythall Amateur Radio will be providing a special event station chatting to people across the world. Displays and goods from: RSPB; British Woodcarvers Association; bead, clay or crystal jewellery; Birmingham Bee-keepers; Canal Art; City Craft; Dough Crafts; garden ornaments; Guild of Spinners and Weavers; Guild of Model Wheelwrights; Halfpenny Green Vineyards; Historic Herbs; knitted crafts; natural soaps; The Old Tool Store; South Birmingham Photographic Society; Spinners, Weavers & Dyers Guild; straw craft; watercolour paintings; wildlife information; WWF; wooden goods and toys; Worry Bears and Hobbits. Shire Country Park Founded 5th January 2005 In 1998 The Tolkien Society, the Moseley LNR Conservation Group, the River Cole and Chinn Book Conservation Group and The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country, began working towards the creation of a Country Park in Birmingham. For the last six years these groups have worked with Birmingham City Council to organise and host the annual "Tolkien Weekends" each May at Sarehole Mill. The mill was chosen as it had been a childhood haunt of author JRR Tolkien and in later years became a prototype for the mill at Bywater that features in The Lord of the Rings. It is also thought that Moseley Bog influenced Tolkien’s description of the Old Forest that borders The Shire, and other areas of Middle-earth Now in the year that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the complete publication of The Lord of the Rings the groups’ first aim has been achieved with the founding and public launch of the park two days after Tolkien’s birthday. At the same time The Birmingham Tolkien Group, made up of representatives of the main groups involved in setting up and overseeing the park project, was formally incorporated. Cllr Michael Wilkes (Birmingham, Hall Green) said: "Representatives of local organisations, the Tolkien Society and the City Council working together as The Birmingham Tolkien Group have succeeded in their initial aim of establishing ‘The Shire Country Park’ in recognition of J.R.R. Tolkien and the cultural inheritance of a truly ‘precious’ area. The Park includes Sarehole Mill and links the relevant pieces of land together, making it easier to conserve for future generations of local people and visitors alike." Richard Crawshaw, a trustee of the Tolkien Society, said: "Founding the park is the first step towards creating a centre dedicated to the author. The local community and key groups in the Hall Green area have lobbied long and hard for formal recognition for Tolkien and his association with the district." What is the Shire Country Park? The Shire Country Park incorporates Sarehole Mill and the Millstream Project, which covers the four-mile long green walk along the River Cole and the Chinn Brook and includes The Dingles, other areas that are not directly joined to the walk are Moseley Bog Local Nature Reserve, The Dell, Priory Fields, Scribers Lane, Trittiford Mill Pool, Chinn Brook and Sarehole Mill recreation grounds, Burbury Brickworks and The John Morris Jones Walk Way. Other areas may be added in the future. Photos can be provided showing Councillor Michael Wilkes (Birmingham Hall Green), Richard Crawshaw (Trustee of the Tolkien Society), Councillor John Alden (Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture), Pete Bennett (River Cole Group) and Penny Marriott (Park Ranger) at the launch of the Park in Moseley Bog.
14th-15th May 2005
| 5-01-05 Latest News |
Collectormania 7 Reports
Xoanon @ 7:13 pm EST
Charlie writes: British ringer here with a quick report on Collectormania 7, sorry no pics uploaded yet but will send asap!!
Saturday:
I got there about 4pm, and met Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies and Kiran Shah. Sean was great but I got the inpression they were trying to squeeze as many people in to meet him on saturday as possible. Next was John Rhys-Davies who was really nice and chatty, even gave me some careers advice! Keiran was really nice but pretty quiet, I understand it was his first convention.
The LOTR talk
JRD Sean Astin, Lawrence Makore and Kiran Shah were at the talk. Most of the time it was Sean Astin or John Rhys-Davies talking, with the odd comment form Lawrence or Kiran. The banter between JRD and Sean Astin was pretty funny and the hour-ish went pretty fast!
Sunday
Sunday I met Bernard Hill. He was very nice, but again it seemed people were being rushed through.
Altogether I had a great weekend, it seemed collectormania was the place to be!!!!!
Got a Collectormania 7 report? send it to us right here!
----------
Emma writes: Here's my report on C7. It's a bit of a long one I'm afraid but hopefully it's interesting! I have some pictures too that I've attached. I only went for the day on Saturday and met Sean Astin, John Rhys Davies, Bernard Hill and Kiran Shah. Sean was a lovely guy to meet, seemed very happy to be there. My meeting with him was short but sweet. Something along the lines of:
"hey Sean how are you, having fun?"
*forms meditating pose with hands and closes eyes* hommm.. yes! I am!
"good good"
*signs picture*
"lovely to meet you"
"nice to meet you too"
*shake hands*
John RD was really nice too, very talkative. He carried on talking to my friend about what she was studying at University even as we were being ushered away to make room for the next person! He gave the impression he would have liked to have gotten the chance to spend more time with each person.Meeting Bernard Hill for me was also short but sweet. He seemed tired but was still happy to be there. Kiran Shah was nice, I didn't say all that much to him but he was happy to have his picture taken with us etc.The LOTR Talk
The talk was amazing, so funny! First of all the entrance: the man at the front introduced all the actors and they all walked/jogged in and sat in their seats at the front, or in Sean's case, ran in holding up his arms like he was a footballer running on the field or something lol, ran past his seats, back past everyone and out the other entrance, back in the first entrance still running. I think he enjoyed making an entrance and having everyone cheer!I can't remember all the questions asked but I'll write what I can: I think the first question was to Kiran (Sean said something like "this is Kiran's first talk so Kiran make sure you talk slowly and clearly or we they won't understand you" lol) about whether Elijah was bossy when instructing him how to be his body double. Kiran said he wasn't often bossy, but sometimes he was!Someone asked which other character they would have been in LOTR given the chance.Sean: ARAGORN! *stands up and does aragornish pose* LOL
Kiran: Well seeing as I got to be all four hobbits I was pretty happy.
Lawrence: Someone who didn't get killed.
Sean: Like an elf! They're immortal.
Then they went on to another question and then Lawrence made a response to the above question. They kept doing that, like cutting the conversation off and coming back to it later.Lawrence: Sean, if elves are immortal, how come Haldir dies?
Sean: well he doesn't die, you don't actually see him die, he just gets the physical injuries of a battle.
audience: general response of "no Sean, he dies" Sean: no, well his PHYSICAL body dies but his soul is still alive.. c'mon help me out here guys!
Someone asked JRD whether, after being so successful/such a prominent character in the genre, he would like to branch out of the scifi/adventure genre of film. JRD said something along the lines of the parts he is offered are because of luck so he's been lucky enough to be offered lots of good parts in this genre. Sean asked for a show of hands if they thought John got his roles because of actual talent rather than luck. (everyone put their hands up)Someone asked what they thought the movies add to the books, and went on to add a second question to that before they could answer it, so Sean put his hand up doing like an over-eager 6 year old trying to put it higher and higher and waving it around (lol!) while the lady was adding to the first question. JRD got the microphone first though and said he thought the movies added "pictures" to the books. JRD then passed the microphone to Sean who was still waving his hand around looking desperate. Sean said "sound!!" [as in the movies add sound to the books] and collapsed in a heap on the table. Sean then asked if anyone wanted to hear his proper answer to the question. We did. He asked if people wanted it to be under a minute or under 2 mins. We opted for under a minute (though it was still more) lol. He talked about his work with that Literacy for America campaign thing and gave us a few facts and figures. He said what the movies added to the books was a bigger audience/encouraged people to read cause so many people went and bought/read the books after seeing the movies.Someone asked Sean about his up and coming projects. He said he was trying to get a role of a murderer in a film at the moment, and that we should all start a petition and send it to the director so that he is cast for the role.Another question to Sean was whether his daughter Alexandra had expressed an interest in getting into the movie business and how he'd feel about it if she wanted to. Sean asked if this would go out straight on the internet or be exclusive to the room (I'm hoping he was joking seeing as its part of my account lol!). He said she has just announced to her Daddy she wants to be an actress, and wants her Daddy to be in her movies :) John RD also added he wants to be in them. Alexandra has also promised she will get a degree before being an actress though, Sean said: "preferably a Science" but maybe something else, and it's a promise he's "holding her to" apparently :) Someone asked about whether it felt weird when people spent so much time/effort to come to these things and meet the actors etc, and do they understand why people want to meet them so much. Sean said it didn't feel weird and that he did understand. Then he said something along the lines of:"You think I'm giving you a short answer with that but I'm not. I understand. I understand that the material (as in LOTR/Tokien's world) deserves all the attention it's given, unlimited attention. Saying that, when I come to these things and meet all the fans, and when I'm doing my soul searching in their eyes, I'm checking that they aren't in it TOO much. He added more to this bit but I can't remember what it was!Sean asked if anyone had met Kiran that day and if they knew how tall he was. Some people put their hand up to say they had met him, but everyone said they didn't know how tall he was, so Sean got Kiran to stand on the table, and Sean stood on the table too and he said he's "this tall compared to me".Someone asked whether they thought the Hobbit would get made and if they would want to be in it. Sean said he'd like to be Gaffer Gamgee, and depending on when it was made and whether he had a child of the appropriate age, he said his child could play Sam Gamgee. There was a recurring theme of "the incident at the nightclub" that John RD kept asking Kiran about, but unfortunately we never got to find out what happened!Sean also did quite a few John RD impressions including some lines from Indiana Jones, and said how the first few times he was around John, he couldn't be in his presence without quoting from Indiana Jones, to the point where John said it was "verging on parody"! Also at the end of the talk Sean carried Kiran off on his shoulders! That's all I can remember from the talk but hopefully other people will be able to add to it!All in all it was an amazing weekend. All the guests I met were lovely and the talk was the icing on the cake!
Got a Collectormania 7 report? send it to us right here!
----------
Eva writes: Friday morning at 06:50 am I had my flight out to Heathrow, took a train to London and did the inevitable shopping for books, CDs and music t-shirts. Spent already way too much, but had a lot of fun in doing so. Too bad that tight Ramones shirt was out of stock... :(
One of the things I *really* wanted to do, was pay a visit to the Europe's only Apple Store in Regent Street. An incredible place where I took some time playing with the latest Powerbooks, iPods, and the PowerMac G5 (Apple's current Holy Grail) and then sent an e-mail home. Magnificent place, it serves as some sort of Internet cafe as well (only it's free!! yay!!), so whenever you're there and you have the chance (and are into fancy Apple stuff) ~ go see it!! [More]
Got a Collectormania 7 report? send it to us right here!
----------
Ellie x writes: I met Sean on the Friday, although we weren't supposed to have pics with him he said he didn't mind and posed for me! My friend wanted one and he took the camera off her and held it behind him so she was in it too, it came out really well!!
The talk was brilliant! We were on the front row (pics to come very soon!) I remember a couple of questions no-one has mentioned yet, someone asked them what the films added to the books etc and Sean had his hand up for ages whilst John was answering, then he kinda exploded and said " SOUND" banging his head on the table! v funny! Also they kept saying something about Kieran and nightclubs!!! Towards the end of the talk I asked Lawrence if he still visited the forums (Showmasters, who run the event, have Forums that Lawrence used to lurk on!) and he joked about it being Sala, not him to which Sean said they were together and started doing camp Sala impressions!
All 4 actors from the talk went to the Party afterwards. JRD was surrounded by people so I didn't go and talk to him but I did manage to say hello to Sean and my friends and I chatted to Kieran and Lawrence, who pleaded the 5th amendment when we asked him about Kieran and the nightclub!!!
I didnt get to see Bernard on the Sunday because I was crewing elsewhere but we did get to say goodbye to Lawrence on the monday, who apparently told someone that Sala and he wouldn't be doing any more European Cons. I hope they do come back, Collectormania isn't the same without Sala and Lawrence is great fun!!
Got a Collectormania 7 report? send it to us right here!
All Bloom All The Time
Xoanon @ 7:06 pm EST
May 4th: 'The Late Show with David Letterman' (CBS) 11:35PM EST LOS ANGELES -- The first time Orlando Bloom worked with director Ridley Scott, he got pushed out of a helicopter in ''Black Hawk Down." It was a small role, but Bloom left a big impression on Scott, who has now re-teamed with the 28-year-old English actor in ''Kingdom of Heaven." A historical epic about the Crusades based on a brutal 12th-century battle between Christians and Muslims, ''Kingdom" stars Bloom as Balian, defender of Jerusalem. [More] Orlando Bloom: The reluctant hero PASADENA, Calif. -- Love is in the air in a lavish hotel room surrounded by tropical gardens. Heartthrob Orlando Bloom is in deep snuggling mode when the reporter catches him. Yes, they're sharing the same bed at night. But it's not what you think. [More] Bloom-ing BELOVED of teen girls everywhere, Orlando Bloom is known for a certain kind of hero: the kind with a nice manicure. The ordeals of Orlando Orlando a blooming star By his own admission, Orlando Bloom is in love. You could say he's found a little bit of heaven on earth. No, we're not talking about a reunion with Kate Bosworth, his on-again/off-again girlfriend of the past three years. On that front, Bloom, 28, insists he's "happily single. I'm a long way from marriage. I'm not even in a serious relationship." [More]
With Orlando Bloom's latest film 'Kingdom of Heaven' ready to hit the big screens next week, the publicity campaign has hit overdrive. Take a look at a few of these articles from various sites. Plus be sure to catch Bloom on various chat shows this week.
May 4th: 'MTV's Total Request Live' (MTV) (check local listings)
May 5th: 'Regis and Kelly' (check local listings)
May 5th: 'The Late Late Show with Conan O'Brien' (NBC) 12:35AM EST
Is Orlando ready to Bloom?
The metrosexual superstar played the ethereal elf Legolas in "The Lord of the Rings," the wannabe pirate Will Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Paris, the biggest wuss in the battle of "Troy." In all three, he was eye candy for 14-year-olds, while Viggo Mortensen, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt handled the rugged, manly leads.
HOLLYWOOD - Orlando Bloom signed on to play the lead role of a French blacksmith turned Crusader in Ridley Scott's 12th-century epic "Kingdom of Heaven" partly because he was attracted to the father-son relationship in the film. [More]
| 4-30-05 Latest News |
Ringers Wins at the Newport Beach Film Fest!
Xoanon @ 10:34 am EST
Garfeimao writes: Tonight, Friday, April 29, was the awards ceremony for the Newport Beach Film Festival. Ringers: Lord of the Fans took home one of the awards, for Best Documentary: Feature Length, early on in the evening. The Festival website should be updated in the next day or so to reflect all the awards, because there were many.
It was a nice, rather simple ceremony, for a really great film festival. The awards were spread out amongst genres and film styles, which was really nice to see. Shorts, Documentaries, features, everyone had their own categories, with mulitiple winners in all of them. Nearly all the Ringers crew was present and went up onstage. I've included some pictures to show who was there and how silly they all got celebrating.
BTW, all you Ringers, you really made an impression on the Festival staff. How do I know this? Aside from several festival staff constantly congratulating the crew on the film and having such wonderful fans, many of you were featured in their Recap videos. That's right, during their opening ceremony for the awards presentation, they showed clips from the events, and there was Aragorn and an Ithilien Ranger out on the dance floor. Later on, when they did a tribute to the fans attending the festival, the only one's they talked to were those of you in line at the Lido Line Party, and there were many of you interviewed. So, Ringers the film made an impact on the festival staff, and so did all of you Ringers fans.
I hope that those of you who live in So Cal enjoyed the festival and will go back next year, I know I will. I've gone every year they've had the festival and it just keeps getting better and better. For me, it's really nice to have a film festival so close to my home so I don't have to trek up to LA. But it helps that it's also a quality event and staffed by such nice people who throw really great parties.
John Howe Book Signing: Kitchener, Ontario
Xoanon @ 10:19 am EST
Ruth writes: I am writing about the John Howe weekend in Kitchener, Ontario. The Chapters bookstore was filled with dedicated fans wanting to chat with the famous illustrator. I happened to arrive an hour and a half prior to the book signing and there was already a long line up. It was fasinating chatting with LOTR fans. One of the men in line with me came on behalf of his wife. She couldn't make it due to work schedule and he came in her place. Each fan had an opportunity to purchase his book: Myths and Magic ; the maps of Middle Earth, or other artwork. This lovely gentleman bought all three for his wife, what a great husband. I personally bought the book, Myths and Magic which showcases his work with LOTR and other illustrations.
As the time drew near, it felt as if we were going to see Santa Clause. John Howe and his desk was located on the upper level and the fans waited one by one at the bottom of the stairs with anticipation. The gentleman before me went up and John signed all three purchases for his wife. We watched in amazment as he drew the One Ring in pencil and sign it. Now it was my turn. I walked up the steps with my husband and two children in awe of his talent. I told him how my children enjoyed watching him draw the One Ring. His reply was that he was unable to draw for everyone, so he asked us to crowd around the table so no one else would see and he drew Gandalf before our very eyes! It was wonderful. He spoke to my children and encouraged them to keep going in their art and to not give up. We found him very personable and approachable--a very kind man.
Needless to say our visit with John Howe was a memorable one
Thank you for the heads up on the book signing. If it wasn't for your web-site, I probably would not have had the opportunity to go.
| 4-28-05 Latest News |
Hall Of Fire This Weekend -- Your Fan Experience
Demosthenes @ 7:27 pm EST
Are you a convention fan? Been to a Lord of the Rings convention or taken part in a lining-up party? If you are, join us this weekend and share your LoTR fan experience. Maybe you got to meet and talk to some of the cast or crew. Maybe you're an autograph hunter. Perhaps you prefer have a more scholarly bent. Or maybe, for you it's all about the fun of catching up with fellow fans and enjoying the atmostphere. What do you like best about conventions? Which ones are your favourites? We'll discuss all this and much more in #thehalloffire this Sunday, so be sure to join us and share your thoughts! America: Europe: Asia-Pacific: Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net - the TORn IRC server. You can connect via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here). Alternatively, install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. "Tell us your LoTR fan experience!' - Sunday May 1 "Silmarillion Chapter 9 - Of the Flight of the Noldor" "Is LoTR unfilmable? Was Tolkien right?" If you have a burning desire to discuss something in Hall of Fire, drop us a line with your topic at halloffire@theonering.net. If we like it, we'll probably give it a run in the coming weeks - you might even get to guest moderate the session! Join HoF Announce! Did you know that Hall of Fire has a mailing list? Join today and get topic announcements and news delivered regularly to your inbox! Hof-announce@theonering.net
Time and date:
Sunday May1
2.00pm EST
1.00pm CST
12.00pm MST
11.00am PST
7:00pm UK
8:00pm Central Europe
5.00am (Monday) Brisbane
5.00am (Monday) Sydney
7.00am (Monday) Wellington
Where?
Upcoming topics:
- Saturday May 7
- Sunday May 15
- Saturday May 21
- Sunday May 29
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
Astin Attends Family Literacy Conference
Xoanon @ 6:07 pm EST
Son of Aragorn writes: On Tuesday night (April 26th), Sean Astin appeared at a banquet at the National Conference on Family Literacy in Louisville, Kentucky. His wife, Christine, and their two daughters appeared with him. After the banquet he was available for autographs (after the purchase of his new book There and Back Again: an Actor's Tale, which I gladly paid for). Upon standing up for the picture he exclaimed, "God, you're tall! Why is he so tall? I object!" He was personable and seemed to have an absolute blast both at the banquet and during the autograph session. He took time for pictures with everyone who wanted one, invested time in conversations with just about all of us, and really came across as genuine and down-to-earth.
Sean is the Verison Literacy Champion for the National Center for Family Literacy, based in Louisville. His objective is to help promote the importance of family literacy services for families in need, as well as encourage businesses and the public to support NCFL through volunteerism and donations. He is also a member of NCFL's Board of Advisors. He has recorded three PSA's for NCFL, and they are available to view at www.famlit.org.
Baltimore House with a Middle-earth Theme
Tehanu @ 5:08 pm EST
Patricia writes: "I just came back from a decorator show house tour that benefits our Baltimore Symphony Orchestra here in Baltimore, Maryland. In one of the bedrooms upstairs in a beautiful house located in our city a decorator had done the entire bedroom with a Middle Earth theme!! It was absolutely beautiful! One little nook was entirely dedicated to Bag End. The ceiling was painted with a map of Middle Earth! I was able to speak with the artist and she is a huge Lord of the Rings fan and told me she was so excited to be able to decorate this particular room. If you live in or near Baltimore, I highly recommend touring this show house. I wanted to hide in a closet to spend the night in this bedroom!!" Information on the tours here
| 4-26-05 Latest News |
'Ringers' Rapture
Xoanon @ 9:03 pm EST
Frodo_for_President writes: Well, since I can now count myself as one of the lucky few LOTR fans who have had the opportunity to see 'Ringers: Lord of the Fans' on the big screen, I figure that it is my civic duty to write up a report for TORn! I had a wonderful time, and of course can't remember much, but here are some highlights: I had the pleasure of attending the screening at the Regency Lido Theater during the Newport Beach Film Festival this past Saturday night. The day started out with a wonderful line party conducted in traditional TORn style. There was trivia, a costume contest, and candy for everyone! All the participants in the costume contest received a 'Ringers' t-shirt, kindly donated by Sideshow/Weta Collectibles. The winners of the costume contest (including categories such as 'Most Lived-In', 'Purple is my Color', and 'Ithilien Rangers I'd Most Like to Get Lost in the Woods With' - in addition to the typical 'Best in Show' of course) received 'Ringers' pint-sized mugs and a LOTR trivia game. Trivia winners received raffle tickets that were later drawn for another LOTR trivia game. More 'Ringers' t-shirts (donated by the Ringers crew) were handed out in the theater. And the Line Party ended in grand hoopla with the arrival of Billy Boyd, who took his time walking down the line, pausing here and there for photo-ops (which I unfortunately missed, as I was in the theater helping set up for the costume contest awards at that time maybe someone else can post pictures of Mr. Boyd with his adoring public!). As everyone took their seats, the heads of the Newport Beach Film Festival gave a short speech, during which we found out that they are also died-in-the-wool LOTR fans! What a great way to start the show. Carlene Cordova ('Ringers' director and co-writer) gave a quick intro, encouraging everyone to 'give a shout out' when they saw themselves on the screen (and let me just say that she didn't have to ask twice with this crowd in fact, she probably didn't even need to ask at all!), and the lights dimmed' *Cue hootin' and hollerin' from 600+ LOTR fans* Let me just say that this film is pure joy for all LOTR fans. There wasn't a part of it that didn't hold my attention. There are naturally small problems with technicalities and flow occasionally no movie is perfect but it definitely delivers on all its promises. (You all remember how it feels to come to the end of the Appendices and realize that there is no more? That's how I felt when this movie ended.). Now, there's not really much I can write about this film that others have not written before me, but I can point out a few things that really stood out for me personally: The wonderful use of humor along with heart-wrenching joy and love for fandom was perfectly balanced. The way it followed Tolkien's influence through the decades was very unique and informative. I learned new trivia facts, I met new people (and was quite honestly scared by some of them!), and I recognized familiar faces. It didn't take itself too seriously, but also did not make fun of fans again, a perfect balance. Of course I have to give a shout-out to the Terry Gilliam-esque animation sequences that we've heard so much about, although my personal favorite segment was the mariachi flavor of the 'collectibles sing-a-long', which was total random fun. And then there was the brilliantly hilarious blurb of a rabid fangirl yelling complete nonsense at Elijah during an outdoor even of some kind, with Elijah just nodding and smiling in his incredibly patient way. Oh, and one of TORn's founders, Chris (aka Calisuri), had one of the funniest lines in the whole film. It went something like this: 'And my fiance's like, 'What are you doing throwing a birthday party for a FICTIONAL character??'' And we can totally understand the complete bafflement on his fiance's part, as we have all been exposed to it in some way or another during our everyday lives, whether from family members, co-workers, friends, or complete strangers wondering why we're wearing elf ears. 'And I could go on, but I'll spare you' After a standing ovation was given to 'Ringers' and its crew, Michael Hines, director of 'Instant Credit', took the mike to introduce the short film, starring Billy Boyd. He did warn us that the actors speak Scotch-English throughout the film, but I was still completely surprised to find that I could not understand a WORD of the opening scene! But I started picking up words here and there as I got a more comfortable with the dialect, and it turned out to be a very cute and funny short. It contained some classic Billy facial expressions, which of course received many 'awwwws' from all the females in the audience! After 'Instant Credit' finished, Carlene, Cliff, Billy, and Michael took the mike for a Q and A, which had to be quick because we were running WAAAAY behind schedule, pushing all the other films to be screened that night even further back. I must admit that I took a bathroom break during the Q and A - *blushes* - so I don't know what was talked about. I'm sure it was fascinating though! On to the after party at the Hard Rock Cafi, Fashion Island. The place was PACKED to the gills with all types: costumed LOTR characters, fashionably hip younger people, chill older folks, and boringly normal late-twentysomethings (me). One thing we had in common we were all bonded by LOTR-love! (and free drinks) Much mingling and dancing ensued' and continued until two in the morning, when the restaurant staff forcibly kicked us out. We geeks sure know how to party. Things I will remember from the party: dancing Aragorn, dancing costume-less Singing Gandalf, Billy getting chased to the bathroom ONCE AGAIN (poor guy), seeing familiar faces, and getting re-acquainted with quite a few online friends, which was by far the highlight of the day. Community is one of the things that makes this fandom so great, and it is completely celebrated through 'Ringers' - by the people who worked on it, the people who are in it, and the people who watch it. What more could you ask for in a film made by the fans, for the fans?
“Travelling in Middle-Earth” & Chamber Music New Zealand tour
Tehanu @ 3:51 pm EST
“700 years of pop” is how German-born harpist Asni describes her music, which she will be performing on a tour for Chamber Music New Zealand next month, as well as at venues in Wellington, Hamilton and Dunedin. Internationally recognized as a specialist on medieval and baroque harps, Asni one day got tired of playing only music written before the year 1750, and picked up a Beatles tune. Rather to her surprize, it sounded really well on the harp, and since then she has been exploring the repertory of contemporary pop and film music more thoroughly. Upcoming performances: Chamber Music New Zealand tour: “700 Years of Pop”: cd release: Asni – 700 Years of Pop, with Laurie Randolph, guitar, Christian Hagitte, producer – available here and in selected music stores ******************************************************************* Improvisation – also called jamming - plays a large part not only in jazz and contemporary music, but also in baroque and medieval music, and it bridges the time gap between songs written and popular at the time of the Crusades, and arrangements from Howard Shore’s “Lord of the Rings” soundtrack. Inbetween are jazzy arrangements of pop songs from the Renaissance, dance hits from the era of J.S. Bach, roots music from the Spanish Golden Age, and a selection of folk tunes from Ireland, Africa and Estonia – the latter are culled from an old and battered book on Estonian folk dance that has been passed down to Asni on her mother’s side of the family. “As a harpist, people always seem to assume that one has to be some sort of angelic – or spaced-out? – New Age-y sort of person” says Asni, “ but I am much too down to earth for that! I like pieces that have a strong rhythm, a groove, a swing. I also love exploring all the different tone colours one can produce on a harp. Proper phrasing and expression are important – it is all about how the music ‘speaks’, and you can apply that to a modern pop song just as well as to any baroque or medieval piece.” Asked what made her pick up such an unlikely instrument, Asni’s answer is spontaneous: “Reading too much Tolkien!” Disappointed with the decidedly un-elfish unwieldiness of the modern pedal harp, which she had been learning since a teenager, she took up early harps after finding out about all the fascinating varieties of the instrument that existed during the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Meanwhile, she has established herself internationally as one of the foremost modern performers on early harps. She was a member of New York early music ensemble ARTEK/458 strings, as well as working with internationally acclaimed ensembles such as Chanticleer (USA) and the Drottningholm Baroque Orchestra (Sweden). Later this year she will be representing New Zealand at the World Harp Congress in Dublin, Ireland. Little did Asni imagine, when she first went to see Peter Jackson’s “Fellowship of the Rings” in her native Berlin some four years ago, that the movie would spin her life out of orbit and have her end up on the other side of the globe. So impressed was she by the creative accomplishments of the movie, that she decided Wellington was the place to go: “If they can pull off something like that, it can’t be a bad place for someone like me!” About Asni German-born harpist Asni has been an active participant of the European early music revival since its beginnings in the mid-1980s, and has established herself internationally as one of the foremost modern performers on early harps. She has bern a member of New York early music ensemble ARTEK/458 strings and toured the USA with the Mark Morris Dance Group, as well as working with internationally acclaimed ensembles such as Chanticleer (USA) and at the Drottningholm opera house in Stockholm (Sweden). Later this year she will be representing New Zealand at the World Harp Congress in Dublin, Ireland, as well as perform and teach in Prague, Czech Republic. “Travelling in Middle Earth” J.R.R.Tolkien was known to his contemporaries first and foremost as an eminent Medievalist and professor of the English language. While the languages and histories he created for the different beings that populate his Middle Earth are deeply informed by his academic pursuits, he did not provide a similarly stringent system for the music of his elves,dwarves, men and hobbits. However, music plays an important part in his fictional universe. Readers of “The Silmarillion” - the book that details the history of Middle Earth and Valinor before the events described in “Lord of the Rings” - will remember that the Tolkinean universe is in fact created through music: it comes into being through the song of the Ainur, the Angel-like beings that take the place of Gods in Tolkien’s world. Among the musical instruments that are mentioned in Tolkien’s writings, the harp takes pride So in my own travels in Middle Earth, where do I begin? Well, I suppose playing the harp is a good start. The film music that Howard Shore wrote for Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” movies has inevitably been setting a standard - well-researched as well as eminently creative and beautiful, his soundtrack has become an instant classic, and I have adopted several of his songs in my programme. And if proof is needed that they are authentically Middle Earth, I can confirm that they work extremely well on the harp! Another lead might be the musical cultures of the people on whose languages Tolkien molded the phonetics and grammar of his Elven languages Quenya and Sindarin. Celtic languages such as Gaelic and Welsh were a major influence in their creation – but so was Finnish, the odd one out among the European languages. Finnish is closely related to Estonian and also to Hungarian, but not to any of the other Indo-European languages generally spoken in Europe. The Estonian folk tunes that I present in my programme also have strong personal connotations – I found them in a book on Estonian folk dance (written in Estonian, alas!) which has come down to me on my mother’s side of the family. Their style is similar to that of much Scandinavian and Northern European folk music, and they mix very well with some German dances from the early 18th century – the “pop music” that a J.S. Bach would have been familiar with. The Neapolitan toccata I present at the beginning of the programme may be a less evident choice – but with its strange and twisting harmonies and sudden outbursts it provides a fitting prelude for “Gollum’s song”. The Spanish and African-inspired dance music sets a festive mood fitting, perhaps, to a wedding in Gondor – their use of ostinati patterns has inspired much Baroque music, as well as substantial sections of Howard Shore’s soundtrack, as can be witnessed in his beautiful Elven song, “Evenstar” – as well as in my own creative speculations on what the music of the Elves might have sounded like. Celtic music has often been the first choice of musicians trying to create Tolkien’s musical universe, and it cannot be missing in my programme, either. New Zealand, of course, has its own Celtic heritage – and for many people all over the world, New Zealand has become almost synonymous with “Middle Earth”. The soundtrack that Michael Nyman wrote for Jane Campion’s “The Piano” uses Scottish folk tunes quite extensively, as can be witnessed in the beautiful and soaring “The heart asks pleasure first” – which should thereforehave its place on my short itinerary through Middle Earth.
Asni will be presenting her programme “700 years of pop” in Te Awamutu, Tokoroa, Warkworth, and Motueka, as well as in Wellington. In addition, she will be performing her new programme “Travelling in Middle-Earth” in Hamilton, Dunedin and at Old St.Paul’s in Wellington.
Wellington: Friday, 22 April,7 pm at 91 Aro St: “Jammin’ at the gallery – Asni , harp; Rick Jensen – saxophone; Richard Whyte – guitar.
Wellington: Wednesday, 4 May, 1.30 pm, Central Library, Victoria St: “700 Years of Pop” - as part of the New Zealand Music Month presentations.
Te Awamutu, Saturday, 7 May, 2.30 pm – Waipa Council Chambers
Tokoroa, Sunday, 8 May, 2 pm – Putaruru Timber Museum, Pinewood room
Warkworth, Sunday, 15 May, 12 noon – Mahurangi Estate Winery
Motueka, Saturday, 21 May, 7.30 pm – Chanel Arts Centre
For more information visit the Chamber Music New Zealand website.
Additional tour dates in May and June: “Travelling in Middle Earth”:
Hamilton, Wednesday, 11 May, 1 pm – Lunchtime concert, Performing Arts Center, University of the Waikato
Dunedin, Wednesday, 18 May, 1 pm - Lunchtime concert, Marama Concert Hall, Otago University
Wellington; Tuesday, 28 June, 12.15 pm – Lunchtime concert, Old St. Paul’s
About the music
“I like the unexpected and will often surprize myself in the middle of a performance, with an idea, an expression, a turn of phrase that I hadn’t thought of before. Improvisation plays an important part – most of the arrangements are my own, but they aren’t nailed down and fixed for all time, but will often change over the course of several performances. And I am definitely not trying to be mystical or angelic, except under very rare circumstances! Down to earth and groovy is more my thing, and at times I can be quite the drama queen on stage.”
In 2003, Asni came to New Zealand for a tour of concerts, fell in love with the place and stayed. She has been teaching at Victoria University Wellington, as well as getting involved in Wellington’s vibrant cultural life in various other ways. She has performed with singer Pepe Becker and her specialist early music ensemble “Baroque Voices”, as well as with alternative pop group dGare at last year’s Fringe festival. Asni is also an accomplished painter and photographer and is currently exhibiting some of her work at 91 Aro St. in Wellington, which is also the venue for her next upcoming performance.
Chance, or fate, assisted her in putting her idea of coming to New Zealand into practice: On an internet fan forum she made friends with a former Victoria University music graduate, who put her in touch with the university’s music department. Eight months and many, many emails later she boarded the plane to embark on a three month tour of the country – and fell utterly in love with the place. It then turned out that one of the music students at Victoria University had an interest in learning about, of all things, baroque harp, and so she was offered a small teaching position. Immersed in Wellington’s creative buzz and delighted by the support that artistic and creative endeavours are currently receiving both from government and City Council, and from the man and woman in the streets – which is in stark contrast to the attitudes she has encountered in her native Germany - she has never looked back.
In 2003 she came to New Zealand for a tour, fell in love with the place, and stayed. Currently, she is teaching early harps at Victoria University Wellington, and has performed with a wide range of music ensembles in the creative capital - – she has worked with singer Pepe Becker and early music ensemble “Baroque Voices”, as well as with alternative pop group dGare at last years Fringe festival, to name but a few. Her musical and artistic interests range widely and include film, photography, painting and writing, as well as looking after her own ever spreading website, www.asni.net. She holds a MA in musicology and has several published articles and radio broadcasts to her name, including a feature for German radio on Douglas Lilburn and New Zealand Music. She also runs her own music publishing company, The Harp & Hobbit Press.
This article can be found on Asni's website.
of place. Played by elves, dwarves, and men – though not, as far as current evidence goes, by hobbits! – it is easily the most popular and widely distributed music instrument in Middle Earth. But what did the music sound like that Thorin’s dwarves played in Bilbo’s cave, right at the beginning of “The Hobbit”? Or the lament that the Lady Galadriel sang, accompanying herself on a harp, as the Fellowship of the Ring was leaving Lothlorien? Or the festive music that the harpers of Gondor provided at King Elessar’s wedding? These things are open to speculation, and musicians have come up with their own solutions, ranging in style from the plainchant-inspired melodies that Tolkien himself suggested, to heavy metal music and such 20th century classics as Led Zeppelin’s “Battle of Evermore” or “Stairway to Heaven”.
| 4-25-05 Latest News |
Games Workshop UK Announces WOTRing Campaign!
Xoanon @ 2:11 pm EST
‘The War of the Ring’ Web Campaign for The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game to Launch Summer 2005 This summer, Games Workshop Hobbyists in the UK will get the chance to take part in “The War of The Ring” web campaign. The campaign gives hobbyists the chance to decide the fate of Middle-earth! Will the efforts of the Fellowship be futile with the forces of evil overrunning Middle-earth destroying anything good that stands in their path; or will the forces of good rally together and drive out the dark forces allowing Middle-earth to return to peace once more? The fate of Middle-earth will be decided! The War of the Ring website (www.thewarofthering.co.uk) will be at the centre of the campaign with hobbyists registering their game results, following the campaigns progress and talking tactics! The website will have the following features: Important dates for this site: Events and activity around the UK During the summer there will be coordinated activities around the UK: About Games Workshop Games Workshop designs, manufactures, distributes and retails tabletop wargame systems and associated miniatures, marketed as a complete hobby. Its key brands are Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game. The Games Workshop Hobby attracts over 750,000 people worldwide (12+ age group). Hobbyists can paint the miniatures, build their own scenery, join local clubs, take part in local, regional and national tournaments and read all about their favourite characters and worlds in the associated Black Library books. With its international headquarters in Nottingham, the company also has wholly-owned subsidiaries in the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and over 2,100 people are employed by the company through these operations. Games Workshop owns over 250 retail stores worldwide and Games Workshop product is featured in more than 2,000 independent outlets internationally. Games Workshop is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange. Games Workshop controls every aspect of its business, from initial concept and design through to manufacture, distribution and retail. New Line Cinema is the oldest and most successful independent film company in the world. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, licensing, merchandising and international marketing and distribution. New Line is a pioneer in franchise filmmaking and its Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the most successful film franchise in history. Together with its subsidiary, Fine Line Features, New Line is a unit of Time Warner. For further press information about New Line Cinema’s merchandising program, please contact Stephanie Baumoel or Sheila Feren at FerenComm, 212-983-9898.
Products are sold through the Group’s own chain of dedicated retail stores, through independent retailers, by mail order and direct via on-line stores. The Group’s publication White Dwarf is available via the stores, by mail order, on newsstands throughout the world (in several languages) and through its website - http://www.games-workshop.com/
About New Line Cinema
Games Workshop UK Announces WOTRing Campaign!
Xoanon @ 2:10 pm EST
‘The War of the Ring’ Web Campaign for The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game to Launch Summer 2005 This summer, Games Workshop Hobbyists in the UK will get the chance to take part in “The War of The Ring” web campaign. The campaign gives hobbyists the chance to decide the fate of Middle-earth! Will the efforts of the Fellowship be futile with the forces of evil overrunning Middle-earth destroying anything good that stands in their path; or will the forces of good rally together and drive out the dark forces allowing Middle-earth to return to peace once more? The fate of Middle-earth will be decided! The War of the Ring website (www.thewarofthering.co.uk) will be at the centre of the campaign with hobbyists registering their game results, following the campaigns progress and talking tactics! The website will have the following features: Important dates for this site: Events and activity around the UK During the summer there will be coordinated activities around the UK: About Games Workshop Games Workshop designs, manufactures, distributes and retails tabletop wargame systems and associated miniatures, marketed as a complete hobby. Its key brands are Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game. The Games Workshop Hobby attracts over 750,000 people worldwide (12+ age group). Hobbyists can paint the miniatures, build their own scenery, join local clubs, take part in local, regional and national tournaments and read all about their favourite characters and worlds in the associated Black Library books. With its international headquarters in Nottingham, the company also has wholly-owned subsidiaries in the US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Spain and over 2,100 people are employed by the company through these operations. Games Workshop owns over 250 retail stores worldwide and Games Workshop product is featured in more than 2,000 independent outlets internationally. Games Workshop is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange. Games Workshop controls every aspect of its business, from initial concept and design through to manufacture, distribution and retail. New Line Cinema is the oldest and most successful independent film company in the world. In addition to the production, marketing and distribution of theatrical motion pictures, the fully-integrated studio has divisions devoted to home entertainment, television, music, theater, licensing, merchandising and international marketing and distribution. New Line is a pioneer in franchise filmmaking and its Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the most successful film franchise in history. Together with its subsidiary, Fine Line Features, New Line is a unit of Time Warner. For further press information about New Line Cinema’s merchandising program, please contact Stephanie Baumoel or Sheila Feren at FerenComm, 212-983-9898.
Products are sold through the Group’s own chain of dedicated retail stores, through independent retailers, by mail order and direct via on-line stores. The Group’s publication White Dwarf is available via the stores, by mail order, on newsstands throughout the world (in several languages) and through its website - http://www.games-workshop.com/
About New Line Cinema
| 4-24-05 Latest News |
Ringers West Coast Premiere Images
Xoanon @ 12:05 pm EST
Garfeimao writes: The Line Party was a blast. Some people showed up at 6am, and by the time I got there around 1:30pm, there must have already been about 30 people in line, or more. We had some 18 entrants in our Costume contest, and all entrants got a Ringers shirt, with the winners getting Ringers Steins, and the Best in Show got a LOTR boardgame. We had a trivia competition, and everyone was given raffle tickets, until we could get the shirts to pass out to them. We must have handed out an additional 50 Ringers shirts to the crowd. There was a basket of assorted candy, which went over quite well as I passed it around. The theater staff and festival staff seemed rather amused and bemused by us, but I think they had a lot of fun too.
Once inside the theater, and with all the prizes given out, the film finally started. I was happy to note that my street sign, and others in the neighborhood, made the final cut. But when you live on Gondor, how could that not be in there? Much later on, I'm back onscreen, happily crooning about my Wee Scarvie, that I'm a Loon (fan of Billy Boyd) and that I frequent the message board that used to be on his official website. And I must point out here that Billy was sitting just two rows behind me, and I'd been talking to him an hour or two before the film. I gave his girlfriend a Wee Scarvie, for heaven's sake, and explained it's history. So, it was quite comical to see how I will be immortalized in the film. But you know, it's all good, I've never made any bones about who my favorite in the film is, and the filmmakers knew that.
So, the rest of the film, it's very energetic, got some really cool imagery and animation, and some very funny dialogue from Narrator Dom. They sort of span fandom from the halls of the Literati, to pop icon status, the hippie culture to Rock n' Roll and everything in between. Heck, I'm a third Generation LOTR fan, since my Grandfather was the one that bought the books for my mom when she was in school, which she then gave me when I was in school. The music rocks, no doubt about that, and they interview a vast array of singers, authors, scholars and actors outside of just those currently involved in the films. The funnest part was seeing this with a lot of other Ringers, including many we were to see in the film. We were all encouraged to give a shout out when we saw ourselves or friends of ours.
At the end, the actors from the films give a really beautiful message of how the fandom has affected them, and will continue to affect future generations. The film had technical difficulties at the end, and I had to run to the restroom, but it appears they were able to rewind and run the ending again. So, the bulk of the audience got to see that. And then it was off to the post party at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Wow, what a rager that turned out to be. I have been going to the Newport Beach Film Festival since it first started, 6 years ago. I usually go alone, because no one in my family is interested in art films or foreign language films, like me, and most of my friends are up in LA. So, when the film also includes a post party, I tend to go for awhile, then get bored because I don't know anyone. I'm not in the industry, so I'm not networking, and so I've always been a bit on the outside.
But this year, because Ringers was coming up, I had already talked with some of the Festival staff and was able to continue getting to know them at the screenings and parties I attended (Crash opens in the US soon and is really good, and Layer Cake, from the UK will rock your socks off). I then ended up running into other film buffs and some industry people who were easy to talk to and not just into networking. Go me. And then I got to meet a few actors, Billy Boyd only being one of them. So now I've been to three films in three nights, with three very different parties. I'm going to another film tomorrow, and then I may catch the British Short film series on Tuesday, since I now know the director of one of the films quite well. Again, Go me. In short, I really like film festivals, but it was a joy to see a film I had a little something to do with, and one where I knew so many people in it. I think everyone involved in actually making the film really put their hearts up there on the screen, and it shows. I hope everyone gets to see it really soon.