2-19-02

Cricket crowds help out on LOTR sound effects. Tehanu @ 2:53 pm EST A few days back we reported that the film company was going to use the crowds at an upcoming cricket match to provide the crowd noise for scenes in the next movies. Ringer spy and cricket fan Catherine wrote in to tell us what it was like: "I had such an awesome time at the cricket :-) It was fantastic that the man himself directed us. I made sure I was right in front of a mic too, so when the movie comes out I'll be able to say you hear that squeaky, girly sounding Orc that's me!! He got us to stamp our feet which was amazing to hear 25,000 people all in time. We beat on our chests, chanted in Orc - I did my best to lower my voice :-) Whispered, hummed did some good old heavy breathing. And we won the game too, all in all a great night."

2-17-02

Is It In? Xoanon @ 3:25 pm EST Mormegil writes: There is an interview with Orlando Bloom in a German magazine "Bravo" where he apparently says that in ROTK the Hobbits return to find Saruman in charge of their home. I can't speak German so am relying on the translation given here. [More]

2-16-02

TTT: PJ Makes A Noise! -UPDATED- Xoanon @ 4:56 pm EST Ringer Spy Basil sends us these pics from the cricket match that will eventually be used in TTT as battle noises! Take a listen...er...look! I was at the cricket tonight and PJ was recording sounds for the Two Towers as well you know. Anyway my flatmate took the following pictures of him urging the crowd on to stamp their feet or all to speak in black tounge in deep voices.

Just WHEN Will The LOTR:FOTR DVD Be Released? Xoanon @ 4:36 pm EST From: anonymous At a licensees meeting at Toy Fair last Sunday, New Line's execs revealed that the worldwide release of the video and DVD would be 6 August, not July at all. I've seen so many different dates associated with the release, and dvdreviewer seems to be just the latest to have got it wrong.

Spy Report From TT Sound Test At NZ Cricket Match Strider @ 11:18 am EST Wonder what exactly they were recording for The Two Towers at the recent cricket match between New Zealand and England in Wellington? Well, Rongotai was there and recounts all! I have just returned from watching New Zealand play England at cricket in the Wellington Stadium. As you reported, PJ was there using the crowd to record sound effects for TTT. PJ received a rapturous welcome from the 25,000-30,000 crowd. He told us that we were to be the sound of Orcs going to and fighting at Helm's Deep. With 8 recording locations around the stadium he stood in the middle and directed us like an orchestra. First we had to cheer like an army cheering its general - but in the lowest register voice we could make. Then we had to snarl, then wheeze. Next we all stamped our feet to simulate the army marching in step. Then an Orcish chant was put up on the big replay screen. We chanted five times at different speeds and with different degrees of intensity and anger. The last two sounds were the most amazing. He asked us all to whisper. It didn't matter what - just whisper. Believe me, 25,000 people whispering at once is an astonishing sound. Equally astonishing was all of us hummming at once, which came next. Throughout all this PJ held a raucous sports crowd in the palm of his hands. Everyone cooperated fully, and gave him another huge cheer when he thanked us and left. By the way, in the cricket New Zealand beat England 244 to 89.

2-15-02

TTT: Action Figues & More Xoanon @ 12:52 pm EST Joeva writes: E! News, today, did a piece on the upcoming action figures for the TT and they looked awsome. They also showed the upcoming figures for the Fellowship which included the Balrog which looked really cool! The most intersting thing about the spot was before they started showing the acion figures there was a quick bit with PJ and he said that someone would meet a "spikey end" in the TT....once again the myth of the spike!

2-12-02

LOTR premiere and release in Japan Tehanu @ 3:07 pm EST We wanted to find out more about the schedule for LOTR in Japan, and Bruce wrote in to clear things up: "The opening date for LOTR in Japan is March 2 (Saturday). The February 23 (Japan Time) date is a special "late-show" showing, just one show from about 8:30 pm, I think. There is no fixed showing time yet. There will also be an invitation showing for a lucky 20,000 people on the 12th (Japan Time). I struck out on that one, even though I sent in a great number of ballots! TV commericals first started on January 1. I saw two of them - 30 second versions of the latest trailer - on an mid-morning comedy/variety show. I did not see the trailer in the theater until the end of January or first of February, attached to Shrek of all things. The Lord of the Rings in print ("Tale of the Ring" - in Japanese) has not been a very big seller in Japan, and it was not easy to find in book stores, at least where I live." Alan agreed: "There are some late-night one-off shows on Feb.23, GRAND opening March 2nd." Nanae found this information, which has a different premiere date: "I read your little article about "LOTR in Japan" and I just had to tell you this. After I read your article, I went to the Japanese LOTR site and checked it out. It said that February 21st is going to be the premiere. It said that the majority of the theaters will release the movie on the 2nd of March, but there will be few theaters that will release it on February 23rd. The following stars will attend the Japan premiere of LOTR on Feb. 21st: Elijah Wood Liv Tyler Viggo Mortensen Sean Bean Orlando Bloom Dominic Monaghan Barry M. Osborne (the producer) I wish I could go (T.T). I wanna meet all these stars. My friends in Tokyo said that huge posters of LOTR are all over in the city. They are very excited about the release of the film.

1-23-02

PJ Talks Bombadil Xoanon @ 10:17 pm EST Cleolinda writes: Kathleen, just sent us this quote from Cinefantastique--beautifully documented, too--if you're interested: "What we did contemplate," Jackson recalled, "and it was really for the fans, was to have the hobbits walking through the Old Forest and to see a feathered cap come darting through the trees, to hear the sound of Tom Bombadil's voice and son and then have the hobbits turn and run away as fast as they could!(he laughed) We thought (that)would acknowledge Tom Bombadil in an affectionate-joke kind of way. We didn't have time to do it." (from the Dec/Jan 2002 Volume 33 No. 6 issue of Cinefantastique in the article titled LOTR:FOTR Peter Jackson Being True to Tolkien: The New Zealand Director Honors a Literary Classic) This should kill all Bombadil rumors people keep asking us about.

1-20-02

Croatia gets Hobbity. Tehanu @ 3:15 pm EST "I am writing from Zagreb, Croatia. LOTR premiered here on the 16th and there's going to be an after-premiere LOTR party at "Tolkien's pub" this saturday. Yep, believe it or not, here in Zagreb we have the "Tolkien's house" and "Tolkien's pub". Anyway, the party is going to be full of businessmen that don't know the difference between a dwarf and an elf BUT there is going to be a prize contest and guess what the main prize is: The One Ring! Yeah baby... I managed to get my hands on an invtitation so I'll be going to the party. If there's anything interesting I'll be sure to let you know. Galahad went on to find out more: "i just found out the rules of the game. Starting tommorow there will be beer drinking contests! The one who drinks his beer fastest becomes the "hobbit of the day" and gets a chance to win the Ring by winning in another competition on Saturday. that's all i have so far... "P.S. In front of "Tolkien's house" there's an old barrel displayed with a little sign saying: "This is one of the barrels that Bilbo and the dwarves used to escape from the elves in Mirkwood." Cool, huh? :-)" Thanks to Galahad for that!