Click here for photos from 'The Return of the One Party'
| 9-28-05 Latest News |
Alan Lee Chat Next Month!
Xoanon @ 2:34 pm EST
TheOneRing.net -- in conjunction with Houghton Mifflin -- is delighted to announce that Alan Lee, the acclaimed LOTR illustrator and Academy Award-winning conceptual designer for the film trilogy, will join us in the Hall of Fire (on the TORn IRC server) on Saturday November 5 at 6pm EST for a live question and answer session. Alan will be answering questions on his work illustrating Lord of the Rings, his involvement with Peter Jackson and WETA as a conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings film Trilogy and his new book The Lord of the Rings sketchbook. The book presents more than 150 of Lee's celebrated illustrations to show how his imagery for both the illustrated Lord of the Rings and the films progressed from concept to finished art. In addition, the book contains 20 full-color plates and numerous examples of the conceptual art produced for Peter Jackson's film adaptation. Alan has been creating fantasy artwork since 1978. He's illustrated writers such as Dennis L McKiernen, Ursula K. Le Guin and has also worked as a set designer on the films Legend (1985), Erik the Viking (1989) and Merlin (1998). To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tolkien, a new 1,200 page edition of The Lord of the Rings was planned. Alan Lee was chosen as the illustrator. With 50 colour plates, the book was a stunning artistic and commercial success. Although the chat will not be held until November 5, you can still submit your question for Alan in advance simply by e-mailing it to halloffire@theonering.net We'll ask it for you on the day. Alan's United States book tour Alan Lee will also be touring the United States to promote and talk about his new book during October. His events will will feature a slide show, a Q&A with fans, and a booksigning. You can also pre-order your copy from Amazon by going here Alan's Tour Schedule: October 22 @ 12:00 noon October 24 @ 7:00 p.m. October 25 @ 7:00 p.m. October 26 @ 7:00 p.m. October 27 @ 7:30 p.m. October 28 @ 7:00 p.m. October 29 @ 7:00 p.m. October 31 @ 7:00 p.m.
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street (b/t 5th & 6th Ave)
New York, NY 10011
212-989-3270
Friends Select School
1651 Benjamin Franklin Parkway (17th & Parkway)
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-563-4184 (phone # for Joseph Fox Bookshop, which is sponsoring the
event)
Chapter 11
Peachtree Battle Shopping Center
2345-A Peachtree Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-237-7199
BookPeople
603 N. Lamar (6th & Lamar)
Austin, TX 78703
512-472-5050
Tattered Cover
1628 16th Street
Denver, CO 80202
303-436-1070
Borders Books
132 E. Winchester
Murray, UT 84107
801-313-1020
Book Passage
51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
415-927-0960
University Bookstore
4326 University Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
206-634-3400
Was 'The Return of the One Party' Haunted?
Xoanon @ 10:09 am EST
Cheshire Cat writes: I attended that memorable Oscar night party in the Legion building, Hollywood courtesy of TheOneRing.net on the night that Return of the King won all it's Oscars and I was therefore very interested to see a programme on UK TV last week that was all about the building where the party took place.
It is a fascinating programme that I love to watch called 'Most Haunted', a real-life documentary type thing whereby a group of individuals go and visit the most haunted houses in the UK. They take with them a couple of psychic mediums who pick up on names from the past that were associated with the building and do so with startling accuracy much of the time. A woman introduces the programme and along with the producer, cameramen, soundmen and even make-up girls they spend time in various rooms of the house waiting for any ghostly activity to occur. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this makes for excellent viewing as the middle of the night vigils are done in the pitch black with only night vision cameras to see or the occasional torch light and needless to say, these people are scared witless half the time!!!
Anyhow, in last weeks episode of Most Haunted this excellent team of ghost hunters travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA in order to investigate the ghostly goings-on at the Legion building in Hollywood!!! It was so interesting to see the place again and in the course of the programme they visited the the legion building's library, offices, main auditorium, pool room and bar!!! Yes! The very bar where myself and a group of TORn Discussion Room friends all sat and watched the Oscar ceremony on the TV!!! One of the mediums entered the building and was immediately drawn to the staircase (which I think was the one that had the big Shelob model on it on Oscar night). He said that someone called Marshall had died on this staircase and that it had very recently around 4 or 5 years ago. He was absolutely spot-on with this information because the current caretaker/manager of the building confirmed that a chap called Marshall was the previous caretaker and had looked after the building for decades before tragically falling on this staircase in the year 2000 and he died within minutes before any medical help could get to him. The current manager had been a good friend of Marshall's and was there during his dying moments. He was not at all surprised to hear the psychic say that Marshall was still 'inhabiting' the building and he said that he'd always felt that Marshall was still around keeping an eye on the place.
Anyhow, a number of the team decided to spend some of the night in the bar area and the pool room next door as these were two of Marshall's favourite spots during his many long years in the Legion. The results were really quite astounding and the team, who after five series of the fascinating programme, were completely over-the-moon about the reactions they got from this friendly and playful ghost.
They sat at around a table and tried to make contact with Marshall and the TV (the one on which we had watched the Oscar's that hung to the right of the bar) was switched on but not tuned into any channel, but you could screen was flickering. Three times they asked Marshall if he was able to switch off the TV and three times he did it!!! They couldn't believe it when each time they made the request the TV just flickered and clicked off! The remote control was right over the other side of the room beneath the television and no one had gone anywhere near it! *goosebumps* Lots of other noises were heard around the bar area and at one point the ice machine behind the bar went bonkers and started making a loud noise until they were forced to unplug it!
The final thing they did was to spend time in the Pool Room next to the bar. They laid five pool balls on the table and again called out asking Marshall to move the balls. The camera was fixed on the five balls, but then suddenly they heard a dull thud from the far end of the table (several feet away from where all the people in the room were sitting) and when they went round to investigate, one of the pool balls had dropped out of the roll-down area where the balls are dispensed and was sitting there on the floor!!! It was such a shame that the camera hadn't been pointing at it and was focused on the top of the table, but the team were amazed and couldn't believe what had happened!
Other ghosts are said to inhabit this building too including a dark figure who walks across the back row of the auditorium from time to time.
So anyhow, I wondered if TORn were aware of the fact they had chosen such a haunted location to hold their auspicious party of partys!
| 9-22-05 Latest News |
Hall Of Fire This Weekend -- Return Of The Noldor
Demosthenes @ 7:43 pm EST
Chapter 13 of The Silmarillion, Of the Return of the Noldor, takes us back to where we left the Noldorian elves, on the northern shores of Middle Earth. Feanor and his followers making their way inland, exploring and settling. Later, we see Fingolfin and his kin come ashore to the first rising of the Sun, and meeting again with the estranged kin who left them for dead on the ice. Although there is accord between the two groups, it is shaky at best. Meanwhile, Morgoth tests their strength against his own, sending orc hordes and balrogs and finally Glaurung the Uruloki (firedrake) to challenge the elves. The Noldorian elves are introduced to the elves of Menegroth as well as the Dwarves -- who become tentative allies in the peace of this time. "And even as the Noldor set foot upon the strand, their cries were taken up into the hill and multiplied…" What was the cause or emotion of this clamour? We see that the arrival of Fingolfin is very unlike that of Feanor. What are the differences and what significance is implied here? Fingon, while full of despair, attempts a daring rescue of Maedhros with the aid of the eagles. Is this enough to bridge the chasm of the enmity between the two groups of elves? Does Maedhros represent a Christ-like figure? How is King Thingol regarded by the Noldor? Does the growing involvement with the king hinder the joining of the elves? Ulmo sends Turgon and Finrod dreams to build strongholds, which they do. What is this interference in the lives of the Noldor by the Valar? Is Ulmo going against the wishes of the Valar by doing this? The Noldor launch a scattering of cities, mansions and strongholds. Does this establish them with strength throughout the region, or separate them enough so that they become vulnerable to Morgoth's ever-growing malice? Join us in the Hall of Fire on Saturday September 24 at 5:30pm EDT as we discuss Chapter 13 of the Silmarillion - Of the Return of the Noldor. America: Europe: Asia-Pacific: Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! Sun September 18 - Silmarillion Ch 12 Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net - the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. 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! 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:
Saturday September 24
5.30pm EDT
4.30pm CDT
3.30pm MDT
2.30pm PDT
10.30pm UK
11.30pm Central Europe
7.30am (Sunday) Brisbane
7.30am (Sunday) Sydney
9.30am (Sunday) Wellington
Upcoming topics:
Sat September 24 - Silmarillion Ch 13
Sun October 2 - Silmarillion Ch 13
Sat October 8 - Were Merry, Pippin, Gimli and Legolas essential to the quest?
Sun October 16 Were Merry, Pippin, Gimli and Legolas essential to the quest?
Where?
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
Join HoF Announce!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
| 9-16-05 Latest News |
LOTR Symphony Performances 2005-2006
Xoanon @ 7:21 pm EST
FOLLOWING SUMMER PERFORMANCES IN THE U.S. AND EUROPE, HOWARD SHORE’S THE LORD OF THE RINGS SYMPHONY RETURNS TO CONCERT HALLS ACROSS AMERICA IN 2005/2006 OREGON SYMPHONY TO GIVE FIRST PERFORMANCES IN NEW SEASON ON SEPTEMBER 17 AND 18 IN PORTLAND; SEASON HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THREE PERFORMANCES BY RENOWNED CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA IN FEBRUARY, CONDUCTED BY HOWARD SHORE FIRST TWO MOVEMENTS OF THE SYMPHONY WILL BE PERFORMED BY THE COLLEGIATE CHORALE AND THE ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE’S AT NEW YORK’S CARNEGIE HALL ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13; PROGRAM ENTITLED “THE RINGS: MYTH AND MUSIC” PAIRS SHORE’S MUSIC WITH EXCERPTS FROM WAGNER’S “RING” CYCLE AND OTHER WAGNER OPERAS “This symphony…is breathtaking. Shore's music takes listeners into new worlds, evoking a panorama of emotions that cut to the heart including love, serenity, pain and fury. It deserves to be enjoyed long after the movies have left the multiplex.” – Buffalo News New York, NY, September 14, 2005 – After a summer of first-time and encore performances in America and Europe, Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra and Chorus returns to concert stages on both continents in the 2005/2006 season beginning on September 17 and 18 with performances by the Oregon Symphony in Portland. Additional performances of the work will follow this fall in Grand Rapids, MI (Grand Rapids Symphony, October 14), Nashville, TN (The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, November 5) and Spokane, WA (Spokane Symphony Orchestra, November 12). “The Rings: Myth and Music,” a compelling and thought-provoking program that pairs Shore’s music with music by Richard Wagner, will be performed on Sunday, November 13 at New York’s Carnegie Hall by the Collegiate Chorale and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the direction of conductor Robert Bass. The program features the first two movements of The Lord of the Rings Symphony – those that comprise The Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment of Tolkien’s trilogy – along with excerpts from Wagner’s “Ring” Cycle and other Wagner operas. In early 2006, the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus will present three performances of Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony. These performances on February 10, 11 and 12 will be conducted by Howard Shore, who has led a number of previous performances of the symphony as well as the enormously successful soundtrack recordings that accompanied director Peter Jackson’s three record-breaking The Lord of the Rings films. Around the same time – and across the Atlantic – the Orchestra National de Lyon will present the symphony (February 10 and 11). Then, in the spring, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra will perform the work in Denver (May 19 – 21). Additional performances of the Symphony for 2006 will be announced in the future. Over the summer, The Lord of the Rings Symphony received several high profile performances in both America and Europe, including encore performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra (at its summer home, the 6000-seat Mann Center), the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony. The Buffalo Philharmonic gave its first performances of The Lord of the Rings Symphony on July 15 and 16, and a critic was heartened by both the quality of the work and by the new faces that attended the show: “No, it wasn't the crowd that typically attends an orchestra concert, but it was an uplifting sight to see – and one that has been repeated around the world as Howard Shore's ‘The Lord of the Rings Symphony’ draws new audiences to the symphony.” Following the Pittsburgh Symphony’s encore performances, a critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported: “Shore's symphonic journey certainly echoes J.R.R. Tolkien's dark and wonderful story, with its mysterious swirling mists, majestic sweeps and whimsical touches where needed. But nothing can match the impact of Shore's most powerful passages drawing upon full brass and percussion, along with the Mendelssohn Choir and Children's Festival Chorus of Pittsburgh.” Performances in Europe this summer were enormously successful. The Athens News Agency reported that a “sold out crowd was enchanted” by a performance at the Acropolis’s Odeon Herod Atticus, one of the city’s most famous outdoor theaters. The Symphony also received performances at the prestigious Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Germany and in Oslo’s Frognerparken, where Norway’s acclaimed Oslo Philharmonic played it for a crowd estimated to have topped 70,000. The same orchestra gave another performance a few days later in Bergen for a crowd estimated at over 30,000. Since its debut performance in Wellington, New Zealand, on November 29, 2003, Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony has been performed to full houses close to 90 times on four continents. Audiences from Sydney and Tokyo to Los Angeles and London have greeted the two-hour work with rousing ovations following performances in some of the world’s most famous venues – including Sydney’s Opera House, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Moscow’s Kremlin Palace Theater. Some of the world’s leading international orchestras – including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony and the London Philharmonic – have performed the Symphony in addition to regional orchestras from Albuquerque and Salt Lake City to Dallas and Hartford. Shore takes particular pride in the fact that performances of The Lord of the Rings Symphony around the world have been given not by a single touring orchestra but almost entirely by local performers: “The symphony has been presented around the world, but regardless of where it has been done the performances have been given by local artists. That’s the real joy of it for me: this work is helping awaken community interest in the symphony orchestra.” In addition to Shore, there are five other conductors performing the piece around the world: John Mauceri, Alexander Mickelthwate, Markus Huber, Alastair Willis and Terry Edwards. About The Lord of the Rings Symphony: Six Movements for Orchestra and Chorus Howard Shore wrote his six-movement The Lord of the Rings Symphony for symphony orchestra, adult and children's choirs, as well as solo instrumentalists and vocalists, totaling more than 200 musicians on stage. Working with conductor John Mauceri, who first suggested that the music of The Lord of the Rings be preserved as an independent work for the concert hall, Shore created a two-hour symphony drawing from the nearly 12 hours of music he composed for Peter Jackson’s phenomenally successful film trilogy. (Shore received three Oscars and four Grammy awards for the soundtrack recordings.) The six movements of the symphony correspond to the progression of the epic through the six books that comprise the three-volume trilogy, capturing the enormous complexity and limitless imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation – from the simple, pastoral beauty of the hobbits’ Shire to the magic and mystery of the Elves and the monumental battle scenes – in music by turns explosive, ethereal and, ultimately, transcendent. As Doug Adams, author of the soon-to-be-published book The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films explained in a Chicago Tribune interview, “There’s a different style of music for each culture of characters: hobbit, elf, dwarf. If you go to the symphony performance it’s very much like an abstract version of Tolkien’s story.” Shore achieves this enormous feat by the ingenious use and juxtaposition of a plethora of recurring motifs – close to 80 in all – associated with the various characters and places in the books. Shore’s employment of some instruments foreign to the traditional Western symphony orchestra – and of choral settings in Tolkien’s languages – help conjure up the ancient beauty of Middle-earth, its diverse inhabitants, and the harrowing struggle between the forces of good and evil. Howard Shore is currently working on King Kong, another film project with Peter Jackson. He is also working on an opera, The Fly, based on his film collaboration with David Cronenberg, for Los Angeles Opera. Earlier this year, his score for The Aviator (his third collaboration with director Martin Scorsese) won a Golden Globe as well as a Critics’ Choice award and his soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the song “Into the West” both won Grammy Awards. Each of his scores for the previous installments of the trilogy – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – won a Grammy. Shore likens the daunting experience of writing the music for the three The Lord of the Rings films to that of the humble hobbit asked to carry the ring. “When I started,” he told the Chicago Tribune, “I was the hobbit with the ring saying, ‘I will do this. I will take the ring to Mordor, although I do not know the way.’” Shore considers his work on The Lord of the Rings to be the culmination of everything he has done in his first 40 years of writing music. Critical acclaim for Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony “[Howard Shore’s] instinct for melody is superb, his integration of legitimate ancient music sources with contemporary-sounding tonal clusters and harmonic invention is terrific, and, most of all, he creates, as both Jackson and Tolkien did before him, an entire imagined universe that is both detailed and consistent.” "There's no denying the sweep and rich texture of the work, with its Celtic-like tunes, moody pop songs, and effective use of choral voices (think Carmina Burana, only darker). And Shore's nod to Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle at the very end, with the orchestra reveling in the healing power of a major chord, makes a satisfying coda. …When the last notes dissipated, it sounded as if the demonstrative audience would keep the ovation going until long after all signs of Elvish had left the building.” "Shore's musical opus is every bit as impressive as Tolkien's literary one, standing on its own as a sweeping, operatic experience, even when liberated from the majesty of Jackson's trilogy.” “Among the highlights of the six-movement [The Lord of the Rings Symphony] was ‘The Prophecy,’ featuring a lonely ney flute that evoked the other-worldliness of 5,000-year-old Middle-earth. The chorus swelled and climbed with urgent excitement in ‘Concerning Hobbits,’ and a solo fiddle added effervescence to ‘The Shadow of the Past.’ Heavy percussive drive on ‘The Bridge of Khazad-dum’ sweepingly suggested a history of classic cinema spectaculars. Emotional interludes included ‘Hope and Memory’ and ‘The Riders of Rohan’; ‘A Knife in the Dark’ pulsated with ‘Camina Burana’ excitement.” Howard Shore’s The Lord of the Rings Symphony: 2005/2006 Performances Saturday, September 17 and Sunday, September 18 Friday, October 14 Saturday, November 5 Saturday, November 12 Sunday, November 13 at 2PM Friday, February 10, Saturday, February 11 and Sunday February 12 Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11 Friday, May 19, Saturday May 20, Sunday, May 21
– Newark Star-Ledger
– Baltimore Sun
– The Seattle Times
– Variety
* all dates below are of the complete Symphony, except the 11/13 concert at Carnegie Hall
Oregon Symphony Orchestra
Portland, Oregon (Civic Center)
Grand Rapids Symphony
Grand Rapids, Michigan (DeVoss Hall)
Nashville Symphony Orchestra
Nashville, Tennessee (Curb Event Center)
Spokane Symphony Orchestra
Spokane, Washington (Spokane Arena)
“The Rings: Myth and Music”
The Collegiate Chorale and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s perform excerpts from Wagner’s “Ring” Cycle (and the Flying Dutchman) and Movements I and II – “The Fellowship of the Ring” – from the Lord of the Rings Symphony under the direction of Robert Bass.
New York, NY (Carnegie Hall)
Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Howard Shore
Cleveland, OH (Severance Hall)
Orchestra de Lyon
Lyon, France (Hall of Tony Garnier)
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Denver, Colorado (Boettcher Hall)
Europe Gears Up For Fourth Ring*Con
leo @ 9:13 am EST
Now that all the American 'Rings'-related conventions have come and gone (ELF, Dragon*Con) it is time to look forward to Europe's biggest and undoubtedly the best convention around: Ring*Con. The German-based event is scheduled for their fourth installment already, making them the oldest Lord of the Rings-convention out there. This time around there'll be some changes though. In previous years the convention has grown so much that it was time to move to a different location, for what orgainsers are claiming will be 'their biggest and best convention'. Home of Ring*Con 2005 is the Esperanto Hotel in Fulda, but don't get your hopes op too high; all the rooms are booked. This years stars include Sean Astin, David Wenham (yes folks, David Wenham, at probably one of his first convention-appearances!), John Noble, Thomas Robbins, Royd Tolkien, John Howe, the inseperable Craig Parker and Mark Ferguson etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And apart from that the organisers have pulled open a can of lecturers, artists and bands to accompany Master-of-Ceremonies Marc B. Lee in all the acticities that will be held throughout the weekend. So, if you don't have any other plans for the weekend of 7 - 9 October be sure to join them and 5.000 other visitors from over 30 countries worldwide in the fun that is Ring*Con! Head over to their website, RingCon.de, for more information, and we'll see you there!
Hall Of Fire This Weekend -- Of Men
Demosthenes @ 6:09 am EST
This weekend, Hall of Fire returns to discussing the Silmarillion. Chapter 12 -- Of Men -- begins with the Valar withdrawing more and more from Middle-earth and its inhabitants, both elves and Men. Why is Ulmo -- perhaps the one least suited to the task -- the only one who seems to care? Does this seem like a wise move? If the Valar were at all interested in the Children of Ilúvatar, why do they they turn away and leave them to Morgoth? Could it be that the Valar themselves are weakening, and less capable of intervening in Middle Earth except as allies? Or having been burnt in trying to befriend the Elves, are they simply wary of the greater pitfalls that may await if they are to meddle with the fate of the more mysterious Second Children? Instead, it appears as though the human race was simply turned loose on the earth. No Vala came to guide them. Is this the core reason why they come to fear rather than love the Valar? But then, if they had no contact, how would humans know to fear the Valar? How mcuh of this is the responsibility of Morgoth and how much may be due to those first early dealings with the Moriquendi -- the elves that never went to Valinor? We are told that at the rising of the Sun, humans awoke in a place called Hildórien in the eastward regions of Middle-earth. Is there any significance to this location? And why does the Sun first rise in the West? Is it to draw them towards the Valar? We are also given a list of names, in true elven style, for the newcomers: Atani : the Second People They are also called Usurpers, Strangers, Inscrutable, Self-cursed, Heavy-handed, Night-fearers, and Children of the Sun. From these names alone, we get a picture of elves as standoffish, resentful, and fearful. Was this the attitude of the Eldar in the beginning, or is this an example of revisionist storytelling? Is the attitude justified? And why are humans characterised as being at strife with the world and at variance with the Powers? They are creations of Ilúvatar, after all, just as the elves are, so why should they be portrayed as being at odds with their creator? Join us in the Hall of Fire on Sunday September 18 at 2:00pm EDT as we discuss Of Men - Chapter 12 of the Silmarillion. 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 instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. Sun September 18 - Silmarillion Ch 12 Got a topic? Let us know your idea! 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
Hildor: the Followers
Apanónar: the After-born
Engwar: the Sickly
F'rimar: the Mortals
Time and date:
Sunday September 18
2.00pm EDT
1.00pm CDT
12.00pm MDT
11.00am PDT
7:00pm UK
8:00pm Central Europe
4.00am (Monday) Brisbane
4.00am (Monday) Sydney
6.00am (Monday) Wellington
Where?
Upcoming topics:
Sat September 24 - Silmarillion Ch 13
Sun October 2 - Silmarillion Ch 13
Sat October 8 - Were Merry, Pippin, Gimli and Legolas essential to the quest?
Sun October 16 Were Merry, Pippin, Gimli and Legolas essential to the quest?
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
| 9-12-05 Latest News |
Baggins Birthday Party 2005
Xoanon @ 4:38 pm EST
Note that this is a Sunday, not our usual Saturday, and a day later than originally suggested in July--though I did send this date out in August. David Lenander writes: SUNDAY, Sept. 25, the Rivendell Group of The Mythopoeic Society and The Minnesota Tolkien Society will assemble at the home of Margaret Gates to celebrate the birthdays of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. This is the same home that we've celebrated the party at for some years--but this year we will have to celebrate without host Richard (Dick) Gates, who died last month. I suggested moving the party, but Margaret (my mother) felt that it would be good for her to keep to this tradition, and remembered that Richard always enjoyed having the Hobbit partiers visit his home. Begin arriving about 1:30 p.m., but we’ll probably stretch out the meeting over different activities all afternoon, with people coming and going as their schedules dictate. We’ll talk about things Tolkien, from the original Hobbit to the Lord of the Rings films. I’ll have a few Tolkien-y mathoms to hand out. I'd appreciate ideas for the party--if you'd like to do something, bring something, whatever, let me know! Sharin' Schroeder, who's written a manuscript about Tolkien-themed parties, has a million ideas--I just don't know which one to try out this year! It might depend upon who comes and who has the energy to put something together. We’ll try to start a proper discussion by about 3:00, for those who want a proper discussion. This year we expect to be joined by members of the Minnesota Tolkien Society (MTS), and I imagine that they will bring along some of their display materials for anyone who missed our previous joint meetings, over the past several months. Please let me know if you can or can’t make it, especially if interested in future meetings—next month we'll be putting on a Tolkien Mini-Festival with the MTS'ers at the Southdale Public Library, and the MTS has all kinds of activities planned for the next few months. In fact, you should check out their new web-site at www.mntolkien.com If you need a ride (or can provide one), let me know and I’ll see what I can coordinate. No need to bring anything (though Tolkien memorabilia to show off is always appropriate)! We generally have some displays, including most of the past Tolkien Calendars back to 1974--always good for a discussion topic. Costumes, whether Tolkien or SF or Renaissance Festival-inspired are welcome, and we will admire them, but most do not wear costumes. And bring any musical instruments or copies of the Swann/Tolkien Road Goes Ever On and The Middle-earth Song Book--or the like. I expect to provide tea, coffee and probably other non-alcoholic beverages, and some form of (birthday) cake-like accompaniment, we’ve generally warmed up some hot-dish such as lasagna somewhere in the mid-afternoon, and you are welcome to bring something if you want to, but please avoid anything containing nuts (including such unobvious ingredients as almond paste or extract, or peanut butter). One of our members is very seriously allergic to the presence of these ingredientsin the room. We will probably have several children and teenagers present, kids are o.k. I'd be interested in collecting some Middle-earth recipes, by the way--whether or not you want to try preparing any food. If you ever have, or just have an interesting recipe for _lembas_ or ent-drink or seed-cake or whatever (orc-gruel??) bring along a copy of the recipe for sharing! Any smoking will have to be outside. If it rains, we’ll have some Tolkien-related videos and audio recordings. But I hope it’s a fairly nice day, perfect for watching the river flow by and walking around the Banfill Locke grounds. Directions to the Gates' place: Located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, 6668 NE East River Road, in Fridley--right next door to the Banfill Locke Center for the Arts nature preserve (6666 NE East River Rd). Take I-694 east or west towards the Mississippi River (you can take I-94 north to 694, and then go east to the next exit). Just east of the river, take the East River Road exit and travel north about 1.3 miles (Dick’s rough estimate), crossing Mississippi Street. Just beyond this street, get into the left-turn lane in the middle of the road (which is mostly intended for the Banfill Locke entrance, you may notice the the sign by the side of the road). Turn left, either into the Gates’ driveway or the Banfill Locke entrance. There is a large parking lot on the Banfill Locke site, and this might be a good place to park, especially if you’d care to take a tour of their gardens and parkland—or if you want to avoid having to get other cars to move when you want to leave. There are paths and picnic areas for anyone who’d care to bring a picnic lunch and eat before the party. Margaret’s and Dick’s home is not the house by East River Road, but the one at the end of their separate driveway, separated from the Banfill Lock drive and parking by a fence. From St. Paul, I take I-94 west, which eventually curves north to 694, which I then take briefly to the east, just across the river to the first exit, which comes out on East River Road. Under separate cover, I'll forward a longer list of activities coming up in September and October and afterwards, one notable addition to previous lists is Arcana, the Dark Fantasy convention held each fall in St. Paul. Because of the death in my family, I've been slow to get to updating web-pages and send these notices, but I hope to get caught up over the next few days. Please don't publish these directions on the web or widely distribute them over e-distribution lists, outside of Rivendell and the MTS. We'd like to have some idea of how many people to expect (we've never had more than about 25, and never had that many at once, I think--one year it may have been as few as about a dozen. But I'm happy to forward this invitation to anyone in the area who's interested.
| 9-10-05 Latest News |
Hall Of Fire This Weekend - Of Men
Demosthenes @ 11:11 am EST
This weekend, Hall of Fire returns to discussing the Silmarillion. Chapter 12 -- Of Men -- begins with the Valar withdrawing more and more from Middle-earth and its inhabitants, both elves and Men. Why is Ulmo -- perhaps the one least suited to the task -- the only one who seems to care? Does this seem like a wise move? If the Valar were at all interested in the Children of Ilúvatar, why do they they turn away and leave them to Morgoth? Could it be that the Valar themselves are weakening, and less capable of intervening in Middle Earth except as allies? Or having been burnt in trying to befriend the Elves, are they simply wary of the greater pitfalls that may await if they are to meddle with the fate of the more mysterious Second Children? Instead, it appears as though the human race was simply turned loose on the earth. No Vala came to guide them. Is this the core reason why they come to fear rather than love the Valar? But then, if they had no contact, how would humans know to fear the Valar? How mcuh of this is the responsibility of Morgoth and how much may be due to those first early dealings with the Moriquendi -- the elves that never went to Valinor? We are told that at the rising of the Sun, humans awoke in a place called Hildórien in the eastward regions of Middle-earth. Is there any significance to this location? And why does the Sun first rise in the West? Is it to draw them towards the Valar? We are also given a list of names, in true elven style, for the newcomers: Atani : the Second People They are also called Usurpers, Strangers, Inscrutable, Self-cursed, Heavy-handed, Night-fearers, and Children of the Sun. From these names alone, we get a picture of elves as standoffish, resentful, and fearful. Was this the attitude of the Eldar in the beginning, or is this an example of revisionist storytelling? Is the attitude justified? And why are humans characterised as being at strife with the world and at variance with the Powers? They are creations of Ilúvatar, after all, just as the elves are, so why should they be portrayed as being at odds with their creator? Join us in the Hall of Fire on Saturday September 10 at 5:30pm EDT as we discuss the decisions made by Elrond and Cirdan at the end of the Last Alliance of men and elves, and the beginning of the Third Age. 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 instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer. To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions. Sat September 10 - Silmarillion Ch 12 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
Hildor: the Followers
Apanónar: the After-born
Engwar: the Sickly
F'rimar: the Mortals
Time and date:
Saturday September 10
5.30pm EDT
4.30pm CDT
3.30pm MDT
2.30pm PDT
10.30pm UK
11.30pm Central Europe
7.30am (Sunday) Brisbane
7.30am (Sunday) Sydney
9.30am (Sunday) Wellington
Where?
Upcoming topics:
Sun September 18 - Silmarillion Ch 12
Got a topic? Let us know your idea!
http://www.theonering.net/mailman/listinfo/hof-announce
| 9-09-05 Latest News |
'The Trouble of the Rings' DVD News
Xoanon @ 8:19 pm EST
Peter Klassen writes: On 10th September, the Russian fan-made parody of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy will be released on DVD for purchase worldwide. The project which originated from the Russian LotR website "Henneth-Annun", was created in three years of work, each part following after Peter Jackson's theatrical releases of LotR. The project was realised uncommercially, and the total budget of $5000 (for the whole trilogy!) as well as costumes and props were brought up by enthusiasts and supporters from the forum. What did came out, were three movies with 75 minutes running time each: "The Trouble of the Rings: The Fellowship", "The Trouble of the Rings 2: The Towers" and "The Trouble of the Rings Returns: King-Size".
The films were shot on various locations of Moscow, which sometimes resemble Peter Jackson's New Zealand landscapes in an astonishing way. For means of transport in Middle-Earth, some original solutions have been designed. So, the menacing 8 1/2 Nazgul are riding on bicycles; the pony Bill is a scooter; Gandalf's horse Shadowfax is played by a motorbike, and the Haradrim's mumakil are.... well, be ready for a surprise. Another topic of the TOTR parody is "restoring the justice" for all the changes which Peter Jackson undertook in his screen version of LOTR. So we get to see, how Arwen came to Asfaloth, why Haldir brings word from Elrond and what Balrog really wants from Gandalf...
The movies premiered in Moscow in December of 2002, 2003 and 2004, and had good success on public screenings on Zilantkon (Russia) and Tolkien-2005 (Birmingham, UK).
Now, this no-budget parody trilogy is hitting the DVD medium. The 4 Disc Collector's DVD set contains the 3 movie DVDs as well as a bonus DVD full with various extra features. Here are the specs of the set:
"The Trouble of the Rings: Collector's Edition"
Language: Russian 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles: English, German (films and bonus materials)
Picture: 4:3 fullscreen
Color System: PAL
Region Code: 0
Rated: O (Restricted for Orcs)
Bonus material on the Film DVDs (subtitled):
- Audio Commentaries of the makers
- Trailers for each part of the trilogy
- Ring*Con 2004 Trailer
- Behind the Scenes: "How it was"
- On TOTR2 und TOTR3: bilingual end credits (Russian/English)
- Animated menus with music
Bonus Materials on the Bonus DVD (subtitled):
- Making of: "The Trouble of the Rings: The Road Goes Ever On..." (~30 Min)
- "Moscow As Middle-Earth": Interactive Atlas of Locations
- "Our Fellowship" - Interview Featurette
- "All Of You Are Worthy, All Of You Are Great": Music Video About the Mass Extras
- TV Report About the Filming (Russian TV)
- TV Interview (NBC EUROPE)
- TOTR1: Premiere Report
- TOTR2: Outtakes - "Theoden's Kitchen", "Crow's Drink"
- TOTR3: Casting Auditions
- Photo Gallery
- Promotion Gallery
- Complete Credits
More information on this DVD release, as well as screenshots, trailers, dialogue quotes and much more can be found at TheHutt's TOTR page.
The official site of the Fellowship Art Group, the makers of TOTR
Ringers: Lord of the Fans at Dragon*Con
Xoanon @ 8:09 pm EST
Ringer Celebriel attended the Dragon*Con Sunday panel on "Ringers: Lord of the Fans" with filmmakers Cliff Broadway and Jeff Marchelletta. This, the last of their three panels at Dragon*Con, focused directly on the development and forthcoming release of the film. Cliff mentioned that, while "Ringers" is being released on DVD, it is possible there will be theatrical screenings in key markets, which will generate interest in the film (and provide opportunity for line parties and other Ringer events!). The panel opened with a rousing performance by Emerald Rose, whose music is featured on the soundtrack. (There may be a film soundtrack album in the future as well.)
“Ringers” is a 97-minute feature length film examining Tolkien’s books and their franchise from the 1950s to the 21st century. It’s based on over 150 hours of interviews. Development sped up when Jeff pitched Tom DeSanto (X-Men) and he came aboard as Executive Producer. They got Ian McKellen to make a surprise appearance at ComicCon in San Diego when McKellen was on his way to New Zealand to start working on “The Lord of the Rings.” At ComicCon in 2003, they recorded fan impressions in a “confessional booth,” many of which were used in the film.
After the release of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” Cliff and Carlene Cordova recorded cast and crew at various award season events, realizing along the way that the story was becoming much bigger than first imagined.
Making the film took them to England and New Zealand and all over the United States. On the New Zealand visit, Cliff was able to appear as an extra in “The Return of the King,” playing a Gondorian looking over the walls of Minas Tirith toward the battlefield, standing next to Irolas. His comment: “My little geek heart almost burst out of my little geek chest!”
The November DVD release by Sony Pictures will include not just the film but also added value material such as “The Ring Comes Full Circle,” a making-of documentary. Other bonus features include the deleted scene “Tatoo You,” memorable confessionals from fans not used in the final film, interview footage with Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, and Andy Serkis, “Making Lord of the Rings Cool Again” (a segment about Peter Jackson’s filmmaking), and an alternative film soundtrack that’s like a party conversation. Cliff summed up, “We made it because no one else would. We are bigger geeks than you can imagine.”
More Dragon*Con Images
Xoanon @ 7:28 pm EST
Celebriel’s report and photo gallery – Dragon*Con Saturday parade and Sunday evening photo op
The Saturday morning parade through the streets of downtown Atlanta, now in its fourth year, is a popular event among all convention attendees, drawing a large contingent of Ringers as well as fans of Star Wars, Star Trek, pirates, and many other book, film, and game franchises. Several thousand other Dragon*Con attendees and Atlanta locals fill the streets, cheering and photographing each contingent. Arms of Middle Earth undertook the organizing of the parade contingent. The hobbits were at the front, followed by a large group of elves, including Galadriel, Arwen, and Legolas, some from the race of men, including Aragorn and Theoden, Haradrim, the Witch King, an entwife, Varda the Valar, Gollum, and even a balrog. Gollum and a Ringwraith dashed about, interacting with both observers on the sidewalks and parade participants.
John Noble (Denethor) was one of the parade marshals, riding in an open car. At the end of the parade, the contingent gathered on the steps of the hotel for a group picture. Count them – there are about 50 people in the photo with John! John and Bruce Hopkins (Gamling) were also available for photos and autographs on the convention’s Walk of Fame for much of the day, along with a host of other celebrities.
Sunday evening, before the convention’s masquerade program, the Lord of the Rings group gathered again in the lobby of the Marriott for a massive photo op, enlivened by re-enactments of several scenes from the films. Hope you enjoy the photo gallery! Questions or feedback? Email me!
| 9-08-05 Latest News |
MrCere's Dragon*Con 2005 Report
Xoanon @ 7:43 pm EST
ATLANTA - Exhausting. Exhilarating. Draining. Inspiring. Childish. Adult.
Mrcere writes: DragonCon in Atlanta is all of these and so much more. As one of the largest and most important genre conventions in the world, DragonCon is a red-letter event on any sci-fi or fantasy fan's calendar and if it isn't, it should be.
TheOneRing.net and KongIsKing.net were there again this year (first time officially for KiKn), pleased to get face time with fellow fans and pleased to help support the Tolkien contingent in Atlanta. Some assumed that fans of the Lord of the Rings would diminish as new interests cropped up and the pop-culture flavor of the month changed to something new but there was strong evidence that Tolkiendom isn't going anywhere.
Fans from Atlanta and surrounding areas have formed a group that creates fellowship among Tolkien fans and builds the LOTR community along with the efforts of other groups like TORn and Allycatscratch.com/lotr/. Both of these groups had fan tables in the convention level of the Marriott - one of the two host hotels with a third set to join next year - where free tables can be reserved for fan organizations. The presence of three tables by LOTR fan groups shows that Tolkien's followers aren't going anywhere. Group leaders planned feeding times and events treated the entire community with respect and friendship. AOME was a particularly impressive host, especially considering the grass-roots flavor of the organization. Many of its individual members were generous with time and finances.
The ever-popular Bruce Hopkins and the regal John Noble both attended the event and were gracious with fans both on the convention's "walk of fame" and as part of the Tolkien track of programming. Noble isn't always a regular on the convention circuit but was a welcome sight by most fans. He was even kind enough to show up to an evening tradition of TORn's, the annual karaoke night in one of the Marriott eateries, Champions. The bar and grill featured incredibly bad and indifferent service but the song-list was excellent.
TORn's own Jincey is director of all the Tolkien programming - one of 27 tracks the convention features - and she was quick to give credit to helpers Sam and Balin, also part of the TORn family. Sideshow Collectibles was extremely generous to the Tolkien programming and sent a bundle of giveaway items. Kudos to Sideshow for providing yet another bright spot for many fans.
TORn and KiKn shared a fan table with the crew from "Ringers: Lord of the Fans" who used Dcon as the very last chance to get the word out about the expected November release of the film that in 97 minutes documents 50 years of Tolkien's cultural impact on pop culture. "Ringers" will likely be available for presale soon in the U.S. and can be ordered now on Amazon's UK site. The trailer for "Ringers" alternated play with the "King Kong" trailer on the fan table's monitor. Each preview drew crowds and enthusiastic responses. Ringers also delivered three presentations informing attendees about different aspects of their film and DVD presentation. With the director (Carlene Cordova), writer (Cliff Broadway) and producer (Jeff Marchelletta) all on hand, attendees received a complete education and a dose of excitement for the pending DVD.
KongIsKing.net presented multi-media panels on both the site and the status of the film. Despite drawing the time slot on Friday when many of the guests are arriving and dealing with hotel check in and registration, the initial panel was packed. Sunday's session in one of the bigger rooms in the convention was also filled to capacity and scores of people attending each of the panels made a point to visit the table and express delight with the prospects of the movie and the information from KiKn. With no official presence from Universal Pictures, the many fans of the classic King Kong used the panels and table as a base for discussion about films both old and new. With a show of hands, many at the panels were completely unaware of KiKn and many were delighted to find a way to track the progress of the film.
TORn and KiKn offered ball caps for the first time in many years as well as the usual shirts and even a few exclusive sweat shirts. Thanks to all the fans who supported the site with your purchases.
The track also featured a Friday night party with a costume contest at "A Night In Bree" featuring favorite folk band "Emerald Rose" who rocked the convention the whole of the weekend. The Georgia based band released its new album at the convention which sold extremely well. The costumes were excellent in both execution and in original thought. My personal favorite was the excellent Radaghast the Brown, complete with birds and their droppings.
TORn staffers Wee Tanya and Starlady were also at the convention and one of the best features of the event are the chance meetings of convention friends and the joy of simply hanging with people who love the same things. On the often-full elevators it was suggested that the convention is one of the only spots in the world where strangers on elevators actually talk to each other.
I happened to share a ride up one elevator with New Zealander Daniel Logan who played the young Boba Fett in the new Star Wars trilogy. We conversed a bit while waiting and when the doors opened a troop of fan Storm Troopers in full costume awaited us.
"Are you guys from Star Trek?" he asked them? When he received no response he continued to give them a friendly hard time while the two of us had a good laugh and while the troopers simply wondered who this outgoing and bold teen was. He sent each away with a farewell as they disembarked, "Good bye Star Trek". With his humor in tact, we wish him happiness and a long career.
Dr. Anne "Just Anne" Petty was also part of the Tolkien track and was kind enough to join a group of us for dinner at the Hard Rock Café after the convention was winding down. I admit I was a bit chagrined that we were taking somebody I considered of grandmother age and who deserved respect as a genuine Tolkien scholar to such an undignified and loud joint. A short time into the meal it was discovered she is a closet hard rock / heavy metal fan who has toured around with Yngwie Malmsteen http://www.yngwie.org/ and considers herself a surrogate grandmother to the Swedish guitar virtuoso. She is extremely fond of Danzig, System of a Down, Ramstien and a gaggle of other just-as-unlikely bands. I joked that she probably knew Norweigen death-metal bands and she proceeded to name one that she likes. Consider her officially outed and look for her name in the "thank yous" on the Malmsteen disc. Those present urged her to use "Metal Mamma" as her TORn board and chat room handle.
The real experience of DragonCon lies in just the atmosphere of being around thousands of costumers - each more outrageous than the one before - and simply just being immersed in a culture of fans, unlike any other. I managed to snap some photos of many of the Tolkien costumers all gathered together at one time before the weekend was over. I snapped many, many other photos as well, but will post only the most interesting here to TORn.
Oddly, many find that when it ends, they miss the weekend, although surviving on little sleep and poor nutrition, the energy of thousands of folks sharing similar passions for genre culture is a unique event that is all at once exhausting, exhilarating, draining, inspiring, childish and adult but that really defies all description. It simply is DragonCon. Make plans to join us next year!
John Noble Conversation at Dragon*Con!
Xoanon @ 11:03 am EST
Ringer Celebriel attended John Noble’s Saturday presentation at Dragon*Con. Many fans don’t know John as well as other principals in the film, and some may think he’s as fearsome as his character Denethor. Nothing could be further from the truth. John is engaging and personable, and both knowledgeable and highly articulate about his craft. He’s also well organized, starting out by giving answers to FAQs and getting them out of the way.
John explained that he’s not a Tolkien scholar but an actor, with an actor’s point of view. He takes his work very seriously, and views it as a great responsibility. He would have chosen to play Denethor, he says, because he is such a great character to portray, on the scale of the great tragic Shakespearean roles. “It’s what I do. I feel more alive when acting than at any other time. I am more myself in the creative process than at any other time,” he added.
While not all roles are great, John believes that the actor “is responsible to do it to the best of your ability – don’t get jaded or cynical.” He enjoys any work that’s challenging and fun, noting that in a recent horror film he played another father who tries to kill his son. “I keep having these great deaths,” John commented. He recently played a villain put to death by being quartered by rowboats. He says it’s fun to play bad guys: “What I do is access the dark side in all of us….I try to make them real.”
One aspect of “The Lord of the Rings” he and his fellow actors especially enjoyed was access to screenwriter Phillipa Boyens to suggest additions and changes to the script, noting Peter Jackson had said, “Make sure you pay attention to the actors because by the time they get here they will know more about the roles than we do.”
Noble has the greatest respect for Peter Jackson, calling him “the man who led an army to produce this masterpiece,” adding that he never saw any complaining or temperament from cast or crew, despite the long days and endless changes. He later commented that “many directors are for hire – they do a good job but are not as totally committed or as sure of their vision as Peter Jackson was.”
John believes that Denethor is a noble character, “He’s not a bad man, he’s a great man who made poor choices.” He played him as a man believing the choices he made were the best at the time. Denethor had a huge responsibility, as head of the last bastion of a threatened land. “I played him as totally insular. He doesn’t react to any other characters… I played him as someone who had never recovered from the loss of his wife.”
The level of detail in sets, props, and costumes set a new standard. He mentioned, for example, that Denethor carried a beautiful and intricately detailed sword that was never drawn, its details never seen by the audience. “Film is about illusion,” he noted, “but Rings wasn’t about illusion – so much was actually created.”
“The difference between a good piece of work and a great piece of work is the detail,” says Noble. Even dialects and accents in LOTR received special attention. John explained that there were specialist dialect people on set. He was sent a tape with samples of the Gondorian accent, which had a different “o” sound when compared to received pronunciation, which was spoken by the elves (received pronunciation is a pronunciation of British English originally based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England). “Most of my dialogue is pure Tolkien – it needs articulation so it has a certain weight.”
John shared some wonderful behind the scenes stories. In Denethor’s tomato-eating scene, he said Peter Jackson loved when the splash came out of his mouth, asking, “Can you do that every time?” (Long time fans will be aware of PJ’s love for gore). He also mentioned that a fan at a convention brought him a basket of cherry tomatoes. He believes the scene is “one of the finest pieces of film ever” because of its complex structure and brilliant editing.
When Billy Boyd sang Pippin’s song, John said the set came to a complete stop. He loves how the song plays against Denethor’s cruelty and Faramir’s self sacrifice. He’s also a big fan of Howard Shore, saying he met him at a symphony performance and they had a chance to talk at the party afterwards. He also refuted Internet stories about scenes or publicity stills of him with the palantir, saying “It’s a lie. I didn’t see a palantir until I saw Billy Boyd with one.”
He explained that his costume was heavy and hard to work in. There was always a fear of falling down stairs. “In one scene I had to go backwards in the costume and hit a mark very close to the camera.” He said he probably looked a bit strange as he walked the pattern repeatedly while on a break. “The wig was made by Peter King especially for me… I would disappear as the wig and makeup went on and Denethor appeared.”
The oil pouring scene was fun, John said. It had to be filmed in one take, because the wig and costume would be wet for the rest of the day. He loved being able to flick the wig and scatter the oil drops, though it was difficult to balance on the wood for the pyre.
And he really enjoyed his “exit” saying that security and safety are always at their highest when a dangerous scene is being filmed. It was one of the more dangerous stunts in the film. The stunt man was covered in protectant but it was still dangerous because of the long run. The scene also used very traditional film devices, such as reflecting flame into a mirror and onto the lens to create the effect.
Noble thinks of his fellow "Rings" actors as a band of brothers and sisters who keep in touch and remember their excellence in working together. He views “Rings” as a once in a lifetime experience. “I can’t imagine another project of this nature, where everything fits together like a Rubics’ cube, starting with the greatest material of the 20th century.” He looks forward to working with others in the Australian LOTR contingent – including Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Cate Blanchett, and David Wenham.
He did mention that for some reason, unlike most of the cast, he never received a farewell gift such as his sword, a clapper, or other memento. He even asked Barrie Osborne about it, but apparently by then everything had been disposed of. John never had to go back to New Zealand for pickup shots, but 18 months later he returned to shoot a new scene with Boromir and Faramir that appeared in the Extended Edition. He was glad the scene was added, as he felt it was essential to show the relationship between Denethor and his sons, especially to develop Faramir’s character and motivation.
In January 1999 he agent called about an audition for “The Lord of the Rings.” A few months later he read for the parts of Saruman and Denethor at a meeting in Sydney. He didn’t hear anything, and later he read on The One Ring.net (yes, he’s a reader!) that Christopher Lee had gotten the part. But then he did get a call about Denethor, and 12 months later he went on set.
Noble has had a long and distinguished career in his native Australia and elsewhere as a voice, stage, and screen actor, and stage director, but he became an actor by accident. At university in Australia, John was a law student, but he had a flatmate who was an actor. John took an acting elective, was encouraged by his teachers and soon was working in the profession. “Once I did it, I knew it was what I wanted to do. It’s the canvas I’ve been given to work on. I can try my best to do a good job.” One accomplishment yet to come is to play King Lear, “when I’m old enough,” remarking that it’s a complex role about the relationships of a parent and children.
All the actors he worked with on LOTR were “fantastic.” He loved working with Ian McKellen, whom he called “the senior actor of the English stage.” Since LOTR he’s worked with John Rhys-Davies (in a film called One Night with the King – a big, sweeping, historical drama, based on the biblical story of Esther with gorgeous production design, sets, and costumes, plus Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif. I could not locate an exact release date – IMDB just says 2005).
And he enjoys attending conventions, noting of his fellow actors, “We’ve moved on with other projects and with our lives, but it was a great honor to be part of it.”